Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
4-18
Tennessee Tech
9-16
Golden Eagles Stun Eastern in Late Inning Loss
3/18/2018 2:06:00 PM | Softball
The Eagles produced a weekend-high nine hits against TTU
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (EMUEagles.com) - A late inning rally proved to be too much for the Eastern Michigan University softball team as it was handed a heartbreaking, 5-4, decision by Tennessee Tech University on the final day of the Tiger Classic, Sunday, March 18. The Eagles (4-18) led most of the way until an RBI-double by the Golden Eagles (9-16) sealed the walk-off loss.
On the mound, junior Nicolle Miranda (Wilmington, Calif.-Port of Los Angeles) pitched her ninth complete game of the season. She surrendered nine hits and five runs, while fanning six. The Wilmington, Calif. native finished the weekend just four strikeouts shy of crossing the 200 career strikeouts threshold.
At the plate, two Eagles picked up multi-hit efforts behind a weekend high nine-hit outing for the Green and White. Both senior Brandice Olmos (Riverside, Calif.-Grande Terrace) and freshman Lauren Holdsworth (Howell, Mich.-Ladywood) went 2-for-3 at the dish, while they both recorded an RBI. Eastern struggled to bring runners home as EMU stranded 10 throughout the afternoon.
Holdsworth broke the game open with a one-run double in the second inning, providing Miranda with early run support. After the freshman scampered to third on a single from sophomore Arielle Anderson (Marion, Ohio-Pleasant), the Howell, Mich. native took advantage of a passed ball to slide into home.
The Green and White tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth frame to bump its advantage to four. With bases loaded and two outs in the fourth, senior Haley Hostetler (New Haven, Ind.-Woodlan) was patient in the batters box, eventually drawing the walk to record her eight RBI of the season.
Junior Olivia Logan (Riverview, Mich.-Riverview) slammed a single to shortstop to start the fifth inning, before advancing to third on a TTU error. With runners on second and third, Olmos laid down a sacrifice bunt that plated Logan and provide EMU with a four-run advantage.
Heading into the bottom of the sixth, Eastern sat with a comfortable four-run lead, but the Golden Eagles used a grand slam to knot the game at four. After EMU could not answer back in the top of the seventh, TTU used a walk off double to hand EMU the loss.
The Eagles are set to begin the home portion of the schedule with a midweek clash against in-state rival, Detroit Mercy, Wednesday, March 21 at Varsity Field. The doubleheader is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: HUGHES (3-3)
L: Miranda, Nicolle (2-10)
Batting:
2B: Akles, Amanda 1 ; Holdsworth, Lauren 1
RBI: Hostetler, Haley 1 ; Olmos, Brandice 1 ; Holdsworth, Lauren 1
SH: Olmos, Brandice 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Logan, Olivia 1 ; Akles, Amanda 1 ; Peters, Alex 1 ; Holdsworth, Lauren 1
SB: Hostetler, Haley 1 ; Schilke, Angel 1 ; Anderson, Arielle 1
CS: Skeens, Casey 1
HBP: Holdsworth, Lauren 1
Batting:
2B: McCULLEY 1 ; DAVIS 1
HR: GRIFFIN 1
RBI: DAVIS 1 ; GRIFFIN 4
Base Running:
RUNS: LOVE-BAKER 1 ; RICHTER 1 ; DAVIS 1 ; HERLOCKER 1 ; GRIFFIN 1
