By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After losing 14 straight games, the Tennessee Tech softball team needed a momentum boost. With solid efforts in the circle and some late-inning heroics, the Golden Eagles may have gotten it on Tuesday, sweeping the doubleheader against Western Illinois 4-3 and 6-3.
The Golden Eagles scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth of the first game, then Haeli Bryson hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh in the second game to give Tech its first back-to-back wins of the season.
Tech improves to 3-20 on the season and opens Ohio Valley Conference play on Saturday and Sunday as it hosts Morehead State.
Bryson drove in seven of Tech's 10 runs in the twinbill as she went 2-for-4 in the opener with three pushed across, then collected her third hit of the day on the walk-off dinger. Tech also got a round-tripper from Savannah Talley in the opener.
Callie Piper picked up her second win of the season in the day's first game, allowing three runs on eight hits as she walked none and struck out three.
Tech dented the scoreboard first as Talley hit her home run in the bottom of the second. The one-run lead held until the Fighting Leathernecks tied the game in the top of the fifth on an RBI single. The Golden Eagles retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning as Bryson's single up the middle brought Abby Shoulders home for a 2-1 advantage.
Western Illinois scored two runs on a single down the left field line, but Tech pushed back ahead in the bottom of the sixth as Bryson drove in Shoulders and Makayli Harris on a single. Piper coaxed a grounder, a liner and another grounder to clinch the victory.
In the second game, all of the scoring came in the first and seventh innings. WIU scored first on a single to center field, but Tech took the lead as Shoulders stole home for the first run, then Bryson scored on a wild pitch.
That held until the top of the seventh as two two-out RBI singles put the Leathernecks on top, but Tech was able to get out of the inning as Shoulders connected with Talley to throw a runner out at the plate to end the inning.
Meagan Houk led off with a single through the right side, then took second on a passed ball. Tristen Head was hit by a pitch, then Harris laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up. Shoulders was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bryson, facing a 2-2 count, launched the ball to left field as Western Illinois could only watch it sail over the outfield wall for the walk-off.
The blast secured Kaylan Cole's first victory in the circle as she went the full seven, allowing three runs on eight hits as she walked one and struck out two.
Talley ended the game going 2-for-3 to lead Tech in the second game.
