SUNDAY'S SCORES
UNLV 9,
SIUE 4
SIUE 5, St. Francis (Pa.) 4
Eastern Kentucky 6, Brown 0
Eastern Kentucky 1, UNC Wilmington 0
Southern Miss 13,
Morehead State 2 (5)
@Central Arkansas 10,
Morehead State 2 (5)
Virginia 9,
Tennessee Tech 2
USC Upstate 3,
Tennessee Tech 2
North Alabama 6,
Murray State 0
Eastern Illinois 10, Northern Kentucky 6
Northwestern State 9,
Jacksonville State 1
McNeese State 9,
Jacksonville State 1 (6)
Southeast Missouri 2, South Carolina State 0
@Georgia 8,
Austin Peay 0 (6)
Wright State 14,
@UT Martin 11 (8)
UT Martin 5, Purdue Fort Wayne 2
@Tennessee State 3, Rider 2
UNLV 9, SIUE 4; SIUE 5, ST. FRANCIS (PA) 4
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – SIUE softball split its two early morning games Sunday at the Frost Classic and leaves the tournament with a 7-1 overall record.
The Cougars took their first loss of the season in Sunday's opening, dropping a 9-4 contest to UNLV. In the second game, SIUE rebounded for a 5-4 victory over St. Francis (Pa.).
Emily Ingles improved to 4-0 in the circle with the win over St. Francis (Pa.). She fanned eight and allowed just five hits.
The Cougars and St. Francis were tied 2-2 in the fourth when Alana Cobb-Adams stepped to the plate and blasted a solo home run down the right field line. It was her second home run of the season out of the leadoff spot in the lineup.
SIUE would add two more runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Conner Cutright and a squeeze bunt by Amber Storer.
St. Francis came back with two runs in the sixth off a home run by Jordan Frank, but Ingles prevailed in the end.
In Sunday's opening game, UNLV handed SIUE its first loss behind three RBIs from Maddie Schmidt and two from Justin Federe.
Starter Lexi King (1-1) took the loss for the Cougars. Jenny Bressler earned the win for UNLV with Chalrie Masterson grabbing the save with 2 1/3 innings without allowing a run.
SIUE finished with seven hits in the game, including two from Cobb-Adams and the fourth home run of the season by Zoe Schafer.
SIUE now heads to Nashville, Tennessee, for the Purple & Gold Challenge. The Cougars are set to play host Lipscomb twice, UMBC twice and Indiana State once Feb. 28-March 1.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 6, BROWN 0; EASTERN KENTUCKY 1, UNC WILMINGTON 0
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Eastern Kentucky University softball team used strong pitching on Sunday to sweep a pair of contests and push its winning streak to eight games.
Eastern beat Brown in game one, 6-0, before knocking off host UNC Wilmington in game two, 1-0, in eight innings.
In game one, Eastern struck for four runs in the first and two runs in the sixth to roll past Brown.
With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Zoe Mihalicz got things started with an infield single. After a Carly Robinson walk put runners on first and second, Mattira Morales singled down the left field line to bring home Mihalicz to give the Colonels a 1-0 lead. Vianna Barron wasted no time adding on to that lead sending the first pitch she saw over the left field fence to give Eastern the 4-0 lead after one inning.
Eastern Kentucky (12-2) added on in the sixth after Jaqueline Mercado took a 1-0 pitch into the right center gap to bring home Barron and Gabriela De La Cerda to extend the EKU lead to 6-0.
Tori Peterson (1-0) went the distance in the circle going seven innings, striking out three and only allowing four hits.
Barron went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBIs. Mercado chipped in 1-for-1 with two RBIs off the bench.
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In game two, the Colonels used a run in the top of the eighth inning to knock off host UNC Wilmington.
In the top of the eighth inning with the international softball rule, both teams start with a runner on second base. Mihalicz advanced Ariyana Miranda to third after a sac bunt. Robinson brought her home with a sac fly to left field to give Eastern the 1-0 lead.
UNC Wilmington (2-11) started with an infield single to put runners on first and second with no one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. Emily Langkamp then advanced both runners after a sac bunt, putting the winning run on second base and the tying run at third.
