WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 4, Morehead State 0
@Eastern Kentucky 8, Morehead State 0
Southeast Missouri 1, @UT Martin 0
Southeast Missouri 6, @UT Martin 0
@Belmont 10, Tennessee State 5
@Belmont 9, Tennessee State 1 (5)
EASTERN KENTUCKY 4, MOREHEAD STATE 0; EASTERN KENTUCKY 8, MOREHEAD STATE 0
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team swept a midweek doubleheader against in-state rival Morehead State University on Wednesday.
EKU (21-15, 8-4 OVC) won game one, 4-0, before defeating the Eagles in game two, 8-0, in five innings.
In game one Eastern scored one in the first and second innings and did not look back.
Sammi Miller got things after she reached on an error by the third baseman. She advanced to second on the throw. Miller wasted no time stealing third, to put a runner on third with no one out. Destinee Lizzmore sent the 2-0 pitch the other way for a sacrifice fly and gave the Colonels the early 1-0 lead.
In the top of the second inning Samantha Reynoso got hit and stole second base with one out in the inning. Melissa Jacobsen legged out an infield single and stole second to put runners on second and third for the Colonels. Lizzmore reached on an error that brought home Reynoso to take a 2-0 lead.
Hannah Clark got the top of the fifth started off with a bang, as she sent her team-high 10th home run to dead center field to take the 3-0 lead. Carly Robinson singled to left center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Zoe Mihalicz singled to center to put runners on the corners with one out. Mollie Paulick drove in Robinson with a sac fly down the left field line.
Morehead State (2-29, 0-10 OVC) could only manage one hit in the contest.
Reynoso (6-1) started in the circle for the Colonels, tossing four and one-third innings while striking out four. Paulick picked up her team-best sixth save on the year, tossing two and two-third innings and striking out five.
Clark went 2-for-3 with one home run, one walk and one RBI. Jacobsen chipped in a 2-for-3 at the plate.
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In game two Eastern struck for six runs in the bottom of the first on its way to a run rule win in five innings.
A Lizzmore single, followed by a Clark walk, put runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the first. Robinson wasted no time bringing them home, sending the 2-1 pitch over the left center field fence to take the early 3-0 lead. Eastern recorded back-to-back-to-back singles by Emily Corbitt, Matti Morales and Mihalicz to load the bases. Reynoso drove in Corbitt with a sacrifice fly to left center field to give Eastern a 4-0 lead. After a bunt single by Jacobsen loaded the bases, Miller singled to right field to score two more and take a 6-0 lead after the first inning.
Eastern scored one more in the fourth and sixth innings to complete the run rule victory, 8-0.
Eight different Colonels recorded hits in the game.
Paulick started in the circle, going four innings and striking out six on the game. Bethany Todd threw two scoreless innings in relief while striking out one.
Miller went 2-for-4 with one triple and two RBIs. Robinson went 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBIs.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1, UT MARTIN 0; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6, UT MARTIN 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - Timely hitting, strong pitching and excellent defense led Southeast Missouri (30-9, 8-2) to a pair of shutouts over UT Martin (25-17, 7-5) Wednesday in Ohio Valley Conference action at Bettye Giles Field.
SEMO blanked UTM in consecutive games for the first time since 1998. The Redhawks also became the first in the OVC to win 30 games this season. SEMO, after posting 33 wins a year ago, won 30 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1999 and 2000.
The doubleheader sweep, SEMO's third in league play, moved the Redhawks into a first-place tie with Murray State. SEMO hosts the Racers in a key twin bill Sunday.
Senior Haley Thogmartin was outstanding in the circle again, tossing both her team-high sixth complete game and second shutout of the season in game one. She sat the Skyhawks down in order in five innings as no UTM baserunners made it past first base.
The Redhawks were tough defensively behind Thogmartin turning two double plays. SEMO, which leads the OVC in fielding double plays, has turned 19 this year. Ashley Ellis made a diving catch in foul territory to double up the Skyhawks in the first inning. Sarah Messex then turned a double play immediately after a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth.
SEMO scored the game's only run early and that was all Thogmartin needed to claim her 13th win of the season.
Mykaela Arellanes hit a leadoff single up the middle and went to second on a one-out sacrifice bunt by Rachel Anderson. Ellis ripped a two-out single down the third base line on a 3-2 count and Arellanes scored to put SEMO ahead, 1-0. It marked the 15th game the Redhawks scored in the first inning improving their record to 14-1 in such contests.
SEMO outhit UTM, 5-3, with Arellanes, Claudia Gallo, Ellis, Kaylee Anderson and Parker Bandy each contributing a base hit.
Thogmartin (13-2) went her fourth-straight appearance without allowing an earned run. Her 13 wins are the most in a season during her four-year career. Thogmartin struck out three, did not allow a walk and threw 67 pitches in what ended up being SEMO's quickest game (1 hour, 23 minutes) thus far. She dropped her ERA to a stifling 0.45 in conference games.
Clinging to a 1-0 lead after five innings, SEMO pulled away for good with the help of two home runs in the nightcap.
Ellis clobbered a two-run home run to straightaway center with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. For Ellis, it was her team-high 10thround-tripper of the season.
SEMO grounded the Skyhawks for good with three runs on four hits in the seventh.
Arellanes doubled and pinch-runner Mackenzie Long scored. On the next play, Gallo hit an opposite field home run to stretch the Redhawks lead to 6-0. Gallo collected her fifth home run this year.
The Redhawks made more big plays on defense to keep UTM off the scoreboard. Messex made a tremendous play deep in the hole between short and third to throw out Chelsey Gore at third base for a huge out in the fifth.
After UTM opened its final at-bat with back-to-back base hits, SEMO responded by turning its third double play of the game. Not to mention, Kaylee Anderson recorded three-straight outs after the Skyhawks had runners at first and second.
K. Anderson (3-1) picked up the win in relief. She tossed four scoreless innings with one strikeout. Rachel Rook also had a hand in the shutout holding UTM scoreless for the first three frames.
SEMO finished with 11 hits in game two. Arellanes paved the way going 5-for-8 with three runs scored, a double, home run and two RBI for the doubleheader. Ellis, like Arellanes, had three hits in game two alone.
BELMONT 10, TENNESSEE STATE 5; BELMONT 9, TENNESSEE STATE 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont Softball extended its win streak to five with a pair of wins over visiting crosstown rival Tennessee State on Wednesday. The Bruins (24-15, 6-6 OVC) defeated the Tigers (9-21, 2-10 OVC), 10-5 and 9-1 in five innings, at E.S. Rose Park.
For the day, senior Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) led the Bruins at the plate, batting .625 with five hits, one double and four RBI. Junior Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) and sophomore Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas) each batted .571.
Inside the circle, the top two Bruins hurlers went the distance. Sophomore Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) earned the win in game one, fanning six batters while junior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) logged the win in game two, recording a pair of strikeouts.
Patton Akers led the Tigers hitting .667 with four hits while Emma Colegrove hit her first home run of the season in the opening game