SUNDAY'S SCORES
Morehead State 5, St. John's 4
Jacksonville State 3, Bradley 3
Abilene Christian 10,
Tennessee Tech 5
Eastern Kentucky 4, Presbyterian 2
Belmont 4, Louisiana Tech 2
Saint Louis 10,
Southeast Missouri 1
Nicholls State 6,
Austin Peay 1
Austin Peay 14, Mississippi Valley State 3 (5)
@Lipscomb 4,
Eastern Illinois 0
@Memphis 6,
Tennessee State 3
Saint Louis 6,
Southeast Missouri 4
Murray State 1, UIC 0
@Ole Miss 10,
UT Martin 7
Murray State 8, Southern Illinois 7
MOREHEAD STATE 5, ST. JOHN'S 4
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Sophomore Allison Rager's three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning propelled Morehead State softball to a 5-4 win against St. John's on Sunday morning.
With the win, the Eagles finish the weekend with two wins and a loss and improve their record to 9-7.
Morehead State got single runs in the second and the third innings to take a 2-0 lead. The first run scored on a wild pitch and then sophomore Ellen Barrett delivered a sacrifice fly in the third.
St. John's then scored one in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead and set up Rager's heroics.
Freshman Cassie Griffin and senior Kayla McGuffey got the inning started with back-to-back singles and then advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Rager then delivered a three-run home run to left-center field, giving the Eagles a 5-3 lead.
Sophomore Cheyenne Meyer allowed one run in the seventh, but forced a flyout to end the game and secure the 5-4 win. It marked her first save of the season.
In addition to hitting the game-winning home run, Rager (2-2) also picked up the win for the Eagles. She allowed five hits and two earned runs in two innings of work.
Senior Megan Tymorek recorded a no-decision after allowing two hits and an earned run in four innings. She walked two and struck out two.
The Eagles managed just four hits in the win, while St. John's finished with nine hits.
Rager was the lone player to finish with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and three runs batted in.
Morehead State will play its next 11 games at home. Their home opener will be a doubleheader against East Tennessee State this Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET.A
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, BRADLEY 2
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Alexus Jimmerson's first career home run lifted the Jacksonville State softball team to a 3-2 win over Bradley in the final game of the Tennessee invitational on Sunday.
Jimmerson accounted for all of the Gamecocks' offense on one second inning swing, one that deposited a 2-2 pitch from Braves starter Julie Kestas over the wall in right. The three-run blast was just enough for Whitney Gillespie to work with in capping the weekend with a 2-2 record at Lee Stadium.
The Gamecocks (11-6) entered the Sunday morning matchup with the Braves (11-9) looking to bounce back from a pair of one-run losses on Saturday to Ohio and No. 15 Tennessee. Jimmerson provided the spark that got them going.
The Freshman from Jackson, Tenn., earned the start at designated hitter and made the most of it. Her first career RBI came on the big swing and gave the JSU ace a 3-0 lead in the second.
Gillespie (4-3) held the Braves to two runs on seven hits in seven frames, her sixth complete game in seven starts this season. She struck out four and walked two.
Jimmerson had two of the Gamecocks' five hits, going 2-for-2 with the homer and a double. Hayley Sims, Stephanie Lewis and Taylor Sloan had JSU other three hits, all singles.
Kestas suffered the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings in the circle. She struck out four and didn't issue a walk.
The Gamecocks return home for a Tuesday evening tilt with in-state rival UAB. First pitch at University Field is set for 6 p.m. Admission is free for JSU Students and all fans ages 18 and under.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 4, PRESBYTERIAN 2
STATESBORO, Ga. – Johnkyria Alston hit a pair of home runs as Eastern Kentucky beat Presbyterian College, 4-2, on the final day of the 2017 Eagle Classic hosted by Georgia Southern.
EKU scored first on Alston’s three-run home run in the top of the fourth inning. The Blue Hose cut the deficit to one in the bottom half of the inning when Blaire Miller drove in a pair with a single to center field.
Alston’s second dinger of the day, a solo shot in the top of the sixth, pushed the lead back to two, 4-2.
Alston’s two home runs were her fourth and fifth of the season. She finished the day 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBIs. The junior from Haines City, Florida went a combined 7-for-15 with three home runs, five runs and nine RBIs in five games at the Eagle Classic this weekend.
