SUNDAY'S SCORES
IUPUI 11,
Morehead State 2 (5)
Jacksonville State 7, Purdue Fort Wayne 2
Austin Peay 1, Jackson State 0
Murray State 5, Ball State 1
Southeast Missouri 7, Mississippi Valley State 0
SIUE 2, Southeastern Louisiana 1
UT Martin 10, @Alabama State 1
Belmont 5, Delaware 4
IUPUI 11, MOREHEAD STATE 2
STATESBORO, Ga. – Senior Aubrey Bennett went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored while sophomore Kalle Coleman slugged a double and a triple as the Morehead State softball team fell 11-2 to IUPUI in the in the final day of the Eagle Round Robin hosted by Georgia Southern on Sunday morning.
Bennett led off the third inning with a single and was moved to third on sacrifice bunts by junior Allison Davis and freshman Peyton Rose. The senior crossed the plate via a Jaguars' error off the bat of junior Helyna Bissell.
IUPUI answered in the bottom of the inning with three runs, but Bennett responded with an RBI single in the top of the fourth that scored junior Randi Hamilton.
Again, the Jaguars answered back to the Eagles' run as they plated eight runs in the bottom half of the fourth.
Freshman lefty Lakyn Largent (0-6) suffered the loss in her sixth start of the season. Largent tossed two hitless innings before being giving up a run after back-to-back IUPUI hits in the third.
Coleman's double came in the first inning before she recorded her second triple of the season the fifth inning. Both hits came without runners on base.
The Eagles' 2019 record dropped to 0-9 with the loss.
Morehead State will look to pick up its first win of the season on Friday as they take on St. Bonaventure and Hampton in the Spartan/Pirate classic hosted by Hampton and Norfolk State in Hampton, Va. The Eagles matchup with the Bonnies at 12:15 p.m. before taking on the host Pirates at 2:30 p.m. ET.
AUSTIN PEAY 1, JACKSON STATE 0
LAFAYETTE, La. - Senior Morgan Rackel recorded her second career no-hitter for Austin Peay State University, Sunday morning at Lamson Park, in the final day of the 33rd Annual Louisiana Classic as the Govs picked up a 1-0 victory over Jackson State.
It was the second no hitter in as many seasons for Rackel, with her first no-hitter also coming by way of a 1-0 final versus Eastern Illinois on April 29, 2018.
Rackel would finish the contest with seven strikeouts and two walks, needing only 85 total pitches in her seven innings of work, with no Jackson State (0-11) hitter getting past first base.
Austin Peay (5-5) would score its run in the bottom of the fifth inning with Drew Dudley receiving a bases-loaded walk to force in pinch runner Kelsey Gray with what turned out to the game winner.
Overall, Austin Peay collected three hits in the victory, singles by Danielle Liermann, Kelsey Gross and Natalie Schilling, but also drew a total of nine walks versus Tigers’ pitchers.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 2
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Jacksonville State softball team capped its weekend at the Alabama State Black & Gold Tournament with a 7-2 win over Fort Wayne on Sunday.
Taylor Beshears homered and drove in four runs, while Faith Sims tossed another complete game in the circle to lift the Gamecocks (6-3) to a 3-1 weekend in the state capital.
Beshears, a senior from Trussville, Ala., was 2-for-3 with a homer and a three-run double to lead a 10-hit attack by the JSU offense. The Gamecocks got support from the bottom of the order, as well. The last three hitters in the JSU order were a combined 6-for-11, with Hayley Sims, Jada Terry and Anna Chisolm each recording two hits.
Faith Sims (4-0) capped her second-straight 2-0 weekend in the circle with her fourth complete game in as many appearances this season. The senior from Cordova, Ala., allowed just two runs despite the Mastadons scattering 10 hits in her seven innings of work. She struck out four and walked two, her first two bases on balls in 2019.
She beat Fort Wayne Starter Shaina Eyre, who surrendered six runs on eight hits in six innings of work. She also struck out five and walked five in the losing effort.
