SUNDAY'S SCORES
Murray State 2, @SIUE 1
@Morehead State 5, Belmont 4
Murray State 3, @SIUE 1
@Austin Peay 6, Southeast Missouri 0
@Austin Peay 6, Southeast Missouri 5
Tennessee Tech 7, @Tennessee State 5
Tennessee Tech 7, @Tennessee State 3
Eastern Illinois 2, @UT Martin 1
@UT Martin 2, Eastern Illinois 1
MURRAY STATE 2, SIUE 1; MURRAY STATE 3, SIUE 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The Murray State softball team picked up two much needed wins on Sunday when they swept a doubleheader at SIU Edwardsville, 2-1 and 3-1.
In game one, the Racers (21-24, 12-10) struck first when Ellyn Troup doubled off of SIU Edwardsville pitcher Haley Chambers in the top of the second. With Chambers, who entered the game with a .197 opponent’s batting average, rattled Leslie Bridges made it 2-0 by belting her third home run of the season.
Despite allowing 10 hits in the game, the Murray Sate defense was impeccable as it committed no errors and stranded 11 Cougars on the base paths. In fact, it was an outstanding defensive play that helped preserve the win for Murray State. With one out and runners on first and second in the sixth, Jordan LaFave singled to center field, but Casey Castile saved the day with a laser strike to Troup, who tagged Samantha Stanicek out at the plate.
The Cougars (34-11, 17-5) eventually cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh on a ground out from Brittany Toney that scored Taylor Tooley from third. However, the Racers were able to retire the next batter and pick up the 2-1 victory in the opener.
Shelby Kosmecki picked up her eighth win of the season in game one as she allowed just one run with three strikeouts and two walks over six complete innings. CheyAnne Gaskey came in two batters into the seventh and retired the final three batters to earn the save. With the save, Gaskey became the program’s single-season and career save leader with four and six, respectively.
The loss was just the fourth of the season for Chamber who gave up two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and a walk. In addition to Troup and Bridges, Casey Castile also tallied a hit in game one, a one-out single to center field in the fourth.
In the second game, it was the Cougars that were first on the board this time and it all began with a walk by CC Hutchinson. Hutchinson moved to second in the next at bat on a sacrifice bunt from Stanicek and scored on the following play on a single from Kayla Riggs and an error by Murray State.
However, in the fourth the Racers were able to take advantage of several defensive miscues by SIUE and surge to a 3-1 lead. The inning began with Mo Ramsey reaching first on a single, but was thrown out on the next play by a fielder’s choice from Alexa Becker.
Becker was able to steal second during Castile’s at bat and was later joined by Castile, who reached on an error. Becker came home on a wild pitch in the next at bat, with Castile following on a single by Troup and a ball thrown into the dugout by the Cougars. Christian Cox made it 3-1 later in the frame when she singled to the pitcher to score Troup.
The fourth inning burst proved to be all the offense the Racers would need in the contest, as the defense was able to hold the Cougars scoreless for the rest of the game. After getting outhit 10-3 in game one, the Racers returned the favor in game two by garnering 11 hits to SIUE’s four.
Ramsey led Murray State in the finale by going 3-for-4, while Cox and Erica Howard each went 2-for-3. Gaskey turned in a complete game effort to move to 12-7 on the year after she allowed just one unearned run on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
MOREHEAD STATE 5, BELMONT 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State softball team rallied to take the final game of the Belmont series, 5-4, Sunday and complete their first conference series sweep.
The Eagles improved to 23-19 on the season and 9-11 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while the Bruins dropped to 14-32 overall and 4-19 in league action.
Senior Katie Pfost (14-10) picked up the win in the circle. In a complete-game effort she surrendered 10 hits, allowed four earned runs and struck out four.
On offense, sophomore third baseman Katie Raile went 3-for-3 with a home run, and junior Stephanie Etter registered a pair of hits. Junior McKenna Bartko also plated a pair and launched a solo homer.
