SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Lindenwood 10, Tennessee Tech 4
@Southeast Missouri 11, Southern Indiana 0 (5)
@Southeast Missouri 5, Southern Indiana 4
Tennessee State 2, @UT Martin 0
@UT Martin 5, Tennessee State 0
@Eastern Illinois 1, SIUE 0
@Eastern Illinois 5, SIUE 2
LINDENWOOD 10, TENNESSEE TECH 4
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood softball team (9-17, 3-5 OVC) defeat Tennessee Tech (3-26, 0-6 OVC) 10-4 on Sunday afternoon from Lou Brock Sports Complex in St. Charles, Mo.
After trailing 2-0 in the first, Lindenwood responded with a pair of runs of its own. Lauren Pelton drove in two on an RBI single, tying the game early. Bats stayed hot all day for the Lions, tying a season-high with 14 hits on the afternoon. Five players had multi-hit games, while six different players recorded an RBI. Lindenwood had a big inning offensively in the sixth, plating six runs, which created some separation.
Amanda Weyh picked up her fifth win of the season, going five and a third. Avery Wapp finished the game off, pitching the rest of the way. Each pitcher recorded a pair of strikeouts during the win, seeing Lindenwood pick up a series sweep and three conference wins on the weekend.
Haeli Bryson led the Golden Eagles as she was 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and two RBI. Jordan Key also had a multiple-hit game as she went 2-for-3.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 11, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5, SOUTHERN INDIANA 4
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Alyson Tucker went 4-for-7 with two runs scored, a walk-off grand slam, one stolen base and nine RBI to lead Southeast Missouri (14-8, 7-1) to a 11-0, 5-4, doubleheader sweep of Southern Indiana (10-14, 4-4) Sunday.
SEMO swept its second Ohio Valley Conference series of the season and ran its winning streak to 23-straight at the Southeast Softball Complex.
The Redhawks were ahead, 7-0, when they had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning of game one. Tucker stepped in and slugged her first career grand slam way over the left field wall to end the shortened five-inning affair.
Tucker finished at a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and seven RBI in SEMO's game one win alone.
SEMO then trailed, 4-2, in the bottom of the seventh inning of the nightcap before Tucker ripped a game-tying two-RBI single with two outs. Sydney Dennis and Jillian Anderson scored on the play.
Abigail Rickermann followed with a game-winning infield single to short and pinch-runner Brittany Affolter scored the decisive run on a close play at the plate to finish off the doubleheader sweep.
Along with Tucker's clutch performance at the plate, Marisa Davis pitched another gem inside the circle to help key SEMO's game one blowout.
Davis tossed her first shutout of the season going the distance and allowing only two hits with seven strikeouts in five innings of work.
While Davis was picking apart USI's hitters, the Redhawk offense provided her plenty of run support.
SEMO again started strong getting a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Paige Halliwill walked and stole second before scoring the game's first run on a single by Tucker. Tucker later stole home on the front end of a double steal.
The Redhawks tacked on two more runs when Tucker knocked in both Halliwill and Anderson in the second.
SEMO continued to pour it on with Rickermann bringing home Kynzie Wrigley and Anderson delivering a two-RBI single to score both Rickermann and Zoe Schulte making it 7-0 an inning later.
In game two, the Redhawks fell behind, 2-0, after USI scored once in the first and second innings.
Dennis hit a hard triple off converging Screaming Eagles right fielder Olivia Howard's glove and quickly scored on a wild pitch to get SEMO within a run.
In the bottom of the sixth, Aubrie Shore blasted a game-tying home run off the batter's eye in straightaway center to knot things up at 2-2 prior to the Redhawks dramatic finish in the seventh.
Davis, now 6-1 this season, was credited with both wins. She relieved starter Delaney Kell and recorded the last two outs in the top of the seventh inning.
Kell worked 6.1 innings with eight hits and two runs allowed. She had two strikeouts, as well in her no decision.
Behind Tucker, Zoe Schulte and Halliwill posted three hits apiece. Anderson, Rickermann, Dennis and Sackett also finished with multiple hits in the twin bill. Anderson and Halliwill each scored three runs accounting for six of the Redhawks 16 runs for the day. Additionally, Tucker's seven RBI in game one marked a new career-high.
SEMO's 11 runs in game one are a season-high.
TENNESSEE STATE 2, UT MARTIN 0; UT MARTIN 5, TENNESSEE STATE 0
MARTIN, Tenn. -The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team came away from Bettye Giles Field with an Ohio Valley Conference series victory after splitting Sunday's doubleheader against visiting Tennessee State behind an impressive performance by junior Katie Dreiling.
Tennessee State picked up a win in Game 2 of the series by a final margin of 2-0 to snap an 18-game losing streak to the Skyhawks in a stretch which dated back to 2013. UT Martin rallied to secure the series victory with a strong 5-0 victory in Game 3.
The Skyhawks improved to 11-14 on the season while moving to .500 in OVC play with a 4-4 record. Meanwhile, Tennessee State moves to 14-14-1 overall and 5-3 in league action.
