SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 8, Morehead State 1
@Eastern Illinois 14, Morehead State 0 (5)
@SIUE 2, Eastern Kentucky 0
Eastern Kentukcy 8, @SIUE 5
Tennessee Tech 7, @Austin Peay 0
Austin Peay 6, @Tennessee Tech 0
Tennessee State 3, @Southeast Missouri 1
Tennessee State 4, @Southeast Missouri 3
@Murray State 5, Jacksonville State 0
@Murray State 6, Jacksonville State 5
@UT Martin 3, Belmont 1
@UT Martin 2, Belmont 1
EASTERN ILLINOIS 8, MOREHEAD STATE 1; EASTERN ILLINOIS 14, MOREHEAD STATE 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois senior pitcher Stephanie Maday earned her second career no-hitter as Panther softball swept visiting Ohio Valley Conference rival Morehead State, 8-1 and 14-0 (5-inn.), at Williams Field on Sunday (April 6) afternoon.
Maday earned her no-no performance by fanning ten of the 16 Eagles faced at the plate, while allowing just one walk in the five-inning nightcap victory. The win also marked her fourth shutout of the season as she moves to 10-5 overall in the circle.
She previously registered a no-hitter during her freshman campaign as she picked up another run-rule home victory, this time over Tennessee State, back in 2011.
In the opening 8-1 victory, fellow senior Hanna Mennenga also pitched a nice contest, as she registered nine strikeouts for the complete game win to improve to 15-4 on the season as she allowed just four hits and gave up a solo home run for the lone Morehead State score all day.
The Panthers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the second frame as junior Bailey O'Dell hit a perfectly placed bunt in front of home plate to bring home senior Reynae Hutchinson, who had previously singled before moving to third base thanks to a double by sophomore April Markowski.
A ground-out RBI by sophomore Haylee Beck would then bring home Markowski, as classmate Jennette Isaac delivered an RBI single to left field to score O'Dell. Senior Carly Willert then gave EIU their four run, plating Isaac off her RBI shot to center field.
Eastern would add to their lead in the fourth as Willert ripped a two-RBI single to right field to bring around both Beck and senior pinch-runner Kaylie Pruett.
After the visiting Eagles (7-21-1/3-7) got on board with a solo homer in the top of the fifth, the Panthers would tack on two more runs in their half of the frame as senior Brooke Owens blasted her own walk-up solo bomb over the centerfield fence and newcomer Amber Toenyes delivered a sac fly RBI to score Hutchinson.
EIU would out-hit the Eagles, 13-4, in the opener, as Willert also nailed a triple, going 3-for-4 at the plate. Isaac, Hutchinson, Markowski, O'Dell, and Pruett all secured stolen bases as well in the first game win.
In the nightcap rout, the Panthers scored three times in the first, four in the second and then erupted for seven runs in the fourth frame for the margin of victory.
Highlights included Isaac and Toenyes both hitting a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate as Isaac continued to add to her OVC-leading hit streak as she has now hit safely in her last 17 games.
Toenyes, meanwhile, delivered an RBI double plus a three-run home run to register a four-RBI day. Her two-out blast to center marked her first homer in a Panther uniform.
Team-wise, EIU drilled nine hits and took advantage of four Morehead State errors in the win.
With the Sunday sweep, the Panthers have now won 11 straight over the Eagles in the all-time series.
SIUE 2, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0; EASTERN KENTUCKY 8, SIUE 5
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE softball closed out the weekend with a split against Eastern Kentucky at Cougar Field.
SIUE won the opener 2-0 and dropped the nightcap 8-5. That puts SIUE's Ohio Valley Conference record at 9-3 with a 15-18 record overall. EKU is now 6-4 in the OVC and 18-14 overall.
Haley Chambers earned a win and a loss Sunday, throwing 13 innings for the Cougars. The opener was a three-hit shutout for the sophomore left-hander.
In game one, freshman Allison Smiley provided the eventual game-winning hit. Her third-inning single drove home Brittany Toney who had opened the inning with a blistering double to right field.
Toney added a solo home run in the fifth inning, her first of the season, to give the Cougars some extra breathing room.
Chambers outdueled Leanna Pittsenbarger in the opening game. Chambers struck out six and yielded just one hit until the seventh inning. Pittsenbarger gave up four hits and fanned seven.
SIUE was in control of game two until the Colonels rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh. A solo home run by Sarah Fobbs, her seventh of the season, closed out the scoring.
The Cougars finished with nine hits in the second game, including two each from Chelsea Yankolovich, Smiley, and Alex McDavid. Both of Smiley's hits resulted in RBIs for the Cougars as she took the team lead in RBIs with 16.
Alex Sallberg, who came in relief of starter Hayley Flynn, collected her second win of the season for EKU. Pittsenbarger picked up a save with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning on a long fly ball to center field off the bat of Rachel Coonrod.
