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MARTIN, Tenn. – Morehead State and Tennessee Tech played for more than three hours Thursday morning in the first game of the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, and unfortunately for MSU, The sixth-seeded Golden Eagles ended up scoring three runs in the top of the ninth to upset the Eagles 6-3 at UT Martin’s Bettye Giles Field.
With the first round loss, MSU falls into the loser’s bracket where it will play on Friday at 2:30 p.m. EST against fourth seed Eastern Illinois, which lost 3-2 to UT Martin late Thursday night. The Eagles have won nine straight games against EIU.
MSU took the lead (2-1) in the bottom of the sixth via an unearned run. Freshman Amber Riddle singled to lead off. Taylor Sherritt pinch ran and moved to second on an Bethany Ellis sacrifice bunt. After an infield popout, Ashley Archer’s grounder up the middle was misplayed, and the speedy freshman utility player Sherritt wisely never stopped running and scored the go-ahead run.
TTU led off the seventh with a single by Chanelle Spalding. After a sacrifice bunt, Whitney Cummings launched an opposite field two-run homer on a 3-2 pitch from Alex Gjevre.
With MSU down to its last out and last strike in the bottom of the seventh, sophomore outfielder Kayla Brill lifted a solo home run down the right field line to keep the Eagles’ alive and tie the contest at 3-3.
After a scoreless eighth, Tennessee Tech re-gained the advantage in the top of the ninth. Lacie Coquerille smashed a one-out, two run double with the bases loaded to left center field to push Tech ahead 5-3. A bases-loaded ground out plated another run to make it 6-3 TTU.
TTU had gotten on the scoreboard first. With two outs in the second inning, Samantha Everett hit a double to right center. Jordan Leff followed with an RBI triple off the wall in right field to stake the Golden Eagles to a 1-0 advantage.
The Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. After a two-out walk to Bianca Cardenas, Brooke McCartney pinch ran for the MSU senior catcher. A wild pitch allowed McCartney to go to second base. Pinch hitter Ashley Archer, who made her first plate appearance at Giles Field since breaking her leg here last season, slapped a single up the middle to score McCartney.
Gjevre threw 188 pitches before exiting the game with the bases loaded in the ninth. Sarah Funston came on in relief and allowed the double and the final run as well. All three were charged to Gjevre as she absorbed the loss to fall to 14-11.
Holly Thomas (14-13) pitched the complete game for Tech, throwing 157 pitches and allowing eight hits.
Brill and Riddle had two hits each for MSU, while Cummings, Everett and Coquerille had two hits apiece for the Golden Eagles.
