SUNDAY'S SCORES
Notre Dame 9,
Morehead State 0 (5)
Western Illinois 9,
Eastern Illinois 3
Miami (Ohio) 8,
Tennessee State 0 (6)
Jackson State 4,
UT Martin 2
#20 South Alabama 12,
Austin Peay 0
@Mississippi State 8,
Jacksonville State 0 (5)
Auburn, 8,
Tennessee Tech 4
@Belmont 9, Detroit 1 (5)
Eastern Kentucky 6, Florida A&M 2
ULM 7,
Tennessee Tech 0
NOTRE DAME 9, MOREHEAD STATE 0
AUBURN, Ala. - Notre Dame starting pitcher Allie Rhodes did not allow a hit, and the Morehead State softball team had three errors in a 9-0 five-inning loss Sunday at Jane B. Moore Field.
Notre Dame improves to 2-1, while the Eagles finished the Plainsman Invite 1-4.
Freshman pitcher Megan Tymorek (1-2) allowed five runs on four hits in 1.2 innings. Junior Tanna Seuferer allowed four runs, with just one earned, on three hits in 2.1 innings of relief.
The Irish scored one run in the first, five in the second and three unearned runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth.
MSU returns to action Friday versus Northern Kentucky at the Phyliss Rafter Memorial Tournament hosted by Kennesaw State. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 9, EASTERN ILLINOIS 3
CHICAGO, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball finished up season-opening weekend play at the Rosemont Rumble on Sunday (Feb. 9) morning, as the Panthers dropped a 9-3 contest to Western Illinois.
The loss moves Eastern to 2-3 on the early-season.
Sophomore April Markowski led EIU with a 2-for-3 plate performance, including a two RBI triple and a double.
Senior Reynae Hutchinson also went 2-for-3 on the day, while classmate Carly Willert added her own RBI double.
Senior Janele Robinson was tabbed for the loss in the circle off 4 1/3 innings of work. She retired four Leathernecks via strikes and had zero walks, but also fanned eight WIU hits en route to five earned runs. She now sports an even 1-1 mark in the early season.
WIU (3-0) took the early 1-0 lead in the first frame then added another run in the fourth, before erupting for a 9-0 advantage with three and four scores in their fifth and sixth innings, respectively.
Fortunately the Panthers would avoid the mercy rule shutout as Markowski's blasted a triple to centerfield to plate newcomer Hannah Rachor and senior Kaylie Pruett in the bottom of the sixth, while Willert also brought home sophomore Jennette Isaac via a double in the seventh for the final EIU scores.
For the opening weekend of action, senior Brooke Owens led all Panthers off a .400 batting average and six runs, followed by Willert's .353 mark with six runs of her own and three RBI, as she delivered two doubles, a triple and homer.
Junior Hannah Cole also touched home six times over the weekend and led all players with a six RBI weekend.
Pitching-wise, Stephanie Maday joined Robinson at 1-1 mark in the circle, and led the EIU pitching staff with a 1.91 ERA, as the two seniors combined for 19 total Ks.
Easten will now prepare for next weekend's (Feb. 14-16) Louisiana-Monroe Mardi Gras Classic, as the Panthers are set to play the host squad and Grambling twice, while also facing Houston Baptist.
JACKSON STATE 4, UT MARTIN 2
RUSTON, La. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team could not rebound from an early deficit, falling to Jackson State 4-2 on the final day of the Louisiana Tech Lady Techster Invitational.
The Skyhawks (1-3) managed just four hits on the afternoon as Taylor Manning, Casey Vincent, Renate Meckl and Deven Wilson each tallied a hit on the day. Manning continued her debut weekend with two RBIs for the Skyhawks.
Vincent (0-2) got the starting nod for the Skyhawks, tossing six innings while allowing three earned runs. She allowed just four hits while striking out five on the afternoon.
Smith and Meckl earned all-tournament team honors after a successful four-game weekend. Smith hit .455 on the weekend while hitting two home runs and tallying five RBIs. Meckl posted a .417 batting average, recording one home run while driving in two runs.
Jackson State got on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Canessa Swanson led off the game with a bunt single. After Swanson stole second, she came around to score on an RBI double to right center by Lauren Aikens. Aikens would eventually come around to score on a wild pitch to take a two-run lead into the second inning.
The Tigers added another pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. The third run of the game came off a successful double steal of second and home. JSU would add another run on the ensuing play as Swanson reached on a fielding error and Taty Givens scored from second to extend its 4-0 lead.
The Skyhawks busted into the scoring column in the top of the fifth inning. Wilson tallied a single to left field before Juli Layne came in to run. Wade then made it to second on a throwing error, moving Layne to third with two outs. Manning then came through with a single up the middle to plate the pair.
UT Martin would threaten in the sixth inning as Vincent laced a double to right center. After moving to third base on a wild pitch, Vincent was thrown out at home to end the Skyhawks final scoring threat.
The Skyhawks will return to action next week when they travel to Atlanta, Ga. for the Georgia State Tournament starting on Saturday, Feb. 15 against Indiana.
SOUTH ALABAMA 12, AUSTIN PEAY 0
MOBILE, Ala. - Austin Peay State University’s softball team couldn’t match firepower with nationally-ranked South Alabama, Sunday, in its final game of the Mardi Gras Invitational, losing to the Jaguars 12-0.
Austin Peay (1-4) only trailed South Alabama -- currently ranked 20th in the nation in the ESPN.COM/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll -- 2-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning, but saw things turn bad quickly.
