FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Belmont 8, Purdue Fort Wayne 1
Murray State 6, @Memphis 3
Texas Tech 8,
Murray State 0
Eastern Kentucky 2, UNC Wilmington 0
Eastern Kentucky 5, Youngstown State 2
Eastern Illinois 9, Buffalo 6
Eastern Illinois 4, Seton Hall 3
Dayton 8,
Austin Peay 7
Austin Peay 4, @Miami (Ohio) 1
@UT Martin 5, Green Bay 3
@UT Martin 5, Green Bay 4
Niagara 2,
@SIUE 1
BELMONT 8, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont University Softball opened its final home non-conference tournament of the season with a commanding win on Friday afternoon. The Bruins (13-7) defeated Purdue Fort Wayne (5-12), 8-1, to open the Belmont Invitational.
The first frame was silent for both teams before BU posted a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Senior Hayley Baker (Rockwall, Texas) reached first base on four balls and was quickly sent over the plate behind the first triple of the season for junior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.). A groundout also sent Lee over the plate to put BU ahead, 2-0. The Mastodons cut the score in half in their half of the third. However, Belmont remained in control for the remainder of the contest.
In the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, Belmont added a single run to increase its score to 4-1. Purdue Fort Wayne continued to threaten but the Bruin defense held them at bay. BU exploded in the bottom of the sixth, tallying four more runs. Sophomore Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas) reached first base with a walk and hustled to third base after a Mastodon throwing error failed to tag out senior Cameryn Strother. Senior Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) unleashed a double that sent one run over the plate before sophomore Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) was walked to load the bases. Belmont started a merry-go-round that saw two walks and a hit by pitch score more runs, pushing the home team to the brink of run-ruled victory. However, the Bruins emerged from the half inning leading 8-1 and clamped down defensively, using a striikeout from Lee to end the game and secure the victory by the same score.
For the day, Lee was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a triple and an RBI.
Lee also went the distance inside the circle, logging 10 strikeouts in the win.
BU returns to action on Saturday at the Belmont Invitational at E. S. Rose Park. The Bruins face off against UIC beginning at 2:30 p.m. Live stats will be available and the contest can be seen live on ESPN+.
DAYTON 8, AUSTIN PEAY 1; AUSTIN PEAY 4, MIAMI (OHIO) 1
OXFORD, Ohio - Austin Peay State University’s softball team got a 10-strikeout, three-hit performance from Morgan Rackel, Friday at Miami Softball Stadium in the opening day of the Miami Invitational, as the Governors defeated Miami 4-1 after being edged by Dayton in the opener, 8-7.
Rackel (9-5) would give up single in each of the first two innings versus the RedHawks (10-9), then retire 11 in a row before giving up a home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Austin Peay (13-12) would break the scoreless deadlock with two runs in the top of the fourth inning, the first coming on a single by Lexi Osowski and the other on a sacrifice fly by Brooke Pfefferle.
The Govs would add two insurance runs in the top of the seventh, on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Rackel.
In the day’s versus Dayton, the Govs saw the Flyers jump out to a 3-0 lead but rallied back with three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a two-run homer by Rackel.
Dayton would score single runs in the second and fourth innings to extent its lead to 5-1, with Danielle Liermann cut that lead back to 5-2 with a home run in the fifth.
The Govs defense would let them down in the top of the seventh, with two errors opening the door to three unearned runs for the Flyers.
Austin Peay wouldn’t go quietly though, with Drew Dudley, Kacy Acree and Liermann all hitting home runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the Dayton lead to one, but the Flyers were able to get the final two outs of the game as the Govs rally fell one run short.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 2, UNC WILMINGTON, 0; EASTERN KENTUCKY 5, YOUNGSTOWN STATE 2
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Eastern Kentucky University won a pair of contests on day one of the Lafayette Ford Lincoln of Fayetteville Seahawk Softball Invitational.
EKU knocked off host UNC Wilmington in game one on Friday, 2-0. In game two the Colonels (10-9) dispatched Youngstown State, 5-2
Game one was a pitchers’ duel. Sammi Reynoso and Bethany Todd combined for a shutout, holding the Seahawks to two hits on the day.
In the top of the fourth Hannah Clark singled, Carly Robinson drew a walk and Zoe Mihalicz singled to load the bases with one out. That is when Mattira Morales brought home what proved to be the winning run after reaching base on an error.
In the fifth inning, Melissa Jacobsen singled and stole second, followed by a Sammi Miller single to put runners on the corners with one out. Clark drove in an insurance run with an RBI groundout to take a 2-0 lead after five innings.
Miller was 2-for-3 in the game. Clark, Mihalicz and Jacobsen all recorded a hit.
Todd (2-0) picked up her second win in as many games after tossing four and two-thirds innings and striking out three. Reynoso started, going two and one-third innings and striking out three.
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In game two, the Colonels erased a 2-0 deficit in the top of the second inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Brooke Harrison reached on an error and Emily Corbitt scored to get Eastern on the board. With the bases loaded again later in the inning, another Youngstown State error allowed two runners to come home and put EKU in front 3-2.
Clark had a sacrifice fly in the fourth and an RBI double in the seventh to set the final score.
