FRIDAY'S SCORES
SIUE 13, @Southeast Missouri 0
SIUE 11, @Southeast Missouri 1
@UT Martin 8, Austin Peay 0
Tennessee Tech 11, @Eastern Kentucky 2
@Eastern Kentucky 3, Tennessee Tech 0
@Eastern Illinois 1, Murray State 0
@UT Martin 4, Austin Peay 3
SIUE 13, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0; SIUE 11, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Southeast Missouri (10-17, 3-4 OVC) softball team dropped two games of a doubleheader to Ohio Valley Conference foe SIU Edwardsville (21-8, 6-2 OVC) Friday, 13-0, 11-1. The Cougars run-ruled the Redhawks in both games: game one going five innings and game two going six.
SIUE 13, Southeast Missouri 0 (five innings)
Two grand slams in the game propelled SIUE past Southeast.
The Cougars jumped out in front, 1-0, in the second inning with a lead-off home run off the scoreboard by Brittany Toney.
A big fourth inning for the Cougars started with Toney's second lead-off home run of the game. With two runners on, Chelsea Yankolovich singled through the right side to plate another run. With bases loaded, Taylor Tooley stepped into the box and blasted a grand slam to left-center, 7-0 SIUE.
Another six-run fifth inning began with a bases-loaded walk followed by an RBI single from Toney. With bases still loaded, Kayla Riggs hit the Cougar's second grand slam of the day to put SIUE up 13-0.
SIUE outhit Southeast 15-3.
Lindsey Patterson went 2-for-2 in the contest with Simone Patterson adding a hit of her own.
Toney was perfect in the contest, 4-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Tooley and Riggs each had four RBI.
After pitching 3.1 innings, Taylor Cowan (6-10) suffered the loss after giving up seven runs on nine hits.
Haley Chambers (11-2) recorded the complete game shutout for SIUE.
SIUE 11, Southeast Missouri 1 (six innings)
The Redhawks fell behind early when OVC Player of the Week Alex McDavid hit an RBI single up the middle followed by Toney recording her fourth RBI of the day with a double to score another, 2-0 Cougars after the top of the first.
The Redhawks scored their first run of the day in the second that started with a two-out double from Brittany Smith who scored on a single from Chelsea Smith, 2-1 SIUE.
The Redhawks held SIUE to two runs through the fifth inning but the Cougar bats got hot in the sixth inning as they scored nine runs in the inning. The scoring started with an RBI double from Toney followed by an RBI single from Jordan LaFave. The Cougars followed up with three 2-RBI hits. The scoring ended on an error that scored the ninth run of the inning, eleventh of the game.
SIUE just nearly outhit Southeast in game two 10-9.
Alexis Anderson and C. Smith each recorded two hits with additional hits coming from Kaitlin Zink, Xia Wilson, Leah Becker, S. Patterson, and B. Smith.
McDavid went 3-for-4 in the contest with three RBI. Toney finished the day 6-for-6 with five RBI with four runs scored.
Taylor Cowan suffered her second loss of the day after giving up two runs in two innings of work.
Erin Greenbelt (7-3) earned the complete game victory giving up one run to the Redhawks.
TENNESSEE TECH 11, EASTERN KENTUCKY 2; EASTERN KENTUCKY 3, TENNESSEE TECH 0
RICHMOND, Ky. - Sophomore pitcher Leanna Pittsenbarger tossed her fifth complete game shutout of the season to help the Eastern Kentucky University softball team come away with a doubleheader split Friday against Tennessee Tech. The visiting Golden Eagles won the first, 11-2, before the Colonels bounced back for a 3-0 victory.
Eastern now stands at 19-13 overall and 6-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference while TTU is 12-14 and 1-3.
In the second game, Pittsenbarger (12-6) posted 13 strikeouts over seven innings, one shy of her career high. This was the fifth time in her career she registered at least 10 strikeouts. The native Urbana, Ohio began the game in impressive fashion by striking out the side in the first inning.
Tennessee Tech threatened to score just once the entire game and that came in the sixth inning. Two singles and a passed ball put runners on second and third with two outs, but Pittsenbarger ended the threat with a strikeout.
Eastern jumped out in front with two runs in the first inning. Senior Raquel Howes’ double down the left field line scored freshman Kayla Joyce. Sophomore Katie Tackett then came up with a two-out RBI, a bloop single to right field, to plate Howes.
The Colonels added an insurance run in the third when Joyce tallied an RBI single through the middle of the infield.
Pittsenbarger closed the game with two strikeouts and a ground out in the seventh.
The Golden Eagles exploded for a season-high 11 runs in game one to easily win the opener. Chanelle Spalding recorded her first two home runs in 2013, both to left field, and picked up four RBIs in the five-inning affair.
Spalding hit a two-run blast as part of a three-run first inning to give Tennessee Tech an early lead. The Golden Eagles added five runs in the second, including four unearned runs, to quickly push the lead to 8-0.
Eastern Kentucky tried to mount a rally in the third. Joyce rifled a two-run single through the right side to get the Colonels on the board. However, EKU would strand runners at second and third to end that inning.