SIUE has a busy week ahead beginning with a road contest Wednesday at Saint Louis. On Thursday, SIUE faces Bradley in a 4 p.m. game at Cougar Field. The OVC season continues Saturday and Sunday with a three-game series against Southeast Missouri at home.
TENNESSEE TECH 7, AUSTIN PEAY 0; AUSTIN PEAY 6, TENNESSEE TECH 3
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University and Tennessee Tech University spilt an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader, Sunday at Cheryl Holt Field, with Tennessee Tech winning the opener 7-0, while Austin Peay took the nightcap 6-3.
In Game 1, Tennessee Tech (12-30, 4-10 OVC) jumped on the Lady Govs with four first-inning runs – highlighted by a two-run double by Cortney Fry.
That would be more than enough runs for Golden Eagle starter Danielle Liberatore (6-9), as she limited the Lady Govs (17-21, 6-7 OVC) to four hits, while striking out 10 and walked three in her second complete-game shutout of the year.
Tennessee Tech would add two more runs in the second inning off Lady Govs starter Lauren de Castro (11-8) coming on a two-run homer by Angie Sakamoto, to make it 6-0.
The Golden Eagles would tack on a final run in the sixth inning on a home run by Alyssa Richards.
Kendall Hooper led Tech with two hits, while de Castro had two hits for Austin Peay.
In Game 2, Austin Peay would break a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the second inning by scoring five runs – highlighted by a two-run double by de Castro and a two-run single by Chandler Groves to go up 6-1.
Austin Peay starter Taylor Mills (1-0) – getting her first start of the season – made the lead hold up by giving up only two more runs in her complete-game victory, the first on an RBI single by Richards in the third inning and the final coming in the fourth inning on a wild pitch.
Sakamoto had three hits to lead Tech in Game 2, with Richards and Hannah Eldridge collecting two hits each.
Leading Austin Peay was de Castro, who went 3-for-3, with Laurel Burroughs recording two hits.
TENNESSEE STATE 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1; TENNESSEE STATE 4, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (7-22, 2-9) suffered its third-straight series loss when it was swept in a doubleheader against Tennessee State (16-25, 4-9) Sunday. The Redhawks lost by scores of 3-1 and 4-3.
Southeast, which is on a five-game losing streak, dropped eight of its last nine.
A total of three runners reached base in the first three innings, as Hannah St. Clair and Hannah Durham locked up in a pitcher's duel in game one.
St. Clair retired her first eight hitters of the game before issuing a two-out walk to Kelsey Gass in the bottom of the third. Durham sat down her eight of the first nine hitters she faced with Kate Morris reaching on a two-out error in the second inning.
Durham, however, struggled in the sixth. Courtney Gearlds and Kiarra Freeman drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. Lindsey Burgess then reached on an error to load the bases. On the next play, Jayna Hanawahine grounded out to third and Gearlds scored. Freeman later touched home on a wild pitch and Burgess scored on a single by Kate Morris to grab TSU a 3-0 lead.
The Redhawks countered during their at-bat in the sixth when Savannah Carpenter reached on a one-out single to center and went to second on an ensuing walk by Haylee Krack. Lindsey Patterson loaded the bases when she got on via an error by Burgess. Meaghan Touchette knocked in Carpenter on a sacrifice fly to right, cutting the Tigers lead to 3-1.
Southeast had just two hits, both of which came from Carpenter. The Redhawks also committed two errors and left six runners on base.
Durham (2-8) worked 5.1 innings, allowing three runs and two hits. She walked four and struck out four, as well.
St. Clair (3-7) went the distance, recording five strikeouts and giving up three walks. She tossed five scoreless no-hit innings.
The Tigers, like Southeast finished with only two hits, including one by both Freeman and Morris.
A pair of two-run home runs by catcher Rebekka Gross was the difference in the nightcap.
Gross crushed her first home run of the season with two outs in the top of the second inning to get TSU an early 2-0 lead. Her long ball cleared the wall in left center and scored Ashley Haynes on the play.
Southeast battled back to take the lead in the fifth.
Nicole Deering led off with a single to left, stole second and went to third on a throwing error. Carpenter drove in Deering on a one-out single to center. Two hitters later, Patterson took Shea Morris' 3-1 offering deep over the left field fence to give the Redhawks a 3-2 edge. For Patterson, it was her second home run of the season.
Southeast's one-run advantage was short-lived as Gross delivered her second home run right after Burgess singled to start the sixth.
The Redhawks then went down in order in their final two at-bats.
Morris (9-10) gave up seven hits and three runs, while striking out four and walking two in her complete game victory.
Schilling (2-9) suffered the loss. She scattered four hits, gave up two runs and struck out four in 3.2 innings.
Southeast fell to 1-7 all-time against Ohio Valley Conference East Division foes this year.
MURRAY STATE 5, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0; MURRAY STATE 6, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
MURRAY, Ky. - A seventh-inning rally in the second game of the day gave Murray State a doubleheader sweep of the Jacksonville State softball team on Sunday.
