SUNDAY'S SCORES
Evansville 11,
SIUE 3 (5)
Murray State 9, Western Illinois 0 (5)
Jackson State 7,
Tennessee State 2
Southeast Missouri 5, Nicholls 2
College of Charleston 7,
Austin Peay 5
Jacksonville State 6,
Morehead State 0
Tennessee Tech 13, South Carolina State 0
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5, NICHOLLS 2
HAMMOND, La. – Rachel Rook tossed a one-hitter and matched a career-high 15 strikeouts to lead Southeast Missouri (3-2) to a 5-2 win over Nicholls State (1-3) Sunday morning at the Lion Classic.
SEMO wrapped up its season-opening tournament with three victories in five contests.
Rook set the tone again early retiring 15 of the first hitters she faced. She sat the Colonels down in order in each of the first, second, third, fifth and seventh innings. Rook also held NSU hitless for 6.2 frames.
Offensively, SEMO loaded the bases during each of its first two at-bats of the game.
After coming away empty in the first, Kynzie Wrigley singled, stole second, went to third on an infield hit by Jillian Anderson and scored the game's first run when Paige Halliwill grounded out.
On the next play in bottom of the second inning, Tatum Gerwitz scored on a wild pitch. Kaylee Anderson then walked and moved into scoring position on a stolen base. Kat Sackett followed with a two-RBI single and Aubrie Shore doubled home a run to put the Redhawks ahead, 5-0.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Kennedy Hebert reached on an error and scored on an ensuing two-run home run by Alexa Poche. Both of those runs were unearned for the Colonels.
Rook (2-1) went the distance allowing only one hit and walking one in her second complete game of the young season. For the tournament, she recorded 28 strikeouts in 16 innings, walked, allowed just 10 hits, threw one shutout and a pair of complete game victories.
Hebert (0-1) suffered the loss. She allowed five runs on five hits, struck out one and walked four in just 1.2 innings.
SEMO outhit NSU, 7-1. Shore paved the way going 2-for-2 with a double, run scored and one RBI. Sackett added two RBI.
JACKSON STATE 7, TENNESSEE STATE 2
VICKSBURG, Miss. -Jackson State led off the game with a triple down the right field line. After a hit-by-pitch and stolen base, JSU's Alexis Arredondo logged a sacrifice fly to left field to gain an early advantage. || JSU, 1-0
TOP 2ND: With one out, JSU's Rachel Barker hit a line drive to right field which skipped past the outfielder for a triple. Mari Stephens drove in Barker on an infield single to second base. || JSU, 2-0
TOP 4TH: Tennessee State recorded the first two outs of the inning. The wind was blowing out to right field and Barker blasted an opposite field home run to right-center field. Stephens reached base on a free pass and scored on a double from Samiyyah Huckabee. Huckabee advanced to third after a bobble in the outfield and scored on an RBI double by Stewart. Caitlyn Manus entered the game at pitcher after the Huckabee at-bat. Manus allowed an unearned run after Zoey Keyes reached on an error in center field. || JSU, 6-0
TOP 7TH: JSU's Stewart led off the inning with a home run to left field, her third extra-base hit of the afternoon. || JSU, 7-0
BOT 7TH: Anayah Baker jumpstarted the inning with a laser to right-center field for a stand-up double. Ryla Traylor, entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the fourth, singled to left field and advanced Baker to third. After an RBI groundout from Peyton Fointno, the Tigers chipped away at the lead with an RBI base knock by Lauryn Kinkle. || JSU, 7-2
Caitlyn Manus, entered the game in relief; the freshman tossed 3.1 innings, allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and struck out six.
TSU true freshman, Ryla Traylor, went 1-for-2 and scored a run.
JSU's Lauren Stewart was a single shy of the cycle as the South Carolina transfer went 3-for-4 with a home run, triple, double, two RBI and three runs scored.
Jackson State registered seven hits in the contest, six of which for extra-bases.
After five games, Lauren Farias leads the team with six hits in 13 at-bats (.462), including a team-leading three doubles.
Farias has recorded a hit in four of five games, including two multi-hit contests.
Anayah Baker's logged three hits in 16 at-bats (.188 BA), however, all three hits were extra-base hits: two doubles and a home run. Baker leads the team with four RBI.
Tennessee State will host the Roar City Invite, which includes IUPUI, Bradley and Miami (OH), next weekend as the Tigers are set to compete at 2:00pm on Friday afternoon against IUPUI.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 7, AUSTIN PEAY 5
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Austin Peay State University’s softball team saw its late-inning rally fall a little short versus the College of Charleston, Sunday at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex in the final day of the stinger Classic, 7-5.
Down 5-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Govs (4-1) would score four runs to cut the Cougars lead to a single run.
Brooke Pfefferle would get the rally going with a lead-off single and move to third base an out later on a double by Lexi Osowski.
Emily Harkleroad would reach on an error by the Cougars second baseman, with both Pfefferle and Osowski scoring, making it 5-2.
Mea Clark would keep things going with a double, followed by back-to-back RBI single by Megan Hodum and Kylie Campbell to make it, 5-4.
The Cougars (2-3) would respond with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to push their lead back out to three, 7-4.
