SATURDAY'S SCORES
North Dakota State 9,
SIUE 1
SIUE 6, UTSA 2
Morehead State 6, Kent State 5
Pitt 3,
Morehead State 2
McNeese State 8,
Tennessee State 0
Valparaiso 2,
Eastern Illinois 1
UT Martin 6, Butler 4
@Southern Illinois 7,
UT Martin 6
Southeast Missouri 1, Mount St. Mary's 0
@Ole Miss 1,
Southeast Missouri 0
Bowling Green 15,
Tennessee Tech 10
@Auburn 11,
Tennessee Tech 6
Southern Indiana 2, Holy Cross 0
Yale 3,
Southern Indiana 2
NORTH DAKOTA 9, SIUE 1; SIUE 6, UTSA 2
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Lauren Yslava and Lexi King each homered Saturday as SIUE defeated UTSA 6-3 at day two of the Blues City Classic.
SIUE, now 5-11, dropped its other contest of the day 9-1 to North Dakota State in a game that was far closer than what the final score indicates.
The Cougars' offense got right to business in the first inning against UTSA, their opponents from San Antonio, Texas.
Paige Rocha drew a walk, her 10th of the season through 16 games. King followed with a single through the left side. Yslava then blasted an opposite-field home run to right center to put the Cougars ahead 3-0.
Sydney Baalman earned the victory, her third of the season, after tossing five innings. Kelsey Ray secured the save with two innings of relief.
UTSA had single tallies in the second, fourth and fifth innings to tie the score 3-3, but SIUE regained the lead for good in the sixth on a solo home run by King. It was her first home run and 10th RBI of the season.
SIUE added two more runs with two outs in the top of the seventh. Paige Montgomery singled to lead off the inning. With Jenna Herron pinch-running, Hayley Palm delivered her third pinch-hit of the season. After Madisyn Webster re-entered the game to run for Palm, Rocha rapped a double to drive both runners home.
Sorden also noted the play that ended the game in the bottom of the seventh when King made a running catch over her shoulder as she hit it the outfield wall.
In game one of the day, SIUE and North Dakota State had a pitching duel going. Both teams went scoreless for the first five innings. Lainey Lyle started for NDSU while Ray, who would throw 6 2/3 innings overall, tossed for the Cougars.
North Dakota State exploded for three runs in the sixth and six more in the seventh to improve its season record to 7-9.
King provided SIUE's offense in the sixth. Her second hit of the game was a double that drove home Rocha.
The Cougars close out the Blue City Classic Sunday with games against Drake and host Memphis.
SOUTHERN INDIANA 2, HOLY CROSS 0; YALE 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 2
MADERIA BEACH, Fla. - University of Southern Indiana Softball (4-6) earned a split on the first day of games for the Screaming Eagles at The Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Florida, recording a 2-0 win against Holy Cross before getting edged by Yale University, 3-2, in the night cap.
In the first game of the day against Holy Cross, the offenses were rather limited by the starting pitchers. Sophomore pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) pitched her second shutout of the season on Saturday for USI. Newman struck out 12 in seven innings, giving up only three hits, to improve her season record to 3-3. Her opposition in the circle from Holy Cross, sophomore pitcher Sophia Roncone, was also strong. Roncone went seven innings, surrendering two runs – one earned – with three strikeouts, as her record dropped to 1-3.
USI had a chance in the top of the third with the bases loaded but were unable to score. In the top of the fourth inning, the Screaming Eagles found a little momentum the second time through the lineup in the middle of the batting order. Following a stolen base by sophomore outfielder Olivia Howard (Fishers, Indiana), who came in as a pinch runner, junior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) found the left-center gap for an RBI double to drive in Howard and give USI a 1-0 lead after four innings.
Meanwhile, Newman had struck out eight through four innings, including striking out the side in order in the bottom of the fourth.
In the top of the seventh, USI scored an insurance run, as junior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) doubled in a run with two outs to put USI ahead, 2-0, which allowed Newman to finish the game with ease.
In USI's second game of the day against Yale, once again, both starting pitchers put up zeroes through the first three innings, working around a few baserunners along the way.
For USI, senior pitcher Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) made the start in the circle. In the top of the fourth, Goodin pitched with the bases loaded. A double by Yale scored two unearned runs after an error earlier in the inning. USI answered right away in the bottom half of the inning with two runs to knot the game, 2-2. Goodin helped her own cause with an RBI single that scored junior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana), and later in the inning, Fair singled in the tying run.
Yale recaptured the lead, 3-2, in the top of the fifth on a solo home run by sophomore infielder Lauren Perren. Yale held on the rest of the way.
Goodin was charged a tough loss, going six innings with five strikeouts. The senior allowed three runs – one earned. Her record dropped to 0-3.
