SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Murray State 1, Belmont 0
@Murray State 3, Belmont 0
@Jacksonville State 7, Eastern Illinois 0
@Jacksonville State 7, Eastern Illinois 0
@UT Martin 10, Morehead State 1 (5)
@UT Martin 11, Morehaed State 2 (5)
@Austin Peay 9, Tennessee State 1
@Austin Peay 4, Tennessee State 1
@Tennessee Tech 7, SIUE 3
SIUE 10, @Tennessee Tech 3
UT MARTIN 10, MOREHEAD STATE 1; UT MARTIN 11, MOREHEAD STATE 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team scored early and often en route to a dominating series sweep of Ohio Valley Conference foe Morehead State on Sunday afternoon, picking up five inning victory by score of 10-1 and 11-2.
The Skyhawks (23-14, 5-3 OVC) posted a truly remarkable .512 batting average in the doubleheader while scoring 21 runs on the day. A total of seven different players tallied multi-hit performances on the day while 10 Skyhawks recorded back knocks.
Highlighting the day was the play of junior Aalia Bivens who was nearly unstoppable. Bivens went 4-for-5 on the afternoon with a double, two home runs and six RBIs while completing her day with a stolen base for good measure. Meanwhile, the outfield duo of Paige Clark and Haylee Short both tallied three base hits along with three combined RBIs and stolen bases.
In the circle, Hannah Ridolfi (6-5) picked up her 22nd career victory by allowing just one earned run over five innings of work. Freshman Erin Gallagher (6-1) posted a victory in Game 2 after striking out five and allowing two earned runs in five innings.
UT Martin10, Morehead State 1 (5 innings)
UT Martin wasted very little time jumping out to an early lead. A leadoff single by Clark jumpstarted the inning before swiping second to move into scoring position. From there Kenna Garst singled down the left field line to score Clark and give the Skyhawks an early lead. Not to be outdone by her freshman teammate, Georgia Land stroked her first home run of her career to deep left center for a pair of RBIs. The Skyhawks would tack on two more runs in the inning on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to take a 5-0 advantage after one inning.
The Skyhawks stayed aggressive in the second inning with another offensive push. With the bases loaded and one out, Gracyn McBride drew a seven-pitch walk to score a run. After that a fielder’s choice and double steal plated a pair before capping off the inning with a single up the middle by short to make it a 9-0 advantage.
Morehead State (2-23, 0-6 OVC) finally got on the board in the top of the third when Cheyenne Meyer turned on a 1-0 pitch and drove it clear over the left field scoreboard to break the shutout.
UT Martin would ultimately add on another run in the bottom of the third to cap off the game’s scoring on a RBI groundout by Clark.
UT Martin 11, Morehead State 2 (5 innings)
Much like in Game 1 of the day, UT Martin jumped out to a sizable lead in the first inning. A leadoff single by Clark combined with a stolen base put the Skyhawks in scoring position. From there Land would tally her third RBI of the day with a single up the middle. After a second runner was placed on base following a hit-by-pitch, Bivens turned on her first home run of the day to blast a three-run homer just inside the left field foul pole. The Skyhawks would add their fifth run of the frame with a RBI single by Kallie Pickens.
The Eagles looked to respond in the top of the second. A double by Cassie Griffin got the squad going before a two-run blast to center by Kalle Coleman cut the margin down to 5-2.
The Skyhawks responded however with five more runs in the bottom of the second. A pair of singles led off the inning before McBride tallied her second RBI of the day with an infield single. After the hit, Madelyn Dycus entered as a pinch run and immediately stole second before moving to third as Clark scored on a wild pitch. With a runner still 60 feet from home, Bivens turned on her second home run of the game and lined it off the left field scoreboard to make it a seven-run margin. UT Martin would not be done as the Alli Fulcher recorded a RBI single of her own to make it 10-2 after two.
With the needed runs for its second mercy rule of the game, UT Martin added one more run for insurance in the bottom of the fourth when pinch hitter Alexis Rogers dumped a single into center field to score Bivens and end the day’s offensive onslaught.
