FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Tennessee State 3, Tennessee Tech 2
Tennessee Tech 11, @Tennessee State 5 (8)
Austin Peay 5, @Souteast Missouri 2
@Southeast Missouri 9, Austin Peay 0 (5)
@Eastern Kentucky 6, SIUE 2
@Eastern Kentucky 10, SIUE 2 (5)
@Belmont 8, Jacksonville State 0 (5)
Jacksonville State 7, @Belmont 5
Murray State 5, @UT Martin 4
Murray State 3, @UT Martin 0
TENNESSEE STATE 3, TENNESSEE TECH 2; TENNESSEE TECH 11, TENNESSEE STATE 5
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee State came up with a dramatic win in the bottom of the seventh of game one, but the Tennessee Tech softball team pulled off some heroics of its own in extra innings of the second game to earn a split on Friday.
The host Tigers won game one 3-2, while Tech won 11-5 in eight innings in the nightcap. The Golden Eagles keep even pace as their record moves to 17-19 on the season, 7-7 in Ohio Valley Conference play.
In the opener, Alyssa Arden held Tennessee State to one run through the first five frames, then the Golden Eagles scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to take the lead. Raegan Sparks drove in pinch runner Amanda Phy on a single to left for the first run, then Beth McCulley scored on a throwing error at short on a grounder from Gabby LaSala.
Tech then picked up two outs following a leadoff single. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases, then Katie Schneider hit a two-run single to center field for the walk-off win.
Arden took the loss as she went 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits as she walked four and struck out five.
Raven Loveless picked up the win in relief, throwing the final inning and two-thirds, allowing an unearned run on one hit and two walks. Starter Jessina Espinoza went 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits with two walks. Tech’s batters did not record a strikeout in the contest, and only struck out once in the second game.
That contest went to extra innings as the Golden Eagles knotted the game at seven runs apiece in the top of the seventh. Then, in the eighth, Tech exploded for six runs on four hits and an error. Four of those came from Alexis Trimiar’s grand slam, driving in Ashley McGowan, Sydney Love-Baker and LaSala on the play.
McCulley and Hannah Richter scored earlier in the inning on an error at short on a LaSala grounder.
Trimiar and McGowan both ended the nightcap with four RBI each. McGowan drove in Love-Baker and LaSala with a two-run double in the top of the first, then tied the game in the seventh with a two-run home run – her first round-tripper of the season.
McCulley went 3-for-5 in game two, while Love-Baker was 4-for-5. Sparks, Richter, Trimiar and McGowan each had two hits in the contest. Tech ended the game with a season-high 17 hits.
Arden (11-8) picked up the victory in relief, throwing the final two frames as she kept the Tigers scoreless as she yielded one walk and one hit, while striking out three. Starter Haeli Bryson pitched the first three innings, allowing three runs on four hits, while walking one and striking out four. Kayla Hughes pitched the middle three innings, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out two.
Loveless (8-10) took the loss, allowing 11 runs – five earned -- on 17 hits as she walked one.
AUSTIN PEAY 5, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 9, AUSTIN PEAY 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (31-10, 9-3) bounced back to force a doubleheader split with Austin Peay (23-17, 8-4) Friday afternoon at the Southeast Softball Complex. The Redhawks dropped game one, 5-2, but regrouped to blank the Governors, 9-0, in five innings.
SEMO put up seven runs over the first two innings to get a comfortable early lead in the nightcap.
Mykaela Arellanes led things off with a bunt single and went to third on a one-out double by Rachel Anderson. Ashley Ellis stepped in and smashed a three-run home run over the left center wall to give the Redhawks a 3-0 advantage in the first inning. Ellis collected her team-high 11thround-tripper of the season.
APSU committed two errors and SEMO added three more hits as part of a four-run second inning.
Rachael Donald knocked in Sarah Messex on a single to left center. Arellanes singled to center and two runs scored after Carly Mattson mis-played the ball. Arellanes, who went to third on the play, later scored on a throwing error by Morgan Rackel to push SEMO's lead to 7-0.
With Kaylee Anderson on first following an infield hit, Claudia Gallo slugged a one-out home run to center to cap the 9-0 victory. For Gallo, it was her sixth home run of year.
Haley Thogmartin (14-3) tossed her third shutout of the season and lowered her earned run average to 0.39 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Thogmartin struck out two, walked one and allowed four hits in five innings. It was her fifth-straight appearance without giving up an earned run.
