WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@UT Martin 12, Evansville 4 (6)
@UT Martin 9, Evansville 7
Eastern Illinois 2, @Saint Louis 1
@Saint Louis 4,
Eastern Illinois 2
EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, SAINT LOUIS 1; SAINT LOUIS 4, EASTERN ILLINOIS 2
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Eastern Illinois softball picked up a mid-week road split at Saint Louis, on Wednesday, as the Panthers clawed past Billikens in seventh-iinning 2-1 first game comeback, before coming up just short in a 4-2 nightcap loss.
EIU moves to 20-10 with the split, while SLU improves to an even 14-14 overall.
Down 1-0 at the top of the seventh inning in the opening contest, sophomore Bailey O'Dell earned the late-game heroics as she delivered a crucial two-out RBI shot to drive home a pair of Panthers.
Junior Hanna Mennenga, meanwhile, would then strike out the side in the bottom of the frame, as she threw eight total Ks in five innings of relief work. With the win, she improved to 13-4 on the season in the circle.
In the second game, the host Billikens would again take an early 1-0 advantage, but an RBI double by senior Melise Brown would help junior Carly Willert scamper home for the tie.
SLU would counter with two additional runs in the third and plate a security run in the fourth. Yet junior Brooke Owens would counter with her own RBI base hit to once again bring home Willert.
Unfortunately for Eastern, the Panthers would end up stranding four additional baserunners the rest of the way for the tough road loss.
Junior transfer Janele Robinson would be tabbed for the loss in the circle, retiring two batters via strikes and earning zero earned runs, while Mennenga again came in in relief with an additional three Ks.
For the day, junior Reynae Hutchinson would finish with a perfect 4-for-4 plate performance, including her fourth double of the season and a pair of walks.
Sophomore Hannah Cole hit .429 behind three shots and a walk, while O'Dell, Willert and Brown all chipped in a pair of shots, with Brown adding her own double.
Mennenga would finish with 11 total strikeouts in the twin bill, as classmate Stephanie Maday earned the first game start.
UT MARTIN 12, EVANSVILLE 4; UT MARIN 9, EVANSVILLE 7
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team used 21 runs including five home runs to pound their way past Missouri Valley Conference foe Evansville in Wednesday’s doubleheader by scores of 12-4 and 9-7, taking both games.
Game One: UT Martin 12, Evansville 4
UT Martin (25-9, 7-2 OVC) dug themselves an early holes in game one as Evansville plated two runs in the top of the first inning as the Skyhawks suffered a mental lapse at second, resulting in a pair of scores for the road team.
The Skyhawks quickly recovered as senior Leah Taylor led off the inning with a single past the third baseman. Soon after Lauren Smith, riding a .619 average over the past eight games, smashed a towering home run over the center field batter’s eye distancing nearly 250 feet, scoring Mikala Torrence from second and tying the game at two runs each.
The Purple Aces (10-21) added two runs in the top of the fourth as Kirsten O’Conner singled to right field before scoring on an infield base hit by Brianna Villanueva.
Trailing by two, the Skyhawks took control in the fifth inning after plating four runners in the bottom half of the inning. Reaching base on a walk, Taylor quickly stole her 27th base of the season before scoring on an RBI single by Torrence. Torrence spent little time on the bases as sophomore Kenzi Tate notched her seventh home run of the season, scoring the pair and taking the 5-4 advantage. Smith continued her hot stroke, sneaking a bunt single on the UE defense. Kayla Wade, pinch running for Smith, swiped her 23rd base of the season before scoring on an RBI single by Jessie Britt.
The Skyhawks issued the final blow in the bottom of the six, the last inning of the game as Deven Wilson began the inning by driving a single into center. Sam McClure kept the rally going by registering her third hit of the campaign, before scoring on an error by the third baseman. Smith soon walked before a Becca Williams double moved the runners to second and third with two outs. The game then met its’ climax as Britt capped the six run inning and the game with a walk-off three run home run, the freshman’s second of the season.
Casey Vincent (10-4, 2.18 ERA) registered her 10th win on the season, allowing three runs in five innings of work. Freshman Autumn Glenn (1-0, 2.10 ERA) was called upon in the top of the sixth with runners on first and second, no outs. Glenn quickly extinguished the Evansville threat, striking out the final batter and escaping the situation with her first save of her career while allowing no inherited runners to score.
Game Two: UT Martin 9, Evansville 7
Like game one, the Purple Aces got on the board first in game two. Kayla Fortner followed Tamara Robey’s double with a two-bagger of her own to plate the opening run, giving Evansville their only lead of the game.
The Skyhawks saw Evansville’s one run and quickly raised them three of their own, pushing across four runs in the bottom of the first. Kelsey Dixon quickly capitalized on just her 10th start of the season, drawing a lead-off walk and swiping second. Following a Taylor walk, Tate scorched a line drive single into right field before scampering to third as the ball slid between the defender’s legs, scoring Dixon and Taylor on the play. Smith then extended her 10-game hitting streak with a screamer up the middle. Williams jolted the fans to their feet, nailing a two run home run over the left field fence to cap the inning.
Taylor joined the firework in the bottom of the third, sailing a 240 foot solo home run over the center field wall, giving the Skyhawks the 5-1 lead.
The Skyhawks tallied their third, four run inning of the day in the sixth inning, capitalizing on UE defensive miscues. After reaching on a walk, Williams scored on a Wilson single up the middle. Wilson and Britt, motoring the bases, scored on a throwing error by the Purple Aces pitcher before McClure scored the Skyhawks final run of the day on a wild pitch.
The Purple Aces wouldn’t go down quietly in the top of the seventh, scoring five runs, including a grand slam to bring the score no closer than 9-7, as Tate got final batter to fly out to left.
Tate (14-1, 2.44 ERA) earned her ninth consecutive win while allowing just two earned runs in the sophomore’s 11th complete game of the season. Tate struck out four while walking just two. In the batter’s box, she hit .400 with one home run and three RBIs in the series.