Ohio Valley Conference

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PEORIA, Ill. - Raegan Duncan provided the game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth as SIUE defeated Southeast Missouri 5-4 in eight innings at the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championships.

Duncan's single up the middle scored Kaylin Fahy from second base, propelling the Cougars through the winner's bracket. SIUE, 30-20, next faces the winner of the Eastern Illinois/Southern Indiana game which takes place next at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex. SIUE's next game is set for 1:30 p.m. Friday.

Emma Henderson went the distance in the circle for the Cougars and improved to 7-5 for the season.

SIUE went for the long ball for three of its five runs. Kaylynn Salyars launched a second inning home run with Danielle Shuey on base in the second inning. Kaylin Fahy delivered a solo blast in the fourth inning.

SEMO was down 4-2 in the top of the seventh when it tied the game up on a bases-loaded single. The Redhawks later were ahead on the scoreboard until a video review pulled back one run. The Cougars then held off the Redhawks and scored in the bottom of the eighth.

SIUE outhit Southeast Missouri 10-6. Anna Henderson and Lauryn Yslava each had two hits.

Maddie Carney took the loss for Southeast Missouri in relief of starter Delaney Kell.

#1 EASTERN ILLINOIS 4, #4 SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
PEORIA, Ill. - Eastern Illinois picked up key hits in the third and sixth innings as the No. 1 seeded Panthers beat No. 4 seed Southern Indiana, 4-1, in their opening game of the 2025 OVC Tournament at Louisville Slugger Park.

USI got on the board first with an unearned run in the third inning as Whitley Hunter drove in Kennedy Nalley.  It was one of five hits EIU pitchers McKenzie Oslanzi and Karlie McKenzie allowed in the win.

Oslanzi improved to 20-12 on the season pitching four innings allowing an unearned run.  McKenzie closed out the final three innings for her sixth save of the year.

In the third EIU broke through against USI starter Kylie Witthaus (6-8) with a two-run single by Alisha Frederick scoring Sophie Cerveny and Kendall Grover.

EIU tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth with a two-run single by Sophia Olman.

Cerveny and Abbey Crain each had two hits for EIU as the Panthers improved to 32-19 on the season.

Nalley and Sydney Long each had two hits for USI as the Screaming Eagles fell to 17-24.

#3 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, #5 LINDENWOOD 3
PEORIA, Ill. - Freshman Addisyn Martinie delivered a walk-off single to send #3 Southeast Missouri (26-18) to a thrilling 4-3 victory over #5 Lindenwood (24-25) Thursday afternoon at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
 
SEMO eliminated LU with its clutch come-from-behind victory.
 
Trailing 3-1, the Redhawks strung together three-straight two-out hits to bounce the Lions from this year's postseason event.
 
Gracie Luna rallied SEMO with RBI-single to score Sydney Melton who reached on a double earlier in the inning. Kinley Wilkins followed with a single to left and pinch-runner Abby Robbins scored the tying run. Then, Martinie, who was even with a 2-2 count, blooped a single that dropped just inside the third base line allowing pinch-runner Taryn Coon to score the decisive run.
 
SEMO's first tally of the game came on a solo home run by Luna in the bottom of the second inning. Luna smacked the first pitch of her at-bat over the center field wall for her team-high eighth bomb of the season.
 
LU tied the game on a two-out home run by Jolie McMinn in the top of the sixth. McMinn's round-tripper cleared the wall in left field bringing the game to a 1-1 deadlock.
 
In the top of the seventh, Hanna Johanning doubled to left and Dallas Darnell was initially ruled out at home plate. Replay review overturned the call with the ruling being SEMO Melton bobbled the ball on the tag. Darnell's run put LU ahead and Lauren Pelton followed with an RBI-single to give the Lions a 3-1 advantage.
 
Willow Van Haren (6-2) went the distance for the first complete game of her career. Van Haren struck out three, walked one and allowed three runs on six hits. She at one time retired 10 in a row.
 
Avery Wapp (9-9) took the loss. Wapp scattered 10 hits and gave up four runs, while walking four and striking out two.
 
Luna and Martinie each had two hits and the walkoff hit was the first of Martinie's college career. As a team, the Redhawks outhit the Lions, 10-6.
 
SEMO improved its record to 9-1 all-time against LU.

#7 TENNESSEE TECH 2, #4 SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
PEORIA, Ill. - A year ago, Tennessee Tech saw its season come to a close at the hands of Southern Indiana. Heartbroken, the Golden Eagles waited for the opportunity to take the Screaming Eagles on once again.
 
After USI dropped a tough 4-1 decision to Eastern Illinois, the matchup presented itself and pitcher Emily York wasn't going to miss the opportunity.
 
After reclaiming the lead in the bottom of the sixth, York continued to deal, coaxing a pair of groundouts to Jailynn Paderez at third, saw a single into right field, then got the final batter to fly out to Alina Schlageter for the final out to take a 2-1 victory over USI.
 
Tech (21-34) will get a rematch with Southeast Missouri on Friday morning at 11 a.m. The winner will advance to the elimination bracket final at 4 p.m. with the loser calling it a season.
 
York improved to 11-9 on the season, going the distance as she allowed one run on seven hits, walking one and striking out four. Her counterpart in the circle, USI's Josie Newman threw six innings, allowing two runs on nine hits, walking one and striking out three.
 
Schlageter was 2-for-2 at the plate, while Ella Bishop was 2-for-3 with the go-ahead RBI in the sixth. 
 
Tech got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first as Olivia Evans singled up the middle, stole second and came home on Abbee Klinefelter's double to left center.
 
In the top of the second, USI threatened with a double, a single and a walk to load the bases with no one out. The Tech defense was unfazed – York struck out a pair and a pop-up to Bishop ended the rally before it could begin.
 
The next three innings were quiet on the scoreboard with no one scoring. USI stranded one in the third and fifth with Schlageter making an incredible sliding catch to get out of the fourth.
 
Tech had an opportunity in the fourth with two down. Makayli Harris drew a walk and Schlageter singled to right. Bishop followed up with a single up the middle, but the Screaming Eagles got out of the jam with a fielder's choice at third.
 
Southern Indiana ended the shutout in the top of the fifth. With one down, Caroline Stapleton singled through the left side. With a liner for the second out, USI got back-to-back singles from Sydney Long and Jordan Mackey to bring Stapleton home to tie the game.
 
Tech retook the lead in the sixth as Paderez led off with a single and Julie Martin came in to run.Harris put down an intended sacrifice bunt, but turned it into a single as no play could be made. Schalgeter bunted the pair over, then Bishop eyed a single through the left side to bring Martin home and set up the final showdown in the seventh.