Sydney Love-Baker

• Article
• April 28, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – For the Tennessee Tech softball team, their games are through. Now, when it comes to their Ohio Valley Conference tournament hopes, all they can do is wait and see. Following UT Martin’s sweep of the Golden Eagles on Sunday, Tech closes its regular season with an 18-26 record, 8-13 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Belmont and UT Martin have locked in the sixth and seventh spots in the tournament field, leaving the eighth and final spot between the Golden Eagles and SIUE. UT Martin took game one 4-0 in eight innings, then completed a perfect game in five innings for pitcher Lexi Ray as the Skyhawks run-ruled the Golden Eagles 15-0. For Tech, it is its seventh loss in a row, going 2-9 in its last 11 games.

• Article
• April 25, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the Tennessee Tech softball team enters its final scheduled weekend of the regular season, the Golden Eagles find themselves in a must-win situation. And with Southeast Missouri and UT Martin coming to town this weekend, it’s not going to be an easy task. The Golden Eagles entertain SEMO on Friday for a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m., then the Skyhawks on Sunday for a 1 p.m. start with Senior Day festivities beforehand. Both doubleheaders will be streamed on ESPN+ with Dylan Vazzano providing the call. Admission to all games at the Tech Softball Field is free.

• Article
• April 18, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With just two weeks remaining in the Tennessee Tech softball team’s regular-season schedule – potentially three if the weather forces any postponements to the Ohio Valley Conference’s built-in make-up week – the Golden Eagles are clinging on to a spot in the postseason tournament. And Tech (18-21, 8-8 OVC) can help its cause in a big way on Friday, weather permitting, should it take two from Austin Peay (23-17, 8-4 OVC). Game time is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Dylan Vazzano providing the call. The Governors have split its last six contests, alternating wins and losses against Jacksonville State, Murray State and Southeast Missouri in the last two weeks. APSU had a pair of games scheduled at UT Martin last week, but rain washed those out and those have been added to the make-up week, along with a pair of games at SIUE.

• Article
• April 17, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – For eight innings, the game was clearly in control of the pitchers. It wasn’t until the ninth inning that either team was able to dent the scoreboard, but Western Kentucky had all the runs it needed with a two-run home run in the top of the second extra frame. WKU added two more in the frame before the Golden Eagles had their chance, taking a 4-1 victory on Wednesday to pick up its 30th win of the season.

• Article
• April 15, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team will close out its non-conference schedule on Wednesday as the Golden Eagles host Western Kentucky. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the games will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Dylan Vazzano providing the call.

• Article
• April 14, 2019

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team wrapped up its road slate on Sunday, taking away a split at Belmont. The Golden Eagles fell 4-3 in the first game, then held on to take a 7-5 victory in the nightcap. The Bruins (26-17, 8-8 OVC) pulled out the victory in the bottom of the seventh in game one as Audrey Lyle hit an RBI single to right center, driving in Cameryn Strother for the walk-off win.

• Article
• April 12, 2019

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee State came up with a dramatic win in the bottom of the seventh of game one, but the Tennessee Tech softball team pulled off some heroics of its own in extra innings of the second game to earn a split on Friday. The host Tigers won game one 3-2, while Tech won 11-5 in eight innings in the nightcap. The Golden Eagles keep even pace as their record moves to 17-19 on the season, 7-7 in Ohio Valley Conference play. In the opener, Alyssa Arden held Tennessee State to one run through the first five frames, then the Golden Eagles scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to take the lead. Raegan Sparks drove in pinch runner Amanda Phy on a single to left for the first run, then Beth McCulley scored on a throwing error at short on a grounder from Gabby LaSala.

• Article
• April 11, 2019

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As Tennessee Tech softball gets set to head to Nashville this weekend for doubleheaders at Tennessee State and Belmont, the Golden Eagles find themselves in a must-win situation. Following Wednesday afternoon’s games, Tech (16-18, 6-6 Ohio Valley Conference) finds itself tied with Belmont (24-15, 6-6 OVC) and, by percentage points, SIUE (12-16, 4-4 OVC) for seventh in the league standings, essentially battling for the final spot for the conference tournament, which will be held May 8 through 11 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala. Granted, that’s just under a month away and there’s still plenty of games left to play, but for the Golden Eagles, the competition doesn’t get easier, even if all the games following this weekend are at the Tech Softball Field. Following a midweek non-conference doubleheader Wednesday against Western Kentucky, Tech entertains Austin Peay, Southeast Missouri and UT Martin to close out the regular season.

