SATURDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 2, @Morehead State 0
Eastern Illinois 5, @Morehead State 5
Jacksonville State 8, @Belmont 0
Jacksonville State 6, @Belmont 1
SIUE 11, @Eastern Kentucky 0
SIUE 7, @Eastern Kentucky 5
@Southeast Misssouri 3, Austin Peay 0
@Southeast Missouri 4, Austin Peay 0
Murray State 5, @UT Martin 4
@UT Martin 6, Murray State 4
Tennessee Tech 9, @Tennessee State 0 (6)
Tennessee Tech 7, @Tennessee State 4
EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, MOREHEAD STATE 0; EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, MOREHEAD STATE 5
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Eastern Illinois softball team kept their win streak alive sweeping Morehead State in Saturday's doubleheader to open their weekend in Kentucky. With the win the Panthers improve to 21-15 overall and 7-1 in OVC play while Morehead State drops to 20-14 and 3-5 in the conference.
Jessica Wireman had a phenomenal day on the mound for the Panthers earning a complete game shutout in game one throwing 12 strikeouts and allowing only three hits in her seven innings of work. The Louisville, Ky. native finished the day with 16 total strikeouts recording her third save of the season during EIU's second game against the Eagles.
Wireman and Morehead State's Chelsea McManaway found themselves in a pitching dual throughout the majority of the opening game Saturday as both pitchers combined for 25 strikeouts with McManaway striking out EIU's first eight batters.
The Panthers didn't record their first hit of the game until the fourth inning thanks to a single from Taylor Monahan. There were only a combined five hits between both teams throughout the opening game.
EIU got on the board in the fifth inning as Haley Mitchell recorded the Panthers only other hit of the game with a lead-off single only to be replaced by Amber Matchett coming in to pinch run. After Amber Toenyes was walked on the following at-bat, Mady Poulter laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners to second and third.
The Panthers were able to take the lead off an Eagle miscue as McManaway threw a wild pitch during the next at-bat to bring in Matchett to score from third base. Kiley Pelker added one more run for EIU hitting a sacrifice fly to left field allowing a pinch running Katie Grunert to score and give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
That would prove to be all the Panthers needed as Wireman and the EIU defense were able to keep Morehead State at bay and record the shutout victory.
Wireman's 12 strikeouts against Morehead State marked only the fifth time she has earned 10 or more strikeouts in a game. With the win Wireman earns a winning record on the mound for the first time this season improving to 10-9 with her fifth straight win. McManaway finished the game throwing 13 strikeouts of her own falling to 12-6 on the year.
It was a much different game in the nightcap for EIU as the Panthers took the lead early in the top of the first inning. Kayla Bear opened the game with a lead-off single eventually stealing second and third base. Mia Davis brought Bear in to score with an RBI single to give EIU a 1-0 lead at the end of the first inning.
Morehead State responded in the bottom of the fourth inning as Robyn Leighton smashed a two-run home run to put the Eagles on top 2-1. After a single and a walk, Morehead State's Abigail Rhodes struck a bases-clearing triple to extend the Eagles lead to 4-1 forcing a pitching change from the Panthers.
Freshman Allison Golic took the mound to replace Michelle Rogers sitting down the next four batters for Morehead State.
EIU cracked open the game in the top of the sixth inning with a lead-off double from Davis. The Panthers managed to load the bases on the first three batters as Poulter and Jennifer Ames recorded back-to-back RBI singles on the following at-bats to bring EIU within one run of the Eagles with zero outs.
Bear tied the game up for the Panthers reaching first on an error by the Eagles' second baseman advancing all runners and knotting the game up 4-4. The Panthers regained the lead on the next at-bat thanks to a two-RBI single from Monahan to make it 6-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Taylor Wheeler opened the bottom of the inning with a lead-off triple for the Eagles forcing coach Schuette to make another pitching change as Wireman came in for her second appearance of the day. MSU's Helyna Bissell took it right to Wireman with a double on the next at-bat scoring Wheeler to make it 6-5.
Following the double, Wireman re-gained her composure striking out four of the final seven batters to secure the win for EIU and record the save.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 8, BELMONT 0; JACKSONVILLE STATE 6, BELMONT 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A pair of dominant performances in the circle and another big day from Leila Chambers propelled the Jacksonville State softball team to a pair of wins at Belmont on Saturday.
The Gamecocks (28-9, 7-1 OVC) extended their win streak to nine games with the doubleheader sweep of the Bruins (27-11, 3-5 OVC), taking game one 8-0 and capping the sweep with a 6-1 win in the nightcap. The wins also helped JSU keep pace with Eastern Illinois atop the Ohio Valley Conference standings.
Junior Whitney Gillespie shut out the Belmont offense in the opening game, the first time the Bruins have been held scoreless in 2017, and then senior Taylor West held them to just one run in the finale. Belmont didn't record an extra base hit in either game off of JSU pitching.
