SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Murray State 4, Southeast Missouri 3
@Murray State 6, Southeast Missouri 5
@UT Martin 8, Eastern Illinois 4
Eastern Illinois 3, @UT Martin 0
@Morehead State 4, Belmont 1
@Morehead State 4, Belmont 2
Jacksonville State 2, @Tennessee Tech 1
@Tennessee Tech 3, Jacksonville State 1
SIUE 2, @Austin Peay 1
SIUE 7, @Austin Peay 1
@Eastern Kentucky 11, Tennessee State 3 (6)
@Eastern Kentucky 8, Tennessee State 3
MURRAY STATE 4, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3; MURRAY STATE 6, SOUTEHAST MISSOURI 5
MURRAY, Ky. - A walk-off walk from Cayla Levins and a walk-off single from Alexa Becker, helped propel the Murray State softball team to a pair of wins, 4-3 and 6-5, over Southeast Missouri on Saturday afternoon at Racer Field.
In game one, after Murray State (24-14, 11-5 OVC) went ahead early when Shelbey Miller scored on a Southeast Missouri error in the second, India Davis answered for the Redhawks (10-20, 5-9 OVC) in the fourth with an RBI-single to tie the game at one.
Murray State looked to be cruising towards the win after they added two run on a RBI-single from Jessica Twaddle in the fifth and a sacrifice fly from Kaylyn Zierke that scored Miller in the sixth. However, SEMO was able to tie the game at three in the seventh on a two-run single from Taylor McDannold.
Despite being forced to play the bottom half of the inning, Murray State responded well by loading the bases with no outs on a walk by Mo Ramsey, a pitch that hit Twaddle and a single from Jocelynn Rodgers. With the Redhawks, retiring the next two batters, Cayla Levins answered the call and stared at a 3-1 pitch to draw the game-winning base on balls.
Shelbey Miller led the Racers in the opener by going 3-for-4 with a pair of runs, while Twaddle followed at 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI. CheyAnne Gaskey improved to 12-7 on the season by allowing three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts over 6.1 innings. Haven Campbell closed out the game for MSU and earned her second save of the season by allowing just one hit and striking out one in three batters faced.
In game two, the Racers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first with a single from Jocelynn Rodgers that scored two and a single from Cayla Levins that drove in Rodgers. However, Lindsey Patterson erased the lead in the top of the fifth when she homered for the fifth time this season with two on board to tie the game at three.
In the bottom of the inning, Murray State responded by adding a pair of runs on another RBI-single from Levins and a ball put in play for a fielder’s choice by Mallory Young that allowed Maggie Glass to cross the plate and make the score 5-3. However, just like the first game, the Redhawks tied the game in the top of the seventh, this time on a double from Meaghan Touchette.
In the bottom of the frame, Miller led off the inning with a single and was joined on the base paths two batters later by Mallory Richardson, who was hit by a pitch. With extra innings looming once again and two outs on the board, Alexa Becker drove a ball up the middle that allowed Miller to score from second and gave MSU the 6-5 win.
Twaddle was 3-for-4 in the game with a run, while Becker, Rodgers, Glass, Miller and Levins all followed with two hits each. J.J. Francis earned the relief win for Murray State to improve to 1-1 on the season, after she allowed just two runs on two hits over 2.2 innings.
The Racers and Redhawks will return to Racer Field Sunday for the final game of the series. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
UT MARTIN 8, EASTERN ILLINOIS 4; EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, UT MARTIN 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team picked up a big win behind nine hits and three home runs against Eastern Illinois in Game One, picking up an 8-4 victory before seeing its bats go silent in the second half of the twinbill, being held hitless in a 3-0 defeat.
The Skyhawks (21-17, 9-6 OVC) saw their winning streak reach a season-best five games after picking up the early victory behind the team’s hot hitting with seven players recording at least one hit. Senior Samantha McClure led the Skyhawks on both sides of the ball, hitting her first career grand slam while tallying a pair of putouts and four assists defensively.
Senior Lauren Smith and sophomore Renate Meckl also tallied solo home runs in Game 1 while Smith and Carly Gonzales led the squad with two hits on the day. Senior Kenzi Tate tallied the team’s lone other RBI on the day, notching a double to deep center.
Sophomore Elizabeth Wiegand improved to 11-5 on the season after holding Eastern Illinois to four runs in her 12th complete game of the season. Senior Casey Vincent (4-6) tossed in a valiant effort despite picking up the loss. Vincent tossed a quality start with four strikeouts and zero walks while allowing just three earned runs in seven innings of work.
