FRIDAY'S SCORES
Jacksonville State 3, Wright State 1
Jacksovnille State 12, Iona 1
Houston 7,
Eastern Kentucky 4
SIUE 4, Villanova 1
UT Arlington 12,
UT Martin2 (5)
UT Martin 4, Texas Tech 3
Jackson State 10,
Tennessee State 9
Saint Louis 10,
Austin Peay 1
Kennesaw State 11,
Austin Peay 0
UC Santa Barbar 7,
Eastern Kentucky 4
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, WRIGHT STATE; JACKSONVILLE STATE 12, IONA 1
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Senior Sara Borders homered twice and drove in six runs to lift the Jacksonville State softball team to wins over Wright State and Iona Friday morning at the Charleston Southern Tournament.
The Alexandria, Ala., native went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and two RBI in a 3-1 win over Wright State early before homering and driving in four in a 12-1 rout of Iona to wrap up day one of the Gamecocks (11-6) weekend.
JSU totaled 24 hits over the two games, while sophomores Taylor West and Logan Green each struck out seven batters in the circle. The Gamecocks have now won seven of nine and saw Borders, the defending Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, snap out of her recent hitting skid.
After going hitless in her previous three games, Borders seemed to snap out of it on Wednesday at Samford, but her first-inning three-run homer against the Bulldogs was negated by rains that came an inning later. She picked up on Friday where she left off in Birmingham two days prior, going 4-for-7 with two homers and a double in the two games combined.
In the early game of the day, the Gamecocks racked up 10 hits against WSU and had three players with multiple hits in the game. Borders homered and doubled in a run, while Taylor Sloan and Jamie McGuire each had a pair of singles in three at bats. Freshman Emily Woodruff drove in JSU's other run.
In the circle, West (2-2) grabbed the win after holding the Raiders to a run on five hits in 6.1 innings of work. She struck out seven and walked just one before making way for freshman Whitney Gillespie in the seventh. Gillespie got the final two outs to earn her second save of the year.
Borders got the scoring started in the bottom of the second with a leadoff homer to left, her second of the year and 33rd of her career. The blast tied Breanne Oleman (2002-05) for sixth on JSU's career homer list.
Libby Pfeffer tied the game with a third-inning single, but the Gamecocks reclaimed the lead in the fourth on Woodruff's RBI single, an infield hit to the shortstop. Borders doubled in Taylor Sloan to push JSU's third run across in the fifth.
Montana Wear (0-8) suffered the loss for WSU after surrendering three runs on 10 hits in six innings in the circle. She struck out four and didn't issue a walk.
In the second game, Borders struck first and did so early on. Her single through the left side scored freshman Jordan Bullock and put JSU up 1-0 over Iona. The Gaels tied it in the bottom of the inning on a Brianna Schauer double, and that 1-1 score would stand until the third.
McGuire broke the tie in the top of the third, an inning that started with the Gaels walking Borders and hitting Cadi Oliver with a pitch. McGuire delivered with two outs, doubling to center and scoring them both to put JSU up for good.
The freshman duo of Woodruff and Bullock added a pair of runs to the lead in the fifth, and then Woodruff homered in the seventh to spark a six-run inning. Junior Ella Denes reached on an error that scored a third run and set up Borders for her second homer of the day.
The three-run shot to center made it 12-1 JSU and pushed her past Oleman into a tie for fifth with Allie Barker for fifth on the school's career home run list. Her six RBI on Friday runs her career total to 136, three away from Oleman in third on that career list.
Green (5-1) struck out seven in six innings in the circle, holding Iona to a run on four hits. Sophomore Brooke Carvey tossed a perfect seventh inning to finish the game for the Gamecocks.
Jessica Harkness suffered the loss for Iona after surrendering eight runs on 13 hits in just over six innings of work. She struck out two and walked four before being chased to make room in the circle for Sarah McMahon. She got the final two outs but not before allowing the final four runs to score.
The Gamecocks will conclude play in the event on Saturday, when they face Wright State again at 10 a.m. CT before taking on host Charleston Southern at 12 p.m. CT.
SIUE 4, VILLANOVA 1
TAMPA, Fla. – SIUE softball didn't get on the field until 9 p.m. local time after rains pelted the USF Under Armour Showcase, but the Cougars prevailed with a 4-1 victory over Villanova.
SIUE's game with Georgetown was postponed Friday night because of the numerous schedule changes
The Cougars improved to 11-4 with the victory over the Wildcats, 4-8. The tournament had been halted for more than four hours because of rain Friday afternoon.
Haley Chambers started for the Cougars and was relieved mid-game by Baylee Douglass.
The Cougars tied the game in the fourth inning 1-1 on an RBI by Brittany Toney. Jordan LaFave continued with the hot bat with a two-RBI single in the fifth that put SIUE ahead for good. Chambers added a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
SIUE has two games scheduled for Saturday with Seton Hall schedule for 12:45 p.m. CT and North Florida set for a 3:15 p.m. CT contest.
