FRIDAY'S SCORES
Belmont 11, @Morehead State 1
@Morehead State 10, Belmont 7 (13)
@Eastern Illinois 3, UT Martin 1
UT Martin 3, @Eastern Illinois 1
@SIUE 4, Southeast Missouri 0
@SIUE 5, Southeast Missouri 4 (10)
Tennessee Tech 3, @Murray State 2
@Murray State 3, Tennessee Tech 2 (8)
@Jacksonville State 7, Austin Peay 0
@Jacksonville State 4, Austin Peay 3
Eastern Kentucky 12, @Tennessee State 2 (4)
Eastern Kentucky 12, @Tennessee State 1
BELMONT 11, MOREHEAD STATE 1; MOREHEAD STATE 10, BELMONT 7
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Junior Robyn Leighton delivered a three-run walk-off home run that bounced off the scoreboard as Morehead State softball downed Belmont 10-7 in 13 innings in game two on Friday afternoon.
The Eagles split the doubleheader after falling 11-1 in game one.
With the split, their record moves to 23-17 and 4-8 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while Belmont moves to 29-13 and 5-7.
Morehead State built a four-run lead in the bottom of the fifth after sophomore Allison Rager connected on her third RBI double of the game, which drove in senior Kayla McGuffey and sophomore Aubrey Bennett. Two batters later, sophomore Ellen Barrett delivered a two-run single, scoring Rager and junior Robyn Leighton.
Belmont then answered with five runs in the sixth to take the lead at 7-6 before junior Kylie Holton's solo home run in the bottom half tied the game at 7-7.
That's what the score remained until Leighton's game-winner in the bottom of the 13th that scored Rager and Leighton.
Rager (5-3, 6.06) picked up the win after allowing three earned runs in eight innings of relief. She allowed all three runs in the sixth before shutting down Belmont and holding them scoreless the rest of the way.
Rager also led the way at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three doubles, four runs batted in, two runs, and three walks. She reached base every time and after recording hits in her first four at-bats, Belmont walked her the next three times.
Leighton went 3-for-7 with the walk-off home run, her 12th of the season, which ties her with Amber Riddle for the most home runs in a single season in school history. Riddle had 12 in 2012.
McGuffey, Barrett, Holton, and freshman Cassie Griffin all had multi-hit games for the Eagles. Holton's home run marked her third of the season.
In game one, the Eagles left eight runners on base as they fell, 11-1. They had a runner on third base in the first, third, and fourth innings, but failed to score.
Their lone run came via a solo home run from junior Taylor Wheeler in the bottom of the second.
After going down in order in the first, Belmont scored in the next five innings. They had three different players hit home runs.
Junior Chelsea McManaway (13-8, 2.08) picked up the loss after allowing eight earned runs in 4.2 innings of work. She struck out the first three batters she faced and finished the game with five strikeouts and a walk.
For the day, Hayley Baker went 5-for-9 at the plate to lead the Bruins with a triple and two RBI. Rouse and Andree both batted .500.
Inside the circle, Belmont's Brooklin Lee went the distance in game one, logging eight strikeouts and opened game two, tossing 4.2 innings before Rouse came in for relief work. Lexi Rouse finished with eight innings thrown and four strikeouts. Over the two games, Lee tallied 11 strikeouts.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, UT MARTIN 1; UT MARTIN 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
CHARLESTON, Ill. - It was a tale of two games for the Eastern Illinois softball team in Friday's doubleheader as they downed UT Martin 3-1 before falling to the Skyhawks by a matching 3-1 score in game two. With the split EIU goes to 24-17 and 9-3 in the OVC while UT Martin remains right behind the Panthers at 31-13 overall and 8-4 in the conference.
Jessica Wireman recorded the win for EIU on the mound to improve to 13-9 on the season.
Amber Toenyes finished the day 2-for-6 at the plate, but recorded two RBIs with a double and a solo home run in her only two hits.
The Panthers got on the board early in game one of the doubleheader as Haley Mitchell hit a two-out single in the bottom of the first inning. Toenyes brought her around on the next at-bat smacking a double to left field. Toenyes was caught off the plate at second base and thrown out by UTM's left fielder, but not before Mitchell crossed home plate to give EIU the 1-0 lead.