AUSTIN PEAY 9, TENNESSEE STATE 1; AUSTIN PEAY 4, TENNESSEE STATE 1
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Behind two strong pitching performances, Austin Peay swept Tennessee State in their Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader, Sunday at Cathi Maynard Park, coming away with 9-1 and 4-1 victories.
In Game 1, Austin Peay (20-14, 5-1 OVC) got a one-hit pitching effort from Morgan Rackel versus the Tigers, that being a first-inning home run by Sarah Snell, after that Rackel (13-5) retired 13 straight batters before a two-out walk in the fifth inning – the only other base runner TSU would have in the contest – while striking out nine.
The Govs offense would answer the quick 1-0 TSU lead with three straight innings of two runs or more, to go up 7-1, highlighted by a three-run homer by Danielle Liermann in the second inning.
The Govs would closeout the games scoring with its final two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning for the 9-1 final.
Game 2 would start the same way, with Snell hitting a first inning home run, but like the first game that would be all the scoring the Tigers (6-17, 1-6 OVC) would do, as APSU starter Kelsey Gross (3-1) would retire the next 14 batters she faced before giving up a double to Ariel Johnson to open the sixth inning.
Gross would finish the game giving up just the two hits, while striking out five.
Austin Peay would tie the game 1-1 on a home run by Carly Mattson to open the second inning, then take the lead for good with three runs in the third inning – including one coming on an RBI triple by Gross.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0; JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, EASTERN ILLINOIS 6
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Jacksonville State capped a perfect weekend at home on Sunday, when the Gamecocks swept Eastern Illinois in an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at University Field.
The Gamecocks (23-8, 7-1 OVC) rolled to a 7-0 win in game one behind another gem from Faith Sims and then saw her come in and pick up the save in a 7-6 win in the finale. She closed the door on Lexi Androlevich's first career win in the circle.
The JSU offense ended with stellar numbers against the Panthers (10-27, 1-7 OVC) in the twinbill, putting together a .320 average and scoring 14 runs. Of the Gamecocks' 16 hits, seven went for extra bases, including three home runs, three triples and a double.
JSU struggled from the plate in all but one inning in game one, but that inning was plenty. Panther starter Hannah Cravens took a no-hitter into the fourth and retired the first two batters of the inning before the Gamecocks erupted for seven two-out runs to blow the game open.
Sims (15-1) wouldn't need near that much support. The senior from Cordova, Ala., handcuffed the Panthers bats, shutting them out on two hits to grab her 15th win of the year and improve to 6-0 in league play. After not allowing an earned run in two relief innings in the second game on Sunday, she now holds a 0.40 earned run average in league play. She has allowed just two earned runs in 35 innings of work vs. conference foes and is holding OVC batters to a .118 average.
That fourth inning happened quickly for JSU after Cravens (0-3) kept the no-no intact by getting a pair of fly outs to start the frame. Alexus Jimmerson broke it up with a solo homer off the scoreboard in right center, and then after a hit batter and a walk, Jada Terry drove in a run to make it 2-0.
Hannahstaysia Weaver got an infield single to load the bases and keep her hot hitting in OVC play alive and then scored when Karsen Mosley's triple cleared the bases. Taylor Beshears capped the frame with a solo homer to left that put the seventh run on the board.
Weaver recorded hits in both games on Sunday, improving her team-high batting average in league play to .464. The sophomore from Pisgah, Ala., leads a team that has three players batting over .400 in OVC games and is batting .335 as a team against conference foes.
In the second game, JSU scored one in the second on an RBI triple off the center field wall by Amber Jones.
EIU answered with three in the third, but its two-run lead was brief. JSU scored three in the home half, the first on a wild pitch and the next two on bases loaded walks to Anna Chisolm and Jones.
The Panthers tied it in the fourth, but an RBI grounder from Mosley and a two-run homer from Beshears in the bottom of the fourth put a 7-4 JSU lead on the board. EIU got runs in the fifth and sixth, but couldn't scratch another one across in getting swept.
Androlevich (1-0) tossed five innings in the start and earned her first collegiate win. She allowed five runs on 12 hits, striking out two and not issuing a walk.
