SATURDAY'S SCORES
Ball State 5,
Murray State 3 (8)
SIUE 5, Southeastern Louisiana 3
Murray State 6, Loyola 1
Eastern Kentucky 6, Central Michigan 0
UT Martin, Northern Colorado 0
St. Louis 2, UT Martin 1
Eastern Illinois 2, Kansas 0
Evansville 6,
Morehead State 3
Tennessee Tech 6, Campbell 5
Bradley 8,
Belmont 7
Lipscomb 11,
Southeast Missouri 0 (5)
Austin Peay 8, Campbell 7
Western Michigan 3,
@Tennesee State 2
@Jackson State, 4
, SIUE 3
Tennessee Tech vs. Northwestern State - 3 p.m.
Toledo 7
, Austin Peay 2
Belmont 2, Canisius 0
Southeast Missouri 13, Loyola 3 (5)
Ball State 7,
Morehead State 1
@Auburn 13,
Jacksonville State 3 (5)
Jacksonville State 2, Purdue 1
Southeastern Louisiana 10,
Eastern Illinois 0
@Tennessee State 7, Temple 5
BALL STATE 5, MURRAY STATE; MURRAY STATE 6, LOYOLA 1
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - For the second day in a row, the Murray State softball team dropped their first game at Memphis’ Blues City Classic in Southaven, Miss., only to bounce back and take game two. Murray State began the day with a heartbreaking 5-3, eight inning loss to Ball State, but responded to the defeat by topping Loyola Chicago, 6-1, in grand fashion.
Game 1 – Ball State 5, Murray State 3 (8 Inn.)
The two teams were evenly matched throughout the game and each time one team put up a run, the other answered. Murray State (6-4) jumped on Ball State’s pitching from the get-go in the contest and led off with two singles by Shelbey Miller and Mo Ramsey. Two batters later MSU was the first on the board when Leslie Bridges singled to bring home Miller and make it 1-0. The lead did not last long as the Cardinals (5-2) answered in the bottom of the inning with their own RBI single from Jennifer Gilbert to tie the game at one.
In the third, the Racers moved ahead again on another RBI single, this time from Maggie Glass, that scored Alexa Becker and made it 2-1. However, once again, Ball State and Gilbert answered again with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the third.
In the fourth, the Cardinals took their first lead of the game at 3-2 when Loren Chilar singled down the left field line to drive in Amanda Arnett. This time it was the Racers turn to respond and they did in the sixth when Glass tripled to right field to lead off the frame. The freshman was brought home two batters later on a double by Cayla Levins to tie the game at three. With neither team able to score in the in seventh, the game moved to extra innings with the international tiebreaker in effect.
In the eighth, the Racers were only able to move their runner to third and needed to hold Ball State scoreless in the bottom half of the inning in order to continue the game. That did not happen, as Emily Dabkowski went yard with one out to give her team the 5-3 walk-off win.
Bridges led Murray State in the game by going 3-for-4 with a RBI, while Glass followed at 2-for-4 with a run scored and a run driven in. CheyAnne Gaskey (3-3) went the full 7.1 innings for MSU in the loss, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits with a season-high eight strikeouts.
Game 2 – Murray State 6, Loyola Chicago 1
In game two, the Racers were again first on the board when Alexa Becker belted the 21st home run of her career and her second of the season to give MSU an early 1-0 lead. The score stayed at 1-0 until the fifth inning when Shelbey Miller reached on a double and crossed the plate in the next at bat on a single by Ramsey to make it 2-0.
The Ramblers cut the deficit in half in the sixth when Lauren Moore launched a sac fly to left that allowed Jessica Balzano to come home and make the score 2-1. In the bottom of the frame, the Racers put away any doubts to the outcome of the game and it all began with a single by Levins. Following a fielder’s choice by Taylor Odom, in which Levins was thrown out, Miller and Ramsey singled to load the bases with two outs.
In the next at bat, Becker blew the game wide open when she became the seventh Racer in program history to hit a grand slam to push the score to 6-1. The game also marked the first time in her career that Becker went yard twice in the same game. In the top of the seventh, J.J. Francis entered the game and retired the side in order to seal the win for MSU.
