SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 12, Jacksonville State 4
@Eastern Kentucky 9, Tennessee State 2
@UT Martin 1, Murray State 0
Belmont 4, @Tennessee Tech 1
Jacksonville State 7, @Morehead state 6
SIUE 8, @Austin Peay 4
SIUE 8, @Austin Peay 4
Murray State 4, @UT Martin 1
@Tennessee Tech 3, Belmont 2
@Eastern Kentucky 13, Tennessee State 5 (5)
Eastern Illinois 5, @Southeast Missouri 1
@Southeast Missouri 4, Eastern Illinois 1
MOREHEAD STATE 12, JACKSONVILLE STATE 4; JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, MOREHEAD STATE 6
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State softball team split the first two games of a three-game series with Ohio Valley Conference opponent Jacksonville State at University Field on Saturday. MSU took game one, 12-4, while the Gamecocks earned the 7-6 victory in game two.
The Eagles are now 17-17 overall and 3-9 in league play, while JSU is 24-18 overall and 8-6 in conference action.
Senior Katie Pfost (10-9) was the game one victor in the circle in a complete game effort. The lefty surrendered 10 hits and allowed four earned runs, while striking out six. Junior Tiffany Harbin suffered the loss for the Gamecocks to move to 13-8 on the season.
On offense, the Eagles were led by senior Amber Riddle who had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI. Senior Kayla Ashbrook added a pair of hits and an RBI, while senior Anna Sommer had three RBI.
The Gamecocks plated the first run of the contest in the top of the fourth inning off a bases loaded walk, but the Eagles had an immediate response to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning when Ashbrook hit her sixth home run of the season.
JSU regained the lead off a single and a two-RBI double in the fifth, but MSU answered again when senior Sam Woodall stole home and Riddle knocked in a run off a single up the middle. The Eagles further extended their lead when they plated two off a fielding error by the shortstop in the inning.
MSU added six insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to secure the run-rule victory.
The Eagles kept the bats going in game two and plated five runs in the first inning. Riddle was credited with a pair of RBI on a single to center field and junior Stephanie Etter hit her first home run of the season over the left field fence to add three more to MSU’s total.
JSU picked up a pair in the top of the third on a throwing error and a single, and took the lead in the sixth off a pair of doubles, a single and a balk.
MSU was able to tie it up in the bottom of the sixth on a single from Wagner, but the Gamecocks answered in the seventh to secure the win.
Junior Greta Smeins suffered the loss to move to 4-3 on the season. Junior Kelcey McMurray was credited with three earned runs, and had three strike outs as the starter, and Pfost struck out three in two innings of relief. Junior Savanna Hennings earned the victory to move to 4-0.
At the plate, Ashbrook, senior Liz Wagner and sophomore Katie Raile each had a pair of hits, and Etter registered three RBI.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 9, TENNESSEE STATE 2; EASTERN KENTUCKY 14, TENNESSEE STATE 2
RICHMOND, Ky. -The Eastern Kentucky University softball team exploded for 22 runs in a doubleheader sweep over visiting Tennessee State Saturday afternoon. The Colonels won by scores of 9-2 and 13-5.
EKU (25-16, 12-4 OVC) has now won six straight league games while the Tigers (11-29, 2-12) have dropped seven consecutive games overall.
Sophomore Katie Tackett led the offensive outburst by going 5-for-8 with two home runs and five RBIs in the twin bill. Tackett, who hit a long ball in each game, is now tied for the team lead with freshman Sarah Fobbs with nine home runs. Junior Christina Ciolek also had five hits while senior Raquel Howes chipped in with four RBIs.
In the opener, the Colonels broke up a 2-2 tie with five runs in the fourth to pull away from TSU. All five runs scored in the key inning came with two outs.
Howes kept the fourth inning alive with a two-run single up the middle. Following a Fobbs walk, Tackett roped a three-run home run to left center to make the score 7-2.
Pitchers Hayley Flynn and Leanna Pittsenbarger combined to tally 13 strikeouts in game one. Flynn (3-0) earned the win by going the first four innings, striking out seven Tigers and giving up two runs.
Eastern scored a run in every inning of the second contest to roll past Tennessee State. The Colonels scored six in the third, including a Tackett two-run shot, to open a 9-0 advantage.
The Tigers made a charge in the fourth by scoring five runs on one hit. Tennessee State capitalized on two walks, a hit batter, a throwing error and an Ashley Haynes two-run double to cut the deficit to 9-5.
However, Eastern Kentucky finished the game in the fifth with three runs keyed by doubles from redshirt freshman Haley Schenasi, Tackett and Ciolek.
Pittsenbarger (15-8) notched the game two victory thanks to going 5.0 innings, striking out 10 batters and allowing only two hits.
SIUE 8, AUSTIN PEAY 2, SIUE 8, AUSTIN PEAY 4
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - – SIUE softball became the first Ohio Valley Conference team to 30 victories this season with a doubleheader sweep Saturday at Austin Peay.
