FRIDAY'S SCORES
Kennesaw State 6,
Southeast Missouri 4
Southeast Missouri 16, Purdue Fort Wayne 15 (9)
North Alabama 9,
Tennessee State 1
Tulsa 2,
Tennessee State 0
Tennessee Tech 11, Indiana State 3
Bowling Green 3,
Tennessee Tech 1
Jacksonville State 10, Delaware State 0
Coastal Carolina 8,
Jacksonville State 6
Murray State 2, @Northwestern State 0
Murray State 11, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3
Eastern Kentucky 6,@Winthrop 1
UNC Greensboro 8,
Eastern Kentucky 3
@Belmont 7, Western Michigan 2
Austin Peay 4, Evansville 2
@South Alabama 8,
Austin Peay 2
SIUE 5, Southern 1
SIUE 7, @Alcorn State 1
KENNESAW STATE 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 16, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 15
TROY, Ala.– Southeast Missouri (1-1) split two games in the opening day of the Troy University Tournament Friday. The Redhawks fell to Kennesaw State (5-0), 6-4, and beat Purdue Fort Wayne (0-4), 16-15, in extra innings.
SEMO pounded out 19 hits and slugged five home runs en route to getting its first win of the season in extra innings. The Redhawks and PFW combined for 31 runs, 37 hits and eight home runs. A total of 28 runs were scored between the two teams in the final five innings. The marathon game lasted 3:45.
The Redhawks held a 12-6 lead going into the bottom of the seventh when PFW scored six runs to send the game to extra innings. The Mastadons used a two-run home run Morganne Denny to tie the game with two outs.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, SEMO pulled ahead, 14-12, with the help of a sacrifice bunt RBI by Madison Harris and a sacrifice fly by Austine Pauley in the top of the eighth.
However, PFW hit another home run, this time a two-run shot by Olivia Stansbury to tie the game again in the bottom half of the inning.
Ashley Emert smacked a two-RBI double to put SEMO ahead, 16-14, in the ninth.
The Mastadons scored once more in the ninth, but Kaylee Anderson struck out Stansbury to nail down her first win of the season. Anderson struck out three in 3.1 innings.
Offensively, Pauley and Rachel Anderson each went 4-for-5 with a home run. Pauley had two runs and two RBI, and R. Anderson knocked in three runs and scored three times, as well.
Ellis went 3-for-6 with three runs scored, two home runs and four RBI. K. Anderson also added three hits.
SEMO had two runners on and the go-ahead run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, but came up short in a 6-4 season-opening loss to Kennesaw State.
The Redhawks pushed across two runs when they loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth.
Harris was hit by a pitch and Chelsy Pena walked. Anna Griffin followed with a pinch-hit double down the right field line and Harris scored. Pauley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Gallo then drew a two-out walk and Pena scored to make it a 6-4 game. SEMO left the bases loaded after R. Anderson grounded out to second.
SEMO threatened again during its final at-bat when Ellis and Harris walked with one out. Emert fouled out and Rachael Donald lined out as KSU held on for the win.
The Redhawks scored their first run of the season in the bottom of the first inning.
KSU quickly tied things up in the top of the second and tacked on three more runs in the third to take a 5-1 lead. The Owls had four hits in the inning off freshman pitcher Paytience Holman.
Taylor Cates hit a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning for the Owls final run of the game.
Lindsey Kyte (2-0) was credited with the win in relief. Kyte struck out three in 2.1 innings. Kristen Davis picked up the save.
Holman (0-1) allowed five runs on five hits, struck out two and walked five in three innings during her first career start.
SEMO had just three hits, two of which went for extra bases. Anderson, the Redhawks all-time career leader in triples, posted her 25thtriple. Griffin doubled for the other extra base knock.
The Redhawks left nine runners on base.
Cates went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI to lead KSU, which had seven hits. The Owls stranded 10 baserunners.
SEMO resumes play at the Troy University Tournament against Southern Mississippi and host Troy Saturday.
TENNESSEE TECH 11, INDIANA STATE 3; BOWLING GREEN 3, TENNESSEE TECH 1
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Friday’s games were a complete contrast for the Tennessee Tech softball team. Against Indiana State, the Golden Eagles saw their offense explode for 11 runs, taking an 11-3 victory over the Sycamores to open the Chattanooga Challenge.
In the second game, Tech (5-2) was only able to muster a solo home run as Bowling Green’s first outing of the season quieted the Golden Eagles’ bats in a 3-1 defeat in the second game.
