By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech will open Ohio Valley Conference play on Sunday afternoon as the Golden Eagles entertain Southern Indiana at Tech Softball Field.
The series will include a doubleheader on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m., while the finale will be Monday morning at 11 a.m. Admission is free to all events at Tech Softball Field.
The Golden Eagles come into the weekend with the third-best record by winning percentage in the OVC at 7-6, trailing Eastern Illinois (12-7) and UT Martin (12-8). Southern Indiana comes into the series with a 6-9 mark.
However, the Screaming Eagles have won their last three games, going 3-2 last week at The Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Fla. They dropped the opener 7-1 to Quinnipiac, then lost 3-0 to Western Michigan. USI bounced back to defeat Monmouth 7-6 in extra innings, then claimed a pair of shutout victories over Sacred Heart (3-0) and North Dakota (5-0).
For the season, Southern Indiana is batting .247 as a team, driving in 38 runs, scoring 42 and hitting four home runs. The Screaming Eagles have a combined 19 extra-base hits.
Josie Newman leads the team in average with a .500 mark in six games played out of 15, while Caroline Stapleton (.375) tops the chart in runs scored with seven. Sammie Kihega leads the team with eight RBI, while Lexi Fair (.250) has five. Kihega, Fair, Alyssa Mumaw and Carlee Effinger have the team's four home runs on the season. Mackenzie Bedrick is also a threat on the basepaths, swiping nine in nine attempts.
In the circle, Newman leads the way with a 2.41 ERA and a 5-4 record in 10 appearances. She has 69 strikeouts to 28 walks, allowing 47 runs – 31 earned. Whitley Hunter (1-2. 6.79 ERA) and Raegan Gibson (0-2, 7.27 ERA) have also combined for 11 appearances and nearly 29 innings of work.
The Golden Eagles started the season off 5-0 and have already eclipsed last season's win total, but have gone 3-6 in their last two weekends of competition. Tech went 2-3 at the Blues City Tournament in Memphis, splitting games with DePaul and Indiana State before falling to host Memphis. Last weekend at the Bob Heck Classic in Atlanta, the Golden Eagles took two losses to Memphis and one to host Georgia State with an extra-inning victory over Winthrop to their credit.
For the season, Tech is batting .272 as a team, driving in 55 runs, scoring 57 and hitting three home runs. The Golden Eagles have 26 total extra-base hits.
Carmen Betts leads the team offensively with a .333 clip, driving in a squad-best 10 runs and scoring five times. Abby Shoulders (.279) has come home to score a team-best 12 times, while she has driven in seven. Sydney Kirby (.275) has nine RBI, while Meaghan Houk (.300) has eight.
Tech is not afraid to steal if the situation allows for it, swiping 20 of 23 tries. Mac Fitzgerald is a perfect 5-for-5, while Alina Schlageter is 4-for-4.
In the circle, Emily York leads the Golden Eagles with a 3-0 record and a 1.79 ERA. She has struck out 19 to three walks over 27 1/3 innings, allowing nine runs – seven earned. Faith Rush (1-2, 3.26 ERA), Payton Wagner (2-1, 4.53 ERA) and Lennon Spicer (1-3, 6.75 ERA) have also seen a lot of action for the Golden Eagles.
It'll be a busy three days for the Golden Eagles at Tech Softball Field with the USI series on Sunday and Monday, then hosting Rhode Island for a doubleheader on Tuesday, starting at 11 a.m. Tech will then spend the next 15 days on the road as it travels to Western Illinois next weekend for a three-game series, head to Kennesaw State for a single game, go up to Morehead State for three, travel to East Tennessee State for a single game, then return home on Friday, March 29, for a three-game series against Lindenwood on Easter weekend.
