COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team lost its third consecutive game on Thursday at the Tech Softball Field as the Liberty Lady Flames earned a 6-2 victory over the Golden Eagles.
Neither team got on the board early but both had scoring chances. Tech put two runners on in the bottom of the 2nd inning before they were stranded, while the Lady Flames put a runner on third base in top of the 3rd before Tech starter Holly Thomas recorded her sixth strikeout of the game to get out of the inning.
Liberty broke through in the top of the 4th inning. After a leadoff double, Thomas recorded two outs before a single to center field plated the first run of the game.
Tech answered emphatically in its half of the inning as both Callie Schmidt and Thomas hit home runs to put the Golden Eagles on top, 2-1, and chase Liberty starter Katie Warrington from the game. Schmidt led off the inning with a bomb well over the wall in center field, and two batters later, Thomas turned on a pitch and sent it screaming over the left field fence for her second homer of the season.
The Lady Flames scored three runs on three hits in the top of the 5th inning to pull ahead, 4-2. After putting the first two batters of inning on base, Thomas recorded a pair of outs around a single that scored one, tying the game, 2-2. The Lady Flames took a two-run as Kelly Strickland hit her second double of the game to clear the bases.
It looked like the Golden Eagles might have another answer in their half of the inning as Tech put runners on the corners with two outs but could not capitalize on the scoring opportunity.
In the top of the 6th, Liberty scored for the third consecutive inning to pull ahead, 6-2. The Lady Flames loaded the bases, and Tech had the opportunity to get out of the frame but an error extended the inning and allowed two more runners to cross the plate.
The Golden Eagles could not put together a rally in the latter innings as TTU falls to 8-10 on the season. With the win, Liberty improves to 8-4 overall.
Thomas and Schmidt both finished 1-for-2 with a home run, while Chanelle Spalding, Whitney Cummings and Melody Christian also recorded hits for Tech.
Thomas (5-5) suffered her fifth defeat of the season after allowing four runs in 5.0 innings of work. The sophomore struck out seven Lady Flames. Maddie Schmissrauter entered in the 6th inning and allowed two runs, both unearned, while striking out three.
Tech returns to action this weekend when the Golden Eagles travel to Knoxville for the UT Invitational. TTU will play two games on both Saturday and Sunday, beginning with a 9 a.m. rematch against Liberty on Saturday.
