WEDNESDAY SCORES
Memphis 4,
@UT Martin 2
@Eastern Illinois 2, IUPUI 0
@Eastern Illinois 9, IUPUI 1 (6)
MEMPHIS 4, UT MARTIN 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - Freshman Deven Wilson did all she could to give The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team a lift, but it wasn’t enough to get past Memphis as the Skyhawks fell 4-2 in the final non-conference game of the season.
Memphis grabbed the early lead in the first, a lead they would never relinquish as they pushed across two runs in the top half of the inning. After drawing a lead-off walk to begin the game, the Tigers quickly moved into scoring position as Lelani Bernardino swiped second. A defensive miscue by the Skyhawks, quickly followed by two sacrifice bunts, which went in the book as a fielder’s choice, resulted in the first two scores of the game.
The Skyhawks began to chip away in the bottom of the third. Wilson laced a lead-off double into the left field gap. Classmate Jessie Britt held tough, taking a pitch off the left shoulder to move the freshman duo to first and second with no outs. Mikala Torrence attempted a sacrifice bunt down the third base line which the Tigers attempted to get the force at third to get the lead runner, but as Wilson beat the throw the Skyhawks had the bases juiced with no outs. Leah Taylor responded by driving a deep fly into center, scoring Wilson from third on the sacrifice fly and trimming the Tigers’ lead in half.
Memphis was not done on the afternoon as Kelly Braman drove a home run over the left field wall in the sixth inning. The Tigers added another run in the seventh on a RBI single through the left side.
The Skyhawks would not lie down in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Becca Williams laced a first pitch double into left, putting UTM in scoring position with one out. Wilson added her second double of the game, plating Williams and bringing the game to a 4-2 score, the ending result.
Casey Vincent (12-8, 2.44 ERA) picked up the loss in the circle. Vincent struck out four while allowing two runs over four innings of work. Freshman Autumn Glenn appeared in relief, tossing three innings while allowing two runs.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, IUPUI 0; EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, IUPUI 1
CHARLESTON, Ill - astern Illinois softball picked up a pair of wins, 2-0 and 9-1 (6-inn.), over I-70 rival IUPUI on Wednesday (April 24) evening, as the Panthers now enjoy a perfect 14-0 home record and improve to 34-11 overall.
The Jaguars dropped to 17-27 with the two losses. The mid-week twinbill was originally scheduled to be played in Indianapolis with IUPUI as the host squad, but the recent inclement weather led to unplayable field conditions in Indy, necessitating a change of venue for the annual matchups.
Sophomore shortstop Bailey O'Dell paced the Panthers with a nearly perfect 5-for-7 day at the plate to hit a blistering .714. She tallied four RBI off a pair of doubles while nabbing seven total bases.
Junior Reynae Hutchinson and sophomore Hannah Cole both delivered a pair of hits, with Cole tying juniors Brooke Owens, Ashleigh Westover and Kaylie Pruett with an RBI on the day.
Newcomer Haylee Beck also made the most of her time at the plate with a two-RBI shot in the nighcap rout.
The junior pitching duo of Hanna Mennenga and Stephanie Maday each garnered respective first and second game victories as they combined for 20 strikeouts and held IUPUI to a low .159 batting mark and just one run.
In the first game, Mennenga nabbed her 15th double-digit strikeout performance of the season as she fanned 11 Jags and registered her seventh shutout of the season to improve to an impressive 22-4 on the season.
Two runs in the bottom of the opening frame would be all the runs the Panthers would need for the victory as O'Dell first delivered a bases loaded RBI single to center field to plate junior Carly Willert, while Westover nailed her first sac fly RBI of the season to deep left field to bring home Cole from third.
IUPUI did have chances to cut into the Panther lead, but squandered their opportunities by stranding 11 baserunners, including a pair of bases loaded situations in both the fifth and final frames.
In the nightcap, the visiting Jaguars took advantage of an untimely Panther fielding error in the outfield to enjoy an early one-run lead.
However Eastern would eventually tie the score in their half of the third frame as O'Dell's RBI double to left field helped Cole scamper all the way from first base to home.
Following two scoreless innings, the Panthers would erupt for eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to account for the mercy-rule, 9-1, win.
Three Panther hits, plus three walks, a wild pitch, a passed ball, and an IUPUI error would help EIU tally the eight runs in the frame. Beck and O'Dell both delivered two-RBI singles, while Cole added her own RBI base hit and Owens tallied an RBI walk.
The ultimate game-winner came via a fielder's choice RBI by pinch-hitter Kaylie Pruett as the IUPUI first baseman tried to get the force out at home but the throw went off course which led to the easy score by O'Dell from third.
Maday earned the complete game win in the circle behind nine strikeouts, just three walks and an unearned run. The victory ups her season tally to 12-4 overall.
For the day, Eastern led IUPUI in batting (.283-to-.159), runs (11-to-1), hits (13-to-7), RBI (10-to-1), total bases (15-to-8), and strikeouts thrown (20-to-4). The Jags did out-pace the Panthers in walks (9-to-8), stolen bases (2-to-zero) and turned a pair of impressive double plays.