SATURDAY'S SCORES
Butler 2,
Western Illinois 1
Drake 10,
Western Illinois 2 (5)
Binghamton 7,
SIUE 3
Boston 9,
SIUE 5
Ohio State 13,
Southeast Missouri 0 (5)
Florida International 1,
Southeast Missouri 0
North Alabama 2,
UT Martin 1
@Troy 7,
UT Martin 3
Tennessee Tech 8, Norfolk State 0 (5)
Tennessee Tech 12, @Presbyterian 2
Lindenwood 4, Prairie View A&M 1
@Incarnate Word 7,
Lindenwood 0
Tennessee State 9, Lamar 5
@McNeese State 10,
Tennessee State 0 (5)
Eastern Illinois 4, North Dakota 3
Eastern Illinois 9, Montana 4
BUTLER 2, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1; DRAKE 10, WESTERN ILLINOIS 2 (5)
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Western Illinois Softball resumed play in the 2024 Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic on Saturday, playing their third and fourth games of the season against Butler and Drake.
The Leathernecks faced off first against Butler, getting an early start with an 8 AM first pitch. The first four innings of this one were dominated by pitching and defense, as Emily Price threw four perfect innings with seven strikeouts against the 12 batters she faced.
In the fifth, the Bulldogs finally got to Price, leading off the inning with a triple. After Price allowed an RBI single that gave Butler a 1-0 lead, she was replaced by freshman Lillie Wools, who finished out the remainder of the contest. The Leathernecks would allow one more run in the inning on a wild pitch, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.
Western would also get their first baserunner in the fifth, as sophomore Rylee Boone led off the inning with a double. Western would strand Boone in the frame, with three consecutive outs.
Lillie Wools would pitch a solid sixth and seventh innings, keeping the Bulldogs from crossing home plate by allowing only a single in each frame.
Starting the bottom of the seventh, Gabriela Drager led off with a single to left, and Boone followed her with a single. Kayla DePoorter laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to move Alivia Beard, who pinch ran for Drager, and Boone to third and second. After a flyout, Abrianna Gracia came to the plate with the Leathernecks down to their final out. She would hit an RBI single that scored Beard, cutting the deficit in half. Malia Robertson drew a walk to load the bases, bringing up fellow freshman Valerie Combs with the game on the line. Combs would pop up to short, ending the game with Butler grabbing a 2-1 win.
The Leathernecks would have to quickly turn around, playing the Drake Bulldogs just after the completion of the Butler game. Sophia Sanchez led things off with a single, and after swiping second base, Lillie Wools would hit a single into center to bring her home, ending the frame with a 1-0 lead.
Drake would also come out swinging to start, leading off with a double in the bottom of the first. After a pair of walks off of starting pitcher Raven Morrison, the Bulldogs equalized on a fielder's choice that brought home a runner.
Morrison would go one-two-three in the second, quickly shutting down the Drake bats.
In the top of the third, Malia Robertson hit a single into center, then immediately stole second base. After a pair of outs, Gabriela Drager brought Robertson home with a triple, as the Leathernecks gained a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the third.
Drake would rally in the bottom of the third, rattling off seven runs in the inning off of seven hits. The Bulldogs took an 8-2 lead leaving the inning, a lead they would not relinquish.
Both squads saw three up, three down in the fourth, before Drake would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, ending the game on a run rule with a score of 10-2.
BINGHAMTON 7, SIUE 3; BOSTON 9, SIUE 5
DELAND, Fla. - Back-to-back home runs by Grace Lueke and Lauren Yslava provided some excitement for the SIUE softball team Saturday, but the Cougars dropped a pair of games at the Frank Griffin Classic.
SIUE, now 1-3, fell in game one 7-3 to Binghamton and 9-5 in game two to Boston University.
Four of seven Binghamton runs were unearned. Both teams had three errors, but Binghamton took advantage of Cougar miscues.
Paige Rocha led SIUE in game one with two hits and is now hitting .467 (7-15) through four games.
SIUE and Boston University went back and forth in the Cougars' second game of the day,
The Terriers scored three times in the first three innings, and the Cougar erupted for four runs in the top of the fourth inning.