EIU added to their lead in the following inning following back-to-back singles from Michelle Rogers and Mady Poulter to open the inning. Kiley Pelker laid down a sacrifice bunt on the next at-bat to advance all runners before Tori Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Rogers from third base.
The Skyhawks finally got on the board in the third inning putting runners on second and third base with two outs. Gracyn McBride then stepped up to the plate to hit an RBI single up the middle to cut EIU's lead in half 2-1.
The Panthers recorded the final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a lead-off single from Tori Johnson. EIU played some excellent small ball to advance Johnson to third base off back-to-back sacrifice bunts. Johnson came across to score off an error from the Skyhawks that allowed Monahan to reach first base and EIU to earn the final score of 3-1.
Wireman and the Panther defense held UT Martin at bay the rest of the way as the junior recorded her eighth win in a row throwing seven strikeouts.
The second game was a scoreless battle until the bottom of the fourth inning as Rogers took the mound and managed to hold the Skyhawks hit-less. After a short lightning delay Toenyes finally broke the 0-0 deadlock with a shot over the right field wall to put EIU in front 1-0.
UT Martin answered in the top of the fifth inning as a hit by pitch and a walk put runners on with two outs. Savannah Dodson recorded the Skyhawks first hit of the game on the next at-bat with a single to left field advancing to third on the throw. Alicia Hansen scored from second base while Alexa Combs managed to score from first base taking advantage of an errant throw to home plate. The Panther error allowed UT Martin to take the lead 2-1 off the unearned run.
The Skyhawks added a safety run in the sixth inning thanks to a sacrifice fly from Jodie Duncan to secure the 3-1 win.
Taylor Monahan finished game two 2-for-3 at the plate going 3-for-6 on the day. Rogers recorded the loss giving up only four hits and throwing four strikeouts to fall to 9-8 on the year.
The Panther defense managed to hold the OVC stolen base leaders to only two swiped bags on the day throwing out three different runners.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, MURRAY STATE 2; MURRAY STATE 3, TENNESSEE TECH 2
MURRAY, Ky. - In both games Friday, the Tennessee Tech softball team collected clutch hits to tie Murray State late and send the contests into extra innings.
But once the games got there, each one went in separate directions as the Golden Eagles added two runs in the eighth inning of game one to take a 3-2 victory, then the Racers collected a walk-off run in the bottom of the eighth in game two to earn a 3-2 win of their own.
Tennessee Tech (14-25, 7-5 Ohio Valley Conference) returns to action Wednesday with a single game at Chattanooga at 5 p.m Central.
In the opening contest of the day, both teams went scoreless through the first four innings, but Murray put the first run on the board as Lexi Jones drove in Cayla Levins with a sacrifice grounder.
The Golden Eagles tied the game in the seventh as Callen Griffin drilled a double into right field, sending Hallie Davis home to score and the game into extra innings.
Tech put two more runs on the board in the eighth as Aalia Bivens scored on Gabby LaSala's sacrifice fly to right as Raegan Sparks took second. Leigh Ellen Thomas then drove her in with a single down the third base line.
MSU added a run in the bottom half of the eighth as Brenna Finck picked up an RBI triple, but the Racers weren't able to capitalize as Danielle Liberatore shut the door.
Liberatore picked up her sixth win of the season as she worked the complete eight, allowing two runs on six hits as she walked two and struck out seven.
Mason Robinson fell to 19-7, allowing three runs on eight hits in 7 1/3 innings. She walked two and struck out four.
In the second contest, Murray took a 2-0 lead through sixth, then Tech tied the game in the seventh as LaSala doubled to left, sending Bayli Cruse home, then Alyssa Richards followed up with a single up the middle to plate LaSala.
Tech was unable to get anything going in the top of the eighth, then Murray State used singles from Jessica Twaddle and Jocelynn Rodgers and a sacrifice fly from Madison Culver to get the win.
Leigh Ellen Thomas fell to 5-11, allowing three runs on eight hits in 7 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out one.
