THURSDAY'S SCORES
@Middle Tennessee 6,
Jacksonville State 5 ( 9)
@Southeast Missouri 14, Southern Illinois 7
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 6, JACKSONVILLE STATE 5
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee State overcame a five-run deficit in the seventh and then got a walk-off sac fly by Laura Dukes to grab a 6-5, nine-inning win over the Jacksonville State softball team on Thursday.
Despite a strong outing from junior starter Tiffany Harbin, the Gamecocks (25-23) couldn't hang on to a 5-0 lead in the seventh and then saw the Blue Raiders (6-44) pull out the non-conference win in the ninth inning.
Harbin carved through the Blue Raiders lineup for five and a third innings, allowing just three baserunners on three singles. The Hazel Green, Ala., native struck out five and walked none in an effective outing that saw her throw just 57 pitches, 40 for strikes before leaving the game in the sixth.
After MTSU scored five off of reliever Savanna Hennings in the seventh to force extras, Harbin re-entered the game in the eighth to pitch the rest of the way. She earned a tough-luck loss, allowing an unearned run in the final inning on just five hits in 6.2 total frames in the circle.
Sophomore Savannah Sloan went 2-for-4 for the Gamecocks at the plate and drove in a run, while sophomore Sara Borders belted a three-run homer and walked three times in her 1-for-2 effort. Senior Krystal Ruth also had two hits in four at bats from the leadoff spot.
The Gamecocks offense got going in the top of the third, when a pair of singles from Ella Denes and Krystal Ruth set up a long double from Jessica Guy. Her third two-bagger of the year was lined over the head of right fielder LaRi Mitchell and scored Denes from second.
Borders cleared the bases in the next at bat, taking Jordyn Fisherback's 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for an opposite field, three-run homer. The Alexandria, Ala., native's 10th homer of the year staked the Gamecocks to a 4-0 lead and chased Fisherback from the circle.
Shelby Stinnett came on in relief for the Blue Raiders and retired the first nine batters she faced to hold the Gamecock offense in check until the seventh. In that final inning, JSU got a couple baserunners to set up a two-out single from Sloan that scored Guy from second and gave the Gamecocks a 5-0 lead.
The Blue Raiders got things going in the seventh on Hennings. They loaded the bases with no outs and plated three runs without getting a ball out of the infield. A Laura Dukes single to left cut JSU's lead to 5-4, and a Nina Dever single to right tied it at 5-5.
The Gamecocks seemed to catch a break to get out of the seventh, when a Chelsea Good chopper was fielded by Cara Longworth at third. As she went to throw to first, her plant foot slipped and made contact with Dukes in the baseline, forcing the umpires to call interference for the third and final out of the inning.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, neither team could push a run across until the MTSU ninth, when the Blue Raiders loaded the bases with no outs to set up Dukes game winning pop fly to left.
Shelby Stinnett earned the win in relief, holding JSU to a run on three hits in 6.2 innings after Fisherback gave up four runs on five hits in 2.1 innings. Hennings surrendered five runs, only one earned, in 1.2 innings of relief for JSU.
Dukes went 3-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Blue Raider offense, while Nina Davenport scored twice, including the game winner
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 14, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 7
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Head softball coach Lana Richmond earned her 600th career NCAA Division I victory with the win over Southern Illinois University (21-25) Thursday evening. Southeast Missouri (15-27) scored a season-high 14 runs in the 14-7 win.
“Our offense hit extremely well this evening,” Richmond said. “Kelsey Gass set the tone in the first inning throwing a runner out at the plate from left field. Elysia Mesa come in the game late and played tremendous defense to help close out the game. We plan on using the momentum from this win going into a crucial OVC weekend at Austin Peay.”
Alexis Anderson led off the Redhawks half of the first with a triple to center field. Anderson was plated by Lindsey Patterson with a hit up the middle. With Taylor Cowan on base and Simone Patterson, the Redhawks home run leader, at the plate, S. Patterson blasted her seventh home run of the season way over the left field wall to go up 3-0.
Kaitlin Zink led off the second inning with the Redhawks second home run of the game shortly followed by Anderson blasting a two-run home run to center field, 6-0 Redhawks.
The Salukis narrowed the six run deficit in the third when they scored a runner from third base on a Redhawk error. SIU loaded the bases but Cowan worked out of the jam to preserve the five run lead.
With the bases loaded and two out in the fifth, Caylee Cook drew a walk to begin a six-run frame for the Salukis. With bases still loaded, Kelsey Gonzalez singled through the left side to plate two more runs. Morgan Barchan followed up with a double to plate two runs and tie the game at six runs apiece. The Salukis scored the go-ahead run on an RBI single by Jayna Spivy.
In the Redhawks half of the fifth, the offense came alive to match the Saluki six-run frame. With bases loaded and one out, S. Patterson reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Anderson and tying up the game. Chelsea Smith followed up with a single to plate Xia Wilson. Zink came up with a single of her own to center to drive in two more. Hannah Clemons wrapped up the scoring in the fifth with another two-RBI single, 12-7 Redhawks.
Southeast added to their lead in the sixth with an RBI triple by L. Patterson who was driven in on an S. Patterson single, 14-7 Southeast.
The Redhawks outhit SIU 14-11 in the contest.
Anderson fell a double short of hitting for the cycle, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Wilson, L. Patterson, S. Patterson, C. Smith, and Zink all recorded two hits. S. Patterson recorded a career-high four RBI.
Spivey had three hits for the Salukis while Kelsey Ashton and Gonzalez added two hits each in the game.
Cowan (7-18) recorded her first win since Mar. 24 against Tennessee State. Cowan worked 5.0 innings, giving up five earned runs, striking out three batters and walking four.
Brittney Lang (11-14) pitched 4.2 innings in relief, giving up eight runs on nine hits, striking out five Redhawk batters.