SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 5, UT Martin 0
@Eastern Kentucky 12, UT Martin 4 (5)
@Murray State 7, Belmont 2
@Murray State 5, Belmont 0
@Jacksonville State 10, SIUE 4
SIUE, @Jacksonville State 1
Eastern Illinois 5, @Tennessee Tech 4
@Tennessee Tech 10, Eastern Illinois 2 (5)
@Morehead State 7, Southeast Missouri 6
@Morheead State 7, Southeast Missouri 4
@Austin Peay 2, Tennessee State 0
Tennessee State 12, @Austin Peay 11
EASTERN KENTUCKY 5, UT MARTIN 0; EASTERN KENTUCKY 12, UT MARITN 4
RICHMOND, Ky. - The weather may have been a bit cool outside Sunday afternoon, but the Eastern Kentucky University softball team’s bats were hot in a doubleheader sweep over UT Martin at Gertrude Hood Field.
The Colonels (14-12, 4-2 OVC) won the opener, 5-0, before pulling away for a 12-4 triumph in game two.
Senior Christina Ciolek recorded a career-high four hits and knocked in two runs in the first game. Ciolek added a hit in the second game to extend her hitting streak to nine games. Meanwhile, sophomore Sarah Fobbs, who hit two home runs yesterday versus Southeast Missouri, hit two more home runs in the second game against the Skyhawks (13-15-1, 4-2).
Junior pitcher Leanna Pittsenbarger (10-6) hurled her sixth shutout of the season in the opener. UT Martin only managed one hit against Pittsenbarger and that came with two outs in the sixth inning.
The Colonels quickly grabbed the lead in the first inning of the opener thanks to a Fobbs two-out RBI single. EKU then added four insurance runs in the fourth. Freshman Krislyn Campos and Ciolek each came through with two-run singles in that frame.
There were plenty of fireworks in the second game. UTM hit a pair of solo home runs to grab a 2-1 lead after the top of the fourth inning.
However, Eastern Kentucky exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fourth to break open the game. Fobbs started the inning with a solo home run to center field to even the score at 2-all. Freshman Amber Murray gave the Colonels the lead for good with a pinch-hit, two-run single through the middle of the infield.
Following a Ciolek RBI hit, Fobbs capped the frame with a three-run blast to left center field.
The Colonels ended the game in the fifth behind a Campos two-run double.
For the weekend, Ciolek hit .643 (9-of-14) with five RBIs while Fobbs hit .583 (7-of-12) with four home runs and seven RBIs.\
JACKSONVILLE STATE 10, SIUE 4; SIUE 5, JACKSONVILLE STATE 1
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Jacksonville Softball team rolled to a 10-4 win in the opener before dropping the nightcap 5-1 in a doubleheader split with Southern Illinois Edwardsville on Sunday afternoon.
The Gamecocks (19-8, 5-2 OVC) scored five run in the first inning of the first game and never looked back, but the Cougars (11-16, 5-1 OVC) got a gem from Haley Chambers in the second game.
Senior Amanda Maldonado went 4-for-5, walked and was hit by a pitch in the twinbill, while freshman Taylor Sloan drove in a team-high three runs to lead a JSU team that hit .345 on the day. Sophomore Ella Denes also had four hits, two in each game.
In the first game, the Gamecocks jumped on the Cougars in the first inning and never looked back. They scored five runs on five hits in the first, one that was started by a double and single from Ella Denes and Taylor Sloan to set up an RBI single from Sara Borders. An Erin Greenwalt wild pitch scored the next run and set up a two-run single from Savannah Sloan. Stephanie Lewis capped the scoring with a sac fly and put starter Tiffany Harbin ahead 5-0.
The Cougars got one back in the second and another in the third, before JSU erupted for five more runs in the home half of the third. Hayden Crawford and Denes singled in runs to set up a two-run double from Taylor Sloan. Denes scored on an illegal pitch to make it a 10-2 JSU lead.
The Cougars avoided the mercy rule with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth but couldn't get anything else going against Harbin. The Hazel Green, Ala., native grabbed the win and improved to 7-4 on the year by holding the Cougars to four runs, just one earned, on seven hits. She struck out six and walked two in seven innings, her ninth complete game in 12 starts this season.
Greewalt (5-6) suffered the loss after surrendering 10 earned runs on nine hits and four walks in just 2.1 innings in the circle. Alexis Kohrs turned in her best outing in relief this season, holding JSU scoreless on five hits and a walk in 3.2 innings of work.