Paulick (2-3) came on in relief in the fourth and pitched three and one-third innings without allowing a hit or a run. She did not walk a batter and struck out four. Rachel Minogue had a 2-for-4 day with a run scored.
Miller was 1-for-3 for Presbyterian with two RBIs.
LIPSCOMB 4, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Eastern Illinois softball team closed out the Purple/Gold Challenge falling to hosts Lipscomb 4-0 Sunday afternoon.
With the loss the Panthers drop to 10-8 while Lipscomb improves to 15-5.
The Panthers were held to only five hits in the game as Lipscomb's McCarley Thomas earned the win going 5.1 innings and throwing seven of the Lady Bison's 11 strikeouts in the game.
The Lady Bisons took the lead in the bottom of the first inning off an RBI single to right field from Sarah Higgins to lead 1-0. Lipscomb added two more runs in the second inning following a single up the middle and a sacrifice fly to lead 3-0 at the end of the inning.
EIU didn't get their first hit of the game until the third inning as Maria DeVito struck a lead-off single to left field.
Lipscomb tacked on one more run in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to Peyton Ward's second RBI of the game to give the Lady Bisons a 4-0 lead.
After winning both games Saturday, Jessica Wireman fell to 3-5 on the year recording the loss after 4.2 innings on the mound.
With the Lipscomb Tournament over the Panthers look ahead to the SEMO Invite in Oxford, Ala. this coming weekend. EIU opens tournament play Saturday (Mar. 11) against Alabama A&M at 10:30 a.m.
ABILENE CHRISTIAN 10, TENNESSEE TECH 5
STILLWATER, Okla. - Aalia Bivens hit a three-run home run to provide a spark of offense for the Tennessee Tech softball team on Sunday as the Golden Eagles tried to overcome a deficit against Abilene Christian before falling 10-5 in their finale at the Mizuno Classic.
Bivens' home run was her first of the season and the team's 20th of the season.
The Golden Eagles collected five runs on seven hits. In the second inning, Bayli Cruse picked up an RBI as she drove in Amity Brown with a grounder to second. In the fourth, Hallie Davis drove in Gabby LaSala with a single up the middle. Bivens' home run in the fifth drove in Leigh Ellen Thomas and Callen Griffin.
Taylor Waldrop took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings of work, walking one and striking out one. Thomas pitched the final 4 2/3 frames, allowing six runs on nine hits, striking out four.
Up next for Tech is the Owl Challenge at Kennesaw State. The Golden Eagles will face East Tennessee State on Friday, as well as Michigan State and host Kennesaw State in the three-day event.
NICHOLLS STATE 6, AUSTIN PEAY 1; AUSTIN PEAY 14, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE 3
OXFORD, Miss. – Austin Peay State University’s softball team scored a season-high 14 runs versus Mississippi Valley, Sunday afternoon at the Ole Miss Softball Complex, as the Govs hammered the Devilettes 14-3, after dropping a 6-1 final to Nicholls State to open the final day of the Red & Blue Classic.
The Govs (7-7) scored in every inning versus Mississippi Valley, starting with a RBI bunt single from Carly Mattson, followed by a perfect suicide squeeze by Christiana Gable for an early 2-0 lead.
Mississippi Valley (2-15) would respond with three runs of their own in the top of the second to take its only lead of the game, 3-2, but Austin Peay responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning – including an RBI single by Danielle Liermann for a 4-3 lead.
That would be all the runs that APSU starter Kelsey Gross (5-2) would need, as the freshman right-hander limited the Devilettes to just three hits over their final three at bats.
Overall, Gross finished the complete-game victory giving up eight hits, while walking two and striking out three.
The Govs would blow the game open in the bottom of the third, scoring five runs, including two scoring on a triple by Kacy Acree and two more on RBI singles from Gross and Emily Moore to extent its lead to 9-3.
APSU would its final five more runs in the fourth inning, with two scoring on a single by Erica Inagaki and one each on an infield out by Acree and a single by Liermann for the 14-3 final margin.
Inagaki, Acree, Liermann and Moore all finished the win with two hits each.
In Sunday’s opener versus Nicholls State, the Govs got into an early hole by giving up five first-inning runs to the Colonels, with Nicholls State taking advantage of two walks and two APSU errors in the frame.
The score would remain 5-0 until the top of the fourth inning, when the Govs scored their only run of the game on a home run just inside the left-field foul pole by Liermann – her third of the season.
