FRIDAY'S SCORES
Southeast Missouri 7, Stony Brook 5
Southeast Missouri 7, @Florida International 4 (8)
UT Martin 8, Samford 3
@Troy 7,
UT Martin 4
Northern Illinois 8,
Western Illinois 6
@Northern Iowa 6,
Western Illinois 0
Lindenwood 3, Prairie View A&M 0
@UIW 2,
Lindenwood 0
Boston 6,
SIUE 0
SIUE 7, @Stetson 4
Tennessee Tech 4, Norfolk State 3
Tennessee Tech 3, @Presbyterian 2
Tarleton 13,
Tennessee State 5
New Mexico 7,
Tennessee State 6
Eastern Illinois 1, UT Arlington 0
Eastern Illinois 6, Green Bay 1
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, STONY BROOK 5; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 4 (8)
MIAMI, Fla. - Southeast Missouri (2-0) opened its season with two wins beating Stony Brook (0-1), 7-5, and Florida International (0-1), 7-4, in eight innings Friday at the Felsberg Invitational.
In its season-opener against Stony Brook, SEMO fought off a late rally for its first victory.
The Redhawks led, 7-1, in the top of the seventh when the Seawolves scored four runs on five hits and one error to make things interesting.
SBU strung together four-straight hits against Redhawk reliever Delaney Kell. An error also figured in during that stretch which led to two quick Seawolve runs. After Naia Ackerman stole home, a one-out single by Alyssa Costello scored Sofia Chambers to cut SEMO's lead to 7-5.
The Seawolves had the tying run at the plate with one out when Kell got Costello to ground out and settled in to record a big game-ending strikeout against cleanup hitter Corinne Badger. Badger homered in the second inning.
SEMO rallied behind a strong start from Paytience Holman in the circle.
Holman retired 12 of the first 13 hitters she faced and sat down the Seawolves in order during the first, third and fourth innings. She gave way to Kell with two outs in the fifth.
While Holman was tearing through SBU's lineup, SEMO struck first on a solo home run by Paige Halliwill in the bottom of the first. Halliwill drove a 3-1 pitch over the wall in right center for the 11th round-tripper of her career.
After Badger tied the game on a solo shot in the top of the second, SEMO added another run in the third, three more in the fourth and tacked on two tallies in the sixth.
Abigail Rickermann and reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Aubrie Shore each delivered RBI-hits and Halliwill knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly in the Redhawks breakthrough fourth inning.
A pair of unearned runs then extended SEMO's lead to 7-1 two innings later.
Holman (1-0) claimed her first win of 2024 after striking out four, walking one and allowing just two hits in 4.2 innings.
Mia Haynes (0-1) suffered the loss. Haynes gave up five runs on six hits, walked one and struck out four in five frames.
SBU edged SEMO, 8-7, in the hit column and committed three errors.
Shore went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI, while Halliwill, Kat Sackett, Kynzie Wrigley, Marissa Peek and Rickermann chipped in one hit apiece.
SEMO trailed, 3-2, after five innings before Kat Sackett hit a game-tying double in the top of the sixth. Sackett's second double of the game scored Wrigley who led off the inning with a double of her own.
Both teams headed to extra innings after FIU went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the seventh.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, Shore immediately broke the tie with a double to left center. On the next play, Wrigley singled to right and pinch-runner Abby Robbins scored. Sackett then reached on a throwing error and that proved costly after Brittany Affolter later knocked in two runs on a two-out single to center putting the Redhawks ahead, 7-3.
SEMO registered 11 hits for its first double-digit hitting game of the early season. The Redhawks outhit the Panthers, 11-7.
Wrigley and Sackett each had three hits. Wrigley went 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored and one RBI, while Sackett went 3-for-4 with a run, two doubles and three RBI. Halliwill also scored twice, including the go-ahead run in the decisive eighth inning.
Freshman Willow Van Haren (1-0) was credited with her first career win out of the bullpen. Van Haren recorded four strikeouts and gave up only one hit in four innings.
Fellow freshman Maddie Carney pitched four innings with two strikeouts in her first career start.
SEMO is 2-0 to start a season for the third time under Head Coach Mark Redburn.
UT MARTIN 8, SAMFORD 3; TROY 7, UT MARTIN 4
TROY, Ala. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team officially kicked off its 2024 campaign on Friday, picking up a season-opening win against Samford by a final margin of 8-3 before falling to tournament host Troy by a 7-4 decision on the opening day of the Trojan Classic.