Eastern Illinois (13-21, 8-8 OVC) earned a split of the doubleheader behind the offensive play of Bailey O’Dell who tallied three hits on the day while tallying three RBIs, including the game’s winning home run in Game 2. Haylee Beck went 3-for-5 with a three run home run.
The Panthers were paced in the circle by Jessica Wireman (6-10) who not only appeared in relief in Game 1, allowing two earned runs in three innings of work but posted a dazzling performance in Game 2, tossing her first career no hitter. Wireman finished the day with a line of 10 innings of work, three hits, and two earned runs on top of her no-hit shutout.
Game 1: UT Martin 8, Eastern Illinois 4
Eastern Illinois would get on the board first in the top of the second inning, placing a pair of runners in scoring position before Beck broke the game open with a three run shot into the left centerfield gap, putting the Panthers on top 3-0.
UT Martin would keep with its current theme of the season – outscoring their opponents significantly in the second inning alone – moving into the game’s driver’s seat. Senior Kelsey Dixon would single up the middle before advancing into scoring position and third base ultimately before the duo of Savannah Dodson and Carly Gonzales loaded the bases with consecutive walks. With the bases juiced, McClure would erase the game’s deficit with one swing to left center, notching her first career grand slam and second home run of the season, putting the Skyhawks on top 4-3 after two innings of work.
The Panthers would look to strike back in the top of the fourth inning, tying the game at four runs apiece. Three consecutive singles, capped off with an RBI single up the middle from April Markowski would tie the game at 4-4.
The lead would be short lived in the bottom half of the inning as Meckl wasted little time putting the Skyhawks back on top for good, lacing a first pitch home run to right center. The home run not only gave the Skyhawks a 5-4 lead, but notched her first home run of the season. The team’s second run of the inning would come across the plate following consecutive singles from the pair of Dodson and Gonzales, with Dodson scoring off a throwing error all the way from second.
UT Martin would continue to stretch its lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as Smith led off the inning with a deep home run, clearing not only the fence but the scoreboard in left field.
The game’s final run would come across to score in the bottom of the sixth inning. McClure would draw a two-out walk before swiping second and moving into scoring position. McClure and Tate would string together some senior mojo, swapping position on the field as Tate laced a double over the centerfielder and pushed the margin to its final resting place of 8-4.
Game 2: Eastern Illinois 3, UT Martin 0
Eastern Illinois would tally a pair of hits in the first inning of the contest, proving to be the only hits for both teams combined in the first five innings of play. The Panthers would place runners in scoring position but Vincent would prove gutsy in the inning, eliminating the threat with a swinging strikeout to close the frame.
Both teams would struggle offensively while the pitching duo of Vincent and Wireman continued to shine, seeing both teams go hitless for four consecutive innings.
The Panthers would finally break into the scoring column in the top of the sixth inning as Beck singled up the middle before seeing Markowski reach first following a hit by pitch. One of three stellar diving plays by the Skyhawks would tally the innings first out as Meckl laid out for a bunt pop out. Despite the defensive web gem by Meckl, the Panthers momentum would not be swayed as O’Dell launched a three-run blast over the centerfield batter’s eye to take a 3-0 lead on the ensuing at bat.
With history on the brink for Wireman, the Skyhawks would gut out a last chance effort in the bottom of the seventh. Faced with two outs, Smith would draw a walk before her classmate Dixon turned a lengthy at bat in a walk, bringing the game’s potential tying run to the plate. Down to the team’s last out, freshman Jodie Duncan would post a positive at bat before eventually flying out to deep left to end the scoring threat and the contest.
UT Martin will look to pick up the rubber game in the three-game series tomorrow, Sunday, April 12 against Eastern Illinois. Action from Bettye Giles Field is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m.
MOREHEAD STATE 4, BELMONT 1; MOREHEAD STATE 4, BEMONT 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State softball team used strong pitching and defense to post a doubleheader sweep of Ohio Valley Conference opponent Belmont on Saturday afternoon at University Field. The Eagles registered a 4-1 victory in the opener and 4-2 win in game two.
The Eagles, who snap a three-game skid, improve to 15-18 overall, 6-7 in conference action and 6-4 at home. The Bruins, who have dropped four consecutive affairs, slip to 9-26 overall, 4-11 in league play and 2-9 on the road. The series finale is slated for Sunday for 1 p.m. ET.
MSU allowed just one run over the first 13 innings and played two errorless contests. Freshman right-hander Mackenzie Grossmann fired a complete game in game one, while senior right-hander Tanna Seuferer and sophomore right-hander Megan Tymorek saw action in the nightcap.
