By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Tennessee Tech softball team played late into the evening, the final game of the day starting at nearly 9:30 p.m., but the wait was worth it for freshman hurler Alyssa Arden as she pitched a no-hitter against host Alabama State in a 2-1 victory Saturday night.
Tech (6-5) also won its earlier game, a 2-0 victory over Western Illinois in a rematch of Friday night's 7-0 victory.
The no-hitter stands as the 17th no-no in Tech program history and the last one since Holly Thomas threw one on February 25, 2011, against IUPUI. Arden allowed an unearned run in the contest, though, in the fourth inning as ASU's Alexis Sydnor scored on a sacrifice after reaching on a walk, stealing second and taking third on a throwing error.
Arden (3-2) walked two and struck out nine in the victory.
Tech's runs both came in the sixth inning. With runners on second and third with one down, Gabby LaSala laid down a bunt single, allowing Hannah Richter to score and put runners at the corners with Jessie Lowery at third and pinch runner Haeli Bryson at first. Bryson stole second, then Amanda Phy came in to run.
Hallie Davis came up to the plate and grounded to short, giving Lowery enough room to score the go-ahead run.
Lowery went 3-for-4 in the contest, while Richter was 2-for-3.
In the day's earlier game, Kayla Hughes picked up her second win of the season, throwing a complete-game shutout against the Fighting Leathernecks. Hughes allowed six hits, while walking four and striking out six.
Lowery, Sydney Love-Baker, Raleigh Lewis and Alexis Trimiar picked up Tech's hits.
Trimiar drove in the game's first run in the second with a single up the middle to drive in Davis. Love-Baker hit her third home run of the season in the fourth, a solo shot to left to complete the game's scoring.
Tech is scheduled to wrap up its games in the Alabama State Invitational with a 4 p.m. matchup with Purdue Fort Wayne, weather permitting.
Photo by Jim Dillon