TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 10, Ohio 3
@Eastern Kentucky 7, Ohio 0
@Georgia State 11,
Jacksonville State 3 (5)
@SIUE 2, Georgia Tech 1
@SIUE 1, Georgia Tech 0
@Tennessee 7,
Murray State 0
GEORGIA STATE 11, JACKSONVILLE STATE 3
ATLANTA, Ga. - Georgia State used a seven-run seventh inning to spark an 11-3 win over the Jacksonville State softball team in non-conference action on Tuesday at Bob Heck Field.
Senior Krystal Ruth went 2-for-3 for the Gamecocks (16-10), and sophomore Sara Borders hit a two-run home run, but the Panthers (15-8) rattled off 15 hits in handing JSU just its fifth loss in the last 19 games.
The Gamecocks loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first but only managed to push one run across. Kalee Tabor stepped in a struck out but Savannah Sloan answered with a sac fly to deep left that allowed Krystal Ruth to score and give JSU an early 1-0 lead. Kelci Johnston grounded out to third to end the threat.
The Panthers got a runner to third in each of the first two innings before getting a run across in the third on a one-out single from Lauren Coleman.
The Gamecocks threatened again in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with two outs but were retired on a hard-hit one hopper from Ruth that was corralled by second baseman Brenna Morrissey to get GSU out of the inning.
The Panthers grabbed their first lead of the game in the home half of the fourth, an inning that saw them send 13 batters to the plate. They scored seven runs on seven hits, five of which came with two outs to take control of the game. The big blow was a three-run homer from Paige Nowacki that capped the scoring in the inning.
The Gamecocks got a couple back in the top of the fifth, starting the frame with a leadoff walk from Jessica Guy that set up a two-run home run from Sara Borders. The Alexandria, Ala., native jumped on a 1-1 pitch from reliever Katie Worley and drove it over the wall in left center to cut JSU's deficit to 8-3.
GSU put the game away in the fifth with three more runs, capping the win on an Audrey Mason RBI single.
Senior Hilary Phillips (4-2) gave up eight runs on nine hits in her 3.2 innings of work to suffer the loss in the circle. She walked three and struck out one before making way for junior Savanna Hennings, who threw the final inning and surrendered three runs on six hits and three walks.
Kaitlyn Medlam (7-3) earned the win for the Panthers after holding JSU to an unearned run on three hits in four innings of work. Katie Worley tossed the final inning, allowing two runs on one hit in the process.
SIUE 2, GEORGIA TECH 1; SIUE 1, GEORGIA TECH 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - With a pair of one-run victories, the SIUE softball team grabbed a doubleheader sweep over visiting Georgia Tech at Cougar Field.
SIUE improved to 16-7 for the season, the best overall record in the Ohio Valley Conference. Haley Chambers and Erin Greenwalt picked up the pitching victories for the Cougars.
SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery announced after the game that Thursday's scheduled home game against Wichita State has been cancelled. The Cougars' next action is on the road for doubleheaders at Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky.
Georgia Tech, the defending Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament champion, fell to 13-15 after losing the first two games of a six-game Midwest swing that includes games with Southeast Missouri and Missouri.
Chambers improved her record to 8-2 with a four-hitter in game one. She struck out nine Georgia Tech batters and threw 100 pitches.
SIUE took the lead 1-0 in the second inning on an RBI single by Brittany Toney, scoring Kayla Riggs.
Georgia Tech scored its only run of the day in the fifth with a home run by pitcher Hope Rush.
The Cougars handed Rush her ninth pitching loss of the season with a single tally in the bottom of the fifth. SIUE collected consecutive singles from Rebecca Gray, Chelsea Yankolovich, and Taylor Tooley. Tooley's single to center drove home Gray.
In game two, Greenwalt tossed a two-hit shutout. It was her second shutout of the season and the sixth overall for the Cougars. Greenwalt fanned five and needed just 75 pitches to handcuff the Yellow Jackets.
LaFave herself played a large role in Greenwalt's fifth win of the season. LaFave, who got the start in center field for game two, doubled to center field to lead off the fifth against Georgia Tech starter Ashley Clifton.
LaFave moved over to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Stanicek. One out later, Yankolovich singled up the middle to drive home the eventual game winner.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 10, OHIO 3; EASTERN KENTUCKY 7, OHIO 0
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team blasted four home runs on its way to a doubleheader sweep over visiting Ohio Tuesday afternoon, 10-3 and 7-0.
Eastern Kentucky (16-9) is now riding a season-high six-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Ohio (13-10) has dropped seven of its last eight games after starting the season 12-3.
The Colonels trailed early in the first game, but that would be short lived. Senior Raquel Howes launched her fourth home run of the season to lead off the third to even the score at 1-1. Run-producing singles from freshman Kayla Joyce and junior Christina Ciolek later in the same inning put EKU ahead for good, 3-1.
Eastern pushed its lead to 6-1 in the following inning thanks to capitalizing on four Ohio errors.
Senior Carissa Reisinger’s first home run as a Colonel, a three-run shot in the fifth, put the game out of reach at 9-2.
Sophomore pitcher Shaylon Robb (5-4) notched her third complete game of the year and finished with a career-high nine strikeouts to earn the win.
In game two, sophomore pitcher Leanna Pittsenbarger (10-5) gave up only one hit on her way to her fourth complete game shutout in 2013.
Freshman Sarah Fobbs opened the scoring with a solo home run to lead off the second inning. Eastern added two more runs in the second to grab a 3-0 lead.
Ciolek finished the home run barrage in the third, her first of the season, to give Pittsenbarger more than enough breathing room at 5-0. Ciolek went 3-for-3 in game two while posting two RBIs and three runs scored.
Ohio’s lone hit came in the fourth inning, a single by the team’s leading hitter, Lauren Gellerman. Pittsenbarger faced one batter more than the minimum (22) while striking out nine Bobcats.
Joyce was the only EKU player to tally multiple hits in both games. The outfielder was a combined 4-for-7 with two RBIs, three runs and a stolen base.
TENNESSEE 7, MURRAY STATE 0
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Murray State softball team dropped the first game of its spring break trip on Tuesday, falling to eighth-ranked Tennessee, 7-0, at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in Knoxville.
The Racers (7-13) kept pace with Tennessee early, allowing only one run in the first and two in the second. The score remained at 3-0 until the bottom of the fourth when the Lady Vols (24-6) scored four runs to make it 7-0.
The scoring started when Rainey Gaffin hit a two-run home run with no outs, the first of her collegiate career. The Lady Vols added two more runs later in the inning with a passed ball and a fielder’s choice to cap the scoring at seven.
While the Racers were unable to score in the contest, they were able to get two hits off of Tennessee starter Erin Gabriel. Shelbey Miller got the first on a single in the first inning, while Mo Ramsey picked up the other hit with a double in the third.
Shelby Kosmecki took the loss for Murray State (3-9) after allowing seven runs on eight hits with two walks over three complete innings. CheyAnne Gaskey entered the game in relief of Kosmecki in the fourth and allowed no run and no hits, while fanning six over 3.0 complete, as well.
Erin Gabriel improved to 4-1 with win for Tennessee, as she gave up just two hits over five innings with eight strikeouts. Offensively, the Lady Vols were led by Raven Chavanne who went 2-for-2 with a RBI and walk.