Becker finished the game at 2-for-4 with a career-high five RBIs, while Miller, Ramsey, Glass and Levins also tallied two hits in the contest. Mason Robinson picked up her second win of the weekend to move to 3-0 on the year by allowing only one run on just two hits with two strikeouts over six full innings.
The Racers will close out play in the Blues City Classic on Sunday, when they take on Lipscomb at Noon.
UT MARTIN 1, NORTHERN COLORADO 0; SAINT LOUIS 2, UT MARTIN 1
OXFORD, Miss. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team earned a hard-fought split of today’s twinbill by picking up a 1-0 victory in the Red and Blue Classic opener against Northern Colorado before falling to Saint Louis in the second game 2-1.
The Skyhawks (4-6-1) were led by the offensive play of senior Kayla Wade who paced the team with three hits in six plate appearances, including a double and a walk. Eight other Skyhawks tallied a base hit on the day while Deven Wilson and Kenzi Tate tallied the team’s lone RBI’s on the afternoon.
Providing to be a bright spot for the Skyhawks was the play of their starting pitchers. Inside the circle, the Skyhawks combined to pitch 13.0 innings while allowing zero earned runs. Freshman Elizabeth Wiegand was spectacular on the rubber, tossing a complete game, one-hitter against Northern Colorado. Wiegand struck out four while issuing two walks and holding opponents to a .048 batting average. Junior Casey Vincent was just as impressive, tossing six innings of work while striking out three and allowing zero earned runs.
Game One: UT Martin 1, Northern Colorado 0
Neither team would begin the game with much offensive firepower as Northern Colorado tallied the game’s lone hit of the first three innings. The story line of the morning was not the lack of hitting by either team, but the dominating pitching performance of the Skyhawk freshman.
Wiegand allowed the Bears to tally their lone hit of the afternoon in the bottom of the first, on the first batter of the inning. Following a single by Mikayla Duffy, Wiegand would hold the Bears hitless for the remainder of the game. The Bears would tally two walks in the opening inning as well, but Wiegand would shut the door, retiring the final 19 batters in a row.
The Skyhawks would tally the eventual game-winning run in the top of the fourth inning. Wade led off the inning with a single into left field before swiping second base. Tate would make Wade’s time in scoring position minimal by stroking a single up the middle to score the speedster from second base.
Game Two: Saint Louis 2, UT Martin 1
Both teams remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when Saint Louis scored a two runs on a pair of errors. Madeline Brungardt led off the inning with a single into left field. After she advanced to second on an illegal pitch, the next batter reached via hit by pitch. Both runners would come around to score on a fielding error and throwing error on the ensuing play, giving the Billikens the 2-0 advantage.
The Skyhawks would look to get back in the game in the top of the seventh, eventually picking up a run. After Lauren Smith reach base after being hit by a pitch, she came around to score on an RBI double to right center by Wilson. The Skyhawks would put have the potential tying run at second along with the go-ahead run at first with two outs, but could not get the run across as they fell 2-1.
UT Martin will wrap up its appearance in the Red and Blue Classic on Sunday, Feb. 23. The Skyhawks will face off against Bowling Green at 11:15 a.m. before capping off the tournament against Southeastern Conference host Ole Miss at 3:45 p.m.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 3, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 0
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Junior pitcher Leanna Pittsenbarger tossed her second consecutive complete game shutout to help the Eastern Kentucky University softball team earn a 3-0 win over Central Michigan Saturday morning. The game was part of the Cardinal Classic, hosted by the University of Louisville.
Pittsenbarger (5-2), who was coming off a one-hitter yesterday versus Louisville, gave up a lone second inning single to the Chippewas (7-5). The righty has not allowed a run in her last 23 innings of work dating back to the Feb. 14th game against Evansville. In that span, the opposition has produced a total of three hits.
EKU (6-6) would get all the runs it would need in the fourth inning when junior Lauren Mitchell came through with an RBI double to left field. Senior Christiana Ciolek and junior Katie Tackett added RBIs in the final inning.
The Colonels conclude play at the Cardinal Classic tomorrow, Feb. 23 with games against IUPUI and Northern Kentucky.
