TUESDAY'S SCORES
Tennessee Tech 3, @North Alabama 2
Tennessee Tech 5, @North Alabama 1
Appalachian State 10,
@Tennessee State 9
Mississippi State 9,
UT Martin 1
Jacksonville State 4, Georgia Tech 4
TENNESSEE TECH 3, NORTH ALABAMA 2, ; TENNESSEE TECH 5, NORTH ALABAMA 1
FLORENCE, Ala. – The first game, it was a timely hit. The second, a solid pitching performance. But by the time the final out was recorded on Tuesday, the Tennessee Tech softball team earned a sweep over a hot North Alabama team, extended its winning streak to five games and earned its best 13-game start since the 2006 season.
Tech (8-5) topped the host Lions 3-2 in the opener, then held them off 4-1 in the nightcap, dropping UNA down to a 10-5 record on the season.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Friday at the Buccaneer Classic at East Tennessee State with two games on Friday against Rutgers and ETSU, then a single game on Saturday against Evansville.
In the opener, Tech trailed 1-0 going into the sixth inning. With one down, Kayla Hughes put a single down in right field, then Sydney Love-Baker drew a walk on five pitches. Raegan Sparks flew out to left field, setting things up for Raleigh Lewis.
The freshman hit her first home run over the weekend and took a quick strike. Lewis fouled off the next four, took a ball, fouled off one more, then took a second ball. On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, she went yard, driving a shot to left field for a three-run home run.
North Alabama added a second run in the seventh, but that was it as Alyssa Arden picked up her third win in as many games. The reigning Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week allowed two runs – one earned – on five hits as she went the distance, walking two and struck out seven.
In game two, Haeli Bryson earned the victory, holding the Lions to a single run on four hits, walking one and striking out four. The win is Bryson's second of the year.
Tech put two runs on the board in the second inning as Alexis Trimiar grounded out to third, driving in Lewis. Leigh Ellen Thomas hit a single to center field, bringing Raegan Sparks home.
UNA added its lone run in the home half of the second, then Tech two more notches on the board in the fifth. Gabby LaSala hit a single up the middle to drive in Beth McCulley, then LaSala took second on the throw home. Lewis later picked up her fourth RBI of the day as she drove in LaSala with a single to right.
LaSala picked up the final Tech run with a double to left center, driving in McCulley. The senior LaSala ended the game with a 2-for-4 effort, while McCulley was 2-for-3.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 4, GEORGIA TECH 3
ATLANTA, Ga. - Anna Chisolm belted a three-run homer in the sixth inning and lifted the Jacksonville State softball team to a 4-3 win at Georgia Tech on Tuesday at Mewborn Field.
The senior from St. Louis, Mo., took Morgan Bruce's 1-2 pitch over the wall in straightaway center with two outs in the sixth, erasing a two-run deficit and setting the Gamecocks (9-4) up for the win. It is their third-straight win over the Yellow Jackets (14-7) and the fourth in the last six meetings between the two.
The homer was Chisolm's fifth of the season and continued her trend of coming up with clutch long balls. It extended her team lead in round trippers and was her fourth in the sixth inning or later this season. All of them have given JSU the lead.
After the Gamecocks grabbed the lead, sophomore Nicole Rodriguez held the homestanding Jackets off the board over the final three innings to earn the win in relief. She worked around trouble in each of the last three frames to improve to 2-2 in the circle this season, striking out three in the process.
The Gamecocks mustered five hits in the win and limited the Yellow Jackets to just three. Tech did draw nine walks, two of which keyed the Jackets' only scoring frame in the second.
JSU starter Faith Sims issued two walks to start the second and then a pair of two-out hits plated the Yellow Jackets' only three runs of the game. The JSU ace tossed the first four frames, allowing three runs on those two hits and walking four. She exited the game trailing 3-0 and made way for Rodriguez.
JSU got on the board in the fifth, when a leadoff single by Lex Hull set up a two-out RBI single from Amber Jones that made it a 3-1 game. That score stood until Chisolm's blast in the sixth flipped the scoreboard in the Gamecocks' favor.