Liermann would finish the game with two hits, while Mattson and Kendall Vedder had the other two APSU hits in the loss.
Nicholls State would close the game’s scoring with a single run in the bottom of the fifth for the 6-1 final margin.
SAINT LOUIS 10, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1; SAINT LOUIS 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (10-4) was swept in the final day of the "We Back Pat" Tournament Sunday. The Redhawks lost to Saint Louis by scores of 10-1 and 6-4.
Allie Macfarlane went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs to lead SLU to commanding win in game one.
After falling behind, 1-0, in the bottom of the first inning, the Billikens tied the game in the top of the second and added nine more runs in the final five innings.
Macfarlane belted a 3-RBI double with two outs to get SLU a 4-1 lead in the top of the third.
Ahead, 7-1, after six innings, the Billikens scored three more runs courtesy of a three-run home run by Kaylyn Breitbach with one out in the top of the seventh.
Kallen Loveless picked up the win, allowing just four hits and a run in seven innings. Loveless also walked four and struck out three.
Haley Thogmartin (1-1) suffered her loss of the season. Thogmartin lasted just two innings, where she gave up four runs, two hits and two walks.
Addison Barnouski had two of SEMO's four hits.
Breitbach added two hits, two runs scored and three RBIs for the Billikens.
The Redhawks committed two errors, as well.
Things didn't get much better for SEMO in the nightcap, as SLU pounded out 10 hits en route to its sweep.
The Billikens held a 6-0 lead through six innings before the Redhawk offense came alive in the top of the seventh.
After getting just two hits in the first six innings, SEMO made things interesting when it scored four runs on three hits in its final at-bat.
Sarah Messex hit an RBI-double to right field and Madison Harris delivered a run-scoring single. Ashley Ellis knocked in both Harris and Rachel Anderson on a two-out single, but was thrown out at second as the Billikens hung on.
Maddie Baalman (4-2) nailed down the win, striking out six in 6.1 innings. Baalman also scattered four hits, gave up four runs and walked seven.
Madeline Krumrey (5-2) allowed nine hits and six runs in 3.2 innings. Krumrey struck out four and faced 20 hitters. Alexis Estes threw 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Emma Buckles, McFarlane and Josie Knesel each had two hits to pace SLU.
Harris went 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI, and Ellis added a hit and two RBIs to lead SEMO.
Barnouski, Anderson and Krumrey represented the Redhawks on the "We Back Pat" All-Tournament Team.
The Redhawks, who saw a seven-game winning streak come to an end, return to action when they host the SEMO Tournament in Oxford, Alabama Mar. 9-12.
MEMPHIS 6, TENNESSEE STATE 3
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Tennessee State dropped a hard fought contest to host Memphis in the final game of the Blues City Classic. The Tigers had its first game of the day against Wright State cancelled due to rain and sat for over four hours before falling to Memphis 6-3 on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers move to 4-13 on the season, as Memphis improves to 9-7.
After surrendering a run in the first to the Lady Tigers, TSU responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Selena Crafton delivered a two out hit to give the Tigers two runners on base. Courtney Gearlds followed with a bunt forcing the Lady Tigers into an error allowing Kasey Cox to score from second base to even the score at 1-1.
Patton Akers wasted no time as she drove the first pitch she saw through the right side of the infield to plate Crafton, giving TSU a 2-1 advantage.
Memphis continued to put pressure on TSU starter Tori Hart with a run in the second, one in the third and three in the fourth. Hart (3-5) worked 3.2 innings allowing the six runs on 12 hits and two walks.
In the sixth, the Tigers inched closer as Cox drove a one out double into the gap in right center. Kim Trice followed with a pinch hit single through the right side of the infield to bring home Cox, cutting the lead to 6-3.
Erica O’Kane picked up a two out hit in the top of the seventh inning, but the Tigers were unable to complete the comeback.
In the circle, O’Kane entered in relief of Hart in the fourth and pitched the final 2.1 innings allowing just one hit.
The Tigers will continue its road trip with a trip to Oxford, Ala. to take part in the Southeast Missouri Tournament. The three day event begins on Friday, Mar. 10.