After back-to-back singles from Emma Henderson and Anna Henderson, Piper Montgomery successfully moved the duo over on a sacrifice bunt. Lueke then hit her 21st career home run to tie the score 3-3. Yslava followed up with a solo shot as both blasts went over the left-center field fence.
Boston University, 3-0, regained the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth and added three insurance runs in the sixth.
OHIO STATE 13, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0 (5); FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 1, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
MIAMI - Southeast Missouri (2-2) dropped two games at the Felsberg Invitational Saturday. The Redhawks fell to Big Ten Conference member Ohio State, 13-0, and host Florida International (2-2) by a score of 1-0.
Big Ten Conference member OSU overpowered SEMO in the first meeting between the teams.
The Buckeyes loaded the bases with one out on a pair of base hits and a bunt single. Nine-hole hitter Tegan Cortelletti knocked in the game's first run with an infield hit. On the next play, Kaitlyn Farley reached on an error and Kristen Eppele scored. With two outs, Jasmyn Burns hit a grand slam to left giving OSU a 6-0 advantage. Five of the Buckeye runs were unearned.
In the third inning, OSU loaded the bases again and this time added seven runs on eight hits to push its lead to 13-0. The Buckeyes knocked in 10 of their runs on two-out hits.
SEMO had at least one runner on base in the first four innings and stranded five baserunners for the game.
OSU outhit the Redhawks, 15-2. Aubrie Shore had both of SEMO's hits going 2-for-2 with a double. Shore recorded multiple hits for the second time in her first three starts of the 2024 season.
In her first career start, freshman Willow Van Haren (1-1) allowed six runs on five hits, struck out one and walked one in 1.2 innings.
Rookie Maddie Carney relieved Van Haren and gave up seven runs on eight hits in one inning.
Delaney Kell finished things out in the circle working 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
FIU scored the only run of the game in the top of the second inning of its close 1-0 victory.
With two outs and runners on second and third, Makayla Navarro scored Isabella Perez on an infield single to shortstop.
SEMO had a runner in scoring position during each of the third and fourth innings but came up empty each of those times. Zoe Schulte reached on a one-out double in the third and Shore reached on a leadoff double in the fourth.
Tatum Gerwitz later got on with a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth inning and that was the Redhawks final baserunner of the game.
Freshman Tegan Livesay (0-1) fell to her first career loss. Livesay went the distance giving up just one run on eight hits. She also struck out two and walked none.
Offensively, SEMO finished with four hits. Shore, Kynzie Wrigley, Gerwitz and Schulte added one each. Shore now has six hits in the tournament.
NORTH ALABAMA 2, UT MARTIN 1; TROY 7, UT MARTIN 3
TROY, Ala. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team concluded its stay at the Trojan Classic with a pair of contests, ultimately falling to North Alabama (2-1) and Troy (7-3).
The Skyhawks (1-3) dropped both contests on their final day of the tournament as they battled rainy conditions and a weather delay. Despite the sloppy conditions, freshman Kyla Harley tallied her first collegiate hits – going 2-for-3 with a run scored while senior Katie Dreiling paced the team with three hits in the two games.
Six pitchers saw action in the circle as Kiersten Nixon (0-1) and Brooklynn Linneman (0-1) were hit with losing decisions. The Skyhawks did have bright spots in relief as Jordyn Hustey and Ashtyn Green both tossed a pair of scoreless innings.
Game 3: North Alabama 2, UT Martin 1
The first game of the day came down to two big hits by Briley Dover for North Alabama. Dover gave the Lions an early lead after stroking a solo home run to left field in the top of the second inning. She then came through once again in the third inning, smacking a RBI-single to centerfield to give UNA a 2-0 lead.
Along with serving as the pitcher of record in the contest, Nixon helped her own cause in the bottom of the third frame as she poked a sacrifice fly out to center which scored Maddi Long and cut the Skyhawks deficit in half.
The Skyhawks had other scoring opportunities later in the game – stranding multiple base runners in fourth and fifth inning – but could not scratch across the game-tying run.
Game 4: Troy 7, UT Martin 3
In a rematch of yesterday's matchup between UT Martin and Troy, it was the Skyhawks who jumped on the board first as Dreiling continued her hot play with a RBI single to center field to score Harley and take a 1-0 advantage.
