Softball Recaps - May 1

Softball Recaps - May 1

SUNDAY'S SCORES
@SIUE 9, Southeast Missouri 1 (9)
@SIUE 3, Southeast Missouri 2
Murray State 7, @Tennessee Tech 3
@Bemont 10, Eastern Illinois 7
Austin Peay 5, @UT Martin 3 (10)
@UT Martin 5, Austin Peay 0


SIUE 9, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1; SIUE 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill
. - SIUE softball swept Southeast Missouri Sunday and took all three games of the Ohio Valley Conference series with a 9-1 win in six innings and a 3-2, 10-inning nightcap.

The Cougars finished the season with a 10-6 record at Cougar Field. Jenna Herron provided the game-winning hit and RBI in game one. Lauryn Yslava picked up a game-winning RBI in the nightcap, hitting a sacrifice fly that scored Lexi King.

King had SIUE's first four-hit game of the season in the second game.

Yslava, who got the big congratulations for the sacrifice fly,  make some heads up plays, including starting a double play from right field in game two.

SIUE dominated in game one behind Kelsey Ray, who gave up just three hits for her second win of the season.

The Cougar offense scored in five of the six innings, taking advantage of four Southeast Missouri errors.

In game two, the game was standoff between SIUE starter King and SEMO starter Rachel Rook. The game went to the bullpen with Mia Haynes picking up the win behind four-plus scoreless innings. Marisa Davis took the loss for SEMO, which fell to 24-22 overall and 13-10 in the OVC.

Grace Lueke hit her 12th home run of the season in game two, tying her for No. 2 all-time and is now the Division I era single-season leader.

MURRAY STATE 7, TENNESSEE TECH 3
COOKEVILLE, Tenn
. - Tennessee Tech was able to chase off Murray State ace Hannah James after one inning, but the visiting Racers rallied late to take a 7-3 victory over the Golden Eagles on Sunday.

Haeli Bryson was 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Golden Eagles (31-18, 13-12 Ohio Valley Conference), while Sierra Gilmore had three RBI and Logan Braundmeier, Gracie Osbron and Erin Lackey each went 2-for-4 to lead the Racers (34-14-1, 19-6 OVC) to keep pace a game back of Belmont in the league standings.

Tech scored all three of its runs in the bottom of the first, tagging James for five hits. Mackenzie Fitzgerald led off with a double to center field, then Dukes lasered a single through the right side of the infield to put runners on the corners. Carmen Betts lofted a ball up toward first baseman Lily Fischer, but the ball shifted course, falling in between Fischer and second baseman Lindsey Carroll, bringing in Fitzgerald. Bryson roped a double into center field to score Dukes. Shelby Penning then reached on a fielder’s choice as James threw home to get Betts at the plate. Abby Buettner brought the final run home with a single down the right field line.

Alyssa Arden gave up two unearned runs in the top of the second as Taylor Jackson scored on a fielding error stemming off of Erin Lackey’s single to right. Isabella Wilson then came home on a wild pitch to make it a 3-2 game.

The score held until the top of the fifth inning as Sierra Gilmore tied the game on a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Logan Braundmeier, then Jackson drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in Gracie Osbron.

Murray State then added three runs in the sixth as Gilmore had a two-run single, then Fischer singled to left to drive in Gilmore.

Meanwhile, Jenna Veber, who came in to pitch in the second inning, held the Golden Eagles to three hits to earn her 14th win of the season. Veber walked none and struck out six.

Arden took the loss to fall to 13-11 on the year, allowing seven runs – five earned – on nine hit, walking four and striking out four in the complete-game effort.

BELMONT 10, EASTERN ILLINOIS 7
NASHVILLE, Tenn
. - Belmont University Softball defeated Easter Illinois University 10-8 in an exciting game to sweep the series, their fifth sweep in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Bruins clinched their 30th win of the season to improve their record to 30-12 overall and 20-5 in conference play. The Bruins are on fire posting one of the best season records to date. For the graduates honored this weekend Lauren Veltri, Jessica Parente, Elison Ollinger, Cheyenne Cavanaugh, and Alicia Veltri this was their last appearance at E.S. Rose Park, and they made it a good one. 

A beautiful day in Nashville called for a beautiful game of softball. Both teams today got to show their hitting power and agility around the bases. 

