Tech looks to take care of business in weekend set vs. Morehead State, Saturday moved to 6:30 p.m. start
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the final weekend in the Ohio Valley Conference regular season arrives, it’s do-or-die time for the Tennessee Tech softball team as Morehead State comes to town for a three-game set. With the anticipated weather Saturday, the schedule has shifted to a single game on Saturday, starting at 12 p.m. (weather permitting) and a doubleheader Sunday starting at noon. As of Friday morning, the weather forecast fluctuates between a 73 to 99 percent chance of precipitation between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, so there is a potential for delays. Follow the team’s social media accounts or TTUsports.com for updates. The team will also honor the dedication and commitment of its seniors on Sunday as they celebrate Senior Day, honoring Sydney Kirby, Ashlyn Riggs, Abby Shoulders and Payton Wagner. The quartet will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to their fathers pregame, then will be honored at the conclusion of Sunday’s second game.
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2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
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Game 1
Game 1
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
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Game 2
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0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
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UPDATE -- With the continuing rain, Saturday's start time has been pushed back to 6:30 p.m.
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the final weekend in the Ohio Valley Conference regular season arrives, it's do-or-die time for the Tennessee Tech softball team as Morehead State comes to town for a three-game set.
With the anticipated weather Saturday, the schedule has shifted to a single game on Saturday, starting at 6:30 p.m. (weather permitting) and a doubleheader Sunday starting at noon. As of Friday morning, the weather forecast fluctuates between a 73 to 99 percent chance of precipitation between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, so there is a potential for delays. Follow the team's social media accounts or TTUsports.com for updates.
The team will also honor the dedication and commitment of its seniors on Sunday as they celebrate Senior Day, honoring Sydney Kirby, Ashlyn Riggs, Abby Shoulders and Payton Wagner. The quartet will catch the ceremonial first pitch from their fathers pregame, then will be honored at the conclusion of Sunday's second game.
The series is planned to be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Dylan Vazzano on the call, but weather could also impact the stream.
As for the Golden Eagles (16-33 overall, 8-16 OVC), their destiny lies in their hands. As it stands now, Morehead State can leapfrog the Golden Eagles with a three-game sweep and Western Illinois will have to win two more games than Tech wins this weekend – a lofty task as the Leathernecks host conference leader Eastern Illinois.
If Tech just wins one game over Morehead State, the Golden Eagles are all but assured a spot in the OVC tournament next week as long as Western Illinois doesn't sweep Eastern Illinois. If Tech wins one and WIU wins two, both teams will be 9-18 in the conference and the Golden Eagles have the tiebreaker over the Leathernecks.
However, that is assuming that the weather doesn't wreak further havoc with the schedule. With the OVC Tournament beginning Wednesday in Peoria, Ill., it is unlikely that the series can be extended a further day, meaning that rain could potentially wash out Saturday's contest.
Rain is also in the forecast in Macomb for Saturday, but at much lower percentages. If only two games are able to be played in Cookeville, one Tech win would put the Golden Eagles at 9-17 (.346), where two Leatherneck wins against EIU would put Western Illinois at 9-18 (.333) giving Tech the higher spot by winning percentage. That scenario would leave the Leathernecks looking for a three-game sweep over the Panthers to supplant the Golden Eagles.
There's still the other factor of UT Martin, sitting a half-game up on the Golden Eagles at 8-15 (.348 presently). The Skyhawks take on SIUE on the road this weekend with the Cougars trailing EIU by one game for the OVC regular-season title. That head-to-head battle doesn't necessarily bode well for Western Illinois and UT Martin as their opponents are looking for any advantage they can get in seeding heading into next week's postseason event.
If UT Martin takes all three against the Cougars and Tech sweeps Morehead in a three-game slate – or just win the same number of games in a three-game series, the Golden Eagles will be unable to pass the Skyhawks as UTM will have a better winning percentage with one fewer league game played.