BELMONT 4, LOUISIANA TECH 2
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Belmont Softball used a strong offensive output in the top of the fifth inning and a pair of great catches at the warning track to secure the program's first-ever win over Louisiana Tech on the final day of the Blues City Classic. The Bruins (14-2) defeated LA Tech (14-8), 4-2, on Sunday in Memphis.
After a silent first two and an half innings for both teams, the Lady Techsters were the first to make a mark on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. LA Tech used a double and a Bruin throwing error to put one over the plate for the first run scored of the day. Louisiana Tech went on to add another run in the bottom of the fourth inning but was only able to hold on that advantage for a brief moment.
With two outs in the top of the fifth, the Bruins made their move, netting four total runs. Sophomore Jordan Spicer (Hendersonville, Tenn.) singled up the middle. Senior Shersty Stanton (Pinckneyville, Ill.) and freshman Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) followed with singles to load the bases before sophomore Hayley Baker (Rockwall, Texas) drilled a single to left to send one over the plate. A fielding error by the Lady Techsters allowed a second Bruin run to score, knotting the score, 2-2.
The Bruins weren't done after tying the scoring, loading the bases once again with a walk by junior Lexi Rouse (Macon, Ga.). Even with a pitching change, LA Tech was unable to slow the streaking Bruins. Back-to-back singles by senior Chelsey Deloney (Gardendale, Ala.) and junior Jess Andree (Darien, Ill.) put BU ahead by two runs.
Neither team could score in the sixth inning and the Bruins fell just shy of adding an insurance run in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, the Lady Techsters pushed one final time to take the historic win away from Belmont. After managing to get two players on base behind a walk and a single, Louisiana Tech had a pair of heavy hitting batters set to come to the plate. However, Stanton made back-to-back crucial catches on the warning track in left field to seal the 4-2 victory for the Bruins.
Freshman Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) earned her fifth win while Rouse recorded her second save of the season. The duo combined for six strikeouts.
Belmont returns to action on Wednesday, March 8 at E.S. Rose Park. The Bruins host Kennesaw State for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
OLE MISS 10, UT MARTIN 7
OXFORD, Miss. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team battled No. 23 nationally ranked Southeastern Conference member Ole Miss, posting a valiant comeback attempt before ultimately falling 10-7 on the final day of the Red and Blue Classic on Sunday.
The Skyhawks (15-3) saw the team’s five-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of one of the nation’s best programs in Ole Miss – dropping the informal championship game of the Red and Blue Classic. Despite the final score, the Skyhawks posted an impressive showing in front of a national audience by tying the game in the sixth inning after facing a deficit as large as six runs early in the contest.
Seven different Skyhawks tallied hits on the day while Lauren Myers and Jodie Duncan each notched multi-hit contests. Myers also paced the team with a pair of RBIs while Alli Fulcher and Gracyn McBride each drove in a run on the afternoon. Along with the team’s hitting ability, Carly Gonzales (two) and Rachel Williams (one) each notched stolen bases.
In the pitching circle, three different players saw action for UT Martin. Brooke Kennedy lasted just 2.2 innings after allowing seven runs – including five earned – on eight hits and two walks. Freshman Seeley Layne (2-1, 2.25 ERA) entered in relief and picked up the tough loss after tossing 2.2 innings of relief, allowing three runs while striking out three. Sara Hooten also saw action, pitching 0.2 innings while allowing one hit and two inherited runners to score.
No. 23 Ole Miss improved to 17-2 on the year behind a balanced offensive performance. Elantra Cox tallied three base hits while Kylan Becker, Alyssa Gonzales and Courtney Syrett tallied multi-hit contests. Gonzales joined Brittany Finney and Sarah Van Schaik with two RBIs each.
The Rebels would jump out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning as they tallied back-to-back singles to start the frame. Two runs would score on a RBI single by Finney before an error scored the team’s third. The home team would add one more run in the inning as Syrett tallied an infield single to score Finney and take a four-run advantage.
The home squad would add to its lead in the second inning as two of the first three batters reached base in the inning. With runners on first and second, A. Gonzales would bring the pair in with a double to right center.
Facing a six-run deficit, UT Martin would start its comeback attempt in the third inning. The Skyhawks would have their first two batters reach base before the team’s first run scored on a throwing error to score pinch runner Gabby Zizzi. With Savannah Dodson and C. Gonzales both on base, Myers would hit an opposite field double to score the pair and trim the margin to 6-3.