Belmont struck first when junior shortstop Ashley Hammer connected on a two-run home run, her third smash of the year, over the left centerfield fence.
The Eagles answered in the fifth frame as back-to-back home runs from Raile and Bartko tied the score. It was Raile’s first home run of the season, and Bartko’s third and second of the series. MSU continued the scoring when seniors Amber Riddle and Kayla Ashbrook each drove in one to push the lead to 4-2.
A single from Bartko in the sixth proved to be the deciding factor, as the Bruins threatened but only picked up two in the seventh via a double off the wall from sophomore outfielder Kat Hollingsworth.
AUSTIN PEAY 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0; AUSTIN PEAY 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University swept an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader from visiting Southeast Missouri, Sunday afternoon at Cheryl Holt Field, winning the opener 6-0 and holding in the second game 6-5.
Junior Lauren de Castro pitched a three-hit shutout in Game 1 for Austin Peay (17-24, 8-15 OVC), getting out of jams in the first and three innings, and settling down to allow the Redhawks only one base runner over the final 4 2/3 innings.
Offensively, the Lady Govs jumped on SEMO starter Taylor Cowan for four runs in the bottom of the first inning, with de Castro driving in the first two with a double and freshman Mel Pavel the other two on her second home run of the season.
Austin Peay would add two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the first coming on a double steal, with senior Jessica Ryan scoring; the other on an RBI single by sophomore Laurel Burroughs.
Burroughs and freshman Courtney Brower would have two hits each to lead APSU, while Xia Wilson had two of SEMO’s three hits.
In Game 2, Southeast Missouri (15-29, 6-15 OVC) took its first lead of the day, 1-0 in the top of the second inning, on and RBI single by Leah Becker.
But Austin Peay would respond with four runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a two-run double by freshman Marissa Lake and the other two coming in on junior Kayla Davidson’s sixth home run of the season.
The Redhawks would put up a four-run inning of their own in the third inning, with Cowan driving in two with a single and Simone Patterson driving in two with her sixth home run of the season to put SEMO back up 5-4.
Austin Peay would take the lead back for good with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, with Lake driving in one with a double and Davidson the other with a single.
Lake and Davidson had two hits each for Austin Peay, while Alexis Anderson had three hits to top Redhawks hitters in the nightcap.
TENNESSEE TECH 7, TENNESSEE STATE 5; TENNESSEE TECH 7, TENNESSEE STATE 3
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee State needed two wins today against Tennessee Tech to stay in the race for the final spot of the Ohio Valley Conference. The Tigers dropped a heartbreaker 7-5 and was not able to regroup in a 7-2 loss. The Tigers fall to 14-33, 5-16 in the OVC, while TTU improved to 21-25, 10-10 in conference.
TSU outhit the Golden Eagles 12-7 in game one, but missed scoring opportunities as they left 11 runners on base. TTU took advantage of three Tiger errors to score five unearned runs to solidify the win. The Golden Eagles turned the tables in game two out hitting TSU 12-7, but still used three Tiger errors to score six unearned runs for a comfortable win.
Jennifer Givens led the way for TSU with six hits on the day. The senior was 4-for-5 in game one with two runs and three stolen bases. Givens closed out the day with a 2-for-3 performance with a triple and a run scored.
With the Tigers trailing 1-0, Givens and Kiarra Freeman accomplished what they have done many times throughout the season. The lead-off duo led off with back-to-back singles and proceeded to steal second and third. Givens scored a batter later on a ground out by Kacie Daugherty to even the score at 1-1. Lindsey Burgess followed with a ground out to the pitcher allowing Freeman to score for an early 2-1 lead.
TTU picked up four runs in the second and two in the fourth to take a 7-1 lead. TSU would fight to get back into the game in the bottom of the fourth as they loaded the bases on a Kate Morris single, a Brianna Roberts walk and a Givens single. The Tigers scratched a run across on a single up the middle by Daugherty, but failed to do anymore damage as Burgess lined into a double play to end the inning leaving two runners on base.
