By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With momentum well on its side, the Tennessee Tech softball team jumps back into its Ohio Valley Conference schedule, returning home for a pair of weekend doubleheaders. On Saturday, the Golden Eagles (15-11, 2-1) will welcome in Southeast Missouri (4-11, 1-1) for a twin bill beginning at 12 p.m. CT, before Tech will clash with UT Martin (12-10, 1-1) in a Sunday double dip, also starting at noon.
Saturday's doubleheader promises to be special as three former Golden Eagles will take their place in Tech lore in between games. The program will add Kacy Bennett ('05), Stephanie Fischer ('08), and Beth Boden ('08) to its Wall of Honor, honoring the trio's outstanding careers in TTU purple and gold.
Not only have the Golden Eagles won nine of their last 11 games, but TTU is riding high after claiming a doubleheader sweep to remember over former OVC foe Samford on Wednesday. Tech marched into Birmingham, a place where the Bulldogs were an impressive 8-1 coming into the twin bill, and put together one of the biggest comebacks in school history in the opener.
Trailing 7-0 going into the top of the seventh, the Golden Eagles refused to be denied. The first four Golden Eagles reached thanks to an Alyssa Richards walk, singles by Cortney Fry and Kelly Kennedy, and a double by Rachel Karlan that cut the Samford lead to 7-2 before an out was even registered in the frame.
After the Bulldogs were finally able to record the first out of the inning on the next Tech hitter, the Golden Eagles kept the line moving behind a Madison Taylor walk, and an Angi Sakamoto run-scoring single that loaded the bases, while trimming the Samford advantage to 7-3.
Senior Hannah Eldridge came to the dish representing the tying run, and boy did the Fayetteville, Tenn. native capitalize on the situation. Eldridge smacked an 0-1 pitch over the center field wall, deadlocking the score on a grand slam.
Eldridge now has four home runs on the season, twice as many as the senior second baseman had last year, while her .372 batting average is tops on the Golden Eagles.
Two batters later, Tech finally took the lead, using a single by junior Olivia Bennett and an Alyssa Richards RBI double to push the Golden Eagles to an 8-7 edge.
Bennett and Richards have established themselves as a forced to be reckoned with in the heart of the Tech order, as the two have combined for 11 home runs and 35 RBI in 36 games this season. In fact, Bennett's seven round trippers put her in a four-way tie for the most in the OVC, while the Mentone, Calif. native is also in the top five in runs batted in with 20. Richards hasn't been too shabby herself, as the 5-foot-8 sophomore is second on the Tech squad with an impressive .370 batting average.
Senior Erica Tuck (1-1) would secure the one-run advantage in the bottom of the inning, dancing around a leadoff walk and a wild pitch that put the tying run in scoring position with no one out.
The incredible comeback spurred a twin bill sweep, as the Golden Eagles came out swinging in the second game to the tune of 10-5 victory, producing a season-high tying 14 hits, seven of which were of the extra-base variety.
The offensive showcase has been a major theme so far this season, with Tech leading the OVC in a number of major categories including runs scored (125), hits (203), and home runs (25).
The TTU pitching has held up its end of the bargain as well, highlighted by this week's adidas® Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week, Danielle Liberatore. The sophomore hurler has won five-straight decisions to push her record to 8-5, while Liberatore's 103 strikeouts this season are second in the conference.
Southeast Missouri heads to Cookeville having dropped eight of its last nine contests, including losing both games of a Wednesday doubleheader against Indiana State in the club's last time out. After falling in the first game of the twin bill, the Redhawks were unable to hold on to a 5-3 seventh inning deficit in the nightcap. The Sycamores tied the game with two down, before scoring four in the top of the eighth to win in extras.
Despite the recent struggles, SEMO's offense has proven to be as good as any in the OVC. The Redhawks lead the conference with a .317 team batting average and a .492 slugging percentage. Five Southeast Missouri players are hitting at least .370, highlighted by senior Kayla Fortner's OVC-leading .463 clip. The Cedar Hill, Mo. native is also tied for first in the conference with seven long balls, while her 24 RBI is tops in the OVC as well.
TTU leads the all-time series 44-38 with the Redhawks, which includes a doubleheader sweep in Cape Girardeau last season.
Before making the trip to Tech Softball Field, UT Martin will tangle with Jacksonville State in a Saturday double dip.
The Skyhawks are currently on a three-game win streak after sweeping Evansville in a Wednesday doubleheader that saw UTM score a combined 19 runs in the two games.
No sophomore slump so far for Carly Gonzales this year, as the reigning OVC Freshman of the Year has put together a stellar campaign in which the Anaheim, Calif. native is hitting a team-best .397 to go along with eight doubles, five home runs, and 22 RBI. The 22 driven in puts Gonzales in a tie for second in the conference.
The Golden Eagles hold a 45-30 edge in the all-time series. Tech took two out of three last year against the Skyhawks, with the most memorable of the three clashes coming in the OVC tournament. Squared away at 3-3 in the top of the sixth of an elimination game, an Angi Sakamoto two-run single proved to be the winner as the Golden Eagles kept their season alive with a 5-3 victory.
Admission to all Golden Eagle home regular season games is free.
