SUNDAY'S SCORES
Morehead State 1, @Murray State 0
@Murray State 5, Morehead State 1
UT Martin 11, @Tennessee State 0
UT Martin 3, @Tennessee State 1
@Southeast Missouri 5, Belmont 3 (8)
@Southeast Missouri 9, Blemont 2
@Eastern Illinois 16, Tennessee Tech 15 (8)
@Eastern Illinois 10, Tennessee Tech 4
@Austin Peay 9, SIUE 5
MOREHEAD STATE 1, MURRAY STATE 0; MURRAY STATE 5, MOREHEAD STATE 1
MURRAY, Ky. - With a win in game two of Sunday’s doubleheader with Morehead State at Racer Field in Murray, Kentucky, the Murray State softball team claimed the 2022 OVC Championship, the first in program history.
The Racers dropped game one to the Eagles, 1-0, but came back and won game two 5-2. With two losses by Belmont Sunday, Murray State became the outright winners of the league title and secured the No. 1 overall seed in next week’s OVC Softball Championship at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.
Nothing went the Racers’ way in game one Sunday, as they tallied just one hit in the 1-0 loss to the Eagles. Madi Ogden got the one-hit shutout win for Morehead State in the game, finishing the game with seven strikeouts.
In game two, the Racers scored early and often, scoring runners in the first, second, fourth and sixth innings. Murray State outhit the Eagles, 7-3, in the contest.
Jenna Veber went the distance for the Racers and gave up one earned run on three hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Lily Fischer was 2-for-2 on the day to lead MSU with two runs, a double, a stolen base and a hit by pitch, while Taylor Jackson was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a home run.
In game one, Hannah James struck out seven to cross the 200-strikeout threshold on the season and currently stands at 206.
AUSTIN PEAY 9, SIUE 5
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s softball team scored five times in the sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie with Southern Illinois Edwardsville, Sunday at Cathi Maynard Park-Cheryl Holt Field, and pull away for a 9-5 win to complete the sweep of their three-game Ohio Valley Conference series.
The Governors (30-22, 17-11 OVC) got things going in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out single by Mea Clark and then catch a break when SIUE committed an error on a ground ball putting runners at first and second.
Morgana Zuege would then load the bases with an infield single, bring up the top of the order in Megan Hodum.
Hodum would clear the bases with a triple just inside the line and into the right field corner to give the Govs a 7-4 lead.
A wild pitch would allow Hodum to score, making it 8-4, followed by Lexi Osowski being hit by a pitch and later come around to score on a single by Kylie Campbell to extend the Govs lead to 9-4.
The Cougars (18-33, 9-19 OVC) would get a final run in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by Lexi King for the 9-5 final.
SIUE opened the game by taking their first lead of the weekend on a sacrifice fly by King, scoring Micah Arps, with Austin Peay matching the run in the bottom of the inning, also on a sacrifice fly by Osowski, scoring Hodum.
The Cougars would retake the lead, 2-1, in the third, on an RBI single by Bailley Concatto, driving in Katie Smith.
The Govs would take their first lead of the game in the bottom of the third, with Bailey Shorter and Osowski reaching on a hit by pitch and a walk and come around to score on RBI singles by Brooke Pfefferle and Campbell, making it 3-2.
Austin Peay would extend its lead to 4-2 on Shorter’s five home run of the season in the fifth, before the Cougars tied the game 4-4 on a two-run double by Aerin Talley.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5, BELMONT 3; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 9, BELMONT 2
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Kynzie Wrigley had five hits, four runs scored, a walkoff home run, three doubles and two RBI to lead Southeast Missouri (27-22, 16-10) to a 5-3, 9-2, doubleheader sweep of Belmont (30-15, 20-8) Sunday.
SEMO completed a series sweep of the Bruins who entered the weekend at first in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. The Redhawks completed a perfect 14-0 record at home following today's wins.
The Redhawks claimed the #4 seed in this year's OVC Tournament. SEMO will open postseason play against the winner of #5 Austin Peay and #8 SIU Edwardsville on Wedneday, May 11 at 5:30 p.m., CT. The 2022 OVC Tournament is from May 11-14 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.
Wrigley's two-run walkoff home run sent SEMO to a thrilling game one victory in extra innings.
After Aubrie Shore singled in front of her, Wrigley slammed the second pitch of her at-bat off the light pole just to the right of the scoreboard in right center for her fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the eighth.
