FRIDAY'S SCORES
Belmont 3, Bryant 2 (8)
UMass 7,
Belmont 0
Villanova 13,
Eastern Illinois 4
Troy 3,
Eastern Illinois 0
Drake 6,
Southeast Missouri 2
Southeast Missouri 6, @#12 Arkansas 1
IUPUI 11,
SIUE 8
@#12 Arkansas 2,
SIUE 1
Austin Peay 4, @McNeese State 0
BELMONT 3, BRYANT 2; UMASS 7, BELMONT 0
ATHENS, Ga. - Belmont University Softball saw its early season three-game win streak snapped in its second game of the opening day of the Georgia Classic on a rainy Friday. The Bruins (5-2) used a walkoff double to push by Bryant (0-6), 3-2, into extra innings before behind held off, 7-0, by UMass (2-5) in game two.
After a silent first two innings of play, Belmont made the first move to put a run on the board. Sophomore Georgia McKee (Frisco, Texas) reached first courtesy of four balls before senior Taylor Hargrove (Greenbrier, Tenn.) came in to pinch run. Classmate Sami Long (Springfield, Ill.) executed the perfect sac bunt to push Hargrove into scoring position before a sacrifice fly by junior Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) sent Hargrove over the plate. After a nearly hour long rain delay, Belmont held onto its one run advantage until Bryant was able to knot the score in the top of the sixth frame.
In the top of the eighth, the Bulldogs made their move with one out, using a single and a Bruin error to move the base runner into scoring position. A long double sent her over the plate to put Bryant ahead by one but the Bruins were able to hold their ground for the remainder of the half inning, trailing 2-1. BU wasted little time in its half of the same frame with freshman Audrey Lyle in to pinch hit. She knocked a long double in the gap to the left fence to get things rolling. Senior Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) followed with a walk before classmate Chelsea Thomas (Hot Springs, Ark.) singled deep to left opening the door for the tying run to cross the plate. Sophomore Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) unloaded her second double of the season to lift the Bruins to the 3-2 victory with the walkoff effort.
In the second game, UMass came out hot in their half of the first two innings, posting a total of six runs. Belmont made changes inside the circle that slowed the runs coming over the plate but struggled to find a way to get runners home. Sophomore Autumn McDanel (Moravia, Iowa) made her Bruin debut inside the circle, eventually tossing 5.2 innings in relief.
A hit by pitch and a long double notched another run for the Minutewomen in the top of the seventh. BU pushed for a late surge in its half of the final inning, using a double to left by junior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) to get things rolling. Senior Cameryn Strother (Chesapeake, Va.) followed with a single up the middle and tuned on the jets to get to second base on the throw. Despite having a pair of runners in scoring position, BU was unable to get either over the plate, falling 7-0.
For the day, Veltri went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and an RBI, followed by fellow pitcher Lee, who hit .500 and also notched a double.
Inside the circle, Lee improved to 3-0 on the season with her eight strikeout performance against Bryant. A trio saw action against UMass with McDanel and Veltri each recording three strikeouts in the effort. Junior Brittany Kennett (Melbourne, Australia) made her second appearance of the season versus the Minutewomen.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday for day two of the Georgia Classic. The Bruins take on host-Georgia, who is ranked No.8, and will take on Bryant once again. Both contests will have live stats available and the matchup with UGA can be seen live on SECNetwork+.
VILLANOVA 13, EASTERN ILLINOIS 4; TROY 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
AUBURN, Ala. - Eastern Illinois softball fell in both games at the Tiger Invitational hosted by Auburn Friday morning. The Panthers fifth inning rally fell short vs. Villanova as the Wildcats won 13-4. EIU was then shutout by Troy 3-0.
The Panthers are 3-8 on the season and will play another two games tomorrow morning starting with a rematch vs. Troy at 9 am.
Game 1
Morgan LaMore led the Panthers vs. Villanova finished 2-of-3 at the plate, while Mady Poulter tallied two of EIU's four runs.
Scoring started for both teams in the first inning. After a series of walks from the Villanova pitcher, Poulter would score her first and EIU's first run of the game in the top of the first. The Wildcats would tie the game off a single from Julie Dacosta as she tallied an RBI.
Villanova would go on to score five runs in the second, two in the third and another five in the fourth.
Breya Cooper tried to start a fifth inning rally for the Panthers with a two-run homer to center field to score her and Poulter. LaMore doubled to score Tayler Wullenweber, but EIU fell short falling 13-4 in the fifth inning to Villanova.
