SATURDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Kentucky 6, @UNC Wilmington 2
Eastern Kentucky 12, Canisius 2
@UT Martin 8, Akron 2
@UT Martin 5, Green Bay 3
@Jacksonville State 9, Jacksonville 4
@Jacksonville State 7, Jacksonville 1
North Alabama 3,
Murray State 2
@Morehead State 6, St. Bonaventure 5
Bowling Green 10,
@Morehead State 4
@Tennessee Tech 2, East Tennessee State 0
East Tennessee State 1,
@Tennessee Tech 0
Southeast Missouri 14, Northern Illinois 4 (5)
Southeast Missouri 9, Omaha 4
Austin Peay 6, Dayton 0
@Miami (Ohio) 6,
Austin Peay 2
EASTERN KENTUCKY 6, UNC WILMINGTON 2; EASTERN KENTUCKY 12, CANISIUS 2
WILMINGTON, N.C. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team won a pair of contests on day two of the Lafayette Ford Lincoln of Fayetteville Seahawk Softball Invitational.
EKU (12-9) knocked off UNC Wilmington in game one on Saturday, 6-2. In game two they beat Canisius 12-4.
In game one the Colonels got off to a quick start, scoring two runs in each of the first two innings and did not look back.
Destinee Lizzmore walked and Sammi Miller singled to put runners on first and second with no one out in the top of the first. The two runners advanced to second and third with two outs after a ground ball.
Zoe Mihalicz delivered with a two RBI single to give EKU the early 2-0 lead.
In the second stanza, Gaby De La Cerda drew a leadoff walk to get the inning started. Melissa Jacobsen wasted no time sending a 1-1 pitch down the third base line for a RBI double to take a 3-0 lead. Jacobsen scored after Miller reached on a fielding error to take a 4-0 lead after two innings.
Lizzmore got the fourth inning started with a single up the middle. With two outs in the inning Carly Robinson sent her fourth home run of the year over the left center field fence to take a 6-0 lead over Wilmington.
The Seahawks got two runs back in the bottom half of the inning after a pair of solo home runs to make it 6-2.
Peyton Hutchens picked up her first win on the year after tossing one inning of shutout relief. Murphy McRoberts started in the circle, going three and two-thirds innings and striking out two.
Mollie Paulick picked up her second save of the year. She tossed two and one-third innings without allowing a hit and striking out two.
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In game two, Eastern wasted no time scoring five runs in the first inning and did not looking back.
Lizzmore started the game by hitting her sixth home run of the year to give EKU the early 1-0 lead.
Back-to-back singles by Robinson and Mihalicz put runners on first and second with two outs in the inning. EKU drew three straight walks to plate two runs and take a 3-0 lead.
Jackie Mercado came into pinch hit and reached on a fielding error to take a 5-0 lead after the first inning.
In the seventh inning a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for Miller. She delivered a bases clearing double in the left center gap to take an 11-4 lead in the top of the seventh.
Canisius tried to make a late rally after a two run home run in the bottom of the sixth to cut into the Colonel lead, 8-4.
Paulick (5-4) picked up the win in the circle for EKU. She tossed four and one-third innings and struck out six.
Tori Peterson made her first appearance in the circle. She tossed two and two-third innings allowing one earned run and striking out one.
Eastern out hit Canisus 12-6 on the contest.
The Colonels wrap up their weekend trip tomorrow when they take on Canisus College at 10:00 a.m.
UT MARTIN 9, AKRON 2; UT MARTIN 5, GREEN BAY 3
MARTIN, Tenn. - For the second day in a row, the University of Tennessee at Martin softball team benefited largely from five home runs pair together with tenacious base running and timely pitching to notch a sweep of Day Two of the Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic, defeating Akron 9-2 and Green Bay 5-3.
Game 25: UT Martin 9, Akron 2
UT Martin did not have to wait long to see if its bats stayed hot from the day before as sophomore Paige Clark launched the first home run of her career on the first pitch see saw. While the team was still on a high from the first solo shot, senior Alli Fulcher hit a solo blast of her own to record her fourth homer of the season.
Akron began to fight back in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game. The Zips led off the inning by reaching via a hit by pitch and was followed by a bunt single. With runners on second and third, Akron would single on the ensuing play but an error led to two unearned runs scoring to tie the contest.