Alyssa Arden (W, 3-0) earned the victory as she allowed just one earned run among three total on six hits, walking five and striking out seven.
Her effort was cushioned as the Golden Eagles struck for six runs in the opening frame, bolstered by five hits and three Sycamore errors. Raleigh Lewis, the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week, drove in Tech’s first run with bases-loaded single to left to score Sydney Love-Baker. Beth McCulley and Paxton Grimes scored on a throwing error at second, then Alexis Trimiar drove in Jessie Lowery on a single up the middle.
Shelby Penning had an infield single back to the pitcher, then an error at short on a Love-Baker grounder on her second appearance of the inning, allowed Trimiar and Penning to score.
Indiana State put up two runs in the bottom of the second with two bases-loaded walks.
The Golden Eagles answered with two more scores in the fourth as Lewis picked up her second RBI of the day – and 11th of the season – on a double to left field. Lowery then hit into a sacrifice grounder to short, bringing home Nicolle Nysted.
Tech forced the run rule in the sixth inning as Nysted and Penning each had bases-loaded walks to drive in runs – the sixth for the Golden Eagles this season – and a fielder’s choice on a KaDedra Temple grounder to short allowed both the freshman to reach and Lowery to score.
Arielle Blankenship took the loss for ISU, allowing 10 runs – six earned – on nine hits as she walked four and struck out two in 5 1/3 innings. Peyton Ottersbach worked the final two-thirds, allowing a run on three walks.
In the second game of the day, a run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth spoiled a solid outing for Haeli Bryson as the sophomore went six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits as she walked one and struck out a career-high six batters.
Any other day and that might have been enough to earn the victory, but Bowling Green freshman Payton Gottshall had nearly every Tech batter flummoxed – all but Trimiar, who drove in Tech’s lone run with her second home run of the season in the top of the fifth.
In all, Gottshall struck out 17 batters, the most in a Tech game since April 16, 2011, when the Golden Eagles struck out 20 times against Southeastern Conference foe Kentucky. Gottshall walked one and yielded the lone hit in the complete-game effort. Trimiar’s home run broke a nine-batter strikeout string.
The Golden Eagles continue action in the Chattanooga Challenge on Saturday as they take on Western Kentucky at 10 a.m. Central, followed by a nightcap against Marshall at 3 p.m.
NORTH ALABAMA 9, TENNESSEE STATE 1; TULSA 2, TENNESSEE STATE 0
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Tennessee State softball team was held in check on day one of the Bulldog Kickoff Classic. The Tigers fell to North Alabama 9-1 in five innings before being shutout, 2-0, by Tulsa.
TSU would put together seven hits in five innings of play in the opener, but was unable to push across more than one run as they left seven runners on base. Defensively, the Tigers were not able to take care of starter Abbey Woodall who surrendered five unearned runs in the second inning.
The freshman hurler recorded two outs in the top of the second, but the Big Blue committed two errors to allow UNA to continue the frame. The Lions took advantage and recorded three consecutive hits to plate four runs, chasing Woodall in the second and tagging her with the loss.
The Lions added four runs off reliever Raven Loveless to close out the game in five innings.
In game two, Lauren Powell dropped her third consecutive heartbreaking loss as she allowed two runs on four hits. The Tigers were held to three hits, but were able to place runners on base in each of the final five innings.
TSU fell to 1-5 on the season, while UNA and Tulsa improved to 5-0.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 10, DELAWARE STATE 0; COASTAL CAROLINA 8, JACKSONVILLE STATE 6
CONWAY, S.C. - The Jacksonville State softball team rolled to a 10-0 win over Delaware State to start play on Friday before falling to host Coastal Carolina 8-6 on the first day of the Battle at the Beach.
Junior Reagan Watkins and sophomore Lexi Androlevich combined for a three-hit shutout in the five-inning win over DSU, getting 10 runs on 11 hits from her offense. In the loss to the Chanticleers, freshman Megan Fortner belted her first two career homers and JSU's first home runs of the season to cap a day that saw her drive in eight total runs.
DSU never got a runner past first base against JSU's pitching staff. Watkins (1-0) earned the win after limiting the Hornets to two hits and a walk, while striking out four. Androlevich struck out the side in a scoreless fifth inning to close the door on Delaware State.
Junior Jada Terry and sophomore Sidney Wagnon each recorded two hits in the win, with Fortner driving in four runs in a 1-for-1 showing at the plate. The native of Cedar Hill, Mo., had a two-run single, a sac fly and a bases-loaded walk against the Hornets. Wagnon and sophomore Karsen Mosley each doubled in the game.