SIUE 5, SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 3; JACKSON STATE 4, SIUE 3
JACKSON, Miss. - The SIUE softball team split a pair of games during the second day of competition at the Jackson State Tournament Saturday, defeating Southeastern Louisiana but falling to host Jackson State.
In the first game of the day, SIUE defeated Southeastern Louisiana by a score of 5-3, the Cougars' second win in as many days over the Lady Lions.
The Cougars (3-10) took a 3-2 lead in the third inning, with Haley Chambers, Rebecca Gray, and Jordan LaFave all crossing the plate for SIUE.
After Southeastern Louisiana (2-5) tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the third, SIUE responded with runs in both the fifth and sixth inning.
Allison Smiley, coming off the first home run of her SIUE career Friday night, knocked an RBI single up the middle to score Chelsea Yankolovich in the fifth to give the Cougars a 4-3 advantage.
Chambers would add an insurance run in the sixth, delivering an RBI double that plated Rachel Keller.
Chambers was also effective in the circle against Southeastern Louisiana, picking up her second win of the season behind a complete-game performance that featured six strikeouts. The reigning OVC Freshman of the Year allowed just one earned run on four hits.
Later in the day, SIUE suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of tournament host Jackson State (5-7).
The Cougars capitalized on a pair of JSU errors to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, with Yankolovich, LaFave, and Alex McDavid each scoring a run.
The Tigers would come right back, scoring three runs of their own in the bottom half of the fourth to tie the score at 3-3 before scoring the decisive fourth run in the fifth inning.
SIUE will play its fifth and final game of the weekend when they take on Kansas Sunday at 10 a.m. The two teams have played once already this weekend, with the Jayhawks defeating the Cougars 4-3 in 10 innings Friday.
BRADLEY 8, BELMONT 7; BELMONT 2, CANISIUS 0
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Belmont Softball split a pair of contests Saturday afternoon on its final day of action at the 2014 Hilltopper Spring Fling on the campus of Western Kentucky University.
In the first game, Bradley rallied for a 8-7 victory over the Bruins while BU rebounded with a 2-0, shutout victory over Canisius. Belmont (5-6) went 2-1 on the weekend, earning victories over the Golden Griffins and Miami (Ohio).
Game 1: Bradley 8, Belmont 7
Belmont jumped out to a large advantage early in the contest as the Bruins scored seven runs in the second inning.
Mia Vierra (Palmdale, Calif.) started the scoring for BU as the senior found home plate off a Bradley throwing error in order to put the Bruins on the board. An RBI double from Jordan Daly (Humble, Tex.) and a two run home run by junior Kat Hollingsworth (Carrollton, Tex.) added to the Bruins run total.
Unfortunately Belmont failed score the rest of the contest and Bradley rallied, scoring eight runs off 10 hits.
The Bruins were held hitless through the final five innings and a solo home run from Bradley's Alex Chandler and a three-run blast from senior Madeline Lynch-Crumrine helped the Braves edge Belmont, 8-7.
Five different Bruins recorded a hit for Belmont and Hollingsworth led the way with 2 RBI on the contest.
Game 2: Belmont 2, Canisius 0
The Bruins rebounded in their second contest of the day as Belmont shutout Canisius to secure a winning record on the weekend.
Both teams started off slow offensively as the contest remained scoreless through the first five innings.
Ashley Hammer (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) helped Belmont break that stalemate as the senior notched a solo blast to left field in the sixth inning as the Bruins gained a slight, 1-0, advantage over the Golden Griffins.
BU added to its lead in the seventh inning when freshman Shirsty Stanton (Pinckneyville, Ill.) scored off a Canisius throwing error.
Belmont pitcher Carolyn Snodgress (Torrance, Calif.) secured her first win of the season as the Bruins earned its first shutout of 2014 with 2-0 victory over the Griffs.
The Bruins return to action this Wednesday, Feb. 26, as Belmont returns to Rose Park to square off against crosstown rival Lipscomb in doubleheader action starting at 3:30 p.m. (CST). Live stats will be available for the contest.
