MOREHEAD, Ky. – Morehead State softball coach
Megan Griffith and her Eagle team will be glad to put Tennessee State behind it and focus on the rest of the season as the Blue and Gold completed its weekend series in Nashville at the Tiger Field with a 12-2, five-inning defeat to the Tigers on Sunday.
Morehead State (4-29/2-10) produced more offense in the series finale than the two opening contests. It finished with six hits.
"We saw improvement today in several areas in comparison to yesterday," said MSU head coach
Megan Griffith. "But we need to get back to the offensive consistency and playing clean defense that we showed coming into this series. We also need to get better production from our pitching staff so we can get away from having to have our field players come in to pitch."
The Eagles opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when sophomore third baseman
Kendra Lewis hit a two-out single to right field and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Senior center fielder
Darlene Montoya drove home Lewis with a single to center field.
Tennessee State (18-9/8-3) answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, courtesy of a walk, error and a single.
Morehead State retook the lead in the second. Senior designated player
Ilencia Lightbody got all the way to second on an error. After a groundout, she scored on a wild pitch.
Just like it had in the first, TSU matched MSU with another run to retie the game. Hailey Hunt led off with a triple and scored on the next at bat.
The Eagles loaded the bases in the third but could not drive any runs home.
TSU broke the game open in the third with six runs on six hits.
Junior right fielder
Taikibrea Campbell led off the fourth with a single to center field and Lewis drew a walk, but a ground out ended the threat.
The hosts tacked on another four runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth.
The Eagles could not muster any offense and for the third straight outing and the sixth time in the last 10, the game ended after five innings.
Morehead State finished with six hits, one each from sophomore shortstop
Sela Pickford, sophomore left fielder
Maddy Christopher, freshman catcher
Nyla Doiron, Lewis, Montoya and Campbell.
Tennessee State tallied 12 hits. Anayah Baker-Rowell, Alexis Woods and Hunt each had two. Woods, Hunt, Kailyn Jean-Baptiste and Jasmine Blackburn each scored twice. Jean-Bapt drove in three runs, while Hunt and Woods pushed home two.
Junior
Rylie Burney fell to 2-15 after pitching two and one-third innings. She allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits, with one strikeout and one walk. Redshirt freshman
Delaney Overstreet threw two-thirds of an inning. She surrendered one run on one hit, with two walks and no strikeouts. Junior
Emma Solis spent the final inning in the circle and yielded four runs on four hits, with a walk and no strikeouts.
Kristian Holder started the game and pitched the first inning and two thirds. She allowed two unearned runs on three hits with one walk and no strikeouts, before yielding to Tianna Salcido. She went two and two-thirds shutout innings, giving up three hits, with two walks and no strikeouts. Salcido earned the win and improved to 3-4. Reina Castillo closed out the contest by pitching the final two-thirds of an inning. She retired both batters she faced.
With its 17th consecutive road defeat, MSU will be glad to get back to Morehead. The Blue and Gold has 11 of its last 17 games at home, where it owns a 3-4 record.
Tennessee State increased its winning streak to six games and four straight at home.
MSU will open a five-game home stand this week, beginning with a Wednesday doubleheader against Eastern Kentucky. The first pitch is expected to be 1 p.m. for the first contest at 3:30 p.m. for the second. Then the Eagles will entertain UT Martin this weekend with a Saturday twin bill at noon and 2:30 p.m., and then a single game on Sunday at noon.