But the Govs wouldn’t go away without a fight, with Pfefferle opening the bottom of the seventh with a double and score an out later on a sacrifice fly to deep right field by Osowski, making it 7-5.
Harkleroad would follow with a walk to bring Clark up as the potential tying run, but Clark struck out to end the rally and the game.
TENNESSEE TECH 13, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 0
CLINTON, S.C. – The Tennessee Tech softball team closed out the final day of the Blue Hose Invitational on a high notes as the Golden Eagles struck for 13 runs and freshman Tyler Erwin picked up her first career victory in the circle as Tech shut out South Carolina State 13-0 in five innings.
Erwin threw the first four innings, allowing four hits and striking out four. Callie Piper closed out the game in the fifth, yielding a hit while striking out another Bulldog.
Tech (4-1) got to SCSU pitcher DeAsia Lowther, striking for 10 runs – eight earned – on 13 hits, while walking one. Julie Manners lasted a third of an innings, allowing three runs on five walks, then Jade Hendricks threw the final two-thirds, giving up one hit.
Carmen Betts, KaDedra Temple, Shelby Penning and Nicolle Nysted each drove in two runs, while Penning hit her second career home run in the contest.
Tech scored in every inning played, striking for two in the opening frame as Haeli Bryson drove in Mackenzie Fitzgerald on a sacrifice fly, then Temple hit an RBI single to bring Abby Buettner home.
Two more plated in the second as Sydney Love-Baker brought Kaylan Cole in on a double, then Fitzgerald used her speed to steal home to make it 4-0 after two. The Golden Eagles added two more as Temple was hit by a pitch, then stole second. Penning went yard after that to make it a 6-0 lead.
Tech added four runs in the fourth. Bryson had a one-out single, then Buettner drew a walk. Betts singled to drive in pinch runner Jordan Key as Betts and Buettner advanced to second and third. Temple laid down a grounder to short to drive in Buettner, then an error at first allowed Betts to come home. Penning and Nysted had back-to-back hits – a double and single respectively – and the later drove Penning in.
Amid pitching changes, the Golden Eagles had three more cross in the fifth. Alexis Trimiar walked and took second and third on wild pitches. Key, Gracelyn Woollen, Betts and Jessica Arrington also drew consecutive walks to drive in Trimiar and Key, then Nysted drove in Woollen on a single.
Tech returns to action next weekend at the Chattanooga Challenge, taking on Purdue Fort Wayne, Northwestern State, Indiana State, Chattanooga and Radford.
MURRAY STATE 9, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Murray State softball finished the DePaul Dome Tournament on Sunday with a 9-0 five-inning mercy-rule victory over Western Illinois. The Racers concluded opening weekend, going 2-3 in Chicago.
In the final game of the tournament six different players collected hits, with Logan Braundmeier, Sierra Gilmore, Lindsey Carroll and Taylor Jackson each posting multi-hit performances. Jackson and Lily Fischer drove in multiple RBIs as Jackson drove in a career-high three runs.
Following a scoreless first inning, the Racers opened up the scoring in the second when Carroll led off with a single to right to continue her hot start to the season and scored on a RBI double from Jackson. With two outs, Braundmeier beat out an infield single, plating Erin Lackey. Gilmore sent a line drive back up the middle to bring home Braundmeier and Strigel raced home on a passed ball to give the Racers a 4-0 lead.
After a 1-2-3 inning in the WIU half, the Racer offense picked up where they left off adding two runs as Lindsey Carroll singled to the same spot in right and scored on an RBI triple from Lily Fischer. Fischer came in to score via Jackson's sacrifice fly as the Racers owned a 5-0 advantage after three complete.
In the fourth, the Racers extended their lead to 9-0 when they tacked on three more runs on three hits beginning with a Gracie Osbron RBI single to right center that scored Isabella Wilson. A walk from pinch hitter Jordan Childress loaded bases and one batter later, Fischer was hit by the pitch to pick up her second RBI. Jackson drove in her third run of the game singling through the right side scoring Osbron.
Murray State used three pitchers in the five inning game. Emma Olejniczak got the start and went 1+ inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. Jenna Veber came on in relief to throw 3.0 innings and Hannah James closed it out, striking out two of three batters faced.
Next weekend, the Racers travel south to Birmingham, Alabama for UAB's Blazer Classic. Murray State will face Toledo, North Dakota and UAB.
EVANSVILLE 11, SIUE 3
MONROE, La. – SIUE softball opened the scoring early, but a swift offensive charge gave Evansville an 11-3 victory Sunday in the final game of the Best of the Bayou Classic.
The Cougars, 2-3, took advantage of an infield error off the bat of Lauren Yslava to score Lexi King.
SIUE would tally two more runs in the fourth on another Evansville error that brought home Piper Montgomery. Aerin Talley, who had singled to reach base, scored on a Jenna Herron single.
Evansville, now 5-0, bounced back after three scoreless innings from SIUE starting pitcher Mia Haynes. The Purple Aces scored five runs in the fourth and six more in the fifth inning.
For the opening weekend, SIUE hit .274 as a team. Grace Lueke led the way with a .400 batting average that included two home runs and six RBIs.
Next up for the Cougars is the Chattanooga Challenge next Friday through Sunday, facing Radford, Chattanooga, Indiana State and Northwestern State.