FRIDAY'S SCORES
Jacksonville State 3, Southeastern Louisiana 0
Louisiana Tech 10,
Tennessee State 0
Austin Peay 4, Nicholls State 3
Abilene Christian 5,
Tennessee Tech 4 (9)
Wright State 9,
Tennessee State 1
UT Martin 5, Nicholls State 4
Northern Iowa 5,
Tennessee Tech 1
Eastern Kentucky 9, Delaware State 0
@Lipscomb 8,
Eastern Illinois 0 (5)
Belmont 13, Arkansas Pine Bluff 1 (6)
Georgia Southern 4,
Eastern Kentucky 3
UT Martin 4, Austin Peay 3
@Memphis 5,
Belmont 3
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 0
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Taylor West tossed a two-hit shutout early Friday morning to lift the Jacksonville State softball team to a 3-0 win over Southeastern Louisiana to open play in the Tennessee invitational.
In a game that started at 8:30 a.m. CT, West and the Gamecocks (10-4) were in midday form. They disposed of the Lions (8-10) behind the Anniston native's gem in the circle.
She allowed just three base runners in improving to 5-1 on the season. It was her first shutout and her second complete game of the young season. She struck out five batters and walked just one.
West and Southeastern Louisiana starter Lacey Hill exchanged zeroes through the first three innings before JSU finally got on the board in the fourth. A leadoff single from Stephanie Lewis and a throwing error by the Lions set up a bunt RBI single from Leila Chambers that scored Lewis and gave JSU a 1-0 lead.
JSU got one more before the inning was over, thanks to a deep sac fly by Anna Chisolm that scored Hayley Sims and gave West a 2-0 lead.
The Gamecocks grabbed an insurance run in the sixth, thanks to a 1-out double from Chambers and singles from Cadi Oliver and Chisolm that gave West a 3-0 cushion.
She ended up not needing the extra insurance. She did allow a one-out single in the seventh that snapped her streak of 11-straight batters retired, but that would be it for the Lions.
Chambers led JSU's seven-hit attack with a 2-for-3 effort that also saw her drive in a run. Chisolm was 1-for-2 with the other two RBI.
Hill (4-2) suffered the loss after allowing three runs, just one earned, on seven hits in seven innings of work. She struck out six and walked a pair.
The Gamecocks will continue play in the Tennessee Invitational on Saturday, when they take on Ohio at 1 p.m. and host Tennessee at 3:30 p.m.
LOUISIANA TECH 10, TENNESSEE STATE 0; WRIGHT STATE 9 TENNESSEE STATE 1
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Tennessee State bats were silent on day one of the Blues City Classic as they dropped both games on Saturday morning. The Tigers collected one run on six hits as they fell to 4-11 on the season.
TSU dropped a five inning contest to Louisiana Tech, 10-0, before falling to Wright State 9-1 in six innings. The Lady Techsters improved to 12-5, while the Raiders moved to 3-9 on the young season.
In the opener, Louisiana Tech jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the first off starter Lauren Powell. The Lady Techsters would add seven more in the third to produce the 10-0 margin. Powell was tagged with five runs in the loss on five hits and fanned two batters in 2.0 innings of work. Lauren Woodard replaced Powell (1-4) in the top of the third and was touched for five runs on six hits and a walk.
Amanda Cabrera replaced Woodard, after two innings of relief, and struck one batter while allowing a hit and a walk in her lone inning in the circle.
Selena Crafton led off the bottom of the first with her third double of the season and moved to third on a passed ball. The freshman outfielder was cut down at home plate on a double steal attempt after a Patton Akers walk, ending the Tigers early threat to answer the LT runs.
Kasey Cox just missed her first collegiate home run down the left field line, but was held to a single to open the Tigers third. The junior would be stranded at third, as she represented the last hit TSU would get in the contest.
In game two, Wright State would take advantage of a leadoff error and four consecutive two out hits and a hit batter to score four unearned runs off starter Tori Hart. Cabrera would enter in the first to record the final out closing the book on Hart who struck out one batter as she suffered the loss, falling to 3-4.
The Tigers tried to respond in the first with a walk and a hit by Akers and Danica Gleason, respectively. TSU would push a run across as Sarah Snell and Akers executed a double steal, cutting the lead to 4-1.
WSU answered back in the top half of the second inning with two runs off Cabrera and added an unearned run in the fifth and two earned runs in the sixth. The freshman hurler exited the game after surrendering five runs, four earned on eight hits and two walks while striking out two in 4.1 innings.
