THURSDAY'S SCORES
@UT Martin 8, Bethel 0
Southeast Missouri 12, @Tennessee State 4
UT MARTIN 8 , BETHEL 0
MARTIN, Tenn. -Serving as the final tune-up prior to the stretch run for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, the University of Tennessee at Martin softball schedule capped off the non-conference portion of the season’s schedule with an 8-0 victory over NAIA foe Bethel on Thursday evening.
The Skyhawks (24-20) tallied eight hits on the day while drawing three walks to pace the squad to the six inning victory. All-OVC candidates Kenzi Tate and Carly Gonzales paced the team with two hits each while combining to tallying three RBIs on the day. Four other Skyhawks tallied base hits, including base knocks from Alicia Hansen, Jodie Duncan, Renate Meckl and Kacie Daugherty.
Three Skyhawk arms saw action against the Lady Wildcats with Tate (3-5) notching her first action in the circle in nearly a month. The senior looked anything but rusty in her return, posting three innings of one hit ball while striking out a pair. The sophomore duo of Brooke Kennedy and Elizabeth Wiegand also got in the action, combining to allow just two hits while striking out two in three scoreless innings of relief.
The Skyhawks got the game going in the bottom of the second inning, putting the game’s first run on the board. Hansen would lead off the inning with a single to center before moving into scoring position after swiping her team-leading 15th stolen base of the season. Fellow freshman Duncan would bring the speedster around to score with an RBI single up the middle to take an early 1-0 lead.
UT Martin would look for some insurance in the bottom of the third, stretching its lead out to three. Samantha McClure would reach following an error to lead off the inning before seeing the bases become loaded as Tate singled up the middle and Lauren Smith worked a walk. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Kelsey Dixon would notch the first run of the inning before Tate tacked on the inning’s second run on a successful double steal of home with senior partner Dixon taking second.
Facing the Lady Wildcats’ fourth pitcher in as many innings, the Skyhawks would put further distance between the two squads in the top of the fourth. Meckl would get the inning started with a bloop single to center before being pulled for pinch runner Bella Zizzi. Gonzales would later bring the speedy Zizzi around to score with a double laced to right center.
Gonzales and McClure would set up the following scoring situation after McClure drew a walk and Gonzales advanced to third on a wild pitch. Much like the third inning, the Skyhawks would notch the game’s second double steal as Gonzales crossed to plate to give the home squad a 5-0 margin after four innings.
With the game already decided, the Skyhawks would land the contest’s final blow in the bottom of the sixth inning, bringing the game to an early conclusion. An error would lead off the inning before Daugherty drilled a double to left center, scoring Meckl on the play. The game would later end as the Skyhawks placed runners on second and third with one out. Tate would lace a double off the left center wall to bring the pair of runners across to score and wrap up the contest with an 8-0 victory.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 12 , TENNESSEE STATE 4
NASHIVLLE, Tenn. -- Meaghan Touchette went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a career-high four RBI, and Southeast Missouri (13-23, 7-11) coasted to a 12-4 win over Tennessee State (9-32, 2-18) Thursday night at Tiger Field.
Southeast registered a season-high in runs and scored double-digit tallies for the first time since Feb. 27. The Redhawks also had 14 hits to polish off their second series win.
Southeast and TSU resumed their game that was suspended due to inclement weather on Apr. 3. The Redhawks led, 6-1, with runners at first and second with one out in the top of the second inning at the time that game was called, and that's where things picked up tonight.
With Kayla Fortner and Lindsey Patterson already on, Savannah Carpenter quickly singled to right field to load the bases with one out. Taylor McDannold followed with a base hit to right scoring both Patterson and Fortner. Touchette knocked in McDannold and Carpenter on a two-out single to right field, and just like that, Southeast pulled ahead, 10-1.
The Tigers added another run in the third and two more in the fifth before Southeast put the exclamation point on its second-straight win.
Riley Hayes led off the seventh inning with a home run to center field and Alexis Anderson drove in Touchette on a one-out single to cap the victory. For Hayes, it was her second round-tripper of the season.
Madeline Krumrey (9-9) picked up the win, striking out four in six innings of relief. Krumrey allowed three runs on seven hits.
Taylor Green (5-15) suffered the loss. Green was roughed up for 10 runs on 11 hits in five innings.
Offensively, Touchette was one of four Redhawks with multiple hits. Anderson, Carpenter and McDannold followed with two apiece. Additionally, McDannold and Hayes each contributed two RBI.
Danica Gleason and Lauren Dreitlein led the Tigers with two hits.