WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Memphis 8,
Austin Peay 1
Austin Peay 4, @Memphis 2
SIUE 4, @Southern Illinois 0
@UT Martin 5, Middle Tennessee 3
@Western Kentucky 1,
Murray State 0
@Lipscomb 7,
Tennessee Tech 2
Chattanooga 6,
@Tennessee State 5
@Jacksonville State 5, Ole Miss 4 (11)
SIUE 3, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 0
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Haley Chambers-Book tossed a four-hit shutout Wednesday as SIUE softball cruised to a 4-0 victory over SIU Carbondale at Charlotte West Stadium.
SIUE improved to 26-6 while SIU Carbondale dropped to 17-15.
Chambers-Book struck out 11 Saluki batters and walked three. She improved her season record to 14-4 with her fourth shutout of the season.
SIUE is now 22-1 this season when scoring three or more runs.
While Chambers-Book held off the Saluki offense, SIUE collected five hits of its own. A three-run third inning propelled the Cougars.
Zoe Schafer, the team's leading hitter with a .372 batting average, led off the third with a base hit. She moved to second on a bunt single by Allison Smiley. Kaneshiro picked up what would be the game-winning RBI with another single, scoring Schafer. Smiley made it 2-0 by scoring on a passed ball.
Haley Adrian, who was pinch-running for Kaneshiro, also moved to second on the passed ball. That's when Reagan Curtis recorded an odd two-base sacrifice fly. Curtis launched the ball to the gap but the ball was caught on a great play by centerfielder Merri Ann Patterson.
Alyssa Heren added an insurance run in the top of the seventh with a leadoff home run off SIU starter-loser Brianna Jones. Heren, the team's leadoff hitter, is tops on the team in home runs with four.
SIUE returns to Ohio Valley Conference play with a Saturday doubleheader at Cougar Field. The Cougars face UT Martin with game one set to start at 1 p.m.
MEMPHIS 8, AUSTIN PEAY 1; AUSTIN PEAY 4, MEMPHIS 2
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s softball team used a four-run, third inning to get past the University of Memphis, Wednesday afternoon at the Tigers Softball Complex, in Game 2 of their doubleheader, 4-2, after dropping the opener, 8-1.
The Govs (12-18) with Christiana Gable reaching on an infield hit and move to second following a walk to Victoria Eccleston.
A sacrifice would move both runners into scoring position, with Emily Moore also drawing a walk to load the bases for Kacy Acree.
Acree didn’t disappoint, as she singled in Gable to give the Govs a 1-0 lead, their first of the day.
Danielle Liermann then followed with a two-run double into right-center field, to make it 3-0, with the final run of the inning coming in on an infield groundout by Allie Blackwood.
Those runs would be all Govs starter Autumn Hanners would need, as she limited the Tigers (19-14) two just two runs – only one earned – on six hits, while walking three and striking out three.
In Game 1, the Govs would see the Tigers score in five of their six at bats, in scoring their eight runs, while Austin Peay’s lone run of the game came in the top of the fifth inning on a double by Liermann, scoring Acree.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 1, MURRAY STATE 0
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The Murray State softball team dropped a tough 1-0 decision to Western Kentucky Wednesday night at the WKU Softball Complex in Bowling Green.
The game’s only run came in the fourth inning when Brittany Vaughn led off the frame with a double. Vaughn then advanced to third during the next at bat before being scored by Taylor Proctor on a single up the middle.
Brenna Finck led off the game with a single, offensively, for Murray State, however, that would be her team’s only hit until the sixth inning. In the sixth Murray State (25-10) had its lone chance of the game when Kaylee Ranburger led off the inning with a single and then moved to second an error by the Hilltoppers (19-18). In the next at bat, pinch hitter Jenny Homann successfully sacrificed Ranburger to third, however Ranburger was then thrown out at the plate on the same play.
Mason Robinson (17-5) took the loss for Murray State in the circle after allowing just one run on three hits with four strikeouts and walk over 4.0 innings. Haven Campbell finished the game for MSU by giving up just one hit with one strikeout over the final two innings.
Murray State returns to OVC action Saturday with a doubleheader at Jacksonville State at 1 p.m. at University Field in Jacksonville.
LIPSCOMB 7, TENNESSEE TECH 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech scored the first run on Wednesday, but Lipscomb pulled away in the later innings as the Lady Bisons downed the Golden Eagle softball team 7-2 in a mid-week contest.
Lipscomb (25-9) pulled together seven runs on seven hits, spoiling the start for Tech's Kayla Hughes. The Lady Bisons pulled away with three runs in the fourth inning, then two more in the seventh.
Hughes worked 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs – just one earned – on four hits as she walked two. Leigh Ellen Thomas came on in relief, allowing two runs on three hits in the final 2 1/3 frames.
Tech scored first in the opening inning as Aalia Bivens, who reached on a leadoff double and advanced on a Raegan Sparks sacrifice grounder, came home on Gabby LaSala's sacrifice grounder to short.
The Golden Eagles were quiet until the sixth inning as Tech picked up its second and third hits of the day, the second being Bivens' leadoff home run over the left center field wall.
For Lipscomb, Abby Fenichel and Caitlin Plocheck each drove in three runs, with Fenichel hitting a homer in the sixth.
McCarley Thomas went the distance for the Lady Bison for her eighth win of the season, allowing two runs on three hits as she walked two and struck out five.
The Golden Eagles (9-20) return to action on Saturday as they host Austin Peay for a doubleheader, starting at noon at the Tech Softball Field.
UT MARTIN 5, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 3
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team pushed its winning streak to four games with a 5-3 non-conference home victory over in-state foe Middle Tennessee on Wednesday afternoon.
