FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 7, Murray State 0
@Eastern Kentucky 4, Murray State 2
Jacksonville State 9, @Southeast Missouri 0
Jacksonville State 9, @Southeast Missouri 0
Eastern Illinois 11, @Belmont 2
Eastern Illinois 3, @Belmont 1
SIUE 4, @Tennessee State 2
SIUE 2, @Tennessee State 1
@Morehead State 11, Austin Peay 3
@Morehead State 3, Austin Peay 2
Tennessee Tech 6, @UT Martin 2
@UT Martin 3, Tennessee Tech 1
JACKSONVILLE STATE 9, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0; JACKSONVILLE STATE 9, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Logan Green's first career no-hitter highlighted a pair of pitching gems and the Jacksonville State softball team erupted at the plate to sweep an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Southeast Missouri on Friday.
The Gamecocks (31-12, 15-4 OVC) got a three-hit shutout from senior Tiffany Harbin in a 9-0 win in the first game against the Redhawks (7-27, 2-14 OVC), but Green bested the JSU ace in the second game. She allowed just two baserunners on a pair of walks for her first no-hitter in her young JSU career.
Junior Sara Borders had a 4-for-4 second game that saw her double three times, tying the school record for doubles in a game. She joins Wendy McKibbin, Daniela Pappano and Kylie Chandler as the only four JSU players to double three times in the same game.
The twinbill sweep puts the Gamecocks over 30 wins for the 17th time in 21 years under head coach Jana McGinnis.
In the first game, senior Amanda Maldonado led the charge at the plate, while senior Tiffany Harbin kept doing what she's been doing in the circle. Maldonado went 2-for-2 with a double, homer, sac fly and five RBI in the game, while senior Kalee Tabor and junior Sara Borders also added long balls.
Harbin (13-6) continued her dominance against OVC competition with her seventh shutout in 11 OVC starts this season. She dropped her earned run average against conference foes to 0.97, and she has now put up a zero in 66 of her 72 innings pitched in conference play this season. Her five scoreless in Friday's win give her 19 straight scoreless frames against OVC hitters.
JSU got on the board early in the first game, thanks to a second-inning double from Maldonado that scored Savannah Sloan from first and gave the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead. A leadoff homer from Sara Borders, her OVC-leading 12th of the year, got the third started before Maldonado's second RBI of the game on a sac fly made it 3-0 JSU.
The power picked up in the fourth, when Kalee Tabor's 11th homer of the year, a three-run blast, made it 6-0 in JSU's favor. Maldonado saved her biggest swing for her final at bat of the game, connecting on a three-run blast of her own to give JSU the final 9-0 advantage.
Aubrey Denno (3-7) took the loss for SEMO in the circle in game one after surrendering three runs on five hits in three innings of work. Hannah Durham tossed the other two innings, allowing six runs on four hits and two walks.
Tabor and freshman Stephanie Lewis each went 2-for-3 at the plate for JSU, who scattered nine hits throughout its lineup.
In the nightcap, the Gamecocks loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning but only managed one run. That came on a Cadi Oliver sac fly into foul territory in left field that scored Ella Denes and gave JSU a 1-0 lead.
Redhawks starter Keaira Schilling almost worked out of another jam in the third, when Borders led off with a double. She got Tabor on strikes and then induced a fly ball from Oliver for the second out, but a grounder to third by Savannah Sloan was misplayed to allow Borders to score and give JSU a 2-0 advantage.
Borders doubled again in the fourth, this time driving in a pair of runs to make it a 4-0 JSU game. Tabor followed with a sac fly to center that scored Taylor Sloan and gave the Gamecocks a 5-0 advantage.
A pair of doubles sandwiched by a Taylor Sloan sac fly did the damage in a four-run fifth inning, one that saw a two-run double from Ella Denes start it and Borders' third of the game finish it.
Green struck out just one but got 11 ground ball outs from the 17 batters she faced. She needed just 54 pitches to shut down the Redhawk offense and to improve to 9-2 on the season and 5-1 in league play.
