Ohio Valley Conference

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Lainey Fitzgerald had a tough-luck loss in the opener, while SIUE had big scoring innings late as the visiting Cougars spoiled Tennessee Tech softball's home and Ohio Valley Conference openers on Friday.

The series concludes Saturday morning at 9 AM with a single game.

SIUE (9-12. 2-0 OVC) won the front end 3-1, then took the night cap 8-1.

Tech (2-16, 0-2 OVC) scored its lone run as Olivia Evans hit a single in the bottom of the first, stole second, and advanced to third on Britney Phally's sacrifice bunt. Evans came home on a wild pitch.

Fitzgerald started off strong, holding the Cougars at bay for the first three frames, but SIUE struck for a run in the fourth tying the game as Arissah Garza collected a double to deep center, allowing Betsy Woodward – who was running on the crack of the bat – to run home all the way from first to knot the game.

SIUE then scored two more in the fifth as Kaylin Fahy's ground-rule double drove in Abby Harvell, then Ashley Duran's sacrifice fly to right center brought Juztyne Torres home.

Fitzgerald took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits, walking four and striking out five. Emily York came on in relief, yielding one hit and striking out one over 2 1/3 innings.

Avery Arwood went the distance, improving to 2-2, as she allowed one run on three hits, striking out three.

In game two, SIUE starter Mia Volpert went the first 3 1/3, allowing one run on three hits with two walks and a strikeout. Kiana Villa, who came on in relief, was credited with the win as she went two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks, while striking out one. Haley Strain pitched the final 1 2/3, giving up one walk and one hit.

Addison Abell took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits with a walk. York threw an inning and two-thirds, allowing three runs on three hits, while Faith Rush closed out the game with two innings of work, allowing one run with two hits, striking out three.

Duran put the Cougars on the board first with an RBI single to left field, driving in Harvell, but got caught at second on a 7-4 putout trying to stretch the play into a double.

Neither team scored in the second or third innings, but SIUE put a four-spot on the board in the fourth. Fahy led off with a solo home run to deep left. After Duran and Woodward singled, prompting a change to York, Audyn Barrera was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Harley Limberger came in as a pinch hitter and eyed a triple into the left field corner, sending all three home to make it a 5-0 game.

Tech scored its lone run in the bottom half of the fourth as Bishop drove in pinch-runner Alina Schlageter with a double to right center.

The Cougars added two more runs in the fifth as Duran drove in Torres with a double to left, then Fahy came home on Arissah Garza's sacrifice fly to center field. They scored their final run in the sixth as Torres brought Harvell in with a single to right.