LIPSCOMB 11, SOUTEHAST MISSOURI 0; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 13, LOYOLA 3
SOUTHAVEN, Miss.- Southeast Missouri (4-3) split a pair of five-inning games at the Blues City Classic Saturday. The Redhawks lost, 11-0, to Lipscomb (11-1) and beat Loyola-Chicago (4-9), 13-3.
Southeast Missouri 13, Loyola-Chicago 3 (5 innings)
Alexis Anderson, Savannah Carpenter, Lindsey Patterson and Haylee Krack combined for eight hits, eight runs and eight RBI at the top of the lineup to lead Southeast Missouri to a 13-3 win over Loyola-Chicago.
Tied, 3-3, after four innings, Southeast loaded the bases with one out and blew the game open with 10 runs in the fifth.
Patterson and Krack each singled before Chelsea Smith flied out to center. Rachael Duncan and Jamie Woodworth then walked enabling Patterson to score the go-ahead run. Patterson scored on Woodworth's pinch hit bases on balls.
Shortly after the Ramblers made a pitching change, Renee Terry walked and Kelsey Gass delivered a pinch-hit single to push across two more runs. Alexis Anderson kept the rally going with a single to right and Terry scored with the help of an error on the play. Another hit by Patterson drove in Gass for the sixth run of the inning. Krack polished off the onslaught when she cleared the bases with her first career grand slam, stretching Southeast's lead to 13-3.
Southeast sent 13 hitters to the plate in its fifth-inning rout.
The Redhawks got on the board first when Carpenter scored on Smith's groundout to short.
Loyola-Chicago quickly took the lead during its at-bat in the first inning. Lauren Moore ripped a two-out double down the left field line to score both Brie Pasquale and Jessica Balzano, giving the Ramblers a 2-1 edge.
That lead didn't stand for long as the Redhawks added two more in the top of the second. Carpenter's first career triple brought home both Anderson and Nicole Deering with two outs.
Lauren Zaworski hit a solo home run to tie the game in the fourth.
Aubrey Denno (2-0) went the distance, allowing four hits and three runs in five innings. Denno struck out three, walked none and faced 22 hitters, as well.
Kristina Vizza suffered the loss. Vizza gave up five runs on three hits and walked two. She faced only five hitters in relief.
Southeast outhit Loyola-Chicago, 12-4. Krack went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI, Anderson went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI, Patterson finished at 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI, and Carpenter went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI at the top of the Redhawks order.
Four other Redhawks, including Smith, Duncan, Deering and Gass had a hit.
Lipscomb 11, Southeast Missouri 0 (5 innings)
Lipscomb set the tone early with seven runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back in an 11-0 victory.
Freshman Keaira Schilling allowed seven hits and seven runs in just one inning, as the Lady Bisons built their lead.
Brittany Elmore singled for the game's first hit and went to second when Paige Neely reached on a four-pitch walk. Gracey Aguierre followed with a single to load the bases. Kristen Sturdivant then smacked a two-RBI single up the middle and Kara Cartwright knocked in two more runs on a double to right center. Bridgette Begle added a base hit on the next play and moved to second on an error. Cartwright also scored on the miscue. Rena' Cothron's sacrifice fly allowed Begle to touch home, giving Lipscomb a 7-0 advantage.
Lipscomb added four more runs in the fifth.
Kasey Gibson and Jordan Abell walked, and a wild pitch advanced Gibson to third. Brianne Welch reached on a fielder's choice and Gibson scored. Elmore followed with a single to knock in Abell. Elmore later came home on a passed ball and Becca Dean plated Neely on an infield hit to finish off the 11-0 win.
Heather Parker and Taylor Neuhart combined on a two-hit shutout and Lipscomb posted 10 hits. Parker (3-1) was credited with the win after striking out four and walking one in three no-hit scoreless innings. Neuhart gave up two hits, struck out two and issued three walks in the final two frames.
Schilling (1-2) suffered the loss for Southeast.
Offensively, Anderson and Smith had the Redhawks hits.
Southeast concludes play at the Blues City Classic when it faces Ball State and Memphis Sunday.