At the plate, junior Leila Chambers continued her red-hot start to the conference season, going a combined 5-for-6 on the day with a homer, two doubles and four RBI. This comes after the Molena, Ga., native went 4-for-6 against Murray State last week to earn OVC Player of the Week honors. She is now 13-for-20 (.650) with three doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI in league play this season.
In the opener, the Gamecocks got single runs in the second, third and fifth innings and then used a five-run seventh to break the game open. Meanwhile, Gillespie kept working around every threat Belmont tried to mount.
The scoring started with Chambers' RBI double in the second that scored Stephanie Lewis after her double started the rally.
Jamie McGuire put the next two runs on the board for JSU, starting with an RBI single to left that drove in Anna Chisolm from second and gave the Gamecocks a 2-0 third-inning lead. McGuire's eighth homer of the year followed in the fifth inning, a laser over the wall in left put the Gamecocks up 3-0.
JSU gave Gillespie five more insurance runs in the seventh, thanks to back-to-back RBI doubles from Lewis and Taylor Sloan and a run-scoring single by Hayley Sims that staked the JSU ace to a 6-0 lead. Chambers continued her hot hitting in OVC play with a two-run homer, her third in the last week, to put an 8-0 advantage on the scoreboard.
Gillespie (13-3) worked around a pesky Bruins batting order to notch her 13th complete game in 17 starts this season. Belmont, who entered the day second in the OVC in hitting with a .317 average, put at least one runner on in all but one inning and even loaded them in the seventh, couldn't scratch a run across.
The Pelham native allowed five hits, all singles, in her fifth shutout of the year. She struck out seven and had to work around five walks to win the game.
Bruins starter Lexi Rouse (7-4) suffered the loss in the circle, surrendering three runs on five hits in 4.2 innings. Ashley Johnson tossed the final 2.1 innings, allowing five runs on five hits.
The Bruins held their ace for the second game of the twinbill, but the Gamecocks were able to get to Brooklin Lee early. JSU plated one run in the second after three singles right back up the middle broke the scoreless tie. Sloan, Chambers and Emily Woodruff recorded the three hits that gave the Gamecocks the early 1-0 lead.
In the third, an infield single from Cadi Oliver set up an RBI double from Alexus Jimmerson, who then scored on Sloan's second single to center in the game and put the Gamecocks up 3-0.
Belmont plated a run in the home half of the third, its first of the day off of JSU pitching, but the Gamecocks got two in the top of the fourth to push its lead to 5-1. The inning started with Chambers' second hit of the game, a single to left, and a Chisolm infield single. They both scored on a Belmont throwing error after an Oliver bunt.
Chambers kept her big day going in the fifth, driving her third hit of the game and second double of the day into right center. The line drive drove in Sloan and made it a 6-1 JSU game.
West (11-4) kept the Bruin bats at bay, allowing just one run on six hits in her complete game. She struck out six and walked a pair in besting Lee (12-5). She was tagged with the loss after surrendering six runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings in the circle.
SIUE 11, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0; SIUE 7, EASTERN KENTUCKY 5
RICHMOND, Ky. - SIUE softball needed an extra inning to get it done, but the Cougars gained a sweep Saturday at Eastern Kentucky.
SIUE improved to 30-7 this season and 6-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference with the victories. The Cougars, one of just 17 teams in Division I with 30 or more wins, won the opener 11-0 and the nightcap 7-5 in eight innings. Eastern Kentucky dropped to 14-21 overall and 3-4 in the OVC while playing its first game in the newly renovated Gertrude Hood Field.
Haley Chambers-Book was the winning pitcher in both games and improved to 18-4 overall. She tossed a two-hit shutout in game one. In the nightcap, she tossed the final two innings for the Cougars.
SIUE's offense was jump-started in the third inning of game one. Alyssa Heren reached on an infield error, Chambers-Book drew a walk. Zoe Schafer provided the offensive punch with a three-run homer to left field.
The Cougars added two more runs in the sixth inning on RBI hits from Tess Eby and Heren.
The seventh inning proved to be the big one. The six-run rally featured a two-run double by Sarah Lopesilvero and a three-run homer by Eby.
Chambers-Book struck out 13 in the win and threw her seventh shutout of the season.
The two teams went back and forth in game two. SIUE scored first when Allison Smiley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first inning.
Hannah Clark hit a two-run double in the first inning for the Colonels and added a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
SIUE was down 5-4 in the top of the seventh when Schafer connected on her second home run of the day, a solo shot down the left field line.
Schafer hit her team-leading fifth home run of the season. Chambers-Book tossed the bottom of the seventh and sent the game to extra innings in relief of Emily Ingles and Ashley Koziol.
The Cougars tallied two runs in the top of the eighth. Eby scored on a wild pitch off EKU's Mollie Paulick on ball four to Reagan Curtis. Smiley added an infield hit that scored Heren.
Golic recorded the win on the mound for EIU to improve to 2-0 on the season allowing only one hit in her 1.1 innings on the mound. Davis finished the game going 3-for-4 at the plate to lead all batters.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, AUSTIN PEAY 0; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, AUSTIN PEAY 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.. - Left-hander Mackenzie Hoelting threw a no hitter and Southeast Missouri (17-16, 2-6) swept Austin Peay (14-22, 2-6) by scores of 3-0 and 4-0 in a doubleheader Saturday.
