WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
Belmont 2, @Tennessee State 0
@Tennessee State 3, Belmont 2
Morehead State 5, @Tennessee Tech 2
@Tennessee Tech 5, Morehead State 2
@Southeast Missouri 4, UT Martin 3
@Soutoheast Missouri 5, UT Martin 4
@Eastern Illinois 6, SIUE 5 (11)
@Eastern Illinois 10, SIUE 2 (6)
@Austin Peay 2, Murray State 1
@Austin Peay 4, Murray State 3 (9)
BELMONT 2, TENNESSEE STATE 0; TENNESSEE STATE 3, BELMONT 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee State softball team spilt the mid-week doubleheader against Belmont.
TOP 6TH: To lead off the inning, Baie Ensio reached on an infield single to shortstop. In the following at-bat, Cheyenne Cavanaugh lined a double to left-center field and Ensio scored after a bobble by TSU's center fielder. With two outs, Abi Ledbetter reached on an error by TSU's third basemen which allowed Green to score from second. || BU, 2-0
Kayli Mothershed reached in two plate appearances as she logged a hit-by-pitch and a free pass.
Jasmine Brown registered a base knock for Tennessee State.
Belmont's Cheyenne Cavanaugh went 3-for-3 with a double as the lead-off hitter.
Mothershed leads the team with 18 walks in 34 games played.
BU's Cavanaugh ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference in batting average (.417).
HOW IT HAPPENED:
TOP 2ND: With one out, Ellison Ollinger reached on a free pass and advanced to third after a base hit from Alicia Veltri. With two outs, Baie Ensio drove in the first run of the contest on an infield single. || BU, 1-0
BOT 5TH: To lead off the inning, Ryla Traylor lined a single to center field and Lauren Farias reached on an infield single. With two outs, Ivory Jones scorched an opposite field, two-run triple to clear the bases and give TSU its first lead of the day. In the next at-bat, Jasmine Brown chopped a groundball to second base and beat out the throw for an RBI infield single. || TSU, 3-1
TOP 6TH: Belmont's Emily Cockrill led off the sixth inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. The next batter, Ellison Ollinger, drove an RBI double to deep-left field to cut the deficit in half. || TSU, 3-2
Ivory Jones laced her team-leading second triple of the season with her go-ahead, two-run, base knock.
Raven Loveless started in back-to-back games and received the no-decision after four innings of one-run ball. The senior allowed five hits, two walks and struck out one batter.
Five different players registered a base hit for Tennessee State.
Over the last four games, Jones is batting .500 (5-for-10) with a double, triple and three RBI.
The Tigers defeated Belmont for the first time since May 4, 2018 (10 games).
TSU snapped Belmont's eight-game winning streak with the one-run victory.
Tennessee State snapped a nine-game losing streak.
MOREHEAD STATE 5, TENNESSEE TECH 2; TENNESSEE TECH 5, MOREHEAD STATE 2
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - It was a day with a lot of ups and downs as the Tennessee Tech softball team saw a split against Morehead State. The visiting Eagles won the day’s opener as MSU held the Golden Eagles to four hits in a 5-2 victory, then Tech took the nightcap by the same score, 5-2.
The Golden Eagles (31-15, 13-9 Ohio Valley Conference) return to action on Saturday and Sunday as they host Murray State in a three-game set.
In the opener, both teams were scoreless through the first four frames, but Morehead struck for four runs in the top of the fifth. Peyton Jordan hit a single into center field and the ball got away from the outfielder, allowing Trinity Spear to get home for the first run. Alexis Strother eyed a single through the middle to bring in Jordan, then Ieesha Lightbody delivered a two-run single to center.
The visitors added a run in the sixth as Madeline Gailor drove in Spear with a single to center field, stretching it to second on an error.
Tech scored a single run in the sixth as Haeli Bryson had an RBI double down the left field line to plate Mackenzie Fitzgerald, ending the day for starter Lennon Spicer.
Maddie Ogden came in with the game-tying run on deck, ceding a walk to Sydney Dukes, then struck out Sydney Love-Baker and Savannah Talley before coaxing a flyout to Abby Buettner to get out of the bases-loaded jam. Ogden went on to collect her first save of the season, her lone run surrendered on a solo home run to Shelby Penning to lead off the top of the seventh.
