TUESDAY'S SCORES
@SIUE 15, Eastern Illinois 1 (5)
Eastern Illinois 8, @SIUE 5
UT Martin 6, @Evansville 2
Middle Tennessee 3, @Murray State 1
@Jacksonville State 5, Tennessee Tech 1
@Jacksonville State 2, Tennessee Tech 0
SIUE 15, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1; EASTERN ILLINOIS 8, SIUE 5
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - After a big inning decided game one of a Tuesday doubleheader, Eastern Illinois softball bounced back to win the second game to split the two games with SIUE.
The Cougars won the opener 15-1 in five innings while EIU fought back to win the second contest 8-5.
In the opener, EIU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Haley Mitchell had an RBI single to center. It was one of two hits in the game for Mitchell as she became the sixth player in school history to reach the 200 career hit mark.
SIUE responded with three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead against EIU starter Jade Montgomery (6-6). Amber Storer had the big hit with a two-run double.
Storer would then ignite a 12-run fourth inning for the Cougars with a double to plate the first run. Bailey Concatto would have the final hit of the inning driving in the final two runs. Sydney Baalman (2-4) picked up the win. Storer and Concatto both drove in three runs with Storer 3-for-3 at the plate.
In the second game EIU built a 5-0 lead with runs in the second and third inning. Morgan Lewis had a two-run double to open the scoring in the second. She would come around to score after stealing third base and scampering home on a throwing error on the steal attempt.
Amber Cieplinski had an RBI double in the third followed by a bases loaded walk by Abi Stahlhut.
Mia Davis connected for a two-run home run in the fifth that extended EIU’s lead to 7-0. Davis, Lewis and Cieplinski were three of the five EIU players with two hits in the second game.
Concatto had a two-run double for SIUE in the bottom of the fifth to put the Cougars on the board. SIUE would add three more in the sixth on two RBI singles and a sacrifice fly.
Olivia Price (6-2) would toss the complete game in the circle for the win as EIU tacked on an insurance run in the seventh. Mitchell and Hannah Cravens rounded out the EIU players with two hits in the second game.
Lexi King (1-5) suffered the loss for SIUE. Alana Cobb-Adams, Zoe Schafer and Rachael Quaritisch all had two hits in the second game for SIUE.
UT MARTIN 6, EVANSVILLE 2
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team continued to find success on the road, picking up its fifth straight win away from home with a non-conference victory at Missouri Valley Conference foe Evansville by a final score of 6-2 on Tuesday afternoon.
The Skyhawks (18-7) picked up 10 hits on the afternoon while hitting a pair of home runs to secure the victory. Shyanne Sheffield led the way for the visitors with three hits on the day – including her first home run of the season – while driving in two RBIs. The trio of Kaitlyn Kelley, Paige Clark and Maddi Long also had big afternoon with multiple base hits.
On the pitching side, Alexis Groet (8-2, 1.27 ERA) continued her dominance in the circle. Groet recorded her sixth win in her last seven appearances after striking out six and allowing one hit in five shutout innings of work. Erin Gallagher pitched in relief, allowing two runs in two innings.
The game got off to a slow start with neither team finding its groove offensively through the first four innings. The Skyhawks would finally break through in the top of the fifth after Long led off the frame with a single to left field before being replaced for pinch runner Emily Alexander. Following a sacrifice bunt to move Alexander into scoring position, the freshman would come around to score on the following at-bat off a RBI single by Chelsey Gore to put the Skyhawks on the board. Then with deuces wild featuring two outs and a 2-2 count on the scoreboard, the two-hole hitter Sheffield cranked a two-run home run to left field for her first home run of the season to put UT Martin up 3-0.
UT Martin added another run in the top of the sixth after Clark parked an opposite field double in the right field gap with one out. With the speedster in scoring position, Long came through with her second hit of the day – this time through the left side – to drive in Clark to push the margin out to four runs.
Evansville ended the shutout in the bottom of the sixth inning with timely hitting and baserunning. A leadoff double by Hood spelled trouble and was then followed by a hit by pitch. An innocent groundout moved both runners into scoring position where Wood then drove in the Purple Aces first run with a single through the left side. Then on the following at-bat with a runner still standing at third, Barela drove in McLean with a sacrifice fly to make the score 4-2 heading into the seventh inning.