Mollie Paulick (4-4) picked up the win after tossing four innings of scoreless relief. Miller was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Clark finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Jacobsen went 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
NIAGARA 2, SIUE 1
HONOLULU – SIUE's Emily Ingles fanned a season-high 10 batters Friday at the Rainbow Classic, but the Cougars couldn't hold off Niagara in a 2-1 contest.
SIUE now heads home and will begin Ohio Valley Conference play next Friday with a 2 p.m. home doubleheader against Austin Peay.
Ingles fell to 5-5 for the season despite her season high. She also yielded just three hits to Niagara, now 1-11. Niagara's big hit was a two-run single in the sixth by Jerri Ann Orfano.
Jennifer Szilagyi was credited with the win behind one scoreless inning pitched in relief. Emily Johnson earned the save by holding the Cougars scoreless in the final two innings.
SIUE's offense collected seven hits, including two from Amara Wylie. The Cougars left 10 runners on base.
Sydney Bina provided SIUE's RBI for the game on a base hit to right field, scoring Janie Smith, who was pinch-running for Zoe Schafer.
MURRAY STATE 6, MEMPHIS 3; TEXAS TECH 8, MURRAY STATE 0
MEMPHIS, Tenn.-
The Racers journeyed to Memphis, Tennessee on Friday to compete in the Tiger Classic tournament, hosted by the University of Memphis. With two contests on the schedule for day one of the weekend, the Racers earned a split - defeating Memphis 6-3 before falling to #13 Texas Tech 8-0.
Game 1: Murray State 6, Memphis 3:
Riding a three-game winning streak, the Racers entered the game against Memphis with hopes of continuing their recent success in their first competition at the Tiger Classic. Murray State would pick up right where they left off last weekend, jumping out to an early lead after the first inning of action. Brenna Finck would come around to score off a two-out RBI-single from Sierra Gilmore to put the Racers on the scoreboard in the opening frame. The Racers would not be content with a single score however, as they would tack on two more when Logan Braundmeierdrove a 1-0 offering to right center. The clutch piece of hitting would be good for extra bases, as she reached second with a two-RBI double to put the Racers in front 3-0 at the conclusion of the first half inning.
Hannah James would get the nod in the circle for Murray State to begin the weekend, looking to add to her impressive freshman résumé with a dominant performance against Memphis.
The Tigers would answer with a run of their own in the home half of the first, as Ashley Threatt knocked in a run with a two-out RBI double to left field, putting her side on the scoreboard in the opening inning.
After a thrilling first, the bats would cool off for both sides in the innings ahead, as quality pitching efforts kept additional runs off the box score until the home half of the sixth, when Memphis would cut the Racer lead to a single run. A ground ball fielder's choice would score Alyssa Dean from third to make it 3-2 in favor of the Racers at the close of the sixth inning.
With a one-run lead entering the final frame, the Racers brought the Tiger momentum to a halt with a monumental inning of their own. After Denise Teague got things going with a leadoff pinch-hit single, Madison Culver and Sierra Gilmore reached base with Lexi Jones due up next for Murray State. With runners on first and second, Jones stepped in and stepped up, launching a two-strike pitch over the wall in center field for a three-run home run, extending the Racer lead to 6-2 with a half inning yet to play.
Down to their final three outs, the Tigers would have life after Delaney Smith tripled to begin the Memphis seventh. She would score during the following sequence via a ground ball to second base, trimming the Racer lead to three, but Hannah James would close the door on the Tiger comeback to earn her sixth win of 2019 in another complete game effort.
James (6-5) would fan six Tiger batters through her seven innings of work, issuing just one walk while surrendering two earned runs on the day.
Offensively, Lexi Jones would lead the Racers with a 2-4 showing that featured three RBIs and her second home run of the season. Additionally, Sierra Gilmore (2-3, RBI, 2B) and Logan Braundmeier (2-3, 2 RBIs, SB) would turn in multi-hit performances in the 6-3 victory over Memphis.
Game 2: Texas Tech 8, Murray State 0:
Following the matchup with Memphis, the Racers would take on the Red Raiders of Texas Tech in game two of the afternoon. #13 Texas Tech, who entered the tournament at 24-1, opened the scoring in the visiting half of the third, when Miranda Padilla scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Heaven Burton.
The Racers managed just three hits in the ballgame, and were never able to string together multiple in the same inning. The Red Raiders would go on to put up three runs in the fourth, followed by another four in the fifth, growing their lead to eight as the game approached Racer half of the fifth inning. The Racers were then unable to produce a run, meaning that the game would end after five innings with a score of 8-0 in favor of the Red Raiders. Taylor Satchell and Kelcy Leach each homered for Texas Tech to fuel their side, while the Racers were highlighted by Brenna Finck, who went 1-2 with a double in game two of the afternoon.
The Racers will be back in action on day two of the Tiger Classic on Saturday, with a single game against the Lions of North Alabama. The game is scheduled for 9:00 a.m.
UT MARTIN 5, GREEN BAY 3; UT MARTIN 5, GREEN BAY 4
MARTIN, Tenn. - Recap coming soon.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, BUFFALO 6; EASTERN ILLINOIS 4, SETON HALL 3
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Recap coming soon.