SUNDAY'S SCORES
St. Mary's 6,
Belmont 0
Murray State 1, IPFW 0
Eastern Illinois 1, Bryant 0
Eastern Kentucky 4, Wright State 0
Tennessee State 8, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0 (5)
Murray State 11, South Dakota 0 (5)
Eastern Illinois 2, Furman 0
Tennessee Tech 5, Kent State 2
Winthrop 5,
Eastern Kentucky 1
ST. MARY'S 6, BELMONT 0
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Belmont Softball was shutout by St. Mary's, 6-0, in their final game of the LMU Invitational on the campus of Loyola Marymount University.
St. Mary's knocked in five runs off five hits in the first inning as the Gaels shutout the Bruins on the final day of BU's California road trip.
Christine Torrise paced SMC on the day as the right fielder went 3-for-4 at the plate. Catcher Andrea Hazel added a pair of RBI for the Gaels who defeated the Bruins for the second time in the weekend invitational.
Belmont (6-11) bats fell silent as the Bruins were held to just three hits on the day.
The Bruins will return home to Nashville for a Wednesday doubleheader against Alabama A&M at 3:30 p.m. (EST) at Rose Park.
TENNESSEE STATE 8, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Two four-run innings solidify the championship for Tennessee State in the 2014 Tiger Invitational. TSU exploded in the fourth and fifth innings to claim a five-inning, 8-0 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and capped a perfect 5-0 record during the three-day event.
With the win, TSU improves to 12-15 on the season and records the fourth five-game win streak in program history, matching a streak in 2004. It is the first of its kind since the start of the 2009 season when the Tigers opened 9-0. In 2006, the Tigers won six in a row.
TSU is now 8-2 over the last 10 games.
Eight Tigers collected a hit on Sunday, led by Tayler Shimizu and Courtney Gearlds who each finished 2-for-2. Shimizu scored twice, drove in three and recorded her first extra base hit of her career with a double in the fourth. Gearlds scored once and plated two runs on the day.
The duo was named to the all-tournament team.
Shimizu drove in the first two runs of the game in the fourth inning as she hit the Tigers’ third double in a row as she chased home Rebekka Gross and Kiarra Freeman. Gearlds followed by reaching base when she was hit by a pitch for the 11th time this season. Liz Stansberry reached base on an errant throw on a sacrifice bunt to load the bases for Lindsey Burgess. The sophomore, who batted .500 over the course of the invitational, singled up the middle to bring home Shimizu and Gearlds to give TSU a 4-0 lead.
That would be all Shea Morris (7-6) would need as she picked up her first shutout of the year. The junior threw a one-hitter, while striking out seven Golden Lions.
The Tigers would make the Morris performance stand by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to close out the game. TSU loaded the bases as Jayna Hanawahine was hit by a pitch and Gross and Freeman were issued walks. Shimizu plated Hanawahine on a single deep into the hole at shortstop. The Tigers tacked on two more as Gearlds singled up the middle to score Gross and Freeman. The game ended as Shimizu scored off a Burgess grounder.
Morris was named to the all-tournament team as she appeared in all five games and finished 2-0 with three saves. The Lawrenceburg native did not allow a run and yielded just four hits in 12.2 innings of work. Morris struck out 22 batters and was a part of three shutouts.
Burgess was named the Invitational MVP picking up eight hits in 16 at bats with two doubles and a home run. Burgess scored five times and drove in seven.
The Tigers will travel to face #17 Georgia before returning home to begin Ohio Valley Conference play.
TENNESSEE TECH 5, KENT STATE 2
ATHENS, Ga. - A big day at the plate for freshman Alyssa Richards, coupled with a strong outing on the rubber by sophomore Hannah Weaver (3-6) was the recipe for success for the Tennessee Tech softball team, as the Golden Eagles (8-15) downed Kent State (10-7) 5-2 in the UGA Softball Invitational finale.
Richards kick started the Tech offense in the first inning, smacking a two-run home run to left center three batters into game to give the Golden Eagles an early 2-0 lead. It was the second long ball of the week for the Italy, Texas native, after Richards went yard in Tech's home-opening doubleheader against Holy Cross back on Wednesday.
An inning later Richards and the rest of the TTU offense was at it again, putting up a three spot to push the Golden Eagles advantage to a comfortable 5-0. Three out of the first four Tech batters singled in the second, with sophomores Olivia Bennett and Cortney Fry along with senior Kendall Hooper doing the honors.
With the bases loaded and one down, Richards pushed across TTU's third run of the game thanks to a bases loaded walk for her third RBI of the contest. Junior Angi Sakamoto followed the Richards walk with a two-run single to center, bringing around Fry and Hooper to extend the Tech lead to 5-0.
Richards would go on to add a single in the sixth for her second hit of the game, as she would finish the tilt going 2-for-3 with a walk, three RBI's and one run scored.
The comfortable cushion was in good hands for Tech, as Hannah Weaver took a shutout into the seventh inning, before allowing a two-run home run to sophomore Chloe Kesterson with none away in the frame.
Weaver would bounce back to retire the next three hitters to earn her third victory of the season. The Corona, Calif. native scattered seven hits in the complete game effort, while walking none and striking out two.
Across the way, Kent State freshman Janel Hayes (1-1) was tagged with the first loss of her collegiate career after lasting an inning and two-thirds and giving up five earned on six hits.