UT ARLINGTON 12, UT MARTIN 2; UT MARTIN 4, TEXAS TECH 3
LUBBOCK, Texas - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team earned a split of Day One of the Texas Tech Invitational on Friday, falling in its debut against UT Arlington 12-2 in five innings before overcoming Big 12 member and host Texas Tech 4-3 in the night cap.
The Skyhawks (8-7) tallied 13 hits on the day while scoring six runs. Senior Kelsey Dixon led all batters with a .800 average for the day after going 4-of-5 from the plate including a double. Freshman Alicia Hansen tallied some damage as well, making the most of her two hits with one home run and three RBIs. Senior Kayla Blanco joined in the action with two RBIs.
Four pitchers saw action inside the circle on the day while Elizabeth Wiegand and Kenzi Tate each earned starts. Brooke Kennedy and Hanna Jones appeared in relief.
UT Arlington 12, UT Martin 2 (Five innings)
Meeting UT Arlington for the second time this season, the Mavericks proved to be just as dangerous if not more in the first game of today’s twinbill. Seeing their early season contest end in just five innings, the Skyhawks had a bit of déjà vu before dropping the 12-2 decision after five once again.
After coming into the contest and averaging more than eight runs a game, UT Arlington lived up to its billing early, tallying 12 hits and 12 runs in the contest. Meagan Michele helped lead the offense with seven RBIs, three hits and a home run. Michele was supported by the play of Shelbi Sikes who posted a perfect 3-for-3 day with two RBIs and two runs scored.
The Mavs would get action started in the first inning with a two RBI single to right before another run scored off an error and came around to score on a single. Sandra Mendoza would cap off the inning with a single through the right side to bring home a pair and take a six run advantage out of the first.
UT Arlington would strike for another pair of runs in the second inning coming off a two-run home run from Michelle to center field.
The Skyhawks would strike for a pair of runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Alicia Hansen would tally a two-out single through the left side before advancing to second on an infield single by Kelsey Dixon. The pair would come around to score on the following play as Blanco would stroke a double into left center, bring the margin to 8-2 through four.
UT Arlington would put the game out of reach in the top of the fifth. The Mavs would bring runners around to score on a single up the middle before a passed ball made the score 10-2. The game’s scoring output would be finished following a double to left center which brought two more runs across to score, proving to be the final 12-2 margin.
Tate (1-2) would earn the loss in the contest, allowing eight earned runs in two innings of work. Jones appeared in relief, allowing four runs and six hits in three innings of action.
UT Martin 4, Texas Tech 3
UT Martin would look to get off to a hot start against the host Red Raiders. Gonzales would lead off the inning with a double to left center before advancing to second on an outfield error, placing Tate on first. The pair would come around to score two batters later as Hansen blasted a three-run home run to right center to give the Skyhawks an early advantage.
The Skyhawks got on the board again in the top of the second as Jodie Duncan reached base on a leadoff walk. Entering the game as a pinch runner, Chelsey Smith quickly notched a stolen base before advancing to third on a throwing error. Gonzales then brought the speedster around to score on the following at bat with an RBI single up the middle, taking a 4-0 lead.
Texas Tech would look to answer in the bottom of the third. Lea Hopson singled through the left side before swiping second base, putting a runner in scoring position. A bunt single on the following at bat would put runners on the corners before a single by Jordan Bettiol scored the Red Raiders’ first run of the contest. The home squad would not be done, seeing its second run cross the plate in the inning off a successful steal of home to trim the deficit to 4-2.
The Red Raiders made a push yet again to cut the margin in half in the bottom of the fifth. A leadoff double would be followed by two consecutive outs, including a sacrifice bunt – moving the runner over to third. Bettiol came through in the clutch again, tallying her second RBI of the game with a single through the left side and moving within a run.
The home squad would threaten in the final inning, getting a runner to third with two outs before Kennedy would register the final out of the game and seal the team’s victory with a swinging strikeout.
Wiegand (4-3) got the win after allowing just three runs in 4.3 innings of work. She would be relieved by Kennedy who notched her first save of the season with two innings of scoreless action.
UT Martin will return to action to face the same opponents on Saturday, March 7. The Skyhawks will take on UT Arlington at 11 a.m. before capping off the day against Texas Tech at 4 p.m.
JACKSON STATE 10, TENNESSEE STATE 9
IRONDALE, Ala. – Kailey Richard fell a triple shy of the cycle as the Tigers comeback effort came up just short in the opener of the Tiny Laster Classic in Irondale, Ala. Despite six extra base hits, Tennessee State lost a heartbreaker 10-9 in eight innings on Friday afternoon.
Richard was a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with two doubles and a home run. The freshman ripped a double to left center in her first plate appearance in the opening frame. In the fourth, Richard drove a hard line drive shot on the first pitch she saw over the fence in centerfield. The blast was the first of her career.