With the game tied once again, the Skyhawks looked to quickly answer in the bottom of the fourth as Haylee Short stroked a solo blast on the first pitch of the frame off the defender’s glove and over the fence to give the Skyhawks the lead. The Skyhawks added to their lead later in the inning on a RBI double by Chelsey Gore to score Kallie Pickens before scampering home herself on a RBI groundout by Clark.
UT Martin took a three-run lead into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Skyhawks began the sixth with four straight singles resulting in two runs via a two-run single by Gabbi Campbell in the left center gap. Two more runs would come home in the inning on a double-steal by Fulcher and Campbell before a sacrifice bunt RBI by Aalia Bivens brought the game to its final score of 9-2.
Sophomore Caitlin Karo (4-2) pitched a strong contest to earn the victory. Karo recorded her second complete game of the season while allowing zero earned runs in seven innings of work.
Game 26: UT Martin 5, Green Bay 3
Keeping in the theme of home runs, Green Bay relied on the long ball early to put the visitors on the board in the top of the first inning. After a leadoff single to start the game, a two-run home run by Kalyssa Koehn gave the Phoenix an early advantage.
The Skyhawks began to chip away at the margin in the bottom half of the inning as Fulcher snuck a solo home run right inside the left field foul pole for her team-leading fifth home run of the season and second of the day.
UT Martin then tied the game up in the bottom of the fourth inning on a solo shot by Gracyn McBride down the left field line. The home run marked McBride’s second of the tournament and third of the season.
With the game knotted up again, the Skyhawk looked to jump out in front in the fifth. A pair of singles sandwiched a sacrifice bunt to put runners on the corners with one out. Needing a run, the squad successfully converted a double-steal attempt for the second time by Clark and Pickens. After Clark’s second steal of the inning to move over to third, she came home to score on a bunt single by Chayse Skinner to give the Skyhawks a 4-2 lead.
The Skyhawks officially put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Georgia Land to score Madelyn Dycus and make the score 5-3.
Freshman Erin Gallagher (3-1) picked up the victory after tallying her third complete game of the season. Gallagher would strike out 10 batters as opposed to one walk and three earned runs in seven innings of work.
UT Martin will go for a sweep of the Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic against Akron on Sunday, March 17. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 9, JACKSONVILLE 4; JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, JACKSONVILLE 1
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - On a day where Faith Sims tied the school-record with 16 strikeouts in a game, Jacksonville State swept a doubleheader from Jacksonville on Saturday with a pair of convincing wins at University Field.
The Gamecocks (15-6) hit over .350 as a team and held the Dolphins (12-15) under .200 to pull off a 9-4 win in the opener and a 7-1 win in the second game. JSU will go for the sweep of the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Sims struck out all but five outs she recorded in the opening game and fanned all but one batter in the Jacksonville lineup at least once. She had multiple strikeouts in every inning to improve to 9-1 on the season and tie Carly Kellam (2005) and Ann Shelton (1996) for the most strikeouts in a single game by a Gamecock.
She got plenty of run support from her offense, led by a five-run third inning that featured senior Amber Jones' first career grand slam. JSU scored one in the first and three in the sixth on Alexus Jimmerson's second homer of the season to put the nine runs on the board.
Hannahstaysia Weaver tripled to lead off the first and then scored on a Sidney Wagnon grounder, giving the Gamecocks a lead they would never relinquish.
The lead was more than Sims would need. She held the Dolphins to four runs, three earned, on six hits in her ninth complete game in 11 starts this season.
JU starter Haley Holloway (2-4) suffered the loss after allowing nine runs on 10 hits in six innings of work.
Jimmerson and senior Lex Hull each had two hits to lead the JSU offensive attack.
In the nightcap, the Gamecocks scored two first-inning runs to grab the lead for good. The freshman duo of Savannah Sudduth and Karsen Mosley got things going.
Sudduth singled to start, stole second and then scored on Mosley's single up the middle. Mosley stole second, moved to third and scored on a wild pitch that put a 2-0 lead on the board.
The Gamecocks didn't stop running, stealing seven bases that are the most in a game since at least 2005, from when detailed records are available. Mosley had four of those to go along with her 2-for-2 game that also saw her reach twice more with a walk and hit by pitch.
Nicole Rodriguez (4-3) earned the win after going the first four innings for JSU. She allowed a run on four hits but walked seven before making way for Kirsten Titus. The senior from Evans, Ga., was perfect over the final three innings, facing the minimum and not allowing a hit in earning her first save.