SEMO held a 3-1 lead until BEL scored twice to tie things up in the top of the seventh.
Audrey Lyle hit a solo home run and Baie Ensio scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Kristen Green to make it a 3-3 ballgame.
SEMO roughed up starting left-hander Alicia Veltri for three runs to get its early lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Abigail Rickermann led off with an infield single and quickly scored on a home run to straightaway center by Paige Halliwill. On the next play, Aubrie Shore doubled, went to third on a single by Kynzie Wrigley and scored on a sacrifice fly in foul territory by Kat Sackett to grab the Redhawks a 3-0 cushion.
In the nightcap, SEMO used a four-run second inning to key its seven-run win.
The Redhawks had four hits and capitalized on two BEL errors to get ahead again early.
Tori Bradley doubled and Wrigley scored in the fifth inning before Chelsy Pena homered in the sixth for SEMO's other runs. It was Pena's second round-tripper of the season.
Rachel Rook (17-9) recorded both wins of today's doubleheader and beat the Bruins all three times this weekend. Rook struck out three in 1.2 shutout innings of relief during game one. She then posted six strikeouts and gave up just two runs in seven innings in the nightcap. Rook finished with 16 strikeouts in the series and, as a result, became the first pitcher in SEMO softball history to reach 600 career Ks.
SEMO pounded out 10 hits in game two with Wrigley (3), Rickermann (2) and Pena (2) combining for seven. Pena added a career-high four RBI.
The Redhawks make their 20th OVC Tournament appearance this year.
UT MARTIN 11, TENNESSEE STATE 0; UT MARTIN 3, TENNESSEE STATE 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team went on the road for its final series of the regular season and came away with a sweep of Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee State after picking up a pair of victories on Sunday afternoon by final margins of 11-0 and 3-1.
Finishing the regular season with an overall record of 31-17 while going 17-8 in league play, the Skyhawks will enter next week’s OVC Softball Championship as the #3 seed and earn an automatic bye into the double elimination portion of the tournament.
In today’s action the Skyhawks used a balanced team effort featuring a high-powered offense which scored 14 runs on 26 hits while the pitching staff allowed just one run in the doubleheader. With the offense posting a .406 batting average and the pitching staff recording a 0.54 ERA in 13.0 innings of action, the stage was set for a promising final day of the regular season.
Kallie Pickens led the way for the team by going 7-for-8 at the plate with a double, a triple and three RBIs while scoring two runs. Shyanne Sheffield also posted a big day by tallying four hits while scoring four runs and driving in three runs. Six other Skyhawks tallied multi-hit outings with Katie Dreiling blasting a home run and driving in four RBIs while Kaitlyn Kelley notched three RBIs on the afternoon.
Three pitchers contributed in today’s stellar performance in the circle. Erin Gallagher (13-7) picked up the shutout victory in Game 1 after striking out seven and scattering four hits over six innings. Game 2 saw Emily Brown earn the start and strikeout three while allowing one earned run in four innings. Seeley Layne (5-2) picked up the win with three shutout innings of relief, striking out one and allowing just one hit.
Game 48: UT Martin 11, Tennessee State 0 (Six inning)
The Skyhawks jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the top of the first inning of today’s doubleheader. Paige Clark led off the game with a single down the left field line before swiping her 93rd career stolen base to move into scoring position. Then after back-to-back walks to Kaci Fuller and Sheffield loaded the bases for Pickens, the team’s leader in RBIs added three more to her season total with a bases-clearing double to left field.
The game remained a three-score margin until the fourth inning when Avry Blume, Maddi Long and Emily Gilstrap opened the frame with three consecutive singles to load the bases. With the bases still juiced, Clark tallied her second hit of the day – lacing a single up the middle – to drive in the team’s fourth run. Two batters later, Sheffield added a single to her total to drive in a pair before scoring herself on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kaitlyn Kelley on the next at bat to give UT Martin a 7-0 advantage.
UT Martin put the finishing touches on a dominating offensive performance with three more runs in the top of the sixth inning. Clark led off the inning by drawing a walk before Fuller reached on a throwing error to move the pair into scoring position. Much like in the fourth, Sheffield tallied a two-run single to push the margin above the eight-run mark while Kelley added her second sacrifice fly of the contest. The Skyhawks added two final runs as Pickens tallied a triple to left field before Katie Dreiling drove a two-run home run for her eighth of the season.