• Article
• April 09, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team needed a statement win and, on Tuesday, the Golden Eagles found it. After a 7-0 loss in game one to Jacksonville State, a contest where the Golden Eagles were two-hit by Faith Sims, one of the Ohio Valley Conference’s top pitchers, Alyssa Arden certainly made her own case in game two. The freshman hurler threw her third no-hitter of the season, blanking the Gamecocks in a 2-0 victory in the nightcap. With the no-no, Arden becomes the first Tech pitcher to throw three no-hitters in a single season.

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• April 08, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Following a tough weekend at Murray State, the Tennessee Tech softball team will have to quickly move past that performance as they get set to host Jacksonville State in an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader on Tuesday. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. at the Tech Softball Field. Admission is free. The visiting Gamecocks slipped into second place in the OVC standings with an 8-2 record in the league, with Murray State’s sweep over the Golden Eagles propelling the Racers (7-1) into first place by percentage points and one fewer loss.

• Article
• April 06, 2019

MURRAY, Ky. – A late miscue broke a scoreless tie at an inopportune moment on Saturday while the Tennessee Tech softball team couldn’t get the timely hit it needed to break onto the scoreboard as the Golden Eagles were swept in both ends of the doubleheader against Murray State. The Racers (17-18, 7-1 Ohio Valley Conference) won the first game 1-0, then defeated Tech (15-17, 5-5 OVC) 5-0 in the second. The first game was a fantastic pitchers’ duel between Tech’s Alyssa Arden and Murray’s Hannah James as the two went blow for blow in the contest and neither hurler yielding a run. Arden even had a no-hit bid going through the sixth.

• Article
• April 04, 2019

MURRAY, Ky. – Last Friday, Alyssa Arden threw a no-hitter over Eastern Illinois, her second no-no of the season. Before the weekend was out, Murray State’s Hannah James went one step better, throwing a perfect game against Belmont. The two hurlers could square off against each other on Saturday as the Golden Eagles head to Racer Field for a 1 p.m. start of this weekend’s lone doubleheader. The games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• March 31, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech came back in dramatic fashion to take game one against SIUE on Sunday, but couldn’t work the same magic in the second game as the two teams split the doubleheader at the Tech Softball Field. Tech won the first game 7-3, while the Cougars took game two 10-3. The Golden Eagles evened their season record at 15-15 overall, while moving to 5-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference race, a tie for sixth with UT Martin while two games back from conference leader Jacksonville State (7-1).

• Article
• March 29, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The way Alyssa Arden was pitching on Friday, the Tennessee Tech softball team only needed one run. But as the freshman mowed down the Eastern Illinois offense in the first game, all the visiting Panthers could do was muster a walk on a hit batter. The one miscue was it as Arden collected her second no-hitter of the campaign in a five-inning 8-0 affair in game one. Tech also won the second game In a come-from-behind fashion to take the sweep with a 5-3 win in the nightcap.

• Article
• March 28, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the two Illinois teams in the Ohio Valley Conference come into the Tech Softball Field this weekend, all three teams between Tennessee Tech, Eastern Illinois and SIUE have all seen their share of ups and downs. The Golden Eagles (12-14, 2-2 OVC) actually come into the contest with the most wins between the three teams. SIUE is still looking for its first OVC games of the season with an 8-11 record, but also has not played a game since March 15 with an appearance in the Rainbow Wahine Classic at the University of Hawaii. Eastern Illinois has a 10-23 record, a 1-3 mark in league play after getting swept by Murray State and splitting a pair against Austin Peay. Tech hosts EIU on Friday in a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m., while the Golden Eagles will entertain SIUE on Sunday in a twinbill starting at 1 p.m.

• Article
• March 26, 2019

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After starting Ohio Valley Conference play over the past weekend, the Tennessee Tech softball team will take a quick breather from the league slate as it heads to Nashville to take on Lipscomb on Wednesday. The game is a single contest, scheduled for a 5 p.m. start at the Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium. Lipscomb enters the game with a 20-11-1 record, including a 5-2 mark at home. The Lady Bisons have dropped four of their last five games, including a 1-2 run this past weekend at Atlantic Sun Conference foe Liberty, as well as a 5-0 loss to Texas and a 9-7 loss to Virginia Tech.