Dreiling carried a heavy load for the Skyhawks both in the pitching circle and in the batter's box on Sunday. Along with appearing in all three contests in the series, Dreiling was part of a combined shutout after pitching 6.1 scoreless innings in the second game of the doubleheader while wrapping up the day with 8.1 scoreless innings of work and allowing just three hits on the day. In the batter's box, Dreiling went 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBIs.
Fellow juniors Kaci Fuller and Anna Hazlewood also posted multi-hit efforts in the doubleheader while Hazlewood added to her batting line by drawing a walk. While Dreiling launch an opposite field home run in the fifth inning, graduate infielder Kallie Pickens also launched a blast which cleared the left field scoreboard for her fourth home run of the season.
In addition to Dreiling's impressive day in the circle, two other pitchers also saw action as Kiersten Nixon started the front end of the doubleheader and limited the Tigers to two runs in five innings of work. Brooklynn Linneman also pitched in relief, securing the team's victory with a perfect two-thirds of an inning in the series finale.
The first game of the day proved to be a pitcher's duel for both teams as both Nixon and Holly Ayala went pitch for pitch for much of the matchup. Neither team found any offensive traction until the top of the fifth inning when the Tigers snapped the no-hitter that Nixon was hurling by blasting a leadoff solo home run by Ryla Traylor to put the squad on the board. TSU later added to its lead following a double by Alyssi Drayton and an RBI-single by Mikayla Duke to take a 2-0 advantage.
After having its best scoring opportunity come and go in the fourth inning, the Skyhawks could only muster one base hit in the final three innings as Ayala clinched a shutout win for the Tigers.
The Skyhawks snapped a nine-inning scoreless streak in the bottom of the third inning as freshman Jordyn Hustey converted on a scoring opportunity with a double into the left center gap to score Kyrsten Brown on the play. Then two batters later, Dreiling notched her first of three RBIs of the day with a single up the middle to bring home Hustey and take a 2-0 lead.
UT Martin added to its margin in the bottom of the fifth inning as Pickens cracked a solo home run that cleared the left field scoreboard. Then later in the frame, Dreiling added to her stellar afternoon by stroking the first pitch she saw down and over the left field wall for a two-run blast to give the Skyhawks a 5-0 advantage.
With plenty of offense in front of her, Dreiling stayed locked in by scattering only two hits while tossing just 67 pitches over 6.1 scoreless innings to pick up her sixth win of the season.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 1, SIUE 0; EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, SIUE 2
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Weather washed out Eastern Illinois first two opportunities this week to play its home opener at Williams Field. Then weather added 90 minutes worth of delays in the second game of Sunday's Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader.
After a six and half hour day of softball, Eastern Illinois had a couple of big hits that carried the Panthers to a doubleheader sweep over SIUE. EIU won the opener 1-0 before a 5-2 win in the night cap.
Rachel Kaufman was brilliant in the circle in the opener allowing just three hits with four strikeouts as she picked up the complete game win improving to 4-3 on the season as EIU won 1-0.
While Kaufman was masterful in the circle, it was a rally in the bottom of the seventh that allowed EIU to post the walk-off win.
Kaufman helped herself going 3-for-3 at the plate. She led off the seventh with a single to center. Marama Makea would enter to pinch run and eventually game around to score. Riley Dittmar had a single on a bunt attempt as she beat out the throw at first base. Lindy Milkowski then had a pinch hit single down that left field line for the game winner.
EIU's other good scoring opportunity was in the first as Kendall Grover and Kaufman both had singles and were at second and third with two outs following a wild pitch. Kelsey Ray (2-7) pitched out of that jam for the Cougars and went the distance with four strikeouts.
SIUE had a good scoring chance in the second with runners at second and third. EIU would get a fielders choice out at the plate to take away that scoring opportunity. SIUE had three hits in the game, Piper Montgomery had one of them with a double.
The second game saw two weather delays lasting a total of 90 minutes. At the end of the night, EIU scored four in the bottom of the fifth to pick up the win as they swept the twin bill with a 5-2 win.
The two teams were tied at 1-1 heading into the fourth when the first weather delay occurred lasting 55 minutes. Madisyn Webster singled and came around to score on an RBI by Emma Nueman in the top of the third. EIU answered in their half with an RBI triple by Kendall Grover that scored Aryn Henke.
When the teams returned SIUE had two outs and placed a runner on third before the second delay started. When the teams returned again, Webster who reached on an error, scored on an RBI single up the middle by Lexi King. King was 2-for-4 in the game, the only SIUE player with multiple hits.
Olivia Price came back out to the circle following each delay after starting the game and picked up the complete game win improving to 6-2.
The Panthers provided Price some offense in the bottom of the fifth finally breaking through against SIUE starter Sydney Baalman (5-6).
Riley Dittmar began the rally with a walk in her second pinch-hitting role of the day. She came around to score the tying run on a single up the middle by Aryn Henke. Rachel Kaufman delivered another big hit in the inning with her second double of the game, this one scoring two runs to put EIU up 4-2. Kaufman would come around to score an unearned run later in the inning against the SIUE bullpen.
Kaufman was the lone EIU player with multiple hits in the game going 2-for-3.