By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – East Tennessee State made it interesting late, but the Tennessee Tech softball team was able to hold on Sunday afternoon, completing the three-game sweep over the Bucs, 5-4.
The Golden Eagles improve to 12-6 on the season and will prepare to host their own tournament this weekend as Quinnipiac, Bellarmine and Indiana State come in for the Golden Eagle Classic.
Tyler Erwin picked up the victory, her fourth of the season, as she allowed one earned run – three total – on eight hits, walking one and striking out four. Alyssa Arden came on in relief, allowing one run on five hits while striking out two in the final three innings to earn her first save of the season.
Tech's defense was able to hold 11 ETSU baserunners stranded in the contest to preserve the victory.
Savannah Talley was 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run, while Mackenzie Fitzgerald was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Tech led off the game with a Fitzgerald double to right center, then Haeli Bryson, Nicolle Nysted and Kaylan Cole drew walks, the latter picking up an RBI on the bases-loaded free pass.
The Golden Eagles doubled their lead in the top of the fourth as Talley led off the inning with a home run to left field. Tech then added three more in the fifth as Carmen Betts led off with a single to right, Nysted moved her over to second on a bunt, then Cole hit a single into right. Sydney Dukes followed suit with an RBI single. Talley drew a walk to load the bases, then Fitzgerald roped a single up the middle to send Cole and Dukes home.
ETSU countered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth as a fielding error allowed two runs to cross, a sacrifice fly bringing in the other to make it a 5-3 game. In the sixth, a sacrifice fly brought ETSU within one.
In the home seventh, after yielding a single and stolen base, Arden was able to coax a pop-up to shortstop Sydney Love-Baker for the first out. Following another single, the runners advanced on a double steal, but Tech was able to close out the game on a grounder back to the circle, followed by a 1-4 grounder.