Jade Montgomery made the start on the mound for the Panthers pitching 1.2 innings before Valerie Thompson took over. Thompson and Sydney Cammon split time on the mound for the remainder of the five innings. Montgomery fell to 0-3 on the mound.
Game 2
The Panthers recorded only two hits in the second game of the Tiger Invitational vs. Troy. Wullenweber and MeKenna Coffman recorded EIU's hits each going 1-of-2 at the plate.
Troy tallied two runs in the top of the third and added another in the fifth to secure a 3-0 shutout win over the Panthers.
Coffman pitched all seven innings for EIU falling to 1-1 on the mound. She retired two batters, while Troy's starting pitcher recorded 14 strikeouts on the mound.
AUSTIN PEAY 4, MCNEESE STATE 0
LAKE CHARLES, La. - Drew Dudley, Bailey Shorter and Carly Mattson provided the offense for Austin Peay State University’s softball team, Friday night at Joe Miller Field, while Morgan Rackel extended her run of shutout innings to 14, as the Governors defeated McNeese State, 4-0.
For Rackel (4-3), it was her third shutout of the season for Austin Peay (6-5) -- and second in a row -- as the left-hander limited the Cowgirls (6-7) to three singles and three walks, while striking out nine.
The game would be deadlocked at 0-0 heading into the top of the fourth inning when Dudley would break the scoreless duel with a double down the right field line, scoring Mattson – who had opened the inning with a single -- all the way around from first base.
Austin Peay would break the game open an inning later, scoring three times, including two coming on Mattson’s first home run of the season and the other on a single up the middle by Shorter, scoring Natalie Schilling – who reached base on a single.
DRAKE 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6, #12 ARKANSAS 1
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.– Southeast Missouri (8-5) upset #12 Arkansas (9-2) Friday night at Bogle Park. The Redhawks gave head coach Mark Redburn his first win over a ranked opponent.
SEMO's big win came after a 6-2 loss to Drake.
The Redhawks trailed, 1-0, after four innings until Randi Dae Conway scored an unearned to tie the game in the top of the fifth. On the next play, Sarah Messex homered to give SEMO a 2-1 edge.
SEMO buried Arkansas for good with four runs in the top of the seventh.
Mykaela Arellanes hit a two-RBI double and Rachel Anderson smacked a two-run home run to put the Redhawks ahead, 6-1. SEMO had five hits in the decisive inning.
Rachel Rook (1-1) was credited with the win. Rook struck out one and gave up one run in five innings. Kaylee Anderson picked up the save.
Mary Haff (5-2) suffered the loss. Haff gave up two runs, four hits and struck out five in 4.1 innings.
SEMO registered 10 hits. Arellanes, Anderson and Ashley Ellis had two apiece.
Mandi Roemmich led game one off with a single down the left field line and went to second on a bunt single by Macy Johnson. With two outs, Taryn Pena walked to load the bases. Kennedy Frank then singled and two runs scored as SEMO committed an error on the play. Alexia Lara followed with a two-RBI double to give the Bulldogs a quick 4-0 advantage.
Drake tacked on two more runs in the top of the second on a two-out, two-RBI double by Nicole Newman. Both tallies were unearned due to a pair of Redhawk errors.
SEMO scored its only run in the bottom of the second when pinch-runner Mackenzie Long scored on a groundball out by Parker Bandy.
The Redhawks had runners at first and second with one out during their final at-bat in the bottom of the seventh when freshman Chelsy Pena scored Rachel Anderson on a single up the middle. That was as close as SEMO would get.
Newman (3-2) beat SEMO for the second time this season. She went the distance allowing two runs on five hits to go along with 10 strikeouts. Newman has a total of 23 strikeouts in two starts against the Redhawks.
Haley Thogmartin (4-3) took the loss. Thogmartin struck out three, walked three and allowed six runs on seven hits in four innings.
Freshman Marisa Davis relieved Thogmartin and tossed three scoreless innings.
Defensively, SEMO committed a season-high four errors behind Thogmartin. Three of Drake's runs were unearned as a result of those miscues.
Mykaela Arellanes, Claudia Gallo, Pena, Kaylee Anderson and Addison Barnouski each had a hit for SEMO.
Roemmich went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored to lead Drake, which finished with eight hits.
SEMO concludes play at the Razorback Invitational against Drake and IUPUI Saturday.
IUPUI 11, SIUE 8; #12 ARKANSAS 2, SIUE 1
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Recap coming soon.