By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – After a tough-luck outing against Indiana State, the Tennessee Tech softball team bounced back to earn a split on Saturday in the Chattanooga Challenge.
Tech fell 3-2 to the Sycamores in the early game, then scratched out a 4-1 victory against host Chattanooga at Frost Stadium.
The Golden Eagles (7-2) return to action on Sunday to close out the tournament with a 12:30 contest against Radford.
Indiana State jumped on Tech early, collecting three straight singles with two down to send two across. A throwing error in the second allowed another run to score to make it 3-0 Sycamores.
After the rocky start, Alyssa Arden settled in, allowing one hit the rest of the way. She finished the game allowing three runs – two earned – on five hits, walking one and striking out four.
Savannah Talley got the Golden Eagles going in the third with a double to right center, then Mackenzie Fitzgerald hit an infield single, taking second on a throw. Nicolle Nysted also picked up an infield single to short, giving Talley room to score, then Carmen Betts lofted one into left field, sending Fitzgerald home.
Tech had an opportunity to tie the game in the top of the seventh. After Abby Buettner was hit by a pitch, Jordan Key moved her pinch-runner Shelby Penning over on a 5-4 sacrifice bunt. Talley advanced Penning on a grounder to short, but the Sycamores coaxed another grounder to end the scoring attempt and the game.
Things went better for the Golden Eagles in the day's second game as Arden picked up her third victory of the season, holding Chattanooga to three hits in the complete-game effort, allowing one earned run in the bottom of the third with two walks and six strikeouts.
Tech only collected four hits in the contest, taking advantage of five Chattanooga errors.
Two runs crossed in the top of the third. KaDedra Temple led off with a walk, then Fitzgerald moved her to second on a 2-4 sacrifice bunt. Sydney Love-Baker hit a grounder back to the circle to move Temple to third, then Haeli Bryson extended her team lead in RBI, driving in Temple on a single, then legged it over to second on a fielding error in left field. Carmen Betts made the Mocs pay for the mistake, driving Bryson in on a hit to center field.
The Golden Eagles were able to add some insurance in the sixth inning. Buettner led off with a single to right, then Talley took advantage of a fielding error at short. Pinch-hitter Sydney Dukes came through with an RBI double to center, then a muffed throw at home off of a batted ball by Nysted allowed Talley to score.