WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Southeast Missouri 4, Saint Louis 3
@Eastern Kentucky 6, Northern Kentucky 3
Eastern Illinois 3, @Butler 0
Western Kentucky 4,
@Tennessee Tech 1 (9)
@Illinois 13,
SIUE 4
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, SAINT LOUIS 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Senior Haley Thogmartin went over 100 strikeouts and nailed down a huge save to lead Southeast Missouri (33-12) to a 4-3 victory over Saint Louis (10-29) Wednesday at the Southeast Softball Complex.
SEMO picked up its 33rd victory of the season, tying its win total from a year ago. The Redhawks fought off a late rally to hang on for the win.
The Redhawks held a 4-1 lead after six innings and SLU didn't go down quietly in the seventh.
Three and four-hole hitters Gabbie Kowalik and Maria Cornell hit back-to-back home runs to start things off quickly making it a one-run contest. After Cornell's home run, Haley Thogmartin – who started the game in the circle – re-entered and got a big strikeout immediately after an infield single by Kaylyn Breitbach.
Thogmartin proceeded to get Aubrey Hacke to groundout to first and then struck out pinch-hitter Allie Herron to end the threat. Thogmartin tossed four scoreless innings allowing only one hit with five strikeouts and no walks. She claimed her third save of the season. Thogmartin fell one inning shy of also being in line for the victory. In addition, she went over 100 strikeouts (104) in 2019, the first time she has reached that milestone in a season at SEMO.
Instead, Alexis Estes (8-2) was credited with the win. Estes was strong out of the bullpen pitching two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. She did not allow a hit or a walk as well.
SEMO built an early 2-0 lead after scoring once in the second inning and once in the third.
Kaylee Anderson doubled to left, stole third and scored on Sarah Messex's two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the second.
With Rachel Anderson on second after she singled and stole a base in the third inning, K. Anderson grounded out and R. Anderson headed for home. She was ruled safe on a close play at the plate.
SEMO pitchers had a perfect game going through 5.1 innings when Mackenzie Lawson got the Billikens first hit on an infield single. Lawson managed to score later on with the help of an error to cut the Redhawks lead to 2-1.
The Redhawks, however, answered with two runs that loomed large in the end.
K. Anderson doubled again to left field and Chelsy Pena reached on a fielding error. K. Anderson scored when pinch-hitter Madison Harris hit into a fielder's choice. Messex then got on by way of a fielder's choice and Harris was able to score giving SEMO a 4-1 advantage.
K. Anderson finished at 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI to lead SEMO which edged SLU, 5-4, in the hit column. R. Anderson, Addison Barnouski and Messex had the other hits.
Kallen Loveless (7-12) suffered the loss for SLU.
SEMO returns to Ohio Valley Conference action when it hosts Eastern Illinois in a doubleheader Friday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m., CT.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 6, NORTHERN KENTUCKY 3
RICHMOND, Ky. -The Eastern Kentucky University softball team pushed its winning streak to eight games after taking down Northern Kentucky University on Wednesday at Gertrude Hood Field.
EKU (26-15, 12-4 OVC) scored in each of the first four innings to take down the Norse, 6-3.
Sammi Miller got things started in the first inning with a leadoff walk, before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Back-to-back fly balls by Destinee Lizzmore and Hannah Clark brought her around to take the early 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, Amanda Sjoberg picked up the first hit of her career with one out to get things started. After Sjoberg stole second, Melissa Jacobsen singled through the left side to give the Colonels a 2-0 lead. Miller wasted no time extending the lead, taking the first pitch of her next at-bat down the left field line for a double to bring home Jacobsen and give Eastern a 3-0 advantage.
Northern Kentucky (13-23, 6-5 Horizon) got one back in the top of the third.
Torree Stalter singled down the left field line with one out to get the Norse started. After Josie Frazier reached on an error, putting runners on first and second with one out, Zahrya McFarland singled up the middle to score Stalter and cut the lead to 3-1.
