SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Tennessee Tech 10, Bellarmine 1
Bryant 13,
Morehead State 2
Rider 23,
Morehead State 9 (5)
Missouri State 10,
Southeast Missouri 8
Wichita State 14,
Southeast Missouri 0 (14)
Eastern Illinois 5, Northern Illinois 4
Eastern Illinois 13, @Southern Illinois 9
@Belmont 13, Akron 5
@Belmont 5, Bradley 2
@Murray State 8, St. Thomas 0 (5)
@Southern Illinois 11,
SIUE 3
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 4; EASTERN ILLINOIS 13, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 9
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball had two clutch innings on Sunday afternoon, one in each game, as the Panthers beat both Northern Illinois and host Southern Illinois at the SIU Saluki Invite.
EIU scored two runs in the top of the seventh to beat NIU, 5-4, in the opener. In the second game EIU scored nine runs during the fifth inning to beat SIU 13-9.
EIU improved to 10-12 on the season with the two wins.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 4
Amber Cieplinski delivered a two-run single with two outs in the top of the seventh inning to lift Eastern Illinois to a 5-4 win over Northern Illinois.
Cieplinski’s shot scored pinch runner Mikayla Creasbaum and Maddie Swart. Creasbaum pinch ran for Rachel Kaufman who reached on a hit by pitch while Swart reached on an infield single.
Alexa Rehmeier would close out the seventh for the Panthers in the circle to lock up the win and pick up her first collegiate save. Olivia Price pitched six innings allowing one earned run for the win improving to 2-3.
Megan Burton was the lone Panther with multiple hits in the game going 2-for-4. Bianca Barone was the lone NIU player with multiple hits going 2-for-3 as NIU had only six hits in the game.
The Huskies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second scoring one run on an RBI single by Amberly Rodriguez and the other on an EIU error, one of four the Panthers committed in game one.
After EIU cut that lead in half in the fifth on an RBI double by Lindy Milkowski, NIU extended its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth with two runs.
EIU had two runs in the sixth with Morgan Lewis driving in one run with an RBI single while Hannah Cravens added a sacrifice fly setting the table for Cieplinski’s heroics in the seventh.
Emily Dato suffered the loss in relief for NIU falling to 3-2.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 13, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 9
Eastern Illinois blew open a 2-2 game in the top of the fifth inning as the Panthers scored nine runs to pull away for a 13-9 win over Southern Illinois.
Megan Burton and Hannah Cravens combined to drive in nine of the 13 EIU runs. Burton was 3-for-4 with four RBI while Cravens was 2-for-3 with five RBI.
In the big EIU inning Cravens started the rally with a two-run single to right. Amber Cieplinski had a two-run single to center before Burton had the big shot of the inning clearing the bases with a grand slam.
Cravens added a two-run home run in the third and drove in her fifth RBI with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
SIU closed the final margin with four runs in the bottom of the fifth and three more in the bottom of the seventh. Elisabeth Huckleberry had a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh going 3-for-3 with four RBI in the game.
Tieghan Morio pitched four innings in the circle to improve to 2-3 on the season. Sarah Harness suffered the loss for SIU falling to 4-5 on the year.
MURRAY STATE 8, ST. THOMAS 0
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State softball (13-8) mercy-ruled St. Thomas (3-14) 8-0 in five innings on Sunday afternoon on day three of the Racer Classic.
Hannah James threw a one-hit shutout for her fifth win of the season, striking out 12 of 17 batters faced.
The Racers' offense gave James plenty of run support, scoring in four of five innings.
Lily Fischer and Sierra Gilmore both homered, Fischer's first of the year, a two-run bomb.
Taylor Jackson was 3-for-3 with two RBIs as nine Racers collected hits in the game.
Pinch hitter Isabella Wilson sealed the win for the Racers with an RBI single to right to score Logan Braundmeier.
The Racers will face St. Thomas and Western Illinois for the final day of the Racer Classic tomorrow (March 14). First pitch is scheduled for 12:15 p.m.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 11, SIUE 3
CARBONDALE, Ill. - SIU Carbondale rallied in the fourth and fifth inning and defeated SIUE softball 11-3 in five innings Sunday during the opening day of the Saluki Invitational.
