SATURDAY'S SCORES
Southeast Missouri 11, @SIUE 2
Tennessee Tech 3, @Murray State 1
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 11, SIUE 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - A six-run first inning propelled Southeast Missouri (18-11, 14-2) to a commanding 11-2 series opening victory over SIU Edwardsville (7-18, 7-11) Saturday afternoon at Cougar Field.
SEMO beat SIUE in five innings to claim its fourth mercy rule victory this season.
The Redhawks immediately went to work against SIUE starting pitcher Sydney Baalman and never looked back.
With runners at first and second after Jillian Anderson and Rachel Anderson both walked, Kynzie Wrigley knocked in J. Anderson for the first run of the game on a single down the right field line. Moments after Katie Dreiling singled, Kaylee Anderson belted a three-run home run to right center and that was the end of Baalman's day in the circle.
Ashley Ellis then stepped in and greeted SIUE reliever Bianca Vozenilek with a solo home run to left center. For Ellis, it was her team-high 12th home run of the season and 46th of her career. On the next play, Austine Pauley tripled and touched home on a wild pitch to give SEMO a quick 6-0 advantage. SEMO scored six or more runs in an inning for the third time this season.
The Redhawks tacked on two more runs with the help of a pair of SIUE errors with two outs in the top of the third inning.
Pauley hit a one-out single through the left side and advanced to second when Karsyn Davis grounded out. Alyson Tucker singled to right center getting Pauley to third. Tucker stole second and Pauley scored on a throwing error by catcher Amber Storer. R. Anderson's single brought home Tucker to widen SEMO's lead to 8-0.
The Cougars scored once in the third and fourth innings before R. Anderson slammed a three-run home run to right center to polish off SEMO's 14th Ohio Valley Conference win.
SEMO established new season-highs with its 11 runs and 15 hits against the Cougars.
J. Anderson, R. Anderson, Wrigley and Dreiling teamed up for seven hits, five runs scored and five RBI in the top four spots of the Redhawks lineup. A native of Edwardsville, Illinois, R. Anderson had two hits, a home run and four RBI in her return home.
Rachel Rook (12-6) went the distance striking out three and giving up two runs on three hits in five innings for her team-high eighth complete game. Rook also ran her record to 9-1 in OVC play.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, MURRAY STATE 1
MURRAY, Ky. - Alyssa Arden pitched a gem on Saturday, yielding just three hits as the Tennessee Tech softball team topped Murray State 3-1 to take the rubber game and win the series.
The Golden Eagles improved to 15-18 on the season, 9-10 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while Murray State dropped to 15-23, 12-10 in the league. Tech returns to action on Monday as the Golden Eagles take on Tennessee in a non-conference matchup, a makeup of the series scheduled last week.
Arden allowed just one run – an unearned run that came across on Sierra Gilmore's single to left – as she walked one and struck out four in the complete-game effort. She threw 75 total pitches in the contest.
Hannah James had the start, going an inning and a third until Sydney Love-Baker went yard with a leadoff home run to tie the game and Paxton Grimes followed up with a double to center. Jenna Veber came in and got the Racers out of the inning, but went on to take the loss after allowing two more Golden Eagles.
Jessie Lowery went 3-for-4 on the day with two RBI, driving in the other two runs in the contest. In the fourth inning, she drove in Grimes with a grounder to second. In the sixth, she hit a single up the middle, driving in pinch-runner Amanda Phy.
Veber's day ended as she allowed two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out two as she took her 11th loss of the season. Taylor Makowsky threw the final frame, striking out one.