By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Patience at the plate paid off dividends for the Tennessee Tech softball team on Sunday as the Golden Eagles took advantage of nine walks and some timely hitting to post a 9-2 victory over Western Carolina.

Tech finished the weekend with a 3-1 record as the Golden Eagles return home this week for a three-game set with East Tennessee State, weather permitting, on Friday and Saturday. First pitch on Friday at the Tech Softball Field is slated for 3 p.m.

Jessie Lowery ended the day Sunday with four RBI as she was 2-for-4 at the plate, while Haeli Bryson also drove in multiple runs in the contest with two RBI.

Starting pitcher Alyssa Arden went the distance, allowing two runs – one earned – over 104 pitches. Arden yielded three hits as she walked three and struck out five.

Western Carolina (2-2) struck for the first run, pushing the tally mark across on a wild pitch in the home half of the first. The Golden Eagles took over in their next turn at the plate, striking for three runs in the second. After leadoff walks to Love-Baker and KaDedra Temple, Chandler Caldwell took a one-out walk to load the bases, then Lowery took first on four straight pitches to push a run across and knot the game at one.

After a pitching change and the bags still juiced, Beth McCulley took a walk on four straight, giving Tech the lead. Mackenzie Fitzgerald hit a fly ball to left, but it was caught deep enough to send Caldwell home to roost, making it a 3-1 Tech lead.

The Golden Eagles added three more in the third. Starting with a walk to Nicolle Nysted, Love-Baker was able to put a double down the left field line. However, the play caught Nysted at third on a 7-1 throwout. Temple singled to put runners at the corners, then Bryson flied out to center field, scoring Love-Baker on the sacrifice.

With two down, Caldwell took a full-count walk, then Lowery collected an RBI single to drive in Temple, but Caldwell was able to score on the play as a throwing error from right field gave her room to cross the plate.

WCU added its second run on an RBI double to make it a 6-2 game, then Tech added some insurance in the top of the seventh with another three-spot.

Love-Baker led off with a single to right, with Hannah Richter taking over as the pinch runner at first. Paxton Grimes pinch-hit for Temple and took a full-count walk, then Bryson dropped a base hit into right. Richter came home to score on the play with Grimes on third and Bryson on second, advancing on the throw.

After Caldwell was thrown out 1-4-3 on a comebacker to the circle, Lowery delivered the final blow with a two-run single to left center, driving home Grimes and Bryson.