Haven Campbell earned the victory in relief, throwing the final inning-and-a-third, as she struck out two of her four batters faced. The Racer starter, Amber Van Duyse, allowed two runs on 10 hits, walking one and striking out three.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, AUSTIN PEAY 0; JACKSONVILLE STATE 4, AUSTIN PEAY 3
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Whitney Gillespie earned a win and a save in the circle and belted a three-run homer at the plate to highlight Jacksonville State's softball sweep of Austin Peay on Good Friday at University Field.
The Gamecocks (32-9, 11-1 Ohio Valley Conference) won the first game 7-0 behind Gillespie's four-hit shutout and the three-run bomb and then downed the Governors (14-26, 2-10 OVC) 4-3 in the second game of the day. The junior from Pelham came in to save a solid outing for senior Taylor West in the nightcap, extending JSU's winning streak to a season-long 13 games.
West got the win in the second game to tie JSU Hall of Famer Ann Shelton for fourth in the school's career wins list with 48. Gillespie's win was the 42nd of her career, seventh on the same list.
The Gamecocks struck early in the first game, plating four runs in the first to take a 4-0 lead. A bases loaded walk to Stephanie Lewis, followed by an RBI single from Whitney Gillespie and a two-run single by Hayley Sims put the runs on the board in the frame.
Gillespie was busy putting zeroes on the scoreboard from the circle, she took matters into her own hands to put some insurance runs on JSU's side of the board. She put three up with one swing in the fifth, a drive over the left field wall that scored Taylor Sloan and Lewis after they drew walks earlier in the inning,
Gillespie's blast gave her a 7-0 lead that she would use to cruise to the win in the circle. She held the Govs to just four hits in her seventh shutout of the year and the 16th of her career. She improved to 15-3 on the season after striking out seven batters and walking a pair.
Kelsey Gross (7-8) took the loss after allowing seven runs on five hits and six walks. Of those six free passes, five of them ended up scoring for JSU.
JSU struck first in the second game, and did so compliments of another free pass by Austin Peay pitching. Anna Chisolm drew a leadoff walk from game two starter Autumn Hanners and then used her speed to put the Gamecocks up 1-0.
Chisolm swiped second on the second pitch of the next at bat, forcing catcher Carly Mattson to sail her throw into center. As Chisolm advanced to third, centerfielder Kacy Acree's throw also got away, allowing Chisolm to trot home for the game's first run.
The Gamecocks got another unearned run in the second, when another pair of errors allowed Alexus Jimmerson to advance to second after a fielder's choice and then later score to make it a 2-0 game.
Austin Peay got its first run of the day in the sixth, when Kendall Vedder hit a two-out solo homer down the left field line. Her sixth homer of the season cut JSU's lead to a run with one inning to play.
The Gamecocks got two insurance runs in the home half of the sixth, when Leila Chambers drove a two-run single into center and gave JSU a 4-1 lead.
The Gamecocks would need every run after the Govs scored two in the seventh to make it a one-run game before Gillespie came in to close it out.
West (13-4) notched the win after allowing three runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings of work that also saw her strike out nine batters. She ran her career strikeout total to 345. She also set a new career-high for strikeouts in a season, pushing her 2017 total to 115.
Gillespie earned her 10th career save in recording the final two outs of the game.
Autumn Hanners (6-10) was a tough-luck loser in the circle for the Govs. She held JSU to four runs, just one earned, on three hits in five innings.
SIUE 4, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0; SIUE 5, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Allison Smiley's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning sealed the victory in game two against Southeast Missouri as SIUE swept past the Redhawks Friday at Cougar Field.
SIUE won the opener 4-0 and edged SEMO in the nightcap 5-4 in 10 innings. The Cougars improved to 10-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference and 34-8 overall. SEMO dropped to 17-20 overall and 2-10 in the OVC.
Haley Chambers-Book, 21-5, recorded the wins in both games. She started the day with six innings of work and combined with Emily Ingles for SIUE's 13th shutout of the season. SEMO had just three hits. Chambers-Book struck out four and Ingles added one more in the seventh inning.
The Cougars scored twice in the fourth and twice in the fifth. A squeeze bunt by Chambers-Book and a sacrifice fly by Zoe Schafer provided the runs in the fourth.
Tess Eby was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth, and Alyssa Heren was credited with an RBI on a sacrifice fly to give SIUE the 4-0 lead.