Beshears got the day started with a solo homer in the first that gave JSU a quick lead. It didn't last long, with that Mastadons tying the score in the home half of the frame on a Morganne Denny RBI single.
Back-to-back RBI from Amber Jones and Hayley Sims put JSU up 3-1 in the third, a lead the Gamecocks wouldn't relinquish. Fort Wayne scored one in the fourth on a Lexi Smalarz single, but Beshears' bases clearing double in the sixth opened the game up for JSU.
The final JSU run came in the seventh on an RBI triple by Jada Terry, who missed a home run by just a few feet.
JSU is scheduled to travel to Atlanta on Wednesday to take on Georgia Tech at 4 p.m. CT before opening the home schedule this weekend with a three-game series vs. Southern Miss. The series will feature a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m. and wrap up with a 1 p.m. single game on Sunday and will be held at Choccolocco Park in Oxford due to the construction at University Field to repair the damage suffered in the March 19 tornado.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE 0
RUSTON, La.– Haley Thogmartin recorded six strikeouts in five scoreless innings and Mykaela Arellanes hit her first home run of the season to lead Southeast Missouri (7-3) to a 7-0 win over Mississippi Valley State (0-9) in the final day of the Louisiana Tech Invitational Sunday.
SEMO closed out the tournament strong with back-to-back shutouts. The Redhawks have blanked three opponents this season. Wichita State won the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record.
"It was nice to end the weekend with not only a win today, but to also finish above .500 in the tournament," said SEMO head coach Mark Redburn. "We're still working on roles with several players while getting others in-game experience as well. Early on, we want to establish our style of play and core group, and I think we're pretty close. Our players are really working hard for team success and supporting each other."
Arellanes, who became the seventh Redhawk to hit a home run in 2019, launched a solo shot over the right field wall out of the leadoff spot in the bottom of the first inning.
SEMO plated three runs to widen its lead in the fourth.
Rachael Donald drew a leadoff walk and pinch-runner Mackenzie Long stole second. Sarah Messex followed with a walk and Brooke Rheinecker reached on a throwing error. Long scored on the miscue and Messex touched home when Parker Bandy grounded out to first. Rheinecker then scored on Arellanes' groundball out to give the Redhawks a 4-0 lead.
SEMO's final three runs were unearned thanks to a combined three MVSU errors between the fifth and sixth innings. Those mishaps led to one tally in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Thogmartin, now 4-1, scattered just three hits and walked only one in the third shutout she has had a hand in this year.
Claudia Gallo went 2-for-3 with a triple as SEMO's only multi-hit performer. Arellanes, Randi Dae Conway, Rachel Anderson, Addison Barnouski, Rheinecker and Bandy followed with one hit apiece.
SEMO outhit the Delta Devilettes, 8-4, marking the seventh time in 10 games this season where the Redhawks have outhit their opponent.
Laeni Terrones and Deshonte Smith each had two hits for MVSU, which committed four errors in the game.
The Redhawks will return to action after a three-day break when they travel to the Razorback Invitational on Feb. 21-23.
SIUE 2, SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 1
HAMMOND, La. – SIUE softball closed out its first tournament of the 2019 season with a 4-1 record, finishing with a 2-1 victory Sunday over host Southeastern Louisiana.
The Cougars used single tallies in the fourth and fifth innings to capture the victory. SIUE next heads to Razorback Invitational (Feb. 22-24) with two games against host Arkansas, two against IUPUI and one against Drake.
After Southeastern Louisiana, 6-6, scored in the first inning, the Cougars didn't score on starting pitcher Alley McDonald until the fourth inning.
Alana Cobb-Adams opened the fourth with a single to left field and moved to second on her fourth stolen base of the weekend. She would later score on a wild pitch.
In the fifth, Reagan Curtis led off with a double to left field. With Kylie Lane pinch-running, she advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bailley Concatto and to home with a sacrifice fly by Kalei Kaneshiro.
Bianca Vozenilek and Corrina Rivas combined to allow just four hits against Southeastern Louisiana. Rivas earned the victory, throwing the final four innings.
