By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – By the time this week ends, the Tennessee Tech softball team will have faced two of its long-time Ohio Valley Conference rivals for the last time in regular-season play.
On Tuesday, the Golden Eagles (17-20, 11-11 OVC) entertain Jacksonville State (16-19, 14-9 OVC) in a doubleheader, starting at 3 p.m. Dylan Vazzano will provide the call on ESPN+ (subscription required).
This weekend, Tech will travel to Richmond, Ky., to take on Eastern Kentucky (27-11, 18-5 OVC).
Since joining the OVC in 2004, Tech and Jacksonville State have had their share of heated battles. In the OVC era, Tech is 20-33 against the Gamecocks, including a 7-5 record in the OVC Tournament – two of those wins sending the Golden Eagles to the NCAA Regionals in 2005 and 2007. The first four seasons between 2004 and 2007, Tech was 11-7 against JSU, including a 4-2 year in 2007 that saw the Golden Eagles take on the Gamecocks three times in the OVC tourney, falling in the first meeting, then topping JSU twice to force the if-necessary game and winning that contest to head to the NCAA's Tuscaloosa regional.
JSU, however, has taken eight of the last nine meetings, including a doubleheader earlier this season.
Tech and Eastern Kentucky date back a pretty good while in softball terms. While the Golden Eagles opened play in 1986, the two teams first faced off in 1993 when the Colonels first sponsored the sport. Tech has a 56-43 all-time record against EKU, including a 14-8 record in the OVC Tournament – the most games the Golden Eagles have played against any opponent in the postseason event.
The downside, Tech has not beaten Eastern Kentucky since May 7, 2016, the Colonels winning the last 10 games in the series, including the 2016 and 2017 OVC tournaments in Oxford, Ala.
As both teams look for the exit, joining the Atlantic Sun Conference in the fall, the Golden Eagles certainly would like to close out their conference histories with wins in the Tech column.
The Golden Eagles come into Tuesday's games winning four of the last six conference contests, four of the last seven games counting a pesky midweek contest last week at No. 16 Tennessee.
Jacksonville State has won four of its last seven as well, sweeping Eastern Illinois this past weekend, while falling twice in three games at Austin Peay. The Gamecocks also took a 7-6 defeat at home to Samford in a midweek meeting.
Alexus Jimmerson came on in relief and earned three wins last week with one against the Governors, two more against the Panthers. Reagan Watkins (4-5, 3.58 ERA) has the most appearances with 94 strikeouts and 90 innings pitched, while Nicole Rodriguez (5-5, 2.56 ERA) has 81 Ks in 68 1/3 innings pitched.
Jimmerson and Tech's Haeli Bryson shared the OVC's Pitcher of the Week honors this week.
At the plate, Jada Terry leads the Gamecocks with 19 runs scored, eight home runs, 30 RBI and a .378 batting average. Jimmerson has also been reliable with a bat, collecting a .337 average, 20 RBI and seven round-trippers. Karsen Mosely is also hitting .327 with four homers and 22 RBI.
Jacksonville State took both ends of the doubleheader on March 30, winning 5-1 and 2-0. Watkins earned the victory in game one, allowing one unearned run on four hits as she walked four and struck out nine. Nicolle Nysted scored the lone run, driving in Jessie Lowery with a sacrifice fly. Rodriguez won the second game with a complete-game two-hitter.
JSU is batting .270 as a team with 145 runs scored and 125 RBI.
Eastern Kentucky, meanwhile, leapfrogged into first place in the OVC standings, taking two of three from Southeast Missouri. Including a loss to the Redhawks and a loss to No. 12 Kentucky, the Colonels have won nine of their last 11 games.
In the circle, the Colonels' top three pitchers have been a force to be reckoned with. Tori Peterson leads the team in wins with a 13-3 record in 22 appearances and 16 starts, while Mollie Paulick leads EKU in ERA (1.53) and has not lost a game with an unblemished 8-0 record across 55 innings. Samantha Reynoso (5-2, 4.01 ERA) has also put up solid numbers.
Offensively, the Colonels are batting .269 with 191 runs scored and 180 RBI. Carly Robinson has a team-best 28 RBI, with three others over 20, while also leading the Colonels with seven home runs. Sammi Miller is hitting .443 with 11 doubles, three triples and four homers to go with a team-best 37 runs scored and 20 RBI. Miller has also swiped 15 of 16 base attempts.
For the Golden Eagles, Bryson went 2-0 this past week in two complete-game efforts over SIUE to earn a split of the league's Pitcher of the Week honors. For the season, Bryson has an 8-4 record with a 2.55 ERA in 77 innings of work. Alyssa Arden also has eight wins on the year, collecting a 3.30 ERA over 125 1/3 innings with 84 strikeouts and opponents hitting .216 against her.
Nysted, who has missed the last nine games after getting injured in the season opener against Austin Peay, continues to stand on top of the Golden Eagles' hitting charts with a team-leading .338 average and six home runs. Jessie Lowery took over the lead in RBI with 19, while Lowery and Mackenzie Fitzgerald lead the Golden Eagles in runs scored with 17. Fitzgerald is also 15-for-15 on stolen bases. Beth McCulley stands as the only active Golden Eagle hitting over .300 with a .304 mark.
Photo | Jim Dillon