TTU put the game away with another Spalding two-run homer in the fourth and a final tally in the fifth inning. Tennessee Tech pitcher Taylor Ketchum (9-5) limited Eastern Kentucky to four hits in five innings to notch her ninth win.
Joyce was the top hitter for the Colonels on the day by going 3-of-5 overall with three RBIs and one run scored.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 1, MURRAY STATE 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - In the opening contest of a three-game series between the top two squads in the Ohio Valley Conference, Eastern Illinois softball clawed past Murray State on Friday afternoon as the Panthers won their home opener via a 1-0 pitching duel at Williams Field.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, EIU freshman Haylee Beck delivered a hard-hit RBI shot to the Murray State shortstop, who made an incredible effort to try and end the Panther scoring threat with a force at second. Howeer, she came up just short, which allowed junior Brooke Owens to scamper home from third base and account for the lone run in the hard-fought contest.
Junior Hanna Mennenga registered her eighth double-digit strikeout performance of the season as she fanned 11 Racer batters en route to her 10th victory of the year in the circle.
She allowed just two walks and three hits as Murray State (12-16/5-2) advanced just one player into scoring position and stranded six total baserunners.
Owens would lead all players with a perfect 2-for-2 day at the plate, while adding a walk. Juniors Reynae Hutchinson, Ashleigh Westover, and Carly Willert tied sophomoe Bailey O'Dell with their own base hit.
Pinch-runner Kaylie Pruett nabbed her fourth stolen base on the year to improve to 4-for-4 overall.
Sophomore Alexa Becker led the Racers with a 2-for-3 plate performance, while classmate Mo Ramsey delivered her own base hit.
Senior pitcher Shelby Kosmecki was tabbed for the Murray State loss, yet retired eight Panthers via strikes. That included delivering a crucial strikeout as Eastern had a bases loaded situation in the third frame. She also registered three walks while giving up six total hits.
UT MARTIN 8, AUSTIN PEAY 5; UT MARTIN 4, AUSTIN PEAY 3
MARTIN, Tenn. - – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team used big early innings and late rallies along with numerous lead changes to outlast Ohio Valley Conference rival Austin Peay in both games of Friday’s doubleheader at Bettye Giles Field.
Game One: UT Martin 8, Austin Peay 5
After seven lead changes and over an hour rain delay prior to first pitch, the Skyhawks scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take control of the lead and result.
Skyhawks (22-9, 6-2 OVC) wasted little time welcoming the Lady Govs to Bettye Giles Field for the conference home-opener as streaking sophomore Lauren Smith smashed her team-leading seventh home run of the season over the center field fence, giving UTM the early 3-0 lead.
The Lady Govs (10-14, 1-6 OVC) quickly responded with a home run of their own off the bat of Shelby Norton to knot the game at three-all in the top of the second inning. APSU added another run in the top half of the third as Marissa Lake came home on an infield error.
Junior Kayla Wade continued to put her mark on the game after swiping a bag in the first inning, by plating Mikala Torrence on an RBI triple past the diving centerfielder to tie the score at 4-4 and move herself into fifth place on UTM’s all-time triples list.
The Skyhawks landed the knockout blow in the bottom of the sixth inning as Smith led off the inning with a liner into left field. That’s when the freshman trio of Jessie Britt, Devin Wilson and Torrence made their statement. Britt drilled an RBI double into center field, plating pinch runner Kelsey Dixon before scoring a run of her own off a screaming double from Wilson. Torrence tallied the seventh run of the game with an RBI, scoring Lindsey Feigl.
Wade added her second hit of the game before swiping her third base of the afternoon in a double steal of second and third, scoring Samantha McClure for the final run of the game.
Sophomore Casey Vincent (9-4, 2.08 ERA) proved to be too much for yet another opponent as the lefty tossed her 11th complete game on the season while allowing just two earned runs on six hits. Vincent struck out five while issuing just one walk on the afternoon.
Game Two: UT Martin 4, Austin Peay 3
Sophomore Kenzi Tate (12-1, 2.52 ERA) proved just how dynamic of a player the Skyhawks have as she went a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate while notching her league leading 12th win on the season in the circle. Tate tallied her ninth complete game while allowing just one earned run and striking out three.
Both teams traded runs for most of the contest, leading to five lead changes in the game. Game two looked very similar to the first as the Skyhawks got on the board first. Torrence led off the inning by reaching on an error by the third baseman before advancing to second on a walk to Wade. Tate helped her cause by stinging a single down the right field line to plate Torrence. Smith then followed with a single of her own to the left side scoring Wade.
APSU once again responded in the top of the next inning by taking advantage of back-to-back errors to plate Kayla Davison and an infield RBI by Abby Guest to bring the game to a 2-2 score.
Senior All-American Leah Taylor quickly responded to APSU’s third inning score by launching a solo home run over the left field deck to tie the score at 3. Tate got her second hit of the game by doubling to left and eventually scoring off an RBI single up the middle by Becca Williams to take the 4-3 lead for the Skyhawks.
The Lady Govs made a last ditch effort in the top of the seventh before Tate got the groundout necessary to strand the tying and leading APSU runs at second and first respectively.