TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 7, IUPUI 1
North Alabama 5,
@Murray State 4
Memphis 5,
@UT Martin 4
@UT Martin 2, Memphis 0
@Lipscomb 1,
Austin Peay 0
Alabama 6,
Belmont 4
@Missouri 4,
Southeast Missouri 3
@Missouri 4,
Southeast Missouri 1
EASTERN ILLINOIS 7, IUPUI 1
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball picked up a big 7-1 win over the visiting IUPUI Jaguars Tuesday night. The win was a whole team effort as every Panther played in the game. Mady Poulter had two of EIU's 11 hits, while nine other players each recorded one in the win.
EIU improves to 14-37 overall, while IUPUI drops to 16-34.
The Panthers jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the Jaguars in the first inning. Tayler Wullenwber singled to left field starting the first inning rally. She scored on a double to right center from Mia Davis. Haley Mitchell hit her eighth homer in EIU's next at-bat to tally two RBI. Mady Poulter's first hit of the game was to the short stop. She beat the play out at first base leading to a run scored by Kendyl McKeough.
IUPUI's only run of the game came in the top of the second inning narrowing EIU's lead 4-1. Megan Burton finished the game with two stole bases both of which came in the second inning. She scored EIU's next run stealing home putting the Panthers up 5-1.
In the fifth inning, the Panthers went on to score their final two runs of the game. Breya Cooper, Shelby Martell, and Lexi Smith all singled in the inning. Mady Poulter eventually scored on Taylor Jone's walk and Martell scored her second career-run on a sac fly from Ashley Bartlett. The Panthers beat the Jaguars 7-1.
McKenna Coffman improves to 5-11 on the mound. Sydney Cammon and Jade Montgomery each pitched in relief.
The Panthers will close the regular season at home this weekend with a pair of OVC doubleheaders. EIU will play Belmont on Saturday at 1 and 3 pm. Senior day will be held Sunday vs. Tennessee State at 12 and 2 pm.
NORTH ALABAMA 5, MURRAY STATE 4
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State softball returned to Racer Field after eight games on the road to take on North Alabama on Tuesday afternoon. A four-run seventh inning from UNA would be the deciding factor in a non-conference battle that saw the Racers fall 5-4 on a gorgeous afternoon in Murray, Kentucky.
Hannah James would get the nod in the circle for Murray State and, after two innings of action, would have a pair of strikeouts to her credit while surrendering just a single hit. Jensen Strickland also came out to a strong start pitching for North Alabama, as the Racers would still be searching for their first of the ballgame through the end of the second frame.
North Alabama appeared to be in business in the third after a lead-off triple from Meleah Hargett, but Sierra Gilmore would field a ground ball and fire a laser to Madison Culver behind the plate in the next at-bat to cut down Hargett who attempted to score on the following play.
With the contest still scoreless through three complete, the Racers would spoil the shutout in the fourth when Sierra Gilmore laced a two-out single down the right field line to score Jensen Striegel. Through four innings of action, Murray State would hold a 1-0 lead.
James would cruise through the North Alabama lineup in the fifth, before the Racers would pick up where they left off at the plate with another massive inning offensively. Nine Murray State batters would step to the plate in the following inning as they scored three more runs, stretching their lead to 4-0 over the Lions through the end of the fifth. Denise Teague would open the scoring in the frame when she stepped to the plate with two outs in a bases-loaded situation for Murray State. The freshman from Court Lilburn, Georgia would come up big in a clutch moment when she ripped a 1-1 offering to left center for a pinch-hit single to score Lindsey Carroll from third.
Two more runs would cross the plate for the Racers when Lillie Goetz and Sierra Gilmore drew a pair of walks with the bases juiced to complete the three-run inning for Murray State.
UNA would get one of those runs back on a one-run single from Jensen Strickland, but the Racers would cling to a 4-1 lead as the contest approached its final frame.
After the first batter was retired via strikeout, the next four Lion batters in the seventh inning would reach safely as UNA would cut the lead to just two, while loading the bases with just one out in the visiting half.
Alex Brown would join the party for North Alabama when she drove in a run of her own on a fielder's choice to erase another run from their deficit, as UNA would be chasing just a single score with runners now at the corners and the visiting Lions down to their final out. After Brown stole second, Chloe Deerman would be the one to deliver a devastating base hit, when her single to right field cleared the bases and gave her side their first lead of the ballgame.
Megan Garst would enter the contest in the circle for UNA to try to close the game, and would do so by retiring the side in order as UNA spoiled Murray State's return to Racer Field.