Freshman Anna Hood capped the scoring for JSU by belting her first career home run in the sixth inning. The native of Locust Fork, Ala., lifted a pinch-hit moon shot well over the wall in left center to put the final two runs on the board.
Alyssa Biladeau (6-6) suffered the loss for the Dolphins, tossing all six innings and allowing seven runs on 10 hits and a pair of walks. She struck out 10 batters.
NORTH ALABAMA 3, MURRAY STATE 2
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - With a single game scheduled on day two of the Tiger Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, the Racers came up short in an extra-innings thriller against North Alabama.
Sierra Gilmore sparked the Racer offense in the first inning with a two-out double to left center, putting a runner in scoring position for Murray State in the opening frame. Lillie Goetz, the next batter in the Racer lineup, would capitalize on the scoring opportunity with an RBI double of her own to drive in the first run of the ballgame.
The Lions of North Alabama responded in the home half of the first, generating a run of their own when Veronica Westfall drove in Meleah Hargett, who reached base on an error to begin the inning.
With the score tied at one run apiece after the first inning of action, the score would be tied until the Racer half of the third, when they would reclaim the lead after Brenna Finck would go yard for her first home run of the 2019 season. After the round-tripper with one out in the inning, the next two Racer batters would be retired in order, with the Racers clinging to a 2-1 lead through their half of the third.
With Hannah James making her second start of the tournament in the circle for the Racers, she would not surrender another run until the home half of the fourth, when Harley Stokes sent a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left center, knotting the game at 2-2.
After a scoreless fifth from both sides, UNA would have an opportunity to plate the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth, as Chloe Kirkland stepped in with the bases loaded for the Lions. Kirkland would hack at the first pitch she saw, sending it into the air in right field, but Logan Braundmeier would be there for the Racers to record the third out, keeping score the tied at 2-2 through six complete.
Following a 1-2-3 inning from both sides in the seventh, the game would require extra innings to determine a winner in the first game of day two at the Tiger Classic.
With the international tiebreaker procedure in place, teams would begin with a runner on second base as they attempted to break the tie in extra innings. Both teams would be set down in order during their opportunities in the eighth, keeping the 2-2 score line intact to begin the second inning of bonus softball.
In the Racer half of the ninth, Murray State would fail to move the runner as three consecutive batters were retired, giving the Lions a chance to win the game with a single score in the bottom half of the inning.
After a quick pair of outs to kick-off the home half, UNA would push across the winning run in walk-off fashion when ¬a first-pitch offering left the park from the bat of Chloe Kirkland. The solo shot would secure a 3-2 victory for the Lions, who handed Murray State their second loss of the tournament.
Brenna Finck led the Racers at the dish, turning in a 2-4 performance that featured her first home run of 2019. Lillie Goetz (2-3, RBI) also recorded a multi-hit game for Murray State, raising her season average to .344 in the extra-inning affair.
Hannah James handled the workload for the Racers in the circle, surrendering just two earned runs through 8.2 innings of action on the day. She fanned four UNA batters without issuing a single walk in the competition.
The Racers return to the field tomorrow for a pair of games to conclude the weekend at the Tiger Classic in Memphis, Tennessee. They play two in a row, taking on Maine at 11:15 a.m. followed by a rematch with Memphis at 1:30.
TENNESSEE TECH 2, EAST TENNESSEE STATE 0; EAST TENNESSEE STATE 1, TENNESSEE TECH 0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - A first-inning home run was all the Tennessee Tech softball team needed for a victory in the first game, but the Golden Eagles were held to just three hits in the second game as Tech split its doubleheader with East Tennessee State on Saturday.
The Golden Eagles (10-9) won the first game 2-0, then fell 1-0 in the second contest.
In game one, Sydney Love-Baker hit a solo home run in the first inning, then Tech added a second run in the fourth inning as Chandler Caldwell scored on Alexis Trimiar’s single to right.
ETSU (13-10-2) forced Tech started Alyssa Arden into a couple of jams, but the freshman hurler worked out of them. In the second, Arden walked the first two batters, then struck out three in a row to get out of the inning. Arden went all seven innings to improve to 6-3 as she allowed three hits and four walks while striking out nine.
In the second game, Tech’s offense was all Beth McCulley as she collected all three of the Golden Eagles’ hits in the game.