The Skyhawks (1-1) came out of the gate hot in the season-opener, tallying five hits in the opening inning to take an early lead and never looked back on their way to the first win of the season against Samford. Then in the second game of the day, UT Martin had three pitchers toe the rubber but could not slow down a high-powered Troy offense as the hosts picked up the victory.
UT Martin's bats came to play as the squad posted a .345 batting average in the two games while tallying four extra-base hits and nine RBIs. Senior Katie Dreiling paced the Skyhawks with four hits on the day – including a pair of doubles – while driving in three runs. Newcomer Alli Robinson also posted a three-hit day with a pair of RBIs in her Skyhawk debut while Kyrsten Brown, Kaci Fuller, Avry Blume and Anna Hazlewood each recorded a pair of base knocks.
Along with tallying a pair of hits, Hazlewood (1-0) – a Martin native – earned her first win in a Skyhawk uniform after tossing four innings and striking out three batters against Samford. Fellow senior Brooklynn Linneman pitched valiantly in relief – allowing one run in three innings of work – while freshman Lindsay Kline was hit with the loss in her collegiate debut.
Game 1: UT Martin 8, Samford 3
In the season opener, the Skyhawks struck early as Fuller led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple to right field before later coming home to score on a single to right center by Dreiling. UT Martin wasn't done as the squad loaded the bases with two outs and Robinson tallied her first Skyhawk RBI with a single to put the Skyhawks on top 2-0.
After Samford rattled off three hits which led to a run in the top of the second inning, Fuller scored her second run of the game in the bottom half of the frame. The speedy outfielder reached on a fielder's choice before quickly stealing second and moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. With the run just 60 feet away, Fuller turned on the jets and scampered home on a passed ball to put the Skyhawks up 3-1.
The visitors on the scoreboard chipped away at the advantage again in the top of the fourth inning to trim the Skyhawk margin down to one run on a single by Sarah Squillace. UT Martin quickly responded as Blume drove in Brown following her second base knock of the game before later coming around to score a run herself as Dreiling laced a double to right field. With the Skyhawks on top by three, Dreiling and Hazlewood switched positions with a back-to-back doubles to take a 6-2 lead.
The fifth inning saw both teams score again as the Bulldogs added their third run of the contest courtesy of a solo home run by Katie Campbell. In the bottom half of the inning, it was the Skyhawks who effectively put the game away as an errant throw on a stolen base by Brown led to Robinson coming home to score on the error. Then two batters later, another defensive miscue allowed Brown to come home to score and give UT Martin its final score of 8-3.
Game 2: Troy 7, UT Martin 4
Troy jumped out to an early lead in Game 2 of the day as a bases loaded walk to Audra Thompson brought the game's first run home to score. The home team then added to their advantage in the second inning as a single by D'Aun Riggs and a sacrifice fly by Jade Sinness on back-to-back at-bats brought two more runs in to score.
UT Martin did not go away quietly however as it scored its first run of the contest in the top of the third inning as a double to right center from Dreiling brought Blume home to score. The Skyhawks then found the game's equalizer in the top of the fourth on a single through the right side by Robinson and a laser up the middle by Fuller to tie the score at 3-3.
The tie game was short-lived however as the fourth inning proved to be the difference in the game. Troy scored four runs on four hits in the frame as RBIs by Sinness (two), Taylor McKinney and Thompson pushed the home team's advantage out to 7-3.
While the Skyhawks brought the potential game-tying run to the plate in the sixth inning, the comeback would not be in the cards, as the squad dropped their first contest of the young season.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 8, WESTERN ILLINOIS 6; NORTHERN IOWA 6, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The 2024 softball season officially got underway on Friday, as the Leathernecks took on Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa in a doubleheader at the UNI-Dome.
Freshman Lillie Wools got the start for the Leathernecks' first game of the day, as she got through the top of the first without allowing any runs. She struck out the last two batters of the inning after allowing a pair of hits to start things off.
In the bottom of the first, Bella Alvarez's walk would be the only baserunner for the Leathernecks until the fifth inning.
Wools went one-two-three in the top of the second, but the Huskies would capitalize on a rough third inning, scoring five runs in the frame. The freshman ended her day pitching three innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits and recorded three strikeouts.
Newcomer Raven Morrison entered for Wools in the fourth. She allowed a single and a walk to her first two batters, but got out of the jam by getting the next three batters out. A fifth inning home run for Northern Illinois extended the lead to seven, but this game was far from over.
