SATURDAY'S SCORES
UT Martin 11, Mercer 10
Ball State 2,
UT Martin 0
Morehead State 2, Binghamton 1
UAB 6
, Eastern Kentucky 1
UNC Greensboro 2,
Eastern Illinois 0
Eastern Illinois 12, @Alabama State 0 (5)
Sam Houston State 5,
Jacksonville State 4 (8)
Tennessee Tech 10, Liberty 2
Tennessee Tech 3, Mercer 1
Eastern Kentucky 4, Liberty 0
Connecticut 6,
Morehead State 4 (8)
Austin Peay 4-18, Trevecca 1-6 (5)
UAB 7,
SIUE 6
UNC Greensboro 1,
Belmont 0
@Southern Miss 6,
Jacksonville State 2
Belmont 10, Alabama State 0
Chattanooga 9,
Tennessee State 1 (5)
Murray State 5, Northwestern State 4
MOREHEAD STATE 2, BINGHAMTON 1; CONNECTICUT 6, MOREHEAD STATE 4
MIAMI, Fla. - The Morehead State softball team split a pair of games with Binghamton University and University of Connecticut on Saturday at the Felsberg Memorial Tournament.
The Eagles defeated BU, 2-1, before falling to UConn, 6-4, in eight innings.
It was a senior affair as first baseman Amber Riddle and shortstop Kayla Ashbrook each drove in a run to lead the MSU to the 2-1 victory over Binghamton in its opening game.
The Eagles scored two runs off seven hits in the contest, while senior pitcher Katie Pfost held the Bearcats to one run via three hits. She struck out seven in a complete game.
Riddle connected on her first home run of the season, while Ashbrook drove in her run on a sacrifice fly. Senior outfielder Elizabeth Wagner and junior second baseman Stephanie Etter also had a team-best two hits.
In the second contest of the day, the Huskies scored six runs off seven hits, while the Eagles only managed four off eight hits. MSU's defense also committed three errors.
Sophomore third baseman Katie Raile led the team with a pair of hits, and junior Greta Smeins suffered the loss for MSU. Smeins gave up three earned runs off three hits in two and one-third innings pitched. Junior Kelcey McMurray allowed three runs and four hits in five and two-thirds innings of relief.
TENNESSEE TECH 10, LIBERTY 3, TENNESSEE TECH 3, MERCER 1
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Tennessee Tech softball team swept its games Saturday on the first day of the KSU Classic, with victories over Liberty and Mercer. The Golden Eagle offense was strong, finishing the day with 13 runs on 20 hits.
Sophomore Taylor Ketchum (3-0) picked up her third win of the season, remaining undefeated as she allowed just one run in Tech's 3-1 win over Mercer. Senior Claudia Harke (1-1) also earned her first victory of the 2013 season, after relieving Erica Tuck in the fourth inning against Liberty as the Golden Eagles posted a 10-3 victory in eight innings.
Led by a combined 13 hits from the Tech offense, the Golden Eagles began the KSU Classic with an seven-run, extra-inning victory over Liberty University at Twin Creeks Park Satruday morning. Tech was led by senior centerfielder Melody Christian who went 5-for-8 in the two games along with four stolen bases. Madison Taylor added four hits.
The Golden Eagles offense was subdued until the thrid inning, trailing Liberty 1-0.
In the circle, sophomore Erica Tuck got the start, but Harke came on in the middle of the fourth inning with two outs and got a strikeout to end the inning. Harke gave up the tying run in the fifth but stranded two runners in scoring position the rest of the contest to get the win.
Junior Kayla Floyd jump-started the offense with a bunt down the third base line. Christian followed suit at the next at bat. Chanelle Spalding and Kendall Hooper passed go thanks to back-to-back walks, allowing Floyd to score and allowing Chelsea Burgess to step to the plate with the bases loaded. Burgess hit a sacrifice fly to right field that sent Christian home, giving Tech a 2-1 lead.
Tech scored one more as freshman Madison Taylor sent a tough ball up the middle allowing Chanelle Spalding to cross the plate.
Liberty scored one in the bottom of the thrid and the tying run in the bottom of the fifth. Tech was able to dull the Flames and force extra innings. The Purple and Gold exploded in the top of the eighth, collecting five hits and seven runs, forcing a new Liberty pitcher to take the field. Liberty's Friesen would close out the game, as all but two Golden Eagles scored.
Harke worked a one-two-three inning to secure the win.
Immediately following their first game, the Golden Eagles rushed over to take on the Mercer University Bears. Ketchum opened the game with two perfect innings, striking out two of the first three batters she faced, retiring the first six bears in the lineup.
