WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Butler 8,
Eastern Illinois 5
@SIUE 5, Saint Louis 0
Georgia Tech 5,
@Jacksonville State 3
@UT Martin 2, Memphis 0
@UT Martin 5, Memphis 1
@Lipscomb 7,
Tennessee Tech 2
BUTLER 8, EASTERN ILLINOIS 5
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Eastern Illinois softball stepped out of league play for a mid-week road game at Butler on Wednesday (April 15), as the Panthers dropped a tough 8-5 slug-fest to the Bulldogs.
The loss drops Eastern to 14-22 overall, while the home squad improves to 18-22.
EIU returns home this coming weekend, as Ohio Valley Conference foes Tennessee State and Belmont come to town for respective 1 p.m. doubleheaders on Saturday-Sunday (April 18-19).
Panthers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first as senior shortstop Bailey O'Dell delivered an RBI shot to right which helped junior outfielder April Markowski score all the way from second base.
But the host Bulldogs countered with a bases-loaded shot over the left field fence to immediately retake the 4-1 lead in their half of the same inning.
After two scoreless innings by both squads, the Panthers pulled to within 4-3 of the Bulldogs in the top of the fourth as sophomore Amber Toenyes drilled her fourth home run of the season over the center field fence to also plate classmate Hannah Rachor.
Unfortunately, a solo homer, an RBI double and two-run shot in the gap in the bottom of the fifth by Butler would help the Bulldogs increase their lead to 8-3.
EIU countered with a two-run homer by Markowski in the top of the sixth frame, and also scoring sophomore Ashlynne Paul, to pull the Panthers to within 8-5 of the Indy squad.
Seven different Panthers earned at least one hit in the loss, led by Markowki and O'Dell with a pair of shots on the day.
Newcomer Michelle Rogers was tabbed for the loss in the circle, falling to 6-11 overall.
The Butler win helps Bulldogs even the season series with the Panthers, as both regional rivals met in late February with EIU earning a 5-neutral site victory.
SIUE 5, SAINT LOUIS 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Haley Chambers earned her 19th victory of the season on her sixth shutout as SIUE softball defeated Saint Louis 5-0 at Cougar Field Wednesday.
Chambers tossed a one-hitter and earned the win with just 85 pitches. SIUE improved to 33-9 while Saint Louis dropped to 25-15.
The junior left-hander now has a no-hitter, a one-hitter, and four two-hitters this season among her shutouts.
SIUE's offense also was zoned in with 11 hits for the game, including nine off SLU starter Brianne Lore. Lore is now 12-9 after yielding all five runs in her four innings pitched.
Chambers got the Cougars started in the first inning with a double to left field. After a passed ball, Allison Smiley collected her 30th RBI of the season with a single to right field. Smiley then stole second and scored on a Rachel Keller single to right field.
Smiley made it 3-0 in the third inning beginning with a double to left field. Alex McDavid's blast to center field was run down on the warning track by SLU centerfielder Lindsay Friedman. Smiley moved to third as an errant throw by Friedman was off line. Smiley then scored on a wild pitch.
The Cougars added two runs in the fifth. Brittany Toney started the inning with a single up the middle. After Kelsey Hansen went in to pinch run, Haley Adrian singled to center field and advanced to second on the throw home. Hansen was held up at third by Coach Montgomery, but both Hansen and Adrian scored on the next play as Chambers singled through the left side of the infield.
Chambers, who leads the team with 32 RBIs, has shown confidence not only as a pitcher but also as a hitter.
The Cougars, winners of four straight games, continue this home stand this weekend with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Belmont Saturday and a 1 p.m. Sunday doubleheader against Tennessee State.
GEORGIA TECH 5, JACKSONVILLE STATE 3
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Georgia Tech jumped to an early five-run lead and held off a Jacksonville State rally in a 5-3 win over the Gamecocks on Wednesday at University Field.
A run in the first and four in the second staked the Yellow Jackets (15-29) to an early 5-0 lead, and starter Christina Biggerstaff held the Gamecocks (26-14) off of the bases until the fifth inning. The win by Tech avenges a 2-1 loss to JSU in Atlanta on March 11.
JSU senior Sara Borders had one of JSU's two hits, a three-run homer in the sixth that put the Gamecocks on the board. She drilled the first pitch from Biggerstaff in the at bat over the wall in left center for her 41st career round tripper, passing Chrissy O'Neal for second on JSU's all-time list.
Stephanie Lewis had the Gamecocks' other hit, a fifth inning single that ended Biggerstaff's bid for a no-no. Karly Fullem went 3-for-4 with a double and four of Tech's five RBI in the game, while Courtney Ziese had a pair of hits in three at bats.
JSU starter Whitney Gillespie struggled in the first inning, hitting the leadoff batter and then allowing an RBI single to Fullem that gave the Yellow Jackets a quick 1-0 lead. After a walk to Ziese, Taylor West entered the game and induced a Kelsey Chisolm grounder that got JSU out of the inning with just one run allowed.
Control haunted the Gamecocks in the second, when a leadoff walk to Colleen Darragh after an 0-2 count and then an 0-2 pitch that hit Middie Lionberger put the first two batters on for Tech. A sacrifice bunt and a line out to short got West an out away from getting out of the inning, but a pinch hit bloop single from Morgan Taylor plated one and a bases-loaded double from Fullem made it a 5-0 game.
The Gamecocks didn't have a baserunner against Biggerstaff until the fifth inning, when a leadoff walk to Cadi Oliver broke up her perfect game and a one-out single from Stephanie Lewis put the no-hitter behind her.
Borders got the Gamecocks on the board in the sixth on the Gamecocks' second hit of the day, her 10th homer of the season. The three-run blast to left center chased Biggerstaff from the circle and cut Tech's lead to 5-3.
