WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@SIUE 3, Missouri State 2
@Austin Peay 8, Samford 6
@Austin Peay 8, Samford 7
UT Martin 7, @Middle Tennessee 2
@Middle Tennessee 6,
UT Martin 2
@Tennessee 6,
Tennessee Tech 1
SIUE 3, MISSOURI STATE 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE softball scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth and grabbed a 3-2 victory over Missouri State Wednesday at Cougar Field.
SIUE improved to 24-6 while Missouri State dropped to 14-15.
The Cougars had troubles scoring in the first five innings against Missouri State starter Erin Struemph, but came from behind to score all three runs off Bears' reliever Chelsea Jones. Missouri State scored two runs off two hits in the first inning and held the lead until late in the contest.
Keller provided the key hit with a two-run, bases loaded double to the gap in left-center field, tying the score 2-2.
After Keller's double, Allison Smiley moved over to third on the play. She would score the winning run with some smart baserunning. Alex McDavid struck out for the second out but the third strike was dropped. A play was made to throw out McDavid at first base. As McDavid was thrown out, Smiley made a successful run for home plate.
Haley Chambers, the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Pitcher of the Week, got off to a slow start, giving up two runs in the first inning. She turned it around after a visit to the mound by Associate Head Coach Jessica Jones, fanning three straight batters to finish the first inning.
Chambers, 14-3, struck out 10 batters in all and gave up four hits to the Bears.
AUSTIN PEAY 8, SAMFORD 6; AUSTIN PEAY 8, SAMFORD 7
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -Morgan Hoeg and Chandler Groves each hit grand slam home runs, Wednesday at Cheryl Holt Field, to power Austin Peay State University’s softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Samford University by 8-6 and 8-7 finals.
Hoeg’s slam came in walk-off fashion in Game 1, with the Lady Govs (5-17) entering their final at-bat down 6-4.
Laurel Burroughs would open the inning by being pitch by a pitch, and an out later, see Niya Sparks and Sidney Hooper load the base with back-to-back walks.
That brought up Hoeg, who blasted a 2-1 pitch over the center field fence to seal away the com-from-behind victory for Austin Peay.
Samford (20-13) took an early lead with two unearned runs in the top of the first inning, with the Lady Govs answering back in the bottom of the inning with a run of its own – when Burroughs scored on a wild pitch.
The Bulldogs would add two more runs in the top of the second inning, to go up 4-1, but Austin Peay answered right back in the bottom of the inning to tie the game 5-5.
Mel Pavel and Rikki Arkansas would open the inning with back-to-back hits, followed an out later by Groves ripping a 1-0 pitch over the center field fence for a game-tying homer.
Arkansas led Austin Peay with two hits.
Samford would retake the lead in the top of the fourth inning, scoring twice to go up 6-4, a lead they would hold until Hoeg’s heroics in the bottom of the seventh.
Hooper (1-4) got the complete-game win, holding the Bulldogs to just two hits over the final three innings after Samford had taken the lead.
Game 2 started with Samford taking a 5-0 lead after its first two at-bats, but Austin Peay roared back with five runs in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game.
Sparks would open the inning with a double down the left-field line, followed by back-to-back walks to Vinchenza DiBenedetto to load the bases – with no outs.
Pavel then drove in Sparks with the first run of the inning; while two outs later Groves crushed a 1-2 pitch out over the left field fence to tie the game 5-5.
UT MARTIN 7, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 2; MIDDLE TENNESSEE 6, UT MARTIN 2
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team made a quick trip to in-state foe Middle Tennessee for a midweek doubleheader, pulling off a series split after picking up a 7-2 victory before falling 6-2 in the second contest.
The Skyhawks improved to 14-14 on the season while picking up the team’s seventh road victory after seeing big games from a pair of seniors in Kenzi Tate and Kelsey Dixon. Tate led the team with six hits while notching a double and a pair of RBIs. Dixon joined in the action with four hits, including a triple. Freshman Jodie Duncan also tallied a multi-RBI performance with a pair RBIs on the day.
Sophomore Elizabeth Wiegand (7-5) tossed in yet another solid effort, notching her eighth complete game of the season in seven innings of work. Wiegand tallied four strikeouts while allowing two earned runs. Tate (2-4) picked up the loss, allowing five earned runs in 2.2 innings of work while Brooke Kennedy and Casey Vincent both appeared in relief.
Game One: UT Martin 7, Middle Tennessee 2
UT Martin wasted little time getting on the board in the opening frame despite seeing its first two batters be retired following a pop up and strikeout. Carly Gonzales would get the hit parade started with a double to left center before coming around to score on a single to left center off the bat of Tate, taking a 1-0 lead. The bases would later become loaded before Duncan laced a single up the middle to bring Alicia Hansen and Bella Zizzi around to score.
