SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Jacksonville State 10, Tennessee State 0 (5)
@Jacksonville State 4, Tennessee State 0
@UT Martin 8, Austin Peay 6
@UT Martin 10, Austin Peay 2
Morehead State 7, @Eastern Kentucky 4
Morehead State 6, @Eastern Kentucky 5
SIUE 12, @Southeast Missouri 3 (6)
SIUE 7, @Southeast Missouri 0
@Tennessee Tech 7, Belmont 0
TENNESSEE TECH 7, BELMONT 0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Tech softball team padded its lead late, scoring six runs in the final two innings en route to a 7-0 victory over Belmont (8-18, 3-4) in the first of a three-game series.
Leading 1-0 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Golden Eagles (18-14, 5-3) doubled up their margin thanks to a Madison Taylor sacrifice fly that edged the Tech lead to 2-0.
An inning later, the Golden Eagles exploded to the tune of five runs to essentially put the game on ice with a 7-0 advantage. A pair of key extra-base hits proved to be the story in the sizeable frame, with the top of Tech's order doing the damage.
With two on and one down in the inning, Golden Eagle leadoff hitter Angi Sakamoto smoked one over the Belmont leftfielder's head, driving in a pair with a double that scored freshman Rachel Karlan and junior Sabrie Neeb to push Tech to a 4-0 lead. The two-bagger was the second of the game for Sakamoto, after the Waipahu, Hawaii native led off the contest with a double, before coming around to score three batters later on an Alyssa Richards RBI single that gave the Golden Eagles a 1-0 edge.
Sakamoto now has back-to-back multi-hit games after wrapping up the afternoon with a 2-for-4 showing, and the lefty-swinging outfielder has now led off back-to-back games with a double after accomplishing the feat at No. 15 Tennessee on Wednesday.
With TTU now on top 4-0 and Sakamoto on at second, senior Hannah Eldridge coaxed a walk to cap off a perfect day for the Fayetteville, Tenn. native that saw her go 2-for-2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
Junior Olivia Bennett gave the Golden Eagles all the breathing room they needed following the Eldridge free pass, slugging a three-run home run over the center field wall to push the margin to 7-0. The 5-foot-4 outfielder continues her assault on the softball in 2015, as the round tripper extended her OVC lead to 11, five of which have come in conference action.
It was another brilliant day at the office for sophomore Danielle Liberatore (11-5), tossing yet another OVC shutout, the Peotone, Ill. native's fourth in five conference starts this season. Liberatore yielded just four hits, all of them singles, while the 5-foot-10 southpaw walked only two and struck out three to run her win-streak to eight consecutive decisions.
In 32 conference innings this season, Liberatore has given up just one measly run to lower her ERA to an impressive 0.22.
Junior Carolyn Snodgress (3-4) was hit with the loss, despite a solid effort that saw the 5-foot-9 right-hander surrender two runs in five innings.
The two teams will be right back at on Sunday to close out the weekend series, squaring off in a doubleheader. Game one of the twin bill is slated to begin at 1 p.m. CT.
MOREHEAD STATE 7, EASTERN KENTUCKY 4; MOREHEAD STATE 6, EASTERN KENTUCKY 5
RICHMOND, Ky. - Visiting Morehead State used the long ball to take two games from the Eastern Kentucky University softball team Saturday afternoon. The Eagles won by scores of 7-4 and 6-5.
Morehead State (11-13, 3-3 OVC) did not trail in either game. Katie Raile gave the Eagles a quick 2-0 lead in game one behind a home run to left field in the second inning. Morehead State scored three more runs in the fourth inning, all with two outs, to break open the game and make the score, 6-2. Dana Hutchins sparked the big inning with a two-run single off the right center field wall.
The Colonels (13-18, 4-4) closed the gap to 6-4 in the sixth following senior Shannon McQueen’s double to right center that scored two EKU players. However, that would be as close as Eastern would get as McQueen was thrown out at home plate later in the inning.
MSU pitcher Mackenzie Grossman (6-4) earned the win as she limited EKU to just two earned runs in 5.1 innings of work.
In game two, Lizzy Margagliotti hit a three-run shot as part of a four-run fourth inning to put Morehead State ahead early, 5-0.
Junior Sarah Fobbs nearly brought the Colonels back on her own accord as the left fielder hit a pair of home runs later in the game. Her two-run blast over the scoreboard in center field in the sixth put EKU within striking distance at 6-3. McQueen hit her second home run of the season two batters later to make the score, 6-4.
Eastern added another run in the sixth and even threatened to level the score, but a ground ball double play ended the scoring threat.
Grossman came on in relief in the sixth inning before retiring the Colonels in order in the seventh to secure the sweep.
The two teams conclude the three-game set tomorrow at Gertrude Hood Field. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 10, TENNESSEE STATE 0; JACKSONVILLE STATE 4, TENNESSEE STATE 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Freshman Emily Woodruff was perfect at the plate, while Taylor West and Logan Green held Tennessee State off the scoreboard to lift Jacksonville State to a twinbill sweep of the Tigers on Saturday.
