SATURDAY'S SCORES
SIUE 7, @Morehead State 4
SIUE 6, @Morehead State 1
@Tennessee Tech 7, Tennessee State 1
Tennessee State 7, @Tennessee Tech 1
@Lindenwood 5, Eastern Illinois 2
@Lindenwood 3, Eastern Illinois 2
@Southeast Missouri 9, UT Martin 3
SIUE 7, MOREHEAD STATE 4; SIUE 6, MOREHEAD STATE 1
MOREHEAD, Ky. -SIUE softball had the offense in high gear and turned in a handful of strong pitching performances, sweeping Morehead State Saturday 7-4 and 6-1.
SIUE, which stands in fifth place in the Ohio Valley Conference, is now 8-10 in league play and 22-24 overall. The Cougars and the Eagles, 11-28 overall and 6-14 in the OVC, play once more Sunday in an 11 a.m. clash. SIUE now has won its fourth straight OVC series after today's action and will look for its first OVC sweep.
The Cougar pitching staff posted a solid day. Sydney Baalman recorded her team-leading 11th win of the season in game one. Kelsey Ray threw the final 2 2/3 innings in game one and picked up her OVC-leading fourth save. Rylie Pindel tossed a complete-game victory in game two
Lexi King was tops on the team for the day with four hits and a .667 batting average (4-6) over the doubleheader
She set the tone early for SIUE with a first inning home run in game one, her third of the season. She would go on to add a single in game one as well as a double and a triple in game two.
Grace Lueke had two hits in game one, including her fourth home run of the season. It was a two-run home run that put the Cougars up by four runs in the sixth inning.
SIUE's offense got off to another great start in game two, tallying four runs in the first inning. After a triple by King, Emma Neuman singled her home. Lueke added a single before Hayley Palm blasted a three-run homer to right center, her second round tripper of the season.
The Cougars would add a pair of unearned runs in the seventh, helping Pindel to her fifth victory of the season.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 9, UT MARTIN 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -– Delaney Kell recorded a career-high seven strikeouts and Aubrie Shore hit a grand slam with five RBI to lead Ohio Valley Conference leader Southeast Missouri (25-11, 17-1) to a 9-3 series-opening win over UT Martin (21-20, 13-8) Saturday.
Kell pitched six innings and no-hit UTM through her first three frames.
Ahead, 1-0, SEMO put up five runs in the bottom of the second inning. Sydney Dennis singled, Tori Bradley reached on a base hit and Kynzie Wrigley walked to load the bases. With two outs, Shore stepped in and cleared the bases with her team-high seventh homer of the season to push the Redhawks lead to 6-0.
The Redhawks added one more run in the third and scored twice more in the sixth to polish off the win following an 11-day layoff.
Pinch-runner Sydney Melton scored on Dennis' triple in the third and Jillian Anderson and Shore each plated a run in the sixth.
SEMO picked up its 28th-straight win at home and is now on a 14-game winning streak in OVC play this season. The Redhawks have only one loss in league play through 18 contests.
Kell (13-3) allowed six hits and three runs en route to getting her team-high 13th win in the circle. Paytience Holman pitched a perfect seventh inning out of the bullpen.
Brooklynn Linneman (6-6) suffered the loss. Linneman was roughed up for seven runs on four hits in just two innings. She walked four and struck out one, as well.
SEMO outhit UTM, 9-6, with Halliwill and Dennis paving the way with two hits apiece. Wrigley scored two runs as one of eight Redhawks with a run.
TENNESSEE TECH 7, TENNESSEE STATE 1; TENNESSEE STATE 7, TENNESSEE TECH 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -Kaylan Cole picked up her fourth win of the season on Saturday and third in her last five appearances as the Tennessee Tech junior kept Tennessee State off the scoreboard until the seventh inning to claim a 7-1 victory in the first game of the doubleheader at Tech Softball Field.
It was one big inning propelling the Golden Eagle offense with a six-run fifth inning, but it was the reverse in game two at the Tigers scored four runs in the fifth and two in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie and earn a split with a 7-1 decision in the nightcap.
Tech (6-41, 2-18 Ohio Valley Conference) will play TSU (17-24-1, 8-11 OVC) in the weekend finale for Senior Day on Sunday. Callie Piper, Sydney Dukes and Haeli Bryson will be recognized before the contest, scheduled for 1 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Dylan Vazzano on the call.
In the day’s opener, Meaghan Houk had a game, going 2-for-3 at the late with an RBI and two runs scored. She put Tech on the board in the bottom of the second after she led off with a triple off the left field fence. Houk then played trickster as she put together a big lead toward home. The TSU catcher and third baseman tried to get Houk in a rundown, but the Colgate transfer slid under the catcher to complete the home steal.
There was nothing else doing for either team as the defense was keeping runners scoring as TSU turned two double plays, Tech another to leave 11 Tigers and six Golden Eagles stranded.
That changed in the fifth inning as Tech was finally able to get to TSU starter Holly Ayala. With one down, Jordan Key singled, but a throwing error allowed her to take second. Makayli Harris hit a hard-hit liner back to the circle, putting runners at the corners. Abby Shoulders hit a ball to short, but the Tiger shortstop misplayed it, allowing pinch-runner Bailee Stack to score.
Ella Bishop loaded the bases with a single to right, then Houk, Savannah Talley and Nicolle Nysted each drew walks to push runs across.
Carmen Betts completed the scoring, putting a double down in left field to score Houk and pinch-runner Sarah Livingston.
TSU scored its lone run in the top of the seventh as Onnika Spencer drove in Anayah Baker on a single along the third-base line.
Cole finished the game allowing one run on six hits as she walked seven and struck out two, improving to a team-best 4-13 on the year.
Ayala went 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs – six earned – on five hits, walking four. Caitlyn Manus threw the final inning-and-a-third, allowing two hits, walking one and striking out one.
Manus then went the distance in game two, holding the Golden Eagles to a single run in the bottom of the first. She yielded six hits and four walks, while striking out three.
Callie Piper had a great start, but the Tigers gave her trouble in the fifth, ending her day after 4 1/3 innings. Piper allowed five runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out one. Gracelyn Woollen came on in relief and went the next two innings and a third, allowing two runs on five hits, but walked five. Cole pitched the final third, coaxing a grounder to short on three pitched to prevent any further damage.
Shoulders had the only multi-hit game for the Golden Eagles in the second contest, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Talley drove her in with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first.
TSU scored one in the first as Baker scored on Ryla Traylor’s attempt for at second as she was retired 2-6. The Tigers then plated four in the fifth on five hits and an error.
Alyssi Drayton hit a single up the middle, then Laila Armstrong put down nearly a perfect bunt in front of the plate to reach on a bunt single. After a Baker flyout, Traylor and Nahtali Simpson hit back-to-back singles, the latter driving in Drayton for an RBI, but the throw home had too much mustard and sailed away from the Tech catcher, allowing Armstrong to score. Mikayla Duke ripped a two-run double through the left side of the infield to close out the scoring in the fifth.
TSU scored two more runs in the seventh as Spencer came across on a fielder’s choice with Jasmine Blackburn erased on a 4-6 putout and Peyton Fointno reaching on the play. Drayton later came home to score on a wild pitch.
LINDENWOOD 5, EASTERN ILLINOIS 2; LINDENWOOD 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 2
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Recap coming soon.