The Highland, Calif. Native picked up a single in the sixth, leaving the illusive triple as the only hit needed for the cycle. In the seventh, Richard led off with a drive to the fence in right field. Richard made it into second with ease, but had no opportunity to stretch the extra base hit into a triple as the throw from right was on its way back in as she reached second.
The performance by Richard was not enough to propel the Tigers over Jackson State. The Tigers of JSU jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings of play, before Richard sent the ball out of the park to cut the lead to 6-1 in the fourth.
Jackson State added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth off reliever Jasmine Matchen to increase its lead to 8-1. In the bottom of the inning the Tigers came storming back. TSU used five hits and two walks to score six runs and move to within one run at 8-7.
Richard started the rally with a one-out single and moved to second on a single off the bat of Lauren Dreitlein. After a pitching change, Kate Morris drove a 0-1 pitch over the fence in left for a three-run dinger. The three RBI gives Morris 60 in her career and moved her into fifth on the TSU all-time list, surpassing Bridget Metzger and Tamara Perkins, who both played from 2007-10.
The sixth inning continued with back-to-back walks to Joselynn Yates and Lindsey Burgess. JSU reentered starter Kelsey Townsend who retired the first batter she faced. With two outs, Savannah Womack singled to left center and advanced to second on the throw to third, which arrived after Burgess reached third safely. Yates scored on the play making the score 8-5. On the very next pitch, Danica Gleason ripped a ball into the gap in right center and used her speed to earn her second triple of the season. The three-bagger chased home Womack and Burgess bringing the Tigers to within one, 8-7.
In the seventh, Richard once again started the ball rolling with the double to right. Chelsea Buchanan entered to pinch-run for Richard, and moved to third on a ground out by Dreitlein. Morris stepped to the plate and delivered an RBI single to right, as TSU tied the score at 8-8, erasing JSU’s seven run advantage.
Jackson State regained the lead in the first extra frame with a pair of runs, forcing the Tigers to comeback once again. TSU loaded the bases with no outs and moved to within one at 10-9 on a Womack sacrifice fly to center. That would be as close as TSU would get as they stranded runners on second and third to end the game.
Jackson State improved to 6-15, while the Tigers move to 3-9. TSU will return to play on Saturday with a 1:00pm game against Grambling State and a 6:00pm matchup with Mississippi Valley State. Live stats and live play-by-play can be found on tsutigers.com.
SAINT LOUIS 10, AUSTIN PEAY 1; KENNESAW STATE 11, AUSTIN PEAY 0
KENNESAW, Ga. – Austin Peay State University's softball team didn't have a lot go its way, FridayM at Bailey Field, in the opening day of the Kennesaw State Owl Invitational dropping a 10-1 decision to Saint Louis and a 11-0 contest to Kennesaw State.
The Lady Govs (1-10) did jump out early in its opener versus Saint Louis, getting a lead-off home run from Chandler Groves, but the Billikens answered back with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good, 3-1.
Groves would finish the game going 3-for-3 at the plate, while Laurel Burroughs collected the only other hit – coming on a first-inning single – while Heather Norris and Savanna Oliver drew walks in the game for Austin Peay.
It would still be a two-run advantage for Saint Louis (8-6) heading into the bottom of the third inning, when it exploded for five runs on four hits to take control of the game, 8-1.
The Billikens would end the game in the bottom of the fifth inning on the eight-run mercy rule, with Elizabeth Everingham's second home run of the game ending the contest with the 10-1 final.
Things didn't get any better in Game 2 for Austin Peay.
Kennesaw State (11-5) did all of its offensive damage in the first three innings, including an eight-run third inning that saw the Lady Govs commit seven errors in the frame.
Those runs were more than enough for Owl's starter Paige Mathews, who opened the game recording the first eight outs of the game via the strikeout, finishing the game with nine total strikeouts.
Austin Peay would pick up its first hit of Game 2 in the top of the fourth inning on an infield single by Erica Inagaki, while the Lady Govs only other hit came in the top of the fifth on a single up the middle by Rikki Arkansas.
Burroughs would be the only Lady Gov to reach base twice, both on walks, while Alexis Hill also drew a base on balls.
The Lady Govs will conclude play in the Owl Invitational on Saturday with a context versus Indiana, at 11 p.m., CT, followed by a rematch versus Kennesaw State at 1:30 p.m.
HOUSTON 7, EASTERN KENTUCKY 2; UC SANTA BARBARA 7, EASTEN KENTUCKY 4
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team opened play at the 2015 UNLV Rebel Classic Friday with losses to Houston (7-2) and UC Santa Barbara (7-4).
The Colonels (9-8) struck first in both games, but were unable to hold the lead.
In game one versus Houston, junior Sarah Fobbs put EKU in the board in the top of the first inning with a solo home run to left field.
However, the Cougars (10-12) responded with a seven-run second inning. Houston put together five hits in the frame, including a leadoff home run from Julana Shrum and a two-run double by Kris Davila.
UCSB took the second game by a count of 7-4. More to follow …