Christian scored Tech's first run in the bottom of the first inning, thanks to Taylor's single up the middle. Christian scored Tech's eventual winning run in the bottom of the fifth when Taylor singled up the middle. Kendall Hooper was Tech's other scorer in the fifth, racing home on a passed ball.
It wasn't until the bottom of the sixth inning that the Bears scored as Randi Rea knocked a solo home run.
The Golden Eagles return to action Sunday as they face Ball State at 9:30 a.m. and host Kennesaw State at 2:30 p.m.
UAB 6, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1; EASTERN KENTUCKY 4, LIBERTY 0
WOODSTOCK, Ga. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team opened its season by splitting two games at the 2013 KSU Classic – a 6-1 loss to UAB and a 4-0 win over Liberty. Sophomore Leanna Pittsenbarger tossed a three-hit shutout against the Flames.
In the opener, UAB’s Kristen McGrath hit a grand slam in the fifth inning to give the Blazers all the runs they would need. Freshman Hayley Flynn, making her collegiate debut on the mound for EKU, went the first three innings without giving up a hit and striking out four. Sophomore Shaylon Robb was charged with the loss as she allowed all six UAB runs.
Later in the day, Eastern Kentucky finally broke up a scoreless tie with Liberty in the top of the sixth inning. Redshirt freshman Haley Schenasi blasted a two-out, three-run home run to right center to put Eastern ahead, 3-0.
Sophomore Lauren Mitchell added an insurance run in the seventh with an RBI single. Mitchell and fellow sophomore Darcy Schueler each had a pair of hits in the victory over Liberty.
Pittsenbarger scattered three hits over seven innings and struck out a career-high 12 batters.
Eastern Kentucky concludes play at the KSU Classic tomorrow, Feb. 17 with games against Mercer and Ball State.
SAM HOUSTON STATE 5, MURRAY STATE 4 (8); SOUTHERN MISS 6, JACKSONVILLE STATE 2
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Two walk-off losses spoiled the second day of the Southern Miss Invitational for the Jacksonville State softball team, who dropped a 5-4 extra-inning game to Sam Houston State before a grand slam gave Southern Miss a 6-2 win in the nightcap.
Ashley Isbell delivered an infield single to lift the Bearkats to the win in the early game, and Mackenzie Sher drove the two-out homer in the bottom of the seventh for the host Eagles in the second game of the day.
Sophomore Sara Borders led JSU at the plate on the day, homering in each game and going 3-for-5.
The Gamecocks started the day by losing their second nailbiter in as many days to Sam Houston State, who fought off a JSU rally to grab a walk-off win in eight innings.
The Bearkats scored twice in the first on a Hillary Adams two-run homer and then again in the second on an RBI single from Tori Benavidez. JSU took advantage of two fielding errors and an illegal pitch to put a run across in the second, but it struggled to record a base hit for the first half of the game.
Despite being no-hit through 4.2 innings, the Gamecock bats came to life in the late innings. Borders finally got to SHSU starter Meme Quinn with two outs in the fourth, when the Alexandria, Ala., native turned on one and deposited it over the wall in right to cut the Bearkats lead to 4-2.
JSU continued the dramatics in the sixth, when freshman Cadi Oliver tied the game at 4-4 with a blast to right center. The Sumiton, Ala., native followed a leadoff single from junior Kalee Tabor with the first home run of her young career and got the Gamecocks out of the hole for the first time since the first inning.
After being retired in order in the seventh, JSU got two on with one out in the eighth, but ground balls from Kelci Johnston and Savannah Sloan failed to make it through the infield and push the go ahead run across.
The Bearkats did get one across in the eighth, their first run since the fourth inning, and di so after loading the bases with no outs on JSU freshman starter Casey Akenberger. She battled Ashley Isbell to a full count before a single up the middle was hit in the right place to allow Alyssa Coggins to score from third and win the game.
Akenberger threw every pitch for JSU and was hit with the loss. The Bowling Green, Ohio, native gave up five runs on 15 hits in seven-plus innings of work, while Haley Baros grabbed the win for Sam Houston in relief. Quinn gave up four runs on four hits in 5.1 innings, while Amber Neal allowed just two hits in 2.1 scoreless innings. Baros came in to get the final out in the top of the eighth, the grounder from Sloan.
In the nightcap against the host Eagles, both teams remained scoreless until Southern Miss broke through in the third. Sarah Evans delivered that blow with an RBI double that put JSU in a 1-0 hole.
Borders answered the USM run with a solo shot in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 1-1, but the Eagles grabbed it right back on a steal of home by Danielle LaPointe. JSU tied it again on an RBI double from junior Kalee Tabor that plated Hayden Crawford in the sixth, setting the stage for the Eagles' heroics.
They loaded the bases with two outs on junior Tiffany Harbin, who struck out the first two batters of the seventh inning. Sher worked the count to three balls and then got a pitch she could drive over the wall in center to break the Gamecocks' hearts again.
