By TTU Sports Information
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – A marathon of a series finale ended in heartbreak for the Tennessee Tech softball team Sunday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles dropped a 10-9 affair in 14 innings at SIUE to end the team's first Ohio Valley Conference road trip of the season.
The 14 innings ties the contest in 2011 against Eastern Illinois for the program's longest in the digital statistics era (2000-onward).
The first two frames were quiet on both sides before the Cougars struck for three runs in the bottom of the third. Kaylynn Salyars hit a seeing-eye single through the left side, driving in Lauren Yslava, and then an error on Anna Henderson's ball hit to center field allowed Yslava to score. Piper Montgomery wrapped up the frame with a ball up the middle to bring in pinch-runner Jenria Little.
Tech got on the board in the top of the fourth as Sydney Kirby hit her first home run of the season and the team's fifth of the season with a shot to right center.
SIUE tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth as Yslava hit an RBI double to right, then Salyars drove in a pair with a single to make it a 6-1 game.
The Golden Eagles loaded the bases in the fifth as Skylar Sybesma walked on a full count, Abby Shoulders reached on an error at short, then Olivia Evans singled to center field to fill the bags. Abbee Klinefelter hit a sacrifice fly to left, driving in Sybesma, then Kirby led a single up the middle to drive in Shoulders, making it 6-3 Cougars.
After a walk for Lainey Fitzgerald loaded the bases again and the Cougars made a pitching change, Ashley Capelouto hit a two-run single up the middle to bring in Evans and pinch-runner Julie Martin to make it a 6-5 game.
SIUE went back up by two in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly.
Tech got that run back in the sixth after Shoulders singled to left, stole second and Evans' single moved her to third. Klinefelter picked up the RBI on a sacrifice fly to make it 7-6 Cougars, then Fitzgerald tied the game with a single to center field as Evans came home. The score held to send the game to extra innings.
The Golden Eagles had a chance to take the lead in the top of the eighth as Kirby hit a single up the middle with Evans standing on second. She took off for third and made the turn, but SIUE made the 8-2 connection to throw Evans out at the plate to end the Tech 8th. The Golden Eagles then loaded the bases with a single, a walk, two fielders' choice plays, and an error at third, but were unable to get anything across.
In the ninth, Tech threatened again by loading the bags with two outs, but the Cougars escaped another jam unscathed. The 10th was relatively quiet, but the home team took its turn threatening to win the contest in the bottom of the 11th.
SIUE led things off with a base knock and moved the runner over on a sac bunt. A walk put a pair on before a ground out to second advanced both Cougars into scoring position. A hit-by-pitch filled the bases, but Emily York, who entered the contest way back in the fourth, got a timely fly out to short to end the threat.
Tech again loaded the bases with two outs in the 13th frame, using a single from Ella Bishop, a walk to Capelouto, and a fielding error by the Cougars to put the pressure back on. Shoulders got a good look at breaking through with strong contact, but her line drive found Juztyne Torres at shortstop for the third out.
York worked another scoreless inning in the bottom of the inning before an explosive 14th finally gave way to a winner.
Evans opened the top of the frame with a base knock up the middle and advanced to second after Klinefelter laid down a sac bunt. The move worked thanks to a clutch, RBI double off the bat of Kirby, who smashed one to center field for an 8-7 edge.
Not settled with just the one run, the Golden Eagles continued to attack with a five-pitch free pass to Fitzgerald. SIUE called to the bullpen to try and stop the bleeding and earned a quick ground-out from new hurler McKayla Anderson.
The out wasn't enough to extinguish Tech's offense completely, with the purple and gold picking up one last run in the frame. Capelouto peppered an RBI single up the middle to plate one more for a 9-7 lead heading into the bottom of the 14th.
The Cougars attacked right out of the gate, with Kaylin Fahy leading things off with a base hit to right field. Madison Kearns followed right behind with a double down the left-field line, placing a pair of runners in scoring position with nobody out.
After 9 2/3 inspired innings of work, York's day in the circle finally came to an end, as Tech head coach Danielle Penner went to her stable to try and stop the suddenly hot Cougar offense with a call to freshman Hannah Lange.
SIUE didn't back down despite the fresh arm, immediately greeting the new hurler with a game-tying, two-run base knock to right field off the bat of Yslava. A six-pitch walk to Salyars put the winning run in scoring position before Emma Henderson sent a fly ball so deep to right field, Yslava scored from second on a sacrifice fly for the walk-off win.
Addison Abell made the start for Tech, allowing three runs – one earned – on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. Fitzgerald was tagged for three runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout in two-thirds of a frame.
York completed the aforementioned nine and two-thirds innings with just two earned runs allowed along the way. She struck out five while scattering 10 hits and two walks among the 43 batters she faced.
Leading the Tech offense with four hits apiece were Kirby and Evans, who both finished 4-for-7 from the plate. Kirby tied with Capelouto for a team-high three RBI while Klinefelter plated two. Capelouto also paced the Golden Eagles with three walks.
Next on the docket for the purple and gold is a midweek trip to Florence, Ala. on Tuesday for a 3:00 p.m. CT match-up with North Alabama.
File photo | Jim Dillon