The Cougars, now 30-8 overall and 13-2 in the OVC, defeated Austin Peay 8-4 and 8-2 to extend their winning streak to 13 games. Austin Peay fell to 12-20 overall and 3-11 in the OVC. The two teams play the final game of the series Sunday at noon.
SIUE, which is one-half game out of first place in the OVC West Division after Eastern Illinois split at Southeast Missouri Saturday, used big innings to defeat the Governors.
Alex McDavid hit her second grand slam of the season and her team-leading seventh home run overall in the fourth inning. McDavid drove home Jordan LaFave, Chelsea Yankolovich, and Taylor Tooley.
Austin Peay had held a three-run lead previous to the home run.
McDavid's homer set the tone for the rest of the day. "That was the shift in the offensive mindset," said Montgomery.
McDavid now leads the team with 35 runs batted in. "As the No. 3 hitter in the lineup, it gives me confidence when Chelsea and Taylor get on base early. They have done their job. I just need to do my job and get them across."
Haley Chambers continued her string of victories in the circle with her 14th straight. She struck out six, did not walk a batter, and improved her season record to 16-2.
In the nightcap, Erin Greenwalt improved her record to 9-3 with a five-hitter against the Governors.
Rebecca Gray and Brittany Toney each had four hits on the day with two in each game.
Gray improved her season batting average to .326 and matched McDavid with four RBIs in game one. She added her fifth RBI of the day in SIUE's five-run sixth inning of game two. Toney also provided a two-run single in that inning.
UT MARTIN 1, MURRAY STATE 0; MURRAY STATE 4, UT MARTIN 1
MARTIN, Tenn. -
Despite being outhit on the day The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team senior duo of Leah Taylor and Becca Williams picked up a pair of RBIs while taking away hits from the visiting Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State Racers to earn a doubleheader split Saturday at Bettye Giles Field. The Skyhawks took game one, 1-0, before suffering a setback in game two 4-1.
UT Martin (29-12, 10-5 OVC) needed very little help on the offensive end as sophomore Casey Vincent (12-4, 2.31 ERA) pitched yet another gem in the circle. Vincent, starting her team-leading 20th game on the season, rendered the Racer bats silent as the lefty pitched her fourth shutout on the campaign. The Hillsboro native faced just three more batters than the minimum, striking out seven and not surrendering a walk.
On the offensive end the Skyhawks turned to their senior lead-off hitter in Taylor to give Vincent all the support necessary to get the OVC series opener victory. After Sam McClure broke up the Racers’ no-hitter in the third, Taylor broke the scoreless tie with a line drive home run well over the left field stands in the bottom of the fourth. With the home run, Taylor moved into a tie for third place on the all-time home run list at UT Martin with Megan Williams, sister of the Skyhawk senior right fielder Becca, with 25 career home runs.
In the top of the seventh Williams made the first of many terrific plays in right field, turning a Racer would-be single into 9-3 putout as she charged the ball in right field before zipping an assist to first base to retire the sprinting batter.
Unlike game one which saw the first Skyhawk hit come in the third inning, Kayla Wade got the offense jump started with the speedster’s seventh triple of the season, quickly moving into scoring position for the Skyhawks. Wade’s triple into the right field gap moved her into second place on the all-time triples list with 12, moving out of a two-way tie with aforementioned Megan Williams. Wade was later tagged out trying to score on a fielder’s choice to end the Skyhawk threat.
Murray State used scoring innings in the first before Mallory Richardson knocked just her second hit of the season for solo blast, the first of her career to give the Racers a 2-0 lead in the second. The Racers tacked on another unearned run in the top of the sixth.
Facing a Racer threat in the top of the fifth after reaching base on a single, Shelbey Miller lined a would-be RBI to right field. Williams, reading the ball off the bat raced to the fence before making a spectacular leaping catch at the wall and firing the return into first to record the non-traditional 9-3 double play and end the inning.
The Skyhawks came alive in the bottom of the sixth as they stared their 9-0 home field record and the game’s 3-0 deficit in the face. After the first two batters were retired by the Racers, Kenzi Tate took the 0-2 pitch into center field with a single up the middle. Lauren Smith followed the single, with a walk to give the Skyhawks hope with runners on first and second with two outs. Williams, the defensive star of the game, switch roles and stroked an RBI double over the reach of the left fielder to score Tate from second and bring the deficit to 3-1, the closest of the game.
The Racers added the knockout blow in the top of the seventh as Richardson knocked her second solo blast over left field wall and ultimately give the Racers the victory.
Tate, registering her 13th complete game on the season picked up the loss pushing her record to 15-3. Tate held the Racers to just five hits and struck out two.