Schilling (2-10) gave up nine runs on nine hit in her five innings to suffer the loss.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 7, MURRAY STATE 0; EASTERN KENTUCKY 4, MURRAY STATE 2
RICHMOND, Ky. - Junior Lauren Mitchell came up with the key hit in game two to propel the Eastern Kentucky University softball team to a doubleheader sweep over OVC foe Murray State Friday afternoon. The Colonels won by scores of 7-0 and 4-2.
With the sweep, EKU (24-15, 12-5 OVC) improves to 9-2 at home this season. Murray State (24-20, 11-7) had won seven straight games entering today’s twin bill.
Junior pitcher Leanna Pittsenbarger (16-7) picked up both wins for the Colonels. In the opener, the righty tossed her ninth shutout while only allowing three hits. Pittsenbarger reached double-figure strikeouts (13) for the 11th time in the 7-0 win.
Eastern notched three runs in the second inning to break open the first game. Freshman Krislyn Campos and senior Christina Ciolek came up with RBI singles in that inning. The Colonels put the game away with four more runs in the sixth. Junior Katie Tackett capped the rally with a two-run single.
In the second game, Murray State took the lead behind two unearned runs in the fourth. However, Eastern Kentucky responded with a single run in the fourth and fifth innings to even the score.
Mitchell finally gave the Colonels the lead in the sixth with a one-out shot off the center field wall that plated two runs. The second baseman had an outstanding day at the plate, going 3-for-4 overall with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 11, BELMONT 2; EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, BELMONT 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - -- A pair of three-run home runs off the bat of senior Reynae Hutchinson highlighted Eastern Illinois softball's two wins at Ohio Valley Conference East Division foe Belmont on Friday (April 18) afternoon, as the Panthers topped the Bruins, 11-2 (5-inn.) and 3-1.
The Friday sweep moves the Panthers to 32-11 overall and 12-4 in OVC action as Eastern has now won nine straight games to remain among the elite in the league standings.
EIU drilled four total shots over the fence in the first game rout, as Hutchinson set a new personal RBI tally with six runs batted in thanks to her two homers, as she finished with a perfect 3-for-3 plate performance in game one.
It also marked the second time in her career that Hutchinson has nailed a pair of homers in a game, with her first such performance coming about at home in EIU's win over Tennessee State. She now has 19 all-time homers in a Panther uniform.
Fellow senior Ashleigh Westover also nabbed her first career homer in the opening game, as junior Bailey O'Dell connected on her own two-run bomb as well.
Seniors Carly Willert and Brooke Owens also added an RBI double and single, respectively, in the opening matchup.
Senior Hanna Mennenga earned her 17th win of the season in the circle, retiring four Belmont batters via strikes, while allowing zero walks, just three hits and stranding three baserunners.
Eastern scored four runs in the opening frame, then exploded for five scores in the second inning and added another pair of runs in the third for the mercy-rule win.
In the nightcap, EIU scored early yet again, as Hutchinson reached on a Belmont miscue which allowed Owens to scamper home. Sophomore Haylee Beck then drilled an RBI double to centerfield to plate junior Bailey O'Dell in the second inning.
Yet the home squad would threaten by pulling to within one run of the Panthers in third off an RBI single, but Hutchinson would reach base thanks to another Belmont error which helped Willert to score and up the EIU lead to 3-1.
Senior Stephanie Maday earned the second game start, before newcomer Hannah Rachor came in relief as the Bruins threatened in consecutive innings late in the game as the pitching duo stranded a pair of Bruin runners in scoring position in both the fifth and sixth frames, respectively.
Maday nabbed her 14th win of the year, while Rachor secured her second career save, as the two helped to strand 11 Belmont base runners.
