SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 5, Tennessee Tech 3
Southeast Missouri 11, @Austin Peay 10
@Jacksovnille State 9, Eastern Kentucky 0
@Eastern Illinois 1, SIUE 0
Murray State 9, @UT Martin 1
Belmont 6, @Tennessee State 2
Belmont 12, @Tennessee State 4
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 11, AUSTIN PEAY 10
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Savannah Carpenter went 3-for-4 with a double, run scored and RBI, and Kayla Fortner tied the school's single-season record in runs batted in, as Southeast Missouri (19-25, 12-12) hung on for an 11-10 win over Austin Peay (9-37, 5-22) Sunday.
Southeast jumped all over APSU starting pitcher Sidney Hooper in the first. Hooper was roughed up for four runs on two hits in just one-third of an inning.
Claire Wernig led off the game by reaching on an error and quickly scored on an ensuing double by Carpenter. After Fortner flied out to right and Lindsey Patterson walked, Riley Hayes delivered a three-run home run to center, giving the Redhawks an early 4-0 lead. For Hayes, it was her fifth homer of the season.
Nicole Deering then started the second inning with a single to center and stole second to get into scoring position. Wernig followed with a single through the left side and Deering scored, pushing Southeast's lead to 5-0.
The Lady Govs answered with a run in the bottom of the second and made it a one-run game on Laurel Burroughs' three-run homer in the third.
Clinging to a 5-4 lead, Southeast responded with three more runs in the top of the fourth.
Meaghan Touchette reached on an error and stole second. After Deering walked, Wernig singled home Touchette. Carpenter added a single to right field before Fortner knocked in both Wernig and Carpenter on a single through the left side, grabbing the Redhawks an 8-4 advantage.
Another home run by Burroughs, this time to left field, diced Southeast's lead to 8-5 with one out in the fifth inning.
The Redhawks extended their lead in the top of the sixth.
With one out, Patterson and Chelsea Smith each hit infield singles. Taylor McDannold reached on a fielder's choice and Alexis Anderson scored. An error by shortstop Morgan Hoeg allowed both McDannold and Patterson to score, as Southeast took an 11-5 lead.
APSU gave the Redhawks a big scare during its final at-bat in the seventh.
Burroughs stole home and Mel Pavel drove in Erica Inagaki on a double to left. Shortly after Vinchenza DiBenedetto scored on a groundball out, Natalie Ayala belted a two-run home run to narrow Southeast's lead to 11-10.
Keaira Schilling entered the game with two outs and got Heather Norris to pop out to second, halting APSU's five-run, five-hit inning. Schilling picked up her second save of the season.
Madeline Krumrey (13-10) was credited with the win. Krumrey struck out six and walked two in 6.2 innings. She also scattered 12 hits and gave up 10 runs.
Hooper (2-12) took the loss for the Lady Govs.
For the third-straight game, Southeast finished with double-digit hits. Carpenter paved the way with three hits, while Wernig and Deering followed with two apiece. Southeast had a total of 12 on the day. Fortner has 48 RBI in 44 starts this season and is in position to break her third Southeast single-season record. She broke the school's single-season home run (16) and walk (35) records in April.
Burroughs was 3-for-4 with two homer runs, three runs scored and four RBI to lead APSU. As a team, the Lady Govs had 13 hits and committed four errors.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 9, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Jacksonville State softball team turned to its seniors on Senior Day, when they set the early tone for a 9-0 mercy-rule win and the series sweep over Eastern Kentucky.
The Gamecocks (36-16, 18-6 Ohio Valley Conference) three seniors, Sara Borders, Savannah Sloan and Melanie Steer, went 3-for-3 with five RBI in the first inning to start the rout of the Colonels (23-26, 13-10 OVC). It was the second-straight mercy-rule win by JSU in the series.
