NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- With the end of their banner regular season approaching, the Tennessee State Tiger softball team (20-24, 11-11 OVC) has found a rhythm. The Tigers, winners of four in a row, used 17 hits to defeat the Morehead State Eagles 4-2 and 7-4 in doubleheader action from Tiger Field. Significant efforts in the circle from sophomore Caitlyn Manus (14-13) and freshman Holly Ayala (6-11) kept the Eagles off balance. Both had complete games, scattering nine hits on four earned runs. At the plate, junior Peyton Fointno shined, knocking in five RBI in the second game. Fointno went a combined 4-for-5 for the day and raised her batting average 20 points to .224, the highest it has been all season.Â
The Tigers used a four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth to win game one. In game two, they scored in each of the first three innings, then added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to get the win. This is the second time in program history that the team has won 20 games. A win tomorrow will tie them with the 2007 team for their most OVC wins in a season.Â
Late Rally Fuels Tiger Victory
GAME 1 | Tennessee State 4, Morehead State 2
The Tennessee State Tigers rallied from down 2-0 in the sixth inning to beat the Morehead State Eagles 4-2. Caitlyn Manus (14-13) won for TSU (19-24, 10-11 OVC). The right-hander went seven innings, giving up two runs, both earned, on three hits, allowing three walks, and striking out eight.
In the batter's box, the Tigers were paced by Anayah Baker-Rowell and Nahtali Simpson, who both went 1-for-3 on the day with a double, a walk, and an RBI. Laila Armstrong enjoyed a perfect game at the dish for Tennessee State, putting together two hits in two trips to the plate while adding a walk.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tigers were trailing 2-0 in the sixth inning and scored four runs. With one out, Alyssia Drayton and Armstrong singled. Drayton scored from second on a double by Baker-Rowell. With runners on second and third, the Tigers got the lead when Armstrong scored on a wild pitch and error on the same play. Traylor then singled to keep the rally going and scored on a Simpson double.
Manus, who was in command for most of the game, gave up a walk in the top of the seventh but struck out two batters to shut the door on the Eagles.
GAME NOTES
» Manus faced 28 Morehead State hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and six fly balls while striking out eight.
» TSU's lone scoring inning was the sixth when it pushed four runs across.
» The Tigers out-hit the Eagles at an 8-3 clip.
» The Tigers drew seven walks from Morehead State pitching.
» Baker-Rowell and Simpson led the Tigers at the plate, both going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
» Morehead State was led offensively by Trinity Spear, who went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Fointno's Five RBI Key Softball Win
GAME 2 | Tennessee State 7, Morehead State 4
Peyton Fointno collected five RBIs to help lead the Tennessee State Tigers past the Morehead State Eagles 7-4 on Saturday. She also knocked in five runs in the 15-10 victory over Tennessee Tech this past Sunday.  Holly Ayala started in the circle and picked up the win for Tennessee State (20-24, 12-11 OVC). The right-hander went seven innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on six hits, allowing no walks and striking out one.
Fointno went 3-for-3 in addition to her five RBIs for the Tigers. Ryla Traylor also put together a nice day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a triple. Mikayla Duke also contributed for Tennessee State, putting together one hit in two trips to the dish while adding a double and an RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tigers struck first when they got on the board in the first inning. With one out, Traylor tripled and scored when Nahtali Simpson stole second. In the top of the second, the Eagles took the lead on a two-run homer from Emily Williams.TSU struck back, tying the score in the bottom of the inning when Duke led off the inning with a base on balls. Jasmine Blackburn sacrificed her to second, and she scored on a single by Fointno.Â
The Tigers made it a 5-2 Tennessee State lead in the third when Duke knocked in Traylor with a double; after that, Fointno  The Lady Tigers scored three runs in the frame, two of them coming across on a two-run single off the bat of Fointno. she singled to right field to bring in Simpson and Duke. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Fointno came through again when she knocked in Onnika Spencer and Duke with a single up the middle to make the score 7-2.
Morehead State made it interesting in the end, scoring two runs in the top of the sixth inning. In the seventh inning, they brought the tying run to the plate, but Ayala closed the door when she forced a line out to Simpson.Â
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GAME NOTES
» Fointno picked up three hits and drove in five runs in the game for TSU
» Tennessee State's highest-scoring inning was the third when it pushed three runs across.
» The Tigers out-hit the Eagles at a 9-6 clip.
» Tennessee State went 4-for-11 (.364) with runners in scoring position.
» Ayala limited Morehead State to just 1-for-5 (.200) with runners in scoring position.
» Ayala faced 29 Morehead State hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and 11 fly balls while striking out one.
» Fointno led the Tigers at the plate, going 3-for-3 with five RBI.
» Morehead State was led offensively by Emily Williams, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
» Jessie Begley led the Eagles pitching staff, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings.
Both teams will close out the regular season with a single game on Sunday at 2 p.m.Â
