FRIDAY'S SCORES
Ohio 4,
@Tennessee Tech 1
Robert Morris 12,
@Tennessee Tech 3
@Southeast Missouri 4,
SIUE 2
@Southeast Missouri 3, SIUE 2 (8)
Eastern Illinois 5, @UT Martin 1
Eastern Illinois 10, @UT Martin 0
EASTERN ILLINOS 5, UT MARTIN 1; EASTERN ILLINOIS 10, UT MARTIN 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - Solid pitching and big hits were the story of the day for Eastern Illinois as the Panthers extended their current winning streak to six straight games with a doubleheader sweep over UT Martin in the Ohio Valley Conference softball opener for both teams.
EIU won the opener 5-1 before a 10-0 win over the Skyhawks in five innings in the second game. The final game of the series takes place on Saturday at Noon. EIU improved to 12-9 on the season, 2-0 in the OVC. UTM fell to 6-10 overall, 0-2 in the OVC.
EIU 5, UTM 1
Kendall Grover had two of the three hits allowed by the UT Martin pitching staff but both hits proved to be big during Eastern Illinois 5-1 win in the OVC opener.
Grover put the Panthers on the board in the fourth inning with a two-run homer for EIU’s first hit of the game.
The Panthers tacked on three insurance runs for starter Olivia Price in the seventh. Grover had a two-run double to left finishing the game 2-for-4 with four RBI. Jaylen Prichard had the other RBI with a bases loaded walk in the seventh.
Price (4-2) went the distance in the circle for EIU scattering six hits and allowing just one run in the bottom of the seventh. She had five strikeouts.
Kaci Fuller had two of the Skyhawks six hits going 2-for-4 and driving in the lone UTM run in the seventh. Krysten Brown was 2-for-3.
Kiersten Nixon (0-3) took the loss for UTM as one of three Skyhawks pitchers. Amber Cieplinski was 1-for-2 with a walk for the other Panthers hit.
EIU 10, UTM 0 (5 inn)
Lindy Milkowski and Briana Gonzalez hit first inning home runs to stake Eastern Illinois to a 5-0 lead and that proved to be all the offense starting pitcher Rachel Kaufman would need during the Panthers 10-0 run-rule victory.
Milkowski hit a three-run homer in the first for her ninth home run this season. Gonzalez followed three batters later with a two-run home run as EIU hammered out eight hits in the game.
Kendall Grover had a sacrifice fly in the second to push the Panthers lead to 6-0.
The Panthers then put the game away with four runs in the fifth. Gonzalez started the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center scoring Marama Makea. Macey McElravy added an RBI single and Aryn Henke closed the inning with an RBI triple.
Milkowski and Prichard each had two hits to lead EIU’s offense.
Kaufman (3-2) went the distance scattering five Skyhawks hits with five strikeouts.
Brooklynn Linneman (2-3) suffered the loss as UTM’s defense committed five errors leading to eight unearned runs in the contest.
Anna Hazelwood was 2-for-2 to lead the UT Martin offense.
OHIO 4, TENNESSEE TECH 1; ROBERT MORRIS 12, TENNESSEE TECH 3
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Finally back on their home field for the first time this season, the Tennessee Tech softball team looked to pick up a couple of wins on the first day of the Tennessee Tech Tournament, but Ohio and Robert Morris were able to stave off the Golden Eagles as the Bobcats topped Tech 4-1, then the Colonials followed suit in the day’s final game 12-3 in five innings.
Tech (1-18) returns to action on Saturday as the Golden Eagles take on Robert Morris at approximately 12:30 p.m., followed by Ohio at 3 p.m.
Callie Piper had a strong outing against the Bobcats, going the distance as she allowed four runs on 10 hits, walking six and striking out one.
Tech led 1-0 in the bottom of the third as Nicolle Nysted drove in Carmen Betts with a double to left center as the Golden Eagles collected three of their six hits in the frame. Betts had a single up the middle and Abby Buettner singled back to the circle.
Betts ended the game going 3-for-4.
Keegan Moore picked up the victory for Ohio as she worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits as she walked two and struck out two. Skipp Miller earned the save as she threw 2 2/3 scoreless and hitless innings, walking two and striking out one.
Annalia Paoli went 3-for-4 to lead Ohio (8-11) with two RBI.
Against Robert Morris, the Colonials (6-10) scored seven runs in the top of the fourth and four in the top of the fifth as the Golden Eagles had 12 walks in the contest and seven wild pitches to hamper their efforts. RMU finished the game with seven hits, led by Anna Resnik, who went 2-for-4. Resnik and Avery Winchell both drove in two runs.
Tech scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to try to avoid the run rule as Abby Shoulders led off with a single through the left side of the infield, then Tristen Head drew a walk. Bryson needled a single along the left field line to drive in Shoulders. A wild pitch moved Head and Bryson up, then Betts drove in Head on a grounder to second and Nysted a single to right to plate Bryson. RMU was able to get out of the frame to end the contest.
Madison DeVault went the distance, allowing three runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts to improve to 3-3 on the year.
Kaylan Cole fell to 0-7, allowing four runs on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts as she started and finished the contest over 3 1/3 innings. Gracelyn Woollen was tagged for four runs – three earned – on three hits and two walks with a strikeout, while Avery Flatford went two-thirds of a frame, allowing four runs on seven walks and a strikeout.
Bryson ended the game with two of Tech’s five hits, while Shoulders, Betts and Nysted had the other three safeties.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, SIUE 2; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, SIUE 2
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Recap coming soon.