By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – When it comes to Tennessee Tech softball's series against East Tennessee State, it's better late than never.
Tech added a Wednesday doubleheader at East Tennessee State, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Central at Betty Basler Field.
The games will be the Buccaneers' first of the season after getting four games against Army cancelled and a three-game set originally scheduled for Cookeville this past weekend against the Golden Eagles. Wintry weather in Cookeville and Johnson City wiped out the series over the weekend as snow and ice blanketed the Upper Cumberland.
It'll be the first games in a week-and-a-half for the Golden Eagles, who opened the season 3-1 at the Alabama State Stinger Classic.
Tech is led at the plate so far this season by Beth McCulley, who was named the Ohio Valley Conference's Player of the Week after the first week, batting .538 with seven hits and two RBI. Jessie Lowery leads the Golden Eagles in RBI with six. Haeli Bryson is also hitting .300 with three RBI.
In the circle, Alyssa Arden won the OVC's first Pitcher of the Week honor, earning two wins in three appearances, collecting a 0.91 ERA over 15 1/3 innings as she allowed two earned runs on eight hits, walking five and striking out 13.
East Tennessee State finished 9-13 last year in the COVID pandemic-shortened season. The Bucs return their top RBI producer last season in Kylie Toler, who drove in 15 runs with three home runs and five doubles. Kelly Warren, who hit a team-high .394 with 28 hits, eight RBI and 10 runs scored, is back, as is Julia Fritz, who came home to score a team-best 18 times.
Kelly Schmidt led ETSU in innings last season, posting a 2.86 ERA with a 4-3 record in 11 appearances over 56 1/3 innings. She walked 18 and struck out 28. MacKenzie Dyson (1-3, 4.96 ERA) and Taylor Boling (1-4, 6.27 ERA) also saw significant time in the circle.
Tech is 19-10 all-time against the Bucs in a series that dates back to 2001. The two teams faced off last season on March 1 in Johnson City with ETSU taking a 10-1 run-ruled victory in the Buccaneer Classic.
