FRIDAY'S SCORES
Austin Peay 6, Northern Illinois 3
Saint Louis 6,
Austin Peay 5 (8)
Belmont 1, Valparaiso 0
Belmont 3, Loyola 1 (8)
@Morehead State 4, Radford 2
@Morehead State 4, Radford 3
Tennessee Tech 8, East Tennessee State 6
UT Martin 8, Maryland 2
Jacksonville State 4, Missouri State 2
Loyola 4,
Jacksonville State 2
Missouri State 7,
Tennessee State 0
Tennessee State 11, Alabama A&M 1 (5)
Valparaiso 8,
Southeast Missouri 6
SIUE 4, Holy Cross 2
SIUE 3, Providence 0
Oklahoma State 6,
Eastern Kentucky 0
@Ole Miss 12,
Eastern Kentucky 6
BELMONT 1, VALPARAISO 0; BELMONT 3, LOYOLA 1
OXFORD, Ala. - Belmont Softball posted a pair of solid wins on the first day of the Leon Smith Classic, hosted by Southeast Missouri State. The Bruins (16-4) shutout Valparaiso (6-4), 1-0, before going into extra innings to put away Loyola (IL) (14-2), 3-1.
Game one saw the teams locked in a 0-0 stalemate for the first four innings. Finally, in the top of the fifth inning, the Bruins made their move. Freshman Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) singled to right and used a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) to move into scoring position. Senior Kayla Wells (Bonney Lake, Wash.) drove a double deep to left to score what would become the lone run of the duel against the Crusaders.
The remainder of the contest saw numerous players for both teams left stranded but the Bruins were able to hold on and thwart several Valpo scoring opportunities. Belmont went on to win, 1-0, marking its third shutout of the season.
The nightcap also started slow on the offensive side for both teams but it would be Belmont that would strike first in the run column. In the top of the third, senior Amy Zeronian (Pasadena, Calif.) singled up the middle before Cook notched her second sacrifice bunt of the day to move her into scoring position. Sophomore Hayley Baker (Rockwall, Texas) singled up the middle to score one. BU maintained its one run advantage until the bottom of the sixth when the Ramblers were able to knot the score.
The game remained tied 1-1 through the seventh and forced an eighth inning with the international tiebreaker rule in place. Loyola made a pair of strong plays at the plate to keep the Bruins off the board initially but BU would not be denied. Baker singled up the middle to send the gamewinner of the plate but the hits kept coming. A double by junior Lexi Rouse (Macon, Ga.) added an insurance run to put Belmont ahead, 3-1. The bottom of the eighth inning was all Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.). Despite the placed runner advancing to third base, the freshman pitcher rang up back-to-back strikeouts. The final batter hit the ball right to sophomore Jordan Spicer (Hendersonville, Tenn.) at first base, who made two quick steps to the bag for the last out to secure the 3-1 win.
At the plate for the day, Wells and Baker both batted .429, posting three hits apiece.
Inside the circle, sophomore Ashley Johnson (Kingwood, Texas) and Lee each went the distance in her respective victories. Johnson (4-0) collected her second shutout of the season with four strikeouts while Lee (6-2) rang up seven strikeouts over eight innings of work.
Bruins are back in action at the Leon Smith Classic at 3:30pm on Saturday, taking on Alabama State.
MOREHEAD STATE 4, RADFORD 2; MOREHEAD STATE 4, RADFORD 3
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Morehead State softball swept Radford in back-to-back contests on Friday at University Field.
In the first matchup, the Eagles got on the scoreboard first with a three-run home run from sophomore Ellen Barrett in the bottom of the second inning. After Radford responded with two runs in the top of the third, junior Robyn Leighton connected on a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-2.
Junior Chelsea McManaway picked up the win for Morehead State, allowing four hits and two earned runs in seven innings of work. She struck out 12 and walked two.
Leighton was the lone Eagle to finish with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored.
In game two, Leighton's two-run home run gave Morehead State a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third and then they added a run on a wild pitch in the fourth.
Senior Megan Tymorek threw 6.1 strong innings and Rager entered in the top of the seventh and retired the only batters she faced to close the game.
Tymorek picked up the win, allowing seven hits and three runs, just two of which were earned. Rager picked up her first save of the season.
Leighton finished the day 3-for-6 with two home runs and now has eight on the season.
Due to the impeding forecast, tomorrow's game against Radford has been canceled. The Eagles will host Dayton in a doublehead on Wednesday.
