COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – SIUE softball plated 10 runs in the nightcap Sunday to gain a doubleheader split in Ohio Valley Conference action at Tennessee Tech.
Corrina Rivas earned her fourth victory of the season by going the distance in a 10-3 win in game two. The Golden Eagles collected the win in game one 7-3.
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"We have the ability in all facets of the game," emphasized SIUE Interim Head Coach Jessica Jones. "It's just putting them together."
SIUE is now 9-14 overall and 1-3 in the OVC. Tennessee Tech stands at 15-15 overall and 5-3 in the OVC.
Rivas struck out five and walked two in game two after tossing 1 1/3 innings of relief in game one. She benefitted from a pair of big innings in the nightcap.
"I thought Rivas had a really good game and made some adjustments from the first game," said Jones.
After an RBI single by Alyssa Heren put the Cougars up 1-0 in the first inning, it wasn't until the fourth inning that the offense unleashed its first of two big innings.
Sammie Ofoia put the Cougars up 2-0 with an RBI double that scored pinch runner Janie Smith. After Bailley Concatto singled, Alana Cobb-Adams drove home both Ofoia and Concatto with a single down the left field line.
The Cougars later took advantage of a Tennessee Tech error with Zoe Schafer at the plate, which would score two more in the inning.
"We have the ability to come back regardless of the score," said Schafer. "We can hit throughout the lineup, which is really exciting."
With Tennessee Tech cutting the lead in half with three runs in the fifth, SIUE pushed ahead in the seventh inning. Zoe Schafer, who had a two-run home run in game one, started the inning with a solo home run, her third of the season.
"I like seeing her bat come around," said Jones. "She is doing great now."
The Golden Eagles committed two errors in the seventh. After an Abby Marlow RBI double scored a run, Marlow took advantage of another Golden Eagles mistake by scoring on a wild pitch off reliever Haeli Bryson.
In game one, Schafer's two-run homer put the Cougars ahead early. Sydney Bina added an RBI single in the fourth to give SIUE a 3-0 lead, but a five-run rally in the bottom of the fourth gave Tennessee Tech all it needed to push past the Cougars.
"I changed my approach. I'm trying to keep things simple at the plate," said Schafer.
Schafer said after two weekends of the Cougars being off, it was nice to get back on the field again.
"Two weekends off definitely helps with practice," said Schafer. "But it was really nice to play again for sure."
"We getting our bats going," said Jones. "We're still at the point though where we have to execute our pitches better."
SIUE now heads home for its first three games at Cougar Field. The Cougars match up with Bradley Wednesday in a 4 p.m. game followed by an OVC doubleheader Saturday against Southeast Missouri.
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