By Holly Weber, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—A five-hit Danielle Liberatore shutout and a nine-inning, 5-4 victory left the fans wanting more after the Tennessee Tech softball team swept Bradley in the doubleheader on Tuesday. The Golden Eagles first downed the Braves 5-0 in game one, and then held on to edge Bradley 5-4 in the second game, nine-inning thriller.
Liberatore (5-7) saw victory in both games over Bradley, first pitching the complete 5-0 shutout allowing just five hits, while striking out a season-high tying 13 runners and allowing just two walks.
In game one against the Braves, Tech quickly got on the board when Callen Griffin singled up the middle to drive in two Golden Eagles at the bottom of the first. Tech notched one more in the fourth when senior Cortney Fry reached on a fielder's choice driving in Amity Brown in the process. The Golden Eagles rounded out their 5-0 victory in the bottom of the fifth when Madison Taylor hit an RBI-triple to right center and teammate Bayli Cruse followed up with a sacrifice fly to drive in Taylor.
Things got even more exciting in game two. Tech scored first when Sabrie Neeb launched a two-run homerun in the bottom of the first, however, Bradley fought to get on the board when the Braves' Kendall Duffy hit an RBI-double down the third base line to pull the score to 2-1, still in favor of the Golden Eagles in the top of the third.
Tech, unfazed by the Bradley score, kept their bats going in the bottom of the third, adding two more runs off of a two-run homerun by Cruse. Still, Bradley battle and added two in the fourth and one in the sixth to tie the game at 4-4.
The game could not be decided in seven innings, so the Braves and Golden Eagles headed into extra innings ready to fight to the finish. A quick one-two-three inning silenced the Braves in the top of the eighth and made room for Tech to strike. With two on and one down in the bottom of the eighth, things looked promising for the Golden Eagles, however, a Tech popup followed by a groundout left two on and allowed the Braves another chance to strike.
With a Bradley runner starting the inning on second, as is normal when going into extra innings, the Braves' Gabby Stoner came up to the plate. Stoner reached on a fielder's choice as shortstop Callen Griffin made an amazing throw from the ground to Cortney Fry to get the runner down at third. With Liberatore now in the circle, she made short work of the next two runners, the first Brave grounding out to second and the second silenced at the dish striking out swinging.
Into the bottom of the ninth, Tech started the inning with quick-foot Gabby Perez on second. Jessie Lowery led off the inning, grounding out to the third baseman, allowing Perez to advance third in the process. Power-hitter Neeb then came up to bat and hit a sacrifice fly to center field driving in Perez and taking the exciting 5-4 victory for the Golden Eagles.
Tech returns to action on Saturday-Sunday, when the Golden Eagles travel to Alabama to open conference play against Jacksonville State. Tech and the Gamecocks will open the series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and close out the third game on Sunday at 1 p.m.