TENNESSEE TECH 8, EAST TENNESSEE STATE 6
KENNESAW, Ga. - Hallie Davis and Alyssa Richards provided the firepower on Friday as the Tennessee Tech softball team defeated East Tennessee State 8-6 in eight innings to open up the Owl Challenge at Kennesaw State.
Davis and Richards each went yard for the Golden Eagles (5-15) with the sophomore transfer Davis knocking two out of the park. The duo combined for seven RBI in the contest, Richards with four and Davis with three.
The Bucs (8-11) tied the game in the bottom of the seventh at five runs apiece, but the Golden Eagles staked their claim on the win with three runs in the eighth.
With Gabby LaSala on second for the international tiebreaker, Richards hit a one-out double to left to swap places, scoring LaSala. With Demi Coleman taking Richards' place at second as a pinch runner, Davis stood in and dueled with ETSU pitcher Kelly Schmidt, working her way to a 2-2 count and fouling off 10 pitches.
On the 13th, however, Davis was able to watch the ball fly over the center field of the wall for a two-run blast to put the Golden Eagles up 8-5.
ETSU took advantage of the tiebreaker rule as well, moving Taylor Carter to third on a double to left, then Taylor Wright hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Carter. But Leigh Ellen Thomas was able to close out the contest with no further damage as she coaxed a pop-up to second, then a grounder to short to end the game.
Thomas picked up the victory, her second of the year, throwing the final 2 1/3 innings of the contest. She allowed two runs – one earned – on three hits as she walked none and struck out one.
Danielle Liberatore went 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits as she walked four and struck out eight.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Saturday with two games in the Owl Challenge, starting with another matchup with East Tennessee State at 9 a.m., followed by a contest against Michigan State at 11:30 a.m.
UT MARTIN 8, MARYLAND 2
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team snapped its brief losing streak with a decisive 8-2 victory over Big Ten member Maryland on the second day of the Highlander Classic hosted by UC Riverside.
The Skyhawks improved to 16-5 on the season after snapping its brief three-game losing streak with a dominating performance over Maryland. After falling behind by two runs in the top of the first inning, the Skyhawks would rally to score eight unanswered runs en route to the victory. With the win, UT Martin head coach Donley Canary moved into fourth place on the OVC all-time wins list with 504.
Junior Rachel Williams would pace the Skyhawks with a pair of hits and three RBIs on the day. The quartet of Renate Meckl, Alli Fulcher, Jodie Duncan and Jessie Douglas each tallied hits on the day.
Freshman Seeley Layne made her first career start, allowing five hits in 2.1 innings of work. Sophomore Sara Hooten (3-2, 3.26 ERA) picked up her third win of the season, tossing 4.2 scoreless innings of work.
Maryland would jump out to an early lead in the opening inning of play. The Terrapins tallied three hits in the inning before back-to-back doubles by Anna Kufta and Skylynne Ellazar plated a pair.
UT Martin would strike back for one run in the bottom of the inning. Carly Gonzales would reach base after being hit by a pitch. Gonzales then stolen second before coming home to score on a single up the middle by Meckl.
The Skyhawks took the lead in the bottom of the second inning with a pair of runs. Both runs in the inning would come home on fielding errors – including one following a double steal by Alicia Hansen and Gonzales.
Three more runs came home to score in the bottom of the fourth inning as Duncan led off the frame with a double to left center. A pair of walks to both Douglas and Savannah Dodson would load the bases with just one out before Williams drove home a run with a fielder’s choice. Two more runs came home later in the inning on a throwing error to score Douglas and Williams to give the Skyhawks a 6-2 advantage.
The Skyhawks later capped the day’s scoring and the victory with two more runs in the fifth inning. With two runners on base, Williams would dump a two-run double into left center to score both Douglas and Dodson and seal the 8-2 victory.
UT Martin will return to action against Iona and Weber State on Saturday, March 11. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. CST.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 4, MISSOURI STATE 2; LOYOLA 4, JACKSONVILLE STATE 2
OXFORD, Ala. - The Jacksonville State softball team couldn't capitalize on opportunities in a two-game split at the Leon Smith Classic at Choccolocco Park on Friday.
The Gamecocks (12-7) rallied to win the first game 4-2 over Missouri State before dropping a 4-2 decision to Loyola-Chicago in the second game. JSU stranded 22 runners on the day, including 10 in the opener against the Bears (8-8) and 12 in the finale with the Ramblers (15-3).
In the first game, the Bears put a run on the board in the top of the first after stringing together three singles that gave them an early lead.