The Cougars, 6-11, will back back on the diamond at Charlotte West Stadium Monday for a pair of games. SIUE faces Northern Illinois at 12:15 p.m. followed by a rematch against tournament host SIU Carbondale.
SIUE mustered some big hits in Sunday's game.
Lexi King, who leads the team in hits after two more today, doubled home Grace Bretveld to give SIUE a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
SIUE added another single tally in the second as Lauren Yslava doubled and later scored on an infield error.
Bailley Concatto blasted her first home run of the season in the fourth on the right field fence.
SIUE had its chances overall, stranding 10 runners on base.
The Salukis, 9-8, were getting baserunners on early but not scoring until they rallied for five runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Mia Haynes started and took the loss for the Cougars. She is 3-7.
TENNESSEE TECH 10, BELLARMINE 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Tech softball team has put together its longest winning streak in 11 seasons, earning its sixth win in a row on Sunday, topping Bellarmine 10-1 on Sunday in the second day of the Golden Eagle Classic.
The Golden Eagles (15-6) continue action in the event Monday morning at 10 a.m. as they take on Bellarmine. The remainder of the schedule – Bellarmine vs. Quinnipiac, Indiana State vs. Quinnipiac and Indiana State at Tech – will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the preceding game.
Abby Buettner had a game, going 3-for-3 in the contest with five RBI and two home runs. Her first homer, a solo shot, came with one down in the second inning. The second one was a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth to force the run rule.
Alyssa Arden picked up her eighth win of the season, allowing one run on four hits, walking one and striking out two. Her counterpart, Claire Lehmkuhler, took the loss, allowing six runs – four earned – on six hits and a walk, while striking out three.
Megan Murphy pitched the final frame, allowing four runs on four hits with a strikeout.
Bellarmine struck first in the top half of the first as Sarah Ratterman drove in Alexis Hargrove on a single to right. Tech evened the game up in the bottom half of the frame as Haeli Bryson picked up the RBI on a single to short to drive in Mackenzie Fitzgerald.
Buettner’s first home run broke the tie in the second, then Fitzgerald came home to score on a two-error play off Sydney Love-Baker’s grounder to short as the ball was misplayed at short, then a second error at second base. Love-Baker came home on a sacrifice fly from Bryson to make it 4-1.
Buettner led off the fourth with a double to right, then Savannah Talley hit a home run just on the fair side of the right field foul line in the fourth. The next frame, Bryson, Betts and Kaylan Cole hit consecutive singles, then Buettner drove a deep shot to left center for the walk-off grand slam.
MISSOURI STATE 10, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8; WICHITA STATE 14, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Southeast Missouri (9-9) dropped two games at the Kansas Jayhawk Invitational Sunday. The Redhawks fell to Missouri State (7-11), 10-8, and Wichita State (12-7), 14-0, in five innings.
MSU rallied to score four runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull off its come-from-behind victory.
Down, 8-6, after six innings, McKenzie Vaughan led things off with a walk and pinch runner Kelsie Lewis scored on a triple by Olivia Krehbiel. With one out, Ellie McCoy was hit by a pitch, stole second and went to third on an error. Krehbiel scored the tying run on the play. Run-scoring singles by Skyler Shaw and Payton Minnis came later to give the Bears their two-run advantage.
SEMO had a runner on with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Tatum Gerwitz struck out and Abigail Rickermann was thrown out at second ending the game.
After falling behind, 2-0, in the top of the first inning, SEMO responded with six runs in its first at-bat of the game.
Alyson Tucker led off with a walk and quickly moved into scoring position on a single by Kaylee Anderson. With one out, Kat Sackett and Aubrie Shore both walked and Tucker scored on Shore's bases on balls. Chelsy Pena tied the game when she knocked in Anderson on a single to center. On the next play, Paige Halliwill smashed a grand slam over the center field wall to put the Redhawks ahead, 6-2. The home run marked the first of Halliwill's career.
MSU, after scoring once in each of the second and third innings, tied the game in the fifth.
SEMO, however, regained an 8-6 lead on a two-out pinch-hit double by freshman Sydney Melton in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Marisa Davis (1-2) fell to her second loss of the season after giving up four runs on three hits in two innings. Davis struck out four and walked one, as well.
