By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
TROY, Ala. – After a tough day on Saturday, the Tennessee Tech softball team was determined to change their fortunes to close out their play in the Trojan Classic.
Behind a strong pitching effort from Taylor Waldrop to hold tournament host Troy at bay, the Golden Eagle offense teed off on the Trojan pitchers as Tech earned a decisive 9-3 win on Sunday afternoon.
Tech improves to 3-11 on the season and will return to Cookeville for its home opener on Wednesday, a doubleheader against Samford, starting at 2 p.m.
As a team, the Golden Eagles struck for 16 hits, led by a 4-for-5 effort at the plate by Raegan Sparks, while Callen Griffin was 3-for-4 and Beth McCulley, Hallie Davis and Sydney Love-Baker each had multiple hit games as well.
Davis and Alyssa Herlocker each had two RBI to lead the Golden Eagles.
In the circle, Waldrop went the distance, allowing just three runs on seven hits as she struck out and walked one.
Tech put a statement on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning, pouncing for five runs in the opening frame and never looking back. McCulley and Sparks hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning, then Bayli Cruse knocked in the first run with a double to right. With runners on second and third, Davis dropped a triple into center field to clear the bases for two more runs, then Griffin hit a double to left center to bring home Davis.
The Golden Eagles weren't done – after a pitching change, Herlocker took a walk, then Leigh Ellen Thomas lined a double into right center to bring Griffin home for the fifth run of the inning.
Troy tried to chip away, adding single runs in the first and second. But Tech added a single insurance run in the third as Herlocker drove in Love-Baker with a single up the middle, then put three more on the board in the fifth as Herlocker took a bases-loaded walk to push Davis home, McCulley hit a RBI single to left to score Griffin, and Love-Baker scored on a Sparks single.
With the Golden Eagles up 9-2, Troy added its final run in the bottom of the sixth, but Tech was too far out of reach.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