Grossmann, who has won five of her last seven decisions, fired 93 pitches and went the distance for the 10th time in 2015. She improved to 9-6 by allowing just one run, two walks and six hits while striking out four. The hurler now has the most wins by an MSU freshman since 2011.
Seuferer, who retired 13 straight batters and allowed just one baserunner through six innings, improved to 6-5. Her final line was 86 pitches, 6.1 innings, five hits, two earned runs, no walks and eight strikeouts. Tymorek recorded the game's final two outs for her second career save.
In game one, Morehead State scored once in the fourth, once in the fifth and twice in the sixth. Freshman second baseman Hannah Murphy notched a club-best two hits, while sophomore first baseman Dana Hutchins knocked in half of MSU's runs on a sixth-inning single.
In the second contest, the Eagles scored once in the first and three times in the third. Freshman designated player Lindsay Ward and senior third baseman Katie Raile tallied two hits apiece. Raile also posted a team-best two RBI, with both coming on a third-inning double.
Sophomore left fielder Kayla Wells, who went 2-for-3 with one run in game two, was the only Bruin to register multiple hits in either tilt. Belmont scored twice in the nightcap's final frame and had the tying run on base, but Tymorek got a pop up and groundout to seal the deal.
Junior right-hander Carolyn Snodgress fell to 4-6, while junior right-hander Taylor Moon dropped to 3-14. Both allowed four earned runs in six innings on their way to losses. Snodgress gave up nine hits and one walk, while Moon yielded seven base knocks and two bases on balls.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 2, TENNESSEE TECH 1; TENNESSEE TECH 3, JACKSONVILLE STATE 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Strong pitching became the headline for the Tennessee Tech softball team Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagle pitching staff combined to yield just one earned run in its doubleheader split with Jacksonville State at a sun-soaked Tech Softball Field.
The Gamecocks (26-12, 9-4) struck for a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second inning en route to a 2-1 victory in the opener, before the Golden Eagles bounced back with some early offense of their own to scratch out a 3-1 win in the day's second game.
The potent JSU offense entered the twin bill second in the conference in both team-batting average (.304) and slugging percentage (.476), but the 1-2 punch of sophomore Danielle Liberatore (13-8) and senior Erica Tuck (3-1) teamed up to limit the Gamecocks to just one unearned run throughout the course of the afternoon.
Liberatore did suffer a tough-luck loss in the opener, despite tossing a complete-game, five-hitter that featured six strikeouts and only one walk. The 5-foot-10 southpaw let up two unearned runs in the top of the second, the only two that JSU would plate in the day's first tilt.
After a Tech error, a single, and a stolen base put runners on second and third, JSU sophomore Stephanie Lewis whistled one through the right side that brought around junior Cadi Oliver and senior Savannah Sloan to give the Gamecocks the early 2-0 edge.
The Golden Eagles responded to the setback relatively quickly, using a third inning Angi Sakamoto RBI double down the right field line to bring across sophomore Gabby Perez with the first Tech run.
Sakamoto would end the opening affair with two hits, the only Golden Eagle to make that claim, while the Waipahu, Hawaii native drove in a run in the second contest, in addition to making a pair of highlight-reel catches that forced her to go into a full extension dive to glove.
TTU had its chances in the first game to pull even with Jacksonville State, most notably in the fourth and sixth innings when the Golden Eagles put runners in scoring position. Trailing 2-1 in the last of the fourth, sophomore Kelly Kennedy laced a double into left center field to put runners on second and third with one down.
Despite knocking at the door to tie or take the lead, the Gamecocks denied Tech with the equalizer thanks to a fielder's choice that saw JSU shortstop Cadi Oliver throw out a TTU runner at the plate to keep the game at 2-1.
In the bottom of the sixth, a two-out Bayli Cruse single coupled with a Gamecock error in center put the 5-foot-6 freshman into scoring position, but once again, Tech was unable to cash in after sophomore Taylor West set down freshman Callen Griffin on a roller to first to end the TTU threat.
West (8-4) notched the win after going the distance and allowing one run on six hits, walking two and whiffing four. Even with the loss, it marked the sixth time in nine OVC starts in which Liberatore did not allow an earned run.
Tech showed resiliency early on in the second tilt, scoring a run in the first and two more in the second to take a 3-0 lead after two innings.
Two-out fireworks in the opening frame put the Golden Eagles on the board, as junior Sabrie Neeb stroked a double into left field, before fellow junior Olivia Bennett knocked her in with a scorching single into left center.
In the bottom of the second, junior Cortney Fry doubled up the Tech margin with a booming RBI two-bagger into right center that plated Kelly Kennedy, before an Angi Sakamoto run-scoring groundout two batters later gave the Golden Eagles a 3-0 edge.
