TUESDAY'S SCORES
#13 Kentucky 5,
@Murray State 2
#13 Kentucky 1,
@Murray State 0
@SIUE 6, Bradley 5
@Memphis 8,
Belmont 6
@Memphis 9,
Belmont 1
@Southeast Missouri 9, UT Martin 6
UT Martin 6, @Southeast Missouri 3 (8)
Jacksonville State 7, @#25 UAB 2
#13 KENTUCKY 5, MURRAY STATE 2; #13 KENTUCKY 1, MURRAY STATE 0
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State softball team gave 13th-ranked Kentucky all it wanted in both games of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Racer Field, but ultimately succumbed in each contests. The Racers dropped the opener, 5-2, and fell by the slimmest of margins, 1-0, in the back end of the doubleheader.
The story in game one was homeruns, more specifically by Kentucky. Murray State gave up seven hits in the contest with three of those clearing the fence, accounting for four of the five UK runs.
The Racers got on the board in the fifth, scoring on error, then again in the sixth on a double from Jocelynn Rodgers, to cut the lead in half at 4-2. MSU, however, could get no closer and ultimately fell 5-2.
Rodgers went 2-for-3 in the contest to lead Murray State with one RBI and a double. CheyAnne Gaskey (6-5) took the loss for MSU, giving up three earned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and just three walks in 3.2 innings. Haven Campbell finished the game and struck out one while giving up one run on three hits.
In game two, Mason Robinson carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but was broken up by a bunt single from Sylver Samuel. In the sixth Rachael Metzger took advantage of two walks by Robinson with a double that drove in the only run of the game.
The Racers managed just four hits in the game with Alexa Becker, Jessica Twaddle, Shelbey Miller and Rodgers all finding their way on to the score sheet. Robinson fell to 7-2 on the year with the loss, allowing just one run on two hits with eight walks and seven strikeouts.
Murray State returns to action on Saturday in Nashville when it returns to OVC action at Belmont at Noon. On Sunday, the Racers will host Tennessee State in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
SIUE 6, BRADLEY 5
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE softball managed six hits, including three from Haley Chambers, and took advantage of three Bradley errors in a 6-5 victory over the Braves at Cougar Field.
SIUE improved to 19-6 with Tuesday's nonconference win. Bradley dropped to 5-22.
Chambers also was the pitcher of record and is now 11-3 for the season. She started the game and went the first four innings but was re-entered for the final batter of the game.
Two errors by Bradley in the first inning ended up yielding three runs for the Cougars despite not one ball being hit out of the infield off Bradley starter Jaelen Hull, 1-8.
After the Braves scored their first run of the game in the third, Chambers put the Cougars back up by three runs as she doubled down the right field line in the bottom of the fourth. Her team-leading ninth extra-base hit of the season drove home Jordan LaFave, who opened the inning by drawing a walk.
The Cougars, which stranded eight runners, added two more in the fifth off an infield error and an RBI single by Rebecca Gray.
Bradley finished the game with 13 hits but also had trouble with the timely hit until the sixth inning when Erika Hansen cleared the bases with a double to left center field. That pulled the Braves within one.
Baylee Douglass pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief and was in line for the save, but Montgomery brought Chambers back in to pitch to Brittany Burgess, who popped out on the infield for the final out. Chambers leads the Ohio Valley Conference in wins with 11.
SIUE returns to OVC play this weekend with four contests. The Cougars face Eastern Kentucky for a noon CT doubleheader Saturday followed by an 11 a.m. CT doubleheader Sunday at Morehead State.
MEMPHIS 8, BELMONT 2; MEMPHIS 9, BELMONT 1
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Belmont softball dropped a pair of contests to Memphis (9-12) Tuesday afternoon; 8-6, 9-1.
GAME 1: Memphis 8, Belmont 6
The Bruins drew first blood in the first contest of the St. Patrick's Day late afternoon doubleheader as a two-RBI double to center field in the top of the first inning from sophomore catcher Chelsey Deloney (Gardendale, Ala) put the Bruins on the board, 2-0.
The Tigers immediately answered in a big way in the home half of the first as Memphis notched seven runs off three hits. A two-RBI single from Katie Brignac and a three-RBI triple to right center from Sami Jo Schulz highlighted a big inning for the home team.
Both teams added a run in the fifth inning as senior Kirbie Ferrell (Pasadena, Tex.) recorded her first RBI of the season when a single down the right field line scored Kate Black (Knoxville, Tenn.)
