Payton Wagner

• Article
• May 08, 2024

PEORIA, Ill. – The seventh time was the charm as Tennessee Tech found an answer to Lindenwood to take them out in the opening round of the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championship, winning 7-3 Wednesday morning. The victory advanced the Golden Eagles into the double-elimination rounds and will take on Tennessee State at the conclusion of the UT Martin/SIUE first-round contest. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• May 07, 2024

PEORIA, Ill. – The regular season is in the books, now the Tennessee Tech softball team looks to add another Ohio Valley Conference championship in their trophy case. There’s still plenty of work to be done and it all starts Wednesday morning as the Golden Eagles take on Lindenwood at 10 a.m. at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Ill., to open the 30th OVC Softball Championship. The games will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Max Thoma and Kirsten Dell handling broadcast duties.

• Article
• May 07, 2024

PEORIA, Ill. – On the eve of the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championships in Peoria, Ill., the Tennessee Tech softball team took home some hardware as senior third baseman Carmen Betts and junior first baseman Sydney Kirby were named to the first- and second-team rosters respectively, while Kirby and freshman pitcher Emily York and junior pitcher Payton Wagner were both named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team on Tuesday night. The teams were voted on by the league’s coaches and sports information contacts.

• Article
• May 05, 2024

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Weather was not kind at Tennessee State’s field on the weekend. After Saturday’s games were washed out and rescheduled as a doubleheader on Sunday morning, Tech and TSU got the day’s opener in with the Golden Eagles emerging victorious 7-4. Tech also worked its way to a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning of game two before rain fell once more. With the field unable to hold any more water, the game was called, erasing everything that had transpired in the previous four and a half innings.

• Article
• May 02, 2024

NASHVILLE – It’s the final week of the Ohio Valley Conference softball regular season, and for the Tennessee Tech softball team, the Golden Eagles already know that they’re going to the postseason tournament next week at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Ill. Tech can not drop in the standings, its seventh-place spot secured as a minimum. The Golden Eagles (21-22, 11-13 OVC) can still finish as high as fourth – with a sweep over Tennessee State this weekend and Western Illinois sweep over Southern Indiana. UT Martin and Lindenwood both face the top two teams in the conference standings – Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri – with Tech two games back from both of those teams. That presents a window where the Golden Eagles could move into fifth or sixth.

• Article
• April 28, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the Tennessee Tech softball team wrapped up the home portion of the 2024 campaign, the Golden Eagles honored their senior student-athletes who have devoted countless hours on the field and in the classroom representing the Purple and Gold. It was a celebration of the success the program had this season with still much more to go as Tech has clinched a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference softball championships with a weekend still to play, giving the Golden Eagles a chance to raise their standing in the race. Sunday’s series finale against SIUE was a close battle until the sixth inning with the Cougars scoring five runs. Tech answered with four in the home half of the frame and had a chance to even the game in the bottom of the seventh, but SIUE evaded the sweep with a 7-5 victory in the finale.

• Article
• April 27, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With two victories on Saturday to take both ends of the doubleheader against SIUE, the Tennessee Tech softball team is assured of one thing – the Golden Eagles will be heading back to postseason action in the Ohio Valley Conference softball championships in Peoria. With the two wins and now four games up on the Cougars and six on Morehead State, Tech (21-21, 11-12 OVC) is assured of at least the No. 7-seed with a chance to move up further with wins in their last four games of the season and help from fellow OVC teams in the final three days of conference competition.

• Article
• April 23, 2024

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Once Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay were bitter rivals in the Ohio Valley Conference, but the Governors packed up and jumped to the Atlantic Sun Conference. Wednesday, the two teams will square off once more as the Golden Eagles head to Clarksville to take on APSU in a 4 p.m. battle. First pitch on Wednesday is set for 4 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• April 19, 2024

CHARLESTON, Ill. – With three weekends of play remaining in the Ohio Valley Conference schedule, Tennessee Tech finds itself in the position to improve its standing and make a return to the conference tournament. The downside, they’ve got OVC leader Eastern Illinois standing in the way this weekend to make it a tough road.

