By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's been a while since the Tennessee Tech softball team last played on their home field, but the Golden Eagles will be back in action at Tech Softball Field on Friday and Saturday as they welcome Ohio Valley Conference newcomer Lindenwood to the facility for the first time.
The two squads will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 12 p.m., while the series will conclude Saturday at 1 p.m. All games at Tech Softball Field are free to the public. The games will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Dylan Vazzano on the call.
During the games, the Tech Softball team will also be conducting a fundraiser for the Cookeville-Putnam County Animal Shelter. Fans can bring bags of Purina Dry Dog Food, Purina Puppy Chow and Pedigree Dry Dog Food to the games for collection.
The Golden Eagles (15-11, 6-3 OVC) have had a solid start in conference play after only winning two league games a season ago. Tech took two out of three games in all three league series played this season against Southern Indiana and on the road at Western Illinois and Morehead State.
Lindenwood comes in this weekend with a 14-16 record, standing 3-6 in the OVC. The Lions took two of three from SIUE in the conference opener, then dropped all three to Tennessee State in Nashville and went 1-2 last weekend against Southern Indiana.
Eastern Illinois leads the OVC standings with an 8-1 record, while Tech, TSU, Southeast Missouri and USI are all tied at 6-3 in the conference. UT Martin stands at 4-5, followed by Lindenwood at 3-6. Western Illinois, Morehead State and SIUE are all tied at 2-7.
The Lions, as a team, are batting .233, driving in 68 runs, while scoring 85. They have 37 total extra-base hits with 26 doubles, five triples and six home runs, while drawing 68 walks and striking out 133 times. On the base paths, Lindenwood does like to steal, swiping 35 on 41 attempts.
In contrast to the Golden Eagles, Tech is batting .297 as a team, driving in 119 runs, while scoring 132. Tech has 55 extra-base hits – 44 doubles, one triple and 10 home runs – while drawing 85 walks and striking out 86 times. The Golden Eagles lead the OVC in stolen bases with 67 total steals with Mac Fitzgerald (24-for-24) and Abby Shoulders (16-for-18) standing as the top two thieves in the league.
On offense, Lindenwood has one batter – Madisen Noll – who has reached the double-digit mark for RBI on the season, collecting 11. She has posted a .257 batting average with 19 hits and 11 runs scored, while also hitting two of the Lions' six home runs. Dallis Darnell (.241) has come home to score the most, crossing the plate 14 times and also leads the team with seven stolen bases.
Team batting average leader Alli Tudor has a .313 mark, but has only played in 12 games this season with four starts. Amanda Weyh has a .281 average in her 14 games played as a batter, while Mya Bethany (.275) has the top batting average among the consistent starters with 12 runs scored and four RBI.
In the circle, Weyh is the workhorse and currently has the fifth-best earned run average in the conference with a 2.35 mark and is third in the OVC in strikeouts with 95. Over 92 1/3 innings of work in 13 starts and 19 appearances, Weyh has a 9-7 record with seven complete games, four shutouts and a save. Opponents are hitting .210 against her.
Avery Wapp (4-6, 3.01 ERA, 18 BB, 74 K) and Molly Berkey (1-2, 7.35, 18 BB, 11 K) have seen significant time in the circle. Lindenwood has a team ERA of 3.95 with 84 walks and 181 strikeouts, while opponents are hitting .250 against them.
The Golden Eagles showed some offensive punch in their last outing on Wednesday, striking three home runs out of the park in a 7-2 victory over East Tennessee State. Carmen Betts improved her season hitting with a .363 average, collecting 24 RBI and 11 runs scored with her first home run of the campaign against the Bucs.
Abby Buettner (.344, 9 RBI), Shoulders (.305, 17 RBI, 20 R), Sydney Kirby (.304, 18 RBI) and Fitzgerald (.294, 10 RBI, 24 R) lead the way.
In the circle, Tech has a 3.78 ERA, walking 75 and striking out 113. Primarily a reliever, Emily York leads the team in ERA (1.51) and strikeouts (41) with opponents hitting .243. She currently has a 5-0 record with five saves. Payton Wagner (5-2, 2.90 ERA) picked up the victory against ETSU on Wednesday, while Lennon Spicer (4-6, 5.43 ERA) and Faith Rush (1-3, 7.00 ERA) had solid outings against the Bucs in the last contest.
Following the Easter weekend series, the Golden Eagles will hit the road again on Wednesday with a single game at Bellarmine, then travel to Southeast Missouri for a three-game set.
