By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the Tennessee Tech softball team wrapped up the home portion of the 2024 campaign, the Golden Eagles honored their senior student-athletes who have devoted countless hours on the field and in the classroom representing the Purple and Gold.
It was a celebration of the success the program had this season with still much more to go as Tech has clinched a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference softball championships with a weekend still to play, giving the Golden Eagles a chance to raise their standing in the race.
Sunday's series finale against SIUE was a close battle until the sixth inning with the Cougars scoring five runs. Tech answered with four in the home half of the frame and had a chance to even the game in the bottom of the seventh, but SIUE evaded the sweep with a 7-5 victory in the finale.
All six seniors honored on Sunday earned a starting spot in Sunday's finale with Lennon Spicer going toe-to-toe with SIUE starter Sydney Baalman for the first five frame with just one run coming across in the fourth inning to put the Cougars on top. Paige Rocha led off with a double to right, then Jenna Herron drove her in with a single to left center.
In the sixth, SIUE brought 10 different batters to the plate, collecting five runs on four hits. Rocha and Herron walked in succession with one out, ending the day for Spicer. With Emily York in the circle, Grace Lueke doubled to right center to score the two lead runners. A Lauren Yslava single put runners at the corner, then tried to steal second. As the Tech defense cornered Yslava on the attempt, Abby Harvell bolted for the plate for a run as Yslava returned to first safely. She took second just before Anna Henderson hit a home run to make it a 6-0 SIUE lead.
The Golden Eagles responded with four runs in the home half of the inning. Carmen Betts took a walk, then Sydney Kirby doubled to put runners at second and third. A passed ball allowed Betts to score, then Sofia Carroll put down a perfectly executed bunt single allowing pinch-runner Meagan Houk to score. Following an Ella Bishop single up the middle, S.J. Talley ripped a double into right center field, driving in Carroll and Bishop.
SIUE added a single run in the seventh for insurance as Lueke singled in Rocha with a ball to center field. Tech answered as Mac Fitzgerald singled up the middle, then stole second and third before coming home on Abby Shoulders' sacrifice fly to center. After a fly ball in foul territory for the second out, Kirby doubled to left field to keep Tech's hopes alive, but SIUE reliever Kelsey Ray coxed a pop-up to end the game.
Baalman took the victory for the Cougars (16-32, 8-16 OVC), allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Ray threw the final inning-and-a-third, allowing one run on three hits for her first save of the season.
Spicer took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings with two walks and three strikeouts. York went a third of an inning, allowing three runs on four hits with a strikeout, while Payton Wagner closed out the game with one run on two hits over an inning-and-a-third with one walk and one strikeout.
The Golden Eagles (21-22, 11-13 OVC) head into the final weekend of the OVC regular-season slate in seventh place with a three-game set at Tennessee State ahead. UT Martin and Lindenwood (both 13-11) stand two games up on Tech, while Southern Indiana (14-10) is three games up. The Screaming Eagles head to Western Indiana, UT Martin hosts Southeast Missouri and Lindenwood is at Eastern Illinois.
Photo | Jim Dillon