The Gamecocks threatened in every inning before finally capitalizing in the fourth. After putting at least one runner in scoring position in each of the first four frames, Anna Chisolm delivered a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the fourth that scored Whitney Gillespie after her pinch-hit single.
The Bears reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth on a bases loaded walk. West's 3-1 pitch was called outside and gift-wrapped the go-ahead run for MSU.
Chisolm stepped up again, this time following singles from Taylor Rogers and Emily Woodruff with an RBI double off of the base of the wall in left. The two-bagger tied the game at 2-2 and set up McGuire's two-run double to left center.
West worked around a leadoff walk and a single in the seventh to preserve the win. She improves to 6-2 after holding the Bears to two runs on 11 hits in seven frames. She struck out eight and walked four.
Kaitlin Beason (5-4) suffered the loss for MSU, allowing four runs, three earned on 11 hits in six innings of work. She struck out seven and didn't issue a walk.
In the second game of the day, JSU threatened throughout the day but couldn't push enough offense across the plate. The Gamecocks put runners on in every inning but stranded 12 over the game, including the tying run in scoring position in the seventh.
JSU scored an early run on a McGuire single in the first, but the Ramblers tied it in the fourth. Loyola's first hit of the day off of JSU starter Gillespie drove in the tying run, which reached on one of JSU's two errors in the game.
The Gamecocks jumped right back on top on a bases-loaded single by Stephanie Lewis that plated Emily Woodruff and gave JSU a 2-1 lead.
The home half of the sixth was the difference. The Ramblers scored three runs to build a 4-2 lead that JSU wouldn't be able to overcome. Jax State put runners at second and third with two outs in the seventh, but as Taylor Rogers' grounder tried to sneak through the middle of the infield, Lewis collided with the Loyola shortstop to end the game on an interference call.
Gillespie (4-4) suffered the loss after allowing four runs, only three earned, on four hits in six innings. She did strike out seven batters and didn't issue a walk.
Ramblers reliever Kiley Jones (8-1) earned the win in relief, holding JSU to a run on five hits in three innings in the circle.
The Gamecocks continue play in the Leon Smith Classic on Saturday, when they take on Samford at 1 p.m. on Choccolocco Park's signature field.
MISSOURI STATE 7, TENNESSEE STATE 0; TENNESSEE STATE 11, ALABAMA A&M 1
OXFORD, Ala. - Tennessee State bounced back in the second game of the Leon Smith Classic to earn a split on day one. The Tigers exploded for 13 hits in an 11-1, five-inning, victory over Alabama A&M after falling to Missouri State 7-0 in the opener.
Selena Crafton and Sarah Snell each collected three hits in the win over Alabama A&M (5-13), and finished with four each on the day. Abi Stephens matched Crafton and Snell with three hits in game two, accounting for nine of the teams 13 knocks.
In the circle, Lauren Powell tossed a gem, allowing one unearned run while limiting the Bulldogs to just two hits. Powell (2-5) earned her second win of the season as she fanned seven batters in five innings.
The Tigers opened the scoring as Danica Gleason delivered a two out single which plated Crafton, who had reached on a single and moved into scoring position with her 11th stolen base of the season.
The scoring continued in the second frame as TSU loaded the bases with a Megan Huppee walk and back-to-back singles by Stephens and Crafton. Huppee was the first to cross home plate in the second inning as she scored on a ground ball by Courtney Gearlds. Patton Akers followed with a single to center to push Stephens home making the score 3-0.
In the third inning, the Tigers blew the game open as they had the first six batters reach on four hits, a walk and a hit by pitch. All six scored base runners were chased home as the Tigers went station-to station to increase the advantage to 9-0.
The Bulldogs would scratch their run in the bottom of the third, only to see the Tigers respond with a run in the fourth. Huppee scored for the third time in the game despite not registering an at bat – two walks and a hit by pitch.
Akers earned her second hit of the game in the fifth and came across on Snell’s final hit of the day, a double into centerfield.
In game one, Missouri State (8-7) took control with runs in the second and third innings. The Bears put the game out of reach with three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Lauren Woodard (0-3) was tagged with the loss as she was touched up for six runs, five earned, on 11 hits and a walk. The senior hurler fanned four before giving way to Tori Hart in the seventh. The freshman picked up the final three outs, despite allowing one run to MSU.
TSU improved to 5-14 after snapping a seven game losing streak. The Tigers will continue play on Saturday with contests against Loyola and Valparaiso. First game starts at 10:30 a.m.
