FRIDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 4, Eastern Michigan 2
@Mercer 3,
Eastern Illinois 1
Tulsa 6,
Southeast Missouri 0
Southeast Missouri 10, UMKC 0 (5)
Belmont 5, Eastern Michigan 2
Belmont 5, @Mercer 0
Eastern Kentucky 4, Saint Louis 2
@Memphis 5,
Eastern Kentucky 3
@SIUE 3, Toledo 2
EASTERN ILLINOIS 4, EASTERN MICHIGAN 2; MERCER 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
MACON, Ga. - The Panther softball team opened the 2017 Mercer Bears Classic with a 4-2 win over Eastern Michigan Friday morning before falling to the host Bears 3-1 in EIU's nightcap game.
EIU was held to only three hits in their loss against Mercer with the split putting them at 13-13 on the year at the end of the first day of tournament play.
Maria DeVito and Amber Toenyes were the only Panthers to log a hit in each game combining for three of EIU's four RBIs on the day.
Eastern Michigan opened the scoring in game one Friday morning. With runners on second and third base, the Eagles hit back-to-back sacrifice hits to take a 2-0 lead at the end of the third inning.
The Panthers tied the game in the following inning as Toenyes hit an RBI single to right field scoring Mia Davis from second base putting EIU on the board 2-1. Andrea Roberts knotted the game up 2-2 after hitting a single through the left side to bring around a pinch running Amber Matchett.
EIU took the lead in the fifth as Kayla Bear and Taylor Monahan hit lead-off singles. Both runners advanced into scoring positions thanks to a sacrifice bunt on the next at-bat by Davis. DeVito clinched the win with a single up the middle scoring both Bear and Monahan to give EIU a 4-2 lead.
Jessica Wireman stepped in to pitch in the top of the six closing out the game throwing three strikeouts over the last two innings to earn her second save of the season. Michelle Rogers recorded the win to improve to 8-5 this season.
Once again the Panthers found themselves behind early in game two of the day against the hosts Mercer. The Bears stayed alive in the second inning thanks to a two-out single from Megan Lane. After Danielle Castleberry was hit by a pitch, Mercer's Meghan Rud hit an RBI single to right field to put the Bears up 1-0.
Mercer was able to hold EIU hitless through the first four innings until Toenyes struck a solo home run to left field to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning. The Bears re-gained the lead shortly afterwards in the bottom of the inning off an RBI single up the middle from Emma Andrew scoring the runner from third.
Despite having the bases loaded Rogers, who came in to replace Wireman in the fifth, and the Panther defense held Mercer to one run going into the sixth inning trailing 2-1.
The Bears added one more run in the sixth inning off a solo home run from Taylor Rodgers to earn the final score of 3-1.
Jennifer Ames and DeVito were the only other Panthers to record a hit against Mercer.
The Panthers continue tournament play Saturday against Savannah State at 8:30 a.m. before taking on Mercer once again at 10:45.
BELMONT 5, EASTERN MICHIGAN 2; BELMONT 5, MERCER 0
MACON, Ga. - Belmont University Softball used a rally in the top of the seventh inning to earn a win on the first day of the Mercer Bears Classic. The Bruins (19-5) broke a three-inning stalemate to defeat Eastern Michigan (8-11), 5-2, in the first meeting between the programs. The victory also ties the BU NCAA-era best win total.
After a pair of quiet frames to start the game, Eastern Michigan was able to plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning. However, Belmont hustled in the top of the next inning to knot the score.
Senior Shersty Stanton (Pinckneyville, Ill.) singled down the left line and classmate Chelsey Deloney (Gardendale, Ala.) was hit by a pitch to put two Bruins on. Eastern Michigan attempted to make a play at third off a hit by junior Jess Andree but Deloney slid under the tag at third to load the bases. Freshman Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) drilled a single up the middle to score one. Sophomore Sami Long (Springfield, Ill.) singled to the shortstop but the Eagles made a crucial fielding error at the plate, allowing Deloney to slide under the tag to record another run for the Bruins.
The contest remained stalemated, 2-2, for the next two innings before the Bruins broke the game open in the top of the seventh. BU was able to load the bases behind back-to-back singles by senior Kayla Wells (Bonney Lake, Wash.) and Stanton and a base on balls opportunity for Deloney.
Andree smacked a single to center to add the first of three runs for the Bruins before Sims was walked to load the bases once again before another base on balls opportunity by senior Amy Zeronian (Pasadena, Calif.) walked in a run. After the flurry, Belmont was ahead by three runs, 5-2. Stringent defense kept the Eagles off the board in the bottom of the same inning and BU was able to hold on to win by the same score.
Stanton went 2-for-4 with two runs. Deloney also logged a pair of runs.
Sophomore Ashley Johnson (Kingwood, Texas) and Rouse split time inside the circle. The pair combined for five strikeouts.
- Lifted by three home runs, Belmont University Softball made history in its final day on the first day of the Bears Classic. The Bruins (20-5) topped host-Mercer (12-17), 5-0, pushing the team to its first 20 win record in the Division I era.
Belmont was the first to make a mark on the scoreboard, thanks to a solo home run by junior Jess Andree (Darien, Ill.) in the top of the second frame. Senior Amy Zeronian (Pasadena, Calif.) followed suit with a solo shot of her own two batters later.
The hits kept coming in the top of the third inning with junior Lexi Rouse (Macon, Ga.) belting a solo homer over the left fence to put BU ahead, 3-0. Even without bat production in the top of the fourth frame, Belmont walked in two more runs, thanks to Rouse and senior Chelsey Deloney (Gardendale, Ala.).
The Bruins maintained their 5-0 advantage even as the Bears threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning. Mercer managed to get two players on base and used a sacrifice hit to move runners into scoring position but BU refused to divert from the path of history. Quick work by the Bruin defense ended the inning and ended the Bears' hope of sneaking out a win late.