They will open the tournament against No. 7 seed Southeast Missouri on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in Edwardsville, Ill. All of JSU's games in the tournament will be broadcast live on the Gamecock Sports Network on 91.9 FM in Jacksonville, on www.jsugamecocksports.com and on mobile devices through the TuneIn app. Video of the games will also be streamed on the OVC Digital Network.
On Sunday, Sloan got the big first inning started with a one-out double that came after an illegal pitch called on EKU ace Leanna Pittsenbarger extended her at bat after a pop up to short. Her gapper to left center set up Borders' RBI single to right, but a Cadi Oliver single and a walk to Stephanie Lewis set up the inning's big blow.
Steer fouled off two pitches before driving Pittsenbarger's 1-2 pitch over the wall in left center to put JSU up 5-1. The Scarborough, Ontario, native's first career grand slam capped the big first inning and staked JSU starter Logan Green to an early lead.
Green (13-5) worked out of trouble early after a pair of errors over the first two innings forced her to strand runners in scoring position in each of the first three frames. She cruised down the stretch and notched her second shutout of the season. She limited the Colonels to four hits, while striking out four and walking none.
Her offense continued to provide support, grabbing three runs in the second, thanks to a solo homer from Ella Denes and a two-run double from Lewis. An EKU error allowed another un to score in the third.
Pittsenbarger (10-12) suffered her second loss of the series after surrendering five runs on four hits and a walk, while Shaylon Robb allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits in 1 1/3 innings. Alex Sallberg tossed the final 1 2/3 innings, striking out two while facing the minimum.
MURRAY STATE 9, UT MARITN 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - The Murray State softball team won Sunday’s regular season finale at Bettye Giles Field in Martin, Tennessee Sunday, 9-1 in six innings, to secure the first-ever season sweep of UT Martin in program history.
Murray State’s sweep of the Skyhawks gave it 20 league wins on the season, which is a new program record for single-season OVC victories. While the Racers began league play at 5-5, they buckled down and won 15 of their next 17 OVC contests en route to the capturing the third seed in next weekend’s OVC tournament, the highest in program history.
Murray State (36-17, 20-7 OVC) was first on board in the opening stanza Sunday when Alexa Becker scored on a sacrifice fly from Jessica Twaddle, after leading off the game with a walk. After another lead-off walk in the second, this time, by Jocelynn Rodgers, Maggie Glass made it 3-0 with her 13th home run of the season.
In the third, the Racers took advantage of a dropped fly ball by UT Martin with the bases loaded and scored three runs to push the score to 6-0. The Skyhawks (24-26, 9-15 OVC) added one run in the fourth, but MSU’s three runs in the sixth negated it and allowed the game to end after just six innings at 9-1.
Twaddle was 2-for-3 in the game with a run and two RBIs, while Glass was 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBIs and a walk. Mason Robinson moved to 15-5 on the year with the win after allowing just one run on five hits in four innings of work. Have Campbell finished the game for Murray State and allowed just two base runners, on a hit and a walk, with a strikeout over the final two innings.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 1, SIUE 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Junior Kylie Bennett drilled a walk-off RBI double to plate senior Hannah Cole as Eastern Illinois softball stunned Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champion SIU Edwardsville in a ten-inning, 1-0, Sunday (May 3) afternoon marathon win at Williams Field. The contest marked the regular-season finale for both league rivals.
The win improves the Panthers to 20-25 overall as Eastern finished the league slate at 14-11, placing them as the #6-Seed in the upcoming league tourney this week. Meanwhile, the visiting Cougars of SIUE drop to 39-14 and 20-6, respectively, yet they previously earned the regular-season title with yesterday's first game win over the Panthers, but will soon host the four-day event having dropped their last two games of the season.
With the 2-1 win advantage, EIU earned the regular-season series over the Cougars for the first time since the 2011 campaign.
MOREHEAD STATE 5, TENNESSEE TECH 3
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Morehead State defeated visiting Tennessee Tech, 5-3, in the regular-season finale on Sunday.
