SATURDAY'S SCORES
SIUE 8, @Morehead State 1
SIUE 5, @Morehead State 0
@Eastern Kentucky 7, Eastern Illinois 3
Eastern Illinois 13, @Eastern Kentucky 11
@Belmont 10, Tennessee Tech 2 (6)
@Belmont 5, Tennessee Tech 1
@Southeast Missouri 1, Murray State 0
@Southeast Missouri 7, Murray State 5
Austin Peay 2, @UT Martin 1
Austin Peay 3, @UT Martin 2
SIUE 8, MOREHEAD STATE 1; SIUE 5, MOREHEAD STATE 0
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Zoe Schafer put an ironic twist on her 200th career hit Saturday as SIUE softball swept Morehead State 8-1 and 5-0.
Schafer blasted her 31st home run of her collegiate career, the most by a Cougar in the Division I era, in game two of the doubleheader for her 200th hit. The Cougar senior became the 10th player to hit the 200 mark in school history and the third in the Division I era.
The Cougars improved to 14-14 in the Ohio Valley Conference and 14-21 overall, winning its fourth- and fifth-straight game. Morehead State dropped to 11-26 overall and 3-22 in the OVC.
SIUE's pitching was on target all day. Sydney Baalman struck out six and did not walk a batter in game one. Emily Ingles tossed her 12th career shutout while fanning 10 batters in game two.
In game one, Baalman and Morehead State's Lennon Spicer battled in a pitcher's duel for four innings.
Down 1-0, the Cougars took the lead for the first time in the fifth inning with a three-run homer by Lexi King to center field.
In the sixth, SIUE made it 4-1 when Alana Cobb-Adams reached on an infield error that brought home Rachael Quaritsch. King made it 7-1 and increased her day's RBI total to a career-best six with a bases-loaded triple down the right field line.
Schafer added a sacrifice fly to close out SIUE's scoring in the sixth.
In the nightcap, Ingles just needed a little bit of run support for her four-hitter. Schafer provided a two-RBI single in the first inning for the only runs needed. Schafer's historic home run in the fourth inning capped off the scoring.
Schafer, Micah Arps and Ava Bieneman each had two hits. Overall, SIUE had 12 hits in game two.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 7, EASTERN ILLINOS 3; EASTERN ILLINOIS 13, EASTERN KENTUCKY 11
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team split a doubleheader against Eastern Illinois University on Saturday in Richmond.
The Colonels took game one, 7-3, before falling in game two 13-11.
Eastern Kentucky (32-12, 22-6 OVC) used a big first inning and never looked back in game one of the doubleheader against Eastern Illinois.
Sammi Miller got things started with a double into the right center gap. After a Zoe Mihalicz walk put runners on first and second, Carly Robinson bunted, and the pitcher misplayed it allowing Miller to come around to score from second to take an early 1-0 lead. Vianna Barron followed with a walk to load the bases with no one out. After the next two batters got out, Isabella Gonzalez worked a walk to score Mihalicz and give EKU the 2-0 advantage. The Colonels kept the pressure on, after Miranda Lopez singled up the middle to score two more and Eastern Kentucky took a 4-0 lead after one inning of play.
Eastern Illinois (22-18, 13-13 OVC) got one back in the top of the third after a Haley Mitchell single scored Megan Burton to make it 4-1.
The Colonels answered back in the bottom of the third. Gonzalez got things started with a lead off walk. Lopez followed with a double off the wall to put runners on second and third with one out. Lou Bowers and Miller worked back-to-back walks to bring home a run and take a 5-1 lead. Mihalicz brought home another run with a fielder’s choice to give EKU the 6-1 advantage. Robinson followed with a single to left field to bring home the final Colonel run of the game to give Eastern Kentucky the 7-1 lead.
EIU got two back on solo home runs in the fourth and the seventh innings.
Tori Peterson (16-3) started in the circle tossing five innings, allowing two runs and striking out six. Mollie Paulick pitched the final two innings allowing one run and striking out three.
Robinson went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI. Lopez went 2-for-3 with one double and two RBIs.
Haley Mitchell went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBIs.
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Eastern Kentucky struck first in bottom of the first again with small ball.
Back-to-back singles by Miller and Mihalcz got things started in the bottom of the first.
Robinson advanced the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Bowers brought home the first run of the game with a RBI ground out to give EKU the early 1-0 lead.
The Colonels pushed another one across in the bottom of the third on the solo home run by Robinson to take a 2-0 lead.
Eastern Illinois answered back in the top of the fourth with RBI singles by Holt and Abby Taylor to tie the game at 2-2.
EKU responded again in the bottom of the fourth though.
Back-to-back singles by Ariyana Miranda and Lopez put runners on first and second with one out. After a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners, EIU tried to pick-off Miranda at third base and the throw got away and Miranda scored to take the 3-2 lead. Mihalicz followed with a hit by pitch to load the bases and Robinson made them pay again. Robinson singled down the left field line to score two and the Colonels took the 5-2 advantage.
Eastern Illinois scored 10 runs in the top of the fifth highlighted by two home runs by Mitchell to take a 12-5 lead.
The Panthers scored one more in the top of the sixth to take a 13-5 lead.