Harbin tossed all 6.2 innings in the circle and gave up six runs on five hits. She walked seven and struck out seven in the loss. Kaitlin Wilson went the distance for USM, limiting the Gamecocks to two runs, one earned, on five its in her seven innings.
Borders had two of the Gamecocks' five hits and also drew a walk at the plate.
The Gamecocks will wrap up the three-day tournament on Sunday at 10 a.m. against Sam Houston State.
KENNESAW STATE 1, SIUE 0; UAB 7, SIUE 6
KENNESAW, Ga. - The SIUE softball team was tied in the final inning of both of its games Saturday, but the Cougars came up short in matchups with Kennesaw State and UAB at the KSU Classic.
SIUE fell 1-0 in eight innings to host Kennesaw State, before losing 7-6 to UAB at the Twin Creek Softball Complex.
In the first game against the Owls, the Cougars (2-3) got a strong pitching performance from Haley Chambers but were unable to get a run across the plate.
Against the Blazers, SIUE erased a 6-0 deficit due in large part to a five-run sixth inning. Chelsea Yankolovich and CC Hutchinson each hit home runs in the sixth to start the Cougars' rally.
Jill Rackers then delivered an RBI single in the top of the seventh inning to tie the score at 6-6. But UAB's Chandler Orr provided the decisive hit in the bottom of the seventh, knocking an RBI single up the middle to give UAB the victory.
SIUE will conclude play at the KSU Classic with two more games in Woodstock on Sunday. The Cougars will face Liberty at 9:30 a.m. CST before battling Mercer at noon.
AUSTIN PEAY 4-18, TREVECCA 1-6
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s softball team pounded out 27 hits, while scoring 22 runs, in sweeping Trevecca Saturday afternoon in a doubleheader 4-1 and 18-6.
Seven different Austin Peay (3-3) players recorded at least two hits in the nightcap, as the Lady Govs 18 runs were the most scored by Austin Peay since totaling 17 runs against Kentucky State during the 1994 season. Austin Peay finished with 19 hits overall in the second game, 11 for extra bases.
Leading the way was sophomore second baseman Laurel Burroughs’ 4-for-4 effort at the plate, with two doubles, a triple and a home run. She drove in six.
Junior Amanda De Vries would finish with three hits, including a double.
Among those with two hits each, juniors Lauren de Castro had a triple and a home run – with four RBI – and Kayla Davidson had a double and three RBI.
Red-shirt seniors Jessica Ryan had two hits and two RBI and Shelby Norton launched a home run.
Senior Morgan Brewer picked up the win, her first of the season, while junior Taylor Mills came in late to finish the game.
Trevecca (0-2) was led by #21, who recorded a three-run homer among her two hits.
In the opener, both teams struggled early on to get runners on base, as the two teams swapped zero’s for the first three innings of play.
But Austin Peay put together four hits in the top of the fourth inning to score twice, the first run coming off a double by de Castro, with Davidson driving in the second run with a single.
The Lady Govs would add a run in the top of the fifth on Ryan’s second home run of the season, while scoring its final run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Ryan.
Ryan and Pavel had two hits to lead the Lady Govs, while Burroughs, de Castro and freshman Marissa Lake carded doubles.
The Lady Trojans scored their lone run in the bottom of the seventh to spoil de Castro’s chance at her second shutout of the season.
In the win, de Castro recorded seven strikeouts, while giving up no walks.
Austin Peay is off until Feb. 26 when they host Alabama A&M in their home opener at Cheryl Holt Field in a doubleheader beginning at noon.
CHATTANOOGA 9, TENNESSEE STATE 1
AUBURN, Ala. - Tennessee State dropped their third consecutive game at the Auburn Tiger Invitational on Saturday evening. The Tigers are now 0-6 on the season after a 9-1 loss in five innings to UT Chattanooga. The Mocs moved to 3-5 on the season.
The Tigers jumped out to an early lead with a run in the top of the first inning. Freshman Kiarra Freeman and Kacie Daugherty each earned one-out walks and each advanced a base on a wild pitch. Freeman would take advantage of a drop third strike in which UTC catcher Anyssa Robles completed the out with a throw to first. The speedy outfielder broke home to give TSU an early 1-0 lead.
For the second consecutive day, TSU would run into trouble in the bottom of the first and watched an early lead turn into a five run deficit. UTC used a walk and six ground ball singles, four of which did not leave the infield, to create a big inning. Two Tiger errors capped off a six run inning for the Lady Mocs and a quick 6-1 lead.
UTC added three more runs in the fourth to provide a 9-1 lead. Shea Morris (0-4) struck out five in four innings and was tagged with the loss.