Heren is tied for the team lead with Cobb-Adams in hits after week one with eight.
MURRAY STATE 5, BALL STATE 1
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. - The Racers took on Ball State in their fifth and final game of the weekend on Sunday morning in Madeira Beach, Florida. With both teams held scoreless through the first two innings, Murray State found themselves in a difficult spot when Ball State loaded the bases with just one out in their half of the third. Hannah James was able to avert the danger for the Racers, shutting down the following two Cardinal batters and leaving the game scoreless heading into the Racer half of the third.
Brenna Finck got the momentum going in the third with her one out single to reach base for the Racers. With two outs in the inning, Madison Culver continued an outstanding weekend at the plate with an RBI single to score Finck and take a 1-0 lead to begin the fourth.
While the Racers would allow Ball State runners to reach the corners in the following inning, they were able to keep them off the scoreboard and maintain a one-run lead.
Skipping ahead to the Racer half of the fifth, a two out RBI single from Lillie Goetz scored Kristen Bialek who came on to pinch run for Denise Teague whose single began the inning.
To answer, Ball State would put up their lone run of the ballgame in the sixth after Hailey Demnianiuk scored on a play that ultimately resulted in the final out of the inning after Kim Manuel was put out on the base paths following the run.
Holding a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth, the Racers would give themselves some breathing room after Brenna Finck and Jensen Striegel both drew bases loaded walks to drive in a pair of Racer runs. With the bases still full, Lillie Goetz stepped to the plate and capitalized on the scoring opportunity with an RBI single to right, giving the Racers a 5-1 advantage heading into the seventh.
With Ball State needing four runs to keep the game alive, Hannah James made quick work of the Cardinals, striking out the side and closing the door on the opposition. The Racers would end the weekend in Madeira Beach with a 5-1 victory to cap off a tremendous 4-1 weekend.
Leading the way at the plate for MSU were Lillie Goetz (2-3, 2 RBI) and Sierra Gilmore (2-3, R, 2B) with two hits apiece. Hannah James earned the win for the Racers tossing a complete game and allowing just a single earned run while becoming just the fifth Racer pitcher to record 10 strikeouts in a game.
The Racers will return to action on Friday, February 22 at the NC State Fairfield Inn & Suites Crabtree Invitational in Raleigh, North Carolina.
BELMONT 5, DELAWARE 4
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. -- Tension at the final game at the Madeira Beach Invitational was at fever pitch heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Belmont University Softball (4-1) was able to squeak by Delaware (4-4) with the help of a hit by pitch of senior Hayley Baker to secure the 5-4 win on Sunday afternoon.
Two silent offensive innings for both teams was soon broken up by BU runs in the bottom of the third. Consecutive doubles by sophomore Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas), junior Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) and senior Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) with the help of a sacrifice fly by senior Sami Long (Springfield, Ill.) gave Belmont a 2-0 advantage. The Blue Hens cut the Bruin lead in half in the following inning but Belmont surged again in the bottom of the sixth to go up 4-1 following sophomore Alicia Veltri's (Clarksville, Tenn.) two-run homer.
Delaware would not go quietly and went on the knot the score 4-4 in the top of the seventh, forcing Belmont's hand. Cavanaugh had a lead-off single and was pushed to second base with a sac bunt from Long. A Blue Hen fielding error put runners on the corners for BU before Cook was intentionally walked to load the bases with only one out on the board. Classmate Hayley Baker (Rockwall, Texas) stepped up to the plate after another Delaware pitching change and was promptly hit by a pitch to push the winning run over the plate to hand the Bruins the 5-4, albeit slightly anti-climatic, win.
Cavanaugh was perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double, a pair of runs and a walk. Cook went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Veltri pulled double duty with work inside the circle and at the plate. She notched a homerun and fanned seven batters. Junior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.), was also active on both sides of the plate, sharing time in the circle with Veltri, retiring six batters in the win.
Belmont returns to action next weekend at the Georgia Classic, hosted by the University of Georgia, February 22-24.
UT MARTIN 10, ALABAMA STATE 1
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Recap coming soon.