TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Southern Illinois 6,
Southeast Missouri 2
UT Martin 14, @Jackson State 3 (5)
UT Marin 12, @Jackson State 0
@Kentucky 6
, Eastern Kentucky 5
Memphis 3,
@Murray State 2 (8)
@North Alabama 4, Tennessee Tech 3
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Kynzie Wrigley and Katie Dreiling each had two hits as Southeast Missouri (7-10) fell to longtime rival Southern Illinois (18-2), 6-2, Tuesday afternoon at Charlotte West Stadium.
Wrigley posted her second multiple-hit game of the season in her sixth start. Dreiling, who is on a five-game hitting streak, finished with two hits for the fourth time this year.
SEMO and SIU met for the 95th time and the Salukis scored in the first four innings to build a 6-1 advantage.
SIU loaded the bases and scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning, including two on a single by Elisabeth Huckleberry.
Katelyn Massa and Bailey Caylor delivered run scoring singles in the next two innings before Massa hit a solo home run in the fourth.
Austine Pauley homered in the third and Wrigley scored when Kaylee Anderson grounded out in the fifth inning for the Redhawks two runs.
Paytience Holman (1-5) took the loss after allowing six runs and five hits in four innings. Holman added four strikeouts and gave up five walks, as well.
Rachel Rook pitched two scoreless no-hit innings. Rook struck out five of the eight hitters she faced.
Sarah Harness (8-1) went the distance for SIU. Harness struck out seven, walked one and gave up two runs on eight hits in seven innings.
SEMO outhit SIU, 8-5. Dreiling and Wrigley were both 2-for-3. Jillian Anderson, Rachel Anderson, Karsyn Davis and Pauley combined for the other four hits.
Massa went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBI and a walk to lead the Salukis.
The Redhawks return to Ohio Valley Conference play when they head to Belmont for a three-game series on Mar. 20-21.
UT MARTIN 14, JACKSON STATE 3; UT MARTIN 12, JACKSON STATE 8
JACKSON, Miss. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team made the southern trek down to play SWAC member Jackson State for a midweek doubleheader, outlasted a lengthy weather delay and left Sports Force Park with a series sweep after scoring 26 runs.
The Skyhawk (13-5) offensive was explosive on Tuesday afternoon with eight different players tallying multiple base hits while posting a team batting average of .422 on the day and slugging .719 as a team. The squad notched 12 extra base hits in the doubleheader – including eight doubles, one triple and three home runs while driving in 25 RBIs.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Kelley continued to bash the ball all over the ballpark, tallying four hits on the afternoon – including a pair of home runs while driving in six RBIs. With her two home runs, Kelley brings her season total to nine. Junior Paige Clark and freshman Kaci Fuller also recorded four hits on the afternoon with Clark tallying one double and four RBIs while Fuller stroked a double and her first career home run. Meanwhile, senior Aalia Bivens paced the team with two doubles on the afternoon.
On the pitching side, freshman Emily Brown (1-1, 1.62 ERA) picked up her first career victory, pitching 2.1 innings of relief in Game 2. Hannah Ridolfi (4-1, 3.72 ERA) earned the win in Game 1, allowing three earned runs in four innings of work.
Game 1: UT Martin 14, Jackson State 3 (Five innings)
UT Martin jumped out to an early lead, scoring in the top of the first inning in the opener on a bases loaded walk drawn by Kallie Pickens to take a 1-0 advantage.
Jackson State would rally to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning on a single by Samiah Huckabee before momentarily taking a two-run advantage in the bottom of the second on a two-run single by Isabel Gusman to make it 3-1.
The Skyhawks cut the lead in half in the top of the third when Kelley launched her first of two home runs in the contests – this one a solo blast.
In the top of the fourth, UT Martin took control of the contest and never looked back with six runs on five hits. Back-to-back singles by Emily Alexander and Fuller followed by an error, loaded the bases for Kelley which made quick work of the opposing pitcher and parked a grand slam over the wall to erase the deficit and put the Skyhawks on top 6-3. The visitors would not be done as a RBI-double by Gracie Lusk and a suicide squeeze RBI resulted in two more runs crossing the plate to make it an 8-3 contest.
UT Martin put the game out of reach in the top of the fifth with six more runs. Fuller led off the frame with a double followed by a triple by Gore to plate the inning’s first run. Bivens later brought home Gore from third while Lusk capped off her nice game with a two-run double. Two more runs would score to cap off the contest at 14-3 in five innings.
Game 2: UT Martin 12, Jackson State 8
Much like in the first game of the afternoon, the Skyhawks would strike first in the opening half inning as Clark singled to score a pair.
After Alexander tallied her second RBI of the day in the second to give the Skyhawks a three-run advantage, UT Martin added seven more runs to take a 10-0 lead in the top of the third inning. A RBI-single by Kelley tallied her sixth driven in of the afternoon before back-to-back doubles by Bivens and Clark scored two more runs. The inning later ended with consecutive scoring plays by Neal and Alexander before being punctuated by a two-run home run by Fuller – the first of her career.