TSU was one out away from being no-hit when Daugherty crashed the party with a slap to shortstop that she beat by a step. The South Fulton native also picked up a stolen base two pitches later.
The Tigers final game of the tournament is scheduled for 11:30 am Sunday morning as they take on Indiana State.
MURRAY STATE 5, NORTHWESTERN STATE 4
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Murray State softball team picked up its first win in dramatic fashion on Saturday night, with a 5-4 victory over Northwestern State as part of Mississippi State’s Bulldog Battle in Starkville.
The Lady Demons (5-2) opened the scoring in the contest when Tara McKinney scored off of a botched fielder’s choice in the top of the first to give her team an early 1-0 advantage. The Racers (1-1) were able to answer in the bottom of the frame when Leslie Bridges singled up the middle to score Alexa Becker and tie game at one.
Northwestern State extended its lead in the top of the third when Brianna Rodriguez launched a two-run bomb. Cheyenne DelaGarza made the score 4-1 later just two batters later when she launched a long ball of her own over the left field fence.
The Racers were able to cut the lead to 4-2 in the fourth inning when Christian Cox hit a single to left field that allowed Casey Castile to score from third. Castile led off the inning with a single and made her way to third via a stolen base and a wild pitch.
The score remained at 4-2 until the bottom of the seventh inning when Castile returned to the plate with two outs and runners at first and second. Castile then launched a double that allowed Ellyn Troup, who reached base on an error to score from second and make the score 4-3.
However the play was not over, as Northwestern State threw the ball into right field in an attempt to get Castile out at second base, allowing Sanders and Castile to score for the walk-off win. The two errors in the seventh inning by the Lady Demons were their only two of the game.
Castile and Bridges each finished the game with two hits and one RBI, while Castile also scored two runs of her own. Troup, Cox and Shelbey Miller also added to MSU’s cause in the game with one hit each.
Shelby Kosmecki went the full seven innings to get her first win of the season, allowing just three earned runs off of nine hits with a school-record 12 strikeouts. Kosmecki’s 12 strikeouts breaks her own previous program record of 11 set against Tennessee Tech on April 6 of last season.
The Racers were scheduled to play a second game against Lipscomb following the win, but it was canceled due to weather conditions in the area.
Murray State will close out play in the Bulldog Battle on Sunday when they play a pair of games at 10 a.m. and Noon. The Racers will look for the sweep of Northwestern State in the opener, followed by a showdown with the host Bulldogs in the finale.
UNC GREENSBORO 2, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0; EASTERN ILLINOIS 12, ALABAMA STATE 0
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - – Eastern Illinois softball opened the 2013 campaign with a day one split at the weekend Alabama State Hornet Invitational, falling to UNC Greensboro, 2-0, before rebounding with a 12-0 five-inning rout of the host ASU squad.
Senior outfielder Melise Brown and junior infielder Carly Willert led all Panthers with identical 3-for-7 plate performances for a .429 average, while each also earned a pair of RBIs and a walk.
Brown touched home plate a team-high three times and drilled a pair of triples, as she registered a stolen base along with sophomore outfielder Hannah Cole.
Cole and junior third base Ashleigh Westover both nailed a double as the Panther out-hit the Saturday opposition, 14-to-9, and led in scoring 12-2.
The junior pitching duo of Stephanie Maday and Hanna Mennenga combined for 13 strikeouts, as Maday led with seven Ks in the seven-inning loss to UNCG and Mennenga retired six Hornet batters and allowed just one walk off four innings of work.
In the afternoon win over the host ASU squad, seven different Panthers earned at least one hit, led by Brown's 3-for-4 plate appearance, which included a pair of triples. She also tied Willert with two RBIs as Cole and Westover earned their doubles.
After two scoreless innings, the Panthers got on the board with four runs in the third frame thanks to a couple of ASU miscues. The Panthers added four additional scores in both the fourth and fifth innings for the 12-0 mercy-rule victory.
Mennenga picked up the win in the circle with six strikeouts, one walk and allowing just three Hornet hits in four innings, while junior transfer Janele Robinson came in for an inning of relief.
In the first game of the day versus the Spartans of UNCG, Owens led the Panther bats with a 2-for-3 plate appearance, but unfortunately EIU ended up stranding eight base runners.
Greensboro took the early 1-0 lead in the opening frame off a double and RBI single, then extended the lead in the third inning via a solo homer to center.
Pitcher Stephanie Maday was tabbed with the first game loss, despite retiring seven Spartans via strikes and not allowing a walk. She did give up two earned runs off six UNCG hits.
Eastern returns to the field tomorrow afternoon, as the Panthers will get a second game against both the Hornets and Spartans, as EIU finishes up tourney action with respective 10 a.m. and approximately 12:30 p.m. first pitches.