Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
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RICHMOND, Ky. – Sophomore pitcher Leanna Pittsenbarger tossed her fifth complete game shutout of the season to help the Eastern Kentucky University softball team come away with a doubleheader split Friday against Tennessee Tech. The visiting Golden Eagles won the first, 11-2, before the Colonels bounced back for a 3-0 victory.

Eastern now stands at 19-13 overall and 6-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference while TTU is 12-14 and 1-3.

In the second game, Pittsenbarger (12-6) posted 13 strikeouts over seven innings, one shy of her career high. This was the fifth time in her career she registered at least 10 strikeouts. The native Urbana, Ohio began the game in impressive fashion by striking out the side in the first inning.

Tennessee Tech threatened to score just once the entire game and that came in the sixth inning. Two singles and a passed ball put runners on second and third with two outs, but Pittsenbarger ended the threat with a strikeout.

Eastern jumped out in front with two runs in the first inning. Senior Raquel Howes’ double down the left field line scored freshman Kayla Joyce. Sophomore Katie Tackett then came up with a two-out RBI, a bloop single to right field, to plate Howes.

The Colonels added an insurance run in the third when Joyce tallied an RBI single through the middle of the infield.

Pittsenbarger closed the game with two strikeouts and a ground out in the seventh.

The Golden Eagles exploded for a season-high 11 runs in game one to easily win the opener. Chanelle Spalding recorded her first two home runs in 2013, both to left field, and picked up four RBIs in the five-inning affair.

Spalding hit a two-run blast as part of a three-run first inning to give Tennessee Tech an early lead. The Golden Eagles added five runs in the second, including four unearned runs, to quickly push the lead to 8-0.

Eastern Kentucky tried to mount a rally in the third. Joyce rifled a two-run single through the right side to get the Colonels on the board. However, EKU would strand runners at second and third to end that inning.

TTU put the game away with another Spalding two-run homer in the fourth and a final tally in the fifth inning. Tennessee Tech pitcher Taylor Ketchum (9-5) limited Eastern Kentucky to four hits in five innings to notch her ninth win.

Joyce was the top hitter for the Colonels on the day by going 3-of-5 overall with three RBIs and one run scored.

The two teams will play the rubber game of the series tomorrow, March 30, beginning at 1 p.m.