SUNDAY'S SCORES
Troy 12,
Morehead State 3
Eastern Illinois 10, Detroit Mercy 2
UT Martin 2, Chattanooga 0
Indiana State 4,
SIUE 1
Southern Mississippi 7,
Southern Indiana 1
Southern Indiana 5, @Jacksonville State 4
Murray State 2,
Western Illinois 0
Memphis 2,
Tennessee Tech 1
Northern Iowa 9,
Southeast Missouri 6
TROY 12, MOREHEAD STATE 3
MACON, Ga. - The Morehead State Softball Eagles got three hits out of freshman Sela Pickford Sunday, but Troy put three innings of 3+ runs on the board in a 12-3 loss for MSU to conclude the Mercer Bear Invitational.
Among her three hits, Pickford had two doubles and an RBI to lead the Eagles. Freshman Kendra Lewis was 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. MSU managed seven hits off a trio of Trojan pitchers. Haley Pittman went the longest, 4.0 innings, with six strikeouts to earn the win.
Freshman Addie Stem (2-4) started and took the loss in the circle for Morehead State (4-6). She pitched 5.1 innings, allowing nine hits and eight runs (five earned). Jessie Begley allowed the other four runs in 1.2 innings in the circle.
Amazingly, Troy used 18 different players in the field or at the plate. Cassidy Boltz and D'Aun Riggs had two hits each, part of a 13-hit effort for the team from the Sun Belt Conference.
Morehead State started its scoring early again, plating two runs off of Troy pitching, one of which was driven in on a run-scoring double off the bat of Pickford. Darlene Montoya singled home Pickford the second tally.
Troy then homered three times, including a solo shot in the second inning and a two and three-run homer in the third for a five-run inning.
Morehead State scored a run in the sixth when Lewis drew a walk that scored Pickford.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 10, DETROIT 2
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Rachel Kaufman powered the Eastern Illinois offense on Sunday going 4-for-5 at the plate and driving in four runs as the Panthers closed out the WKU Hilltopper Classic with a 10-2 win over Detroit Mercy.
Kaufman started her big day with a solo home run in the first inning. She connected for a two-run double in the fourth inning and her second home run of the day in the sixth.
In the circle McKenzie Oslanzi looked sharp in her third start of the weekend improving to 6-0 on the season with five innings allowing three hits and one Titans run.
EIU improved to 9-6 on the season with seven extra base hits. Marama Makea had an RBI double in the fifth while Avary Makarewicz had a solo home run in the seventh.
Detroit Mercy scored on an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth by Amanda Schick and RBI single in the sixth by Alison Donaugh. Donaugh had two of the Titans six hits.
Jadin Justman, Karson Davey and Makea all added two hits for the Panthers as they finished with 14 hits in the win.
Jordan Kavanaugh (0-3) took the loss for Detroit Mercy as they fell to 0-5 on the year.
UT MARTIN 2, CHATTANOOGA 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team outmatched tournament host and in-state foe Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon, posting a 2-0 shutout victory to close out the team's appearance at the Frost Classic.
The Skyhawks (7-7) evened up their season record and wrapped up their tournament stay with a 3-2 record in the five game slate. UT Martin tallied seven hits on the day and scored runs in the second and sixth innings while blanking Chattanooga defensively.
Senior Katie Dreiling earned her second win of the season after holding the Mocs scoreless over 6.1 innings while striking out eight batter. Looking to complete the shutout, Dreiling turned the ball over to Brooklynn Linenman who finished out the contest and secured the two-run victory with a save.
Offensively, Dreiling was also strong where she was one of three Skyhawks to tally a pair of base knocks on the day – going 2-for-4 at the plate. Fellow senior Kaci Fuller also had a two-hit day along with an RBI while Alli Robinson went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles. Kennedy Brown also drove in a run.
UT Martin jumped on the board in the second inning after Robinson led off the frame with a double to center field. After being moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt by her twin sister, Brown drove in the game's first run with a single.
The Skyhawks added another run for a little extra protection in the top of the sixth inning. Robinson recorded her second double of the contest to lead off the frame before later coming home on a single up the middle by Fuller to give UT Martin a 2-0 lead.
Dreiling kept the Mocs in check through the first six innings but allowed a few baserunners in the bottom of the seventh via a hit by pitch and a single. The Skyhawks quickly went to the bullpen and brought in Linneman who shut the door on any type of rally attempt with a strikeout and an out at the plate to end the game with the shutout intact.
INDIANA STATE 4, SIUE 1
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - SIUE softball fell to Indiana State 4-1 in its final game of the 2024 Blues City Tournament.
