By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – It'll be a quick turnaround for the Tennessee Tech softball team. After taking the first two games against Morehead State in the travel partner home-and-home doubleheaders, the Golden Eagles will hit the road once more this week as they prepare to head to Clarksville on Saturday and Sunday for a three-game set against Austin Peay.
The series, the last between these Ohio Valley Conference in-state rivals since the Govs are joining the Atlantic Sun Conference next season, will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required). First pitch on Saturday's doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m., as is Sunday's single game.
Austin Peay finished third in the conference race last season, posting a 22-11 record in league play and a 27-16 overall record. The Govs started the year off well, but have since lost 12 of their last 15 games to enter the weekend with a 15-17 record, including a doubleheader sweep from Murray State on Tuesday after taking two of three from Morehead State last weekend.
The Govs have won the last eight meetings in the series, but the Golden Eagles maintain a 72-28 record in the all-time series.
The offensive fortunes of the Governors lie in the bat of Lexi Osowski. The senior from San Diego leads the OVC in several statistical categories – batting average (.443), hits (43), on-base percentage (.525). slugging percentage (.835) and total bases (81). She leads APSU with 29 RBI and has come home to score 26 times. She also has eight home runs – two shy of conference leader Hannah Cravens from Eastern Illinois.
Osowski isn't the only offensive weapon though. Brooke Phefferle has driven in 26 runs while scoring 16, while Megan Hodum has crossed home plate a team-best 27 times and swiped 12 of 15 stolen base attempts.
As a team, the Govs are batting .295 with 125 RBI and 23 home runs, while opponents are hitting .287 with 127 RBI and 20 home runs. APSU has stolen 25 bases, while allowing 42. In the circle, Peay has a 3.79 staff ERA, striking out 131 to 86 walks.
Jordan Benefiel leads the Govs in ERA and wins with a 7-6 record and a 3.00 ERA, walking 34 and striking out 77. Samantha Miener (5-8, 4.09 ERA) and Harley Mullins (3-3, 4.76 ERA) have 15 starts between them, two shy of Benefiel.
The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, have been on an upward trend. Despite losing all three games at UT Martin to open OVC play, Tech has won 15 of its last 19 games, earning its 20th win last weekend at the program's earliest point since the 2007 season.
As a team, Tech is batting .287 with 159 RBI and 30 home runs, while opponents are hitting .249 against Tech with 83 RBI and 20 home runs. The Golden Eagle pitchers have combined for a 2.99 ERA, walking 59 and striking out 126.
Leadoff hitter Mackenzie Fitzgerald ranks 24th nationally with 42 hits – one short of conference leader Osowski – while also ranking 18th in runs per game (1.13 – trailing national leader Tiare Jennings from Oklahoma at 1.43), 24th in stolen bases (18).
The two toughest batters to strike out in the OVC as of today? Number one – Haeli Bryson. Number two – Mackenzie Fitzgerald. They also rank 16th and 23rd in Division I.
Bryson is also tied with Osowski in home runs with eight, hitting her latest in the twinbill sweep at Morehead State on Wednesday. She has a .381 batting average with 33 RBI and 30 runs scored. Fitzgerald is batting .385 with 13 RBI, 18 stolen bases and 35 runs scored.
Tech has nine players with double-digit RBI totals on the season – Bryson (33), Carmen Betts (21), Abby Buettner (20), Sydney Love-Baker (14), Fitzgerald (13), Savannah Talley (13), Sydney Dukes (11), Shelby Penning (11) and Kaylan Cole (10).
Alyssa Arden leads the Golden Eagles in victories with a 10-6 record in the circle with a 3.38 ERA, walking 25 and striking out 61 with opponents hitting .247. Tyler Erwin (8-1, 2.22 ERA) and Bryson (4-2, 2.78 ERA) earned the victories in the Morehead State doubleheader and the pair have combined for 30 walks and 66 strikeouts.
The Golden Eagles return home next week to start a seven-game homestand with a single game on April 6 vs. North Alabama, followed by weekend series against SIUE (April 9-10) and Belmont (April 15-16).
Photo | Jim Dillon, file