The Skyhawks (24-8) tallied nine hits on the day while playing clean on the defensive side of the ball to remain undefeated in midweek contests. Eight different Skyhawks tallied base hits in the contest with sophomore Alli Fulcher tallying the team’s lone multi-hit performance of the day while notching a pair of runs score. Three juniors combined to drive in the team’s run with Rachel Williams tallying a pair of RBIs while Jodie Duncan and Aeron Smith each drove in a run on the day.
While the defense was impressive, the pitching was strong as well. Senior Brooke Kennedy (11-2, 3.10 ERA) notched her 39th career victory after allowing three earned runs in four innings of work. Freshman Seeley Layne also impressed in the circle, pitching the final three innings of play while allowing just one base hit to notch her first career save.
UT Martin would get on the board first in the contest in the bottom of the second inning. Renate Meckl would lead off the inning the hard way after being hit by a pitch before moving herself into scoring position by swiping second base. A single through the left side by Fulcher would keep Meckl on the move before a RBI single by Duncan would drive home the first run of the game. The Skyhawks would then notch their third consecutive single of the inning, this one a single through the right side by Williams to bring the team’s second run home to score.
Middle Tennessee looked to not only even the score but take a brief advantage in the top of the fourth inning. A leadoff walk to Precious Birdsong would start the rally before later coming home to score on a single through the left side by Kristin Uselton. With one run on the board, the Blue Raiders would erase their deficit and take a lead with one swing as Keely McGee drove a deep home run down the left field line to score a pair and take a 3-2 advantage.
Trailing for the first time in the contest, the Skyhawks would get back on top in the bottom half of the fourth. Meckl would once again lead off the inning by reaching base with a single through the left side which would be followed by a single from Fulcher. With two runners on, the Blue Raiders looked to turn its third double play of the day but an errant throw on a force out attempt off the bat of Duncan would not only result in zero outs, but score the game-tying run. With a pair of runners in scoring position following the error, a RBI groundout by Williams and a single up the middle by Smith would give the home squad a 5-3 advantage.
With Kennedy pulled due to a pregame pitch count, Layne would enter the contest with a two-run lead and nine outs to seal the team’s 28th victory. The freshman would impress down the stretch, allowing just one hit over the final three innings of play to pick up the save and secure the 5-3 victory.
UT Martin will look to build upon its strong play as of late with an OVC doubleheader at SIUE on Saturday, April 1. First pitch from Cougar Field is scheduled for 1 p.m.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 5, OLE MISS 4
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Hayley Sims' walk-off homer in the 11th inning capped a night of impressive performances and lifted the Jacksonville State softball team to a thrilling 5-4 win over No. 24 Ole Miss at university Field.
After fouling off one 1-2 pitch from Rebels (22-10) reliever Morgan Bruce, Sims delivered the next one into the night and ended a game that kept most of the 2,813 fans in attendance on their feet for the final five innings. The win was the first over an SEC team for the Gamecocks (23-9) since defeating #13 Tennessee twice in the championship of the 2009 NCAA Knoxville Regional. That was also JSU's last win over a ranked foe before Wednesday's heroic performance.
The 11th-inning blast by Sims ended the game, but it was the last of many fireworks by a Jax State team that has now won its fourth-straight game and 11 of its last 13. The Gamecocks remain unbeaten in midweek games, a slate that has seen wins over Georgia Tech, Western Kentucky and now the nationally-ranked Rebels.
Wednesday's win looked improbable an inning earlier, when a pair of Ole Miss runs in the top of the 10th put JSU down 4-2 and facing defeat. Sophomore Ana Chisolm led off the home half of the 10th with a solo shot that bounced off of the top of the left field wall, and then senior Jamie McGuire tied the game on a line drive that pelted the top of the scoreboard almost as soon as it left her bat.
Chisolm's and McGuire's homers extended their team-leading totals of eight and seven homers, respectively, and set up Sims' winner. The no-doubter that cleared the center field wall was the Carrolton, Ga., native's second homer of the year but her second in the last five days.
Senior Stephanie Lewis also hit her second homer of the year, one that gave JSU a 1-0 lead in the second inning hours before the game ended.
While the Gamecock offense was hitting balls out of University Field, their two top pitchers were keeping an SEC lineup that entered the game hitting .333 and averaging almost seven runs per game at bay.
Junior ace Whitney Gillespie started the game and was impressive, limiting the Rebels to two runs on five hits over nine innings of work. The Pelham native struck out seven and also went 2-for-3 as a reserve at the plate. She left the game tied at 2-2 in the 10th after throwing 132 pitches, 84 for strikes.
Senior Taylor West (10-4) entered the game and allowed two 10th inning runs but settled in to earn the win in relief. The Anniston native gave up two hits and stymied the Rebels in the 11th to set the stage for Sims' heroics.
Bruce (7-3) suffered the loss after allowing three runs, all on solo home runs, on five hits in 3.1 innings in the circle. Starter Kaitlin Lee went seven innings, allowing two runs on nine hits.
McGuire led JSU with three hits, while Gillespie and Sims' each notched two hits in the win. The Gamecocks scattered 14 hits over the 11-inning game.
JSU will return to Ohio Valley Conference play on Saturday, when it hosts Murray State in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at University Field.
CHATTANOOGA 6, TENNESSEE STATE 5
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee State fell to visting Chattanooga on Wednesday. With the loss, the Tigers fell to 8-20 overall.
Courtney Gearlds led TSU, going 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI. Selena Crafton notched a pair of hits and scored twice.
Lauren woodard was charged with the loss, giving up four runs and striking out one in 6.1 innings of work.
Tennessee State returns to action on Saturday when it hosts a doubleheader with Morehead State.