By Holly Weber, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—After a successful 3-1 weekend at home, the Tennessee Tech softball team (11-19, 3-4 OVC) is ready to close out its five-game home stand with a contest versus Lipscomb (18-15) on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Tech Softball Field.
Lipscomb, a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, currently boasts an 18-15 overall record on the season with a 3-3 conference mark. The Lady Bisons entered the 2016 season off of a successful 2015 showing, where Lipscomb tallied a 31-25 overall record, finishing second in its conference with a 14-5 mark. Before traveling to Cookeville, the Lady Bisons will stop in Knoxville for a game versus Tennessee on Tuesday.
Freshman, Sarah Higgins is currently leading the bats for Lipscomb with a .384 batting average and a .717 slugging percentage. Higgins has already tallied eight homeruns, two triples, five doubles, and 25 RBI on the season. Another key player on the Lady Bisons lineup is senior Brittany Elmore. Elmore is Lipscomb's second leading batter with a .330 batting percentage and a .404 slugging percentage. She leads the Lady Bisons in stolen bases with 16, and has posted 14 RBI, one homerun, two triples, and one double on the season.
Tanner Sanders (8-8), a senior right-handed pitcher, leads Lipscomb from the circle. On the season, Sanders maintains a 1.76 ERA. Over her 111.2 innings pitched, she has retired 98 batters at the dish, while walking 40. Sanders has pitched 11 complete games on the season, including one shutout and one save.
At the plate, senior Cortney Fry, who holds a .281 batting average and .453 slugging percentage on the season, currently leads the Golden Eagles. Fry has recorded six RBI, three homeruns, and two doubles, while going a perfect 3-for-3 on stolen bases. Tech's key power hitter can be found in junior Alyssa Richards. Richards leads the Golden Eagles with a .506 slugging percentage and is second on the team with a .259 batting average. On the season, she has accumulated 20 RBI, six homeruns, two doubles and 12 walks.
Junior Danielle Liberatore (7-9) leads Tech from the circle with a 4.38 ERA. Over her 78.1 innings pitched, the southpaw has pitched seven complete games, including two shutouts and one save, while striking out 103 batters and walking just 47.
Lipscomb currently leads the series over Tech 13-11. The Lady Bisons were also most recently victorious over the Golden Eagles, defeating them in the 2015 season 7-2 on Lipscomb's home field.
Admission to all Tech home games is free of charge. You can follow the Golden Eagles all season long on Facebook on the TTU Sports page, or on Twitter at @TTU_Softball and @TTUGoldenEagles.