Julie Moss would reach on an infield single and move to second when Kaitlyn Griffith walked.
Chloe Rathburn would follow with the Jaguars (5-0) second infield single of the inning, with Moss coming around to score, to make it 3-0, on an error by Lady Govs shortstop Kayla Davidson, who threw the ball wide on a failed flip attempt to get Griffith at second base.
A wild pitch moved both runners up a base followed by a single by Alex Breeden to dive two more runs to make it 5-0.
A second error by Davidson in the inning followed then a fielder’s choice and a walk to bring in the sixth run.
The final two South Alabama runs in the third came in by way of a fielder’s choice and an infield ground out, giving the Jaguars six run in the inning and an 8-0 lead.
The Jaguars would add on four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, highlighted by a two-run triple by Amanda Minahan.
On offense, the Lady Govs did threaten a couple of time to push runs across the plate, but couldn’t come up with the big hit.
In the second inning, senior Lauren de Castro – who was the lone Lady Gov to be named to the all-tournament team -- opened the inning by drawing a walk and move into scoring position by stealing second base.
de Castro would move over to third on a groundball out by freshman Sidney Hooper, but the Jaguars got freshman Vinchenza DiBenedetto to ground out to end the threat.
But the best scoring chance for Austin Peay came in the top of the third inning, when freshman Fatima Larios opened the inning with an infield single and moved to second when sophomore Courtney Brower drew a walk.
An out later, junior Laurel Burroughs walked to load the bases with just the one out and the Lady Govs number three and four hitters coming up.
But fifth-year senior Kristin Whitmire strikeout looking and de Castro fouled out to the catcher to strand the three runners on base.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 8, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State jumped on the Jacksonville State softball team with a four-run second inning and never looked back before claiming an 8-0 win in the finale of the MSU Bulldog Kickoff Classic on Sunday.
The Bulldogs (5-0) wrapped up a perfect weekend and defeated the Gamecocks (3-2) for the second time to win their home tournament. The eight runs were plenty for MSU starter Alison Owens, who tossed a one-hitter in the win.
The Gamecocks wrapped up an impressive weekend at MSU, nonetheless, one that saw them hit .346 and score 34 runs in five games. They picked up a pair of mercy-rule wins over Mississippi Valley State and another over Northern Kentucky to finish with the second-best record in the field.
Four JSU players hit over .400 in the event, including a pair of freshmen in Taylro Sloan and Jamie McGuire. Sloan was 5-for-9 (.556) with a homer and three RBI, while McGuire was 4-for-9 (.444) in the collegiate debuts for the two.
Sophomore Cadi Oliver had a monster weekend at the plate for JSU, going 5-for-10 with eight RBI. She posted a 1.100 slugging percentage, thanks to a home run, a double and a triple. Junior Sara Borders was 6-for-14 over the three days, while senior Kalee Tabor hit two homers and drove in five runs with her .385 average.
On Sunday, Owen (2-0) was too much for the Gamecocks. She struck out six and threw just 79 pitches, 58 for strikes. She took a perfect game into the fifth before a McGuire double to right center gave JSU its first baserunner.
She got four runs in the second, before solo homers from Logan Foulks in the third and Caroline Seitz in the fourth gave her a 6-0 lead. Two more runs in the fifth ended the game.
Sophomore Casey Akenberger (1-1) suffered the loss for JSU after giving up five runs on five hits and four walks in two innings in the circle. Senior Tiffany Harbin pitched the final 2.2 and surrendered three runs on four hits and two walks in the process.
The Gamecocks will return to action, when they travel to Charleston, S.C., to play in the Charleston Southern Tournament. They will open against Maine at 10 a.m. CT on Friday before facing host Charleston Southern at 2 p.m.
BELMONT 9, DETROIT 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont softball used a grand slam by sophomore Jessica Wilson in the first inning in its final game of the 2014 Music City Classic Sunday afternoon as the Bruins defeated Detroit, 9-1, in five innings at Rose Park.
More to come...
MIAMI (OHIO) 8, TENNESSEE STATE 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee State fell to Miami of Ohio in their final game of the Music City Classic. The Tigers fell to 1-3 on the young season after an 8-0 defeat at the hands of the Redhawks who improved to 2-2.
Miami would put up three runs in their first plate appearance and continued to add on over the next five innings. The Tigers tried to get back into the game early with a hit in each of the first two innings, but Kate Morris and Carmen Hill both were stranded on the base paths after they earned two-out singles in the first and second innings, respectively.
Morris reached base again with a walk to lead off in the bottom of the fourth and reached third base, but once again was left on base as the inning ended.
Lindsey Burgess picked up the third hit of the game for the Tigers to lead off the bottom of the sixth as TSU trailed 8-0. The RedHawks were able to turn a double play to end any chances of the Tigers extending the game to the seventh inning.
Hannah St. Clair (0-1) took the loss in her first career start. The freshman hurler surrendered six hits and four runs over her two innings of work. Olivia Gamache entered in the third and worked 3.2 innings. The senior was touched for four runs, two earned, on five hits, as she picked up two strikeouts. Gamache made way for Shea Morris who came in to face two batters in the top of the sixth.
Tennessee State will travel to the state of Arizona for six games next week. The Tigers will face #6 Arizona State in Tempe on Thursday evening before traveling to Tucson to take part in the Hillenbrand Invitational over the weekend.