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PEORIA, Ill. - Avery Arwood scattered five hits Thursday as SIUE softball advanced through the Ohio Valley Conference Championships winner's bracket with a 3-0 victory over UT Martin.

The Cougars, 29-27, next play Friday at 1:30 p.m. against the victor of the winner's bracket game between top-seeded Eastern Illinois and fifth-seeded Southeast Missouri, which starts at 12:30 pm. Thursday.

Arwood, a sophomore from St. Joseph, Michigan, bolstered her claim as the OVC Pitcher of the Year with her second straight OVC Championships win in as many days and her ninth straight victory overall. She improved to 14-6 with a shuout behind a six-strikeout effort.

SIUE's offense secured the only run it needed for Arwood in the first inning.

Cougar shortstop Juztyne Torres opened the game with an extra-base hit down the right field line. Ashley Duran made it 1-0 as she pushed the ball through the right side of the infield off UT Martin starter Payton Harris.

It was Torres once again causing havoc against the Skyhawks in the fifth. She led off the inning with another double, this time toward left field. That double was the last hitter for Harris as Natalie Kreuziger entered for UT Martin in the circle.

Raegan Duncan pushed Torres over to third base with an infield out. After Ashley Duran drew a walk and advanced to second base on a wild pitch, SIUE inserted Elle van Breusegen at second base to run for Duran.

Abby Harvell then sent the second pitch she saw from Kreuziger toward center field. Her team-leading 47th hit of the season resulted in two RBIs as both Torres and van Breuesegen scored.

#1 EASTERN ILLINOIS 7, #5 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6
PEORIA, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball hung on for an opening round win over Southeast Missouri on Thursday afternoon picking up a 7-6 win during a game impacted by a one hour, 11-minute rain delay.

EIU improved to 34-20 on the season with the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament win and will play No. 3 seed SIUE on Friday at 1:30 pm at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.  Southeast Missouri dropped to 22-29 overall.

EIU jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the opening inning against SEMO starter Maddie Carney (6-13).  Sophia Olman and Abbi Hatton had back-to-back RBI singles to drive in the Panthers first two runs of the inning.  Lexie Griffin followed later in the inning with a two-run single up the middle.

Griffin finished  2-for-3 at the plate with her solo home run in the fifth proving to be the difference in the game.  The senior drove in three runs.

SEMO finally broke through against EIU starter Karlie McKenzie (11-8) in the fourth with Gracie Luna delivering a two-run single to left to cut the Panthers lead in half at 4-2.

Viola Smith gave EIU a four-run cushion in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer to left center as EIU led 6-2.  Griffin's home run later in the game pushed EIU's lead to 7-4.

The Redhawks scored twice in the fifth with an RBI by Madison Winkler and a run scored on infield error.  Winkler and Kamden Hutton each had three hits at the top of the SEMO line-up.

Bryanna French entered in the fifth to stop the Redhawks rally, closing the game for her sixth save of the season. 

SEMO scored two more runs in the seventh on RBI doubles by Winkler and Raigan Brannon before French closed out the game.

Hatton joined Griffin with two hits to lead EIU's offense.

#4 LINDENWOOD 2, #2 UT MARTIN 0
PEORIA, Ill. - The Lindenwood Softball team (29-23, 17-10 OVC) advanced to day three of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday night with a 2-0 shutout win over UT Martin behind a complete game from Avery Wapp. The Senior Pitcher from Bloomington, Ill allowed four hits all game and recorded big strikeouts throughout the game to help the Lions advance in the tournament. 

In the top of the first inning, Anna Sanders, Tori Hatton, and Jolie McMinn each picked up a one-out single to load the bases for Kylee Crowder. Crowder then delivered with Lindenwood's fourth consecutive hit of the inning on a two run-double to left center to give the Lions a 2-0 lead early in the contest. Wapp was able to retire the Skyhawks in order and held a perfect game through three innings, but UTM was finally able to get to her to begin the bottom of the fourth. UT Martin started off the inning with a one-out single, followed by a walk and another single later in the inning to load the bases with one out. However, Wapp was able to escape the bases loaded situation by striking out back-to-back batters to end the fourth inning and to keep the lead in tact for the Lions with three innings to go. 

The Skyhawks threatened in both the sixth and seventh innings as well, but Wapp maintained her composure and stranded a total of four base runners across the final two innings with the final out resulting in a strikeout in each inning to lift the Lions to their 29th overall win of the season. The Senior Pitcher finished the contest with eight strikeouts, which was her second most in a game this season, and tossed her third complete game of 2026 to keep Lindenwood's season alive. Offensively, McMinn and Sanders led the Lions with two hits each, while Karter Skillman and Dallis Darnell also chipped in with one single each to put LU's hit total at eight for the game.

#5 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, #6 SOUTHERN INDIANA 4
PEORIA, Ill. - Madison Winkler had a career-high four hits, and #5 Southeast Missouri (23-29) used a six-run fourth inning to key a 7-4 win over #6 Southern Indiana (15-32) late Thursday night at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
 
SEMO eliminated USI from this year's tournament, where four teams remain. The Redhawks turn around quickly to face #4 Lindenwood at 11 a.m., CT Friday.
 
Down, 2-1, the Redhawks sent nine hitters to the plate in their fourth-inning push.
 
Sydney Miles reached on an error and Lily Delmain was hit by a pitch before Brittany Affolter singled to load the bases. Pinch runner Kaylin Yamnitz scored the tying run on a wild pitch. After Kamden Hutton singled, Winkler doubled to left center scoring both Affolter and Delmain. Aubrie Shore then stepped in and crushed a 1-0 pitch over the center field wall to put the Redhawks up 7-2.
 
USI scored twice in the top of the sixth for its final runs of the contest.
 
SEMO loaded the bases with no outs and took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Gracie Luna in the bottom of the first.
 
USI took its only lead of the night in the top of the third inning when Sydney Long drove in two runs on a triple down the right field line.
 
Elliott Stinson (7-7) picked up the win giving up two runs on five hits in four innings. Stinson recorded two strikeouts, as well. 
 
Maddie Carney threw the final three innings with two strikeouts en route to her third save.
 
SEMO outhit the Screaming Eagles, 9-7. 
 
Winkler went 4-for-4 with one run scored, a double and two RBI during her career night. It was her fourth-straight multiple-hit game this post season. Winkler had three and four hits, respectively, in her last two starts.
 
Hutton finished at 2-for-4 with two runs scored out of the leadoff spot in the Redhawks lineup.