By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The offense came through for the Tennessee Tech softball team as the Golden Eagle cruised over Tennessee State with a 9-0, six-inning victory in game one, then beat the Tigers 7-4 in game two.
The Golden Eagles improved to 5-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference race, while TSU falls to 1-7.
Bayli Cruse and Alyssa Richards each went 3-for-3 in the day's first contest, with Cruse knocking in three and Richards and Kayla Hughes coming through with a pair of RBI.
Tech had 12 hits in the contest, giving the loss to starter Lauren Powell, who allowed four runs on four hits in three innings. Erica O'Kane allpwed five runs on eight hits in the final three frames.
Danielle Liberatore was nearly flawless in the circle as she allowed just two hits and one walk as she struck out 11.
The Golden Eagles scored in every inning but the second. In the first, Cruse and Richards hit back-to-back RBI doubles to center field as Gabby LaSala and Cruse scored on the plays.
In the third, Aalia Bivens scored on a Cruse single through the right side, with a throwing error allowing her to advance to second. After Richards was hit by a pitch, Hallie Davis singled down the left field line, allowing Cruse to score.
Bivens then hit a double in the fourth, allowing Gabby Perez to come home to score. In the fifth, Hughes had a two-run single to right, scoting Amity Brown and Cruse.
In the sixth, Tech added two more runs as Cruse and Richards had back-to-back RBI singles.
In game two, Tennessee State took a 3-0 lead after the bottom of the first, but the Golden Eagles chipped away with one run in the second as Perez singled to first base on a bunt and advanced to second on a throw as the Tigers tried to get Callen Griffin. She advanced to second, took third on a throwing error at first base and scored on an error by the right fielder.
Tech followed that in the third as it took a 5-3 lead. Davis drove in Raegan Sparks with a single to center, then Kelly Kennedy hit a three-run home run. The Golden Eagles scored a single run in the fourth as Sparks singled to center field, driving in Bivens.
Tech scored its last run of the game in the seventh as Cruse drove in LaSala with a grounder to short after LaSala led off the inning with a triple.
Leigh Ellen Thomas earned the victory, allowing four runs on eight hits in seven innings of work. She walked one and struck out none.
The Golden Eagles (12-21) continue their Nashville road trip on Sunday as Tech takes on Belmont in a doubleheader, starting at 1 p.m.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