The Tigers could only manage three more hits, scattered throughout the final five innings, off the bats of Megan Huppee, Crafton and Cox.
The Tigers continue play at the Blues City Classic on Saturday evening with a 6:00 p.m. contest with Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
AUSTIN PEAY 4, NICHOLLS STATE 3, UT MARTIN 4, AUSTIN PEAY 2
OXFORD, Miss. - Austin Peay State University’s softball team held off a late charge by Nicholls State, Friday morning at the Ole Miss Softball Complex, as the Governors defeated the Colonels 4-3, before dropping their second game, 4-2, to Tennessee Martin, in the opening day of the Red & Blue Classic.
The Govs (6-5) would get on the board first in the bottom of the second inning on a double by Kendall Vedder into left-center field driving in Allie Blackwood – who had opened the inning by reaching on a hit by pitch, then move into scoring position at second base following a walk to Christiana Gable.
Nicholls State (12-8) would tie the game, 1-1, with an unearned run in the top of the third inning.
The score was still 1-1 until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Christiana Gable hit her first home run of the season – a two-run shot over the center field fence – too also drive in Carly Mattson, who had reached on a single for a 3-1 lead.
The two teams would both score single runs in the fifth inning, with Nicholls State making it a one-run game one final time, 5-4, by hitting a home run of its own in the sixth inning.
But that would be as close as the Colonels would get, with Governors starter Kelsey Gross (4-2) wrapping up the complete-game victory by sitting down three of the four hitters she faced in the top of the seventh – including the game’s final out coming on a strikeout.
Gross would finish the game scattering seven hits, while walking six, striking out six and stranding 11 Colonels on base.
Game 2 didn’t go as well for the Govs with Tennessee Martin getting out on top 2-0 on two unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning, then make it 4-0 in the third thanks to three extra-base hits in the frame.
The Govs would try to mount a rally, scoring two runs of its own in the top of the fifth inning – both coming on a two-run homer to center field by Mattson, her fourth of the year – to make it 4-2.
Mattson would finish the game going 3-for-3 at the plate, plus a walk, to extend her personal string of games reaching base to 16 – dating back to the final five games of the 2016 and all 11 this season.
But that would be as close as APSU would get the rest of the way, despite picking up three hits in the final two innings.
Austin Peay continues play at the Red & Blue Classic on Saturday, playing tournament host and #23-nationaly ranked Ole Miss at 3 p.m.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 9, DELAWARE STATE 0; GEORGIA SOUTHERN 4, EASTERN KENTUCKY 3 (9)
STATESBORO, Ga. - Eastern Kentucky split a pair of games on the first day of the 2017 Eagle Classic hosted by Georgia Southern. The Colonels beat Delaware State, 9-0, in five innings before falling to host Georgia Southern, 4-3, in nine innings.
Against Delaware State, Eastern took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third on a RBI single by Krislyn Campos, a sacrifice fly by Rachel Minogue and a run scoring single from Johnkyria Alston.
The Colonels put the game away with six runs in the bottom of the fifth to win by run-rule. With Eastern leading 6-0, catcher Amber Murray hit a three-run home run over the fence in left center to end the game.
Campos, Minogue and Alston all finished with two hits. Minogue drove in two. Mollie Paulick and Alex Sallberg combined for the shutout. Paulick (2-3) started and scattered six hits and two walks over four innings while striking out three. Sallberg pitched the fifth and did not allow a hit while striking out two of the three batters she faced.
After battling to a 0-0 tie through seven innings against Georgia Southern, EKU took a 1-0 lead in the eighth on a ground ball by Alston. The Eagles tied it in the bottom half of the frame. Eastern plated two in the ninth on a single by Murray that drove home Hannah Clark. Brooke Harrison scored on an error on the same play.
Georgia Southern had the answer in the bottom half of the ninth. With runners at the corners, Shelby Wilson tied the game with a double to right center. Moments later Wilson scored the winning run on an Eastern Kentucky error.
Seven different players had one hit each for Eastern (4-8) against GSU (7-8). Sallberg pitched all eight and two-thirds innings. She allowed just one earned run on seven hits, walked two and struck out six.
The Colonels will be back in action on Saturday against Marshall at 11:30 a.m. and South Carolina State at 1:30 p.m.
UT MARTIN 5, NICHOLLS STATE 4; UT MARTIN 4, AUSTIN PEAY 2
OXFORD, Miss. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team posted a comeback victory and a win over a conference opponent to sweep Day One of the Ole Miss Red and Blue Classic on Friday afternoon. The Skyhawks picked up a 5-4 victory over Nicholls State after scoring three runs in the top of the seventh to highlight a comeback attempt before defeating Austin Peay 4-2.