The lead was in good hands behind the Tech tandem of Erica Tuck and Danielle Liberatore, who made quick work of the Gamecocks to push the Golden Eagles to the double dip split. Tuck secured the victory with 4 2/3 strong innings inside the circle, surrendering one run on five hits. Liberatore closed the door for her second save of the season, pitching the contest's final 2 1/3 innings and yielding three hits in the process.
Tuck continues to impress in OVC action, giving up just six earned runs in the last 22 conference-innings, posting a 1.91 ERA over that stretch.
The two schools will close out the conference series Sunday afternoon, clashing in a single game at 1 p.m. CT.
SIUE 2, AUSTIN PEAY 1; SIUE 7, AUSTIN PEAY 1
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.- SIUE softball Head Coach Sandy Montgomery passed a milestone Saturday as her team collected a doubleheader sweep at Austin Peay.
The Cougars improved to 31-9, marking the 20th time in her coaching career that Montgomery's teams have recorded 30 or more wins in a season. The 31 wins this season also passes the mark set by the 2014 Cougars (30 wins) which won the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
SIUE defeated Austin Peay 2-1 in game one and grabbed a 7-1 victory in the nightcap.
The Cougars improved their lead in the OVC with a 13-3 record. SIUE now holds a two-game lead over Murray State, which also swept a doubleheader and a 2½ game lead over Jacksonville State, which split a doubleheader at Tennessee Tech. Austin Peay dropped to 8-25 overall and 4-10 in the OVC.
In Saturday's game one, Haley Chambers improved her season record to 18-4 with a two-hitter. She struck 12 batters, including three in the bottom of the seventh.
Laurel Burroughs used one of Austin Peay's two hits to drive home the first run, giving the Lady Govs a 1-0 lead in the third.
SIUE scored both of its runs in the fifth inning. Chambers drove in the tying run with a single before Rebecca Gray doubled her home for the eventual game winner.
The offense kicked it up a notch in game two with 12 hits. Baylee Douglass and Alexis Kohrs combined for another two-hitter in the circle. Douglass improved her season record to 12-4 after striking out six. Kohrs threw the final two innings and was retired all six batters she faced, including four strikeouts.
The Cougars jumped ahead early in game two. Alex McDavid doubled home Gray and later scored on a single by Rachel Keller.
Gray finished with three doubles for the day, doubling her season total to six.
SIUE ran the lead to 5-0 with some extra-base hitting along the way. Haley Adrian started the rally as she reached on an infield single and then stole second. The Cougars used back-to-back-to-back doubles by Jordan LaFave, Chambers, and Gray to extend the lead.
Austin Peay scored its lone run of the game in the bottom of the fourth as Allie Blackwood doubled home Niya Sparks with two outs.
The Cougars added single tallies in the fifth and the sixth with RBIs by LaFave and McDavid, respectively.
The same two teams return to Cheryl Holt field for a single game Sunday to close out the three-game series. Game time is noon.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 11, TENNESSEE STATE 3; EASTERN KENTUCKY 8, TENNESSEE STATE 3
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team hit six home runs in a doubleheader against visiting Tennessee State to help the Colonels take both games from the Tigers. EKU won by scores of 11-3 and 8-3.
Senior Katie Tackett hit a pair of long balls in game one, a two-run shot in the first inning and a three-run home run in the sixth. Tackett’s five RBIs tied a personal high, which she also reached as a freshman in 2012.
Sophomore Krislyn Campos added a two-run hit over the fence in the opener, while junior Sarah Fobbs and freshmen Taylor Stewart and Paige Murphy went deep in the nightcap. Stewart’s home run was the first of her collegiate career.
The Colonels (17-22, 7-6 OVC) jumped on top of Tennessee State (9-27, 2-13) quickly in the opener. Tackett’s two-run homer gave EKU a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Campos homered in the second inning to help the Colonels extend the cushion to 5-1.
Tennessee State closed the gap to 6-3 in the top of the fifth, but Eastern put the game away with four runs in the sixth highlighted by Tackett’s second four-bagger.
In game two, the Tigers scored single tallies in the third, fourth and fifth innings to cling to a 3-2 lead. However, the Colonels exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fifth to take control.
Murphy led off the big frame by hitting an opposite field home run on the first pitch that she saw from TSU pitcher Taylor Green. Fobbs followed with her seventh homer of the season, a long blast to right center field. Four more Colonels recorded hits in the sixth, capped by a two-out, two-run Campos triple.
Seven different EKU hitters notched an RBI in the 8-3 win.
The two teams will complete the three-game series tomorrow, April 12. The series finale is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.