Yale freshman pitcher Emma Taylor picked up the win after a complete game with three strikeouts and two runs allowed. Her record moved to 2-2.
Offensively, on the day, Bedrick recorded a pair of hits against Holy Cross, and Kihega had a two-hit game against Yale.
MOREHEAD STATE 6, KENT STATE 5; PITT 3, MOREHEAD STATE 2
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Eagles split a pair of extra inning thrillers on Saturday, defeating Kent State in nine innings, 6-5, and falling to Pitt in eight innings, 3-2.
Lennon Spicer shined in the circle in the opener, tossing five shutout innings while striking out three. Madi Ogden was the team's workhorse for the day, picking up a win against Kent State and throwing 10 innings on the day, including a complete game against Pitt.
Peyton Jordan led the team offensively, racking up four hits and four RBI in the two games, while Trinity Spear ran her hitting streak to five games and scored four runs over the two contests.
After two scoreless innings to open the game, Morehead State manufactured a run in the bottom of the third. Trinity Spear reached base on a one-out bunt single, and then stole second and was driven home by an RBI double from Peyton Jordan.
The Eagles added on to their lead in the bottom of the fourth after Erin Boyle walked and stole second, and was driven home by Madeline Gailor on an RBI single.
The Eagles left runners on second and third in the fifth, and Kent State rallied in the top of the fifth for five runs, capped off by a two-run home run to take a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
The Eagles took advantage of defensive miscues from Kent State in the bottom of the seventh, rallying for three runs, thanks to three errors to tie the game. Peyton Jordan's RBI single cut the lead to 5-3 and Taylor Rhea brought home the tying runs on an error from the Kent State first baseman.
After a scoreless eighth, Madi Ogden stranded two Kent State runners in the top of the ninth. In the bottom half of the inning, Peyton Jordan sacrifice bunted Emily Williams to third, and Taylor Rhea brought home the winning run on an RBI groundout.
The Eagles jumped out to an early lead, thanks to a leadoff triple from Trinity Spear and an RBI sacrifice fly from Peyton Jordan, giving them a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Ogden kept the Panthers off the board for two innings and the Eagles doubled their lead in the top of the third. Spear was hit by a pitch to start the inning and a sacrifice bunt from Kirya Kingery moved her to second. Jordan's second RBI of the game, this one a single to right, gave the Eagles the 2-0 lead.
Ogden worked through trouble in the third, stranding two runners in scoring position, and escaped another jam in the fourth, this time leaving the bases loaded and maintaining the 2-0 advantage.
The Panthers finally broke through in the sixth, cutting the lead in half on a two out RBI single, and the Eagles stranded Kingery on third in the top of the seventh, keeping the score at 2-1.
An RBI triple in the bottom half of the seventh tied the game, but Ogden left the winning run on third and sent the game into extras.
After the Eagles failed to bring home Ilencia Lightbody from third in the top of the eight, a two out infield single brought home the winning run for Pitt.
The Eagles open conference play against new OVC foe Southern Indiana at University Field Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 12:00 PM, with the second game following at 2:00 PM.
VALPARAISO 2, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Eastern Illinois softball played a pair of games on Saturday at the Bellarmine Tournament. EIU lost the first game by one run in the opener, 2-1 to Valparaiso. The second game was postponed with the EIU and Bellarmine tied 7-7 in the seventh.
VALPARASIO 2, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
Eastern Illinois scored in the first inning but were not able to manufacture additional offense in a 2-1 loss to Valparaiso.
Lindy Milkowski drove home the Panthers run in the first scoring Jaylen Prichard. Prichard had one hit and reached based for the 12th consecutive game.
Valparaiso tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Kimberli Rodas.
The Beacons took the lead in the third with an RBI single by Lauren Kehlenbrink.
The Panthers had seven hits in the game, Morgan Lewis and Aryn Henke both had two to lead EIU. Henke had a double while Prichard’s base-hit was a triple.
Regi Hecker was 3-for-4 to lead Valparaiso. Easton Seib (2-4) picked up the win with five innings in the circle.
Olivia Price (2-2) went 4.2 innings in the circle for EIU and suffered the loss. Rachel Kaufman closed the game with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 7, BELLARMINE 7 – POSTPONED
Eastern Illinois second game of the day was postponed due to darkness in the seventh inning with the scored tied 7-7. The game will be resumed at 10:30 am on Sunday morning.
EIU scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning prior to the game being halted in the bottom of the seventh. Lindy Milkowski had a grand slam to bring the Panthers within one run. Denaed Santini then delivered an RBI double to left to tie the game.
Milkowski added an RBI double in the fifth. She is 2-for-4 in the active game.
Rachel Kaufman has three hits to lead the Panthers in the game.
Bellarmine has five hits in the game but has taken advantage of seven walks by the EIU pitching staff.