Spicer (5-16) collected the victory – Morehead’s sixth of the season and fifth in OVC play – allowing one run on three hits, walking two and striking out three.
Tyler Erwin saw her third loss of the season, allowing five runs on 10 hits, walking one and striking out eight.
In game two, Tech got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third as Buettner led off with a solo home run on the first pitch. Morehead answered in the fourth as Peyton Slater went yard.
The Golden Eagles retook the lead in the fifth as Carmen Betts drove in Brooklin Richardson and Buettner with a double roped down the right field line. Morehead chipped into the lead with a Strother RBI single to right, but Tech scored insurance in the bottom of the sixth as Shelby Penning hit a one-out home run off the batter’s eye in center field, then Richardson hit a single to left to drive in pinch runner KaDedra Temple.
Bryson earned the win – her sixth of the year – as she allowed two runs on five hits in the complete-game effort, walking none and striking out five. Ogden took the loss, allowing five runs – four earned – on seven hits, walking one and striking out six.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, UT MARTIN 3; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5, UT MARTIN 4
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (24-19, 13-7) battled to win a pair of one-run games in a 4-3, 5-4, doubleheader sweep of UT Martin (27-16, 12-7) Wednesday at the Southeast Softball Complex.
Freshman Aubrie Shore went 2-for-3 and hit the game-winning home run to send SEMO to its game one victory.
Tied, 3-3, after five and a half innings, Shore came up in the bottom of the sixth and ripped the first pitch of her at-bat deep over the left field wall for her seventh home run of the season.
Shore's blast answered a two-run home run by Kallie Pickens that initially tied the contest.
The Redhawks struck first with two runs in the bottom of the second that came on a two-RBI infield single by Kelby Robinson.
After the Skyhawks made it a one-run game in the third, Wrigley scored on a two-out base hit by Abigail Rickermann to stretch SEMO's lead to 3-1.
Rachel Rook relieved Marisa Davis with runners at first and second and one out in the third inning. Rook retired 10 of the first 11 hitters she faced and finished with five strikeouts in 4.2 frames. She also walked one and allowed two runs on three hits.
Alexis Groet (10-7) suffered the loss. Groet struck out seven, walked one, gave up four runs and scattered seven hits in six innings of work.
SEMO outhit UTM, 7-5. Rickermann, Kaylee Anderson, Wrigley, Kat Sackett and Robinson each added a hit behind Shore.
In the nightcap, it was Wrigley who stole the spotlight out of the nine-hole in the Redhawks lineup.
Wrigley finished at 2-for-3 with a triple and career-high four RBI to pace SEMO which pounded out 10 hits.
The game was knotted at 3-3 after each team scored once in the third and twice in the fourth innings.
Avry Blume singled home Pickens to put the Skyhawks up by a run before SEMO took down the Skyhawks for good.
In the bottom of the sixth, Wrigley singled to left field to knock in Kileigh Grishman and Tatum Gerwitz for the decisive hit. The clutch hit came after Wrigley tripled home two runs in the home half of the fourth.
Rook (14-8) earned her second win of the day in a relief role again. She struck out one and allowed one run on two hits in two innings.
Davis was credited with her first save of the season after pitching a scoreless seventh.
Rickermann added two hits for SEMO in game two, as well.
The Redhawks remained undefeated with an 11-0 record at home this season.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 6, SIUE 5; EASTERN ILLINOIS 10, SIUE 2
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball had a pair of walk-off wins on Wednesday as the Panthers swept a midweek Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader from SIUE at Williams Field.
Riley Dittmar had a walk-off single to right center in the bottom of the 11th to win game one 6-5.
Rachel Kaufman had a walk-off two-run single to left in the bottom of the 6th to give EIU a run-rule 10-2 win.
EIU improved to 23-26 overall, 8-14 in the OVC. SIUE fell to 15-30 overall, 6-16 in the OVC.
EIU 6, SIUE 5 (11 INNIINGS)
It took nearly four hours to complete, but Riley Dittmar dropped in a bases loaded RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift Eastern Illinois to a 6-5 win and snap the Panthers nine-game OVC losing skid.
