NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team will be spending the weekend in Nashville as the Golden Eagles look to make a move in the Ohio Valley Conference race.

 

Tech will travel to Tennessee State on Saturday for a pair, then face Belmont on Sunday. Both doubleheaders will start at 1 p.m.

 

The Golden Eagles (10-21, 3-3 OVC) find themselves currently in sixth, tied with Belmont (27-9, 3-3 OVC), while Tennessee State (9-21, 1-5 OVC) is in 11^th place in the league. Jacksonville State (26-9, 5-1 OVC) and Eastern Illinois (19-15, 5-1 OVC) are tied for the league lead heading into this weekend.

 

TSU is currently batting .234 as a team, and isn't showing too much power as only 39 of their 177 hits have been for extra bases (30 doubles, four triples and five home runs). Still, the Lady Tigers do have some run production as Danica Gleason (.267) has driven in 16 runs, while Selena Crafton (.359) has 11 RBI and 16 runs scored and Kim Trice has 10 RBI.

 

As a team, TSU has been outscored 181-117.

 

In the circle, Lauren Woodard (2-6, 3.54 ERA) has been more of a contact pitcher as she has only walked five and struck out 10 among her 265 batters faced in 59 1/3 innings, with opponents hitting .336 against her. Lauren Powell (4-8, 4.31 ERA) has worked just 2 1/3 innings more at 61 2/3, but has fared a little bit better, walking 14 and striking out 49 against 256 batters.

 

Tori Hart (3-5, 6.09 ERA), Amanda Cabrera (0-0, 3.75 ERA) and Erica O'Kane (0-2, 7.80 ERA) are other options State could throw out against Tech.

 

The Bruins, however, are hitting .317 as a team and has been outscoring their opponents 203-132. Belmont does have some power in its swings with 31 home runs, 43 doubles and three triples to its credit.

 

Belmont has six batters hitting over .300, led by Kayla Wells with a .387 average. Bailey Sims (.364) leads the Bruins in hits with 43, while Chelsey Deloney (.330) leads the team in runs scored (32), home runs (12) and RBI (29). Deloney also has a .766 slugging percentage and a .522 on-base percentage – both team highs.

 

The workhorse in the circle for Belmont has been Brooklin Lee, who has a 12-4 record on the season with a 1.82 ERA. She has walked 29 and struck out 100 with batters hitting .211 against her.

 

From there, Tech could also face Lexi Rouse (7-3, 3.08 ERA) or Ashley Johnson (6-2, 3.50 ERA), with Abby Irwin (0-0, 7.00 ERA) or Morgan Marshall (2-0, 9.48 ERA) possible for a relief appearance.

 

Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles come into the weekend hitting .218 as a team, outscored 161-103, but still ninth in NCAA Division I in home runs per game with a 1.16 average.

 

The Golden Eagles have 70 extra-base hits this season with 34 doubles and 36 home runs.

 

Aalia Bivens leads the team with a .311 average, while Gabby Perez is hitting .274 and Gabby LaSala is hitting .273. Hallie Davis and Alyssa Richards lead the team with 15 RBI, while Davis leads the teams in runs scored with 17.

 

In the circle, Danielle Liberatore continues to lead the effort with a 4-7 record and a 4.01 ERA. In 82 innings of work, she has walked 48 and struck out 108 and is averaging 8.88 strikeouts per seven innings.

 

Leigh Ellen Thomas (4-10, 4.24 ERA) has walked 12 and struck out 45 in 79 1/3 innings of work and will more than likely be Tech's second arm of the twinbills. Taylor Waldrop (1-2, 5.25 ERA) and Kayla Hughes (1-2, 3.06 ERA) could also see action for the Golden Eagles.

 

Fans can follow along with live stats on TTUsports.com as well as up-to-the-minute info on the team's Twitter feed -- @TTU_Softball.