Gabriela Drager singled to start the fifth, the Leathernecks' first of the game. They were unable to get her home, ending the inning without a score. Morrison forced a double play to end the top of the sixth inning, as the Leathernecks looked to get on the board quickly.
Freshman Malia Robertson drew a walk to start the bottom of the sixth, and another newcomer Valerie Combs reached on a fielder's choice, but two consecutive outs had things looking dreary for Western. Then, Maria Luna drew a walk to load the bases, and Drager drew an RBI, taking a hit by pitch. Western would show great plate discipline despite a multi-run deficit, as Wools and Abrianna Gracia drew back-to-back RBI walks to reduce the lead to four. A lineout would end the inning with a score of 7-3, in favor of the Huskies.
Raven Morrison came back out for the seventh, where she struck out two Panther batters, but allowed an RBI double that saw the Huskies push the lead back up to five. Morrison ended the day with four innings pitched, five hits, three earned runs, and four strikeouts.
Going into the bottom half of the final frame, the Leathernecks got some déjà vu when Malia Robertson again started it off with a walk, and Combs again reached on a fielder's choice. This time, however, Sophia Sanchez slapped a single into center, loading the bases for Bella Alvarez. The 2023 All-Summit League selection came through with a big clutch hit, driving in two runs on a single. A groundout by Rylee Boone scored Sanchez, trimming down the lead to two. Back-to-back flyouts would end the game with a score of 8-6, with Northern Illinois coming away with a win in the first match of the season.
Starting at 2 PM, Western played their second game of the day, taking on the hosts, Northern Iowa.
Emily Price took the mound for Western in game two. Price, a senior, posted a 3.41 ERA over 117 innings last season. Price got through her first four innings of work without allowing any runs, and finished the game with six strikeouts.
The Leatherneck offense struggled early, picking up their first hit in the fourth inning, as Alvarez and Drager recorded hits in the frame. Both runners would be stranded, keeping the game knotted at zero.
The Panther offense awoke in the bottom of the fifth, as the hosts scored four runs, including a three-run home run.
In the top of the sixth, two Leathernecks got on base via walk and hit by pitch, but nothing would come of it as Western exited the frame without a score.
Price was replaced by Kathryn McChristy with one out in the sixth, recording a strikeout and allowing one run in her .2 innings.
Freshman Kayden Porter, who did not appear in game one of today's action, pinch hit in the seventh, and recorded a hit, the first of her career as a Leatherneck. She would be stranded on the basepaths as Northern Iowa recorded two more outs to clinch a 6-0 victory.
LINDENWOOD 3, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 0; UIW 2, LINDENWOOD 0
SAN ANTONIO - Lindenwood softball (1-1) split their first two games of the 2024 season at the UIW Kickoff Classic hosted on the campus of Incarnate Word. The Lions opened up with a 3-0 win over Prairie View A&M before falling to UIW by a score of 2-0.
In game one, Amanda Weyh powered the Lions to a win on the mound to start the season posting 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 win over Prairie A&M. Weyh pitch in 6.2 innings allowing just one hit over 26 batters faced.
Lindenwood's offense was led by Mya Bethany with two hits and a run scored. The Lions posted a total of seven hits on the day including two doubles, one from Madisen Noll and Morgan Gersch.
A quiet start to the day for both teams as their was a combined two hits in the first three innings, both by the Lions. Lindenwood had back-to-back singles by Bethany and Weyh to start the fourth to get the ball rolling.
Chloe Honcar brought in the first RBI of the season after that with a single to center field that brought home Bethany from second. Noll then hit a double in the gap to score two more runs to give LU a 3-0 lead.
Weyh shut-down the Panthers from there on locking up the Lions' first win of the season. The winning pitcher allowed just a .043 batting average to Prairie View on Friday.
Lindenwood fell in their second game on Friday to Incarnate Word by a final score of 2-0. The Lions posted just four hits in the game while leaving five left on base.
Avery Wapp started her first game of the season against UIW throwing in 5.1 innings allowing three hits and one run while striking out two. Molly Berkey also pitched for the Lions earning the loss allowing one hit and a run.
In a scoreless game heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, Berkey entered on the mound with a runner on first. After getting an out and walking a runner, UIW's Marissa Espinoza popped a single into shallow left field to bring home two runs.