Mollie Paulick (5-1) struck out the next two batters to secure the teams’ eighth straight victory.
Paulick tossed six and one-third innings with 11 strikeouts. Samantha Reynoso started and tossed one and one-third innings allowing one hit and striking out two.
The two pitchers combined to let up four hits while recording 13 strikeouts over eight innings.
Barron went 3-for-4. Robinson went 2-for-3 with the lone RBI of the game.
The Colonels are off to their best start in the programs history.
Eastern hits the road next weekend to Montgomery, Alabama for the ASU Invitational. First pitch against Nicholls State University is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday.
VIRGINIA 9, TENNESSEE TECH 2; USC UPSTATE 3, TENNESSEE TECH 2
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After winning its first two games at the Wings Etc. Classic, the Tennessee Tech softball team took two tough losses on Sunday, falling 9-2 against Atlantic Coast Conference foe Virginia, then a close 3-2 battle against tournament host USC Upstate in the finale.
Tech leaves Spartanburg with an 8-6 record as the Golden Eagles get set for next week’s Buccaneer Classic against Tennessee, Bowling Green and host East Tennessee State.
Against the Cavaliers (8-5), Tech yielded four home runs, including three in a five-run fifth inning. Haeli Bryson (3-4) went 4 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs – seven earned – on 10 hits. Kendall Durard closed out the final 2 2/3, giving up a run on three hits with a strikeout.
Tech collected six hits, with Beth McCulley going 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Nicolle Nysted drove in the other run.
The Golden Eagles fared much better against tournament host USC Upstate (12-2). Tech took a 1-0 lead in the third inning as Sydney Love-Baker led off with a double down the right field line. A grounder from Jessie Lowery allowed Love-Baker to advance to third, then Bryson’s grounder to short gave room for Love-Baker to score.
Upstate scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth as Tiffany Domingue hit a two-run home run. Love-Baker knotted the game up with a solo shot in the top of the fifth. The Spartans retook the lead as Savannah Grigsby drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly.
Alyssa Arden (5-2) went six innings, allowing three runs – two earned – on four hits, while walking one and striking out three. Upstate starter Celine Sullivan lasted two innings, allowing a run on two hits, walking two and striking out four. Reliever Erin Hill earned the win, her fourth of the season, allowing one run on three hits over five frames, walking one and striking out three.
NORTH ALABAMA 6, MURRAY STATE 0
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Racers had just one game on the schedule for the final day of the Stinger Classic - a second weekend meeting with the Lions of North Alabama. A solid UNA pitching performance stymied the Racer bats as Murray State fell to UNA 6-0 on Sunday afternoon in Montgomery, Alabama.
Two freshman pitchers received the starting nod in the circle with Jenna Veber getting the ball for Murray State and Maci Birdyshaw handling the pitching duties for North Alabama.
Both answered the call like experienced veterans, however, as the two traded opportunities cruising through opposing lineups on a cloudy afternoon in Montgomery.
The game would not see its first run until the top of the sixth, when defensive mistakes proved costly for the Racers. Back-to-back UNA batters reached via errors to start the inning as the Lions had a runner in scoring position with nobody out. After an ensuing fielder's choice scored one run, a two-run double from Danielle de Ruiter gave the Lions a 3-0 lead after the visiting half of the sixth frame.
Logan Braundmeier broke up the no-hit bid in the bottom half when she opened the inning with a bunt single, while a Lindsey Carroll base hit to follow had the Racers in business with two runners on and nobody out in the bottom of the sixth. Unfortunately, three-straight fly outs would leave the runners stranded as Murray State sill faced a three-run deficit entering the final frame.
A four-hit seventh translated to three insurance runs in the top half for UNA, as Murray State trailed by six runs with just three outs to work with.
Lily Fischer drew a two-out walk to give Murray State a baserunner in the bottom of the seventh, but Birdyshaw went on to retire the final Racer batter and secure a 6-0 victory for North Alabama.