For the day, Eastern held the advantage over Belmont in hitting (.352-to-.244), runs (14-to-three), hits (19-to-11), homers (four-to-zero), RBI (13-to-three), slug % (.611-to-.311), stolen bases (two-to-none), errors (one-to-three), and ERA (1.75-to-6.42). The host squad did finish with one more double than EIU (three-to-two), and strikeouts thrown (eight-to-five).
Junior Hannah Cole and Owens both scampered for stolen bases in the sweep as well, as Cole connected with freshman Amber Toenyes at first for a rare pick-off in the first game victory.
While in individual hitting, Hutchinson, O'Dell and Willert all earned a .500 clip at the plate, as Hutchinson naturally led all players with nine total bases of fher seven total RBI and 1.500 slug % mark.
With the two wins, EIU now sports a perfect 4-0 series lead over Belmont (12-27/6-12) in the all-time matchups.
MOREHEAD STATE 11, AUSTIN PEAY 3; MOREHEAD STATE 3, AUSTIN PEAY 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State softball team scored nine runs with two outs to help sweep an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader from Austin Peay on Friday at University Field. MSU needed just two hits in a 3-2 game one victory, before scoring in all but one inning of an 11-3 decision that was halted in the sixth inning due to the mercy rule in the nightcap.
The sweep of the Lady Govs (18-26, 6-12) was just the second of the season for MSU (10-29, 5-12), who snapped a nine game OVC skid.
Senior second baseman Stephanie Etter slapped a two-run single to right field in the bottom of the second inning that proved to be the game-winner in game one.
Junior pitcher Tanna Seuferer (5-13) picked up her second straight win, as she allowed two unearned runs on six hits with three strikeouts in the opener.
Lauren de Castro (12-11), who took the opening game loss allowed three runs on just two hits with five strikeouts and four walks.
Freshman centerfielder Kayla McGuffey and senior catcher Jamie Massaro had two hits apiece in game two, but it was senior shortstop Sam Howard that ended the game with a three-run home run.
Sophomore right fielder Tressa Watson's team-leading fifth home run of the season gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning of a game that saw all but one MSU starter record a hit. Kayla Davidson had a pair of hits to lead the Lady Govs in the opener, while Laurel Burroughs and Kristin Whitmire had two hits apiece in game two.
Freshman pitcher Megan Tymorek (5-12) allowed three runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. Taylor Mills (1-2) and Allie Blackwood combined to allow 11 runs, seven earned, on 10 hits.
SIUE 4, TENNESSEE STATE 2; SIUE 2, TENNESSEE STATE 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The SIUE softball team continued its winning ways in Ohio Valley Conference play Friday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader at Tennessee State.
The Cougars (22-19, 14-3 OVC) defeated the Tigers 4-2 in the first game of the day before prevailing 2-1 in game two. SIUE has now won a season-high five straight games in conference play.
SIUE secured the sweep behind a pair of impressive outings by the starting pitcher in both games of Friday's doubleheader.
In game one, sophomore Haley Chambers earned her 13th win of the season by limiting the Tigers to two runs on three hits while striking out 10 batters. It was Chambers' fourth consecutive start in which she's posted double-digit strikeouts.
At the plate, the Cougars got out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning, as Whitney Lanphier scored on a wild pitch before Brittany Toney delivered an RBI single to score Christian Harryman.
After Rebecca Gray scored in the top of the fifth to increase the visitors' lead to 3-0, the Tigers responded with two runs of their own in the next half inning to cut SIUE's advantage to 3-2.
Jordan LaFave would tack on an insurance run, however, singling to left center field in the top of the seventh to score Chelsea Yankolovich.
In game two, freshman Alexis Robison-Kohrs shined in her first career start for SIUE. Kohrs allowed one unearned run on two hits while recording a pair of strikeouts.
The Cougars scored a run in both the second and third innings, capitalizing on some defensive miscues by the Tigers.
Rachel Coonrod reached on a fielding error in the second inning allowing Chambers to score, before Yankolovich advanced home on a passed ball in the top of the third.
