SATURDAY'S SCORES
UT Martin 8, Mississippi Valley State 0 (5)
@Memphis 5,
UT Martin 2
Eastern Kentucky 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 1
Eastern Illinois 4, Western Illinois 3
Southeast Missouri 11, Coppin State 5
Missouri State 7,
Southeast Missouri 4
Dayton 3,
@Belmont 2
@Belmont 9, Alabama A&M 1
Coastal Carolina 6,
Austin Peay 2
Austin Peay 9, Jacksonville 2
Murray State 13, Saint Louis 12
Kentucky 14,
Murray State 4
Tennessee Tech 2, Western Illinois 0
Tennessee Tech 2, Alabama State 1
@Lipscomb 4,
Eastern Illinois 2
Eastern Illinois 2, Appalachian State 1
@Tennessee State 4, East Tennessee State 3
COASTAL CAROLINA 6, AUSTIN PEAY 2; AUSTIN PEAY 9, JACKSONVILLE 2
CONWAY, S.C. - Austin Peay State University spilt a pair of games, Saturday at St. John Stadium, in the second day of the Chanticleer Showdown, dropping a 6-2 final to the host to open the day but rebounding for a 9-2 win versus Jacksonville in the nightcap.
The Govs (11-8) would get two home runs each from Kacy Acree and Morgan Rackel in the Jacksonville win, with Rackel riving in four and Acree three.
Kelly Mardones (3-3) would pick up her first complete-game victory of the season, giving up to runs on five hits, while striking out four.
In the opener versus Coastal Carolina, the Govs get on the board first in the top of the third inning on a two-run homer by Danielle Liermann, but that would be the only runs they would score in the game.
Coastal Carolina would score a run in the bottom of the inning then take the lead for good with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Morgan Rackel (7-4) would take the loss despite striking out 10.
The Govs will conclude play in the Chanticleer Showdown Sunday with a 8:15 a.m. contest versus Radford.
TENNESSEE STATE 4, EAST TENNESSEE STATE 3
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee State rallied for two runs late on Saturday night at Tiger Field to win a nail biter against East Tennessee State. TSU improved to 2-6 on the season as they pulled out the 4-3 victory.
The Tigers started fast once again, with two runs in the first inning. Sarah Snell led off with a bunt single and advanced into scoring position on a throwing. Bri Vire took advantage of the ETSU miscue by bringing Snell home with a single up the middle.
Vire moved to third on a double to right center by Katie Schneider and scored on a sacrifice fly by Beckey Melton. The lead would hold up until ETSU evened the score with runs in the third and fourth innings.
The Big Blue went hitless until the fifth inning when Vire delivered a two-out single to right field. After the Tigers were unable to drive home the sophomore outfielder, ETSU responded with a run in the top of the sixth for a 3-2 lead.
TSU charged back in the bottom half of the inning with back-to-back singles by Melton and Reese Weber. With Maddison Clark and Ariel Johnson into to pinch run at second and first, respectively, Savanah Wallace drove a ball through the middle of the infield to plate Clark.
Three batters later with the score tied 3-3, pinch hitter Erica O’Kane reached on an error by the ETSU shortstop. The ball shot off the defender towards the line in short left field, allowing Wallace to race home from second to put the Tigers in front for good.
Raven Loveless entered the circle in the top of the seventh to close out the Bucs. The freshman pitcher recorded two quick outs before surrendering a walk. Loveless enticed a ground ball from the final batter and tossed it over to Schneider for the final out of the contest.
Loveless registered her first career save and secured the win for Megan Huppee who pitched the sixth inning. Huppee gave a two hits and an unearned run in her time in the circle as she improved to 1-1.
Schneider tossed the first five innings for TSU and was touched for two runs, one earned, as she scattered seven hits and three walks.
LIPSCOMB 4, EASTERN ILLINOIS 2; EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, APPALACHIAN STATE 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Eastern Illinois softball split the final day at the Purple & Gold Challenge. EIU fell 4-2 to Lipscomb and snapped an 11 game losing streak to Appalachian State 2-1 to close the tournament.
EIU improves to 4-14 on the season. They will be back in action next weekend starting Saturday March 9 at the USF Series in Clearwater, Fla.
Game 1
Megan Burton led the Panthers at the plate vs. Lipscomb in game 1. She was 3-of-3 including one double. She added one run and one RBI in the 4-2 loss.
Both EIU's runs came in the first inning. Burton doubled to start the action leading to a Mady Poulter run. Mia Davis hit a sac fly later in the inning to score Burton for the Panthers second run of the inning.
Lipscomb would tie the game with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. They would win with a two-run double in the bottom of seventh.
McKenna Coffman and Taylor Jones each recorded a hit for the Panthers. Jade Montgomery falls to 0-8 on the mound.