After a thunderstorm delayed the start of game two, the Cougars and the Redhawks went back and forth in the nightcap.
SEMO opened the scoring on an RBI single by Claire Wernig in the fourth of SIUE starter Ashley Koziol, who did not figure in the decision. Koziol allowed six hits in six innings.
SIUE charged back with three runs in the fifth. Heren avoided a tag and was safe on an infield error that drove home Sarah Lopesilvero. Chambers-Book followed up with a two-run double to left.
SEMO chipped away at the lead with a solo home run by pinch hitter Addison Barnouski in the sixth and then took the lead in the seventh on an RBI triple by Mykaela Arellanes and an RBI double by Rachel Anderson.
Down 4-3, Lopesilvero stepped up and wasting no time in tying the game. The senior shortstop launched a solo home run to left field on the first pitch. It was her fourth home run of the season and third at Cougar Field.
The two teams put zeros on the scoreboard until Smiley's single up the middle drove home Chambers-Book for the game winner. Smiley hit the single off Madeline Krumrey, who started the game and was re-entered in the 10th. Mackenzie Hoelting took the loss in relief after loading the bases in the 10th.
It was Smiley's team-leading 34th RBI of the season.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 12, TENNESSEE STATE 2; EASTERN KENTUCKY 12, TENNESSEE STATE 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Sophomore Rachel Minogue tied a program record with eight RBI in a single game, as the Eastern Kentucky University softball team rolled to a doubleheader sweep at Tennessee State on Friday, beating the host Tigers by scores of 12-2 and 12-1.
Minogue’s eight-RBI performance game in game two’s 12-1 victory. The native of Corona, California finished a perfect 5-for-5 with a grand slam, a two-run double, eight RBI and two runs scored. The only other Colonel to drive in eight runs in a game was Adriel Foxley versus Appalachian State on February 16, 2008.
Game two also saw senior Alex Sallberg (7-11) hurl a complete game to earn her seventh victory of the season. Sallberg surrendered only one run over seven innings while striking out five batters and walking none.
Already leading 1-0, EKU (18-23, 6-5 OVC) plated three runs in the of the third. Seniors Kelly Wood and Krislyn Campos ignited the rally with back-to-back singles to open the frame. Minogue then drove them both home with a two-bagger into center field. Junior Paige Murphy brought Minogue home with a single down the left field line.
Eastern added two more runs in the top of the fourth. Freshman Mia Sanchez brought the first run home with a squeeze bunt that scored sophomore Brooke Harrison from third. Minogue then singled up the middle to plate freshman Shelby Atzinger.
The Colonels scored again in the sixth and then broke the game wide open with five in the top of the seventh, all of which came with two outs. Campos started the rally with a base hit to center that scored sophomore Brittany Oldaker. Minogue finished it with a grand slam to right center that plated Campos, Sanchez and Wood.
Sanchez finished game two 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Campos, meanwhile, went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored.
In EKU’s five-inning game one win, the Colonels plated a run in the top of the first and then exploded for six more in the top of the second. Murphy opened the frame with a bunt base hit and then scored on a triple to right by senior Amber Murray. The next batter, Oldaker, blasted a two-run homer to center field. The pitcher, freshman Mollie Paulick, followed that up by singling up the middle, and went to second on a base hit through the left side by Campos. After Sanchez advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt, Minogue reached on an error and Paulick scored from third. Junior Johnkyria Alston capped the big inning by lacing a two-run double into the gap in left center, plating both Campos and Minogue.
Tennessee State (9-29, 1-11 OVC) pushed two across in the bottom of the third to cut into EKU’s lead; however, the Colonels scored five more in the top of the fifth to run-rule the Tigers. Sophomore Hannah Clark started the fifth-inning rally with a one-out double to left center. Murphy then tripled to straight away center, scoring Clark. Following an RBI groundout by Murray, Oldaker singled into left field and her pinch runner, Harrison, went to second on a base hit by Paulick. That set up a two-run double by Campos, who then scored on a throwing error by the TSU catcher to make it 12-2.
Campos finished game one 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Oldaker went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Paulick (8-8) picked up her eighth win of the season in the circle, going 4.1 innings and allowing only two runs on four hits while striking out five batters.