Late runs lead SIUE to win over Golden Eagles
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It came down to the final at-bat. After SIUE took a 6-4 lead in the top of the seventh after three scoreless frames, Tennessee Tech had the potential winning run at the plate with two on, but the Cougars were able to coax the final out with a grounder to end the contest and preserve the sweep for the visitors, 6-4. The Golden Eagles (2-17, 0-3 OVC) return to action Tuesday with a midweek contest at ETSU, then head to Nashville for next week’s OVC series at Tennessee State on Saturday and Sunday.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 |
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0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It came down to the final at-bat. After SIUE took a 6-4 lead in the top of the seventh after three scoreless frames, Tennessee Tech had the potential winning run at the plate with two on, but the Cougars were able to coax the final out with a grounder to end the contest and preserve the sweep for the visitors, 6-4.
The Golden Eagles (2-17, 0-3 OVC) return to action Tuesday with a midweek contest at ETSU, then head to Nashville for next week's OVC series at Tennessee State on Saturday and Sunday.
Ashley Capelouto and Olivia Evans both went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Golden Eagles with Capelouto collecting an RBI. Jailynn Paderez had the other RBI for Tech.
McKayla Anderson earned the SIUE victory in relief, going 5 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out three. Starter Avery Arwood lasted an inning and two-thirds, giving up four unearned runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout.
The Cougars struck first in the opening frame as Abby Harvell doubled to right center, then moved to third on Juztyne Torres' sacrifice bunt. Kaylin Fahy grounded out to short, giving Harvell enough room to score the run.
SIUE doubled its lead in the second as Betsy Woodward was walked and stole second, then Gretchen Trello worked her way to a free pass. With two down, Harvell hit a ball into center field for a hit, but Evans made a quick recovery on an 8-1-6 throw to nab Harvell at second trying to stretch it into a double. The hit did allow Woodward to score even as Harvell's overreach ended the inning.
Tech did its damage with two out in the inning. With Ella Grace Harvey standing on first after her single, Julie Martin singled to shallow left, then Evans drew a walk with the bases loaded. Sofia Carroll hit a ball to the SIUE shortstop, booting the ball for a fielding error. With two out when the error was committed, everything became unearned as Harvey and Martin came home on the miscue.
The Golden Eagles weren't done, though. Paderez singled down the right field line to bring Evans home and ended Arwood's stint in the circle with the Golden Eagles now up 3-2. Capelouto made it 4-2 as she hit a ball into right field and it went over the wall for a ground-rule double, bringing Carroll home and a tally on the scoreboard.
The Cougars knotted the game in the third as Fahy drove in Torres with a double to right, chasing Tech starter Faith Rush from the circle and bringing in Addison Abell to relieve her. Abell finished up Duran's at-bat with Rush, sending her to first on a walk. An Arissah Garza sacrifice bunt moved the runners up to second and third, then a wild pitch allowed Fahy to score.
That was it for either team until the top of the seventh. With Lainey Fitzgerald coming on in the start of the inning, she worked two quick outs for Duran on a flyout to left center and Garza with a grounder to third. Woodward singled down the left field line, then Jesslyn Stairs worked a 3-1 count before unloading with a deep shot to right center for a two-run home run.
Fitzgerald was able to get out of the inning with no further damage as she struck out Kaylie Frydenlund on four pitches.
In their final at-bats, the Golden Eagles had to make it count. A lineout to third ended Evans' try, then Carroll doubled to right and moved over to third on Paderez's grounder to short. Capelouto drew a five-pitch walk to put runners at the corners, but Bishop hit a grounder to second with the scoop and throw ending the contest.
Fitzgerald, Tech's third pitcher of the game, took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits with a strikeout. Rush went the first two frames, allowing four runs on five hits, walking three and striking out one. Addison Abell went four complete, yielding just one hit and a walk with one strikeout.
Photo | Jim Dillon