Game 2
The Panthers broke a 12 game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Appalachian State Saturday night.
App State scored the first run of the game in the second inning. Mia Davis tallied the game winning RBI in the top of the fourth inning. She hit a two-run homer to score her and Breya Cooper. Cooper finished 3-of-4 at the plate. App State had the game winning run on base in the bottom of the seventh but could not convert leading to a Panther win.
Montgomery made the start on the mound and retired a career-high six batters. She improves to 1-8 on the mound.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 11, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 1; EASTERN KENTUCKY 4, WESTERN ILLINOIS 3
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Eastern Kentucky University softball team won a pair of contests on day two of the Alabama State University Invitational.
EKU knocked off Purdue Fort Wayne 11-1 in game one. In game two Eastern walked it off in the bottom of the 10th to beat Western Illinois, 4-3.
In game two seven innings was not enough to finish this one.
Due to international tiebreaker rules, once teams get to extra innings they start with a runner on second base.
In the top of the eighth Mollie Paulick kept the Leathernecks off the scoreboard.
With one out and a runner on third, Sammi Miller sent a fly ball to right field but the winning run was thrown out at the plate trying to score.
In the ninth inning the two teams each scored a run. Halle Hollatz doubled to left field to give WIU a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth. Carly Robinson delivered as she sent a line drive over the third basemen's head to tie the game at 3-3 going to the 10th inning.
With one out in the top of the 10th, WIU sent a fly ball down the left field line to Melissa Jacobson. She ran it down and threw out the go ahead run at the plate for out number three.
Destinee Lizzmore bunted the runner over to third to start the bottom of the 10th, to put the winning run at third with one out. Hannah Clark delivered the game winning hit through the left side to win 4-3.
The Colonels struck first. Jackie Mercado reached on an error and advanced to second on the throw. Carly Robinson singled to put runners at the corners with one out. Emily Corbitt roped a double into the left center gap to give EKU the early 2-0 lead.
WIU answered back in the fifth after a two RBI single by Sydney Bottino tied the game at 2-2 after five innings.
Paulick picked up her third win of the year and second on the day to improve her record to 3-3 on the year. She tossed six innings while striking out six on the night.
Robinson went 2-for-4 with a RBI. Corbitt was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
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In game one, it was all Eastern from the start. EKU drew five walks in the first on its way to four runs and never looked back.
The Mastodons got one back in the third inning, but that was all they could push across.
Eastern added two more in fourth and five more in the fifth to take an 11-1 lead and put the run rule into effect.
Paulick threw three innings and struck out six in the win. Lizzmore went 3-for-4 with a RBI. Clark was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk.
Eastern posted 10 hits on the contest.
Eastern returns to the field tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. when they play Purdue Fort Wayne in its finale of the ASU Invitational.
UT MARTIN 8, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE 0; MEMPHIS 5, UT MARTIN 2
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of at Martin softball team split Day Two of the Blues City Classic by run-ruling Mississippi Valley State by a score of 8-0 before falling to tournament host Memphis 5-2 in the second game of the day.
UT Martin 8, Mississippi Valley State 0 (Five innings)
UT Martin wasted little time getting on the board in the first game of the day. On just the second pitch the Skyhawks saw, sophomore Paige Clark stroked a triple into right field before an infield single by Hayley Short scored the run from third to take an early advantage.
The Skyhawks then blew the game open in the second inning as a leadoff walk to Chelsey Gore started off the frame. Madelyn Dycus would pinch hit for Gore and immediately swipe second before coming home to score on a single up the middle by Kenna Garst. That would be followed by a RBI single by Gabbi Campbell before she later came home to score on Clark’s second triple of the contest to make it a four-run contest. The Skyhawks would add three more runs in the inning off a double by Alli Fulcher and single by Aalia Bivens to push the margin out to 7-0.
UT Martin capped off the victory in the fifth inning with a RBI single by Gore to make the score 8-0 and enact the mercy rule.
Hannah Ridolfi (4-2) was impressive in the contest, striking out five while allowing one walk in five shutout innings.
Memphis 5, UT Martin 2
In the squad’s second game of the day, neither team found their way onto the scoreboard until the bottom of the third inning when Memphis scored a pair of runs. The Tigers led off the inning with a double down the right field line before Baylee Smith launched a two-run home run to take the lead.
UT Martin would cut the margin in half in the top of the fourth inning when Garst scored pinch runner Dycus from second with a single through the right side.
Memphis answered with three more runs in the bottom half of the inning to push the margin out to four runs. A double by Delaney Smith scored the first run of the inning before a two-run single by Gracie Morton cleared the bases and made it a 5-1 contest.