Sims entered in the sixth, when an unearned run crossed to snap a streak of 20 consecutive scoreless innings tossed by the JSU ace. She closed the door in the seventh to pick up her second save of the year and extend her streak of innings without allowing an earned run to 21 and 1/3 innings.
Beshears was 3-for-4 in the second game, capping a 4-for-8 day at the plate that featured two homers and five RBI.
Jade Montgomery (4-13) suffered the loss for EIU in the final game, surrendering seven runs on eight hits and three walks in 3 and 2.3 innings of work.
TENNESSEE TECH 7, SIUE 3; SIUE 10, TENNESSEE TECH 3
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - SIUE softball plated 10 runs in the nightcap Sunday to gain a doubleheader split in Ohio Valley Conference action at Tennessee Tech.
Corrina Rivas earned her fourth victory of the season by going the distance in a 10-3 win in game two. The Golden Eagles collected the win in game one 7-3.
SIUE is now 9-14 overall and 1-3 in the OVC. Tennessee Tech stands at 15-15 overall and 5-3 in the OVC.
Rivas struck out five and walked two in game two after tossing 1 1/3 innings of relief in game one. She benefitted from a pair of big innings in the nightcap.
After an RBI single by Alyssa Heren put the Cougars up 1-0 in the first inning, it wasn't until the fourth inning that the offense unleashed its first of two big innings.
Sammie Ofoia put the Cougars up 2-0 with an RBI double that scored pinch runner Janie Smith. After Bailley Concatto singled, Alana Cobb-Adams drove home both Ofoia and Concatto with a single down the left field line.
The Cougars later took advantage of a Tennessee Tech error with Zoe Schafer at the plate, which would score two more in the inning.
With Tennessee Tech cutting the lead in half with three runs in the fifth, SIUE pushed ahead in the seventh inning. Zoe Schafer, who had a two-run home run in game one, started the inning with a solo home run, her third of the season.
The Golden Eagles committed two errors in the seventh. After an Abby Marlow RBI double scored a run, Marlow took advantage of another Golden Eagles mistake by scoring on a wild pitch off reliever Haeli Bryson.
In game one, Schafer's two-run homer put the Cougars ahead early. Sydney Bina added an RBI single in the fourth to give SIUE a 3-0 lead, but a five-run rally in the bottom of the fourth gave Tennessee Tech all it needed to push past the Cougars.
MURRAY STATE 1, BELMONT 0; MURRAY STATE 3, BELMONT 0
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State swept a doubleheader with visiting Belmont on Sunday with a pair of shutout victories. The Racers (15-14, 5-1 OVC) defeated the Bruins (19-14, 2-6 OVC) 1-0 in the first game and 3-0 in the second game.
In game one, Hannah James pitched just the third perfect game in Murray State history. She struck out five batters in 7.0 innings of work. Sierra Gilmore hit a home run for the lone run in the game.
In the night camep, both teams were offensively quiet over the first three frames. In the top of the fourth inning, BU began a series scoring opportunities in hopes of taking control of the game. Senior Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) notched BU's first hit of the day with a single to the shortstop. Classmate Hayley Baker (Rockwall, Texas) followed with a double, putting the pair in scoring position. Junior Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) reached first base on four balls to load the bases. Unfortunately, Belmont was unable to get any part of the trio over the plate.
The Racers responded in their half of the same inning, posting a single run with the help of a sacrifice bunt. The Bruins looked to spark another rally in the top of the fifth frame behind a double down the line by sophomore Elison Ollinger (Robins, Iowa) but Belmont was unable to get her home. In the following half inning for Belmont, senior Cameryn Strother (Chesapeake, Va.) reached base on a walk and was pushed to second with a single from Baker. A well-placed sacrifice bunt by Sims moved the pair into scoring position, poising BU to take the lead but the Bruins were unable to send them home. In their half of the sixth inning, Murray State plated two more runs to secure the 3-0 victory.
For the day, Baker batted .400 for the day with two hits, including a double.
Inside the circle, junior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) and sophomore Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) each went the distance in their respective contests. Lee fanned nine batters in game one while Veltri recorded a pair of strikeouts.