Eagles snap road skid with victory over Tennessee Tech, move within half game of qualifying for OVC Tourney – Morehead State University Athletics

MOREHEAD, Ky. – A ten-hit efficiency by the Morehead State softball group on Wednesday helped the Eagles seize a 5-2 victory within the opening contest of a doubleheader in opposition to Tennessee Tech and within the course of snap a 30-game street skid. MSU picked up the place it left off and returned in sport two to battle the Golden Eagles to a standoff by 4 innings earlier than ultimately falling by an similar 5-2 rating within the twinbill on the Tech Softball Area in Cookeville, Tenn.

Tennessee Tech (31-15/13-9) entered Wednesday main the all-time sequence 75-28, which included a doubleheader sweep in Morehead on March 30, however behind the play of freshman catcher Ilencia Lightbody, junior middle fielder Trinity Spear and sophomore pitcher Lennon Spicer, the Eagles picked up their first street win of the season and first since defeating UT Martin within the first sport of an April 17, 2021 doubleheader. Regardless of that statistic, it was the group’s third consecutive street win over the Golden Eagles in Cookeville.

Wednesday have been the ultimate two outings of MSU’s six-game street swing, with the victory within the opener ending a stretch of 4 straight defeats. It additionally ended Tennessee Tech’s run of seven consecutive victories within the sequence. In distinction, TTU had its four-contest win streak snapped, whereas additionally opening its personal five-game house stand. The Golden Eagles moved to 12-4 on the Tech Softball Area, struggling 4 straight losses earlier than successful Wednesday’s second sport.

In sport one, Lightbody paced the MSU offense with a 2-for-3, two-RBI efficiency. She drove in what ultimately grew to become the successful runs with a single to middle discipline within the fifth inning. Spear additionally completed 2-for-3 and scored twice, whereas Spicer picked up the win within the circle after permitting simply three hits and one earned run in 5 innings of labor.

The ten hits continued a current development of offensive fireworks for the Blue and Gold. Within the final 12 days, Morehead State (6-32/5-16) has posted three of its prime 5 sport highs in that class, two of which resulted in noteworthy convention wins.

Perhaps most significantly, the game-one victory moved the Eagles inside half a sport of eighth-place within the Ohio Valley Convention standings. Additionally on Wednesday, Jap Illinois swept a house doubleheader with SIU-Edwardsville, which dropped the Cougars to a 6-16 league mark and a tenuous maintain on the eighth and remaining spot within the OVC Match. If the Eagles certified for the sphere, it could be the group’s first look within the occasion since 2016.

“We’re very happy with how our group performed in the present day in each video games. Within the first sport, Lennon did an ideal job maintaining (the) Tennessee Tech hitters off base. On the finish, (she) obtained somewhat burned out and (we) put Madi (Ogden) in who did an ideal job of containing the hitters,” stated MSU coach Samantha Jones. “Our protection was stellar and made some big-time performs that might have been simply hits. There have been at the very least two to 3 top-10 performs. Our offense did an ideal job all sport placing strain on Tennessee Tech by having a number of baserunners every inning. We lastly capitalized and introduced all of it collectively to return out on prime with a win.”

Within the opener, the Eagles saved the hosts off the scoreboard for the primary 5 innings. It was the primary time MSU had held its opponent scoreless to that time for the reason that second sport in opposition to SIUE on April 15. Nonetheless, it was the fourth time within the final 9 outings, Morehead State’s foe scored its first runs within the sixth inning or later.

The Eagles have been clearly in management proper from the beginning. They put runners on base in every of the primary 4 innings, thrice reaching third. In the meantime, the protection saved the Golden Eagles at bay by retiring the facet thrice within the first 5 frames.

That modified within the prime of the fifth when MSU was capable of break by and rating 4 runs on 5 hits. Spear led off the body with a single up the center. A sacrifice however moved her up a base and she or he was capable of come house after a single by second baseman Peyton Jordan aided by an error on the play. Senior shortstop Peyton Slater adopted with a single to left-center discipline, with senior first baseman Alexis Strother making it three hits in a row sending house Jordan within the course of. A wild pitch moved everybody up one spot, earlier than Lightbody cleared the bases together with her single to middle discipline.

Morehead State added an insurance coverage run within the prime of the sixth when Spear hit a one-out double to middle discipline. The subsequent batter, junior left fielder Madeline Gailor singled to middle to plate Spear.

Tennessee Tech obtained on the board within the sixth. A leadoff stroll, adopted by a sophomore third baseman Carmen Betts single and a senior first baseman Haeli Bryson double minimize the deficit again to 4. MSU turned to freshman pitcher Madi Ogden, who after giving up a stroll, struck out the following two batters and ended the inning with a fly out to left discipline.

Senior middle fielder Shelby Penning homered to proper discipline to steer off the seventh, however Ogden retired the following three batters to earn the group’s first save of the season.

Seven totally different Eagles picked up hits, with Jordan, Lightbody and Spear main the best way with two apiece. Gailor and Strother added RBI; with Jordan, Slater and Strother every scoring as soon as.

Bryson was the lone Golden Eagle with two hits.

Spicer earned the win to enhance to 5-16. She had three strikeouts and two walks. Ogden pitched two innings in reduction and surrendered one hit, one run and one stroll, with two strikeouts.

Freshman Tyler Erwin, who gained one of many video games earlier this season in opposition to MSU, went the space, however suffered simply her third lack of the season in opposition to 12 wins. She allowed 5 earned runs off 10 hits and a stroll. She additionally had eight strikeouts, however three wild pitches.

In sport two, each groups led off the second inning with their first hit of the sport, however have been left stranded.

Sophomore first baseman Abby Buettner homered to left-center discipline to open the third, however Slater answered with one out within the fourth together with her second house run of the 12 months with a blast to left-center discipline.

A Betts two-out, two-RBI double within the backside of the fifth pushed the hosts to a 3-1 benefit.

Within the sixth, Slater doubled to middle discipline and got here house through the subsequent at-bat, a Strother RBI-single to proper discipline. Penning hit a homer over the center-field fence with one out within the backside of the body. A two-out (??? left fielder) Brooklin Richardson single to left discipline scored the group’s fifth run.

Bryson struck out the primary two batters of the seventh and compelled a floor out to finish the sport.

Slater and Strother every went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Slater additionally scored twice. Lightbody picked up the group’s different hit. Six Golden Eagles registered hits, with Buettner pacing the squad with two. She additionally scored twice. Betts had a squad-best two RBI.

Ogden (1-10) pitched six innings, yielding 4 earned runs on seven hits. She struck out a career-best six, whereas strolling one. Bryson went the space to select up the win and enhance to 6-3. She gave up two runs on 5 hits, with 5 strikeouts and no walks.

“Within the second sport, Mad (Ogden) did a very good job maintaining the hitters off steadiness. They only caught as much as her velocity and executed on balls that have been on the white of the plate an excessive amount of. Once more, we have been capable of get runners on base however their pitcher and their protection did a very good job of leaving us there,” coach Jones stated. “Peyton had a for-sure, off-the-bat homerun that tied the sport and Alexis scored a runner together with her two-out hit. We’ve got some issues we wish to work on and clear up earlier than we tackle Tennessee State for Senior weekend.”

Morehead State has moved its weekend sequence with Tennessee State to 2 video games on Friday and one outing on Saturday. On each days motion begins at 1 p.m. It additionally can be Senior Day. Subsequent week, the Eagles will host non-conference doubleheaders in opposition to Rio Grande on Tuesday and Butler on Wednesday, earlier than concluding the common season subsequent weekend at Murray State.