Sierra Gilmore (1-2, 2 RBI, BB) would lead the Racers offensively, while Hannah James would take a no-decision after tossing six innings while surrendering just one earned run and striking out four UNA batters.
The Racers return to action on Friday as they host Eastern Kentucky in a pivotal Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Racer Field in Murray, Kentucky.
MEMPHIS 5, UT MARTIN 4; UT MARTIN 2, MEMPHIS 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - University of Tennessee at Martin freshman standout Erin Gallagher was dominant on Tuesday afternoon, shutting out regional rival Memphis in a 2-0 victory as the Skyhawks earned a series split.
The Skyhawks (27-22) earned their first win against the Tigers since 2015 behind impressive play by the team’s youth. Making her 12th start of the season, Gallagher kept the Tigers guessing all afternoon. Despite the visitors peppering six base hits on the afternoon, Gallagher got the outs when she needed while striking out four en route to her first career shutout.
For as good as Gallagher was on the mound, she wasn’t the only freshman to make a big impact on the afternoon. Third baseman Kallie Pickens led all players by going 3-for-6 on the afternoon while fellow classmate Chelsey Gore also tallied a multi-hit outing by going 2-for-2 with a walk and run scored. Then in the circle, Lexi Ray was impressive in relief as well, striking out four and allowing one hit in 4.2 shutout innings in Game 1.
UT Martin would scratch out nine hits in the doubleheader while the pair of Aalia Bivens and Alli Fulcher each tallied a pair of RBIs. Joining in the action was freshman Kenna Garst and junior Haylee Short who both recorded a RBI.
Game 48: Memphis 5, UT Martin 4
UT Martin jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning in the opening game of the series. After sophomore Paige Clark was hit by a pitch, she swiped second base and ultimately moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt. With the go-ahead run just 60 feet from the plate, Bivens lofted a deep ball to left which was caught for a sacrifice fly and resulted in Clark scoring on the play.
Memphis wasted little time trying to eliminate the team’s minor deficit before scoring all of the team’s total output in the top of the second inning. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out on the board. Delaney Smith would then tie the game with a single to centerfield before Gracie Morton hit an opposite field grand slam right down the left field line to take a 5-1 advantage.
The Skyhawks chipped away at the four-run margin in the bottom of the third. Clark would once again lead off the inning – this time with a single – before swiping her second of three bases on the day to record her 30th stolen bases of the season. UT Martin would ultimately load the bases after Bivens was hit by a pitch setting up Fulcher for a sacrifice fly to left field. With one run home in the inning, Garst notched a RBI single with a shot down the third base line trimming the deficit to two runs.
UT Martin added another run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a one-run contest after a sacrifice fly by Short. The Skyhawks would threaten again in the bottom of the seventh, placing runners on second and third with just one out but could not get the potential tying run home to score.
Game 49: UT Martin 2, Memphis 0
Much like in the first game of the day, the Skyhawks scored their runs in the first inning without the benefit of a base hit. A leadoff walk and steal by Clark put a runner in scoring position early in the inning before Garst drew a walk to place runners at first and second. A pair of sacrifice bunt attempts not only moved the runners into scoring position, but scored Clark on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Bivens. After another stolen base, the Skyhawks added their second run on a RBI sacrifice fly by Fulcher to make it a 2-0 contest.
The Tigers would tally a pair of base hits in both the third and fifth to challenge the Skyhawks but Gallagher would shut the door to secure the shutout victory to close out non-conference play.
UT Martin will return to action with a four-game road swing beginning on Friday, April 26 against Jacksonville State.
LIPSCOMB 1, AUSTIN PEAY 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University trailed zeros on the scoreboard for six innings with Lipscomb, Tuesday afternoon at Draper Diamond, but couldn’t make it a seventh, as the Govs fell to the Bisons, 1-0.
The Govs (23-18) pitching staff of Morgan Rackel and Kelly Mardones had held the Bisons scoreless over the first six innings, scattering six hits and a walk, but Lipscomb (32-13-1) put together four straight singles in the bottom of the seventh – which including a bunt and two bloop-hits just over the infield -- to set up the game-winning run.
Austin Peay did have a couple of chances to get on the board earlier in the game, with Carly Mattson opening the fifth inning with a double off the fence in left field and Danielle Liermann opening the seventh with a double off the fence in right-center, but both time the Govs weren’t able to come up with the big second hit of the inning to drive the runner in.
Rackel was the only other base runner for the Govs in the contest, reaching to a two-out walk in the top of the second inning.