Both offenses would remain stagnant over the following three innings before each team chipped in a run in the fourth inning. Seeing Kacie Daugherty and Samantha McClure on first and third, Tate would notch her second hit of the game to left field, bringing Daugherty home to lead 4-0.
Middle Tennessee would get on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning as Alma Cortez led off the frame with a solo blast to left center, trimming the margin to 4-1.
The Skyhawks would retaliate in the top of the fifth inning. The drive would get started on the right foot with a leadoff opposite field single to left field from Dixon before seeing the bases become loaded after the following two at bats. The Skyhawks would get on the board on a suicide squeeze by Savannah Dodson, bringing Dixon around to score. Another pair of runs would come across the plate to score off a sacrifice fly from Daugherty and an infield putout from McClure, giving the Skyhawks a 7-1 advantage.
The Blue Raiders would get on the board in the bottom half of the fifth, tallying just one run through the rest of the game before dropping the decision 7-2.
Game Two: Middle Tennessee 6, UT Martin 2
UT Martin would look to get on the board first yet again in the opening frame in the second part of the doubleheader, loading the bases with one out before seeing McClure come around to score following a fielder’s choice off the bat of Lauren Smith.
Middle Tennessee would quickly rebound with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning, taking its first lead of the game at 2-1. Both runs would come around to score following a two-RBI single off the bat of Lauren Riddell.
The lead would be short lived as the Skyhawks would answer with a run of their own in the top of the second to bring the game to a 2-2 tie. Dixon get the Skyhawks started right, pulling a triple down the right field line before scoring off a sacrifice fly to left from Kayla Blanco.
A big inning would come to the Blue Raiders aid in the bottom of the third inning. Samantha Nieves would bring two teammates around to score off a double to right center before Austyn Whaley chipped in another run with a double of her own, breaking the tie and giving the home squad a 5-2 advantage.
The home squad would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth, pushing their margin out to 6-2 following an RBI single by Carlie Jenkins.
UT Martin will return to Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend with a three-game series against Austin Peay beginning on Saturday, March 28. Action from Bettye Giles Field on UTM Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m.
TENNESSEE 6, TENNESSEE TECH 1
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Early offense was the story as the Tennessee Tech softball team and No. 15 Tennessee combined for the game's seven runs in the first two innings, but for the Golden Eagles (17-14, 4-3) found themselves on the opposite end of most of the fireworks.
The Volunteers (23-7) plated six in the first two innings en route to a 6-1 win for the club's third consecutive victory.
Tech did jump out to fast start with a run in the top of the first, using an Alyssa Richards sacrifice fly to bring home senior Angi Sakamoto to christen the scoring. Sakamoto began the contest in promising fashion after slashing a 2-2 pitch down the right field line for a leadoff double, before the Waipahu, Hawaii native advanced to third on a Gretchen Aucoin wild pitch.
Senior Hannah Eldridge then worked a walk to put runners on the corners, before Richards gave the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead two batters later on a fly ball to center.
UT responded to the early deficit, doing so quite rapidly, as the Vols posted a four-spot a mere four batters into the home half of the first. Junior Rainey Gaffin led off the frame with a single up the middle, which was promptly followed by a Megan Geer walk to put runners on first and second with no one out.
Freshman Meghan Gregg then squared up the tilt with a run-scoring double, before sophomore Annie Aldrete provided the game's biggest knock, a go-ahead three-run home run to left field to push Tennessee to a 4-1 advantage.
An inning later, a few of the aforementioned Vols were at it again, starting with a Megan Geer single to left to kick off a two-out rally. Meghan Gregg wasted no time on the next Hannah Weaver offering, clubbing a triple into right center to bring Geer around, before Gregg herself dented home right after on a wild pitch to push the UT lead to 6-1.
Not to be lost in the all the action was the outstanding performance in relief by Golden Eagle senior Taylor Kethcum, who served as Tech's largest bright spot after coming out of the bullpen in the second. Making her season debut, the Newcastle, Okla. native surrendered just one measly hit, blanking the Vols in four and one-third innings of work.
Hannah Weaver was hit with the loss after allowing the six Vol runs to move her record to 6-6, while senior Cheyanne Tarango recorded the win to even up her record at 1-1 thanks to two and two-thirds scoreless in relief.
The Golden Eagles will now return to their OVC slate, welcoming in Belmont for a three-game series at Tech Softball Field over the weekend. Please not a change to the schedule as Saturday's original doubleheader has been moved to a single-game beginning at 2 p.m. CT, with Sunday changing from a single-game to a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
Admission to all Golden Eagle home regular season games is free.