SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 4, Tennessee State 0
@Eastern Kentucky 9, Tennessee State 5
Southeast Missouri 4, @SIUE 2
@SIUE 6, Southeast Missouri 5
@Austin Peay 6, Jacksonville State 5
@Austin Peay 4, Jacksonville State 2
EASTERN KENTUCKY 4, TENNESSEE STATE 0; EASTERN KENTUCKY 9, TENNESSEE STATE 5
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team pushed its winning streak to six games with a doubleheader sweep over Tennessee State on Sunday afternoon at Gertrude Hood Field.
The Colonels took game one, 4-0, before knocking off the Tigers 9-5 in game two of the doubleheader.
Eastern Kentucky (24-9, 15-4 OVC) pushed one across in the bottom of the first and that was more than enough for the Colonel pitching staff.
Sammi Miller got things started with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first. After Ariyana Miranda advanced her to second with a sacrifice bunt and a Carly Robinson single put runners on the corners with one out. Vianna Barron brought home the first run of the game with a RBI groundout to second base to give the Colonels a 1-0 advantage.
EKU busted it open in the bottom of the fourth.
Back-to-back-singles by Zoe Mihalicz and Lou Bowers put runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Isabella Gonzalez followed with a double down the left field line to score two runs and give the Colonels a 3-0 lead. Miller singled to left center field to bring home Gonzalez and EKU took a 4-0 advantage after four innings.
Tori Peterson (12-2) started in the circle tossing four scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Samantha Reynoso picked up her first save of the season tossing three scoreless innings and striking out four.
Bowers went 2-for-3 with one run. Gonzalez went 1-for-2 with one double and two RBIs.
-
In game two of the doubleheader, Eastern struck for one run in each of the first two innings and six in the fourth to take a commanding 8-0 lead and did not look back against the Tigers.
Miranda got things started in the bottom of the first with a solo shot to left field to give Eastern the 1-0 advantage.
Up 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Colonels recorded six straight hits with two outs including home runs by Gonzalez and Miranda to take a commanding 8-0 lead over the Tigers after four innings.
Tennessee State (8-21, 4-17 OVC) started chipping away in the top of the fifth.
Kayli Mothershed got the Tigers on the board with a solo home run to left field to extend the game.
TSU pushed three more across in the top of the sixth after loading the bases on three straight hit by pitches. Back-to-back singles and a walk cut the Colonels lead to, 8-4.
Eastern got a run back in the bottom of the sixth after a RBI double down the right field line by Miller to take a 9-4 advantage.
Tennessee State pushed one more across in the top of the seventh but could never get any closer.
Miranda went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBIs.
Mollie Paulick (6-0) started in the circle tossing five and one-third innings, allowing two runs and striking out eight. Peterson picked up the save in the circle tossing the final one and one-third innings.
AUSTIN PEAY 6, JACKSONVILLE STATE 5; AUSTIN PEAY 4, JACKSONVILLE STATE 2
CLARKESVILLE, Tenn.- Austin Peay swept a doubleheader from visiting Jacksonville State by 6-5 and 4-2 finals to extend its win streak to 10 games.
The Govs (20-8, 15-6 OVC) would see the Gamecocks jump out quickly in the opening game, scoring three runs in the first inning on a three-run homer by Alexus Jimmerson, then add a single run in the second on a single by Jada Terry to go up 4-0.
Austin Peay would tie the game in the fourth inning, scoring their first three runs of the inning on a three-run homer by Kelsey Gross, while the fourth came on an error by JSU.
The Gamecocks would retake the lead in the fifth, on a solo home run by Megan Fortner, but the lead would be short lived, as the Govs responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good, 6-5, off a two-run single by Gross.
Harley Mullins (7-5) would get the win, while Gross came in to pitch the final two innings to pick up her third save of the season.
In the nightcap, Austin Peay would break up on top on the third inning, with Brooke Pfefferle driving in Bailey Shorter, who had reached on a triple, with a single.
The Govs would make it 2-0 on an RBI double by Kendyl Weinzapfel in the fourth, then double that to 4-0 on a two-run homer by Pfefferle in the fifth.
Jacksonville State tried to rally late, scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh inning, the last run coming on Jimmerson’s second home run of the day in the seventh, for the 4-2 final margin.
Jordan Benefiel (6-2) picked up the complete-game victory, with Nicole Rodriguez (5-4) taking the loss for JSU.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, SIUE 2; SIUE 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Southeast Missouri (19-12, 15-3) split a doubleheader with SIU Edwardsville (8-19, 8-12) Sunday at Cougar Field. SEMO won game one, 4-2, before dropping the nightcap, 6-5, in eight innings.
Jillian Anderson, Kynzie Wrigley, Kaylee Anderson and Ashley Ellis all had two hits in SEMO's game one win.
SEMO drew four walks in the top of the second inning which led to a run. Rachel Anderson walked with the bases loaded and Austine Pauley scored to give SEMO a 1-0 edge.
The Redhawks added two more runs in the third on a single by Karsyn Davis and bases loaded walk by Alyson Tucker giving SEMO a 3-0 cushion.
After SIUE pulled to within a run in the bottom of the third inning, Tucker touched home on a sacrifice fly by Wrigley to polish off SEMO's 4-2 victory.
Paytience Holman (6-5) picked up the win after giving up two runs on four hits. Holman also struck out three and walked three in five innings.
Rachel Rook was credited with the save, her second of the season.
SEMO outhit SIUE, 12-6. Abigail Rickermann, Davis, Pauley and Tucker contributed one hit apiece, as well.
The Redhawks trailed, 3-2, after six innings before taking a two-run lead in the top of the seventh inning during the nightcap.
K. Anderson doubled and went to third when Ellis singled. She would then score the tying run on a fielder's choice. Jillian Anderson singled up the middle to score Pauley for the go-ahead run.
SIUE, however tied things up with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Ava Bieneman drove in the game-winning run on an infield single.
Rook (12-7) suffered the loss after allowing five runs and nine hits, striking out seven and walking three in 7.1 innings.
Ellis went 3-for-4, while Wrigley and J. Anderson followed with three hits to lead the Redhawks at the plate. SEMO collected 10 hits in game two.