SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Tennessee Tech 9, Southeast Missouri 1 (6)
Morehead State 9, @Murray State 2
@Tennessee Tech 4, Southeast Missouri 0
@Jacksonville State 7, UT Martin 6 (10)
@Murray State 9, Morehead State 4
Eastern Kentucky 3, @Austin Peay 1
Eastern Kentucky 6, @Austin Peay 1
@Eastern Illinois 7, Tennessee State 1
@Eastern Illinois 4, Tennessee State 1
@SIUE 5, Belmont 0
@SIUE 2, Belmont 0
UT Martin 7, @Jacksonville State 6
TENNESSEE TECH 8, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1; TENNESSEE TECH 4, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn .- A three-run homerun, a walk-off home run, and a three-hit shutout were just a few of the headlines from Tennessee Tech's softball doubleheader Sunday. The Golden Eagles hosted Southeast Missouri in Ohio Valley Conference action, sweeping the Redhawks with 9-1 and 4-0 wins.
The Golden Eagles combined for 16 hits and freshman Olivia Bennett collected a team-high four hits, including a three-run walk-off home run to win game one. Bennett wasn't the only power hitter for the Purple and Gold as sophomore Angi Sakamoto blasted a three-run dinger of her own. She hit an outstanding .667 with a 1.667 slugging percentage.
In the opening end of Sunday's doubleheader, the Golden Eagles grabbed a 3-0 lead in the second inning off of Sakamoto's three-run shot. Tech grabbed another big inning in the fourth, scoring twice off of a single by shortstop Hannah Eldridge. Eldridge drove in Chelsea Burgess, who reached on a double, and Sakamoto, who drew a walk.
Bennett scored a run in the fifth, but the freshman's big inning came in the bottom of the sixth when she hammered the three-run homer over the right field fence.
Tech's momentum carried right into the second game, as Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the first and stretched the lead to 4-0 in the second. Christian earned the first run after singling and stealing her 14th base of the season. Eldridge sent Chrstian home on a single up the middle. Cortney Fry, Burgess, and Sakamoto all scored thanks to Redhawk errors.
Claudia Harke (3-4) got the win, giving up just three hits. She also tied her career-high with five strikeouts in the contest. Taylor Ketchum (11-7) took the win in the first game. Both pitchers threw complete games.
MOREHEAD STATE 9, MURRAY STATE 2; MURRAY STATE 9, MOREHEAD STATE 4
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State softball team saw its six-game winless streak come to an end when it split a doubleheader with Morehead State on Sunday afternoon at Central Park in Murray. The Eagles took game one, 9-2, but the Racers stormed back to snap the streak by taking game two, 9-4.
In the opener, the Racers (13-21, 6-7) were first on the board in the first when Alexa Becker hit her team-high ninth home run of the season to give her team the early advantage. The Eagles (14-14, 2-8), however, tied the game in the top of the next inning when Anna Sommer drove in Amber Riddle with an RBI-single.
In the fourth, Morehead pushed the lead out to 4-1 with a RBI-double from Riddle and a pair of RBI-singles from Stephanie Etter and Adrena Anderson. In the fifth, the Eagles put the game out of reach when Sommer struck again, this time in the form of a grand slam to make it 8-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Racers made it 8-2 when Shelbey Miller scored Audrey Woodby, who reached n a double to lead off the inning, with a single up the middle. However, the Eagles erased the run in the sixth and capped the scoring at 9-2 with their second home run of the day, this one from Kayla Ashbrook.
In addition to Becker, Woodby and Miller, Mo Ramsey, Ellyn Troup and Sarah Anderson accounted for Murray State’s six hits in the game by each notching one. Riddle led Morehead State in the contest by finishing at 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI, while Sommer went 2-for-3 with two runs, five RBIs and a walk.
After allowing seven runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings, Shelby Kosmecki took the loss in the circle for MSU to fall to 5-14. For the Eagles, Katie Pfost moved to 8-7 on the year by allowing only two runs on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts in the complete game win.
In game two, after two scoreless innings, the Eagles broke the tie in the top of the third with a two-RBI home run from Riddle. Morehead State’s lead, however, did not last for long.
In the fourth, the Racers tallied nine runs on nine hits to take a commanding 9-2 lead. The Racers had 12 plate appearances in the inning, with seven of the nine Racers in the lineup tallying hits. Of the seven MSU players that got hits in the frame, two, Anderson and Troup, recorded two hits.
In the sixth, Katie Raile cut the lead to 9-4 when she scored two teammates with a single down the right field line. However, that would be as close as the Eagles would get, as Racer pitcher CheyAnne Gaskey retired the side in order in the seventh to end the game.
Gaskey allowed just four runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts in the complete-game effort to move to 8-6 on the year. Kelcey McMurray took the loss for Morehead State, falling to 2-5 on the season after she allowed five runs on nine hits over three complete innings.