Senior Amanda Maldonado went 3-for-3 with a walk to reach on all four trips to the plate for JSU, who racked up 14 hits in the game. Denes, Taylor Sloan, Savannah Sloan and Crawford each had two hits, while the Sloan duo drove in two runs apiece.
Kayla Riggs had two of SIUE's hits in a 2-for-2 game that also saw her score twice.
The Gamecocks got a quick run in the first inning of the second game, another one that was started by Denes. She singled through the right side on the second pitch of the inning, moved to second on an illegal pitch and then to third on a passed ball. Taylor Sloan then lifted a sac fly into left that scored Denes and gave JSU the early 1-0 lead.
Logan Green cruised through the SIUE linup for six innings, before the Cougars got something going in the seventh. Allison Smiley and Alex McDavid singled to set up an RBI double from Haley Chambers that tied it at 1-1. Whitney Lanphier then singled to give SIUE its first lead of the day. The Cougars would score again before the inning was seemingly ended when Brittany Toney left third base while the ball was in the circle. The umpiring crew met in the infield and reversed the call, keeping the inning alive and allowing the Cougars to score three more and take a 5-1 lead.
The Gamecocks loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't get a run across against Chambers, who grabbed the win in the circle. She tossed all seven innings and gave up just one unearned run on five hits, while striking out six and walking four.
Green (4-2) suffered a tough loss in a game that saw her pitch well. She held the Cougars scoreless on two hits through six innings before giving up five runs, three earned, in the seventh. She struck out five and didn't issue a walk in her third complete game of the season and her second in as many days.
MOREHEAD STATE 7, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6; MOREHEAD STATE 7, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State softball team scored 14 runs over two games in a sweep of Southeast Missouri on Sunday at University Field. The Eagles held on for a 7-6 victory in the opener and outscored SEMO 4-0 in the last four innings of a 7-4 game-two victory.
It was the first doubleheader sweep of the season for MSU (6-15, 3-3 Ohio Valley Conference), which scored 11 of its runs in the first three innings of the contests. SEMO fell to 6-16 overall and 1-3 in the league.
Sophomore left fielder Lizzy Margagliotti finished the day 5-for-6, including a 3-for-3 performance in the nightcap. Junior third baseman Katie Raile reached base safely in five straight trips before being retired in her third at-bat during game two. The Naples, Fla., native had four hits, including a pair of doubles in game two.
Sophomore first baseman Dana Hutchins and senior second baseman Stephanie Etter each had a pair of hits in games one and two, respectively.
Three Redhawks had a pair of hits in game one. Savannah Carpenter and Haylee Krack picked up three hits apiece in game two for SEMO.
In the opener, senior catcher Jamie Massaro had what proved to be the game-winning RBI with a double in the bottom of the third.
Rachael Duncan (2-for-4) led the Redhawks with a pair of RBI.
Junior pitcher Tanna Seuferer (2-6) picked up the victory in game one, as she allowed six runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings of work. Senior Kelcey McMurray earned her first save of the season by allowing just two hits in 2.2 innings.
Keaira Schilling (2-6) allowed six runs in seven hits in 2.1 innings in the loss.
MSU trailed 4-3 in game two, before outscoring the Redhawks 3-0 the rest of the way.
Megan Tymorek (4-8) pitched her fourth complete game of the season, while allowing four runs on seven hits with a career-high seven strikeouts and four walks.
Hannah Durham (2-5) allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits in 3.2 innings.
MURRAY STATE 7, BELMONT 2; MURRAY STATE 5, BELMONT 0
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State softball team put together one of its most complete performances of the year on Sunday in a doubleheader sweep of Belmont. The Racers scored a combined 12 runs on the afternoon while only allowing two, posting a 7-2 win in game one and a 5-0 win in game two. After losing its six previous games, MSU has now won four in a row.
The Racers were first on the board in the opener when Maggie Glass scored on an error by Belmont’s Kirbie Ferrell during Mo Ramsey’s at bat in the third inning. Glass reached earlier in the frame on a single through the right side and moved to second on single to left by Shelbey Miller.
Murray State did the majority of its damage in the fourth, scoring four runs on four hits and one Bruin error in the frame. Alexa Becker led off the inning with a single and was soon joined on the base paths by Mallory Young and Casey Castile who reached on a walk and a single, respectively.
