SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Belmont 5, UIC 0
@Belmont 8, Purdue Fort Wayne 0
Eastern Kentucky 11, Canisius 9
Maine 6,
Murray State 5
@Memphis 9,
Murray State 5
Austin Peay 5, Michigan State 2
@Morehead State 10, St. Bonaventure 7 (8)
Bowling Green 9,
@Morehead State 2
@UT Martin 5, Akron 2
@Jacksonville State 7, Jacksonville 5
Southeast Missouri 9, Detroit 0 (6)
Southeast Missouri 3, Omaha 1
EASTERN KENTUCKY 11, CANISIUS 9
WILMINGTON, N.C. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team came from behind to knock off Canisius College, 11-9, on the final day of the Lafayette Ford Lincoln of Fayetteville Seahawk Softball Invitational in Wilmington, North Carolina.
After falling behind 5-1, heading into the bottom of the third inning, EKU (13-9) scored six runs in the third and four runs in the fifth to take the lead for good.
In the bottom of the fifth, Gaby De la Cerda and Melissa Jacobsen drew back-to-back walks to start in the inning. Sammi Miller took the first pitch she saw through the right side to bring home the first run of the inning. Miller was not done there. She stole second and forced a bad throw to bring home Jacobsen from third.
Hannah Clark ripped a 2-0 pitch into the right center gap for a RBI double to bring home Miller. Carly Robinson followed up with a RBI single of her own to take an 11-8 lead.
Clark started the six run third inning with a solo shot over the center field fence. Singles by Robinson, Emily Corbitt and Erica Bowers brought home the second run of the inning. After a walk by Matti Morales loaded the bases for Eastern, Destinee Lizzmore singled to bring home a run. Miller cleared the bases with a double to center field.
Canisius got off the quick start after Brittany Sockwell sent a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence to take an early 3-0 lead. CC took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the third inning. The Golden Griffins scored three run in the top of the fourth to retake an 8-7 lead. But that was the last lead they had.
Miller was 3-for-4 with one double and four RBIs on the day. Clark went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run. Robinson chipped in a 2-for-4 performance.
Peyton Hutchins (2-0) picked up her second win on the year after tossing two innings of relief.
The Colonels return home to take on in-state rival Western Kentucky on Wednesday. First pitch is at 4 p.m.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, JACKSONVILLE 5
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Anna Chisolm homered twice and drove in four runs to lead the Jacksonville State softball team to a 7-5 win and the series sweep of Jacksonville on Sunday at University Field.
The Gamecocks (16-6) extended their win streak to five games behind Chisolm's explosive day at the plate, one that started with a three-run blast in the first inning that capped an 11-pitch at bat. The native of St. Louis, Mo., fouled off five-straight two-strike pitches before launching that 11thpitch well over the wall in center to put JSU up 3-1 early.
Chisolm scored the team's next run in the fourth, when she led off the inning with a walk, stole second and scored on Jada Terry's double into the right centerfield gap. After Taylor Beshears hit her team-leading ninth homer of the year in the fifth, Chisolm answered with her second long ball of the game to pull to within one of her team lead and give JSU a 7-2 lead.
The Dolphins (12-16) scored twice in the sixth and once in the seventh to cut the Gamecocks lead to two, but the JSU pitching staff held on to preserve the win.
Faith Sims started the game and tossed the first three innings, slowing just a run on one hit and a walk. She struck out six just a day after tying the school record for strikeouts in a game with 16 and wrapped up a week that saw her go 2-0 with 32 strikeouts in 17 and 1/3 innings.
Reagan Watkins (1-0) made her University Field debut in relief of Sims and earned her first career win. The native of Daphne, Ala., struck out two and allowed a run on a hit in two innings of work.
Freshman Lexi Androlevich didn't allow a hit or an earned run in her inning of work, but a pair of errors behind her let two unearned runs cross. Alexus Jimmerson tossed the final inning, allowing a run on two hits and striking out one to earn her first save.
The Gamecocks will now turn their attention to Ohio Valley Conference play, beginning on Friday with a doubleheader at Morehead State.
AUSTIN PEAY 5, MICHIGAN STATE 2
OXFORD, Ohio - Kelsey Gross hit a three-run, one-out, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning versus Michigan State, Sunday at Miami Softball Stadium, as the Governors closed out their stay at the Miami Invitational with a 5-2 win.
Kacy Acree opened the inning for the Govs (15-13) with a single but was erased on a fielder’s choice on a bunt attempt by Morgan Rackel.
Danielle Liermann would follow with a double down the third base line, moving Rackel to third and set up Gross’ heroics.
Gross would finish the game with two hits and four RBIs.
Michigan State (9-16) scored first, with a run in the top of the second inning, but APSU tied the game, 1-1, on an RBI single by Gross in the bottom of the third.
The Spartans took their final lead with a run in the top of the fifth, but the Govs answered with back-to-back doubles by Carly Mattson and Lexi Osowski in the bottom of the sixth.
UT MARTIN 5, AKRON 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team wrapped up a highly successful Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic with a 5-2 victory over Akron to sweep the tournament field and push the team’s winning streak to seven games.
The Skyhawks (17-10) posted a magnificent tournament, hitting .344 as a team with seven doubles, nine home runs and 21 RBIs while converting 19-of-23 stolen base attempts. Not only was the offense outstanding, the pitching staff posted a 2.20 ERA in 35 innings of work while going 5-0 most importantly.