Woodruff homered and doubled twice in her 4-for-4 day that also saw her walk and get hit by a pitch, while West shut out the Tigers (9-20, 2-7 Ohio Valley Conference) in a 10-0 win in the first game and Green held them scoreless in a 4-0 win in the nightcap.
The Gamecocks (22-8, 6-0 OVC) tossed their sixth-straight shutout of the Tigers and extended their streak of scoreless innings against JSU pitching to 40 and two-thirds. The last TSU run against Jax State came in 2013.
At the plate, JSU went 21-for-47 (.447) as a team, homering three times and doubling seven. Senior Sara Borders belted her 40th career homer in the first game of the day, tying Chrissy ONeal for second on the JSU career homers list and becoming just the third player in school history with 40 round trippers.
Borders also eclipsed the 150-RBI mark in her career with her two-RBI day. The Alexandria, Ala., native now has 151 career RBI, tying Nikki Prier for second on that career list.
In the first game of the day, JSU rattled off 13 hits, six of which went for extra bases. Woodruff went 3-for-3 and had two of the Gamecocks four doubles, while Taylor Sloan and Borders homered. Sloans four RBI led JSU in that category.
Borders 40th career home run was the first blow of the day and bounced off the tin roof of the batting cages beyond the right field line. She became the third payer in school history to reach the 40 home run mark and gave JSU the early 2-0 lead in the process.
They got four more in the second, thanks to RBI doubles from Taylor Sloan and Whitney Gillespie, an RBI single from Ella Denes and a sac fly off the bat of Woodruff.
Sloan made it a 9-0 game in the third with a three-run homer to right center. The sophomores first homer of the year easily cleared the wall and sailed past the batting cages. Denes drove in the 10th and final run of the game later in the inning with a single to left that scored Borders, who walked earlier in the frame.
West (7-2) held the TSU bats in check to earn her first complete game shutout of the year. The Anniston, Ala., native allowed five hits and struck out two in her five-inning outing.
TSUs Taylor Green (5-9) was tagged with the loss after surrendering all 10 runs on 11 hits in just over two innings of work. Jasmine Matchen entered in relief in the second and tossed two scoreless innings, holding JSU to just two hits and striking out two.
Danica Gleason went 2-for-2 to lead TSU at the plate in the first game.
In the second game, Woodruff kept swinging a hot bat. The true freshman from Albertville, Ala., drove TSU starter Amber Galyons third pitch over the wall in left for a leadoff homer to put JSU up 1-0 in the first. Jamie McGuire made it 2-0, when her bases loaded line sac fly to right plated Borders.
Jordan Bullock laced a two-out double down the left field line to make it a 4-0 JSU advantage in the second. Stephanie Lewis, who started the rally with a two-out double into the left centerfield gap, and Woodruff, who walked to bring Bullock to the plate, both scored on Bullocks two-bagger.
The Tigers went back to Matchen at that point, and she picked up where she left off. She held JSU off the board for the final four innings, holding the Gamecocks to just three hits and striking out two. Galyon (2-7) took the loss after giving up four runs on five hits and two walks in two innings.
Green (8-2) held the Tigers scoreless on five hits in seven innings, her first complete-game shutout of the year, to earn the win.
Woodruff reached all three times she stepped to the plate, homering, walking and being hit by a pitch. Eight Gamecocks had on eight in the eight-hit output.
The Gamecocks and Tigers will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
SIUE 12, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3; SIUE 7, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - SIUE softball took two games from Southeast Missouri Saturday and extended its season-best winning streak to nine games.
The Cougars, 26-6 overall and 8-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play, defeated the Redhawks 12-3 in six innings and 7-0 in the nightcap at the SE Softball Complex. Southeast dropped to 5-16 and 2-6 in the OVC.
SIUE's offense collected 28 hits during the doubleheader and saw clutch hitting all day. The Cougars hit .400 (12-30) with runners in scoring position. Included in SIUE's haul was 12 extra-base hits.
In game one, Brittany Toney led off the second inning with a solo home run to left center field. Four batters later Haley Chambers belted a grand slam for her team-leading fifth home run.
The two home runs were part of a seven-run second inning that gave SIUE a commanding lead throughout game one.
The Redhawks were able to fight back for three runs on five hits against Chambers, who improved to 15-5 overall. Chambers struck out eight.
SIUE closed out the game on the eight-run rule in six innings, using a two-run homer by Rachel Keller in the fifth inning and a two-run double by Chambers in the sixth inning.
In game two, the Cougars collected 12 hits for SIUE starter Baylee Douglass, who improved her season record to 10-2 with a one-hit shutout.
Douglass struck out seven and allowed three baserunners, one on a walk, one on a bunt single, and the other on a hit batter. Douglass sent 15 Southeast batters in a row back to the dugout at one point.
Nine different players recorded at least one hit. Jordan LaFave, Rebecca Gray, and Allison Smiley each had five hits for the doubleheader.