The Skyhawks scored their final run in the top of the fifth inning as Georgia Land and Campbell tallied singles to put runners on second and third. With a prime scoring opportunity at hand, Short singled through the right side to score Olivia Lowry and bring the score to 5-2.
Lexi Ray (3-3) was credited with the loss after allowing three earned runs in three innings of work. Fellow freshman Erin Gallagher appeared in relief, allowing two earned runs in three innings.
DAYTON 3, BELMONT 2; BELMONT 9, ALABAMA A&M 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont Softball split action on the chilly second day of the Bruin Classic Saturday. The Bruins (9-5) were edged late by Dayton (7-5) before picking up another run-rule decision over Alabama A&M (9-7), 9-1, in five innings.
In the matchup with the Flyers, BU jumped on the board first, posting a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. A single by senior Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) and a base on balls for Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas) opened the door for senior Hayley Baker (Rockwall, Texas) to notch her first RBI single of the contest. Junior Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) reached first on four balls to load the bases and just as quickly a wild pitch helped Cavanaugh sneak over the plate. Belmont carried its 2-0 advantage until the fourth frame when Dayton fired back. The Flyers exploded for three runs to take a narrow one run lead. Despite strong surges over the remaining innings, the Bruins were unable to plate a win to overtake Dayton and fell by the same score.
BU, determined to hand Head Coach Brian Levin a win on his birthday, had a complete reversal of fortune against Alabama A&M. The Bulldogs recorded a run in the of the first frame but the Bruins rang up three runs in their half of the same inning, courtesy of a three-run homer by sophomore Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.). Belmont only took a scoring break in the bottom of the third, adding in a single run, before increasing its score to 6-1 after four complete innings of play, highlighted by another three-run bomb from Veltri. Belmont sent two more runners over the plate in the bottom of the fifth to halt play and take the contest, 9-1.
For the day, the Bruins had three players hit over .600 led by Cameryn Strother (Chesapeake, Va.), who went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs. Baker and Veltri both batted .600. Veltri ruled the day with a pair of homeruns, collecting six RBI.
Inside the circle, three Bruins saw action. Junior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) went the distance against Dayton, fanning a pair of batters. The nightcap saw Veltri and junior Brittany Kennett (Melbourne, Australia) split time, combining for three strikeouts in the win over the Bulldogs.
Belmont returns to action on Sunday for the final contest of the 2019 Bruin Classic. BU will take on Dayton at 11:15 a.m.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 11, COPPIN STATE 5; MISSOURI STATE 7, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4
CONWAY, Ark.– Southeast Missouri (12-7) ended the Adam Brown Memorial Classic with a split Saturday. The Redhawks beat Coppin State, 11-7, and dropped a 7-4 decision to in-state rival Missouri State.
SEMO stormed out of the gate by scoring seven runs in the top of the first inning.
Three walks, an error, a wild pitch and three hits led to the Redhawks quick start. Sarah Messex singled to left field in the first at-bat of the game and went to third when Mykaela Arellanes reached on a throwing error. Arellanes stole second on the next play and Rachel Anderson, Ashley Ellis and Addison Barnouski all walked after that. Arellanes and Messex each scored and the Anderson touched home on a wild pitch. Chelsy Pena drove in both Barnouski and Ellis on a double to left center and then scored on a triple by Madison Harris. Brooke Rheinecker grounded out and Harris scored to grab SEMO a 7-0 lead.
SEMO added to its lead in the second when Barnouski singled and both Ellis and Danina Marton scored to make it 9-0.
After CSU scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the second, the Redhawks answered with another tally when Leaha Wininger reached on an error allowing Madison Harris.
The Eagles were one out away from being run-ruled, but managed to extend play with a three-run fifth inning. SEMO, however, responded again with one final run courtesy of a RBI-single by Ellis in the top of the sixth.
SEMO outhit CSU, 10-8, with Pena and Harris leading the way with two hits apiece. Ellis, Barnouski and Pena finished with two RBI, while Harris and Ellis scored twice each. A total of nine different Redhawks scored.
Kaylee Anderson (1-0) was credited with the win in her first career start. Anderson struck out two and allowed two runs on five hits in three innings.
Brissa Alvarado (0-2) took the loss. She allowed six walks, struck out three and was roughed up for 11 runs on 10 hits.
MSU began the bottom of the first inning with three-straight hits, including a two-run home run by Steffany Dickerson that put the Bears ahead, 3-0.
SEMO pulled to within a run on two occasions before MSU scored three runs on five hits and an error in the fifth inning to pull away.
MSU outhit the Redhawks, 13-9.
Arellanes, Ellis and Barnouski led SEMO with two hits apiece.
SEMO returns to action at the Jayhawk Classic on Mar. 8-10.