Jones and Chisolm drove in runs for JSU, but freshman Karsen Mosley led the Gamecocks at the plate with a 2-for-3 afternoon. The native of Saraland, Ala., improved her average to .480 on the young season.
Bruce (7-2) suffered the loss for Georgia Tech, allowing four runs on five hits in seven innings. She struck out 11 Gamecocks and walked just two in the losing effort. Brenna Roper drove in two runs on her second-inning double, while Rebecca Prairie drove in the other.
JSU will remain on the road this weekend, when the Gamecocks will travel to Lubbock, Texas, for the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic at Texas Tech. They will open on Friday vs. Northern Colorado at 11 a.m. CT before facing Gardner-Webb at 1:30 p.m. CT.
APPALACHIAN STATE 10, TENNESSEE STATE 9
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee State jumped out to an early once again, only to find themselves playing catch-up at the end of the game. Despite forcing extra innings, TSU dropped a 10-9 heartbreaker in nine innings on a cold day at Tiger Field. The Big Blue is now 2-7 on the season, while Appalachian State improved to 10-6.
The Tigers exploded for five runs in the first inning on four hits and three walks. Sarah Snell opened with the first of her base on balls in the first frame and moved to third as Bri Vire reached on a sacrifice bunt. The bats came to life to produce a 3-0 lead as Katie Schneider, Reese Weber and Megan Huppee all collected RBI singles.
The final blow in the first inning came when Lauren Farias dropped a two-out single into right field to chase home Weber and Huppee. The 5-0 lead held until ASU scored four runs in the third and took the lead with two in the fifth off starting pitcher Raven Loveless.
The Mountaineers would keep the advantage as they held the Tigers to one hit, a Farias single in the fourth, over the next five innings.
Snell opened the seventh with her third walk of the contest, but was eliminated at second on a fielder’s choice by Vire. The same fate would come to Vire off the bat of Schneider, who was then replaced by Kierra Ware. The senior speedster proceeded to steal second base and scored on an RBI single by Beckey Melton to force extra innings.
The Mountaineers scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning off Schneider who spelled Loveless in the fifth. Not to be outdone, Huppee evened the score, 8-8, in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run blast to centerfield.
ASU countered with another two runs in the ninth, only to see the Tigers respond. Schneider drove a ball through the middle of the infield to plate pinch runner Ariel Johnson to creep back within on run at 10-9. Schneider made her way to third on Weber’s third hit of the game and a Savanah Wallace fielder’s choice. The Tigers would not get any closer as Huppee grounded out to end the ball game.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 9, UT MARTIN 1
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team was simply overmatched against Southeastern Conference opponent Mississippi State on Tuesday afternoon, falling on the road 9-1 in six innings.
The Skyhawks (9-8) tallied five hits on the day with Paige Clark, Haylee Short, Gracyn McBride, Kenna Garst and Chelsey Gore each recording base knocks on the afternoon. Senior Alli Fulcher would go hitless, but drive in the team’s lone run.
All four pitchers saw action in the mid-week series as freshman Lexi Ray (3-4) was credited with the loss after allowing four earned runs in two innings of work. Erin Gallagher appeared in relief, striking out three in two scoreless innings while the tandem of Caitlin Karo and Hannah Ridolfi each allowed an earned run.
UT Martin jumped out to an early lead in the contest as Clark reached on an infield single before advancing to second on a passed ball. Clark would later come home to score on a fielder’s choice RBI by Fulcher get on the board.
Mississippi State (15-5) took control of the contest from there. The game would be tied in the bottom of the first as the Skyhawks walked in the first run for the home squad. Then a big four-run second inning highlighted by two-run singles by Fa Leilua and Macey Petrey pushed the margin out to four.
The Bulldogs tagged on another three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on singles by Lindsey Williams and Brooke Cantillo to make it 8-1. The home squad later put the game away on a RBI single by Mia Davidson to end the game early.
UT Martin will return to action with five games at the Stetson Invitational beginning on Friday, March 8.