FRIDAY'S SCORES
Valparaiso 12,
Morehead State 11
Morehead State 6, @Presbyterian 3
UT Martin 5, Saint Louis 0
UT Martin vs. Western Michigan, Cancelled
Louisiana Tech 8,
Lindenwood 0 (5)
@Louisiana-Monroe 1,
Lindenwood 0
Virginia 5,
Southern Indiana 2
St. Thomas 5,
Southern Indiana 0
Maryland 9,
Southeast Missouri 1 (6)
Indiana State 2,
@Tennessee State 0
Saint Louis
@Tennessee State, Postponed
Colorado State 7,
Eastern Illinois 2
Eastern Illinois 1, Long Island 0
VALPARAISO 12, MOREHEAD STATE 11; MOREHEAD STATE 6, PRESBYTERIAN 3
CLINTON, S.C. - Junior catcher Ilencia Lightbody's three-run homer and RBI single in the sixth inning helped the Morehead State softball team break through after a 3-0 early deficit to beat the Presbyterian Blue Hose 6-3 Friday in the Pinnacle PC Invitational.
Freshman pitcher Addie Stem (1-1) got the win out of the bullpen for Morehead State (1-1), her first career win. The right-hander went five shutout innings, giving up four hits, one walk and striking out two. The Eagles collected their first win in 2024 by defeating the team coached by the program's former bench boss, David Williams.
Lightbody led the way offensively for the Eagles, going 2-for-3. Freshman Kendra Lewis furnished a noteworthy effort as well, going 1-for-2 with a walk and two RBI. Senior Peyton Jordan also helped out, going 2-for-4.
The Eagles were trailing 3-0 in the fourth inning when they first put runs on the board. Morehead State scored three times, all of them coming across on the three-run homer off the bat of Lightbody, her second career round-tripper.
The score stayed at 3-3 until the sixth inning, when the Eagles put runs on the scoreboard once again. Morehead State scored three runs in the frame, buoyed by a two-run single off the bat of Lewis. Lightbody drove home Jordan with the go-ahead run for MSU.
UT MARTIN 5, SAINT LOUIS 0; UT MARTIN vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN CANCELLED
NASHVILLE - Lindenwood softball (2-5) dropped two games on Friday afternoon to kick start the 2024 Warhawk Invitational held at the campus of the University of Louisiana-Monroe. The Lions will continue their second non-conference tournament of the season on Saturday.
Lindenwood was shutout in game one on Friday as Louisiana Tech's Alyssa Martin and Allie Floyd combined for a non hitter against LU. The Lions were held to just one base runner, Dallis Darnell, who reached on an error in the first inning.
Avery Wapp (L, 0-1) suffered the lose on Friday after starting the game for Lindenwood. Wapp threw 4.0 innings allowing three hits and run runs, one of them being earned. She also tossed four strikeouts in the loss. Hanna Johanning also threw the final inning allowing six runs with four of them being earned.
Louisiana Tech scored eight runs on four hits with one error. Lindenwood's defense was able to limit Tech's offensive output.
Lindenwood bounced back during game two but ultimately fell in a defensive battle against the host team Louisiana-Monroe by a final score of 1-0. Monroe struck in the bottom of the sixth inning on a sac fly to score the lone run.
Amanda Weyh (L, 1-3) pitched all six innings for the Lions allowing just one unearned run on four hits while striking out five. With runners in scoring position in the second inning, Weyh got the Lions out a jam to keep LU in the game.
The Lions had an opportunity to score in the top of the third inning after a single by Lindenwood's leading hitter Mya Bethany. Emma Daniels was thrown out at home from a relay at second base that kept the Lions off the scoreboard. Lauren Pelton and Madisen Noll also had hits for the Lions.
LOUISIANA TECH 8, LINDENWOOD 0 (5); LOUISIANA-MONROE 1, LINDENWOOD 0
MONROE, La. - Lindenwood softball (2-5) dropped two games on Friday afternoon to kick start the 2024 Warhawk Invitational held at the campus of the University of Louisiana-Monroe. The Lions will continue their second non-conference tournament of the season on Saturday.