Stephanie Lewis drew a leadoff walk in the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate for JSU, but Kylie Kleinschmidt was able to get through the inning with no damage and earn her first save of the year.
Gillespie (8-5) was tagged with the loss after allowing the first inning run on one hit and one walk. West allowed four runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 frames of relief work, striking out three and walking three.
Biggerstaff (7-5) allowed three runs on two hits in 5 1/3 innings. She struck out nine and walked three in the win. Kleinschmidt walked one and struck out two in 1 2/3 hitless innings of relief to avenge the loss she suffered in the previous meeting.
The Gamecocks host two Ohio Valley Conference doubleheaders this weekend at University Field. Murray State comes calling on Saturday, while Austin Peay will pay a visit on Sunday. Both twinbills will start at 1 p.m. and admission is free for JSU students and fans ages 18 and under.
UT MARTIN 2, MEMPHIS 1; UT MARTIN 5, MEMPHIS 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team scored all of its runs in the final innings of today’s contest to pick up a doubleheader sweep over American Athletic Conference foe Memphis at Bettye Giles Field with 2-0 and 5-1 victories.
The Skyhawks (23-18) tallied just eight hits on the day while knocking a pair of timely home runs to lift the squad to a pair of victories. Sophomore Renate Meckl tallied two hits on the day, including Game 1’s walk off two-run home run to left center. The program’s No. 2 all-time home run hitter Lauren Smith tallied a key three-run blast in Game 2 to help lift the Skyhawks to a four run advantage.
For as much as the offense was timely, the pitching core was even better. The three headed monster of Elizabeth Wiegand, Casey Vincent and Brooke Kennedy held the Tigers to just one run in 15 innings of work. Wiegand (13-5) was exceptionally good, posting her third shutout of the season while striking out five in eight innings. Vincent started the second contest, allowing one earned run in four innings while striking out six. Kennedy (5-2) would strike out seven in three innings, picking up a victory out of the bullpen.
Game 1: UT Martin 2, Memphis 0 (Eight innings)
The biggest story line of Game 1 before the big finale in the bottom of the eighth was the relentless pitching efforts of both squads, stranding 21 combined runners on base during the contest. Each inning saw at least one batter be stranded on base until Wiegand shut down the Tigers for the game’s lone 1-2-3 half inning in the top of the eighth inning.
Prior to the late inning fireworks, Wiegand and the nation’s seventh ranked defense kept the squad in the contest with a gutsy top of the seventh. Memphis would load the bases with no outs in the seventh following a walk, hit by pitch and a bunt single with the meat of the order coming up to bat. Wiegand would eliminate the scoring threat with a liner to second before helping to turn a double play off a comebacker to end the inning with no runs allowed.
What would happen in the eighth inning though was what memories are made of. After the leadoff hitter popped out innocently to the catcher, senior Kayla Blanco would gut out a tough at bat before drawing a walk to set up the firework. With a runner on first base, Meckl would continue her recent power stroke with her third home run in the last four games, mashing a two-run blast well past the left field fan deck to pick up the 2-0 extra inning victory.
Game 2: UT Martin 5, Memphis 1
Memphis would look to get on the board first in the night cap, scoring the game’s first run in the top of the fourth inning. Vincent would get the first two batters of the inning out before serving up a home run to opposing pitcher Katie Brignac to right center to break the scoreless tie.
The game would take a sloppy turn in the fifth inning to the advantage of the Skyhawks as the home squad not only tied the contest but scored the game’s eventual winning run in the inning. Earning the start in Game 2, freshman Aeron Smith would single to right to open the inning before being pulled for pinch runner Bella Zizzi. The speedy sophomore would quickly move into scoring position following a sacrifice bunt before coming around to score on a fielding error on the ensuing at bat by Carly Gonzales.
After reaching base on an error herself, Gonzales would tally her third stolen base of the contest before moving to third on the inning’s second error. Senior Samantha McClure would look to sacrifice herself in a suicide squeeze on the following at bat – scoring Gonzales from third – before reaching base herself on the team’s third error on the inning to give the Skyhawks a 2-1 advantage.
With the lead in hand, the Skyhawks would look to find some insurance in the bottom half of the sixth inning. Freshman Jodie Duncan would get the rally started with a leadoff single up the middle. Following a fielder’s choice, Kelsey Dixon and Kacie
Daugherty would put runners on first and second with one out. The Tigers would almost get out of the inning on the following play as Brignac snared a comebacker up the middle out of the air, tallying the inning’s second out before a mental error at second on a potential double play extended the inning to pinch hitter Lauren Smith.
With the Skyhawks given an extra chance to pad their margin, the home squad turned to a familiar face in Lauren Smith. After moving into second place all-time on the program’s career home run list last week, the senior inched closer to the top mark with a three run blast that just cleared the wall in the left center power gap to give the Skyhawks a 5-1 advantage heading into the seventh.
Looking to throw together any type of scoring threat, the Tigers would look to make the game interesting with just three outs to go.
The Tigers would tally back-to-back singles before eventually loading the bases with two outs. With the bases loaded, Memphis turned to its earlier hero with the game on the line. Thankfully for the Skyhawks it was Kennedy who would come out on top, striking out Brignac swinging to end the game.
UT Martin will return to action this weekend with a pair of Ohio Valley Conference doubleheaders against Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State. The Skyhawks will open the weekend with a twinbill on Saturday, April 18 at 1 p.m. before hosting Morehead State on the following day.
LIPSCOMB 7, TENNESSEE TECH 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech fell at Lipscomb, 7-2, on Wednesday night.
Full recap coming soon.