Kelly Mardones (3-11) suffered the loss. Mardones gave up seven runs on six hits in just one inning.
SEMO registered nine hits with Arellanes, R. Anderson and K. Anderson getting two apiece.
Rackel (17-5) recorded 11 strikeouts and walked just one to lead APSU to its game one win.
The Redhawks scored once in the first when Arellanes doubled and touched home on an ensuing single by Gallo. SEMO then tied the game at 2-2 on a sacrifice fly by R. Anderson in the bottom of the third.
Bailey Shorter gave the Governors the lead on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and tacked on two more runs in the fifth.
Rachel Rook (7-3) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits. Rook struck out three, as well.
SEMO had four hits with Arellanes accounting for half. Arellanes went her third-straight doubleheader with five hits.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 6, SIUE 2; EASTERN KENTUCKY 10, SIUE 2
RICHMOND, Ky. - – The Eastern Kentucky University softball team swept a doubleheader Friday against conference foe Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
EKU (23-15, 10-4 OVC) won game one, 6-2, before defeating the Cougars in game two, 10-2, in five innings.
In game one Eastern struck for three in the bottom of the third, and did not look back.
Destinee Lizzmore got the fun started with a solo shot down the left field line, her 10th of the season. Hannah Clark walked and Carly Robinson reached on an error to put runners on the corners with one out. That is when Emily Corbitt singled through the left side to give the Colonels a 2-0 lead. Zoe Mihalicz singled to load the bases, followed by a Matti Morales walk to bring in the third run of the inning.
In the bottom of the third Sammi Miller started with a single down the right field line. That is when Lizzmore ripped a 1-0 pitch into the left center gap to bring home Miller and take a 4-0 lead over the Cougars. Robinson would bring in Lizzmore with an RBI ground out to take a 5-0 lead after three innings of play.
SIU Edwardsville (12-18, 4-6 OVC) did not go down lightly in the seventh. After the first two batters were erased in the inning, Sydney Bina was hit to put a runner on first. After a stolen base Bailley Concatto singled through the right side to bring home the Cougars first run of the day. After a walk to put runners on first and second with two outs, Kloe Hilbrenner doubled down the left field line to score one and make the game 6-2.
The Cougars would not get any closer.
In the fifth inning Melissa Jacobsen singled up the middle with one out. She wasted no time scoring as Miller drove the 1-0 pitch off the left center field wall to bring home Jacobsen for Eastern’s sixth run of the game.
Reynoso (7-1) started in the circle for the Colonels, tossing seven innings while striking out five batters on the game.
Lizzmore went 2-for-4 with one double, one home run and two RBIs. Sammi Miller chipped in a 2-for-4 performance with one triple and one RBI.
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In game two Eastern struck for four runs in the first and scored in every inning that it hit to run rule SIU Edwardsville in five innings.
Back-to-Back walks by Miller and Lizzmore in the bottom of the first got things started for Eastern. With one out Robinson took the first pitch and ripped it into the left center gap to give the Colonels the 2-0 lead. The very next batter, Corbitt deposited her second home run of the year over the left field wall to make it a 4-0 lead after the first inning.
In the second inning a Jacobsen single, followed by a Miller walk, put runners on first and second with one out. Jacobsen tried to advance to third on a dirt ball that forced a bad throw that brought her home to take the 5-0 lead. Clark brought in the sixth run of the game on sacrifice fly to center field, to take a 6-0 lead after two innings of play.
Clark was not done there. She set the all-time RBI record for EKU softball with a two run single in the third inning that scored Jacobsen and Miller to give the Colonels the 8-2 lead.
SIU Edwardsville tried to chip back in the game in the top of the third. The first two players reached with singles to put runners on first and second. A pair of walks by the Cougars pushed across the first run for SIUE. SIU Edwardsville got its second run after a walk by Hibrenner made it 6-2.
Mihalicz sent a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall for her fifth of the year, to give Eastern the 9-2 lead. Brooke Harrison legged out an infield single and a Jacobsen triple put the run rule into effect, 10-2.
Peyton Hutchens (3-0) picked up the win for the Colonels, throwing one and two-third innings of scoreless softball. Murphy McRoberts pitched one inning of relief while striking out one.
MURRAY STATE 5, UT MARTIN 4; MURRAY STATE 3, UT MARTIN 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team saw its struggles continue on Friday night, dropping both ends of a home doubleheader to Ohio Valley Conference leader Murray State by scores of 5-4 and 3-0.
