The Lady Tops took a small step in the right direction Thursday as they took on Tennessee Tech.

WKU (22-20, 3-9 Sun Belt Conference) defeated Tennessee Tech, 6-2, after out-hitting the Golden Eagles, 8-3, in Cookeville, Tenn.

Head Coach Tyra Perry said she was pleased to see the team bounce back from an early setback.

“We started off a little rough but we kept our heads about us to score some runs later,” she said.

That rough start came when Tennessee Tech struck the first blow in the second inning, scoring two runs off two walks from junior pitcher Dana Nathanson.

Freshman Brittanie Albright came in for relief in the second inning and grabbed the win for WKU, pitching 5 and 2/3 shutout innings and allowing just one hit.

That pitching effort complimented the Lady Toppers’ strong third inning, scoring five runs on four hits with freshman Amanda Thomas notching a two-RBI double to lead the hitting frenzy.

Thomas leads the team in doubles with nine on the season, and freshman Kelsie Mattox also knocked her eighth double of the season in the first inning to keep a close second place.

Perry said the win gave the team some confidence after getting swept by Troy last weekend, especially as the Lady Toppers head into another Sun Belt Conference series this weekend at Florida International.

“Today was a much-needed win for our team going into the weekend,” she said. “We’ve been talking about playing no matter what the circumstances are and doing whatever it takes to win a game.”

WKU plays FIU Saturday at 3 and 5 p.m., with the finale on Sunday at 11 a.m.