• Article
• March 24, 2019

MOREHEAD, Ky. – After a tough day Friday at Eastern Kentucky, the Tennessee Tech softball team found an opportunity to put some runs and hits on the board as the Golden Eagles swept Morehead State on Sunday. Tech (12-13, 2-2 Ohio Valley Conference) won the first game 13-2, then the second 15-3 in five innings. But the numbers from just those two games are staggering – nine home runs for the Golden Eagles and 27 RBI, as well as a .400 batting average, collecting 26 hits in 65 at-bats on Sunday.  Tech also scored 10 runs in one inning in the second contest.

• Article
• March 22, 2019

RICHMOND, Ky. – Ohio Valley Conference play had a bumpy start for the Tennessee Tech softball team on Friday as the Golden Eagles put plenty of hits on the board, but the explosive Eastern Kentucky offense put up run after run. The Colonels won game one 9-4, bolstered by a six-run fourth inning, then completed the sweep with a five-inning 13-3 defeat in the nightcap. Tech falls to 10-13, 0-2 in the Ohio Valley, while EKU improves to 15-10, 2-0 in the league. Tech continues the weekend’s road trip with a jaunt over to Morehead State on Sunday, with first pitch slated for 11 a.m. Central.

• Article
• March 21, 2019

RICHMOND, Ky. – In Tennessee Tech’s 34 seasons of softball, the Golden Eagles haven’t faced any teams more than Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State. Nearing or over the century mark against both schools – the 97th against the Colonels and the 109th against the Eagles – it’s almost fitting that the Golden Eagles open their 26th season of Ohio Valley Conference softball play against those two squads. Tech will travel to Richmond on Friday, playing EKU in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m., then following it up with a jaunt over to Morehead, Ky., to face MSU in a Sunday twinbill with an 11 a.m. start.

• Article
• March 20, 2019

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Scoring runs wasn’t the problem for the Tennessee Tech softball team on Tuesday. Finding ways to keep Samford from scoring them was as the homestanding Bulldogs rallied from a 4-0 deficit to take a 12-8 victory in game one, then run-ruled the Golden Eagles 11-3 in the second contest. Tech collected eight runs on 10 hits in the opener, leaving six on, then had three runs on five hits in the nightcap, stranding five. Alyssa Arden took her third loss of the season, allowing seven runs – five earned – on six hits in the opener as she walked four and struck out two. Callie Piper came on in relief and the Bulldogs didn’t relent, adding five earned runs on four hits and a walk.

• Article
• March 18, 2019

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Once upon a time – OK, only about 13 years or so ago – Tennessee Tech and Samford softball were both rivals on the field in the Ohio Valley Conference. Flash forward to today and the two teams still see each other from time to time, but not with the frequency of the days past. Tech and Samford will rekindle their acquaintance again on Tuesday as the two teams square off in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.

• Article
• March 16, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A first-inning home run was all the Tennessee Tech softball team needed for a victory in the first game, but the Golden Eagles were held to just three hits in the second game as Tech split its doubleheader with East Tennessee State on Saturday. The Golden Eagles (10-9) won the first game 2-0, then fell 1-0 in the second contest. In game one, Sydney Love-Baker hit a solo home run in the first inning, then Tech added a second run in the fourth inning as Chandler Caldwell scored on Alexis Trimiar’s single to right.

• Article
• March 15, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With the tournament schedule winding down and another week before Ohio Valley Conference play commences, the Tennessee Tech softball team will host East Tennessee State in a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Tech Softball Field with the second game approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first. Admission for all games at the Tech Softball Field is free to the public. East Tennessee State comes into Cookeville with a 12-9-2 record in tow, falling twice to Evansville in its four games played in its Buccaneer Classic last weekend. Weather washed out the Buccaneers’ games against Rutgers and Tech in the event, but ETSU earned an 11-5 win over Siena and a 5-1 victory over the Purple Aces, before falling 2-1 and 6-5 to Evansville in the final two games.

• Article
• March 12, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sophomore shortstop Sydney Love-Baker grew up playing in bigger parks than the Tennessee Tech softball field. After all, she played in a girls baseball league and also put up incredible offensive numbers on the prep level. But during her freshman campaign with the Golden Eagles, the Washington, D.C. native did not collect a single home run. Her previous two years on the high school level, she had 29. If she continues to hit at the pace she’s been knocking homers out of the park this season, it might be a return to form.

