FRIDAY'S SCORES
Jacksonville State 4, Northern Colorado 1
Gardner Webb 3,
Jacksonville State 2
UT Martin 2, Bethune Cookman 1
Fairfield 3,
UT Martin 2
Belmont 7, Indiana State 2
Belmont 3, IUPUI 2
Southeast Missouri 8, UMKC 2
Southeast Missouri 2, Kansas 0
JACKSONVILLE STATE 4, NORTHERN COLORADO 1; GARDNER WEBB 3, JACKSONVILLE STATE
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Jacksonville State softball team defeated Northern Colorado in extra innings before falling to Gardner-Webb to split on the first day of the Texas Tech Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic on Friday.
In the opening game, Faith Sims took a no-hitter into the fifth and Taylor Beshears sparked a three-run eighth inning with her leadoff home run to lead the Gamecocks (10-5) to a 4-1 win. To close the day, JSU erased a 2-0 deficit in the fourth, but a late run by the Bulldogs handed the Gamecocks a 3-2 defeat.
The opener saw a pitcher's duel between Sims and Maggie Thurston of the Bears for the first several innings. Sims didn't allow a baserunner until the fourth and a hit until the fifth, while Thurston had her best start of the season in holding JSU to a run in 4 and 2/3 innings in the circle.
The Gamecocks got on the board in the fourth, and inning that was started by a single from Beshears. The senior from Trussville, Ala., was moved to third before Anna Chisolm lifted a sacrifice fly to left that put the Gamecocks up 1-0. It was the first of three hits in the game for Beshears, who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI in the win.
After three errors and UNC's first hit tied the game in the fifth with an unearned run, the two teams remained deadlocked until the eighth inning.
Beshears started the inning with a solo blast to right, starting a big inning that included a pinch-hit RBI single from Bailey Smart and a sac fly from Hayley Sims that handed Faith Sims a three-run lead.
She closed the door on the Bears in the home half of the eighth, capping an eight-inning complete game that saw her allow an unearned run on four hits and strike out four to improve to 7-0 on the season.
Reliever Valerie Vidal (4-12) suffered the loss for UNC, allowing three runs on six hits in 3 and 1/3 innings.
In the final game of the day, The Bulldogs (13-6) struck first in the second inning on an RBI single from Meredith Ferguson and a sac fly from Weslyn Almond that gave them a 2-0 lead.
JSU tied the game in the fifth, starting with a Chisolm sac fly that cut the deficit in half and finishing with an Alexus Jimmerson RBI double into the gap in right center.
The tie score held until the sixth, when Almond delivered a two-out RBI triple into the right field corner that drove the winning run in.
Brooke Perry (8-3) earned the win for the Bulldogs, limiting JSU to two runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. She struck out nine and walked a pair.
Senior Kirsten Titus started the game for JSU and gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits and two walks in three innings. She struck out one before making way for Nicole Rodriguez (2-3). The sophomore tossed the final four frames and allowed a run on two hits and a walk, while striking out four in the losing effort.
Freshman Savannah Sudduth led the Gamecocks at the plate by going 3-for-4 with a double, while Jimmerson notched two hits and drove in a run in three at bats.
JSU will wrap up play in the tournament hosted by Texas Tech on Saturday, starting with an 11 a.m. CT game vs. Northern Colorado. The Gamecocks will then face the host Red Raiders at 4 p.m
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8, UMKC 2; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2, KANSAS 0
LAWRENCE, Kan.– Ashley Ellis went 5-for-7 with three runs scored, two home runs, a double and three RBI, and Rachel Rook tossed a complete game shutout as Southeast Missouri (14-7) posted two wins at the Jayhawk Classic Friday. The Redhawks beat UMKC, 8-2, and tournament host Kansas, 2-0.
Ellis started her big day by collecting three hits and both of her home runs against UMKC.
Ellis, which recorded the second multi-home run game of her career and first since Feb. 25, 2018 (vs. Western Michigan), homered in consecutive at-bats.
SEMO and UMKC were scoreless after three innings until Ellis led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to left field. Chelsy Pena and Rachael Donald walked with one out and Parker Bandy smacked a double to score Pena. Mykaela Arellanes later walked with the bases loaded and Danina Marton scored to put the Redhawks ahead, 3-0.
Ellis began the fifth just as she did the fourth with another solo home run to left field. Bandy added her second RBI-hit and Pena touched home on a wild pitch to stretch SEMO's lead to 6-1.
A third wild pitch by UMKC allowed Rachel Anderson to score and Pena knocked in Leaha Wininger on a bunt single to polish off the Redhawks victory.
Haley Thogmartin (7-3) picked up her team and Ohio Valley Conference high seventh win of the season. Thogmartin gave SEMO five strong innings where she struck out six, walked none and allowed one run on just three hits. She retired the first nine hitters she faced.
DJ Cannon (6-3) suffered the loss. Cannon gave up three runs on seven hits, walked four and struck out three in 5.2 innings.
Ellis' three hits matched a career-high as she was one of two Redhawks with multiple hits. Arellanes also tied a career-high going 3-for-4 with one RBI. Anderson established a new career-high with three stolen bases, as well.
As a team, SEMO outhit UMKC, 9-4. All of the Kangaroos hits were singles.
SEMO and KU were scoreless through four innings before Ellis came up big again, this time with a double. Anderson, who singled in the previous at-bat, scored the game's first run all the way from first base when Ellis' double landed in the right center gap.
Ellis came up once more in the top of the seventh and drew a one-out walk. On the next play, Addison Barnouski ripped a double to left and Ellis scored to push SEMO's lead to 2-0.
