By Holly Weber, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—The Tennessee Tech softball team (9-19, 1-4 OVC) grabbed their first conference win of the season in game one of the Friday doubleheader action with a 5-1 win over Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE) (9-14, 3-2 OVC). The Cougars were victorious in game two of the doubleheader, however, defeating the Golden Eagles in nine innings 5-2.
Game one was an all-around solid performance by the Tech team. The Golden Eagles got things cooking in the bottom of the third inning when Olivia Bennett led off the inning with a solo homerun to left center to give Tech the 1-0 lead. The Golden Eagles continued their scoring drive into the bottom of the fourth when Bayli Cruse singled down the right field line to drive in senior Cortney Fry.
Tech continued to keep things hot in the bottom of the fifth when Alyssa Richards came up to the dish and launched a three-run homerun to left center to round out Tech's five points in game one. SIUE's only run came in the top of the sixth when the Cougar's Haley Adrian drove a solo homerun to center field preventing the shutout.
Danielle Liberatore (6-9) saw victory in the circle for the Golden Eagles, pitching the complete seven innings and allowing just one run off of five hits and retired nine batters while walking three. Baylee Douglass (4-5) suffered the loss for SIUE, pitching all six innings and allowing five runs off of six hits and striking out five while walking three.
Things started off strong for the Cougars in game two, quickly getting on the board in the top of the first when Allison Smiley reached on a fielding error by Tech allowing a Cougar runner to score and give SIUE the early 1-0 lead. The game was quiet until the top of the sixth inning when the Cougars notched one more run to extend the SIUE lead to 2-0.
The Golden Eagles then made things interesting in the bottom of the sixth when Sabrie Neeb stepped up to the plate to hit a two-run homerun to left center to tie the game up at 2-2, which eventually sent the two teams into extra innings. Tech and SIUE continued to battle back-and-forth, putting runners in scoring position, but coming up short. Finally in the top of the ninth inning, the Cougars found a way to score when Jordan LaFave singled down the right field line to drive in the speedy Page Clinton and take the 3-2 lead. SIUE continued to add insurance in the inning, driving in two more runs off of an Alyssa Heren 2-RBI homerun to right center before closing out the inning and sealing a 5-2 victory over the Golden Eagles.
Hannah Weaver (1-4) suffered the loss for Tech pitching all nine innings and allowing five runs, four of which were earned, off of six hits. Ashley Kozoils (5-9) was the winning pitcher on the SIUE side pitching the complete nine innins and allowing just two runs on four hits while retiring a season-high 11 batters and walking four.
The Golden Eagles return to action Saturday when they host an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader versus Eastern Illinois at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. at the Tech Softball Field.