Veber (2-2) would be on the hook for the loss despite a good outing overall that featured just three earned runs over 6.1 innings of work and three strikeouts on the afternoon.
At the plate, Logan Braundmeier (1-3) and Lindsey Carroll (1-3) would be responsible for the two Racer hits in the defeat.
The Racers return to action on Friday when they travel to Carbondale, Illinois for the first of five weekend contests at the Coach B Classic hosted by Southern Illinois.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 10, NORTHERN KENTUCKY 6
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Eastern Illinois played its final game at the Gardner-Webb Tournament this morning against Northern Kentucky. The Panthers swept Northern Kentucky on the weekend as they won 10-6 today. The Panthers are now 7-5 on the season as they head to Athens, Ga., for the 11th Annual Bulldog Classic.
In the last game of the tournament, the Panthers wanted to end on a win before they headed home. The Panthers brought out Hannah Cravens, Taylor Florea, and Jade Montgomery in the circle to get the win.
Northern Kentucky jumped out to an early lead in the first inning with an RBI single. The Norse kept things rolling in the third as they tack on two more runs. The Panthers were able to get the bats going in the fourth inning with a two-run RBI single by Amber Cieplinski.
The Panthers had back to back sacrifice fly's to score Megan Burton and Cieplinski. The Panthers took the lead as they headed into the bottom of the fourth inning.
As they Panthers headed into the sixth inning they were up by one but the Norse's had a home run late in the inning. The Panthers would ultimately win in the eighth inning with Cravens, Kendyl McKeough, and Mia Davis all having RBI's.
The Panthers were led by Montgomery in the circle with four strikeouts and one earned run. Kendyl McKeough led the Panthers at the plate with three hits including a home run.
The Panthers head to Athens, Ga., for the 11th Annual Bulldog Classic to face off against host University of Georgia, Western Carolina, and Boston College.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 0
MONTGOMERY, Ala.– Rachel Rook tossed a one-hit shutout with a career-high 13 strikeouts as Southeast Missouri (8-1) completed play at the Stinger Classic with a 2-0 win over South Carolina State (0-7) Sunday morning.
Rook (2-0) pitched her first complete game of the season and tore apart SCSU's lineup from start to finish.
She struck out the first five hitters she faced and recorded multiple strikeouts in four innings. Rook no-hit the Bulldogs through the first four innings of the game and allowed her only hit on a single in the top of the fifth. Only two runners reached base against Rook, with the other getting on by an error in the seventh.
SEMO gave Rook a lead in the bottom of the first inning when Rachel Anderson reached on a bunt single, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored to make it 1-0.
The Redhawks held their one-run edge until the sixth inning when Kaylee Anderson led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Anna Griffin to complete the victory.
For the tournament, Rook went 2-0 in three appearances and two starts. She struck out 23, allowed only three hits and walked one in 14 scoreless innings. Rook also tossed five innings in a combined shutout against Howard.
SEMO rolled through the Alabama State Stinger Classic with an undefeated 5-0 record. The Redhawks, now on an eight-game winning streak, are off to their best start since 1996. The 1996 team remarkably won its first 32 games that year.
The Redhawks host Kansas City in their home-opener on Feb. 29.
GEORGIA 8, AUSTIN PEAY 0
ATHENS, Ga. - A five-run inning by nationally ranked Georgia put Austin Peay State University’s softball team into an early hole they couldn’t dig out of, Sunday at Jack Turner Stadium on the final day of the 17th Annual Georgia Classic, as the Govs fell to the Bulldogs, 8-0.
The Govs (4-7) were trailing the No. 18/19 nationally ranked Bulldogs 1-0 heading into the second inning when Georgia (13-3) took advantage of four walks and three hits to score five runs to go up 6-0.
The score would remain that way until the bottom of the fifth inning, as Harley Mullins – who had come in to finish the second inning – pitched two and a third innings of shutout relief against the Bulldogs before giving up an unearned run in the fifth.
The Bulldogs would closeout the game with a home run to leadoff the bottom of the sixth inning for the 8-0 final.