The trio was brought home in the next at bat when Jocelynn Rodgers doubled to left center, allowing enough time for all three Racers to cross the plate. Two batters later, Rodgers scored on Miller’s second hit of the game, a single up the middle.
MSU went on to add a run in each of the next two innings with an RBI-double from Young and a RBI-single from Becker. Despite trailing 7-0 in the seventh, Belmont did not give up and cut the lead to 7-2 on a long ball from Jordan Daly, her first of the year. That would be as close as Belmont would get however, as relief pitcher J.J. Francis retired three of the next four batters to close out the win for Murray State.
Miller led MSU in the game by going 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Becker was 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI. CheyAnne Gaskey went six innings for the Racers in the circle, giving up no runs on just two hits with only one walk and a season-high eight strikeouts.
In the finale, MSU busted the game wide open in the second inning, scoring four runs on four hits. Casey Castile drove in the first run of the game with a double to left center that scored pinch runner Mallory Richardson. Following Castile, Morgan Harrell singled before both runners advanced one base on a sacrifice from Maggie Glass.
In the next at bat, Shelbey Miller scored Castile with a single straight up the middle and advanced to second base on the throw. A wild pitch by Mia Vierra allowed Harrell to score during Mo Ramsey’s at bat to give MSU a 3-0 lead. Ramsey then made it 4-0 when she also sent one up the middle, allowing Miller to score in the process.
Murray State capped its scoring in the fourth, which began with three straight single from Glass Miller and Ramsey. Jessica Twaddle did the honors for the Racers in the frame, driving home Glass on a ground out to first base.
It was another great performance by the Murray State pitching staff in the game, as Mason Robinson and J.J. Francis combined for the shutout. Robison allowed just two hits over six innings of work with two walks and four strikeouts, while Francis tossed the final frame and gave up one hit with a walk and a strikeout.
Miller once again had a big game for MSU going 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI, while Ramsey turned in an identical line minus the run. Castile also came up huge for MSU by going 2-for-3 in the finale with a RBI, a run and a stolen base.
AUSTIN PEAY 2, TENNESSEE STATE 0; TENNESSEE STATE 12, AUSTIN PEAY 11
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s Lauren de Castro picked up her fourth shutout of the season, Sunday at Cheryl Holt Field, as the Lady Govs defeated Tennessee State 2-0 before dropping a nine-inning slugfest 12-11 in the nightcap of the Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader.
The senior right-hander from Torrance, Calif., de Castro (9-6) limited Tennessee State (14-20, 2-4 OVC) to six hits – all singles – while striking out six and walking none.
Austin Peay (14-15, 3-3 OVC) scored its two runs in the third inning, with Marissa Lake and Kayla Davidson opening the inning with back-to-back singles.
Davidson finished Game 1 with two hits, while teammate Kristin Whitmire had the only extra-base hit for either team with a second-inning double.
A sacrifice by Mel Pavel moved Lake and Davidson to second and third, followed by de Castro ripping a single into left field scoring the pair for the 2-0 lead.
The Tigers would have a couple of scoring chances in the in the fourth and fifth innings – getting a runner in scoring position at second base – but de Castro ended both threats with strikeouts to end the innings.
Shea Morris (7-7) took the loss for TSU, giving up seven hits and one walk, while striking out three.
As much as Game 1 was a pitcher’s duel, Game 2 was just the opposite with the two teams combining for 33 hits and 23 runs in a nine-inning marathon.
Tennessee State would start things off by scoring its first runs of the day by plating two runs in the top of the first inning on RBI singles by Rebekka Gross and Ashley Haynes.
Austin Peay would answer right back in the bottom of the inning with de Castro blasting a two-run homer out to center field – also driving in Lake who had opened the inning with a single.
The Lady Govs would take the lead 3-2 in the second inning on an RBI single by Amanda De Vries, with TSU tying the game with a sacrifice fly by Gross in the third.
It would still be 3-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Lady Govs would take advantage of an error, wild pitch and a ball lost in the sun to score three runs.
Pavel would reach with a one-out single to start things out, followed by TSU second baseman Courtney Gearlds not being able to field a de Castro groundball cleanly.
Vinchenza DiBenedetto has then hit by a pitch to load the bases, followed by a sacrifice fly by Laurel Burroughs to make it 4-3.
A wild pitch on a missed third strike to Whitmire allowed her to reach base, while de Castro scored from third making it 5-3.
The final run of the inning came on a double by Sidney Hooper, which was lost in the sun by TSU center fielder Kiarra Freeman.