After the Racers (19-18, 8-5 Ohio Valley Conference) got a gem in the circle from freshman Mason Robinson in a 5-0 win in the opener, they used a walk-off single from Leslie Bridges to grab a 6-5 win in the finale over the Gamecocks (26-11, 10-4 OVC).
JSU missed several opportunities in the nightcap, but senior Kalee Tabor drove in all five runs. The Lake Mary, Fla., native belted a three-run homer that tied the game in the top of the third and then hit her second of the day in the top of the seventh to give JSU its first lead of the day. Her two homers give her the team and OVC lead with 10 on the year.
In the first game of the day, senior Tiffany Harbin and Murray State freshman Mason Robinson went head-to-head in a pitcher's duel for four and a half innings, before the Racers struck in the bottom of the fifth. After managing just two baserunners off Harbin through the first four innings, a leadoff walk in the fifth got MSU going.
Cayla Levins started the three-run inning with an RBI double, which was followed by a sac fly from Shelby Miller and an infield single from Mo Ramsey that gave the Racers a 3-0 lead in the fifth. The Racers loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth and got two more to push their lead to 5-0.
The Gamecocks got a baserunner in the seventh on a one-out error by MSU shortstop Alexa Becker but couldn't get anything else going on Robinson. She improved to 7-6 after grabbing the complete game shutout, allowing just five hits in seven scoreless innings in the circle.
Harbin (10-6) allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits in six innings of work. She struck out five and walked four.
Senior Amanda Maldonado had two of the team's five hits in a 2-for-3 first game, while Sara Borders, Cadi Oliver and Stephanie Lewis all singled in the loss. Ramsey had half of the Racers' four hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Racers struck early in game two. After the Gamecocks failed to score with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the first, the Racers took advantage of the same situation in the bottom. Taylor Odom cleared the bases with a double to center and gave her team a quick 3-0 lead.
Kalee Tabor got the Gamecock offense on the board in the top of the third, delivering CheyAnne Gaskey's 1-0 pitch over the wall in straightaway center to tie the game at 3-3. Her ninth homer of the year followed a Sara Borders walk and a Cadi Oliver single and tied Borders for the team lead.
After a Casey Castile RBI single gave Murray a 4-3 lead in eth bottom of the sixth, Tabor delivered what seemed to be the big blow of the game in the top of the seventh. After a leadoff walk to Oliver, Tabor crushed her second homer of the day over the wall in left to give JSU a 5-4 lead.
A leadoff single from Morgan Harrell started the Murray State rally in their half of the seventh, and she moved to second on a grounder back to the circle. Ramsey then singled to left to tie the game and moved to second on the throw home, setting up Leslie Bridges' bloop game winner that dropped just between Borders and Ella Denes in shallow right field.
Gaskey (8-10) earned the win despite allowing five runs on seven hits and eight walks in seven innings of work. She struck out seven and forced the Gamecocks to strand 11 runners in the game. Freshman Taylor West (3-1) suffered her first loss of the season after giving up the two runs in the seventh inning. She pitched 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. Logan Green pitched the first 5.1 innings and surrendered four runs on five hits and three walks.
UT MARTIN 3, BELMONT 1; UT MARTIN 2, BELMONT 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - Belmont Softball dropped two games this afternoon at UT Martin as the Bruins fell 3-1 in the first game while the Skyhawks rallied for a dramatic, 2-1, victory in the second contest of the afternoon.
Game 1: UT Martin 3, Belmont 1
The first contest of the afternoon got off to a slow start as both teams were held scoreless throughout the first three innings.
UT Martin jumped out to the early advantage in the fourth inning as the Skyhawks scored a pair of runs off three hits as UTM took the 2-0 advantage.
Belmont responded in the top of the sixth off an RBI double to left field from Jessica Wilson (Alvin, Tex.).
UT Martin extended its advantage in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single from Lauren Smith.
The Skyhawks were able to hold on for the 3-1 victory as three consecutive Bruins struck out swinging in the top of the seventh inning.
Wilson led Belmont offensively as the sophomore went 2-for-3 with one RBI on the contest.
Game 2: UT Martin 2, Belmont 1
The second contest began in much of the same manner as the first as both teams failed to light up the scoreboard throughout the first four innings of play.
That changed in the top of the fifth when Kayla Wells (Bonney, Lake, Wash.) reached home plate off a UTM error as the Bruins went up, 1-0.
The score stayed the same throughout the next three innings as the two teams combined for just two hits.
That changed in the bottom of the seventh inning as a two-RBI single from UTM's Taylor Manning scored the game winning run as the Skyhawks went on for a 2-1 victory.
BU's Taylor Moon (6-7) threw six innings in a losing effort for the Bruins as the sophomore gave up two runs on seven hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Belmont (11-22, 5-8 OVC) will be back in action this Wednesday as the Bruins return home to Rose Park as BU hosts Western Kentucky for a single game starting at 5 p.m. CT.