McDavid had three hits in the nightcap and is now one away from becoming the ninth player in school history to record 200 or more hits.
Maria Prete came off the bench for her first collegiate hit in SIUE's four-run seventh inning during game two.
SIUE and Southeast Missouri play one more game in the series. Game time is 1 p.m. Sunday.
UT MARTIN 8, AUSTIN PEAY 6; UT MARTIN 10, AUSTIN PEAY 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team found its offensive stride as the Skyhawks picked up a doubleheader sweep over Austin Peay on Saturday afternoon in the team’s Ohio Valley Conference home opener.
The Skyhawks (16-14, 4-4 OVC) battered the Lady Govs pitching core for 22 hits and 18 runs on the day while posting a .478 combined batting average in the twinbill. Sophomore Carly Gonzales paced the squad with five hits in seven plate appearances, tallying a pair of doubles to go along with a three-run home run and five RBIs on the day.
The offensive outburst was not limited to one person however as freshman Alicia Hansen went 4-of-5 while driving in four runs of her own. Junior Kacie Daugherty tallied three hits out of the leadoff spot while driving in three. Lauren Smith joined in the action by making the most of her lone at bat of the day, chopping a ball over the third baseman to bring in a pair of runners.
On the other side of the ball it was senior Casey Vincent (3-4) who kept the Lady Govs off balance for most of the game. Vincent tossed a complete game with five innings of work, allowing just three hits while striking out six. Sophomore Elizabeth Wiegand picked up her team-leading eighth win of the campaign with five strikeouts in seven innings of work, despite being roughed up for six earned runs.
“We were a little lethargic in the first game which was a little surprising, but the kids really picked it up in the second game and came up with some timely hits,” said UT Martin head coach Donley Canary. “There were a lot of balls hit into the gaps today. We talked before the game that it’s not about you, it’s about us and this was a great team effort.”
Game 1: UT Martin 8, Austin Peay 6
UT Martin would look to strike first in the squad’s third home game of the season, finding the magic touch in the bottom of the second inning. Much of the inning would center around Hansen who reached after being plunked on the leg to lead off the inning. Hansen would shake off the bump before swiping second and moving to third following a single to left center from Dixon. With runners on second and third and no out, the Hansen would score following a wild pitch to the backstop.
Austin Peay would respond by putting together its best scoring inning of the day in the top of the second. Following a leadoff walk, the Lady Govs would string together four consecutive singles before a double by the pitcher Sidney Hooper would bring two of the team’s four runs across the plate in the inning, taking a 4-1 advantage.
Facing a three run deficit, the Skyhawks would rally over the following two innings. The bottom of the third would see the squad cut the margin in half off the bat of Hansen after lacing a single up the middle to bring Samantha McClure around to score.
The Skyhawks would complete the comeback attempt in the fourth inning, scoring five runs – including the game’s eventual game winner. Jodie Duncan would lead off the inning by getting hit by a pitch before advancing to second following a bunt single from Renate Meckl. Daugherty would bring Duncan around to score with a single up the middle before Gonzales and Hansen tallied the inning’s big hits with doubles to left center, scoring a pair each.
The Lady Govs would outscore the Skyhawks 2-1 in the final three innings, while seeing the potential go-ahead runs fill the bases with just one out. Wiegand would produce her best Houdini impersonation by extinguishing the threat with back-to-back outs to end the contest.
Game 2: UT Martin 10, Austin Peay 2 (Five innings)
Much like in the first game, the Skyhawks would come out of the gates looking to get on the board first in the second game of the day’s doubleheader.
McClure would get the inning started with a single through the left side before moving into scoring position with her lone stolen base of the afternoon. She would later come around to score after moving to third base on a sacrifice fly from Hansen. Gonzales would also reach base in the inning following an opposite field base hit before coming around to score from second on a lone wild pitch, giving the Skyhawks an early 2-0 advantage.
Austin Peay would strike back in the top half of the second inning, scoring its lone runs of the day. After seeing a walk and a hit by pitch give the Lady Govs two baserunners, Courtney Brower would single to right field. Not to be outdone, Chandler Groves would lace a single of her own through the left side to tie the game at two runs apiece.
The Skyhawks would post their second big inning of the day in the bottom of the second inning. Aeron Smith would single through the left side before being pulled for pinch runner Bella Zizzi. Zizzi would use her quick feet, advancing from first to third. McClure would later follow Daugherty on base after an RBI single before seeing her time cut short as Gonzales launched a three-run home run over the centerfield wall, giving the Skyhawks an 8-2 margin.
The game would come to a close early in the fifth inning after Hansen led off the inning with a single through the right side, before swiping her second stolen base of the day to move into scoring position. From there she would come around to score as she switched places with Dixon following a double, before seeing Dixon put the game out of reach as she scampered home off a sacrifice fly from Aeron Smith.
UT Martin will look to wrap up the series sweep against Austin Peay on Sunday, March 29. Action from Bettye Giles Field is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m.