Offensively, Sarah Anderson led the Racers in the contest by going a perfect 3-for-3 with a run, a double and a RBI, while Troup went 2-for-3 with two runs, a double and an RBI. Miller, Becker and Woodby also tallied two hits in the game, while Ramsey, Casey Castile and Christian Cox each had one.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, UT MARTIN 6; UT MARTIN 7, JACKSONVILLE STATE 6
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - In a day filled with rallies, the Jacksonville State softball team pulled off a 7-6 10-inning win before falling just short in a 7-6 loss to split an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader with UT Martin at University Field.
The Gamecocks (22-17, 8-5 OVC) rallied from three runs down twice in the opener before getting a walk-off infield single from senior Krystal Ruth to pull off the win. It was JSU's third-straight walk-off win after a pair vs. Southeast Missouri on Saturday. The Skyhawks (27-11, 9-4 OVC) led by five runs as late as the fourth inning in the second game, but the Gamecocks rallied to cut it to a one-run game before falling short.
Freshman Ella Denes had a stellar day for the Gamecocks in the No. 9 hole in the lineup. The center fielder from Pisgah, Ala., went to the plate nine times and reached in eight of those, going 5-for-7 with two RBI and run scored.
Sophomore Sara Borders went 5-for-6 with a double, a homer, three RBI and three walks in the twinbill, while Ruth and sophomore Savannah Sloan each recorded three hits on the day.
In the opener, junior Tiffany Harbin and UTM starter Casey Vincent started off in a pitcher's duel, but a Lauren Smith two-run home run broke a scoreless tie in the fourth and gave the Skyhawks a 2-0 lead. They got another in the fifth on a passed ball to take a 3-0 lead that was short lived.
Borders came up after Denes and Ruth singled and then drove Vincent's first pitch over the wall in right to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth. The Skyhawks seemed to take control of the game in the top of the seventh, this time on a three-run home run by Kenzi Tate that gave them a 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
JSU loaded the bases with one out to set up a two-run double off the wall in right center by junior Kalee Tabor that cut the deficit to one. Sloan then connected on a single to left that tied the game again at 6-6 and sent it into extra innings.
Harbin held the Skyhawks at bay for three extra frames to set up Ruth's game winner in the bottom of the 10th. Freshman Cadi Oliver started the inning on second base via the international tiebreaker rule and moved to third on a sac bunt from Martinez and scored when Ruth's sharp grounder pushed her across with the infield in.
Harbin (13-7) snagged the win, tossing all 10 innings for the Gamecocks and holding the Skyhawks to six runs, four earned, on six hits. The Hazel Green, Ala., native struck out nine to run her career total to 617, eight away from Ann Shelton's school record for career strikeouts.
Autumn Glenn (1-1) suffered the loss for UTM after working three innings in relief of Vincent. She allowed one unearned run, the game winner, on three hits, while striking out one and walking three. Vincent gave up six runs on 11 hits before being chased after 6.1 innings in the circle.
Borders and Denes each went 3-for-3 for the Gamecocks in the first game, while Ruth, Sloan and Oliver each added 2-for-5 performances.
In the final game of the twinbill, UTM jumped on JSU starter Hilary Phillips for three first-inning runs. An error made one of the runs unearned, but Phillips was chased after recording just one out. Junior Savanna Hennings went the rest of the way, allowing four runs, two earned on eight hits in 6.2 innings. She struck out two and walked one.
Skyhawk leadoff batter Leah Taylor led off the first and fourth innings with home runs, and her fourth-inning shot gave her team a 6-1 lead over the Gamecocks. They got one back in the fourth on a Jessica Guy sac fly and then rallied for three in the fifth to cut the UTM lead to just one.
Martinez started the scoring in the fifth with an RBI single to right center that set up a Denes double that almost cleared the wall in left and drove in a pair to make what was once a five-run Skyhawk lead a 6-5 game.
After Kayla Wade led off the sixth with a triple that hugged the line just inside the first-base bag, Kenzi Tate flied out to center to drive her in and make it a 7-5 game. JSU rallied again in the home half, getting a sac fly from Tabor that plated Guy, but Borders was stranded on third.
Denes got a two-out single in the seventh, but Vincent came in and got the final out and recorded the save for Tate, who allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings. Phillips was charged with the loss.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 7, AUSTIN PEAY 1; EASTERN KENTUCKY 6, AUSTIN PEAY 1
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn .- The Eastern Kentucky University softball team tallied two more OVC wins Sunday afternoon with scores of 3-1 and 6-1 over host Austin Peay. Eastern (23-14, 10-4 OVC) did not trail in either game.
Sophomore pitcher Shaylon Robb (7-7) recorded her first complete game in two weeks in the opener. Robb limited the Governors (12-18, 3-9) to one run on six hits over seven innings.
EKU notched single runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings to build a 3-0 lead. After the Colonels scored an unearned run in the second, junior Christina Ciolek’s lead-off fourth inning double led to another run. Eastern tacked on an insurance run in the fifth behind a Raquel Howes triple and sophomore Katie Tackett’s RBI groundout.
Austin Peay finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with three singles, but Robb stranded two runners on base with a pop out. Robb gave up just one hit the final two innings to secure the victory.