• Article
• April 17, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Continued offensive pressure and a collective effort in the circle were plenty enough to lift the Tennessee Tech softball team to a 6-1 victory over in-state rival ETSU Wednesday evening at Tech Softball Field.

• Article
• April 13, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech and UT Martin traded a pair of one-run losses on Saturday as the two teams split the scheduled doubleheader with identical 3-2 results. The Golden Eagles (17-17, 8-9 Ohio Valley Conference) will play the Skyhawks again on Sunday starting at noon to decide the winner of the series. UT Martin took game one as Anna Blanton went 3-for-3 and Kaci Fuller 2-for-4, each with an RBI, while Maddie Long picked up the other RBI in the game.

• Article
• April 06, 2024

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Tennessee Tech took a 3-2 lead in game one, but Southeast Missouri rallied to take a 5-3 victory, then claimed a 4-1 win in the night cap to sweep the Golden Eagles on Saturday. The series concludes at noon on Sunday as the Golden Eagles (15-16, 6-8 Ohio Valley Conference)

• Article
• April 05, 2024

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Last season, Southeast Missouri cruised to a 20-2 finish in the Ohio Valley Conference softball race. While the start of the 2024 conference campaign has seen the Redhawks a little more level in the race thus far, SEMO is still a very dangerous opponent – after all, historically, Tennessee Tech and Southeast Missouri have been among the top programs since the league first sponsored softball. The Redhawks (13-20) and the Golden Eagles (15-14) will square off Saturday in a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m., while the third game will be Sunday at noon. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• March 29, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Lindenwood pitcher Amanda Weyh helped her own cause as she pitched two victories over the Tennessee Tech softball team on Friday, while going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a home run in the doubleheader. The visiting Lions won the opener 3-1, then took the nightcap 4-3 to earn the series victory over the Golden Eagles (15-13, 6-5 Ohio Valley Conference).

• Article
• March 28, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It’s been a while since the Tennessee Tech softball team last played on their home field, but the Golden Eagles will be back in action at Tech Softball Field on Friday and Saturday as they welcome Ohio Valley Conference newcomer Lindenwood to the facility for the first time. The two squads will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 12 p.m., while the series will conclude Saturday at 1 p.m. All games at Tech Softball Field are free to the public. The games will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Dylan Vazzano on the call.

• Article
• March 27, 2024

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech knocked the ball out of the park at Betty Basler Field on Wednesday as the Golden Eagles used three home runs to surge to a 7-2 victory over East Tennessee State. Carmen Betts, Abby Buettner and Sydney Kirby all went yard in the contest, with Buettner going 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBI and Kirby going 2-for-3 and driving in two.

• Article
• March 26, 2024

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team will hit the road for one last time on its current road trip, heading eastward to Johnson City to take on ETSU. First pitch Wednesday is slated for 5 p.m. Central time at Betty Basler Field. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

• Article
• March 23, 2024

MOREHEAD, Ky. – Saturday saw the Tennessee Tech softball team earn a split against homestanding Morehead State as the Golden Eagles claimed the 7-2 victory in the nightcap after falling 4-2 in the opener. The Golden Eagles (13-11, 5-3 Ohio Valley Conference) conclude the series with the Eagles (8-13, 2-6 OVC) on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Central. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• March 22, 2024

MOREHEAD, Ky. – A 4-2 start to Ohio Valley Conference is a solid run for the Tennessee Tech softball team after a tough run last season. The Golden Eagles will look to build on that momentum this weekend as they head to Morehead State for a three-game set starting on Saturday. The doubleheader on Saturday is slated for a 12 p.m. Central start, while the single game on Sunday is scheduled for an 11 a.m. Central first pitch. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.

• Article
• March 19, 2024

KENNESAW, Ga. – After a quick jaunt up to Macomb, Ill., the Tennessee Tech softball team is back out on the road again as the Golden Eagles head down to Georgia to take on Kennesaw State for a single game on Wednesday. The game will be streamed on the KSU Owl Network.

• Article
• March 16, 2024

MACOMB, Ill. – The Tennessee Tech softball team poured on the offense on Saturday as the Golden Eagles took both ends of the doubleheader at Western Illinois, scoring the go-ahead run in the seventh to take a 12-11 victory in the opener, then topping the Leathernecks 9-4 in the nightcap. The Golden Eagles (12-8, 4-1 Ohio Valley Conference) return to action on Sunday as they look for the sweep against WIU, starting at 12 p.m. Tech currently stands in a tie for first place with Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State.