Troy charged back in the bottom half of the frame with two runs of its own. A wild pitch brought the game-tying run across the plate before the Trojans took the lead with a RBI double from Taylor McKinney.
The home squad broke the game open with a five-run inning in the bottom of the fifth. An error led to one run before Thompson came through once again – this time with a two-run double – to push out the margin. The following at-bat put the game out of reach as pinch-hitter Cassidy Boltz drove in a pair with a single through the right side to go up 7-1.
UT Martin mounted a rally in the top of the sixth inning by putting two runs on the board. Kaci Fuller singled up the middle to score Hustey before Avry Blume brought in the team's third run with a sacrifice fly to score Kyrsten Brown. Despite the two runs, the final margin would remain the same with the tournament hosts winning by four runs.
LINDENWOOD 4, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 1; UIW 7, LINDENWOOD 0
SAN ANTONIO - Lindenwood softball (2-2) split day two of the UIT Kickoff Classic with a 4-1 win against Prairie View A&M and a 7-0 loss against the home team Incarnate Word. The Lions go back-to-back days to start the season with a split.
GAME ONE
Lindenwood - 4
Prairie View A&M - 1
Lindenwood Dallis Darnell and Mya Bethany both posted three hits in a 4-1 win against the Panthers of Prairie View A&M. Bethany and Madisen Noll both posted a double for the Lions as LU sweeps both their games against PVA&M during opening weekend.
Molly Berkey (W, 1-1) picked up her first win of the season on the mound for the Lions after throwing the first 2.2 innings on Saturday. She allowed one hit while striking out four. Avery Wapp finished the game for LU allowing one run and posting two strikeouts.
Lindenwood got on the board early in the first inning after a Lauren Pelton singled into center field to score Darnell. LU would leave the bases loaded in the top of the first before Prairie View's Halley Elizarraras got one of her three strikeouts.
Noll launched her second double of the season into left center to score Chloe Honcar to kickoff the sixth inning. Lindenwood kept the ball rolling after an error by the Panthers allowed Noll to score from third. Bethany then recorded an RBI single to score Darnell and put LU up 4-0.
After the Panthers scored their lone run of the game, Wapp was able to record a line-out in the bottom of the seventh to secure Lindenwood's second win of the season.
GAME TWO
Lindenwood - 0
Incarnate Word - 7
Lindenwood suffered their second loss of the weekend against Incarnate Word by a final score of 7-0. The Lions had six hits on the afternoon and left nine runners on base in the loss.
Madisen Noll continued her great weekend picking up two more hits against UIW. Samantha Portillo for the Cardinals struck out nine Lindenwood batters on her way to her first win of the season.
Amanda Weyh (L, 1-1) suffered her first loss of the season after throwing 4.0 innings allowing eight hits and three earned runs. She also struck out three Cardinals. Hanna Johanning pitched the final two innings for the Lions allowing two earned runs.
UIW scored two runs in the first, one in the third and fourth and three in the fourth inning. Lindenwood left the bases loaded in the fourth inning after Tori Hatton, Morgan Gersch and Mya Bethany all reached safely.
TENNESSEE TECH 8, NORFOLK STATE 0 (5); TENNESSEE TECH 12, PRESBYTERIAN 2
CLINTON, S.C. - Tennessee Tech's offense came out in force on Saturday as the Golden Eagles put together 20 runs in two contests to improve to 4-0 on the season – the program's first 4-0 start since 1997. Tech topped Norfolk State 8-0 in five innings in the day's opener, then put a 12-spot against Presbyterian for a 12-2 victory to close out its action in the Blue Hose Invitational.
In the first game, Carmen Betts went 3-for-3 with five RBI in the contest, while Abby Shoulders, Sydney Kirby and Jordan Key each drove in a run. Faith Rush picked up the victory as she completed the shutout, yielding just two hits in the game and striking out five in her debut.
Tech struck for two runs in the first frame as Betts drove in Shoulders on a double, then Kirby singled in Betts. Three runs came across as Betts drove in Alina Schlageter, Mac Fitzgerald and Shoulders with a double.