The Skyhawks looked to get those runs back in the top of the seventh and did exactly that. With two outs on the board, Sheffield lined a double to left center to set up Kelley for a two-run home run to left field. The homer marked the 12th of the season for Kelley as she now sits tied for fourth in the program’s single-season history with Cindy Sturgill’s 1996 campaign.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 3, MURRAY STATE 1
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State softball concluded its six-game homestand with a midweek nonconference clash against Middle Tennessee on Tuesday afternoon. Battling both their opponents and rainy weather conditions, the Racers came up short in an extra-inning affair for the second time in the last three games as the Blue Raiders rained on the Murray State parade - escaping with a 3-1 victory in ten innings at Racer Field.
After the first 13 combined batters were retired in order to open the contest, it would be the Blue Raiders who opened the scoring in their half of the third when a Summer Burgess two-out RBI single gave the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The Racers answered back in the home half of the fourth when a one-out RBI single off the bat of Sierra Gilmore scored Jensen Striegel to level the game at 1-1 through four complete.
Both teams managed to combine for just one hit over the next three innings as the game would need extra frames to decide a winner.
It would be Burgess again who made the breakthrough for Middle Tennessee, putting her side in front in the ninth with another RBI double before a sacrifice fly from Kaylee Richetto gave the Blue Raiders an insurance run with a 3-1 advantage.
The Racers were unable to build a comeback effort in the bottom half as they fell 3-1 in ten frames.
The lone Racer run came on six hits, with Striegel (2-4, R) and Jordan Childress (2-4, 2B), who made her first career start at first base, leading the way with two hits apiece. Additionally, Gilmore’s RBI brings her career total to 105, tying Jenna Bradley (2010-11) for fifth in program history.
Taylor Makowsky got the start in the circle and tossed four innings – striking out three while surrendering just one earned run in the outing.
Kamryn Carcich was tagged with the loss after the freshman dealt five innings in relief, striking out one while surrendering a pair of runs.
Jenna Veber also pitched an inning in relief without allowing an earned run.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 5, TENNESSEE TECH 1; JACKSONVILLE STATE 2, TENNESSEE TECH 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - - Jacksonville State got a pair of pitching gems and a big day from Karsen Mosley to sweep an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader from Tennessee Tech on Tuesday.
Reagan Watkins and Nicole Rodriguez both pitched complete games for the Gamecocks (8-16, 7-7 OVC), while Mosley was 3-for-6 with three RBI to lead JSU to a 5-1 win in the opener and a 2-0 win in the nightcap with the Golden Eagles (13-14, 7-6 OVC).
The Gamecocks didn't allow an earned run on the day, with Watkins striking out nine and Rodriguez tossing a two-hit shutout. The sweep extends JSU's win streak to three games after a walk-off win over SIUE on Sunday.
In the first game, the Gamecocks trailed early until a Megan Fortner solo homer tied it in the fourth. The Cedar Hill, Mo., native lined the first pitch she saw in her fourth-inning at bat off the top of the porch beyond the left field wall to make it a 1-1 game.
Reagan Watkins held the Golden Eagles at bay and allowed her offense to work, which it did in the home half of the sixth. JSU loaded the bases with no outs and then took the lead on Mosley's two-run double into the gap in right center.
Alex Howard then delivered a pinch-hit sac fly that scored Ellie Largen from third, and an overthrow by the left fielder allowed Mosley to hustle home from third and give the Gamecocks a 5-1 lead.
Watkins (2-4) closed out her complete game with a perfect seventh inning, striking out two of the three batters to finish the game with nine. She held TTU to an unearned run on four hits in seven frames of work.
Alyssa Arden (7-7) suffered the loss for the Golden Eagles, allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits and three walks in six innings in the circle.
Shelby Newsome was 2-for-2 in the game to lead the Gamecocks, while Mosley had two RBI. Beth McCulley had two of the Golden Eagles' four hits.
JSU struck first in the second game, getting an early run on a Tech error in the first. Jada Terry started it off with a two-out walk and moved to third after center fielder McCulley bobbled Alexus Jimmerson's single. She scored on Mosley's single to left and gave Rodriguez an early 1-0 lead.
She kept the Golden Eagles bats in check and put zeroes on the board until the Gamecocks added some insurance in the home half of the sixth, thanks to another Tech fielding miscue.
Mosley led off the inning with a single and stole second to get into scoring position. She would've been retired on Megan Fortner's grounder to short, but third baseman Carmen Betts dropped the throw from Sydney Love-Baker and allowed Mosley to score to make it 2-0.
Rodriguez (4-3) finished off her gem with a perfect seventh and retired the final 11 batters she faced to secure the win. She held TTU scoreless on two hits and two walks, while striking out three.
Haeli Bryson (5-3) was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs, one earned, on seven hits in six innings. She walked one and struck out two.
Jimmerson and Mosley were each 2-for-3 to lead the JSU offense, with Mosley driving in JSU's lone RBI and scoring the other run.