By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
ROCK HILL, S.C. – A whirlwind week for the Tennessee Tech softball team continues this weekend as the Golden Eagles add four games, joining the in-progress Garnet/Gold Classic at Winthrop.
Tech (4-4) hits the road Friday afternoon to head down to South Carolina. The Golden Eagles will face St. Francis at 9 a.m. Saturday, then take on Mount St. Mary's at 11:30 a.m., both games on the host's Terry Field. On Sunday, Tech takes on Illinois-Chicago at 8:30 a.m., then take on the host Eagles at 10:45 a.m. back on Terry Field.
Rain forced changes in the tournament schedule this morning, but St. Francis was able to get a game in, topping Syracuse 6-3 in eight innings. Lindsay Ward hit a three-run home run followed by a Tayven Rousseau round-tripper in the top of the eighth. The Orange scratched out a run in the bottom of the eighth on a grounder to short. Grace Vesco picked up the win, her third of the season, as she allowed two earned runs on four hits, while walking one and striking out nine in the complete-game victory.
Rousseau leads the Red Flash (4-1) with a .529 batting average with three home runs and 12 RBI – both team-highs. Ward is also batting .500 on the season with nine RBI. With 22 innings in the circle, Vesco has a 1.27 earned run average with four walks and 26 strikeouts as she has allowed four earned runs on six hits. Rachel Marsden (1-1) has a 2.55 ERA in 11 innings of work.
Mount St. Mary's enters the event with a 1-3 record. The Mount took its first game of the season with a 1-0 win over North Carolina Central in the Campbell Invitational but that was the only run the team pushed across in the weekend, taking two losses to host Campbell 5-0 and 8-0, then a 10-0 defeat to No. 12 Kentucky.
Kaylee Stoner is hitting .417 on the young season, collecting five hits and driving in the team's lone run. Lexi Donovan is also hitting .333, while Tori Bowles is hitting .200 with three total bases. Amanda Berkley has seen the most action in the circle, throwing 10 innings while posting a 2.10 ERA. She has three walks and four strikeouts while recording a 1-1 record.
Illinois-Chicago played its first game of the season on Friday morning, beating host Winthrop 3-2. Kayla Wedl and Tara McElligott both hit solo home runs, then Alannah Cran added an RBI single to drive in Dee Dee Caskey to take a 3-0 lead. Madyson Watson and Ashley Westbrooks also hit home runs for the Eagles.
Miranda Gomez earned the win, allowing one run on four hits, walking one and striking out none in six innings of work. Marley Hanlon allowed a single run on two hits in the final frame.
Winthrop, meanwhile, enters Saturday with a 5-5 record, going 2-1 against Florida Atlantic, 0-2 against Florida International and 1-0 over North Florida, then splitting last weekend against Bowling Green and taking a win over Furman. In the Eagles' stats entering the tournament, Watson posted a 3.21 ERA and a 2-3 record over 32 2/3 innings as she has walked 12 and struck out 39. Aisha Weixlmann has a 3-1 record in the circle in 20 1/3 innings, walking six and striking out 13.
For Tech, the Golden Eagles already split a pair at East Tennessee State on Wednesday, then saw Chattanooga come back to win two in the late innings on Thursday. Sydney Love-Baker took over the team lead in batting average, collecting a .500 clip at the plate with 11 hits, including three doubles, a triple and a home run with six RBI. Jessie Lowery leads the team in RBI with seven, while Beth McCulley (.370, 10 hits) and Nicolle Nysted (.350, two home runs) are also hitting above .300. Alyssa Arden saw her ERA climb over the 1.0 mark during Thursday's games at Chattanooga, now standing at 1.11 with a 2-2 record. Over 25 1/3 innings, she has allowed four earned runs on 16 hits, walking 16 and striking out 19. Opponents are hitting .184 against her.
Tech will open Ohio Valley Conference play next weekend at Tennessee State.