• Article
• March 11, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Following a 2-3 week that put the team back at a .500 record for the season, the Tennessee Tech softball team looks to reverse the weekend’s trend as the Golden Eagles host Evansville for a single game on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Tech Softball Field. Admission to the game is free.

• Article
• March 10, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After a month on the road, the Tennessee Tech softball team finally came home, hosting Bradley in a doubleheader. But while the first game was a back-and-forth affair, the second game was marred by a 10-run inning for the visiting Braves, leading Bradley to take the set 7-6 and 11-1 in five innings. In all, the Golden Eagles yielded five home runs to the Braves on the day – three in the opening game and two in the nightcap. Tech’s record falls back to .500 at 8-8, while Bradley improved to 11-10.

• Article
• March 09, 2019

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The rain relented long enough for Tennessee Tech to get at least one game in at the Buccaneer Classic on Saturday, but the Golden Eagles couldn’t get the hits to get the runs across to keep pace with Rutgers, falling 9-1 in the contest. Tech (8-6) returns to action on Sunday as the Golden Eagles open their home slate with a doubleheader against Bradley, starting at noon.

• Article
• March 05, 2019

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.

• Article
• March 04, 2019

FLORENCE, Ala. – After a weekend in Alabama, the Tennessee Tech softball team will venture on from Montgomery and into Florence on Tuesday for a midweek doubleheader against North Alabama. First pitch in the twinbill is slated for 12 p.m. The homestanding Lions, who began its Division I reclassification back in the fall, have performed well thus far, opening the 2019 campaign with a 10-3 record. UNA went 2-0 in its tournament at Tennessee State, topping Portland State 2-1 and Marist 9-0. Two games against East Tennessee State and one against host TSU were washed out by rain this weekend.

• Article
• March 03, 2019

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Tennessee Tech softball team played late into the evening, the final game of the day starting at nearly 9:30 p.m., but the wait was worth it for freshman hurler Alyssa Arden as she pitched a no-hitter against host Alabama State in a 2-1 victory Saturday night. Tech (6-5) also won its earlier game, a 2-0 victory over Western Illinois in a rematch of Friday night’s 7-0 victory. The no-hitter stands as the 17th no-no in Tech program history and the last one since Holly Thomas threw one on February 25, 2011, against IUPUI. Arden allowed an earned run in the contest, though, in the fourth inning as ASU’s Alexis Sydnor stole home after reaching on a walk, stealing second and taking third on a pop-up to left field.

• Article
• March 02, 2019

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Weather kept delaying the Tennessee Tech softball team in finally getting back on the field, but once they did, the Golden Eagles came up with some big hits as they defeated Western Illinois 7-0 on Friday in the first day of the Alabama State Invitational. Tech (4-5) will continue action on Saturday, weather permitting, against Western Illinois in a 1 p.m. rematch, then a 7:30 p.m. contest against host Alabama State. It was a fantastic outing for Alyssa Arden in the circle as she picked up her second win, throwing a four-hit shutout. She walked two and struck out four.

• Article
• February 17, 2019

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – It was a fight to the finish in both games on Saturday, but the Tennessee Tech softball team fell in two heartbreakers, dropping a 7-4 contest to Toledo, then a 6-5 eight-inning effort against Indiana State in the second day of the Chattanooga Challenge. Tech (3-5) is slated to take on Dayton at 9 a.m. Sunday to close out its games in the tournament, weather permitting.

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• February 15, 2019

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech found a way to win one in a dramatic comeback fashion in the first day of the Chattanooga Challenge as the Golden Eagles trailed early to Kennesaw State, tied the game to force extra innings, then won in the eighth inning for a 6-5 victory. However, in the day’s second game, host Chattanooga opened the offensive flood gates to take a run-ruled 10-2 victory in five innings. The Golden Eagles (3-3) continue the tournament on Saturday, taking on Toledo at 12:30 p.m. Central, followed by a 3 p.m. matchup against Indiana State.

• Article
• February 10, 2019

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The bats were connecting for the Tennessee Tech softball team as the Golden Eagles closed out the Black and Gold Invitation on Sunday with a pair of wins, beating Jackson State 7-6, then holding out to beat Houston Baptist 7-6. Senior Gabby LaSala ended the day with five RBI to lead Tech as Kayla Hughes and Haeli Bryson picked up their first wins of the season. Tech improves its record to 2-2 after the first weekend before heading to Chattanooga this upcoming weekend for the Chattanooga Challenge on Friday through Sunday, weather permitting.