SIUE, 6-7, next heads home for its first competition at Cougar Field. Next weekend the Cougars play host to the SIUE Cougar Invite. On Friday through Sunday, SIUE has five games scheduled. Overall the 12-game tournament at Cougar Field includes Loyola, St. Thomas (Minn.), Illinois State and Creighton.
On Sunday, the Cougars finished with five hits.
Indiana State tallied three runs in the third inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Kennedy Shade. She also would have an insurance RBI in the fifth.
SIUE pushed home a run in the seventh on a Rocha single that scored Maleah Blomenkamp.
SIUE starter Kelsey Ray took the loss and is now 3-2 this season.
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 7, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1; SOUTHERN INDIANA 5, JACKSONVILLE STATE 4
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - University of Southern Indiana Softball finished its weekend at the 2024 Cocky Classic in Jacksonville, Alabama on Sunday with a two-game split, falling 7-1 against the University of Southern Mississippi before winning 5-4 against host Jacksonville State University.
In the first game against Southern Miss (5-8), both teams cruised through the first couple of innings. Southern Indiana (3-7) had a chance to score in the second and third innings but stranded a runner in scoring position in each frame.
The Golden Eagles broke through in the bottom of the third inning with five runs off a pair of RBI doubles and two more RBI knocks. The big inning led to a USI pitching change, as junior starting pitcher Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) handed the ball off to sophomore pitcher Raegan Gibson (Louisville, Kentucky).
Southern Indiana got one run back in the top of the fifth on a leadoff home run from sophomore infielder Carlee Effinger (Evansville, Indiana), her first of the season. Despite getting another runner in scoring position, the home run was all USI could get across home plate. The Golden Eagles added two more runs in the bottom half of the fifth and finished off the game from there.
Southern Indiana scored one run on five hits, while Southern Miss tallied seven runs on 13 hits. In addition to Effinger's home run, freshman infielder Sydney Long (Haubstadt, Indiana) went 2-2 at the plate for USI.
Gotshall was dealt her first loss this season, allowing five runs in 2.1 innings pitched. Gibson gave up two runs in 2.1 innings of work, while junior pitcher Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Indiana) finished the game for USI with an inning and a third scoreless. The Golden Eagles' junior pitcher Loganne Stepp moved to 2-1 this season with the win, going five innings with one run surrendered.
The second game of the afternoon against Jacksonville State (5-10) was a back-and-forth battle. Southern Indiana jumped on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning with a bases-loaded walk by senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana). The Gamecocks answered with a tally in the bottom of the second, tying the game 1-1.
In the third inning, USI put runners at second and third following a pair of singles and a sacrifice. Junior starting pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) was at the plate and put the ball in play, reaching base and scoring both runners on an error by the Jacksonville State shortstop. In the bottom of the third, the Gamecocks responded to tie the game up again, 3-3, on a two-run home run.
Southern Indiana took the lead back in the top of the fifth on an RBI double from Kihega. The Screaming Eagles' 4-3 advantage was short-lived. Once again, Jacksonville State answered in the home half of the fifth, knotting the game up at four on a sac fly following a one-out triple.
The Screaming Eagles were unfazed by the Gamecocks' multiple comeback efforts. After three consecutive singles to start the top of the sixth inning to load the bases, freshman designated player Alyssa Mumaw (Greenfield, Indiana) put the ball in play and reached on a fielder's choice to score the go-ahead run for Southern Indiana. From there Newman tossed back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to close out the 5-4 victory for USI.
Offensively, USI scored its five runs on 10 hits, receiving multi-hit games from Kihega with two RBIs, seniors Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) and Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana), and a three-hit game for sophomore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana). In the circle, Newman moved to 3-3 on the season with the win, going the full seven innings with four runs allowed. Sunday was Newman's sixth complete game this season.
Jacksonville State scored its four runs off five hits. Junior pitcher Sarah Currie (1-2) suffered the loss for the Gamecocks, giving up two runs off five hits in 4.2 innings of relief.
MURRAY STATE 2, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
MURRAY, Ky. - Western Illinois finished off the weekend and a ten-day road trip on Sunday, taking on the Racers of Murray State. Western had previously beaten the Racers on Friday by a score of 6-3, but today, the WIU bats failed to heat up as they failed to score on five hits.
Valerie Combs got a single and steal in the top of the first inning, but she was stranded to end the inning. Lillie Wools got the start on the mound for Western Illinois, as she ended up pitching four and one-third innings. Wools got through the first inning unscathed but allowed two runs in the second that ended up being the only scores of the game. The Racers exited the second with a two-nothing lead, and a great pitching performance from Murray State shut down the Leatherneck offense.
Maria Luna and Beth Pavy finished the game with doubles, while Kaylee Ketcherside and Sophia Sanchez both singled.