Ole Miss would push the team’s lead back up to four runs in the bottom half of the third. Syrett would get the scoring inning started with a double to left center before a single up the middle by Cox drove the run home on the play.
UT Martin would strike back in the fifth inning by trimming the margin down again. Myers would draw a walk before later advancing all the way home later on the inning following three different wild pitches. With one run in, Fulcher would add another by singling through the left side to score Williams.
The Skyhawks would cap off their comeback attempt in the sixth inning. McBride would start the frame by drilling a first-pitch strike over the center field wall – marking her second of the season. The squad would look for the game’s equalizer later in the inning as C. Gonzales tripled down the left field line. After Williams would be hit by a pitch to put runners on first and third, UT Martin would pull out all of the stops and convert a double-steal of second and home to tie the game at 7-7.
Despite the valiant comeback attempt by the Skyhawks, Ole Miss would flex its muscles once again in the bottom of the sixth inning to ultimately string together the different in the game. Strother tallied a RBI single before Van Schaik came off the bench and laced a two-run single to prove the final difference in the game at 10-7.
UT Martin will return to action with five games over the next week. The Skyhawks will take on UC Riverside in a pair of games on Thursday, March 9 before participating in the Highlander Classic over the weekend.
MURRAY STATE 1, UIC 0; MURRAY STATE 8, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 7
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Murray State softball team won two very different games Sunday at Southern Illinois’ Charlotte West Stadium during the Coach B Classic in Carbondale. The Racer edged Illinois-Chicago, 1-0, in the opener and then held on for the 8-7 win against SIU in the finale. The two wins Sunday gives MSU a 4-0 record in the tournament and pushes their overall record to 15-4 on the season.
Game 1 – Murray St. 1, Ill.-Chicago 0
Murray State struggled early with Illinois-Chicago pitcher Elaine Heflin, not getting a hit until the third inning. Meanwhile, the Flames also struggled with MSU’s Mason Robinson scratching just three hits over the course of the game. Both teams had chances in the game, but had trouble plating runs as they each stranded seven runners in the contest.
The breakthrough in the game for Murray State came in the fifth when Kristen Bialek led off the frame with a bunt single. Bialek then moved to second on a sacrifice from Erika Downey and to third on a single from Brenna Finck. Standing at third during Kaylee Ranburger’s at bat, Bialek took off for home after the ball got behind catcher Kaleigh Nagle and slid in for the score.
Clinging to a 1-0 lead, Mason Robinson clamped down in the final two innings and gave up just one base runner over the final two frames for the win.
Bialek finished the game a 2-for-3 with a run, while Cayla Levins was also 2-for-3. Robinson improved to 10-2 with the complete game shutout by giving up no runs on three hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Heflin took the hard-luck loss for UIC by giving up one unearned run on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
Game 2 – Murray St. 4, Southern Ill. 3
In game two, the Racers put together one of the more impressive first innings in program history exploding for eight runs on seven hits and a SIU error in the frame. Taylor Odom had the highlight of the inning when she blasted her team-high fifth home run to drive in three runs. Brenna Finck also came up big in the stanza driving in two runs of her own on a single.
Despite getting in a 8-0 hole early, the Salukis wasted little time in chipping away at the lead with a RBI-single from Merri Ann Patterson and run scored by Eyrika Brandenburg on a MSU error in the bottom of the first. In the third, Southern Illinois cut the lead to 8-4 on a two-RBI single by Katelyn Massa.
In the fifth, the Salukis pulled within two on a home run by Shaye Harre, after a leadoff single from Susie Baranski. In the sixth, Brandenburg came up big for SIU with a two-out double that scored Maddy Vermejan to cut the lead to just one, at 8-7.
In the seventh, the Salukis threatened thanks to a single from Patterson and a walk by Massa. With two outs and two runners on, Vermejan sent a scorcher out to left field, however Cayla Levins rushed over to grab the ball and give her team the 8-7 win.
Finck led MSU in the game by going 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, while Levins and Madison Culver came up with two hits each. Haven Campbell struck out five over the first four innings of the game to earn the win, while Amber Van Duyse earned the first save of her career by allowing just two hits over the final three frames.
Next weekend, the Racers will host their first-ever home tournament, the 2017 Racer Classic. Participating teams include Northern Illinois, Saint Louis, Austin Peay and the Racers. All 12 games of the classic will broadcast live and free of charge on OVCDigitalNetwork.com.