The Bruins still found themselves trailing, 8-3, with their backs firmly against the wall heading into the top of the seventh inning.
BU rallied as the Bruins recorded three runs off four hits, highlighted by big swings by the senior duo of Ferrell and outfielder Kat Hollingsworth (Carrollton, Tex.).
With one out, Ferrell recorded her second RBI of the day when a single up the middle allowed freshman Ally Bessette (Bryan, Tex.) to cross home plate.
Later in the inning and with the Bruins on their final out of the game, Hollingsworth brought her team-leading RBI total to 13 after RBI double to center field scored both Ferrell and Black. The double was her team-best fifth of the year.
The Tigers held on, however, as Deloney flied out to left field for the final out of the contest as Memphis thwarted the Bruins' rally attempt and picked up the 8-6 victory in the first game of the doubleheader.
Overall, the Bruins held a slim, 8-7, advantage on hits as Kirbie Ferrell had an excellent offensive outing for BU.
The senior finished a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate with a pair of RBIs in just her second contest of the year. The veteran has missed most of the season due to recovering from an illness suffered in the preseason. Hollingsworth added a 2-for-3 effort for the Bruins.
GAME 2: Memphis 9, Belmont 1
Mistakes proved to be the downfall for the Bruins in the second game of the doubleheader as the Tigers used three BU errors and seven hits to tally nine runs through the first four innings of play.
Down 9-0 in the top of the fifth inning, Belmont dented the scoreboard for the first time on the day as junior Jessica Wilson (Alvin, Tex.) reached base on a fielder's choice that scored freshman Ally Bessette.
The hole was two big for the Bruins to overcome, however, as Memphis went on for the 9-1 victory in five innings of play and recorded a sweep over Belmont on the day.
Four different Bruins tallied a hit on the contest.
On the day, Ferrell finished 3-for-5 at the plate while Hollingsworth used a leadoff single in the top of the second inning in the nightcap to finish the day going 3-for-6 with a pair of RBI.
Belmont (5-16, 0-2 OVC) returns to action this weekend as the Bruins are set for a pair of conference doubleheaders at Rose Park.
BU is set for a pair of games against Murray State Saturday afternoon with first pitch set for noon. Austin Peay comes to Rose Park on Sunday for a doubleheader with the Bruins starting at 1 p.m.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, #25 UAB 2
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A six-run first inning and a pitching gem by Taylor West lifted the Jacksonville State softball team to a 7-2 win at No. 25 UAB on Tuesday, snapping the Blazers' 15-game win streak.
Junior Ella Denes blasted a grand slam to get the big inning started and West cruised to her fourth-straight win, propelling the Gamecocks (16-7) to their first win over a ranked foe since beating No. 13 Tennessee twice to win the 2009 Knoxville Regional. The Blazers (21-6) fall at home for the first time this season and suffer their first loss since Feb. 20.
Senior Sara Borders went 3-for-5 with a double to lead a 10-hit attack for JSU, while Denes drove in four runs on her big swing. Seniors Melanie Steer and Savannah Sloan each went 2-for-4 in the No. 7 and 8 spots in the order.
West (5-2) held the Blazers to two runs on five hits and struck out five in her complete game win. She walked four but needed only 110 pitches to dispose of the Blazers lineup.
The Gamecocks jumped on the Blazers, putting six quick runs on the board in the top of the first inning. Denes' opposite field grand slam sparked the JSU lineup and put four runs on the board. A Taylor Sloan sac fly and an Emily Woodruff RBI single made it 6-0 and chased UAB starter Madison Hir from the circle before she could get out of the first inning.
After loading the bases twice in the first, the Gamecocks loaded them again in the second and got an RBI single from Steer to make it a 7-0 Gamecock lead.
The Blazers got their first baserunner and mounted their first threat in the third, loading the bases with one out, but West worked around the No. 2 and 3 hitters in the lineup to keep the zero on the scoreboard.
The Blazers threatened again in the fifth, an inning that started with a highlight reel grab by Woodruff in the left center field gap. UAB put the next two batters on for the same spot in the order, but West struck out JoJo Fallen and got Sara Beth Williamson to ground one back to the circle to end another scoreless frame.
UAB got on the board in the home half of the sixth after an RBI double from Ashley Johnson and a sac fly from Anna Theriot cut JSU's lead to 7-2. The Blazers went down in order in the seventh to finish West's fifth complete game and third in the last week.
Hir (3-1) suffered the loss after allowing six runs on six hits and a walk in just two-thirds of an inning. Cara Goodwin entered to finish the first and went the final six, allowing just one run on four hits, while walking three and striking out three.