Fortner's sac fly and an RBI single from Watkins put two early runs on the board for JSU in the first, while RBI from Fortner and Terry made it a 4-0 game in the second. A four-run third was highlighted by Fortner's two-run single that was sandwiched between RBI from Terry and Maddie Clay. Mosley's two-run double in the fourth put the final two runs up.
Andrea Johnson suffered the loss for DSU, allowing eight runs, three earned, on nine hits in 2 and 2/3 innings in the circle.
The second game of the day started with a pitcher's duel that saw no runs scored over the first three frames. JSU's Macey Bearden and CCU's Kaitlin Beasley Polko posted zeroes until the Chanticleers got on the board in the home half of the fourth with two unearned runs.
The Gamecocks answered in the fifth with four runs to take the lead, thanks to RBI from Mosley and senior Alexus Jimmerson and Fortner's first career homer.
The lead didn't hold, after Coastal Carolina scored four of its own in the bottom half of the inning and then added two more in the sixth to make it an 8-4 game.
Fortner's second home run of the game came with two outs in the seventh, cutting the deficit in half.
Bearden (0-2) suffered the loss for JSU after allowing seven runs, four earned, on nine hits in 5 and 1/3 innings of work. Jimmerson got the final two outs, allowing a run on two hits in the process.
Ally Marcano (1-0) earned the win in relief for CCU, limiting the Gamecocks to two runs on two hits in 2 and 1/3 innings.
JSU will continue play in the tournament on Saturday, when they take on Northern Illinois at 8:30 a.m. CT and then College of Charleston at 3:15 p.m.
MURRAY STATE 2, NORTHWESTERN STATE 0; MURRAY STATE 11, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 3
NATCHITOCHES, La. -The Murray State softball team picked up a pair of wins Friday as they opened play in the 2020 Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission Lady Demon Classic at the Lady Demon Diamond in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The Racers began the day with a 2-0 win over host Northwestern State, followed by an 11-3, six-inning win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in game two.
Game 1 – Murray St. 2, Northwestern St. 0
Hannah James threw a complete game shutout and Sierra Gilmore had the game-winning home run as Murray State topped the host Demons in the opener Friday.
Murray State was only able to wrest six hits away from Northwestern State pitcher Bronte Rhoden, but it was Gilmores hit in the fourth that ended up being the only one that mattered. Logan Braundmeier led off the fourth frame with a single up the middle and was brought home in the very next at bat on Gilmore's third home run in the first six games of the season.
In the circle, James dealt. The sophomore allowed just three hits over the full seven innings with no walks and four strikeouts. The win lifts James to a 3-1 record on the season and is her third complete game shutout in four starts. Braundmeier ended the day at 2-for-3, while Lexi Jones was 2-for-3, as well.
Game 2 – Murray St. 11, Ark.-Pine Bluff 3 (6 Inn.)
Murray State recorded just four hits in the contest, but was able to push 11 runs across the plate thanks to four errors and 14 walks by Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Racers fell behind in the first inning of the day's finale, 2-0, but a five-spot in the bottom of the opening frame put the Racers ahead and allowed them to never look back.
Abby Shoulders tied Lauren Buch's nine-year old record in the contest by recording four walks on an official 0-for-0 performance with two runs. Lexi Jones was one of four Racers to get a hit in the contest when she recorded her second home run of the season in the fourth.
In the circle, Taylor Makowsky moved to 2-0 on the season by allowing just one earned run on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks over five innings of work. Jenna Veber finished the game for MSU and gave up no hits or runs with one strikeout over the final inning of play.
The 5-2 Racers return to action in Natchitoches Saturday with Northwestern State at 1:30 p.m., followed by Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 4 p.m.
BELMONT 7, WESTERN MICHIGAN 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont University Softball handed first year head coach Megan Smith her first win in convincing fashion at E.S. Rose Park on Friday afternoon. The Bruins (1-0) knocked off Western Michigan (1-5), 7-2, battling against steadily dropping below the freezing mark as the contest went on.
It was the Broncos who made a mark on the scoreboard in the top of the first but BU came storming back it its half of the second frame, notching three runs. Senior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) was walked and advanced to second before freshman Kristen Green (Buchanan, Ga.) used a double to left to send her home. Classmate Abi Ledbetter (Livingston, Tenn.) followed with a double of her own to send her classmate over the plate. A hrd hit single by junnior Elison Ollinger (Robins, Iowa) was enough to secure a third run and give Belmont a lead that it never relinquished down the stretch.