ETSU scored the lone run of the game as Nikki Grupp doubled to left, driving in Lauren Lee.
The Golden Eagles, however, could not find an answer for Kelly Schmidt. The ETSU pitcher worked all seven, allowing three hits and walking none as she struck out two.
Haeli Bryson (2-4) was saddled with the loss, allowing one run on nine hits, walking two and striking out four. Tech’s defense stranded 10 Buccaneer base runners in the contest.
Tech returns to action on Tuesday as it travels to Birmingham for a two-game set, starting at 3 p.m.
UIC 1, BELMONT 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Despite a tough showing, anchored with strong pitching by sophomore Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.), Belmont Softball was narrowly held off on day two of the Belmont Invitational. The Bruins (13-8) were edged by Illinois Chicago (7-13), 1-0, on Saturday afternoon.
In the top of the opening frame, a bunt and a sacrifice fly would be enough for the Flames to get a run over the plate and take an early 1-0 lead. Stunningly, despite advancing runners into scoring position numerous times over the waning innings, BU was unable to get a runner home.
The Bruins' best opportunity to score came in the latter half of the third inning. Senior Cameryn Strother (Chesapeake, Va.) reached first on four balls and advanced to second base behind a well-placed bunt by classmate Taylor Hargrove (Greenbrier, Tenn.). The speedy pair notched a double steal to get into scoring position but the remainder of the Belmont batters were unable to send them home. UIC was able to hold on for the 1-0 victory down the stretch.
For the day, four Bruins logged hits - sophomore Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas), freshman Audrey Lyle (Westlake, Ohio), junior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) and Hargrove.
Veltri shined inside the circle, fanning 10 batters as she tossed the entire seven innings.
BU returns to action on Sunday for the final day of the Belmont Invitational. The Bruins host Illinois Chicago at 9 a.m. before taking on Purdue Fort Wayne in the game of the tournament at 1:30 p.m.
MOREHEAD STATE 6, ST. BONAVENTURE 5; BOWLING GREEN 10, MOREHEAD STATE 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State softball earned its first victory of 2019 as they split a pair of games with Bowling Green and St. Bonaventure on Saturday at University Field in the Morehead State Classic.
The Eagles now hold a 1-14 overall mark after coming from behind to knock off the Bonnie 6-5 before falling to the Falcons 10-4 in the day's final game.
MOREHEAD STATE 6, ST. BONAVENTURE 5
Trailing 5-1 and facing two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Morehead State head coach Samantha Jones called on Freshman Alexis Strother to pinch hit. Strother delivered in her pinch-hitting role with a solo home run that sparked a five-run inning for the Eagles as they came from behind to win their first game in the MSU Classic.
The big inning continued after Strother first-career homer with a single by freshman Peyton Rose. Another pinch hitter followed Slater in junior Helyna Bissell – Bissell followed suit of Strother as she clobbered a two-run shot as the pinch hitter.
Junior Lindsay Anderson knocked home first-career RBI on her first-career double to tie the game at 5-5 before she was able to race around and score via a Bonnie error.
Junior right-handed pitcher Randi Hamilton slammed the door shut on St. Bonaventure in the seventh to secure the win for her squad. Hamilton was awarded the victory after tossing one and two-third innings.
Morehead State's first run was plated on an sacrifice-fly by freshman Peyton Slater that scored Cassie Griffin.
St. Bonaventure fell to 2-10 with the loss.
BOWLING GREEN 10, MORHEAD STATE 4
After Morehead State tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth, the Bowling Green Falcons pulled away with runs in each of their final three trips to the plate to earn the 10-4 win.
An RBI single by Madi McCoy and a two-run homer in the first off of the bat of Kellie Natham gave the Falcons a 3-0 lead after one inning. Morehead State bounced back quick as senior Aubrey Bennett legged out an RBI triple that scored freshman Elizabeth Lindsay. Freshman Peyton Rose was able to drive home Bennett two at-bats later.
Morehead State tied things up in the fourth after Rose doubled to the right-center field fence and later came around to score after a Falcons' error.
Bowling Green then found its rhythm at the plate as they racked up seven hits and scored seven runs to put the Eagles away.
Lindsay doubled home Slater in the seventh to cut the lead to six runs but it proved to be too much to overcome as the Falcons won their fourth straight game, improving to 8-11 overall.