EVANSVILLE 6, MOREHEAD STATE 3; BALL STATE 7, MOREHEAD STATE 1
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - The Morehead State softball team was outhit 21-11 in a pair of losses on day two of the Blues City Classic on Saturday at Greenbrook Softball Complex.
Evansville (3-4) scored five unearned runs in the top of the first inning and held on for a 6-3 win. In game two, Ball State (6-2) used 12 hits to defeat the Eagles 7-1.
In game one, junior third baseman Katie Raile led MSU (1-8) with two RBI singles. Senior catcher Jamie Massaro (2-for-3) drove in the other run.
Junior pitcher Tanna Seuferer (0-3) allowed six runs, one earned, on eight hits with one strikeout and a walk. MSU committed three errors, and Evansville out-hit the Eagles 9-7.
Freshman Megan Tymorek (1-4) allowed seven runs on 10 hits in four innings in the circle in game two. No MSU players had multiple hits.
Ball State scored all its runs in the middle innings. The Cardinals sent seven to the plate in a three-run third inning. MSU, which left seven runners on base, scored its lone run on a wild pitch in the third inning.
The Eagles wrap up play at the Blues City Classic on Sunday versus Loyola-Chicago. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET.
TENNESSEE TECH 6, CAMPBELL 5; NORTHWESTERN STATE 9, TENNESSEE TECH 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Day two of the Frost Classic, hosted by UT Chattanooga, ended in a split for the Tennessee Tech softball team as the Golden Eagles earned a thrilling victory over Campbell, 6-5 in nine innings, before dropping the second game to Northwestern State, 9-0.
The opener saw the Golden Eagles (4-8) stretch their win streak to four straight behind their second consecutive extra inning victory.
What began as a pitcher's duel for the first six innings between Tech's Danielle Liberatore and Campbell's Katie Baker turned into an offensive showcase over the final three frames as each team plated at least a run in five of the final six half innings.
Tech began the scoring barrage with a run in the top of the seventh to send the game into extras. Down to their final two outs and junior Angi Sakamoto on second, sophomore Madison Taylor reached on an error that allowed Sakamoto to score with the game tying run.
After Liberatore set the Camels (7-5) down in order in the bottom half of the seventh, TTU struck for three runs in the eighth. With International tie-breaker rules stating that each extra inning will begin with a runner at second, freshman Gabby Perez began the frame in scoring position.
Senior Kayla Floyd gave steam to the rally by reaching on a fielder's choice, advancing Perez to third, before fellow senior Kendall Hooper put Tech ahead with a two-run double into left center. Three batters later, the Golden Eagles added a third run on a Campbell error as Hooper touched up home.
The Camels responded to the Tech outburst with one of their own, putting up a three spot to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. After junior Brittany Bruce scored a run on an Ericka Nesbitt fielder's choice, Campbell was down to its last out with Nesbitt on first and freshman Milly Martinet at the plate.
The Loma Linda, Calif. native proceeded to smack a two-run game tying home run to push the contest into the ninth.
Senior Chelsea Burgess began the inning on second and promptly stole third base to put the potential go-ahead run just 60 feet away. Madison Taylor, the hero of Friday's two victories with game winning hits in both contests, added to her 2014 Frost Classic heroics with a go-ahead RBI triple to left center. Two batters later pinch hitter Alyssa Richards brought around Taylor with an infield knock.
The Camels made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth after scoring a one-out run on a Jordan Clarke single, but Liberatore escaped further damage by retiring the next two hitters to cap off the thrilling win.
Liberatore went all nine innings to earn her second win of the season, giving up five runs (three earned) on eight hits, while walking three and striking out an impressive 13, the fourth most in Tech history.
Freshman Katie Baker suffered her first loss of the year, working seven innings, allowing four runs (one earned) on just two hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts.
The Golden Eagles couldn't keep the momentum going in the second game as Tech went down 9-0 to Northwestern State (7-6). TTU fell into an early hole after the Demons plated two in the first and six more in the second.
Senior Brianna Rodriguez kicked off the scoring with an RBI double into right center, which was followed by a Natalie Landry run scoring single up the middle two batters later.