Along with the offensive breakout, Gallagher posted her third shutout of the season after striking out seven in six innings of work.
Game 49: UT Martin 3, Tennessee State 1
The second game of the doubleheader saw the Skyhawks jump out to an early lead behind Kelley’s third RBI of the afternoon. UT Martin saw the trio of Sheffield, Pickens and Kelley team up in the top of the first inning to tallying three consecutive singles for an early 1-0 lead.
Tennessee State came back in the bottom half of the inning and found the equalizing run on a RBI double by Peyton Fointno to score Lauren Farias.
The game remained tied at one run apiece until the top of the seventh when the Skyhawks found the winning formula with two runs which proved to be the difference in the contest. Sheffield and Pickens tallied back-to-back singles to open the frame before a fielding error at first resulted in both runners coming around to score the game-winning runs.
With a lead in hand for the first time since the first inning, Layne closed the door with three consecutive groundouts to preserve the 3-1 victory and 11th win of her career.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 16, TENNESSEE TECH 15; EASTERN ILLINOIS 10, TENNESSEE TECH 4
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball sent its 2022 senior class out on a high note on Sunday as the Panthers swept both games of an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader over Tennessee Tech.
EIU had a dramatic come-from-behind 16-15 win in the opener before closing the day with a 10-4 victory.
EIU improved to 25-29 overall, 10-17 in the OVC. Tennessee Tech fell to 31-20 overall, 13-14 in the OVC.
The two schools both advance to the OVC Tournament and will face each other in the opening game on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. in Oxford, Ala.
EIU 16, TTU 15 (8 innings)
Eastern Illinois trailed 12-0 after two Tennessee Tech times at-bat in the opening game. EIU would score six runs in the bottom of the seventh and then won the game in the eighth on a walk-off single by Jaylen Prichard.
Trailing 15-9 heading into the bottom of the seventh, EIU cut the lead to five runs on an RBI single down the left field line by Prichard. Prichard was 4-for-5 in the game.
After EIU extended the inning on an error by Tennessee Tech, Lindy Milkowski hit her third grand slam of the season to bring EIU to within one run at 15-14. Riley Dittmar followed as the next batter and hit a solo home run to right center to tie the game.
In the eighth Morgan Lewis led off with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Megan Burton setting the table for Prichard’s game winning hit.
TTU opened the game swinging hot bats as they scored three runs in the top of the first with home runs by Carmen Betts and Sydney Love-Baker.
The Golden Eagles added nine runs in the top of the second, Sydney Dukes and Savannah Talley had the big hits of the inning for TTU. Dukes had a two-run double while Talley delivered a three-run home run.
Tennessee Tech pounded out six home runs in the opener with Abby Buettner and Shelby Penning hitting solo shots in the sixth before Dukes had a solo home run in the seventh. Dukes and Talley both had three hits to lead TTU.
EIU chipped away at the lead during the game with three runs in the second, two in the thid and three more in the sixth. Rachel Kaufman had a three run home run in the sixth for the Panthers.
Milkowski and Morgan Lewis both added three hits for EIU with Milkowski picking up two doubles to go with her grand slam.
Alexa Rehmeier faced one batter in the eighth and recorded the out for the win to improve to 11-9.
Alyssa Arden started the game and returned in the eighth suffering the loss to fall to 13-12.
EIU 10, TTU 4
Eastern Illinois used its game one mometum to jump to out an early 4-1 lead in the first inning as the Panthers completed the Sunday sweep with a 10-4 win.
Lindy Milkowski had a two-run double in the first as she contined her big power day at the plate. The catcher finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate. Rachel Kaufman and Abi Stahlhut added RBI singles in the inning to give EIU the 4-1 lead.
TTU responed in the top of the second to tie the game at 4-4. Mackenzie Fitzgerald had a two-run double for the big hit of the inning.
Milkowski delivered an RBI single in the second to give EIU a lead it would never relinquish. Kendall Fields had RBI doubles in the third and fourth innings while Maddie Swart added an RBI double in the sixth.
Fields and Kaufman both had three hits to lead EIU as the Panthers finished with 16 hits in the second game.
Alexa Rehmeier pitched 5.2 innings of scoreless relief to pick up her second win of the day improving to 12-9 on the year.
Haeli Bryson suffered the loss in the circle falling to 6-5. Bryson picked up two of the five hits for the Golden Eagles offense.