In the second game, freshman Sarah Fobbs blasted her eighth home run in the first inning to immediately put EKU ahead, 2-0.
The Colonels scored again in the second, fourth and fifth innings to make a 6-0 cushion. Senior Melissa Costa was responsible for two of those runs with a second inning sacrifice fly and fourth inning fielder’s choice.
The six runs were more than enough for pitchers Leanna Pittsenbarger (14-7) and Hayley Flynn. Pittsenbarger pitched the first five innings with her only mistake a solo home run allowed in the fifth. Flynn did not allow a hit the final two frames.
Fobbs, sophomore Lauren Mitchell and senior Carissa Reisinger each had two hits in the second contest.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 7, TENNESSEE STATE 1; EASTERN ILLINOIS 4, TENNESSEE STATE 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball picked up their eighth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference victory on Sunday, following a doubleheader sweep of 7-1 and 4-0, respectively, over east division rival Tennessee State.
EIU improves to 25-10 overall, but continue to pace the conference standings at 13-1 on the year. TSU, meanwhile, fell to 11-27 and 2-10, respectively.
Sophomore Hannah Cole led EIU in the twinbill off a .500 (2-for-4) day at the plate, with two of her RBIs coming via the long ball in the first game victory. She drilled an RBI double, earned a walk and a sac fly RBI, plus finished with a Sunday 1.500 slug % as she added a stolen base.
Junior Carly Willert and sophomore Bailey O'Dell chipped in a pair of hits with each earning a double, while Willert added an RBI double and sac fly as well.
Junior Ashleigh Westover and newcomer April Markowski also connected on doubles, while senior Abby Wood crushed her first extra-base shot of the year off a triple and classmate Melise Brown converted on two stolen bases to improve on her team-high mark of eight.
The junior pitching duo of Hanna Mennenga and Stephanie Maday once again shined in the circle with each picking up respective first and second game wins. Mennenga tied her career high strikeout tally with 16 in the first game, as Maday earned her second shutout of the season in the nightcap off six Ks of her own.
The Panthers got on the board right off the bat in the first contest as Cole delivered a two-out sac fly RBI to bring home Willert from third base.
EIU would extend the lead to 4-0 in the third frame. Following her walk-up double and sac bunt advance to third, Markowski would score via Willert's two-out RBI double. Cole then stepped up and blasted her base-clearing shot over the left field to add two more runs.
TSU would counter with their own tally thanks to an RBI single by Lindsey Burgess in the top of the fourth.
But EIU would add two insurance runs in the sixth as Markowski's RBI shot up the middle would bring home pinch-runner Jennette Isaac, who replaced Westover at second following her double. Brown would rip a shot up the middle as well, scoring score pinch-runner Kaylie Pruett, in for Markowski.
Mennenga earned her 16th win of the season, and improve to 8-1 in league play, as she tied her career K mark. She actually fanned nine of the first ten TSU batters she faced, as every Tiger batter struck out at least once over the course of the game.
In the nightcap, the Panthers earned the shutout, but not before both squads went through four innings without a run. With bases loaded in the fifth, EIU opened up a 3-0 lead as Pruett scampered home on a TSU passed ball, freshman Haylee Beck scored of the sac fly by Willert, and Brown touched home off of Cole's RBI double to left.
Wood's two-out RBI triple to right field, which scored O'Dell from second would account for the final Eastern run.
Maday picked up her fifth OVC victory, behind zero losses, with the complete game win as she retired six TSU batters via strikes in the one-hit shutout. She help the Tigers to a low .045 batting average.
For the day, EIU out-paced TSU in batting (.283-to.106), runs (11-to-1), hits (13-to-5), extra-base shots (7-to-2), RBI (10-to-1), total bases (23-to-7), strikeouts (7-to-22), and stolen bases (3-to-zero).
SIUE 5, BELMONT 0; SIUE 2, BELMONT 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE extended its season-best winning streak to 10 games Sunday with a pair of shutouts over visiting Belmont.
The softball Cougars improved to 27-8 overall and 11-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 5-0 win and a 2-0 win over the Bruins, 12-21 and 2-11 in the OVC. The 10-game winning streak is SIUE's best since the 2010 season, the Cougars' first season with a Division I schedule.
SIUE freshman Haley Chambers got the Cougars going in game one with her 12th straight victory and fifth shutout of the season.
The SIUE offense collected 10 hits in game one with three RBIs from Alex McDavid. Her single in the first inning provided the eventual game-winning RBI. She added a two-RBI single in the fourth inning.
Rachel Coonrod led SIUE with three hits in game one while Samantha Stanicek added two hits.
The Cougars, however, were consistent in game one with at least one hit in each inning.
Erin Greenwalt outdueled Belmont's Mia Vierra in game two. Greenwalt picked up her third shutout of the season as she scattered six hits.
McDavid and Stanicek provided solo home runs. Both were sent over the left field fence. McDavid's came in the first inning, and Stanicek's was drilled in the second inning.