Already leading 2-0 in the top of the second, senior Tara McKenney padded the lead with an RBI single to left center, before Rodriguez knocked in another run with an infield single. After a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to junior Cassandra Barefield made it 5-0, freshman Micayla Sorosiak delivered a three-run double to push the Demons to an 8-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles mustered only four hits, as the combination of freshman Skylar Cagle and senior Kaylee Guidry kept Tech off the board. Cagle (3-3) earned her third win of the season, tossing three shutout innings, allowing all four TTU hits with one walk and three strikeouts mixed in.
Junior Erica Tuck was saddled with the loss as the 5-9 righty from Maryville, Tenn. was unable to get out of the first inning, surrendering two runs on four hits.
Tech did enjoy a solid relief outing by sophomore Hannah Weaver, with the Corona, Calif. native putting together four innings of one-run ball.
The Golden Eagles will close out their stay in Chattanooga on Sunday, squaring off with Radford at 12:30 p.m. CT.
AUBURN 13, JACKSONVILLE STATE 3; JACKSONVILLE STATE 2, PURDUE 1
AUBURN, Ala. - Freshman Logan Green tossed the first complete game of her career to earn a 2-1 win over Purdue after the Jacksonville State softball team fell to host Auburn to split on Saturday at the Wilson/DeMarini Classic.
The Tigers (12-1-1) got five first-inning runs and never looked back in a 13-3 defeat of the Gamecocks (11-5), but JSU bounced back to down the Boilermakers (4-6-1). Green limited Purdue to just four hits to grab the third win of her young career.
At the plate, sophomore Ella Denes went 4-for-6 on the day with a pair of singles in each game. Senior Amanda Maldonado had two hits in five at bats, including a solo home run that got JSU on the board early in the win over Purdue.
The Gamecocks drew first blood in their second game of the day, using a solo home run from Maldonado to post a 1-0 lead over Purdue in the top of the second. The blast was Maldonado's third of the season and third in the last five games.
JSU got another one in the third, an inning that was started by Denes' second single of the game and her fourth of the day. A misplay in right allowed her to advance to second just before Taylor Sloan doubled her in to make it a 2-0 JSU advantage.
The Boilermakers cut the lead in half in the home half of the third, when an Andrew Paris leadoff double, Purdue's first hit of the game, set up a run-scoring single from Ashley Burkhardt.
The two put up zeroes the rest of the way, with Green working out of a jam in the final inning. After a pinch-hit double from Gabi Brown led off the frame, Green forced Kristen Hoppman to foul out and then got a game-ending double play. CJ Parsons bounced one back to the circle and Brown tried to advance on Green's throw to first. Maldonado fired across the infield to Kalee Tabor, who applied the final out at third after Brown over slid the bag.
Green (3-1) struck out three and walked three in seven innings in the circle, where she threw 109 pitches. Purdue's ace, Lily Fecho (3-3) was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings. She struck out six and didn't issue a walk.
The Tigers grabbed the early lead in the first, when JSU starter Tiffany Harbin hit the first batter and walked the next to set up an RBI double from Kasey Cooper and a three-run home run from Branndi Melero that put AU on top 4-0. Casey Akenberger came in to relieve Harbin and gave up a solo shot to McKenzie Kilpatrick to give Auburn an early 5-0 advantage.
The Gamecocks got one back in the top of the second, thanks to a leadoff double from Cadi Oliver, who scored on a two-out single from Hayden Crawford. The Tigers stretched it in the third, however, with a three-run homer from Jade Rhodes that gave them an 8-1 lead.
The Tigers opened it up in the fourth, grabbing five more runs on a two-run double from Melero, a two-run single by Rhodes and an RBI ground out by Ashley Leon. JSU got two back in the top of the fifth on Oliver's second double of the game but fell 13-3.
Harbin (2-3) took the loss after allowing four runs on two hits and walk before leaving the game without recording an out. Akenberger pitched the final four innings and gave up nine runs on nine hits and three walks.
Hilary Maromat (1-0) earned the win after tossing all five innings, allowing three runs on eight hits in the process. She walked a pair.