"That was a big hit and insurance RBI from Addie and it gave us some breathing room in the seventh," said Redburn.
Rook then sat the Jayhawks down in order to finish off the first complete game shutout of her career.
Rook, who improved to 3-2 this season, beat a Power Five school for the second time this season. She gave up just four hits, struck out two and walked none in a sparkling seven innings.
Anderson and Ellis each finished at 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk in the heart of SEMO's order. Barnouski, Kaylee Anderson, Rachael Donald and Kaylee Anderson followed with one hit apiece.
Ellis already has eight home runs through 21 games this season. She is halfway to SEMO's single-season home run record of 16 currently held by Kayla Fortner (2015).
SEMO, which has won seven of its last nine contests, beat a Power Five conference school for the second time this year. The Redhawks also knocked off then-#12 Arkansas on Feb. 22.
The Redhawks resume play at the Jayhawk Classic vs. UMKC and Kansas Saturday.
BELMONT 7, INDIANA STATE 2; BELMONT 3, IUPUI 2
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Belmont Softball picked up a pair of wins to open the UofM Tournament on Friday. The Bruins (11-5) easily defeated Indiana State (8-8), 7-2, before using a homerun in extra innings to knock off IUPUI (5-16), 3-2.
The Bruins jumped on the board after both teams posted quiet outings through the first two innings of play. In the third frame, junior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) smashed a solo homerun over the left wall to notch the first run of the day for BU. However, the Sycamores were able to knot the score in bottom of the same inning. After adding one run in the top of the fourth, BU exploded in the top of the fifth inning, pushing three runs across to take a 5-1 lead.
Even with a pitching change in the inning, ISU struggled to contain Belmont that saw a single from Lee and back-to-back doubles from seniors Cam Strother (Chesapeake, Va.) and Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) expand the run differential before a single to right by Veltri sent the third Bruin over the plate. Indiana State managed to squeak what would become their final run of the contest over the plate in the bottom of the fifth. However, BU was not finished scoring. In the top of the seventh, a single up the middle by sophomore Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas) opened the door for a double by Veltri and back-to-back singles from junior Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) and freshman Audrey Lyle (Westlake, Ohio) to help add two more runs to the Bruins' tally as they went on to take the game, 7-2.
The second game of the day was stalemated 0-0 for the first four innings until the Bruins were able to post a pair of runs in the top of fifth. Senior Chelsea Thomas (Hot Springs, Ark.) sent a solo homerun over the left wall before classmate Taylor Hargrove (Greenbrier, Tenn.) singled and stole second, allowing a double by Cook to send her over the plate. IUPUI pushed back in the bottom of the sixth adding two runs and forcing the game to be decided in extra innings. Belmont wasted little time in the top of the eighth. Sophomore Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) knocked a solo home run to give BU the slim one run advantage in the top of the eighth. She also ended the ISU half of the same inning with back-to-back strikeouts to secure the 3-2 victory.
For the day, Veltri went 5-for-8 at the plate with a pair of doubles and a homerun.
Inside the circle, both Lee and Veltri went the distance to pick up wins in their respective games. Lee fanned five Indiana State batters while Veltri tallied seven strikeouts.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday for day two of the UofM Tournament, taking on host-Memphis beginning at 8 p.m. Live stats and video will be available.
UT MARTIN 2, BETHUNE COOKMAN 1; FAIRFIELD 3, UT MARTIN 2
DELAND, Fla. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team played a pair of tight contests on the opening day of the Stetson Invitational by knocking off Bethune-Cookman 2-1 before letting a lead slip away in the seventh to fall against Fairfield 3-2.
Game 18: UT Martin 2, Bethune-Cookman 1
In the opening game of the day, neither team would find its way onto the scoreboard until the sixth inning. The Wildcats would lead off the inning with a single before a passed ball and a sacrifice bunt moved the runner over to third. From there B-CU would get on the board with a single through the right side by Brianna Paysinger to take the game’s first lead.
UT Martin would respond in the bottom half of the inning however, not only finding the game’s equalizer but taking a lead of its own. A leadoff single by Paige Clark got the inning started before advancing to second on a passed ball. Aalia Bivens would later be plunked by a pitch before swiping second to place runners on second and third with one out. Needing a big hit, senior Gracyn McBride stroked double into the right center gap to plate a pair and take a 2-1 lead.
Erin Gallagher (2-1) would earn the victory after a strong performance in the circle. The freshman would strike out four while walking zero. She would allow just one earned run in six innings.
Game 19: Fairfield 3, UT Martin 2
Fairfield jumped out to an early lead in the contest after a leadoff single resulted in the runner reaching second on an error. With the go-ahead run in scoring position, Courtney Hankins singled through the right side to take a 1-0 lead.
UT Martin then took control of the contest in the top of the fourth inning. A leadoff single by Haylee Short began the inning before advancing to second on a wild pitch. With two subsequent outs, it looked like the scoring opportunity would be wasted before Alli Fulcher cranked her second home run of the season over the left field wall to give the Skyhawks a 2-1 advantage.
The Skyhawks would cling to their narrow margin until the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff double by Brown set the inning in motion before moving to third on a sacrifice bunt. With the game-tying run sitting at third, Amanda Ulzheimer drove in the run with an infield single. Later with the game tied and a runner on second, Hankins would tally her second RBI of the contest with a walkoff single through the left side to notch a 3-2 victory.
Caitlin Karo (1-2) was credited with the loss after allowing three earned runs in 6.2 innings of work.
UT Martin will return to action with two more games on Saturday, March 9. The Skyhawks will play Maryland at 11:30 a.m. and host Stetson at 5 p.m.