Steffany Dickerson (5-4) picked up the win in relief. Dickerson threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
MSU edged SEMO, 11-10, in the hit column.
Krehbiel fell a double shy of hitting for the cycle going 3-for-4 with a single, triple, home run, three runs and two RBI to lead the Bears.
Four Redhawks, including Anderson, Pena, Halliwill and Rickermann finished with two hits.
WSU hit a school record eight home runs in its victory over SEMO.
Seven of the nine starters in Shockers lineup homered in a shortened five-inning contest.
WSU had 12 hits in the game, 11 of which went for extra bases.
Paytience Holman (1-2) gave up seven runs on five hits in 1.1 innings, while freshman Delaney Kell scattered six hits and allowed seven runs in one inning of work.
SEMO closes out play at the Jayhawk Invitational at tournament host Kansas Monday.
BELMONT 14, AKRON 5; BELMONT 5, BRADLEY 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont University Softball goes 3-3 in the Bruin Classic. The Bruins defeated both the Zips (13-5) and the Braves (5-2) in exciting matchups at E.S. Rose Park to finish out the Bruin Classic.
The Bruins were not shy at the plate today totalling 18 runs and 16 hits on the day.
Belmont vs Akron
Bottom of the first the Bruins had a fantastic inning to start the day off. Scoring nine of their 13 runs with just four hits. Belmont proved their patience waiting for the right pitches and being nimble around the bases. Both Cheyenne Cavanaugh and Baie Ensio started the Bruins off by walking. Cavanaugh advanced herself stealing second during Ensio's at bat. Abi Ledbetter at the plate roped a single to bring in Cavanaugh. Kristen Green reached first on a Zip's error, bases loaded. Alicia Veltri claimed first base on a fielder's choice and advanced on the throw to home. Both Green and Ledbetter were quick to react and able to score on the play. The Zips replaced their pitcher in the bottom of the first. Not stopping the Bruins, Ollinger singled and Alicia Veltri made it home. The Bruins base running was sharp today, Emily Cockrill walked while Ollinger advanced to second on a wild pitch, Cockrill then stole second. Both Lauren Veltri and Audrey Lyle posted RBI groundouts to bring in Ollinger and Cockrill. Top of the lineup Cavanugh ripped a single to center field. Baie Ensio was hit by a pitch earning her first base. Ledbetter posted a two RBI single as the final scoring play of the inning.
The Bruins only allowed one run in the top of the second and held the score 9-1 for the following third and fourth innings.
Top of the fifth the Zips added an additional two runs, 9-3.
Bottom of the fifth the Bruins were able to add another run to their surplus bringing in Ollinger on a fielder's choice, 9-4.
Top of the sixth Akron started off the inning with a homerun and was their final scoring play of the game, 10-5.
Bottom of the sixth Ensio ripped a single to start the Bruins off and successfully stole second. Green singled up the middle to bring in Ensio. In true Bruin fashion Ollinger homered for a two RBI walkoff to end the game in six innings for Belmont, 13-5.
Pitcher Alex Clesi played a pivotal role in the Bruins success against Akron. Clesi allowed no walks and had three strikeouts.
Belmont vs Bradley
Bradley proved to be tougher competition for the Bruins today but did not stop Belmont from going 3-3 on the weekend.
After a quiet first two innings for both teams the Braves got on the board in the top of the third, 1-0 and followed with another run in the top of the fourth 2-0. The Bruins countered by putting up their first run in the bottom of the fourth.
Belmont knew what they had to do to win and posted a four run inning in the bottom of the fifth. Ollinger started off the inning with her second homer of the day for the Bruins. Two in scoring position Ensio singled to bring in Givers on second, Ensio advanced to second on the throw. Kristen Green roped a single moving Ledbetter who was previously hit by a pitch and scored Ensio. Ledbetter successfully stole home, 5-2.
The Bruins held the Braves to the 5-2 score to finish out the game and earn their second win for the day.
Pitcher Emma Summer did a phenomenal job in the circle for the Bruins. Pitching all seven innings she earned herself the win with seven strikeouts.
Belmont proved they are a force to be reckoned with this weekend after a successful Bruin Classic.