By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With the Ohio Valley Conference tournament in Peoria standing just over a month away, the Tennessee Tech softball team will try to move up in the standings this weekend as the Golden Eagles will host Eastern Illinois for a three-game set on Friday and Saturday.
Tech (11-23, 4-8 OVC) currently stands in a tie for seventh in the league standings, sharing the spot with UT Martin and Western Illinois. Eastern Illinois (16-16, 8-3 OVC), meanwhile, is tied for second place with Tennessee State, landing a half-game back from SIUE at 9-3.
First pitch in Friday's double dip is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start. The games will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Dylan Vazzano on the call.
This weekend will see anniversary recognitions for the Golden Eagles' OVC championship teams from 1995, 2005 and 2015, as well as the program's food drive for the Putnam County Animal Shelter.
Tech leads the all-time series against the Panthers 41-31, but the Panthers have won eight of the last 10 games and gone 22-13 since the 2009 campaign. The Golden Eagles swept the series in 2016 and 2019 in a pair of two-game victories with the last three-game sweep over EIU coming in 2007.
The Panthers split a pair of games last weekend against Southeast Missouri with the finale washed out for weather. Before that series, the Panthers swept Morehead State and took two of three from UT Martin before an eight-inning 3-2 loss to Washington.
As a team, Eastern Illinois is hitting .267 with 150 runs scored and 123 RBI, collecting 48 extra-base hits – including 32 doubles, two triples and 14 home runs. Kendall Grover has the second-best batting average in the conference with a .433 mark, while leading the league in hits (42), runs scored (30), on-base percentage (.525) and slugging percentage (.773), second in home runs (8) and total bases (75), fourth in doubles (9) and seventh in RBI with 22.
Alisha Frederick (.297) has 17 RBI, Abbi Hatton (.253) has 16, Karson Davey (.263) has 14 and Briana Gonzalez (.269) has 11.
In the circle, the Panthers have a 3.23 earned run average, walking 90 and striking out 121 with opponents hitting .276. McKenzie Oslanzi has pitched more than half of EIU's total innings with 113 2/3 frames of work with a 2.83 ERA and a 9-9 record in 23 appearances with 10 complete games, three shutouts and a save. She was walked 29 and struck out 68.
Karlie McKenzie (5-3, 3.33 ERA) has pitched 63 innings.
Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles broke their four-game losing skid Wednesday as Tech's Makayli Harris drove in five to lead Tech to a 9-1, six-inning victory over Bellarmine.
As a team, the Golden Eagles are hitting .259 with 108 RBI and 132 runs scored, collecting 53 extra-base hits, including 43 doubles, five triples and five home runs. Abby Shoulders leads the team with a .348 batting average with 23 runs scored, 32 hits and 20 stolen bases. Sydney Kirby (.287) has 18 RBI, Abbee Klinefelter (.298) has 17 and Harris (.308) has 15.
In the circle, Tech has a combined 3.68 ERA with 115 walks and 142 strikeouts. Emily York (5-6, 3.26 ERA) has 19 walks and 41 strikeouts over 68 2/3 innings, while Lainey Fitzgerald (3-6, 4.78 ERA) has 37 walks and 53 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings. Addison Abell (2-3) has a team-best 2.25 ERA, followed by Payton Wagner (1-7) with a 2.91 mark.
Admission to all games at Tech Softball Field is free to the public.
Photo | Jim Dillon