Shelby Harpe recorded the only hit for the Govs Sunday, a fifth inning single, with Drew Dudley and Brooke Pfefferle reaching on a couple of hit by pitches for the Governors other base runners in the contest.
WRIGHT STATE 14, UT MARTIN 11; UT MARTIN 5, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team braved the elements on Sunday afternoon to earn a split on the final day of the Huddle House Classic. The Skyhawks fell in extra innings against Wright State (14-11) before capping off the home tournament with a 5-2 win over Purdue Fort Wayne.
The Skyhawks (9-6) played through constant rain on a gloomy day at Bettye Giles Field. Despite the poor playing conditions, UT Martin posted a strong day on offense. The Skyhawks tallied 20 hits on the day while scoring 16 runs.
Junior outfielder Paige Clark posted a strong day with five hits – including her first home run of the season. Senior outfielder Aalia Bivens also recorded a big day with four hits while sophomore infielder Chelsey Gore tallied three hits in the doubleheader. The Skyhawks did benefit from the long ball as the trio of Clark, Kaitlyn Kelley and Chayse Skinner each recorded home runs.
The pitching staff saw its struggles on the day as opponents scored 16 runs. Erin Gallagher (5-2) picked up a win against Purdue Fort Wayne by striking out six and allowing two runs over seven innings of work. Hannah Ridolfi struggled in her start, allowing five earned runs in 2.1 innings while Seeley Layne (2-2) was hit with the loss after allowing three earned runs in 5.2 innings of relief.
Game 14: Wright State 14, UT Martin 11 (Eight Innings)
Wright State jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning as Emily Daniel singled in a runner from third base.
UT Martin fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the second as a leadoff double by Bivens later resulted in the senior coming home via a wild pitch.
The proverbial wheels came off for the Skyhawks in the top of the third inning as Wright State scored nine runs on six hits and two errors in the inning to take a sizable 10-1 lead. A failed run-down scored the first run of the frame before a double by Daniel and a two-run home run by Payton Baxter pushed the visitor’s margin out to five runs. Another error proved costly to plate another run while back-to-back hits by Briana Hutchinson and Grace Gressly capped off the nine-run inning.
Facing an uphill battle, UT Martin began to chip away at the margin in the bottom of the third. A pair of singles by the duo of Emily Alexander and Shyanne Sheffield later resulted in runs as the pair scored on a dropped ball on the potential third out of the inning. The Skyhawks then tallied their third run of the inning with a single to center by Clark to make it a 10-4 contest.
The Skyhawks scraped out another run in the bottom of the fifth inning as Bivens drove in Gore with a single through the left side to trim the deficit to five runs. UT Martin then found the big blast in the bottom of the sixth inning as Skinner blasted a three-run home run – the first of her career – to make it a 10-8 margin.
Trailing by two runs heading into the bottom of the seventh, UT Martin continued to chip away. The Skyhawks would load the bases after a hit-by-pitch and a pair of base hits by Clark and Kenna Garst. With the bases juiced the Skyhawks scored a run on an error before Skinner worked a bases loaded walk to tie the game at 10. Despite the prime scoring opportunity at hand UT Martin could not push the winning run across the plate.
With the international tie-breaker enacted, Wright State scored a pair of runs on back-to-back fielder’s choice plays before a crippling two-run single by Madison Hartman busted the game open to a four-run advantage.
UT Martin pushed across one run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Bivens but could not find the game’s equalizer before falling 14-11.
Game 15: UT Martin 5, Purdue Fort Wayne 2
The Skyhawks looked to strike early in the second game of the day against Purdue Fort Wayne. After a leadoff single by Clark, a RBI-double by Gore gave the Skyhawks an early lead. The team would not be done scoring as Kelley ripped a two-run home run over the wall in left to take a 3-0 lead.
UT Martin wrapped up its scoring day as Clark tallied her fifth hit of the day with a two-run home run down the left field line to make it a 5-0 margin.
A solo home run by Olivia Stansbury served as the lone offensive threat for the Mastodons down the stretch to cut the lead to its final score of 5-2.
UT Martin will return to action with a road matchup at Tennessee on Wednesday, Feb. 26.