Raven Morrison came into the game to pitch in the bottom of the fifth with one out, and the bases loaded. She got out of the jam by getting an out at home plate and coaxing a flyout. She finished the game without allowing a baserunner.
MEMPHIS 2, TENNESSEE TECH 1
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech had a chance to leave Memphis with three victories on the weekend, but the host Memphis Tigers were able to stave off the threat, holding off the Golden Eagles 2-1 to earn their first victory of the season.
Tech (6-3) returns to action on Tuesday as it travels to Western Carolina for a 3 p.m. contest.
The Golden Eagles collected four hits in the contest as Mac Fitzgerald, Abby Shoulders, Sydney Kirby and Meaghan Houk all recorded base knocks.
Faith Rush pitched the first four innings, allowing two runs – one earned – on eight hits, walking two and striking out four. Emily York threw the final two frames without allowing a hit or a walk.
After a walk coupled with a wild pitch moved a runner to second, Memphis connected with back-to-back doubles to score both of its runs.
Tech got its lone run of the game in the top of the fourth as Shoulders singled to right to open the frame, then stole second and took third on an errant throw to nab her at second. Sydney Kirby drove her in with a single to short as Kirby beat out the throw.
The Golden Eagles threatened as Houk singled down the left field line, but the outfielder misplayed it, allowing pinch-runner Bailee Stack and Houk to take second and third. The rally came to a close as Faith Rush lined into an unassisted double play with the third baseman snagging the liner and tagging the retreating Stack to end the inning.
Tech stranded two more runners in the fifth but was unable to get anyone aboard in the sixth and seventh.
NORTHERN IOWA 9, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6
AUBURN, Ala. - Kynzie Wrigley and Zoe Schulte each had to hits and Southeast Missouri (4-9) pulled within a run twice in a 9-6 loss to Northern Iowa (8-2) Sunday.
SEMO fell into a hole early when five of the first eight UNI hitters got a hit to open a four-run lead for the Panthers in the top of the first inning.
UNI had two runners on base after on only five pitches. Kylee Sanders hit Maddie Carney's second offering of the game for an infield single and advanced to second on a base hit by Alexis Pupillo. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Addison McElrath hit a two-RBI single up the middle. A RBI-double by Kate Lappe and run-scoring single by Savanna Jamilo followed to put the Panthers ahead, 4-0.
A throwing error, walk and wild pitch set UNI up for two more runs (both unearned) that pushed its lead to 6-0 an inning later.
SEMO got back in the game quickly in the bottom of the third inning.
Pinch-hitter Kat Sackett sent a charge into the Redhawks with a leadoff home run to center for the fifth round-tripper of her career.
With one out, Schulte reached on a bunt single and went to second on a pinch-hit single by Abigail Rickermann. On the next play, Paige Halliwill scored Schulte on a base hit to left center. After Rickermann scored on a passed ball and Brooklyn Saysoff walked, Wrigley delivered a two-out, two-RBI single to center making it a 6-5 ballgame.
SEMO sent 10 hitters to the plate and had five hits in its big third inning.
In the top of the sixth, UNI capitalized on an error to plate another run. Taylor Hogan reached on the SEMO mishap to start the inning and moved to second on a groundout. Ellie Owen stepped in and hit a pinch-hit single to center scoring Hogan to give the Panthers a 7-5 advantage.
The Redhawks pulled within a run again with two outs in the bottom of the sixth when Aubrie Shore knocked in Sophie Schupp on a single to right center. SEMO later left the tying run at third base after Anna Wischnowski forced Gracie Luna to line out to center.
UNI finished off the Redhawks in the top of the seventh where Megan Parks singled and scored on a one-out triple by Lappe. An ensuing Hogan single drove in Lappe completing the 9-6 win.
SEMO had chances after its five-run third inning but left five runners on base the rest of the game. Three of those were in scoring position. All three Redhawks struck out in the seventh, as well.
Kara Maiers (1-0) earned her first win of the season for the Panthers. Maiers struck out two and allowed three runs on three hits in 2.1 innings.
Wischnowski was credited with the save after holding off the Redhawks for the final 4.2 innings. She struck out seven, walked three and gave up three runs on six hits.
Carney (0-4) scattered five hits and allowed five runs in one inning.
Livesay gave up one run (unearned) and struck out two in two innings before Paytience Holman struck out four, walked one and gave up three runs on five hits in the final four frames.
Wrigley went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Schulte finished at 2-for-3 with a run scored. Five other Redhawks got a hit, including Rickermann, Halliwill, Shore, Tori Bradley and Sackett.
UNI edged SEMO, 10-9, in the hit column.