Tech travels to Morehead for weekend series; schedule shifts to Saturday single and Sunday twinbill
MOREHEAD, Ky. – After falling to SIUE to open Ohio Valley Conference play, the Tennessee Tech softball team has surged, winning seven of the last nine games and six straight OVC contests. Now, as the Golden Eagles head to Morehead State to continue the conference race, Tech will look to keep the momentum building as it takes on the Eagles.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 18 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 16 | 4 |
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 1 |
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2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 2 |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
MOREHEAD, Ky. – After falling to SIUE to open Ohio Valley Conference play, the Tennessee Tech softball team has surged, winning seven of the last nine games and six straight OVC contests.
Now, as the Golden Eagles head to Morehead State to continue the conference race, Tech will look to keep the momentum building as it takes on the Eagles.
With anticipated weather in the Morehead area on Friday and a freeze warning overnight, the scheduled games have changed to a single game on Saturday, starting at 1:30 PM Central/2:30 ET, and a doubleheader Sunday, slated to start at 11 AM Central/Noon Eastern.
All games are scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required).
Tech has won the last five games against Morehead State and has an 84-42 all-time record against the host Eagles.
MSU enters the weekend with a 2-21 record overall, 1-8 in the OVC after picking up a 7-5 victory over Western Illinois on the road in the series opener. The Leathernecks, Tech's opponent next weekend, took the second game 10-9 in 10 innings, then 4-2 in the finale. First-place Eastern Illinois (9-0 OVC) and SIUE – currently tied with the Golden Eagles in fourth at 6-3 in the league – swept Morehead State in the other league matchups.
Morehead State's other win came against Lamar in an 8-7 victory in Hattiesburg, Miss., back on Feb. 27.
As a team, MSU is hitting .268 with 49 extra-base hits – 34 doubles, two triples and 13 home runs – while also collecting 99 RBI with 106 total runs scored. Sage VanDemark (.321) leads the team in RBI with 17, while Maddy Christopher has the team's best average at .368 and a team-best 32 hits and 21 runs scored. Taikibrea Campbell leads the team in home runs with four.
In the circle, Morehead State has a staff earned run average of 7.24, allowing 158 earned runs and 180 total runs – 7.8 per game. The Eagles have walked 83 and struck out 98 with opponents hitting .361 against. Allicen Harris, despite an 0-9 record, has the staff's best ERA at 4.55, walking eight and striking out 26. Ainsley Stubbs (7.43 ERA) has seen the most appearances and has both victories for MSU, striking out a team-best 49 batters.
Since starting the season 2-17, the Golden Eagles have been on a tear as of late and look to break into double digits this weekend against Morehead State. Since the sweep against SIUE to open the league slate, Tech run-ruled ETSU (12-0), swept Tennessee State with two run-rule victories, fell to Austin Peay 9-6 in a midweek, swept Lindenwood at home for only the second through fourth regular-season triumphs over the Lions since they joined the OVC, then lost to No. 4 Tennessee in a six-inning affair.
Brushing the contest against one of the national leaders aside, the Golden Eagles look to build on their recent success as they head into the final six weeks of the regular season.
As a team, Tech is hitting .255 with 50 extra-base hits – 34 doubles, six triples and 10 home runs – with 98 RBI and 112 runs scored. Jailynn Paderez leads the team in average with a .371 clip, driving in 11 and posting a team-best 26 hits. Olivia Evans (.269) tops Tech in runs scored (16) and stolen bases (14), while Ashley Capelouto has been on a tear during the recent stretch as she now has a team-best 24 RBI and five home runs.
Tech's pitchers have claimed the OVC Pitcher of the Week award the last two weeks as Emily York went 4-0 the week before, then Addison Abell one-hit Lindenwood and combined with York with a second one-hitter against the Lions as Abell posed a 0.51 ERA last week.
The staff ERA now sits at 4.66 as the Golden Eagles have struck out 106 batters and walked 95, allowing 108 earned runs out of 130 total. Abell leads the staff in ERA with a 3.00 over 51 1/3 innings. York has a 4.28 ERA with a team-best 42 strikeouts over 52 1/3 innings of work.
Following the weekend series at Morehead, the Golden Eagles will stay on the road next week for an Easter weekend series at Western Illinois.
Photo | Jim Dillon
