FRIDAY'S SCORES
SIUE 4, @Tennessee State 3
Southeast Missouri 7, @Tennessee Tech 0
@Jacksonville State 2, UT Martin 1
@Eastern Illinois 2, Belmont 1
SIUE 4, TENNESSEE STATE 3
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - SIUE scored four runs to upend the host Tennessee State, 4-3, Friday afternoon. . That meant a series win for SIUE.
SIUE, 2-9 overall and 2-1 in the OVC, took advantage of a first-inning miscue as Zoe Schafer reached on an error that brought home Ava Bieneman. Lexi King would make it 2-0 by scoring on a wild pitch from TSU reliever Raven Loveless.
After Tennessee State, 5-9 overall and 1-5 in the OVC, cut the lead in the second inning, SIUE added another run as Amber Storer singled ome Mia Haynes in the third inning.
TSU tallied another run in the fourth, but SIUE made it 4-2 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Rachel Quaritsch. That brought home Kylie Lane.
Kennedy Lehn earned the win in relief and is 1-1. Emily Ingles threw the final 1 1/3 innings and picked up the save.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 2, UT MARTIN 1
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - It took Jacksonville State 10 innings, but the Gamecocks picked up a drama-filled 2-1 win over UT Martin to open a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at University Field.
The Gamecocks (4-9, 3-1 OVC) broke up a no-hitter in the seventh to extend the game with the Skyhawks, rode an impressive pitching performance from senior Nicole Rodriguez and scored on a two-out error in the 10th to hand the Skyhawks (9-5, 1-3 OVC) the defeat.
Rodriguez (2-1) had stellar control over her career-long 10-inning outing, holding the Skyhawks to a run on seven hits over the complete game. She didn't issue a walk and struck out nine in a game that saw her throw 105 of her 141 pitches for strikes.
The Skyhawks struck first in the top of the fourth, when Kaitlyn Kelly's line drive on the first pitch bounced off and over the top of the fence in right center field to give UTM a 1-0 lead.
The Gamecocks couldn't get anything going offensively over the first six innings and entered the seventh without recording a hit against UTM starter Erin Gallagher. Megan Fortner drew a one-out walk, setting the stage for what would be the first dramatic moment for JSU.
Jada Terry lifted a 1-2 pitch into deep left-center field, where it fell just short of clearing the wall. Pinch runner Keeli Bobbitt scored easily from first on Terry's double, tying the game and sending it into extra innings.
Neither team threatened in the eighth, and the Gamecocks had a threat in the ninth, but the lead runner was thrown out rounding third on a play at first to send the game to the 10th.
The Skyhawks seemed to be poised to reclaim the lead in the 10th, but back-to-back calls of the batter stepping out of the box during the swing negated a double and a grounder and brought JSU to the plate again with a chance to win it in the home half of the inning.
Karsen Mosley and Alexus Jimmerson led off the inning with back-to-back singles and Caroline Lively bunted them over to set up runners at second and third with one out. A strike out of pinch hitter Lindsey Richardson brought up Savannah Sudduth. UTM third baseman Kallie Pickens couldn't get Sudduth's two hopper out of her glove in time to make a throw, allowing Mosley to score the game winning run.
Gallagher threw 6 and 1/3 innings of one-hit softball before being pulled after Terry's game-tying hit. She struck out five and walked two. Alexis Groet (2-1) suffered the loss in relief, surrendering a run on three hits in 3 and 1/3 innings in the circle. She struck out three.
UTM's Shyanne Sheffield was 3-for-4 to lead the Skyhawks at the plate.
The Gamecocks and Skyhawks will wrap up the three-game series on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at University Field. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and admission is free for JSU Students and all fans ages 18 and under.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, @TENNESSEE TECH 0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri’s offense struck quickly to take a 7-0 victory over the Tennessee Tech softball team on Friday in its first home action since 2019, but the day’s second game remains in doubt as field conditions from persistent rain forced the suspension of the second contest.
The visiting Redhawks lead game two 4-1 in the top of the fourth inning. Tentatively, the game is expected to be picked back up at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Tech Softball Field, with the third and final game of the set to be played afterwards.
Rain is expected to continue off and on through the night with an 81-percent chance of rain at 10 a.m. and afternoon showers in the forecast.
The suspended contest is left off in the top of fourth with pinch runner Kimmy Wallen at second and Alyson Tucker at first with two down for Kynzie Wrigley at the plate, facing a 0-0 count.
SEMO picked up a two-run home run from Kaylee Anderson in the first inning, bringing home Jillian Anderson along the way. After a scoreless second, the Redhawks tagged the scoreboard for two more runs as Jillian Anderson drove in Wrigley with a single through short, then Kaylee Anderson hit her second homer of the game, a solo shot off the batter’s eye in straight-away center.
Tech scored its lone run of the day as Chandler Caldwell scored on a throwback to the circle, the errant throw missing the pitcher and sailing into the outfield.
The day started with a 7-0 defeat, a 25-minute delay to the first pitch of the contest, then another two-and-a-half hour delay slowing down the pace of play.
It didn’t stop SEMO’s bats though as Rachel Anderson and Ashley Ellis both drove in two runs, while Rachel Anderson and Wallen both collected two hits. Only one of the Redhawks’ starting nine did not collect a hit in the contest.
Karsyn Davis put SEMO’s first run on the board in the top of the first, driving in Kaylee Anderson with a single up the middle. Jillian Anderson made it 2-0 in the second as she grounded into an unassisted fielder’s choice at second, allowing Wallen to score.
The Redhawks plated five runs in the fifth as Ellis hit a two-run homer to left, Wrigley collected an RBI double to left center to score Wallen, then Rachel Anderson drilled a single up the middle to plate two more.
Paytience Holman picked up her first win of the season, yielding just two hits to the Golden Eagles, while walking and striking out two. Kendall Durard had the tough-luck loss, starting in the circle as she allowed two runs on four hits, while walking three over 2 2/3 innings. Alyssa Arden allowed four runs on five hits over two frames with one strikeout, while Callie Piper pitched the final 2 1/3, allowing one run on one hit with one walk.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, BELMONT 1
CHARLESTON, Ill. - – In a game the featured some clutch pitching by both starting pitchers, it was one key hit in the first inning that proved to be the difference in Eastern Illinois 2-1 win over Belmont on Friday night at Williams Field.
Haley Mitchell connected for a two-run home run that scored Mia Davis as she hit her sixth home run of the season over the centerfield fence with two outs in the bottom of the first. The home run stood up as EIU improved to 11-4 overall, 4-0 in the OVC. Belmont fell to 5-8 overall, 1-3 in the OVC.
The Bruins took the lead in the top of the first as Cheyenne Cavanaugh singled to lead off the game and stole second. She would come around to score on a ground out by Abi Ledbetter which turned into a double play as Mitchell threw across the diamond and Audrey Lyle was tagged out at third after Cavanaugh crossed.
Entering the game EIU starter Jade Montgomery had walked only three batters all season. On Friday night she struggled with her control issuing eight free passes. The senior settled down when the Panthers needed her to as she pitched out of two bases loaded situations to improve to 5-3 on the year. Aniya Holt made a driving grab on a ball hit hard in the third base hole while Montgomery got a fly out to end the other bases loaded situation. Belmont would strand 11 runners on base in the game.
Alicia Veltri went the distance for Belmont falling to 3-5 on the year. She would pitch out of several jams as the Panthers left seven runners on base with five of those in scoring position.
Davis and Amber Cieplinski each had two hits to lead EIU. Cavanaugh had two hits to lead Belmont.