Dittmar’s single scored Abi Stahlhut who opened the 11th with a single to third base. The Panthers then loaded the bases with Lindy Milkowski and Kendall Fields reaching to set the table for Dittmar.
Both teams had scoring chances late in the game with SIUE’s Bailey Concatto getting thrown out at the plate in the top of the seventh. SIUE had three runners in scoring position from the seventh through 11th innings. EIU would also have three runners in scoring position between the seventh and tenth innings before breaking through in the 11th.
Olivia Price was excellent in relief for EIU scattering two hits in 8.1 innings of shutout relief to get the win and improve to 5-4. Mia Haynes was the hard luck loser in the circle for SIUE pitching six innings allowing just the one run in the 11th falling to 6-15.
SIUE jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third. Jenna Herron had the big hit in the inning with a based loaded double down the left field line. After an EIU error kept the inning alive allowing two runs to score, Katie Smith closed the Cougars scoring with an RBI triple. Herron had two of SIUE’s four hits in the game as the Cougars took advantage of nine walks and two EIU errors.
Megan Burton cut into the SIUE lead in the fourth with a two-run homer, her ninth of the season. Macey McElravy would add a pinch hit RBI single later in the inning to make it 5-3.
EIU would tie the game at 5-5 in the fifth on a two-run double by Milkowski.
Jaylen Prichard led EIU going 3-for-5 at the plate while Burton, Hannah Cravens and Maddie Swart each added two hits.
EIU 10, SIUE 2 (6 INNINGS)
Rachel Kaufman had what proved to be the game winning hit and picked up the win in relief in the circle as EIU won 10-2 in six innings.
Leading 8-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth, EIU loaded the bases with one out. Kaufman would single to left scoring Jaylen Prichard and Hannah Cravens to clinch the game.
In the circle Kaufman was the third pitcher of the day for the Panthers pitching four innings in relief allowing just two hits while striking out three Cougars.
EIU opened the scoring in the first with Cravens connecting for an RBI double to put the Panthers up 1-0. The lead was short lived for EIU as Grace Lueke hit her 11th home run of the season, a two-run shot in the top of the second to give SIUE a 2-1 lead.
The Panthers responded in the bottom of the second with three runs. Riley Dittmar had an RBI double with Morgan Lewis adding an RBI single. Lewis was 4-for-4 in the game, one of four Panthers with multiple hits. Prichard drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly.
EIU extended its lead to 8-2 in the fourth scoring four runs while taking advantage of an SIUE error. Lindy Milkowski drove in two of the four runs with a double to right center, her second double of the game.
Kaufman and Dittmar both added two hits for EIU. Kaufman improved to 4-8 on the year in the circle.
Kelsey Ray suffered the loss for SIUE falling to 1-3. The Cougars had just four hits in the second game with extra base hits by Lueke (home run) and Ashlyn Betz (double).
AUSTIN PEAY 2, MURRAY STATE 1; AUSTN PEAY 4, MURRAY STATE 3
CLARSKVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay swept it’s Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader versus lead-leading Murray State, Wednesday at Cathi Maynard Park-Cheryl Holt Field, with the Governors coming away with 2-1 and 4-3 (in 8 innings) wins.
The Govs (26-20, 13-9 OVC) saw Murray State (32-14-1, 16-6 OVC) get out to a 1-0 lead in Game 1, behind a home run from Lindsey Carroll in the top of the second inning.
Austin Peay would tie the game, 1-1, in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Mea Clark, scoring Brooke Pfefferle, then score what turned out to be the game winner in the sixth, when Kendyl Weinzapfel singled in Pfefferle to make it 2-1.
Harley Mullins (9-5) got the complete-game win while Jenna Veber (12-7) took the loss.
In Game 2, Austin Peay jumped out quickly, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a two-run double by Kylie Campbell, with Lexi Osowski driving in the other run with a sacrifice fly.
Murray State would tie the game in the sixth, by scoring three runs, the first coming on an infield single by Gracie Osbron and then the other two to tie the game on a single by Carrol.
The game would go into extra inning, with Osowski coming away with the walk-off game winning single in the bottom of the ninth, scoring Megan Hodum for the 4-3 final.
Jordan Benefiel (12-7) went the distance for the Govs in picking up the victory, while Veber took the loss.