With such a great start to the weekend, UT Martin focused on closing the deal in the finale against Akron. The Skyhawks pushed across their first runs in the bottom of the second as Haylee Short reached base via a walk before swiping second to move into scoring position. With a prime scoring opportunity at hand, the freshman pair of Chayse Skinner and Chelsey Gore each tallied RBI doubles to left field to put the home squad up 2-0.
Akron (6-11-2) cut the margin in half in the top of the third following a leadoff single by Macky Mitchiner before swiping second herself to put the Zips in scoring position. A nice sacrifice moved the runner over to third before another bunt single off the bat of Camryn Michallas made the score 2-1.
UT Martin put the game out of reach in the bottom of the third with three hits. After a pair of outs to start the inning, senior Gracyn McBride launched her third home run of the tournament and fourth of the season to push the lead out to two. Then a double by Georgia Land and a single by Short put a pair of runners on base before an error off the bat of Skinner scored a pair of runs to stretch the lead to four.
Akron would tally one run in the top of the fifth but that would be as close as the visitors could bring the score down the stretch.
Freshman Lexi Ray (6-4) earned the victory after allowing two runs in four innings of work. Junior Hannah Ridolfi appeared in relief, allowing just one hit in three innings of work to notch a save.
UT Martin will return to action with a doubleheader at Evansville on Wednesday, March 20.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8, DETROIT 0; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, OMAHA 1
ST. LOUIS– Southeast Missouri (22-7) won the Billiken Spring Tournament with a 9-0 victory over Detroit Mercy and a 3-1 win over Omaha Sunday.
SEMO won its second tournament of the season and extended its winning streak to 10 games. The Redhawks are on a 10-game winning streak for the first time since 2009.
The Redhawks are the quickest to 20 wins of any team in the Ohio Valley Conference this season. SEMO won 14 of its last 15 contests as well.
Addison Barnouski narrowly missed hitting for the cycle and Haley Thogmartin reached 200 career strikeouts in SEMO's win over Detroit Mercy.
The Redhawks took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Kaylee Anderson's sacrifice fly scored both Claudia Gallo and Rachael Donald.
Rachel Anderson hit her team and OVC high seventh triple with one out in the third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ashley Ellis. Barnouski followed with a home run to right center, her fifth round-tripper of 2019.
Ellis singled home a run and Barnouski knocked in Ellis on a double to left center with one out in the fifth. Donald then brought home Barnouski on an infield single to push SEMO's lead to 7-0.
Detroit Mercy's defense fell apart in the sixth inning committing three errors that led to two unearned runs for the Redhawks.
Alexis Estes (6-1) tossed five scoreless innings and allowed just three hits, while striking out three. Thogmartin struck out two in one inning and officially recorded the 200th strikeout of her career when she fanned Jen Lorenz in the bottom of the sixth.
Barnouski fell just a triple shy of the cycle. She went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, home run and two RBI. R. Anderson followed with two hits for her team-high 15th multiple-hit game in 29 starts.
SEMO outhit the Titans, 10-3, and did not commit an error. The Redhawks improved to 19-0 in games they outhit their opponent.
The Redhawks scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to key their come-from-behind win over Omaha.
SEMO fell behind, 1-0, in the top of the third when Emma Dargy hit a home run to left center with two outs.
Mykaela Arellanes tied the game with a solo home run to right center in the fourth. Two errors by the Mavericks allowed Barnouski and Peyton Pierce to score as SEMO pulled ahead, 3-1.
Omaha had a runner on third with one out in the seventh inning when SEMO turned a double play to end the game. Alyssa DiFiore flied out to right field and Arellanes threw out Natalie Mostek at the plate to polish off the Redhawks 22ndwin.
Thogmartin (9-3) gave up just one run and struck out four in five innings to get the win. Rachel Rook struck out two in two scoreless innings to nail down her second save.
SEMO had only two hits, Arellanes' home run and a single by Barnouski.
The Redhawks host longstanding rival Southern Illinois Wednesday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., CT, at the Southeast Softball Complex.
BELMONT 5, UIC 0; BELMONT 8, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The bats were a-blazing on Sunday as Belmont Softball picked up a pair of shutout victories to close its home tournament. The Bruins (15-8) defeated Illinois Chicago (7-14), 5-0, before wrapping the Belmont Invitational with an 8-0 win in five innings over Purdue Fort Wayne (5-16).
Game one was all Belmont from the opening pitch. The Bruins were the visitors in the contest and posted four runs in the top of the third and never looked back. BU posted an additional run in the top of the sixth inning as it went on to take the contest, 5-0.
It was almost deja-vu in the final game of the tournament against Purdue Fort Wayne. The Bruins notched their first run in the bottom of the first frame and cruised to the five inning victory. BU exploded for three runs in two different innings but the most dramatic turn came in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) singled to left and hustled to second base after a throwing error by the Mastodons. Junior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) singled to put them both in scoring position before senior Sami Long (Springfield, Ill.), in to pinch hit, helped the first run over the plate. The call at home base, on appeal, was reversed their decision about Sims being tagged as she crossed the plate, increasing the score to 6-0. Senior Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) came through with a long single up the middle to score two more runs to end the game with the 8-0 decision in Belmont's favor.
For the day, senior Hayley Baker (Rockwall, Texas) batted a blistering .714 with a run and four RBI.
Inside the circle, Bruin pitchers went the distance. Junior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) logged the game one victory, retiring five Flames. Sophomore Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) recorded three strikeouts in her win over the Mastodons.
Belmont returns to action on Wednesday at E.S. Rose Park. The Bruins host Maine for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.