The Gamecocks open Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend with a pair of home doubleheaders, starting with a 1 p.m. twinbill against UT Martin on Saturday. They will then host Southeast Missouri at 1 p.m. on Sunday in a doubleheader at University Field. JSU students and all fans ages 18 and under receive free admission to all JSU home softball games.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 9, UT MARTIN 6; UT MARTIN 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Kayla Fortner went 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, five RBI and two walks as Southeast Missouri (4-9, 1-1) split a doubleheader with UT Martin (10-10, 1-1) Tuesday at the Southeast Softball Complex.
Fortner fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle to lead Southeast to a 9-6 victory in game one. UTM then battled back to win the nightcap, 6-3, in eight innings.
Southeast Missouri 9, UT Martin 6
Southeast registered 14 hits, including seven that went for extra bases in its game one victory.
Trailing, 2-0, after two-and-a-half innings, the Redhawks took their first lead of the game when Alexis Anderson and Fortner each homered in the bottom of the third. Anderson delivered her first homer of the season deep over the left field wall and Fortner added a two-run bomb to right center for her team-high seventh round-tripper of the year.
Two innings later, UTM regained a one-run edge on consecutive groundballs after the Skyhawks had runners at second and third with no outs.
The Redhawks, however, answered with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Fortner hit a leadoff double to center and quickly went to third on an ensuing single by Savannah Carpenter. Indiana Davis pinch ran for Carpenter and stole second before Chelsea Smith doubled to right field, scoring both Fortner and Davis. A Taylor McDannold triple followed and Smith touched home to give Southeast a 6-4 advantage.
UTM loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth and managed to bring the game to a 6-6 deadlock after Savannah Dodson scored on a walk and Alicia Hansen scored on a fielder's choice. Freshman reliever Madeline Krumrey then recorded the final two outs to get Southeast out of the jam.
Southeast countered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth.
Darby Pruett and Anderson both reached on infield singles and Lindsey Patterson walked to load the bases. Fortner followed with a sacrifice fly and Pruett scored. Carpenter hit into a fielder's choice to push across another run before Patterson came home when Carpenter was thrown out at second attempting to steal.
Krumrey struck out Kenzie Tate and got Lauren Smith to line out to second base before Southeast's defense committed a pair of two-out errors. Kayla Blanco, who represented the tying run at the plate, flied out to right as the Redhawks won their OVC opener for the fourth time in five seasons.
Fortner went 3-for-3 with a home run, double, single, two runs scored and three RBI.
Anderson also contributed three hits, finishing at 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Southeast's seven extra-base hits matched a season-high in game one.
Krumrey improved her record to 2-2 after striking out two and walking none in two scoreless no-hit innings.
Casey Vincent (1-3) suffered the loss, allowing two hits and three runs in two innings. Vincent struck out two and walked two, as well.
UT Martin 6, Southeast Missouri 3 (8 innings)
UT Martin scored three runs in the top of the eighth to pull off a 6-3 extra-inning win in game two.
Savannah Dodson ignited a one-out rally with a single up the middle and scored the go-ahead run when Gonzales doubled off the wall in left. Samantha McClure scored on a groundout and Alicia Hansen added an RBI-single during the game's decisive inning.
Krumrey sat down the first eight hitters she faced before McClure reached on a two-out double out of the nine-hole to gave UTM its first baserunner in the third. McClure scored on an ensuing triple by Gonzales to put the Skyhawks ahead, 1-0.
Like Krumrey, Elizabeth Weigand also started strong inside the circle, retiring seven hitters in a row before Leah Duffe hit a one-out double in the bottom of the third. Claire Wernig extended the inning when she was hit by a pitch with two away and Fortner followed with a two-RBI double to give Southeast a 2-1 cushion.
UTM tied the game when Renate Meckl walked and came around to score with the help of an error and single by Blanco in the fourth.
Tate then came up with two outs in the fifth and ripped a solo home run to left field, putting the Skyhawks ahead, 3-2.
Southeast was down to its last out when Duffe drove in pinch-runner Shelby Eccles on a bloop single to center, sending the game to extra innings.
Keaira Schilling (2-5) scattered six hits and allowed three runs in 3.1 innings of relief.
Meanwhile, Weigand (5-4) went the distance giving up five hits and three runs in eight innings. She also walked five and struck out two.
UTM outhit Southeast, 11-5.
Duffe went 2-for-2 with a double, run scored and RBI to lead the Redhawks.