Kristen Green started off the scoring for the Bruins in the bottom of the third. A laser sent deep, nailing the foul pole brought home Cavanaugh who previously walked for an RBI double. Alicia Veltri sent a grounder to the second baseman who then attempted to throw out Green at home but was unsuccessful for another Bruin run. 

Two singles and a stolen base put Cavanaugh and Emma Barnes in scoring position itching to get home. No problem for home run and RBI leader Green, the junior, sent out a long home run for 3 RBI, her eighth of the season, 5-0.

Bases loaded for the panther's in the fifth, a sacrifice fly got EUI on the board. Catcher Lindy Milkowski sent a 3 RBI home run over the fence, similar to Green's to make it a one run game. 

The Bruins knew they needed some insurance to seal the deal on EIU. A 5 run, 4 hits, and 3 error fifth inning did just that. Gabrielle Givers, pinch hitter, had herself a 2 RBI single to get the Bruins started in the fifth. Givers capitalized on a throwing error from the catcher. Cavanaugh with a double down the left field line brought home Baie Ensio to insure a 6 run lead. 

The Panther's lessened the deficit in the sixth with another four run inning. Jaylen Prichard led off the inning with a solo homerun. A two RBI single and a sacrifice fly sent in the additional three runs for the Panther's. 

The score remained 10-8 for the remainder of the game due to solid defense and smart pitching. 

AUSTIN PEAY 5, UT MARTIN 3; UT MARTIN 5, AUSTIN PEAY 0
MARTIN, Tenn.
-  Austin Peay State University's softball team remained undefeated in extra-inning ball games this season, moving to 3-0 in extra-inning contests, Sunday afternoon at Bettye Giles Field, by defeating UT Martin, 5-3 in 10 innings, before dropping the nightcap, 5-0, in their final road Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader of the year.

Austin Peay 5, UT Martin 3 (10 inns.)

The Governors (27-22, 14-11 OVC) and Skyhawks (29-17, 14-8 OVC) were tied 3-3 heading into the top of the 10th inning, when the Govs opened the inning with back-to-back-to-back-to-back singles from Brooke Pfefferle, Kylie Campbell, Kendyl Weinzapfel and Mea Clark to open the inning, with Clarks' single driving in Pfefferle with the go-ahead run, 5-4.

Austin Peay would tack-on an insurance run an out later, with Moran Zuege driving in Weinzapfel with a single, making it 5-3.

That would be all the runs that Govs relief pitcher Harley Mullins (10-7) would need, as she retired the Skyhawks in order in the bottom of the inning to seal away the victory.

Overall, Mullins pitched 1.2 innings of shutout relief, striking out one, after coming in for starter Jordan Benefiel, who went the first 8.1 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, while walking three and striking out five.

The Govs had opened up the game by jumping out to a 2-0 lead, scoring twice in the top of the second inning, with Pfefferle opening the inning by drawing a walk, and after an out, move to second on a single by Weinzapfel.

Clark would then follow with a single, scoring Pfefferle, followed by a sacrifice fly from Emily Harkleroad that brought in Weinzapfel.

UT Martin would tie the game, 2-2, in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer, with the score remaining that way until the top of the eighth.

In the eighth, Pfefferle, would just miss a home run to open the inning, instead settling for a double off the top of the fence in right-center.

A sacrifice by Campbell would move Pfefferle to third, where an out later, she would score on a sacrifice fly by Weinzapfel to make it 3-2

The Skyhawks would tie the game for the last time, 3-3, in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly of their own.

UT Martin 5, Austin Peay 0

A couple of missed chances early-on allowed UT Martin to take, before they broke the game open with a four-run fifth inning, in handing the Govs a 5-0 loss in the final game of the weekend.

The first scoring chance for the Govs came in the top of the first, with Megan Hodum and Bailey Shorter opening the game with back-to-back singles but would be stranded on base, as the next three Govs went down in order.

Austin Peay had its second scoring opportunity in the top of the third, down 1-0, with Zuege opening the inning with a single and moving into scoring position at second on a ground out but she was left on base as the next two Govs went down in order.

The Govs final scoring chance came in the fourth, when they got back-to-back, two-out, hits from Weinzapfel and Clark, but could not produce a third hit to push any runs across.

UT Martin would break the game open in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs on five hits, for the 5-0 final.