ALABAMA 6, BELMONT 4
CULLMAN, Ala. - Belmont University Softball nearly pulled off its biggest upset in the Division I era on the road Tuesday night. The Bruins (26-19) used a late surge to nearly topple No. 3 Alabama (46-4) in the Clash at Cullman neutral site game. The Crimson Tide were able to hold on for the 6-4 win.
The Bruins cancelled the idea of a no hitter in the top half of the opening inning, thanks to a 2-out single up the middle by freshman Audrey Lyle (Westlake, Ohio). She pushed senior Hayley Baker (Rockwall, Texas) to second base with her hit. Unfortunately, neither was able to get around the bases to score. The Crimson Tide took an early lead in their half of the same frame, using a wild pitch to send a runner home. However, junior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) fanned three consecutive batters to end the inning.
Alabama went on to post a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning and expanded its lead to 5-0 with a trio of runners crossing the plate in its half of the third. In the top of the fourth frame, Belmont started aggressively at the plate. Lyle and junior Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) knocked back-to-back singles to open their half of the frame. Sophomore Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) loaded the bases for the Bruins with a single up the middle. However, the Crimson Tide used force outs to keep BU from crossing the plate.
The Bruins had another scoring opportunity in the top of the sixth frame. Lyle reaches on four balls and was moved to second base on a wild pitch. Lee was hit by a pitch and senior Chelsea Thomas (Hot Springs, Ark.) loaded the bases with a 2-out walk. However, BU was unable to get any of them over the plate as a pop up ended the late surge. Alabama was able to add one more run to take a 6-0 lead.
BU was finally able to make a dent on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh. Sophomore Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas) was walked and was pushed to second base with a single to right by senior Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.). Baker followed with a double to left to send Belmont's first run over the plate. The runs continued to roll in for the Bruins as a groundout sent another runner over the plate. Suddenly Lee unleashed a 2-out two-run homerun to left to move BU within striking distance, 6-4. However, that would be as close as the visitors would come, falling by the same score with the third out recorded.
For the day, Lyle batted .667 going 2-for-3 at the plate while Cook batted .500 going 2-for-4.
Inside the circle, Lee and Veltri split time, combining for eight strikeouts.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday with a stop on the road at Eastern Illinois for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. Live stats will be available and an audiocast will also be available.
MISSOURI 4, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3; MISSOURI 4, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (35-14) led early in both games, but dropped a doubleheader to Southeastern Conference member Missouri (29-18), 4-3, 4-1, Tuesday.
Addison Barnouski hit a three-run home run for SEMO's only scoring in the top of the first inning during game one.
Mykaela Arellanes led off the game with a single to center. With two on and two out after Claudia Gallo and Rachel Anderson each hit into a fielder's choice, and Ashley Ellis walked, Barnouski slugged her seventh home run of the season and SEMO's Ohio Valley Conference high 59th of 2019.
Both teams went hitless for the next four innings.
Trailing, 3-1, Jazmyn Rollin ended the drought with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the sixth. Immediately following a single by Hatti Moore, Kim Wert blasted a two-run home run to give the Tigers a 4-3 edge.
SEMO had just two hits, both of which came in the first inning. Mizzou pitchers retired 17 of the 19 Redhawk hitters the rest of the way.
Madi Norman (14-7) picked up the win tossing six innings with seven strikeouts. Norman gave up three runs on two hits and walked two, as well. Eli Daniel earned the save, her seventh of the season.
Haley Thogmartn (16-7) took the loss. Thogmartin allowed four runs on five hits, struck out three and walked two in five innings of work.
Shortstop Sarah Messex made her 200th career start against the Tigers in game one.
SEMO again scored first in the nightcap. Arellanes reached on a leadoff double to center and came around to give the Redhawks a 1-0 lead on an error.
Mizzou quickly tied the game on a two-out RBI-single by Emma Raabe in the bottom of the first.
The Tigers added two more runs on a pair of two-out hits in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kolby Romaine and Kendyll Bailey had those hits to increase Mizzou's lead to 3-1.
An inning later, Brooke Wilmes hit a home run to right to complete the scoring.
Cassie Gasper (11-5) gave up only one run on four hits and recorded eight strikeouts in six innings. Daniel tossed a scoreless seventh inning to get another save.
Mizzou outhit SEMO, 9-4. Messex went 2-for-2 with a double to lead the Redhawks.
SEMO returns to Ohio Valley Conference action when it travels to Tennessee Tech for a doubleheader Friday.