MOREHEAD, Ky. – In their final meeting as Ohio Valley Conference foes, Tennessee Tech defeated the Morehead State softball team 10-3 and 7-3 on Sunday afternoon at the University Field at Prefontaine Park in Morehead, Ky.
Tennessee Tech (12-19/9-3) now leads the all-time series 84-33 and has won the last eight meetings.
In the opening game, the Golden Eagles drew a pair of walks and notched a single to load the bases in the top of the first but could not drive any runs home.
Morehead State (2-24/1-11) was able to score in its half of the inning. It was the 12th time this season the Blue and Gold scored in the opening frame and the 14th occasion in which it led at the end of an inning of a contest it did not win.
Junior second baseman Sage VanDemark singled and junior shortstop Sela Pickford doubled to right field. VanDemark then scored on a wild pitch. Junior catcher Sydney Farmer walked to maintain two baserunners, before sophomore designated hitter Sophie Collins drove in Pickford with an infield single.
"In the first game, we hurt ourselves with the inability to take advantage of our opportunities, especially late," MSU coach Megan Griffith said. "We were able to score off their mistakes early but just couldn't capitalize after that."
However, the floodgates opened in the second as Tech scored five times on six hits and two errors. The visitors' first four batters reached base safely and the inning ended with two runners stranded.
"Early mistakes really hurt us," Griffith said.
Morehead State bounced back in the bottom of the third and was able to score with two outs. Farmer singled up the middle and moved up a base on a wild pitch. A fielding error put senior left fielder Jordan Donato on base, with Collins again producing an RBI single. Collins, who entered the game without an RBI on the season, finished with two.
TTU's left fielder Julie Martin made an incredible catch after running and diving to haul in the ball in foul territory to end the inning.
Another MSU error put the Golden Eagles' leadoff batter on base and her pinch runner scored on the next at bat when Ashley Capelouto homered to left-center field.
The Eagles got a walk, single, fielder's choice and single in the bottom of the fourth, but a base-running error left the hosts without a run and two runners stranded on base.
Tennessee Tech opened the game up again in the fifth with three runs on four hits and could have added more, but left the bases loaded when the inning ended.
Neither team was able to score again, although both had opportunities, with each getting a runner on base each inning over the final two.
Morehead State continues to put the bat on the ball, finishing the opener with only one strikeout for the third straight outing. MSU totaled seven hits but made three errors and stranded seven base runners. Tennessee Tech had 14 hits, one error and had 12 runners left on base.
Collins and Pickford led the offense with two hits apiece. Junior outfielder Maddy Christopher, VanDemark and Farmer each added a hit. Collins had both RBI.
Capelouto and Olivia Evans both had three hits to top the Golden Eagles. Capelouto also had three RBI. Ella Grace Harvey reached base four times after drawing three walks and collecting a single.
Junior Ainsley Stubbs fell to 2-8 after earning the start and lasting three innings. She allowed six earned runs, seven total, on eight hits with two strikeouts and four walks. Senior Rylie Burney pitched two innings in relief and gave up three runs on five hits, with a strikeout and two walks. Senior Emma Solis finished the game by pitching two scoreless innings, surrendering just one hit and a walk in her most impressive performance of the season.
Faith Rush went the distance to pick up the win and improved to 1-1. She allowed just two earned runs (three total) on seven hits. She finished with one strikeout and three walks.
In the second game, neither team scored until Tech put up four runs in the top of the third inning.
MSU's defense got it out of a jam in the top of the first when Christopher threw out a runner at third off a one-out single and then junior first baseman Noemye Letendre caught a foul ball. The defense also came up big in the second when Farmer, who started at third base for the first time this season, made a pair of outs to end the inning leaving a pair of Golden Eagle runners stranded.
However, the visitors were finally able to break through with four runs in the third. Tech benefitted from four hits and two errors.
Morehead State battled back in the bottom of the third and came up with a trio of two-out singles, with the last of the three coming off Pickford's bat and scoring Christopher.
Jailynn Paderez hit a two-run, two-out home run over the left-field fence to give the Golden Eagles a 6-1 lead in the top of the fourth.
Collins reached on an error in the bottom of the inning and redshirt sophomore designated player Marie Perdew followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position. Sophomore catcher Nyla Doiron, making just her third start at the position this spring, grounded out but Collins was able to come home on the play to draw the Eagles back within four.
The Blue and Gold added another run in the fifth, benefitting from a two-out error and then a wild pitch. Farmer doubled to left-center field to score Pickford from second base.
Tennessee Tech scored the game's final run in the sixth. A leadoff walk and a two-out single by Paderez did the trick. A popout ended any additional scoring threat with two runners still on base.
Christopher had a one-out singled in the seventh, but it was the last offense the Eagles could produce as the game ended with the Blue and Gold dropping their fifth straight outing and falling to 0-6 at home this season.
Morehead State tallied seven hits, extending a stretch of games with at least seven to seven contests. On the year, MSU has 17 outings with seven or more hits and another three games with six. The Eagles also had two errors and left six runners on base.
Tennessee Tech tallied 10 hits, committed two errors and left seven runners stranded.
Christopher was the lone Eagle with two hits. VanDemark, Pickford, Farmer, Collins and Perdew each had one. Christopher, Pickford and Collins scored the team's runs. Pickford and Farmer collected the RBI.
Paderez went 4-for-4, with four RBI for the Golden Eagles. She also assisted on seven putouts at third base. Makayli Harris and Olivia Evans went 2-for-4, with Harris adding two RBI. Sophia Carroll scored a team-best two runs.
Freshman Allicen Harris got the start and suffered the loss to fall to 0-11. She pitched three and two-thirds innings, surrendering nine hits, six runs, four earned runs and two walks without a strikeout. Stubbs finished the outing by pitching three and one-third innings. She gave up a hit, run, earned run and two walks, while striking out two.
Emily York got the win to improve to 7-8. She went the distance, allowing seven hits and three runs, with only one earned. She finished with five strikeouts and no walks.
"Tech's pitching was very effective in the second game and caused us some problems," Coach Griffith said. "There were a couple of times we strung together hits, but we just couldn't convert those into enough runs."
Morehead State will go on the road for its next four games, beginning next weekend with three at Southern Indiana. The Blue and Gold will then face Kentucky on April 8, before returning home for a conference series with Tennessee State on April 11-12.