WMU scored a run inthe top of the third but the Bruins repeated their earlier feat in the bottom of the fourth inning, again posting three runs. A throwing error assisted Ledbetter in reaching second base before a wild pitch moved her into scoring position. Ollinger sent a double screaming down the left line to notch BU's first run. A pair of walks for junior Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas) and sophomore Audrey Lyle (Westlake, Ohio) loaded the bases before Lee reached on four balls to send a runner over the plate.
For the day, Cavanaugh went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double. Green and Ollinger both went 2-for-4 while Lyle smacked her first homerun of the season.
Senior Brittany Kennett (Melbourne, Australia) went the distance inside the circle, logging nine strikeouts.
BU returns to action on Saturday the second day of the Bruin Challenge. Belmont takes on Western Michigan at 12:30 p.m. Live stats will be available for the contest.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 6, WINTHROP 1; UNC GREENSBORO 8, EASTERN KENTUCKY 3
ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team split a pair of contests on the opening day of the Winthrop Tournament
The Colonels knocked off the host Winthrop, 6-1, before falling to UNC Greensboro, 8-3, in the second game.
In game one, the Colonels hit three home runs and scored the first six runs of the game to cruise to a game one win.
The Colonels (4-2) wasted no time in the first inning, freshman Ariyana Miranda sent her second home run of the season over the left field fence to give Eastern the early 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, Mollie Paulick hit her first home run of the season over the right center field fence to give the Colonels a 2-0 lead over the Eagles.
Zoe Mihalicz got things started in the top of the third with a single through the left side. Mihalicz advanced to third after a ground out by Carly Robinson. Vianna Barron drove in her first run of her career with a single down the left field line to bring home Mihalicz and give Eastern the 3-0 lead.
To start the fifth inning, Sammi Miller drew a leadoff walk and Miranda sent the first pitch she saw over the center field fence for her second home run of the game to give the Colonels a 5-0 lead.
Grazie Frazier drove in the final run of the game with a single into right field in the top of the seventh.
Winthrop (2-4) scored after a RBI single by Isabella Clark in the bottom of the seventh.
Molly Paulick (1-1) picked up her first win of the season tossing a complete game and striking out a season-high 12 batters.
Miranda went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs. Barron was 3-for-4 with one RBI.
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In game two, Greensboro scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead and not look back.
Eastern got on the board in the top of the third.
Miranda Lopez started the inning with a double down the left field line to put a runner in scoring position. After a Melissa Jacobsen infield single put runners on the corners with no one out, Jacobsen stole second drawing a throw allowing Lopez to steal home and get the Colonels on the board.
UNCG (3-2) answered back in the bottom half. With two outs in the inning back-to-back hits by Delaney Cumbie and Jasmine Palmer pushed the Spartan league to 3-1.
The Colonels answered back in the top of the fourth. A leadoff walk by Robinson followed by a single by Barron put runners on first and second with no one out. Jackie Mercado took a 3-2 pitch into left field to bring home Amanda Sjoberg to cut into the lead, 3-2.
Again, Greensboro responded. Hannah Kincer sent a pitch over the left center field wall to push the UNCG lead back to 4-2.
UNCG scored four more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Robinson hit her third home run of the year to make the score 8-3.
Barron went 2-for-3 with a double. Robinson went 1-for-2 with a walk and a home run.
EKU will be back in action on Saturday when the Colonels take on Towson and Boston. First pitch against Towson is scheduled for 10 a.m.
SIUE 7, SOUTHERN 1; SIUE 7, ALCORN STATE 1
VICKBURG, Miss. - Emily Ingles and Kennedy Lehn threw complete games Friday as SIUE softball opened the 2020 season with a sweep over Southern and Alcorn State at the Alcorn State Tournament.
SIUE, 2-0, defeated Southern 5-1 and followed up with a 7-1 win over host Alcorn State.
Ingles struck out eight batters in her season debut. The Cougars used a two-run homer by Zoe Schafer in the third inning to pace the offense.
Kennedy Lehn made her collegiate debut in the nightcap, scattering seven hits.
Schafer and Reagan Curtis each had two RBIs against Alcorn State. SIUE had six hits.
SIUE continues play in the Alcorn State Tournament with a pair of games Saturday. The Cougars face Southern at 11 a.m. and Jackson State at 1:30 p.m.