• Article
• March 15, 2024

MACOMB, Ill. – Tennessee Tech swept Western Illinois in the meetings between the schools last season. At the time, who knew it was going to be a potential Ohio Valley Conference matchup as the Leathernecks joined the conference just weeks later? Now the Golden Eagles will be making the return trip to take on Western Illinois with a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday, both starting at noon.

• Article
• March 12, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It was a battle in the first game, but while Rhode Island took the day’s opener, the Tennessee Tech softball team secured a split against the Rams. The Golden Eagles (10-8) won the second game 4-0, behind a complete-game effort from Payton Wagner in the circle. She yielded just five hits and three walks while striking out two.

• Article
• March 10, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A season ago Tennessee Tech won just two Ohio Valley Conference games and did not claim a single series win. On Sunday, the first day of conference competition, the Golden Eagles won their first two league games and claimed the series win over Southern Indiana – a team that finished third in the conference last season. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s one heck of a statement to get the conference race started as the Golden Eagles topped the Screaming Eagles 2-1 and 5-0 to sweep Sunday’s twinbill.

• Article
• March 08, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech will open Ohio Valley Conference play on Sunday afternoon as the Golden Eagles entertain Southern Indiana at Tech Softball Field. The series will include a doubleheader on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m., while the finale will be Monday morning at 11 a.m. Admission is free to all events at Tech Softball Field. The Golden Eagles come into the weekend with the third-best record by winning percentage in the OVC at 7-6, trailing Eastern Illinois (12-7) and UT Martin (12-8). Southern Indiana comes into the series with a 6-9 mark.

• Article
• March 03, 2024

ATLANTA, Ga. – Sunday was a tough day for the Tennessee Tech softball team as the Golden Eagles were held to one run on 10 hits, falling 9-1 in six innings to Harvard, then 7-0 to tournament host Georgia State to close out action at the Bob Heck Classic. The Golden Eagles (7-6) open the home portion of their slate on Saturday as they begin Ohio Valley Conference play as Southern Indiana comes to Tech Softball Field for a three-game set.

• Article
• February 23, 2024

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech split its action in the first day of the Blues City Tournament on Friday as the Golden Eagles defeated DePaul 8-4 in their opener, but fell to Indiana State 13-0 in five innings in the second game to break the five-game winning streak. Tech (5-1) will take on the same two teams again on Saturday as the Golden Eagles take on DePaul at 11 a.m., then Indiana State at 7 p.m.

• Article
• February 09, 2024

CLINTON, S.C. – Tennessee Tech started the 2024 softball season on a high note, sweeping both games in Friday action at the Blue Hose Invitational, topping Norfolk State 4-3 and Presbyterian 3-2. The Golden Eagles (2-0) play the same two teams again tomorrow with the contest against Norfolk State scheduled for 11 a.m. and the final game of the tournament at 4 p.m. against the host Blue Hose. Live stats will not be available for the first game against the Spartans. There were plenty of strong performances all around on the season’s first day with Abby Buettner going a perfect 6-for-6 at the plate with one run driven in and two runs scored. Sydney Kirby collected three of Tech’s six RBI on the day, while Carmen Betts was 3-for-7 with two runs scored and two RBI.

• Article
• February 08, 2024

CLINTON, S.C. – It’s a new year for the Tennessee Tech softball team. With a few key returnees and a lot of new faces, the Golden Eagles look to revitalize the program’s storied tradition. As head coach Danielle Penner enters her second season at the helm, the veteran coach is ready to take the Golden Eagles back to its rightful place atop the Ohio Valley Conference.

• Article
• August 10, 2023

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With Danielle Penner’s first season in the books at the helm of the Tennessee Tech softball program, she’s looking to fill some important needs on the roster. With the additions of transfers Sofia Carroll, Kassidy Harper, Sydney Kirby, Lennon Spicer and Payton Wagner, the Golden Eagles will add strong bats and capable arms in the circle for the 2024 campaign.