The Skyhawks (25-18, 7-7 OVC) saw their losing streak reach four games during the homestand. Despite the end results, Kallie Pickens and Aalia Bivens led the squad with three hits and a RBI each. Joining in the action was Gracyn McBride and Haylee Short who also tallied a pair of base knocks on the day to also drive in the team’s other pair of runs.
On the pitching side, the relievers were impressive. Sophomore Caitlin Karo appeared in relief in Game 1, allowing one earned run in six innings of work. In Game 2, freshman Erin Gallagher struck out four in two shutout innings. The starting duo of Hannah Ridolfi (7-6) and Lexi Ray (6-5) were credited with losses.
Murray State 5, UT Martin 4
Murray State (20-19, 10-2 OVC) jumped out to an early lead in the first inning of the twinbill. A leadoff walk and a fielding error proved costly for the Skyhawks as Sierra Gilmore crushed a three-run home run off the left field scoreboard to put the Racers on top early.
The home run ball would come back to hurt the Skyhawks again in the top of the second when Lexi Jones hit a solo blast on the second pitch of the frame to right center to make it a 4-0 contest.
UT Martin scored its first run of the contest in the bottom of the second after a pair of leadoff singles by Bivens and Short set Pickens up for a RBI opportunity. With runners on first and second and no outs, Pickens dropped a single into left center to plate Bivens and cut into the margin.
After the Racers responded in the top of the third inning with a RBI single by Logan Braundmeier, UT Martin faces a four-run deficit heading into the fifth inning. Four singles and a walk in the inning resulted in Bivens driving in a run with a base knock through the left side before pinch runner Madelyn Dycus scored on a fielder’s choice to trim the deficit to 5-3.
The Skyhawks would mount a comeback attempt in the bottom of the seventh as a solo blast by Gracyn McBride served as her 22nd of her career, moving the senior into sole possession of eighth place on the program’s home run leaderboard. Despite the last homer, the Skyhawks would fall short of a miraculous comeback, 5-4.
Murray State 3, UT Martin 0
Much like in Game 1, Murray State wasted little time getting on the board. A leadoff walk followed by a fielding error proved to be costly. With runners on second and third with two outs, the Skyhawks second error of the inning allowed Brenna Finck to score and give the Racers a quick 1-0 advantage.
The game would remain at a one-run margin until the top of the fifth inning. Finck would reach on a fielder’s choice to spark another rally before Jensen Striegel singled to center to place a pair of runners on the paths. With runners on first and second, Lillie Goetz stroked a two-run double into the left field gap which saw both runs come home to score.
From there the Skyhawks would be kept at bay by Taylor Makowsky as the team was shutout for the third time in the last four games.
BELMONT 8, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0; JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, BELMONT 5
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont Softball pulled off its first win over Jacksonville State since 2015 and nearly completed a sweep on Friday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park. The Bruins (25-15, 7-7 OVC) shutout the Gamecocks (26-12, 10-4 OVC) in a five inning outing in game one, 8-0, before being edged down the stretch in the nightcap, 7-5.
In the first contest, BU was the first to make a mark on the scoreboard, posting runs in the bottom of the second frame. Senior Hayley Baker (Rockwall, Texas) was able to walk in a run and freshman Audrey Lyle (Westlake, Ohio) smashed a long single to right to send two more Bruins over the plate. In the third innning, junior Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) reached first base after a Gamecock fielding error and then notched back-to-back steals to get into scoring position. Sophomore Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) walked, putting runners on the corners before a long single by sophomore Elison Ollinger (Robins, Iowa) sent them both home. In the fourth inning, back-to-back singles by senior Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) and Baker opened the door for a sacrifice fly by Lyle to put runners in scoring position. A passed ball saw Cook sneak over the plate to bring the Belmont run total to six. With a run rule victory in their sights, the Bruins did not let up in the fifth frame and used a triple from Cook to walk off for the 8-0 win.
For the day, both Baker and Veltri batted .500. Baker recorded three hits, one double and four RBI while Veltri had a triple.
Inside the circle, Veltri tossed a complete game and recorded seven strikeouts. Juniors Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) and Brittany Kennett (Melbourne, Australia) combined for eight strikeouts in the nightcap.
Taylor Beshears led Jacksonville State, going 4-for-6 over the two games. She went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in the win over the Bruins. Nicole Rodriguez picked up her sixth win of the season in the second game while Faith Sims took the loss in the opener.