Lindenwood was shutout in game one on Friday as Louisiana Tech's Alyssa Martin and Allie Floyd combined for a non hitter against LU. The Lions were held to just one base runner, Dallis Darnell, who reached on an error in the first inning.
Avery Wapp (L, 0-1) suffered the lose on Friday after starting the game for Lindenwood. Wapp threw 4.0 innings allowing three hits and run runs, one of them being earned. She also tossed four strikeouts in the loss. Hanna Johanning also threw the final inning allowing six runs with four of them being earned.
Louisiana Tech scored eight runs on four hits with one error. Lindenwood's defense was able to limit Tech's offensive output.
Lindenwood bounced back during game two but ultimately fell in a defensive battle against the host team Louisiana-Monroe by a final score of 1-0. Monroe struck in the bottom of the sixth inning on a sac fly to score the lone run.
Amanda Weyh (L, 1-3) pitched all six innings for the Lions allowing just one unearned run on four hits while striking out five. With runners in scoring position in the second inning, Weyh got the Lions out a jam to keep LU in the game.
The Lions had an opportunity to score in the top of the third inning after a single by Lindenwood's leading hitter Mya Bethany. Emma Daniels was thrown out at home from a relay at second base that kept the Lions off the scoreboard. Lauren Pelton and Madisen Noll also had hits for the Lions.
MARYLAND 9, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1 (6)
HAMMOND, La. - Southeast Missouri (3-3) dropped its first game of the Lion Classic to Big Ten Conference opponent Maryland (3-3), 9-1, in six innings Friday.
The bottom of the order got UM going in the bottom of the second inning.
Seven-hole hitter Sammi Woods singled and scored the game's first run on and ensuing triple down the right field line by Delaney Reefe. Madison Runyan followed with a RBI-single. With two outs, Willow Van Haren issued back-to-back walks that led to another run as the Terrapins pulled ahead, 3-0.
SEMO got on the board with its only run in the top of the third. Brooklyn Saysoff drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on an error and moved to third on a fielder's choice. Saysoff scored on a sacrifice fly by Brittany Affolter trimming UM's margin to 3-1.
The Terrapins added another run, this time unearned, with the help of a double and two errors in the bottom of the third inning.
Two more runs came in the fifth and another three in the sixth to complete UM's win.
Three freshmen pitched for SEMO in the game. Tegan Livesay (0-2) was credited with the loss after giving up four runs on five hits, striking out one and walking two in the opening two innings.
Van Haren walked four and allowed one run on one hit in 1.1 frames behind Livesay.
Maddie Carney tossed the final two innings. Carney struck out the first three hitters she faced in the fifth. She gave up four runs on one hit, walked three and struck out four.
SEMO had just three hits with Affolter and Paige Halliwill each getting singles and Aubrie Shore recording a double. Shore has hit safely in all six games this season.
Woods and Runyan led UM with two hits apiece. The teamed up to score five runs, as well.
Bri Godfrey (2-0) picked up the win. Godfrey allowed one run on two hits and struck out one in four innings. Julia Shearer struck out three and gave up a hit in two scoreless innings en route to her first save.
VIRGINIA 5, SOUTHERN INDIANA 2; ST. THOMAS 5, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - University of Southern Indiana Softball suffered a pair of setbacks to open the 2024 season Friday at the Easton Bama Bash. The Screaming Eagles fell to the University of Virginia, 5-2, in the opener, before falling, 5-0, to the University of St. Thomas in the second game.
USI (0-2) rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the Cavaliers in the opener. Senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) had an RBI-single in the bottom of the third inning to cut Virginia's lead in half, while junior outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) scored the tying run in the fourth frame on a throwing error following a single by senior centerfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana).
Virginia (4-2), which took the lead on a two-run home run in the top of the third, struck again in the sixth with its second two-run blast to take a 4-2 advantage. The Cavaliers tacked on another run in the seventh and held the Eagles to just one hit in the final three innings to secure the victory.