A day after making Tech history with a program-high 17 strikeouts, sophomore ace Danielle Liberatore enjoyed some success in game three against the Eagles, fanning nine and walking just one in six innings of work. Unfortunately for the left-hander hurler, her five runs allowed (just three earned) was enough for the home team to avoid the sweep at the hands of the Golden Eagles.
Morehead State got on the board first in the match-up, plating two in the bottom of the second inning. The Eagles took advantage of a Golden Eagle miscue that allowed a base runner, connecting on a two-home run for the lead.
Tech answered immediately in the top of the third, using an RBI, bases-loaded walk by Alyssa Richards and an RBI single through the left side by Kelly Kennedy to even things at 2-2. The Golden Eagles went on to actually take the lead in the top of the fourth, scratching one across for a 3-2 advantage.
Angi Sakamoto provided the go-ahead marker for the visitors, ripping an RBI double to right center field to drive in Hannah Eldridge. But the Eagles were not about to let the Golden Eagles steal a third straight game from their clutches.
In the bottom of the fourth, Morehead State used four hits, including one double, to plate three runs and take a 5-3 lead it would never relinquish.
BELMONT 6, TENNESSEE STATE 2; BELMONT 12, TENNESSEE STATE 4
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont softball ended its 2015 campaign on a high note Sunday afternoon as the Bruins captured the weekend series with crosstown rival Tennessee State with a doubleheader sweep at Tiger Field.
GAME 1: Belmont 6, Tennessee State 2
Down 1-0 after two innings, Belmont evened the contest off a triple to left field from sophomore Kayla Wells (Bonney Lake, Wash.). The triple was Wells' second of her career as the outfielder has recorded a pair on the weekend.
Still knotted at 1 heading into the seventh and final inning, Belmont took control as BU's bats came alive. The Bruins recorded four hits in a row as Amy Zeronian (Pasadena, Calif.), Wells and Chelsey Deloney (Gardendale, Ala.) recorded RBI singles while senior Kat Hollingsworth (Carrollton, Texas) drove in a pair of runs off her 15th double of the year.
In total, BU recorded five runs off six hits in the defining inning as the Bruins went on for the 6-2 victory.
Belmont outhit TSU, 11-6, on the contest as Wells finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBIs and a triple. Zeronian finished 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI while Hollingsworth knocked in a pair of runs off a hit with a double.
Senior Katie Clancy (Pasadena, Calif.) picked up her second victory of the year as the veteran recorded a complete game, allowing two earned runs off six hits with a strikeout.
GAME 2: Belmont 12, Tennessee State 4 (6 innings)
Belmont picked up right where they left off in the opening game of the doubleheader as the Bruin bats stayed hot.
BU put on an offensive show in the first inning as the Bruins recorded nine runs off eight hits.
A two-RBI single to left field from Jordan Daly (Humble, Tex.) and a two-RBI double from Hollingsworth, her 16th of the season, highlighted the inning for Belmont.
BU's Amanda Criscione (Upland, Calif.) and Kayla Wells also recorded RBI singles in the inning while Deloney, Andree and senior Heather Turner (Rosenburg, Texas) helped add to the Bruins total.
TSU added four runs of their own in the bottom of the first but the Bruins added three runs in over the fifth and sixth innings in order to close out a 12-4 victory in six innings.
Bruins outhit the Tigers 14-5 on the game as Wells had another monster performance from the plate finishing 4-of-5 with a pair of RBI while plating three runs. Andree had a great showing at the plate as well, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double while Hollingsowrth finished 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Both Daly and Turner finished 2-for-4 with Daly adding a pair of RBI.
BU's Taylor Moon (Vestavia, Ala.) recorded her fifth victory on the day as the junior threw five innings and allowed no runs after coming in relief effort.
With 16 doubles on the year, Hollingsworth sits in second place in the Division I era and fourth place all-time for doubles in a single season.
For her career, the outfielder finishes in second place all-time with 44 career doubles.