WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@UT Martin 1, Ole Miss 0
Eastern Illinois 10, Army 1 (5)
Eastern Illinois 7, North Dakota 0
@Western Kentucky 8,
Eastern Kentucky 3
@SIUE 10, Missouri State 1 (5)
@Southeast Missouri 5, Indiana Sate 4
@Southeast Missouri 9, Indiana State 4
Lipscomb 8,
@Austin Peay 6
Lipscomb 15,
@Austin Peay 0 (5)
Tennessee Tech 6, @Thomas University 0
@Florida State 8,
Tennessee State 0 (5)
UT MARTIN 1, OLE MISS 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team used a combined shutout and timely hitting to defeat Southeastern Conference foe Ole Miss 1-0 in the 2013 Bettye Giles Field home opener.
In a game which didn’t see a base hit until the top of the fourth, sophomore Casey Vincent (6-3, 2.04 ERA) pitched 5.1 innings, striking out three and allowing just one walk. Vincent surrendered just three hits on the afternoon, avenging an early season loss to the Rebels.
The Skyhawk offense pushed the only run of the game across the plate in the bottom of the fourth when sophomore Kenzi Tate blasted an RBI double to the left field fence, breaking up the no-hitter and shutout with one swing of the bat. Tate registered her second hit of the game in the bottom of the sixth when she hit a stinger into the right hole.
The Rebels threatened in the top of the fifth as they moved runners to first and third with one out. The Skyhawk defense held tight, catching the Ole Miss runner stealing home in an attempt to tie the game at one. Freshman Deven Wilson and Tate caught the Rebels’ Lindsey on the shoulder with the play at the plate, eliminating the threat.
Tate (8-1, 2.38 ERA) moved from third base to pitcher in the top of the sixth to relieve Vincent, pitching 1.2 innings and allowing just one hit to earn the team’s first save of the season.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 10, ARMY 1; EASTERN ILLINOIS 7, NORTH DAKOTA 0
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - – Eastern Illinois softball ended Florida Rebel Spring Game action on a high note on Wednesday (March 13) afternoon as the Panthers defeated Army and North Dakota off respective 10-1 (5-inn.) and 7-0 victories.
EIU finishes the four-day trip with a 6-2 mark to improve to 10-8 on the season as the Panthers finished up the pre-Ohio Valley Conference portion of the schedule.
For the day, junior Carly Willert led EIU with a .667 batting mark behind a 4-for-6 day at the plate, which included a double and five total bases.
Senior Melise Brown delivered her first career grand slam in the rout of Army, as she finished with a team-best five RBIs on the day.
Sophomore Hannah Cole followed a 3-for-5 plate performance, with four RBI, including a pair off a home run against Army.
Cole tied junior Brooke Owens with six total bases while Owens also registered four RBI, thanks to a three-run blast over the fence.
The junior pitching duo of Hanna Mennenga and Stephanie Maday both picked up wins in the circle to improve their season marks to 6-3 and 4-3, respectively.
Against North Dakota, Mennenga came just one pitch shy of earning her second career no-hitter, and potential perfect game, in less than a week yet did tie her all-time strikeout tally with 14 Ks in the shutout win over the Sioux. In fact she started the game on fire as she fanned the first seven ND batters she faced.
In the five-inning 10-1 rout of Army, EIU broke the game open in the second frame with six runs, as Brown drilled her grand slam before Cole blasted her own two-run bomb.
In the top of the third, the Knights scored a run off a Panther miscue but Eastern would add three more runs thanks to Owens' base-clearing shot over the fence in bottom half of the fourth inning.
Maday tallied three strikeouts off four-innings of work for the win, while classmate Janele Robinson came in for an inning of relief.
Against North Dakota, Eastern scored six straight runs between the third and fifth frames off seven hits and a ND miscue. Brown joined classmate Ally Seplak and Owens with basehit RBIs during this span, while Cole and Hutchinson both earned sac fly RBI in the contest as well.
Mennenga ended up striking out 14 of the 22 batters she faced in the shutout, allowing just one late hit and throwing zero walks.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 8, WESTERN KENTUCKY 3
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Host Western Kentucky took advantage of four Eastern Kentucky University errors to defeat the Colonels in softball action Wednesday afternoon, 8-3. Game two of the doubleheader was canceled.
Eastern (10-8) has now dropped three straight games overall and also had its three-game winning streak versus the Hilltoppers (12-8) snapped.
The Colonels scored a trio of runs in the top of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Senior Carissa Reisinger got EKU on the board with an RBI single. A WKU fielding error then allowed Eastern to tack on two more runs.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Hilltoppers responded with three runs of their own aided by two Eastern Kentucky errors. Kelsie Mattox’s two-run single put Western ahead for good, 4-3.