Hoelting threw the first no-hitter of her career and SEMO's first this season in the nightcap. She matched a career-high four strikeouts and faced 25 hitters along the way. Only four Governors reached base against her.
The Redhawks scored twice in the second and fifth innings, and that was all Hoelting would need.
Ashley Ellis' two-run home run down the left field line gave SEMO an early lead in the bottom of the second. A beautifully placed bunt single by Rachel Anderson scored Brooke Rheinecker for the Redhawks first run in the fifth. Anderson then stole home later in the inning to widen SEMO's lead to 4-0.
Hoelting earned the first win of her career by way of her no-hitter.
Offensively, the Redhawks rounded out the doubleheader with eight hits. Anderson and Ellis accounted for two apiece.
In game one, it was Madeline Krumrey who pitched a complete game masterpiece to set the tone for SEMO.
Krumrey allowed just two hits and struck out three en route to tossing her team-high third shutout and seventh complete game of the season.
A native of Wildwood, Missouri, Krumrey retired the first nine hitters she faced and threw 4.2 no-hit innings to key her masterful performance.
SEMO staked Krumrey to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Darby Pruett led off with a home run to straightaway center and Mykaela Arellanes knocked in Claudia Gallo on a two-out single to left field. For Pruett, it was her third homer of the season.
Another solo home run, this time by Arellanes, extended the Redhawk lead to 3-0 with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.
Krumrey (10-5) picked up her 10th win of the season as only three Governors reached base against her.
Sidney Hooper (0-2) took the loss. Hooper worked six innings, giving up three runs on six hits.
SEMO finished with six hits. Arellanes went a perfect 3-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs at the top of the lineup. It was Arellanes' 10th multiple-hit game as her three hits were a season-high.
TENNESSEE STATE 9, TENNESSEE STATE 0; TENNESSEE TECH 7, TENNESSEE STATE 4
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee State dropped both ends of an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at the hands of Tennessee Tech on Saturday at Tiger Field. The Golden Eagles needed just six innings for a 9-0 win in the opener and closed out the sweep with a 7-4 victory in the nightcap.
TSU fell to 9-23, 1-7 in OVC play, while TTU improved to 12-21, 5-3.
TTU jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the Tigers could get a hit off pitcher Danielle Liberatore. The Golden Eagles ace retired the first 10 batters before Patton Akers laced a single to centerfield. Two batters later, Sarah Snell reached on a bunt single to give the Tigers runners on first and second before Liberatore ended the threat.
Liberatore (5-6) earned the win as she struck out 11 batters, while surrendering one walk.
Lauren Powell (4-9) suffered the loss after being touched up for four runs on four hits and three walks in three innings of work. The sophomore pitcher fanned two batters and hit two others.
Erica O’Kane pitched the final three innings, giving up five runs on eight hits and two walks.
In game two, the Tigers took the early lead with three runs in the first. Selena Crafton walked to lead off the inning before stealing her 16th base of the season. Crafton moved to third on an infield single by Danica Gleason, who advanced to second as Crafton drew a throw home.
Sarah Snell executed a squeeze bunt to plate Crafton. On the play, Snell would get in a rundown between first and second, which allowed Gleason to score to make the score 2-0.
The Tigers loaded the bases on an O’Kane single and a TTU miscue off the bat of Emma Colegrove. Abi Stephens put TSU up by three with a single to right to chase home Snell.
Tech would go on the offensive against starter Lauren Woodard, scoring a run in the second and fourth to go along with a four run third to move ahead 6-3.
Woodard would get a run back in the bottom of the fourth as she smashed her first home run in a Tiger uniform over the fence in center, cutting the lead to 6-4.
The Golden Eagles would add an insurance run in the seventh to extend the lead to 7-4 and give Woodard (2-7) her seventh loss of the season. The senior went the distance, allowing seven runs on nine hits and three walks.
Leigh Ellen Thomas improved to 5-8 as she scattered eight hits and a walk.
In the evening session, Kasey Cox led the Tigers at the plate going 2-for-3 with a double, her fifth of the season.
MURRAY STATE 5, UT MARTIN 3; UT MARTIN 6, MURRAY STATE 4
MARTIN, Tenn. - Murray State and UT Martin split a doubleheader on Saturday at Bettye Giles Field in Martin, Tenn. The Racers took game one, 5-4, while the Skyhawks took the nightcap, 6-4.
Murray State's Jessica Twaddle led the team hitting .714 (5-for-7) ove the two games. She had three runs, one double, one home run and two RBI.
Carly Gonzales paced the Skyhawks hitting .500, recording a pair of hits and one RBI.
The Racers' Mason Robinson earned the win in the first game, givng up just two earned runs and striking out six in the complete game.
Brooke Kennedy earned the victory for the Skyhawks in the second game. She went the distance and struck out seven.