EKU did not go down without a fight. The Colonels struck for six runs in the bottom of the sixth highlighted by a grand slam by Miranda to cut the EIU lead to, 13-11, but the Colonels could never get closer.
Robinson went 2-for-2 with three RBIs.
Mitchell went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs.
BELMONT 10, TENNESSEE TECH 2; BELMONT 5, TENNESSEE TECH 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont Softball opened its final home weekend of the 2021 campaign with a doubleheader sweep on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins picked up a win in six innings, 10-2, before taking the nightcap, 5-1.
In game one, the Golden Eagles notched the first run of the contest in the top of the third frame but BU came storming back in the bottom of the following inning. Sophomores Kailey Brown (San Antonio, Texas) and Abi Ledbetter (Livingston, Tenn.) logged back-to-back singles to get things rolling. Junior Audrey Lyle (Westlake, Ohio) singled to send one over the plate before senior Elison Ollinger (Robins, Iowa) used a sac fly to help Belmont take the lead, 2-1, and start a two-out rally.
Freshman Kaley Varner (Cumming, Ga.) drove a single down the left line, starting the run merry-go-round. Seniors Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) and Georgia McKee (Frisco, Texas) knocked back-to-back singles to keep it going. Senior Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas) dropped a perfectly placed bunt to add another run. Belmont had batted through the lineup so Brown returned to the plate and hit a single down the left line to net the home team's sixth run of half inning.
TTU looked to begin chipping away at the Belmont lead with a solo homerun in the top of the fifth but it would be their final time the visitors would score a run. In the Bruins' half of the same frame, sophomore Lauren Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) and Lyle knocked back-to-back singles and were moved into scoring position with a wild pitch. Belmont added one more run and inched closer to picking up the win by run rule. BU did not have to wait long. After a silent half of the sixth inning for TTU, the Bruins exploded once again. Cavanaugh recorded her fifth triple of the season and was quickly sent over home plate. Brown, who had reached first base with four balls, was sent home with the help of a double by Lauren Veltri. Rookie Savannah Halterman (Nashville, Tenn.) came in to pinch run and quickly stole third to set up the Bruins for the win. Lyle delivered in her at bat, sending her single down the right line to send the gamewinning run over the plate and handing BU the 10-2 win.
In the second game, Belmont's momentum did not wane. The Bruins netted a run in the bottom of the both the first and third innings and did not look back. Tennessee Tech could not overcome the home team's defense and was unable to get a runner home. The Golden Eagles had a chance in the top of the fourth but Belmont pushed back and made plays at the plate to stop them from scoring.
In the following inning, the Bruins surged once again, adding three more runs to go up 5-0. TTU was finally able to score in the top of the seventh but it was too little too late as Belmont held on for the win.
For the day, Cavanaugh led BU at the plate, batting .667 with four runs, a triple and a homerun. Lyle and Brown each batted .600.
Inside the circle, Alicia Veltri and freshman Alex Clesi (Mandeville, La.) each posted a complete game.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1, MURRAY STATE 0; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, MURRAY STATE 5
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Rachel Rook threw a one-hit complete game shutout, picked up a save and struck out 11, and Kimmy Wallen delivered a walk off single to lead Southeast Missouri (23-14, 18-5) to a 1-0, 7-5, doubleheader sweep of Murray State (19-28, 16-14) Saturday.
In game one, Wallen recorded her first career walk off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning to give SEMO its close one-run victory.
SEMO did not have a runner in scoring position until Kaylee Anderson walked and went to third on a two-out single by Ashley Ellis in the seventh. With runners at second and third after Ellis advanced on the throw, Wallen pinch-hit for Kynzie Wrigley. Wallen's infield hit went off the glove of pitcher Hannah James and Anderson scored the winning run.
The Ohio Valley Conference's top two strikeout leaders in James and Rachel Rook went head-to-head in an outstanding pitcher's duel.
Rook (15-8), who pitched her seventh shutout of the season, allowed only one hit and struck out nine in seven innings. She retired the first 10 hitters she faced. Rook recorded six of her strikeouts in the first three frames.
Jensen Striegel got the lone hit off Rook, an infield single with one out in the fourth inning. Only two Racers reached base against Rook for the game.
James (7-10) suffered the loss. James struck out eight and walked just one.
Both Rook (92) and James (89) also threw under 100 pitches in their complete game.
Trailing 4-3 in the nightcap, SEMO used a four-run fourth inning to bury the Racers.
Rachel Anderson's three-run home run to right field keyed the surge that put SEMO ahead, 7-4. Wallen also singled and scored in the decisive inning.
Prior to that, Ashley Ellis tied the program's all-tie career home run record with her two-run shot to straightaway center in the bottom of the third. The home run marked Ellis' team-high 14th of the season and 48th of her career as she now shares the record with Michelle Summers (2005-08).
SEMO added nine hits in game two with Kaylee Anderson, Kynzie Wrigley and Austine Pauley paving the way with two apiece.
Maris Davis (2-0) was credited with the win in relief. Davis struck out two and allowed just one hit in 2.2 innings.
Rook came on to get the final two outs of the contest, both of which were strikeouts.
Jenna Veber (7-13) took the loss. Veber gave up four runs on six hits and struck out one in three innings.
AUSTIN PEAY 2, UT MARTIN 1; AUSTIN PEAY 3, UT MARTIN 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - Recap coming soon.