Key had an RBI single as she drove in Betts in the fourth, then Shoulders and Betts had back-to-back RBI doubles in the fifth to force the walk-off.
In the second game, Shoulders and Meaghan Houk each drove in four runs in the game as Tech collected 12 hits. The Golden Eagles got to Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year Jenna Greene, tagging her for five runs on six hits and six walks.
Emily York picked up the victory in relief to earn her first win of the season, going 3 1/3 innings with no runs allowed on four hits, striking out four. Starter Lennon Spicer went 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. She walked two and struck out five.
Shoulders picked up Tech's first home run of the season with a two-run shot to left in the top of the first. Presbyterian cut the Golden Eagles' lead in half with a run-scoring double in the bottom half of the frame, then tied the game with an RBI single in the third.
Tech collected seven runs in the sixth inning. Schlageter started the scoring with a single to short to bring Sofia Carroll home. A Betts sacrifice fly sent Schlageter home, then Kirby drew a bases-loaded walk to drive Fitzgerald across. Houk doubled to right field with the bases still loaded, but the play turned into a four-run, bases-clearing parade as Shoulders, Abby Buettner, Kirby and Houk all scored on the play.
The Golden Eagles got two more in the seventh as Shoulders had a two-run double to right center, then Buettner brought her home on a single up the middle.
TENNESSEE STATE 9, LAMAR 5; MCNEESE STATE 10, TENNESSEE STATE 0 (5)
LAKE CHARLES, La. - The Tennessee State softball team picked up its first win of the season on Saturday afternoon as they played two more games on day two of the Cowgirl Classic. TSU defeated Lamar University 9-5 in their first game of the day, before falling to the host school McNeese 10-0.
TSU 9, Lamar 5
Senior Peyton Fointno racked up five RBIs to help power TSU over Lamar 9-5 on Saturday for their first win of the season.
Junior Reina Castillo started in the circle and picked up the win for Tennessee State. The right-hander went seven innings, giving up five runs, all of them earned, on 10 hits, allowing one walk and striking out one.
Fointno went 2-for-4 with a double in addition to her five RBIs for the Tigers. Senior Laila Armstrong furnished a noteworthy performance at the plate as well, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Sophomore Kailyn Jean-Baptiste also chipped in for Tennessee State, putting together one hit in one trip to the plate while adding a walk and an RBI.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard first, starting in the second inning. Tennessee State's offense started clicking and put up five runs, including a three-run double off the bat of Fointno.
The Tigers then lost some of their lead, expanding on their advantage in the fourth inning after the Cardinals cut it to 5-2. Tennessee State scored three runs in the frame, buoyed by a two-run single off the bat of Fointno, which brought the score to 8-2 in favor of the Tigers.
Tennessee State kept Lamar without a run before expanding their lead to 9-2 the following inning. The Tigers notched a run on Armstrong's two-out RBI double. Lamar put three runs on the scoreboard before the game was over, but Tennessee State still coasted to the 9-5 win.
McNeese 10, TSU 0 | Five Innings
Tennessee State was not able to record a run against McNeese pitcher senior Sanders on Saturday night and were shut out 10-0 by the Cowgirls.
Sophomore Holly Ayala (0-0) started and took the loss in the circle for Tennessee State as they moved to 1-3.
Junior Ryla Traylor led the way offensively for the Tigers, going 2-for-2 in the ballgame.
Tennessee State didn't manage to advance a runner past first base in the ballgame.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 4, NORTH DAKOTA 3; EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, MONTANA 4
YOUNGSVILLE, La. - Eastern Illinois softball picked up two more wins on Saturday at the Mardi Gras Mambo to improve to 4-0 on the season. EIU held off North Dakota 4-3 in the first game before beating Montana 9-4 in the second game.
In the opener against North Dakota, Rachel Kaufman picked up the win in the circle and Olivia Price the save in relief.
Marama Makea, Briana Gonzalez and Avary Makarewicz all had two hits to pace the offense with Makarewicz driving in two of the four runs.
In the second game against Montana EIU exploded for 15 hits against three Montana pitchers. Fresman McKenzie Oslanzi picked up her second win of the season in relief.
Five different players finished with two hits in the win with Abbey Crain and Gonzalez each collecting two RBI.