The Skyhawks (14-2) swept the opening day of tournament for the fourth consecutive weekend behind veteran leadership and clutch pitching performances. Junior Rachel Williams paced the Skyhawks with four hits while senior Carly Gonzales tallied three hits – including a pair of doubles. As a whole, the Skyhawks saw seven different player notch RBIs on the afternoon.
Game 1: UT Martin 5, Nicholls State 4
Nicholls State jumped out to an early advantage in the bottom of the first inning as Brooke Morris got the scoring chance started with a single before moving all the way to third on a stolen base and a throwing error. The run would then come home to score on a RBI single by Sydney Bourg to take a one-run advantage.
The Colonels would add to their advantage in the fourth inning once again as Morris notched a leadoff single through the left side. The bases would later become loaded before another walk to Kasey Frederick brought in the game’s second run.
UT Martin would finally break into the scoring column in the top of the sixth inning. Savannah Dodson would tally a leadoff double into left field to start the inning before coming home to score on the following at bat off a double by Carly Gonzales. The senior speedster later came home on a sacrifice fly by Renate Meckl to tie the game at two runs each.
Nicholls State charged back in the bottom half of the inning to retake the lead. A leadoff single by Amanda Gianelloni would start the inning before a two-run home run by Kimmie Rodriguez put the Colonels back on top 4-2.
Needing a comeback victory, UT Martin faced a two-run deficit heading into the team’s final scoring opportunity. The Skyhawks would start the inning with back-to-back singles by Alli Fulcher and Jodie Duncan before moving the pair into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Aeron Smith. Fulcher would score later in the inning on a RBI single by Savannah Dodson to cut the deficit in half. The Skyhawks then loaded the bases before drawing yet another walk to score game’s tying run. With the game tied once again, Williams would give the Skyhawks its first and most important lead of the contest with a game-winning RBI single.
Sara Hooten earned the starting nod, allowing three earn runs and eight base hits in 5.1 innings of work. Freshman Seeley Layne (2-0, 0.00 ERA) picked up her second victory after tossing 1.2 hitless innings.
Game 2: UT Martin 4, Austin Peay 2
UT Martin would jump out to an early lead in a matchup of two Ohio Valley Conference members against Austin Peay. Gonzales would tally a leadoff walk to start the bottom half of the first before swiping second base. The Skyhawks first run would score on a throwing error off a ball hit by Meckl before coming around herself on the ensuing at-bat off a single to right field to take a 2-0 advantage.
The Skyhawks would add another pair of runs in the bottom of the third as Williams led off the inning with a triple to right center. She would later come home to score on a double to right center by Meckl before scampering home later in the inning on a field error to give UT Martin a four-run lead.
Austin Peay would finally get on the board in the fifth inning. Allie Blackwood would draw a two-out walk to continue the inning, setting up Carly Mattson who drove a two-run home run to left field to trim the margin in half.
The Skyhawks would hold tough from there as Brooke Kennedy (7-1, 3.04 ERA) notched her sixth complete game of the season. Kennedy struck out six while issuing four walks and two earned runs.
UT Martin will return to action against Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, March 4. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m.
LIPSCOMB 8, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Eastern Illinois softball team was shutout 8-0 to hosts Lipscomb in their tournament opener Friday afternoon. The Lady Bisons combined for three home runs throughout the game to earn the victory.
The five-inning game marks the first run-rule loss of the season for EIU as the Panthers drop to 8-7 on the year while the Lady Bisons improve to 12-5.
Ashlynne Paul, Taylor Monahan, and Maria DeVito were the only Panthers to log a hit in Friday's game.
Lipscomb opened the game's scoring in the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run from Abby Fenichel. The Lady Bisons eventually loaded up the bases only to have them cleared by a three RBI double to right center field by Kasey Gibson to give the Lady Bisons a 4-0 lead at the end of the inning.
Lipscomb added three more runs the following inning thanks to home runs from Hannah DeVault and Chloe Yeager to make it 7-0.
The Lady Bisons secured the victory in the fifth inning as Abby White hit a two-out single to right field. White stole second during the next at-bat only to come around on a fielding error. The unearned run gave Lipscomb the walk-off victory 8-0.
Michelle Rogers recorded the loss going 2.2 innings and throwing three strikeouts as she falls to 6-3 this season. Jessica Wireman finished the game on the mound going two innings with four strikeouts.
The Panthers continue tournament play Saturday morning opening a doubleheader against Stony Brook at 10 a.m.