By Holly Weber, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—The regular season was brought to an end on Sunday as the Tennessee Tech softball team (23-31, 14-13 OVC) closed out the year at home versus conference-opponent Eastern Kentucky (35-15, 17-8 OVC). The Colonels defeated the Golden Eagles 10-3 in the mid-afternoon rubber match.
EKU got on the board first in the top of the second inning when Hannah Clark doubled down the third base line to drive in the first run of the day. An Amber Murray sacrifice bunt and Tech throwing error then allowed two more runs to score in the inning, giving the Colonels the early 3-0 lead.
Eastern Kentucky continued to add on two more runs in the top of the third when a Paige Murphy double to left center lengthened the Colonel lead to 5-0. Cortney Fry put Tech on the board in the bottom of the fourth when she knocked a single up the middle with bases loaded and one down, cutting the EKU lead to 5-1.
The Colonels went on a late run in the top of the seventh notching five more runs off of two walks from freshman southpaw Leigh Thomas, a two-RBI double by Krislyn Campos, and an RBI from Kayla Joyce to now lead 10-1. Tech attempted to make a comeback in the bottom of the seventh when Sarah Freels hit a two-run blast over the center field wall to cut the lead 10-3, but the Golden Eagles could not cut the Colonel lead.
Hannah Weaver (4-11) suffered the loss for Tech. Weaver went for two innings and slowed five runs (three earned) off of six hits. Alex Sallberg (10-6) saw victory in the circle for Eastern Kentucky. Sallberg went for 3.2 innings and allowed two runs off of three hits.
The Golden Eagles have now clinched the sixth seed in the OVC tournament and will travel down to Oxford, Alabama to play at neutral site (the first time in OVC tournament history) Choccolocco Park. After its win today, Eastern Kentucky has now clinched the third seed in the tournament and will again face Tech in the double-elimination tournament, on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