Ciara Garcia notched another two-run single in the fifth to extend WKU’s lead to 6-3. Amanda Thomas finished the scoring with a two-run homer in the sixth.
Western Kentucky pitcher Mallorie Sulaski went the distance to earn her third win of the season. Sophomore Shaylon Robb (2-4) took the loss for EKU as she pitched 5.0 innings of relief and allowed seven runs.
SIUE 10, MISSOURI STATE 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE softball won its sixth straight game and turned in a spectacular start to the home portion of the schedule Wednesday with a 10-1 triumph over Missouri State in five innings.
The Cougars improved to 13-6 and next face UT Martin Saturday and Sunday for their Ohio Valley Conference opener. A 1 p.m. start is scheduled for the doubleheader at Cougar Field Saturday. The third game of the series is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
SIUE left-hander Haley Chambers tossed a three-hitter for the Cougars and closed out the game with her fifth strikeout of the game. The reigning OVC Pitcher of the Week improved her season record to 6-2.
Missouri State, 9-11, moved out to an early lead with its only tally in the top of the first inning. Kerri Cunningham singled, stole second, and scored on a flair to right field by Mary Stephens.
The Cougars took the lead quickly behind a pair of Missouri State infield miscues. Chelsea Yankolovich and Alex McDavid both reached on errors. That set up RBIs by Kayla Riggs, Brittany Toney, and Samantha Stanicek. Toney and Stanicek then pulled off a successful double steal from first and third base which allowed Toney to score the fourth unearned run of the inning.
Missouri State starter Chelsea Jones was roughed up for six more runs in the third inning. The highlight of the inning for the Cougars was a two-run double by Stanicek that hit the fence in center field.
The Cougars finished with 10 hits or better for the sixth time this season and have now scored 10 or more runs in four straight games.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5, INDIANA STATE 4; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 9, INDIANA STATE 4
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - - Southeast Missouri (7-11) softball swept Indiana State (9-12) Wednesday, walking-off in game one, 5-4, and winning game two, 9-4.
Southeast Missouri 5, Indiana State 4
Southeast Missouri walked-off in game one after Indiana State tied the game in the top of the seventh inning.
The Redhawks crossed home early in the first inning. Taylor Cowan plated Simone Patterson on an RBI single to center field. Alexis Anderson added to the early lead with a bases-loaded single up the middle to extend the Redhawk lead, 2-0.
The Sycamores touched home in the fourth when Megan Stone shot a 2-RBI double to left to tie the game at two runs apiece.
Southeast was quick to get those runs back in their half of the fourth on another Cowan RBI single to bring Kaitlin Zink home. An error on the same play allowed Cowan to advance to second and Chelsea Smith to score and take a 4-2 lead on the Sycamores.
Indiana State narrowed Southeast's lead in the fifth with an RBI single off the bat of Alexa Cavin, 4-3 Redhawks.
The Syamores were able to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning, piecing together an RBI single from Shelby Wilson.
Southeast found themselves with runners on second and third and two out with C. Smith at the plate. C. Smith threaded a single through the left side to bring Xia Wilson home and win the game, 5-4.
The Redhawks out-hit Indiana State in game one, 12-9. C. Smith and Wilson each recored three hits in the contest while Cowan and Anderson each had two.
Cavin and Wilson each had two hits for Indiana State in the game.
Cowan (4-6) pitched her eighth complete game of the season Wednesday going 7.0 innings in the circle giving up four runs on nine hits. Cowan struck a season-high six batters while only walking one.
Stephanie Fougerousse (4-5) suffered the loss Wednesday afternoon going 5.2 innings for the Sycamores. Fougerousse struck out six Redhawk batters and walked two.
Southeast Missouri 9, Indiana State 4
Big innings allowed Southeast to soar past the Sycamores in game two, 9-4.
Indiana State jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first and added to it in the top of the third with two runs to go up 3-0 on Southeast.
S. Patterson put Southeast back in the game on one swing with a monster shot over the right field wall with two runners on to tie the game at three runs each. Southeast was not done with the inning as they tacked on another run when Lindsey Patterson crossed the plate with a Cowan double, taking the lead 4-3.
Southeast added a single run in the fourth and fifth innings to extend their lead to 6-3. C. Smith added her second RBI of the day in the fourth with a single to right center. Xia Wilson added a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to plate Renee Terry.
Paige Schreiner added a run for the Sycamores in the sixth to narrow Southeast's lead two runs.
Southeast pulled away in their half of the sixth with two RBI doubles in a row off the bat of L. Patterson and Cowan followed by an RBI single from Savannah Carpenter to extend the lead to 9-4 over Indiana State.
Southeast sat the Sycamores down in order in the top of the seventh to secure the doubleheader sweep.