Offensively, the Eagles had five hits but stranded seven runners on base, including three in the third inning. Junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs, four earned, off eight hits. She finished with a pair of strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
Early defensive miscues hampered the Eagles in their second game as St. Thomas took advantage of an error to score its first run in the top of the first inning.
The Tommies (1-5) tagged USI for four runs off four hits in the second inning to build a 5-0 advantage. USI threatened in the bottom of the second, loading the bases, but could not push a run across the plate. Like the first contest, USI left seven runners on base.
Junior pitcher Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Tennessee) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs, four earned, off four hits in 1 2/3 innings of work. Sophomore pitcher Raegan Gibson (Louisville, Kentucky) scattered four hits throughout 5 1/3 innings to keep the Tommies off the board throughout the remainder of the contest.
INDIANA STATE 2, TENNESSEE STATE 0; SAINT LOUIS vs. TENNESSEE STATE POSTPONED
NASHVILLE - Two Indiana State pitchers combined to throw a shutout on Friday as the Sycamores defeated the Tennessee State softball team 2-0 in its home opener. The Tigers were scheduled to play two games in today's Roar City Invitational tournament, but could not get their second game in due to evening thunderstorms.
Holly Ayala (0-2) started and took the loss in the circle for Tennessee State (1-4). Caitlyn Manus was a bright spot out of the bullpen, going four shutout innings while allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out two.
Offensively, the Tigers were paced by Mikayla Duke, who went 1-for-3 on the day with a double.
Tennessee State managed zero chances with runners on third in the shutout, going a total of 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. The Tigers last got a runner on third in the fifth, when Duke made it 60 feet away from scoring with one out.
COLORADO STATE 7, EASTERN ILLINOIS 2; EASTERN ILLINOIS 1, LONG ISLAND 0
SAN DIEGO - Eastern Illinois softball split its opening two games on Friday at the San Diego Classic. EIU lost its opener 10-2 to Colorado State before some seventh inning heroics led to a 1-0 win over Long Island in the second game of the day.
EIU scored twice in the first inning before falling in its opening game at the San Diego Classic 10-2 on Friday to Colorado State.
Rachel Kaufman delivered the big blow for the Panthers in the top of the first scoring Abbey Crain and Emily Konkel. Crain reached on a single up the middle while Konkel was in as a pinch-runner for Jadin Justman who reached on a single to right. Those three hits would account for three of the four hits the Panthers strung together against Colorado State starter Sydney Hornbuckle (2-1).
EIU's other hit came in the fifth with a single by Kendall Grover.
Colorado State answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the first against EIU starter Olivia Price (2-1). Molly Gates delivered an RBI single before the Rams scored the next two runs on one of two errors EIU committed in the game.
The Rams added six more runs in the bottom of the second as Danielle Serna had the big hit of the inning with a three-run triple. CSU added its final run in the fourth on an RBI single by Hornbuckle.
EIU fell to 5-1 on the season. CSU improved to 4-2.
Briana Gonzalez had an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to lift EIU to a 1-0 win over Long Island in the Panthers second game of the day.
With the game scoreless heading into the final frame, Mia Mazzola reached with one out after being hit by a pitch. She would advance to second on a wild pitch with two outs before Gonzalez drove the game winning hit through the left side.
Gonzalez had one of four hits in the game for EIU. Mazzola had a hit and Kendall Grover the other two.
In the circle, freshman McKenzie Oslanzi was sharp throwing a complete game, four-hit shutout to improve to 3-0 on the season. She had 11 strikeouts while issuing just one walk. Alyssa O'Donnell suffered the loss for the Sharks falling to 1-2.
LIU had a runner reach third base with two outs in both the first and seventh innings. Oslanzi struck out Gabby Padilla to end the threat in the first. In the seventh Mari Narvaiz hit a two-out triple before Oslanzi struck out Emma Niece to end the inning.
EIU improved to 6-1. LIU fell to 4-4.