By Holly Weber, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—After winning three of its last five contests, the Tennessee Tech softball team (8-15, 0-0 OVC) is ready to hit the road to kickoff Ohio Valley Conference play on Saturday-Sunday versus Jacksonville State (9-12, 0-0 OVC).
The Gamecocks begin conference play winning two of their last seven games. Jacksonville State and Tech have faced similar opponents in pre-conference play: Kennesaw State, Samford, Louisiana Tech, and Liberty.
The Golden Eagles fell twice to Kennesaw State, 6-0, while the Gamecocks defeated the Owls 3-1. Tech also twice fell to Samford, while Jacksonville State won one-of-three of their contests against them. Both the Golden Eagles and the Gamecocks defeated Liberty, but fell to Louisiana Tech.
Currently, Taylor Sloan leads JSU with a .381 batting average. Sloan has a .524 slugging percentage and has notched 10-RBI, one homerun, one tripe, and four doubles on the season. Emily Church is a power-hitter for the Gamecock team. Church leads the team with 18-RBI, collecting three homeruns and two doubles on the season, while teammate Ella Denes has posted 15-RBI so far this year with two homeruns, five doubles, and a .373 batting average. In the circle, Casey Akenberger (4-2) leads JSU with a 2.62 ERA pitching one shutout over 42.2 innings. On the season, Akenberger has struck out 19, walked 24, and allowed 16 earned runs.
Senior Sabrie Neeb leads the Golden Eagles with a .277 batting average, racking up nine-RBI, one homerun, and four doubles on the season with a .385 slugging percentage. Bayli Cruse and Alyssa Richards serve as the big guns for the Tech team. Cruse with a .275 batting average and a .478 slugging percentage has accumulated 11-RBI, two homeruns, and eight doubles on the season while Richards has posted a .222 batting average, a .397 slugging percentage, and racked up three homeruns and two doubles so far this year.
Junior Danielle Liberatore (5-7) is the Golden Eagle's ace in the circle. Liberatore leads Tech with a 5.52 ERA, pitching two shutouts, 52 innings, and racking up 79 strikeouts on the season.
The Gamecocks leads the series 27-21, however, the Golden Eagles last saw victory in the 2015 season when Tech defeated JSU two games to one.
You can follow the Golden Eagles online on the TTU Sports Facebook page or on Twitter at @TTU_Softball and @TTUGoldenEagles.