The Colonels wasted no time getting that run back in the third inning. Zoe Mihalicz sent a 2-0 pitch the other way to put a runner on first with one out. After Mihalicz advanced to second on a wild pitch, Carly Robinson singled up the middle to make it a 4-1 lead.
Sjoberg and Jacobsen each picked up their second hits of the game to start the bottom of the fourth with no one out. After a walk by Miller loaded the bases, Lizzmore sent a 1-1 pitch down the left field line to take the 6-1 lead over the Norse.
Northern scored one more in the fifth and seventh innings to make the score 6-3.
Mollie Paulick picked her team-high 10th win on the year, throwing one and two-third scoreless innings of relief while striking out three.
Sjoberg went 2-for-3 with one run on the night. Jacobsen was 2-for-2 with two runs and Mihalicz went 2-for-3 with one run.
Eastern now hits the road for a seven game road swing starting on Friday at Belmont University. First pitch is at 4:30 p.m.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, BUTLER 0
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Eastern Illinois softball shutout Butler 3-0 Wednesday afternoon in a mid-week non-conference game. Megan Burton scored two of the Panthers three runs. EIU improves to 13-35 overall.
Burton and Mia Davis each scored a run in the first inning on consecutive wild pitches from Butler's pitcher Alyssa Graves. Haley Mitchell drove in Burton for their final run of the game with a single to the third baseman in the top of the third inning.
Burton and Davis each finished 2-of-3 at the plate, while Mitchell, Kendyl McKeough, and Taylor Jones each added a hit.
McKenna Coffman improves to 4-10 and gave up only two hits to the Bulldogs. Hannah Cravens gets her first career save.
The Panthers will travel to Southeast Missouri this Friday at 2 and 4 pm for their final road games of the season. EIU will then return home to host IUPUI, Belmont, and Tennessee State to finish up the regular season.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 4, TENNESSEE TECH 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - For eight innings, the game was clearly in control of the pitchers.
It wasn’t until the ninth inning that either team was able to dent the scoreboard, but Western Kentucky had all the runs it needed with a two-run home run in the top of the second extra frame.
WKU added two more in the frame before the Golden Eagles had their chance, taking a 4-1 victory on Wednesday to pick up its 30th win of the season.
Tech (18-21) would have been no-hit had the game stayed in regulation as Raleigh Lewis broke up Kelsey Aikey’s no-no in the bottom of the ninth. With that start, Jessie Lowery picked up a single as she beat out the throw from the catcher. Sydney Love-Baker took a walk on four straight pitches to load the bases, then Raegan Sparks took a five-pitch walk to force Lewis home and pick up Tech’s lone RBI.
Still, it was the pitcher’s duel between Alyssa Arden and Aikey that was the story of the game. Arden yielded four hits and no runs in the first eight frames, walking one and struck out four. But it was the four runs – two earned – on two hits in a third of the ninth inning that was the difference in the contest.
Haeli Bryson came on to pitch the final two-thirds and allowed no further damage.
Aikey ended the contest with a career-high 13 strikeouts, fanning every spot in the Tech lineup except the seven-spot with Alexis Trimiar. Aikey allowed one run on two hits as she also walked four.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Friday with a doubleheader at home against Austin Peay, starting at 4 p.m.,
ILLINOIS 13, SIUE 4
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Zoe Schafer homered twice and Bailley Concatto added her first home run of the season Wednesday, but the SIUE softball team couldn't overcome an early surge in a 13-4 loss at Illinois.
SIUE dropped to 12-19 and returns home Friday for a 2 p.m. doubleheader against UT Martin. Illinois improved to 27-14.
Schafer took over the team lead in home runs with her fourth and fifth of the season. She belted solo homers in both of her first two at bats during the second and third innings.
Concatto added a one-out solo home run in the fourth inning.
Illinois pushed hard early with a four-run rally in the first inning and six more in the second. Katie Wingerter led the Fighting Illini with three RBIs.