C. Smith finished the day 5-for-7 with two doubles, and two RBI. Cowan went 4-for-7 with two doubles and four RBI. The Redhawks combined for seven doubles and 13 RBI in the doubleheader sweep and out-hit Indiana State 25-16.
Lauren Reinagel (1-0) recorded her first career win in a Redhawk uniform in game two going 4.1 innings in relief. Reinagel struck out two batters and walked none in the contest.
Halle Humphrey (1-4) suffered the loss through 3.0 innings of work.
LIPSCOMB 8, AUSTIN PEAY 6; LIPSCOMB 15, AUSTIN PEAY 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s softball team lost its first two home games of the season, Wednesday at Cheryl Holt Field, with Lipscomb rallying to take the opener 8-6 before running away with a 15-0 victory in the nightcap.
The Lady Govs (9-7) led the Lady Bison 6-4 heading into the top of the seventh inning in Game 1, but saw Lipscomb score four runs on three hits and one APSU error.
Lipscomb (10-11) opened the inning with back-to-back singles, but an error by Laurel Burroughs on a hard hit ground ball by Paige Neely allowed both runs to come all the way around to score and tie the game 6-6.
A double by Haley Elliott scored Neely to make it 7-6 and give the Lady Bison their first led since the third inning.
Lipscomb would add an insurance run with a ground out by Gracey Aguirre.
Austin Peay would try to respond in the bottom of the inning, by getting its first to hitters on, with Kayla Davidson drawing a walk and Mel Pavel singling to center.
But the rally ended there, with Lipscomb’s third pitcher of the game, Tanner Sanders, getting the final three Lady Govs out on two pop-ups and a strikeout to end the game.
The Lady Govs gave up a run to Lipscomb in the top of the first, but answered back with two of their own in the bottom of the inning, with Jessica Ryan scoring on a passed ball and Burroughs coming in on a wild pitch.
Lipscomb would score twice in the second and once in the third to take a 4-2 lead, but Austin Peay scored twice in the bottom of the third to tie the game 4-4, with the first run being driven in on a single by Kayla Davidson and the other on a triple by Pavel.
Davidson, Pavel and Burroughs had two hits each.
Austin Peay would take the lead, 5-4, in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Burroughs and add a run in the fifth on a single by Amanda De Vries.
The late-inning rally in the opener carried over for both teams in Game 2, with Lipscomb scoring in all but the second inning to stampede the Lady Govs 15-0.
Austin Peay was limited to just two hits in the nightcap, a third-inning single by Shelby Norton and a fourth-inning base hit by Davidson.
Abby Guest was the only other Lady Gov to reach base, with a walk in the third inning.
TENNESSEE TECH 6, THOMAS UNIVERSITY 0
THOMASVILLE, Ga. - The Tennessee Tech softball team disposed of Thomas (Ga.) University, 6-0, Wednesday afternoon in its final tune-up before conference action begins. Sophomores Taylor Ketchum and Erica Tuck gave up a combined five hits in the Golden Eagles' third shutout of the season.
Angi Sakamoto blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to score Tech's final runs, while six different Golden Eagles crossed home plate.
Tech scored in the first inning as Melody Christian reached on a single and Hannah Eldridge singled to send Christian home. In the second, Olivia Bennett and Chelsea Burgess each singled and scored on Night Hawk errors. Tech was held scoreless after that until the sixth inning. Samantha Cook scored and Kayla Floyd moved into scoring position when Sakamoto stepped to the plate and knocked her two-run shot.
Ketchum got the win in four innings, striking out four and giving up three hits. Tuck relieved the ace for the final three innings, striking out one and holding the Night Hawks to two hits.
FLORIDA STATE 8, TENNESSEE STATE 0
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - TTennessee State ran into another game of bad luck as they lost to Florida State at JoAnne Graf Stadium on Wednesday evening. The Seminoles left the ballpark with a five inning 8-0 win. TSU is now 8-16 on the season, while FSU moved to 20-8.
The hard luck came right away in the bottom of the first inning as two dropped fly balls turned into seven unearned runs off starting pitcher Olivia Gamache. The junior hurler only lasted one inning as she gave up five hits and two walks. On the season, Gamache (2-8) has faced the same type of adversity as she has allowed 65 runs with only 29 are earned.
Shea Morris entered in the second inning and surrendered four hits and a walk, while striking out four. In the bottom of the fifth, FSU used another Tiger error to push across another unearned run to end the game at 8-0.
Monica Perry (11-5) picked up the win as she tossed a no-hitter against the TSU. Ashley Haynes and Brianna Roberts were the only two Tigers to reach base. Haynes dropped a bunt towards first base and was able to reach as the ball popped out of the glove of Victoria East as she was trying to apply the tag. Roberts reached on a four-pitch walk to open the third inning, but was stranded at second.
The Tigers will face Florida A&M on Thursday afternoon.