Freshman Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) went the distance inside the circle, logging seven strikeouts as she recorded her eighth win of the season.
At the plate, Rouse went 3-for-3 with two RBI in front of a big hometown crowd. Sophomore Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.), Andree, and Zeronian all went 2-for-4.
Belmont returns to action on Friday for day two of the Mercer Bears Classic. BU's first game is set for 2:15 pm CT against first-time opponent Savannah State, followed by a second duel with Eastern Michigan.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 4, SAINT LOUIS 2; MEMPHIS 5, EASTERN KENTUCKY 3
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Eastern Kentucky softball team split a pair of games on the first day of the Tiger Classic hosted by Memphis this weekend. EKU knocked off Saint Louis, 4-2, before falling to the home team, 5-3.
In game one against Saint Louis, the Colonels grabbed the early lead with three runs in the first. Mia Sanchez scored on a dropped fly ball. Hannah Clark drove in a run with a single through the right side. Brittany Oldaker finished off the scoring in the inning with an RBI ground out.
EKU added a run in the third on a Saint Louis error. The Billikens cut the 4-0 Eastern Kentucky lead in half with a run in the sixth and a run in the seventh. With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh, Mollie Paulick struck out her third batter of the inning to shut down the rally attempt.
Four different Colonels finished with one hit each. Alex Sallberg (4-6) started and allowed two runs on six hits in 6-plus innings of work. Paulick earned the save, her second of the season.
In the second game of the day against Memphis, Eastern cut into a 3-0 deficit when Johnkyria Alston drove home a run with a double to left center in the top of the fourth inning. EKU closed to within two again in the fifth when Leilani Blair scored on a wild pitch to make it a 4-2 game.
Oldaker's RBI single to right in the top of the sixth made it a one-run game. That's as close as the visitor's would get. The Tigers added a run in the bottom of the sixth and won by two.
Alston finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Oldaker and Sanchez also had two hits each. .
The Colonels will play these same two teams on Saturday as well. The game against Saint Louis will begin at 2 p.m. ET and the contest against Memphis is slatted for a 4 p.m. ET start.
SIUE 3, TOLEDO 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - It's 20 wins and counting for the surging SIUE softball team.
The Cougars won their ninth consecutive game and improved to 20-4 by defeating Toledo 3-2 Friday in their home debut and SIUE Tournament opener.
SIUE resumes tournament action at noon Saturday against 11-16 Ball State.
Haley Chambers-Book and Kalei Kaneshiro made sure the Cougars extended their winning ways.
Chambers, a senior left-hander struck out 13, just one shy of her 2017 season-high. She fanned 14 against Louisiana-Monroe on Feb. 11 and 14 versus Evansville on Feb. 17. Her career-high is 20, set two years ago.
This time, Chambers-Book scattered seven hits and hiked her record to 10-3 by winning her fourth in succession.
Kaneshiro, a freshman third baseman, supplied the biggest hit of the game. Her one-out single in the fifth snapped a 2-2 tie and brought home pinch-runner Conner Cutright with the decisive run.
Cutright ran for Reagan Curtis, who had doubled after Zoe Schafer singled. The Cougars had runners on second and third with none out.
Pinch-runner Abby Marlow then was cut down at the plate on Allison Smiley's infield grounder. Cutright moved to third on the play before Kaneshiro came through in the clutch.
Schafer went 3 for 3 – all singles to spur the Cougars' 10-hit attack.
Tess Eby doubled in a run during SIUE's two-run second, and Sarah Lopesilvero drove her home with a single. The Cougars survived even though they stranded eight base runners against Toledo starter and losing pitcher Kailey Minarchick. The Rockets left six on base.
The 11-18 Rockets, who beat Butler 6-0 in Friday's tournament opener, meet Northern Kentucky at 2 p.m. Saturday. The 3-13 Norse tangle with 11-12 Butler at 10 a.m. in Saturday's first of four games.
Three more games are scheduled Sunday, including SIUE's noon contest against Northern Kentucky.
TULSA 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 10, UMKC 0
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Redhawks Split in First Day of Rock Chalk Challenge
3/17/2017 | Softball | Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Southeast Missouri (15-7) split two games in the opening day of the Rock Chalk Challenge Friday. The Redhawks lost to Tulsa, 6-0, and defeated UMKC, 10-0, in five innings.
Mark Redburn picked up his 50th career victory as SEMO's head coach when the Redhawks blanked UMKC.
The Redhawks used a six-run second inning to key their win over the Kangaroos. Sarah Messex delivered a RBI-double before Addison Barnouski and Brooke Rheinecker had back-to-back RBI-hits. Parker Bandy then drew a walk with the bases loaded and Madison Harris knocked in two runs on a single to center as SEMO took a 6-0 advantage.
Abby Tillotson hit a solo home run and Mykaela Arellanes belted a run-scoring single to push SEMO's lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the third inning.
The Redhawks later tacked on two more runs to bury UMKC in the fourth.
Madeline Krumrey (9-2) struck out a season-high seven and allowed three hits in four innings.
SEMO had six extra-base hits. Harris went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Riley Hayes, Tillotson and Messex followed with two hits each.
The Redhawks scored 10 or more runs in a game for the third time this season, as well.
In game one, SEMO had only three hits in its loss to Tulsa.
Emily Watson allowed just one hit and a walk, and struck out 12 to silence the Redhawks.
The Golden Hurricane scored three runs in both the first and fourth innings, and outhit SEMO, 8-3.
Watson ran her record to 12-3 this season, while Haley Thogmartin (1-2) suffered the loss.
SEMO resumes action at the Rock Chalk Challenge with games against #12 LSU and Nebraska-Omaha Saturday.