TSU trailed 7-2 in the fifth as Audrey Sensing led off with a single to right and advanced to third on a ground out and a wild pitch. Morris picked up her second hit of the game with a double to left center that pushed Sensing across home plate to cut the lead to 7-4 after five innings of play.
Givens was at it again to lead off the sixth. Givens stole second base after her fourth hit of the game. Two batters later, Givens crossed the plate on a groundout by Burgess making the score 7-5. Tayler Shimizu laid down a sacrifice bunt moving Tedra Alford and Morris into scoring position after each earned walks in the seventh. The two would be stranded on base as TTU retired Givens for the first time in five attempts.
Olivia Gamache was tagged with the loss and is now 4-16 after giving up five runs, two earned, on six hits in two innings of work. Shea Morris pitched five innings of relief surrendering just one hit and two unearned runs, while striking out four.
In the night cap, Morris (10-17) was touched for 12 hits and issued a walk in seven full innings. Only one of the seven runs was earned as she fanned four Tech batters.
The Tigers jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead as Givens led off the bottom of the first with a triple to left center. She came home a batter later on a Freeman grounded out. Tech responded in their next half inning with two runs and added one in the fourth and four in the sixth.
TTU pitcher Taylor Ketchum retired 13 consecutive Tigers after the leadoff triple to Givens. Sensing would break the string with a single to left with one out in the fifth, but TSU could not take advantage of their second hit of the game.
In the sixth, Shimizu opened the bottom of the inning with a pinch-hit single to centerfield and moved to third on the sixth and final hit on the day for Givens. Freeman chased Shimizu home on a single to center making the score 7-2.
Ashley Haynes drove in Alford with a triple to right center in the seventh for the final run of the game. Ketchum (14-10) recorded her fourth strikeout to end the game.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, UT MARTIN 1; UT MARTIN 2, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team sent their three seniors out with a win in their final game on Bettye Giles Field as the host Skyhawks defeated Eastern Illinois to wrap up the home slate and earning the series split with the Ohio Valley Conference leading Panthers 2-1.
Game one: Eastern Illinois 2, UT Martin 1
Falling in line with many of the recent games, the Skyhawks gave up an early run in the first inning to the visiting Panthers. EIU began the game by picking up a lead-off walk before adding a single through the left side. The Panthers got on the board first with an RBI by Brooke Owens to the second baseman.
UT Martin (31-18, 12-10 OVC) got on the board in the bottom of the sixth as designated player Kelsey Dixon hit a lead-off home run over the right field fence, the first of the sophomore’s career, to tie the game at 1-1.
Seplak liner through the right side evaded the second baseman which resulted in an error, scoring the baserunner from first before the Skyhawks nailed Seplak in a pickle between third and home.
The score proved to be the decision as the Skyhawks were retired in order in the bottom half of the inning.
Sophomore Kenzi Tate (16-5, 2.62 ERA) was hit with the tough loss, pitching her 15th complete game. Tate struck out two while allowing just one earned run and just one walk.
Game two: UT Martin 2, Eastern Illinois 1
Sophomore Casey Vincent had a first pitch hiccup, allowing a quick home run but settled down to notch her 17th complete game and 13 win on the season. Vincent allowed just one run over seven innings while registering three punchouts and no walks.
Taylor continued to leave her mark at UT Martin in the fourth inning. After breaking a hitless streak, Taylor singled through the left side before quickly swiping her 37th base of the season and 108th of her career. Tate tallied a five pitch walk before Deven Wilson sacrificed the runners into scoring position. Kayla Wade pushed the Skyhawks into the scoring column with a single up the middle to score Taylor. After Wade swiped a bag for herself, Lauren Smith sacrificed deep to center to score Tate from third and give the home team their first lead of the series.
EIU threatened in the top of the sixth as they registered two hits but the Skyhawks extinguished the final threat and took the series split with the 2-1 victory.