Jackson State chipped away with two runs in the bottom half of the innings on back-to-back two-run base hits by Isis Taylor and Zoey Keyes to chase Erin Gallagher from the contest and cut the margin to 10-4.
The home squad would add another run in the fifth inning on a wild pitch before capping their scoring day with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI single by Brianna Simms Johnson and a two-run double by Monica Serrano make it a 10-8 game.
Looking for a little breathing room in the final inning, the Skyhawks added two runs on RBIs by freshman Maddi Long and Macey Neal to stretch out the margin and bring the score to its final margin of 12-8.
UT Martin will return home to host Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee State this weekend. The three-game series is tentatively scheduled to begin on Friday, March 19 at 4 p.m. with a doubleheader to follow on Saturday, March 20.
KENTUCKY 6, EASTERN KENTUCKY 5
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team took an early lead over No. 9 Kentucky but came up short, 6-5, against the Wildcats in Lexington on Tuesday night.
Eastern Kentucky (12-6, 4-2 OVC) got on the board first in a big way.
Isabella Gonzalez got things started with a one-out walk in the top of the second inning. Miranda Lopez followed with a single down the right field to put runners on the corners. Freshman Jaelyn Sanders delivered in a big way. Sanders took a 0-1 pitch over the left field wall to give Eastern the early 3-0 lead.
Kentucky (21-2, 1-2 SEC) started chipping away after that.
Renee Abernathy got things started with a leadoff single. After stealing second base, Grace Baalman singled down the left field line to score Abernathy and cut the Colonel lead to two, 3-1.
In the bottom of the third, Kayla Kowalik got things started with an infield single and then stole second to put a runner on second with no one out. After a flyout, Lauren Johnson doubled down the left field line to score Kowalik and make it a 3-2 game.
The Wildcats took the lead in the fourth.
Kentucky scored four runs in the fourth highlighted by a three-run home run by Peyton Mallory to give the Wildcats a 6-3 lead over Eastern.
The Colonels did not go down without a fight.
Jasmine Miller singled with one out to get things started in the top of the sixth. That is when Sanders flexed her muscles again. The freshman hit her second home run of the game, this time to right field to cut the Wildcat lead to one, 6-5. The Colonels, however, did not get any closer.
Sanders went 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBIs. Sammi Miller went 2-for-4 with one double.
The Colonel rotation combined for six innings and three earned runs.
Eastern out-hit Kentucky in the contest, 9-8.
Eastern welcomes rival Jacksonville State to Gertrude Hood Field this weekend for a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday. First-pitch against the Gamecocks on Saturday is scheduled for 1 p.m.
MEMPHIS 3, MURRAY STATE 2
MURRAY, Ky. - Recap coming soon.
NORTH ALABAMA 4, TENNESSEE TECH 3
FLORENCE, Ala. - On the day, North Alabama only collected two hits off of Tennessee Tech starter Alyssa Arden. But the homestanding Lions still found ways to collect runs when they needed it as UNA defeated the Golden Eagles 4-3 on Tuesday, scoring the game-winning run in the fifth inning.
Tech (8-11) return to action on Saturday as it travels to Morehead State for the first of three Ohio Valley Conference matchups.
Arden went the distance in the game, allowing three earned runs on two hits, while striking out four. However, the strike zone wasn’t her friend on Tuesday, giving up six walks in the contest.
North Alabama struck first in the home half of the opening inning. Lexie Walker led off with a walk, stole second, then Sidney Bevis advanced her on a bunt single. The duo put the first run on the board as they executed a double steal, Harper swiping home plate. A sacrifice bunt moved Bevis to third, then she scored on a fly ball to Sydney Love-Baker in foul territory.
The Golden Eagles tied the game in the third. Carmen Betts led off with a double to center field, then, with two down, Jessie Lowery hit her second homer of the season and in as many games as she sent one over the center field wall.
The Lions retook a 3-2 lead as an Emma Latham sacrifice fly allowed Harper to score. UNA tempted fate on the play though as Bevis kept running after touching third, but was caught at the plate in a 7-3-2 relay, Lowery to Haeli Bryson to Nicolle Nysted for the out.
Tech tied the game in the fourth as Carmen Betts singled up the middle with two down, driving in Alexis Trimiar from second.
UNA scored the game-winning run in the fifth. Madi Nunez led off with a double, then as Harper grounded out to short, Nunez took off running for third. A throwing error to try to catch her there gave her room to score.
Starter Maci Birdyshaw went three frames, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out five along the way. Olivia DePew threw the next inning, allowing one run on three hits with a strikeout. Laken Distefano, who collected her first win of the season, worked the final three innings, allowing a walk and a hit over the span.
Love-Baker, Bryson and Betts led the Golden Eagles at the plate, all three collecting two hits each.