As long as Tech wins one more game in a three-game series than the Skyhawks this weekend, the Golden Eagles could leapfrog them, while Western Illinois needs to win two more games than UTM to bypass the Skyhawks. If Tech plays one fewer game this week and the Golden Eagles end up tied with UTM, Tech has the tiebreaker by virtue of the three-game sweep on April 12 and 13.
To put it simply, the last two spots in the tournament field are up for grabs and UT Martin, Tech, Western Illinois and Morehead State are all very much still alive.
With Southern Indiana and Tennessee State standing at fifth and sixth, respectively, and holding the tiebreaker on the Golden Eagles by head-to-head matchup, as well as a higher winning percentage with fewer OVC games played (USI two fewer, TSU one) from earlier weather cancellations, Tech cannot finish any higher than seventh.
That's not the concern though – the Golden Eagles just want the chance to get in the postseason field and fight for the title because next week is a whole new start.
To get there, Tech's going to have to face a Morehead State team (8-38 overall, 6-17 OVC) coming off a big momentum bump after sweeping Western Illinois at home last weekend. That said, the visiting Eagles are 1-18 this season away from home with that lone win coming Feb. 15 in a 4-2 victory at Kennesaw State.
Fortune has started to shine on Morehead in the past two weeks as the Eagles run-ruled Lindenwood 15-4 in five innings in their Easter weekend opener, then kept it respectable in the doubleheader against the Lions. Then, MSU rolled up a 10-6, a five-inning 16-6 and 6-5 wins last week against Western Illinois to keep their season hopes alive.
Tech is looking to break a five-game skid – its third-longest of the season and could become its longest with a three-game Morehead State sweep over the Golden Eagles. A seven-game slide between March 9 and March 18 stands as the season's longest. The Golden Eagles were having a decent start to April, winning six of 11 to start the month before losing five straight since the Easter holiday.
Fielding one of the smallest rosters in the conference personnel-wise with 15 active players, Morehead State is still an incredibly scrappy team capable of success. As a team, the Eagles are hitting .281 collectively with 201 runs scored, 176 RBI and 90 extra-base hits – 65 doubles, eight triples and 17 home runs. Conversely, Tech is hitting .263 with 189 runs scored, 162 RBI and 74 extra-base hits – 59 doubles, six triples and nine home runs.
Maddy Christopher leads MSU in average with a .388 clip, while Kendra Lewis (.352) has a team-high eight home runs, 35 runs scored and 29 RBI. Sela Pickford (.345) and Dalene Montoya (.293) each have 28 RBI, while Nyla Doiron (.257) has 26.
Abby Shoulders leads Tech in average, batting .333 with a team-best 31 runs scored and 27 stolen bases. Sydney Kirby (.307) leads the team with 28 RBI, followed closely by Abbee Klinefelter (.304) with 26 and Makayli Harris (.278) with 25. Harris also leads the team in home runs with three while Olivia Evans is also hitting over .300 with a .310 mark.
Where Morehead has a slight advantage on offense, the Golden Eagles have put together better pitching numbers on the season. MSU has a staff ERA of 7.95, walking 207 and striking out 102 with opponents hitting .363 against. Rylie Burney (5-19, 6.44 ERA) has seen the most work, throwing in 144 2/3 innings. Emma Solis (3-14, 8.85 ERA) has been the No. 2, seeing action in 84 2/3.
The visiting Eagles are 3-12 in run-rule games and have not gone to extra innings. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, are 4-4 in run-rule games and 3-3 in extra innings.
Tech, as a staff, is touting a 3.74 ERA, walking 165 and striking out an even 200 with opponents hitting .294 against. Emily York has the team's best record at 8-9 with a 3.26 ERA, 34 walks and 72 strikeouts over 116 innings. Payton Wagner (2-10) has the squad's best ERA with a 2.78. Lainey Fitzgerald (4-10, 4.20 ERA) and Addison Abell (2-3, 3.26 ERA) have had solid first seasons with the Golden Eagles.
Admission to all games at Tech Softball Field is free to the public.