The Golden Eagles will return home on Tuesday, Mar. 11, matching up with in-state foe Lipscomb for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. CT.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 4, WRIGHT STATE 0; WINTRHOP 5, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
ROCK HILL, S.C. – For the second consecutive day, the Eastern Kentucky University softball team split a pair of games at the Winthrop/adidas Invitational. The Colonels took care of Wright State in the first game, 4-0, before dropping a 5-1 decision to host Winthrop.
Eastern (9-9) scored two runs in the fourth and fifth innings to pull away from Wright State. Junior Katie Tackett went 3-for-4 at the plate, which included an RBI single in the fifth. Sophomores Kayla Joyce and Sarah Fobbs produced RBIs as well.
However, the story of the Wright State game was the pitching from junior Leanna Pittsenbarger (7-4). The righty tossed her eighth complete game and fourth shutout of the season versus the Raiders. Over Pittsenbarger’s last 47.2 innings pitched, she has allowed a total of two earned runs. The opposition is currently hitting a paltry .121 against Pittsenbarger.
In Sunday’s finale, Winthrop scored three runs in the first inning and cruised to the victory. The Colonels scored their lone run in the seventh, on a Fobbs’ solo shot.
EKU continues its Spring Break road trip Tuesday, March 11 at South Carolina.
MURRAY STATE 1, IPFW 0; MURRAY STATE 11, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 0
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -The Murray State softball team opened Evansville’s 2014 Aces Invitational on Sunday with a pair of wins over IPFW and South Dakota State. In the opener, the Racers ground out a 1-0 win over IPFW and followed it up with an 11-0, five inning victory over South Dakota State
Game 1 – Murray St. 1 (9-7), IPFW 0 (14-6)
In the opener, Casey Castile gave Murray State all the offense it needed in the game with a solo home run in the top of the fifth, her first of the season. The Racers were only able to scrape four hits off of Mastodon pitcher Megan Flenniken, but the one by Castile proved to be all they would need. Castile ended the game at 2-for-3, while Mo Ramsey and Leslie Bridges also tallied hits in the contest.
Mason Robinson also played a huge role in the game as she tossed a complete game shutout to move to 4-2 on the year. The freshman allowed just three hits over seven innings of work while striking out three and walking none. She also negated a lead-off double in the top of the seventh by retiring the final three batter including striking out the final one looking.
Game 2 – Murray St. 11 (10-7), South Dakota St. 0 (5-10) (5 Innings)
In game two, the Racers offense was on full display as they pounded out 11 runs on 12 hits. The game marked the sixth time this season that Murray State has posted at least 10 hits in a contest.
Castile got the scoring started for the Racers by continuing her hot hitting from game one with a two-RBI double in the top of the second. Castile finished the game at 2-for-2 and ended the day at 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, a walk and four RBIs.
In the third, the Racers busted the game wide open with seven runs in the frame that was capped by a three-run blast from Maggie Glass, her first as a collegiate player. Castile and Twaddle both drew bases loaded walks in the inning, while Jocelyn Rodgers drove in two runs on a single.
Murray State capped its scoring in the fifth with a two-run home run by Alexa Becker that also drove in Cayla Levins, who reached on a single. Along with Castile and Glass, Levins was one of three Racers to finish the game with two hits.
CheyAnne Gaskey threw a complete game one-hitter to pick up her fifth win of the season. Over five innings, Gaskey allowed no runs on only one hit with three strikeouts and just one walk.
The Racers will return to Cooper Stadium on Monday for their final two games in the Aces Invitational. Murray State will open the day at 10:30 a.m., against South Dakota State, followed by IPFW at 2:30 p.m.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 1, BRYANT 0; EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, FURMANT 0
CONWAY, S.C. - Eastern Illinois softball improved to 15-6 overall, as the Panthers picked up respective 1-0 and 2-0 shutouts over Bryant and Furman at the rain-shortened Coastal Carolina Chanticleer Challenge on Sunday (March 9).
EIU utilized the long ball to pick up the two victories as sophomore April Markowski and senior Brooke Owens each delivered game-winning home runs on the day.
In the first game shutout of the Bears, Markowski smashed a shot over the left centerfield fence in the bottom of the second frame to account for the margin of victory.
Owens, meanwhile, drilled her own two-run blast over the same spot in the top of the first frame to also plate classmate Carly Willert.
The senior pitching duo of Stephanie Maday and Hanna Mennenga shined in the circle for EIU as Maday improved to 5-3 on the season with the complete game shutout of Bryant and Mennenga now owns a 9-1 record following her blanking of Furman.
The two combined for 13 total strikeouts as Maday retired nine Bryant batters via strikes, behind zero walks and allowing just three hits. Mennenga, meanwhile, added four Ks of her own with only one walk and limited the Paladins to a single hit.
Team-wise, the Panthers delivered 12 total hits on the day, while allowing just four base hits. Markowski led the way for EIU with a 3-for-4 plate performance overall, followed by Willert's 3-for-7 mark.
Junior Bailey O'Dell added a double as seven different players earned at least one hit in the two-game sweep. Seniors Morgan Biel, Reynae Hutchinson and Kaylie Pruett, along with junior Hannah Cole, all secured a stolen base on the day.
Eastern will finish up the spring break South Carolina road swing tomorrow and Tuesday, as the Panthers are set to face CCU in a scheduled Monday noon doubleheader, followed by a 1 p.m. twinbill at East Carolina the next afternoon.