Morehead State right-handed junior Sarah King (0-3) suffered to defeated after giving up the game's first three runs.
Morehead State takes on the Falcon and Bonnies again Sunday in the final day of the Morehead State Classic. The Eagles will take the field at 12:30 p.m. against St. Bonaventure before ending their weekend tournament with Bowling Green at 3:00 p.m. ET.
AUSTIN PEAY 6, DAYTON 0; MIAMI (OHIO) 6, AUSITN PEAY 2
OXFORD, Ohio - Austin Peay State University split a pair of games, Saturday at the Miami Invitational, shutting out Dayton in the opener, 6-0, before falling to host Miami, 6-2, in the nightcap.
In Game 1 versus Dayton, Morgan Rackel pitched a five-hit shutout for APSU (14-13), striking out seven and walking one.
The Govs took the lead in the top of the second inning on an RBI double by Drew Dudley, followed an inning later by a Danielle Liermann home run to make it 2-0.
The score would remain that way until the top of the fifth when the Govs blew the game open by scoring four runs, highlighted by a two-run homer by Brooke Pfefferle.
In Game 2 versus Miami, the Govs got off to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI ground out by Kelsey Gross, followed by an RBI single from Rackel.
But that would be all the runs the Govs would score in the contest, as the RedHawks scored six runs over their last three at bats to come away with the 6-2 win.
The Govs conclude their play in the Miami Invitational, 11 a.m., Sunday with a contest versus Michigan State.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 14, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 4; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 9, OMAHA 4
ST. LOUIS - Southeast Missouri (20-7) won two games at the Saint Louis Billiken Spring Tournament beating Northern Illinois, 14-4, and Omaha, 9-2, Saturday.
SEMO hit a season-high six home runs to fuel its win over Mid-American Conference member NIU.
Sarah Messex went 3-for-4 with two home runs, four runs scored and three RBI to lead the way.
The Redhawks took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Messex's two-run shot to right center.
SEMO scored in four more innings after that.
Ahead, 3-2, after two innings, the Redhawks plated four runs in the third and never looked back.
Messex began the inning with a single and advanced to second on a passed ball. Rachel Anderson followed with a base hit and Messex scored. Addison Barnouski and Claudia Gallo each delivered RBI-hits and Mackenzie Long scored on a wild pitch to expand SEMO's lead to 7-2.
The Redhawks continued to pour it on the fourth inning, this time adding five more runs.
Barnouski hit a two-run home run and Anderson slugged a three-run bomb to push SEMO's lead to 12-2.
The Redhawks buried the Huskies for good with back-to-back home runs in the top of the fifth inning. Messex hit her second round-tripper of the game to center after Mykaela Arellanes homered to right.
Rachel Rook (6-2) picked up her sixth win of the season. Rook worked 3.1 innings allowing three runs on three hits.
Haley Thogmartin struck out two and gave up one run on four hits in the final 1.2 innings.
SEMO matched a season-high 14 hits with six players adding two or more. Arellanes and Messex combined for six hits, seven runs and four RBI at the top of the order. Anderson,
Ashley Ellis, Barnouski and Claudia Gallo each had two hits. Gallo also homered for the Redhawks.
The Redhawks finished with six home runs in a game for the second time under head coach Mark Redburn. The last time SEMO reached that mark was vs. Eastern Illinois on Apr. 25, 2015.
SEMO scored in the first inning for the 10thtime this season and improved to 9-1 in such games.
The Redhawks scored five runs in the fourth inning to key their victory over Omaha in the nightcap.
Chelsy Pena doubled to give SEMO runners at first and third in the top of the fourth. Kaylee Anderson scored on a wild pitch and Arellanes followed with a single to score Pena. Messex tripled and Arellanes scored. R. Anderson then hit a two-run home run to give SEMO a 9-1 lead.
Omaha hit two home runs to cut SEMO's lead to 9-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Thogmartin (8-3) claimed her team-high eighth win of the season. Thogmartin came out of the bullpen to strike out two and throw 2.1 scroreless innings.
SEMO turned in 13 hits with R. Anderson going 3-for-3 with two runs scored, a home run and three RBI. Arellanes, Messex and K. Anderson followed with two hits each.
SEMO ran its winning streak to eight games, its longest under head coach Mark Redburn.
The Redhawks conclude play at the Saint Louis Billiken Spring Tournament against Detroit-Mercy and Omaha Sunday.