VALPARAISO 8, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6
OXFORD, Ala. - Southeast Missouri (11-5) erased a six-run deficit, but came up on the short end of an 8-6 loss to Horizon League member Valparaiso (7-3) Friday night at the Leon Smith Classic.
Valpo plated two runs in the top of the first inning when Carly Trepanier scored on a wild pitch and Jaymee Lawton singled home Sam Stewart to grab an early advantage.
With one out and the bases loaded, Stewart blasted a grand slam over the left field wall to push the Crusaders lead to 6-0. Stewart's smash knocked SEMO starting pitcher Alexis Estes out of the game.
The Redhawks started to chip away at Valpo's lead, adding a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning. Addison Barnouski drove in Mykaela Arellanes on a single to center and Rachel Anderson, who reached on a base hit, came around to score on an error.
Darby Pruett stepped in and smacked a two-run home run with one out the borrom of the fourth. Pruett's first round-tripper of the season made it a 6-4 ballgame.
Another two-run bomb, this time by Parker Bandy, cleared the center field fence and tied the game at 6-6 in the fifth.
Valpo, however, capitalized on an error to push across two unearned runs in the top of the seventh. Lawton was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and was out at second when Gabby Magnifico hit into a fielder's choice. Morgan Matalin reached on a fielder's choice and Magnifico was safe at second after shortstop Sara Messex's throw slipped past Bandy. With two away after Matalin was out at third on Lanie Callaghan's fielder's choice, Carly Trepanier ripped a double to left center putting the Crusaders ahead, 8-6.
SEMO had runners on second third with two outs in its last at-bat before Mackenzie Grossmann got Claire Wernig to ground out.
Grossmann (3-2) picked up the win in relief after giving up two hits and striking out three in three scoreless innings.
Mackenzie Hoelting (0-1) worked 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Hoelting also struck out three and did not give up a walk.
Messex led SEMO with two hits, while seven others followed with one apiece.
Trepanier went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs, while Jenna Stauffenberg and Matalin contributed two hits each. Callaghan and Stewart scored twice for the Crusaders, as well.
Valpo collected 11 hits for the night.
SEMO resumes play at the Leon Smith Classic against Alabama A&M at 3:30 p.m., CT, Saturday
SIUE 4, HOLY CROSS 2; SIUE 3, PROVIDENCE 0
CLEARWATER, Fla. – SIUE softball's Sandy Montgomery joined the list of collegiate head coaches with 1,000 career wins Friday as the Cougars defeated Holy Cross and added one more with a win over Providence.
SIUE defeated Holy Cross 4-2 in the opening game of the Under Armour Showcase at Eddie Moore Field. In SIUE's second game of the day, the Cougars blanked Providence 3-0.
Montgomery became the 32nd head coach in all divisions to break the 1,000 win barrier. Among NCAA Division I coaches, she is the 13th to pass 1,000 wins.
The Cougars improved to 16-4 this season and increased its winning streak to five games. The tournament continues Saturday with a 10:30 a.m. CT game against IPFW and a 3:15 p.m. contest against Saint Joseph's. SIUE's final game of the tournament is Sunday at 8 a.m. CT against South Dakota State.
In her 29th season as the head coach for the Cougars, Montgomery has been an SIUE mainstay having played for former Head Coach Cindy Jones from 1982 to 1985. She then spent time as an assistant coach for Jones before being named the head coach before the 1989 season.
Her 1,000 wins has included a Division II national championship in 2007, 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, six conference titles, a National Coaching Staff of the Year award and three Regional Coaching Staff of the Year awards.
Her teams have won 50 games in a season twice, 40 wins seven times and 30 or more wins 20 times. That includes 14 consecutive 30-win seasons from 1996 to 2009.
She has coached 11 All-Americans, 55 All-Region players and 73 All-Conference players.
SIUE used a four-run rally in the fifth inning to push past Holy Cross, which dropped to 2-9. Emily Ingles earned the win and is now 4-1.
Haley Chambers-Book tossed a three-hit shutout in the day's second game against Providence. Chambers-Book, now 9-3, struck out nine.
Reagan Curtis' RBI double in the first inning is all the Cougars needed. SIUE had four hits against Providence.
AUSTIN PEAY 6, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 3; SAINT LOUIS 6, AUSTIN PEAY 5
MURRAY, Ky. - Austin Peay State University's softball team took a no-hitter into the sixth inning Friday morning at Racer Field versus Northern Illinois, with the Govs defeating the Huskies 6-3 before falling in extra innings to Saint Louis, 6-5, in Day 2 of the Racer Classic.