The Gamecocks now take almost two weeks off before returning to the field on March 6 at the Coastal Carolina Chanticleer Challenge. They will take on the host Chanticleers in the first game at 4 p.m. CT in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
AUSTIN PEAY 8, CAMPBELL 7; TOLEDO 7, AUSTIN PEAY 2
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s softball team got RBI hits from Lauren de Castro and Mel Pavel in the top of the eighth inning, Saturday at the Frost Classic, and then held on to defeat Campbell 8-7, before falling to Toledo in the nightcap, 7-2.
Tied at 6-6, the eighth inning got started for the Lady Govs (4-10) with Laurel Burroughs being placed at second base, under international tie-breaker rules.
Burroughs would move to third base on a sacrifice by Kristin Whitmire and then score double to right-center field by de Castro – her third hit -- to make it 7-6.
Pavel would follow with her fourth hit of the game – a single to center field – to score de Castro to put the Lady Govs up two, 8-6.
Campbell (7-6) would get a runner on second to start the inning and then get the tying run on when Austin Peay starter Sidney Hooper walked Kerstine Womack.
Brianna Bartuccio would come in to relieve Hooper and immediately got Olivia Scarborough to hit into a double play.
Brittany Bruce would then single to drive in a run, but Bartuccio got Stephanie Jones to line out to Burroughs to end the game.
Hooper (1-2) got the win, while Bartuccio recorded her first save of the season.
Austin Peay had opened the day by scoring the first three runs of the game, the first on an RBI single by Pavel, with de Castro and Pavel driving in runs in the third to make it 3-0.
Campbell would answer with a single run in the bottom of the third, but Austin Peay extended its lead to 6-1, with three runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Hooper would drive in de Castro with the first run with an infield single, while Pavel scored the second run of the inning on a wild pitch.
The final run of the fifth inning scored on a single by Kayla Davidson.
The Camels would get three of the runs back in the bottom of the inning, including two off a home run by Scarborough.
Campbell would tie the game on a two-run single in the sixth by Amana Daw.
Against Toledo, Austin Peay would score first in the top of the third inning on an RBI triple by Burroughs that drove in Courtney Brower – who opened the inning with a single.
But Toledo (2-6) would respond by scoring three runs in both the third and fourth to go up 6-1, with Austin Peay never getting any closer than 6-2 the rest of the way on an RBI single by Pavel in the sixth inning.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, KANSAS 0; SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 10, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
JACKSON, Miss. -Eastern Illinois softball split day two action at the Jackson State Tournament on Saturday (Feb. 22), as the Panthers blanked Kansas, 2-0, in the first game, but were shut out by Southeastern Louisiana, 10-0, in the nightcap.
With the split, EIU now sits at 8-5 on the early-season.
Senior thrower Stephanie Maday went toe-to-toe with the Jayhawk's pitcher through five innings before the Panthers plated a pair of runs in the sixth for the margin of victory.
Sophomore Jennette Isaac led off the inning with a single to centerfield. After an out, Brooke Owens drilled a 1-2 pitch over the right centerfield fence to account for the game's only runs. The two-run bomb marked the third homer of the season for the senior.
Maday improved to 4-1 in the circle as she finished with three strikeouts and zero walks, while scattering five KU shots.
Both squads finished with five hits apiece and zero errors, as Owens went 2-for-3 at the plate, while senior Ashleigh Westover and sophomore Haylee Beck both added a single in the victory.
In the nightcap loss to Southeastern Louisiana, the visitors on the scoreboard erupted for five runs in the top of the second frame to pull ahead of the Panthers. The Lions also took advantage of a season-high six EIU miscues, as Eastern trailed the Lions in total hits, 12-to-six.
Maday fell to 4-2 on the year as she was tagged for the loss while sharing pitching duties with fellow seniors Janele Robinson and Hanna Mennenga. The trio compiled nine total strikeouts but also allowed six total runs and five walks.
Junior Bailey O'Dell led the Panther bats with two shots, with Owens, senior Reynae Hutchinson, sophomore April Markowski and Westover also delivering a hit. Cole secured a stolen base.
Panthers will finish up tourney play tomorrow afternoon with EIU set for 1 p.m. rematch versus the host Tiger unit in the weekend finale.