By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Strong pitching became the headline for the Tennessee Tech softball team Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagle pitching staff combined to yield just one earned run in its doubleheader split with Jacksonville State at a sun-soaked Tech Softball Field.
The Gamecocks (26-12, 9-4) struck for a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second inning en route to a 2-1 victory in the opener, before the Golden Eagles bounced back with some early offense of their own to scratch out a 3-1 win in the day's second game.
The potent JSU offense entered the twin bill second in the conference in both team-batting average (.304) and slugging percentage (.476), but the 1-2 punch of sophomore Danielle Liberatore (13-8) and senior Erica Tuck (3-1) teamed up to limit the Gamecocks to just one unearned run throughout the course of the afternoon.
Liberatore did suffer a tough-luck loss in the opener, despite tossing a complete-game, five-hitter that featured six strikeouts and only one walk. The 5-foot-10 southpaw let up two unearned runs in the top of the second, the only two that JSU would plate in the day's first tilt.
After a Tech error, a single, and a stolen base put runners on second and third, JSU sophomore Stephanie Lewis whistled one through the right side that brought around junior Cadi Oliver and senior Savannah Sloan to give the Gamecocks the early 2-0 edge.
The Golden Eagles responded to the setback relatively quickly, using a third inning Angi Sakamoto RBI double down the right field line to bring across sophomore Gabby Perez with the first Tech run.
Sakamoto would end the opening affair with two hits, the only Golden Eagle to make that claim, while the Waipahu, Hawaii native drove in a run in the second contest, in addition to making a pair of highlight-reel catches that forced her to go into a full extension dive to glove.
TTU had its chances in the first game to pull even with Jacksonville State, most notably in the fourth and sixth innings when the Golden Eagles put runners in scoring position. Trailing 2-1 in the last of the fourth, sophomore Kelly Kennedy laced a double into left center field to put runners on second and third with one down.
Despite knocking at the door to tie or take the lead, the Gamecocks denied Tech with the equalizer thanks to a fielder's choice that saw JSU shortstop Cadi Oliver throw out a TTU runner at the plate to keep the game at 2-1.
In the bottom of the sixth, a two-out Bayli Cruse single coupled with a Gamecock error in center put the 5-foot-6 freshman into scoring position, but once again, Tech was unable to cash in after sophomore Taylor West set down freshman Callen Griffin on a roller to first to end the TTU threat.
West (8-4) notched the win after going the distance and allowing one run on six hits, walking two and whiffing four. Even with the loss, it marked the sixth time in nine OVC starts in which Liberatore did not allow an earned run.
Tech showed resiliency early on in the second tilt, scoring a run in the first and two more in the second to take a 3-0 lead after two innings.
Two-out fireworks in the opening frame put the Golden Eagles on the board, as junior Sabrie Neeb stroked a double into left field, before fellow junior Olivia Bennett knocked her in with a scorching single into left center.
In the bottom of the second, junior Cortney Fry doubled up the Tech margin with a booming RBI two-bagger into right center that plated Kelly Kennedy, before an Angi Sakamoto run-scoring groundout two batters later gave the Golden Eagles a 3-0 edge.
The lead was in good hands behind the Tech tandem of Erica Tuck and Danielle Liberatore, who made quick work of the Gamecocks to push the Golden Eagles to the double dip split. Tuck secured the victory with 4 2/3 strong innings inside the circle, surrendering one run on five hits. Liberatore closed the door for her second save of the season, pitching the contest's final 2 1/3 innings and yielding three hits in the process.
Tuck continues to impress in OVC action, giving up just six earned runs in the last 22 conference-innings, posting a 1.91 ERA over that stretch.
The two schools will close out the conference series Sunday afternoon, clashing in a single game at 1 p.m. CT.