Tennessee State would cut the Lady Govs lead to 6-4 in the top of the sixth inning, with Taylor Shimizu scoring on a wild pitch.
Austin Peay looked to put the game away in the bottom of the inning when de Castro ripped her second home run of the game out on a line drive over the left field fence, also scoring Lake to put the Lady Govs up four runs, 8-4.
But the top of the seventh inning was a nightmare for the Lady Govs as Tennessee State scored five runs on seven hits to take a 9-8 lead.
Freeman would drive in two runs in the inning, while Gross, Haynes and Liz Stansberry drove in one run each.
Austin Peay would rally to tie the game 9-9 in the bottom of the seventh, with Courtney Brower getting hit by a pitch to open the inning, move to second base on a sacrifice by De Vries, and score after moving to third base on a ground out by Lake came out around on a bad throw to third by TSU first baseman Janya Hanawahine.
An error by Davidson in the eighth inning opened the door for TSU to score twice, with Stansberry taking advantage by dropping a double into short left field scoring Gross and Haynes.
The Tigers would return the favor in the bottom of the inning, with de Castro reaching on an error by Stansberry to open the inning, and two outs and a walk later to Whitmire, scored on a triple by Brower to tie the game 11-11.
But it would be TSU that would push across the final run, with Freeman reaching on an infield single, move to second on a wild pitch, and score on a single by Kate Morris.
Freeman and Hanawahine had four hits each for TSU, while Morris recorded three hits.
DiBenedetto, Whitmire and de Castro had two hits each for Austin Peay.
Shea Morris (8-7) pitched the final three innings in picking up the win, while de Castro took the loss in relief.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, TENNESSEE TECH 4; TENNESSEE TECH 10, EASTERN ILLINOIS 2
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - For the second straight day, Eastern Illinois softball earned an Ohio Valley Conference split as the Panthers topped the host Golden Eagles in a late-game 5-4 comeback, before dropping a six-inning nightcap, 10-2.
With the consecutive split, the Panthers now own a 20-9 overall mark and even 2-2 record in early-season league action. TTU, meanwhile, improved to 9-24 (1-6) as the second game win helped the home team snap a nine-game losing streak following the first game defeat.
For the series, senior Carly Willert led the EIU hitters for the second straight game, as she finished 3-for-5 at the plate with an RBI, sac bunt, stolen base, and two assists.
Junior Hannah Cole paced Eastern with three RBI off two hits, including her fourth homer of the season and five total bases, as senior Reynae Hutchinson connected on the eventual game-winning two-RBI double in the Sunday afternoon opener.
In the opening contest, the host Eagles enjoyed an early 3-0 advantage, but Cole's two-out bomb over the left field fence helped the Panthers get on the board in the top of the fourth. But Tech would pad their lead to 4-1 in their half of the same frame.
Then in the top of the sixth, Willert got things going with a sac bunt RBI to plate senior Morgan Biel from third. Then with bases loaded, Cole's RBI shot to left would bring home sophomore Jennette Isaac to make the score 5-3 with just one out.
That's when Hutchinson delivered her ultimate winning shot to score Willert and classmate Brooke Owens, who had reached base earlier after being hit by a pitch.
Pitcher Stephanie Maday would earn the win in relief for starter Hanna Mennenga. The senior duo would combine for 10 strikeouts in the game with five apiece, as well as a walk each. Maday didn't allow a TTU hit or run to improve to 8-4 in the circle.
The win marked the second one-run, come-from-behind victory in early-league action, as EIU stranded just two runners as compared to eight for the Golden Eagles. Tech did out-hit the Panthers, nine-to-six, while both squads committed a pair of errors in the opener.
The host squad once again jumped ahead in the nightcap, leading 3-0 following two frames, before adding three runs via the long ball in the fourth.
However, EIU would again make things interesting as the Panthers plated a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. However, four additional scores in the sixth would give the Golden Eagles the mercy-rule, 10-2, win.
Maday was unfortunately tabbed for the loss as she pitched nearly four full innings, adding five additional strikeouts and a trio of walks. Freshman Hannah Rachor saw her second action in the circle of the season, coming in relief to secure her first K of her career.
TTU would again lead EIU in hits (10-to-four), and stranded runners (six-to-two), while EIU committed a pair of miscues.
EIU will now prepare for a mid-week non-conference single-game versus regional foe Valparaiso this Thursday (March 27) as the Panthers will finally open the home portion of their schedule. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Williams Field.