The Govs (8-10) used three pitchers to stifle the Northern Illinois bats, with Kelsey Gross, Christiana Gable and Autumn Hanners limiting the Huskies to a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Austin Peay had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, on a two-run, two-out single by Rikki Arkansas, but saw the Huskies score three runs in their half of the inning, with Gross struggling with control – walking three, hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch.
Christiana Gable (1-2) would replace Gross and throw four perfect innings of relief, which allowed the Govs to tie the game in the top of the fourth inning – on a base-loaded walk to Erica Inagaki – and take the lead, 4-3, an inning later, on an RBI single by Kendall Vedder.
Vedder and Carly Mattson would lead the Govs with two hits each, with Mattson scoring three runs.
Autumn Hanners would come in and close things out by throwing the final two innings of shutout ball to pick up her first save of the season.
The Govs would add two insurance runs in the top of the seventh by taking advantage to two Northern Illinois errors.
In Game 2 Friday, the matchup versus Saint Louis (11-5), would be a back-and-fourth affair, with the Govs scoring the first three runs – with the first two coming on back-to-back doubles by Danielle Liermann and Cassidy Hale in the first inning and the third on a sacrifice fly by Arkansas in the second inning.
Hale, Mattson and Vedder would all record two hits each in the loss.
The Billikens would tie the game, 3-3 in the fourth inning – aided by two APSU errors – before taking its first lead of the game in the fifth inning, 4-3.
Austin Peay would answer right back, retaking the lead 5-4 on a two-run homer by Liermann – her team-leading fifth of the year.
The home run would move Liermann into a tie for 10th-place all-time in school history with Shelby Norton – both with 12 career homers.
But another APSU error in the sixth inning would allow Saint Louis to tie the game, 5-5, where it would stay until the top of the eighth inning.
In the eighth, which was started under international tie-breaking rules (starting the inning with a runner on second base), would see the Billikens push a run across, while the Govs couldn't advance their runner any closer that third base and allow Saint Louis to escape with a 6-5 win.
Hanners (2-5) would take the loss in relief, while Gross – who started the game – struck out a career-high 10, in five innings of work, the first APSU pitcher to strikeout at least 10 batters in a game since 2014.
Austin Peay will continue play in the Racer Classic on Saturday, with the Govs having a 3 p.m. rematch with Northern Illinois.
OKLAHOMA STATE 6, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0; OLE MISS 12, EASTERN KENTUCKY 6
OXFORD, Miss. - Eastern Kentucky lost two games on the first day of the Ole Miss Classic. The Colonels fell to Oklahoma State 6-0 and 22nd ranked Mississippi 12-6.
In game two against the top-25 ranked Rebels, Eastern Kentucky scored five runs in the fourth inning to turn a 6-1 deficit into a 6-6 tie game.
Ashton Martin and Krislyn Campos began the inning with a pair of singles and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Rachel Minogue drove in a run with a single through the right side. Johnkyria Alston followed with an infield single that platted another runner, making it 6-3. Hannah Clark then sent a 2-1 pitch over the fence in left field for a game-tying three-run home run.
Clark hit a solo home run to get the Colonels (6-12) on the board in the fourth inning. She now has two home runs this season.
Ole Miss answered in the bottom half of the fifth inning with six runs to go on top 12-6.
Clark finished the game 3-for-3 with two runs and four RBIs. Campos went 2-for-4 with a run and Minogue had two hits in four at bats with a run and an RBI.
In the first game, Oklahoma State began to pull away in the bottom of the third. OSU scored two in that inning and four more over the next three innings. Taylor Lynch had a two-run double in the third.
Campos finished 2-for-3 for EKU.
MURRAY STATE 7, NORHTERN ILLINOIS 5; MURRAY STATE 2, SAINT LOUIS 1
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State picked up a pair of wins on the second day of the Racer Classic. The Racers defeated Northern Illinois, 7-5, and beat Saint Louis, 2-1.
Jessica Twaddle led the team with four hits over the two games, including three doubles. Kristen Bialek went 3-for-5 on the day while Brenna Fick also had three hits.
Mason Robinson picked up the win over Saint Louis as she allowed just one earned run and struck out seven.
Haven Campbell earned the victory against Northern Illinois. She struck out four as she tossed a complete game.
Murray State closes out the Racer Classic on Sunday against Northern Illinois at 1:30 p.m.