By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
MURRAY, Ky. – It's back into Ohio Valley Conference action on Friday as the Tennessee Tech softball team heads to Murray State for what proves to be an important series for both teams.
Anticipated weather for this weekend changed the schedule to a doubleheader Friday starting at 1 p.m. and a single game on Saturday starting at 3 p.m. The games will be televised on ESPN+ (subscription required).
Murray State enters the weekend with a 14-21 overall record, 11-8 in the OVC. The Racers have lost their last six games, which included a three-game sweep at Jacksonville State and a doubleheader sweep on Tuesday at Austin Peay.
The Golden Eagles saw their midweek twinbill at Tennessee on Tuesday canceled as the Lady Vols entered COVID-19 protocols under the Southeastern Conference's guidance.
One of the newest teams in the OVC softball records after first fielding a team in 2010, the Racers have a 14-12 record all-time against the Golden Eagles, including wins in both games in 2019 and three of the last five.
While the Racers aren't carrying a powerful batting average, connecting at .217, the Murray State lineup still has batters that can bring runs in and score as well. Sierra Gilmore leads the way with a .288 average with a team-high 30 hits and 24 RBI. Lily Fischer (.267) has 15 runs scored and 14 RBI, while Logan Braundmeier (.250) has 22 runs scored and 13 RBI. Gilmore, Fischer and Braundmeier also each have a team-best three home runs. Lindsey Carroll (.216) also has double-digit totals in runs scored (10) and RBI (11).
Murray State isn't afraid to challenge defenses on the basepaths though. The Racers have stolen 44 bases on 52 attempts, led by Jensen Striegel with a 14-for-17 rate, Braundmeier 11-for-11.
In the circle, MSU has a team ERA of 2.52, led by Jenna Veber with a 5-9 record and a 2.37 ERA. Over 97 2/3 innings, she has seven walks and 49 strikeouts. The workhorse of the staff, however, is Hannah James – in 99 1/3 innings, she has seen 18 starts and five complete games to post a 5-8 record. She has a 2.47 ERA with 31 walks and 102 strikeouts while opponents are hitting .204 against her.
Tech enters Friday's set with a 13-17 record. As a team, the Golden Eagles are hitting .260, opponents .231. Tech has 108 runs scored to opponents' 130 and 97 RBI to their 112. Opponents have also stolen 56 bases on 60 attempts to the Golden Eagles' 24 steals on 27 tries.
Beth McCulley is back at the top of the batting average chart, striking at a .342 rate. Six Golden Eagles, led by Nicolle Nysted's 17 RBI, had double digits in the category, while Nysted also leads the team with six home runs. Mackenzie Fitzgerald has 15 RBI and 13 runs scored, as Jessie Lowery has 14 RBI and 15 runs scored. Fitzgerald also leads the team with a perfect 13-for-13 effort on stolen bases.
In the circle, the Golden Eagles have a combined 3.71 ERA across 198 innings of play. In 101 frames, Alyssa Arden has collected a 3.33 ERA with a 7-9 record and 69 strikeouts, opponents hitting .209 against her. Haeli Bryson (5-4, 3.24 ERA) has 36 strikeouts in 54 innings of work, while Kendall Durard (1-3, 5.97 ERA) has 16 Ks in 34 innings.