Lindsey Burgess would score a run for the hosts in the bottom half of the third, but that's all they'd get against Kohrs, who needed only 73 pitches to get through seven innings of work.
TENNESSEE TECH 6, UT MARTIN 2; UT MARTIN 3, TENNESSEE TECH 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team received a big lift from senior Stephanie Nidiffer as she tallied two home runs to salvage an Ohio Valley Conference series split against visiting Tennessee Tech on Friday afternoon. The Skyhawks fell to the Golden Eagles in Game 1, 6-2, before picking up a 3-1 victory in the second game of the doubleheader.
The Skyhawks 23-20-1 (10-7 OVC) were led by Nidiffer who went 3-for-4 on the day with two home runs and three RBIs. Deven Wilson and Taylor Manning each tallied multi-hit performances, tallying two singles each.
Turning to pitching, the Skyhawks looked to junior Casey Vincent to start Game 2, tossing a complete game with two strikeouts and one earned run. Vincent held opponents to a .182 batting average, holding the Golden Eagles to just four hits in the game. Freshman Elizabeth Wiegand suffered a tough defeat, allowing five earned runs in five innings of work. Brooke Kennedy appeared in relief, pitching two scoreless innings along with a pair of strikeouts.
Game 1: Tennessee Tech 6, UT Martin 2
Tennessee Tech (16-32, 8-11 OVC) looked impressive early as pitcher Danielle Liberatore accomplished a feat not often seen, striking out four Skyhawk hitters in the opening frame. Carly Gonzales struckout swinging but quickly scampered to first on a wild pitch, giving the Skyhawks their first base runner. Liberatore would make quick work of the ensuing three batters, punching out three consecutive hitters swinging.
The Skyhawks would briefly solve the Tech pitcher in the second inning, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead. Nidiffer led off the second inning with a solo home run to left field, landing in the net surrounding the scoreboard to give the Skyhawks their first run of the day. Wilson would keep the inning going by drawing a full count walk before being pulled for pinch runner Bella Zizzi. Gabby Glenn would respond by singling to left field, moving the base runners to first and second with one out. On the first pitch of the next at bat, Zizzi and Glenn would successfully convert a double steal before Zizzi came around to score on a throwing error by the catcher on the play.
The Golden Eagles would look to get on the board in the top of the third inning. Hannah Eldridge would lead off the inning with a single through the left side. Gabby Perez would follow by reaching base on a fielder’s choice before swiping second base. Angi Sakamoto would punctuate the inning with a RBI single to the left side, scoring Perez from third.
The visitors would not be done, taking the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Kendall Hooper singled to right center as Cortney Fry drew a walk, placing runners on first and second with two outs. Eldridge would pick up her second hit of the game by smashing a home run down the left field line, her first of the season, for three RBIs and a 4-2 advantage.
The Golden Eagles would strike again in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach. Wiegand would give up a pair of leadoff hits before being pulled for Kennedy with no outs. Eldridge would tally her third hit and RBI of the game with a single to right field, scoring Hooper from third. TTU would add its sixth and final run on a wild pitch.
Game 2: UT Martin 3, Tennessee Tech 1
The Skyhawks would strike first in the opening frame, jumping out an early 1-0 lead. Kayla Wade would lace a one-out triple to right center, the 16th of her career, putting the Skyhawks in prime scoring position. Wade’s time on the base paths would be short as Manning singled up the middle to score the speedster from third.
The Golden Eagles would knot the game at 1-1 in the sixth inning. Alyssa Richards led off the inning with a walk before pinch runner Chris Gibbs was caught stealing. Hooper would tally a four-pitch walk before coming around to score on a deep double by Fry which hit off the center field wall to tie the game.
UT Martin would look to Manning for a bunt single before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Vincent, moving into scoring position. Nidiffer would flex her muscles once again following the sacrifice by lifting a laser shot, on the ninth pitch of the at bat, over the right center wall for the eventual game-winning two run home run. The home run was Nidiffer’s third of the season and second of the day.