BELMONT 4, TENNESSEE TECH 1; TENNESSEE TECH 3, BELMONT 2
COOKEVILLE, Tenn .- The Belmont softball team (13-24, 3-12 OVC) snapped a seven-game skid with a split over in-state rival Tennessee Tech (17-18, 6-5 OVC) on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins won game one, 4-1, before being edged in the nightcap, 3-2.
Tennessee Tech scored first in the bottom of the first inning of game one and held on to its 1-0 advantage until the Bruins exploded in the top of the sixth inning. Sophomores Heather Turner (Rosenburg, Texas) and Kat Hollingsworth (Carrollton, Texas) opened the inning with back-to-back singles before a hit by senior Becca Gift (Durham, N.C.) notched BU's first run of the game. A single by Jessica Wilson scored another Bruin run before junior Mia Vierra (Palmdale, Calif.) belted a two-run homer to put Belmont ahead 4-1. BU used strong defense to hold on to the three-run lead to take the game by the same score.
In game two, TTU was first to put runs on the scoreboard, notching runs in the bottom of third, fourth and fifth innings to pull ahead 3-0. However, the Bruins fired back in the top of the sixth inning once again. Hits by Turner, Hollingsworth and Wilson loaded the bases and opened the door for hit by Gift to score one run. A wild throw saw both Wilson and Hollingsworth cross the plate to move BU to within one run, 4-3. However, the Golden Eagles were able to rally behind the pitching of Taylor Ketchum in the seventh inning to keep the Bruins from scoring the tying run and forcing extra innings.
For the day, junior Ashley Hammer (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) led the Bruins, batting .667 after going 2-for-3 at the plate. Turner batted .571 going 4-for-7 at the plate.
Inside the circle, Vierra picked up the win in game one, pitching the complete game and fanning a pair of batters. Freshmen Carolyn Snodgress (Torrance, Calif.) and Taylor Moon (Vestavia, Ala.) also saw action combining for two strikeouts.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (12-24, 4-10 OVC) split a doubleheader against first-place Eastern Illinois (27-11, 14-2 OVC) Saturday afternoon. A four-run seventh inning propelled EIU to a 5-1 win in game one but Southeast was dominate in game two, holding the Panthers to one run in the 4-1 victory in the nightcap. ”
Eastern Illinois 5, Southeast Missouri 1
Alexis Anderson led off the Redhawks half of the first inning with a monster home run to dead center field to take a very early lead on the Panthers.
The Panthers were quick to respond in the second; it started with a lead-off double by Brooke Owens and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Owens scored to tie the game on an RBI ground-out by Ashleigh Westover.
The game remained a thorough pitcher's duel through the sixth inning. EIU put up four runs to break the four and a half inning tie and take a big lead on Southeast. The inning began with a walk and a single that followed by both runners advancing on a sacrifice bunt. Both runners scored on a two-RBI double by Carley Willert. Willert scored on an RBI double by Hannah Cole. Cole then scored on a throwing error by Xia Wilson to widen the lead to 5-1.
Southeast was outhit 7-2 in game one of the doubleheader.
Anderson was responsible for the Redhawks only hits as she went 2-for-3 in the contest.
Cole led the Panther offense with a 2-for-4 performance with an RBI. Willert went 1-for-4 with two RBI.
Taylor Cowan (6-17) pitched her 13th complete game this season. Cowan gave up four earned runs, struck out two batters and walked three.
Hanna Mennenga (18-4) pitched the complete game holding the Redhawks to two hits while striking out 12 batters and walking four.
Southeast Missouri 4, Eastern Illinois 1
For the second time on the day, Anderson led off the game with a home run, this time off the scoreboard, to jump out to an early 1-0 lead.
Southeast extended the lead in the fourth on a fielder's choice by Brittany Smith that scored Lindsey Patterson and also allowed Cowan to score on a fielding error by the first baseman to go up 3-0 on the Panthers.
EIU narrowed the Redhawk lead in the following inning on an RBI double from Melise Brown to score Ally Seplak, 3-1 Redhawks.
An insurance run was added by Southeast in the sixth when Chelsea Smith was putout on a dropped third strike which was thrown down to first and allowed Cowan to seize the opportunity to steal home, putting the Redhawks back in front by three runs.
EIU put a runner on in the bottom of the seventh, but the insurance run added in the sixth prevented the tying run to come to the plate as the Redhawks held on to win the nightcap 4-1 over the Panthers.
Anderson posted another 2-for-3 performance in game two, finishing the day 4-for-6 with two home runs. Cowan also recorded a 2-for-3 game with two runs scored. Simone Patterson, Jamie Woodworth, and L. Patterson each contributed a hit.
Willert had two hits in game two with five other Panther batters recording hits.
Clemons (3-4) recorded her first career complete game giving up only one run on seven hits. Clemons struck out one batter and walked one.
Stephanie Maday (9-4) went 4.0 innings giving up two earned runs on five hits. Maday struck out four Redhawk batters. Game one starter, Mennenga entered the game in relief in the fifth inning and struck out three batters, bringing her strikeout total on the day to 15.