By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Beth McCulley collected two of the Tennessee Tech softball team's three hits on Friday as the Golden Eagles took one on the chin to open the 2021 season, falling 6-0 to North Alabama in the first game of the Stinger Classic.
The Golden Eagles (0-1) return to action on Saturday at 2 p.m., weather permitting, as Tech faces Western Carolina before taking on tournament host Alabama State at 7 p.m.
Senior pitcher Megan Garst stymied the Tech lineup through the first three frames before McCulley roped a safety into left field with one down in the fourth. The Golden Eagle senior opened up the seventh with a single up the middle and freshman Mackenzie Fitzgerald placed a hit into left to put McCulley into scoring position, but that was all for Tech on the day.
Garst finished her complete-game shutout effort in the circle as she struck out 11 of the 24 batters faced.
Her Tech counterpart in the circle, Kendall Durard, allowed six runs – five earned – on six hits across 4 2/3 innings as she walked three and struck out two. Alyssa Arden came on in relief for the final frame and a third, striking out one as she kept the bases empty.
North Alabama (1-0) struck for three runs in the home half of the first as freshman Emma Broadfoot sent a three-run homer over the left-field wall, bringing Lexie Harper, who reached on a single to third, and Emma Latham, who took first on a walk, home as well.
The Lions tagged Durard for two more in the second as Latham hit a double into right field as Mary Grayson Kilpatrick scored unearned following a wild pitch and an error and Harper coming across on the play for her second run of the day.
UNA picked up an insurance run in the third as freshman Sidney Bevis hit a one-out solo home run to right.