The Lions went down in order in the top of the seventh inning dropping their first game of the season. Four different Lions had a hit against UIW including Bethany with her third in two games played.
BOSTON 6, SIUE 0; SIUE 7, STETSON 4
DELAND, Fla. - SIUE softball scored five runs in the fourth inning Friday evening and went on to defeat Frank Griffin Classic host Stetson 7-4.
SIUE collected 11 hits against the Hatters, now 0-2.
Paige Montgomery collected three RBIs with an a fielder's choice in the third inning and a two-run single in the five-run fourth inning.
Paige Rocha rapped three hits and was on base four times. Jenna Herron and Anna Henderson each had two hits for the Cougars.
SIUE utilized three pitchers against Stetson. Kelsey Ray earned the start. Rylie Pindel tossed three innings and earned the victory. Anna Henderson threw the final 1 2/3 innings.
The Cougars dropped the season opener earlier in the day to Boston University 6-0. The defending Patriot League champions won 52 games last season and opened with two wins Friday.
Allison Boaz got the victory for Boston University.
SIUE's Sydney Baalman took the loss in the Boston University contest.
TENNESSEE TECH 4, NORFOLK STATE 3; TENNESSEE TECH 3, PRESBYTERIAN 2
CLINTON, S.C. - Tennessee Tech started the 2024 softball season on a high note, sweeping both games in Friday action at the Blue Hose Invitational, topping Norfolk State 4-3 and Presbyterian 3-2.
The Golden Eagles (2-0) play the same two teams again tomorrow with the contest against Norfolk State scheduled for 11 a.m. and the final game of the tournament at 4 p.m. against the host Blue Hose. Live stats will not be available for the first game against the Spartans.
There were plenty of strong performances all around on the season's first day with Abby Buettner going a perfect 6-for-6 at the plate with one run driven in and two runs scored. Sydney Kirby collected three of Tech's six RBI on the day, while Carmen Betts was 3-for-7 with two runs scored and two RBI.
In the circle, Lennon Spicer and Emily York each struck out four, while Spicer and Payton Wagner notched their first victories of the season. York was awarded the save against Presbyterian.
In the day's opener against Norfolk State, the Spartans struck for three runs in the opening frame. With two down, a fielding error allowed the NSU batter to reach and extending the inning as everything became unearned at that point. One run scored on the error, then two more came home on a single to left center.
Tech just needed one inning to take the lead as the Golden Eagles collected four runs on four hits and an error. Jordan Key led off the frame with a single to right, then Alina Schlageter came on to pinch run. After a fly out, Abby Shoulders was hit by a pitch, then Betts put a single into right field. The ball was misplayed, allowing Schlageter and Shoulders to score as Betts rolled into second.
Buettner hit a single into left center – advancing Betts – then took second herself on the throw to third. Kirby stood in and delivered a double into center field to plate the two Tech runners.
Neither team scored another run in the contest as Spicer allowed just two hits the rest of the way. She earned the complete-game victory, allowing three unearned runs on seven hits and striking out four.
In the nightcap, Tech struck for two runs in the top of the first with Shoulders hitting a single to right, then stealing second. Betts eyed a base hit through the middle, bringing the lead runner home. A passed ball allowed Betts to take third, then Buettner lined a hit into left field to drive in the senior ahead of her.
The Golden Eagles added a run in the third as Kirby followed up Buettner's double with an RBI single to left center.
Presbyterian scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth with three straight base hits off Wagner allowed two runs to score. York came on in relief and whiffed one, then forced a groundout to short to end the frame with no further damage.
York settled in and was able to get out of a jam in the fifth with back-to-back swinging strike-threes, then coaxed a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth with two liners to right sandwiching a swinging strikeout. She had another 1-2-3 frame in the seventh with a popup to short, a fly out to center and a 1-6-3 putout edging out the batter at first to end the contest.
TARLETON 13, TENNESSEE STATE 5; NEW MEXICO 7, TENNESSEE STATE 6
LAKE CHARLES, La. - The Tennessee State softball team scored a combined 11 runs over two games but fell to Tarleton State and New Mexico in the Cowgirl classic to open its season. The Lady Tigers opened the day with a 13-5 loss to Tarleton, followed by a walk-off loss to New Mexico.
Tarleton 13, TSU 5 – Five Innings
An outstanding offensive output was not enough for Tennessee State on Friday morning. The Tigers tallied five runs but could not hold the Tarleton State Texans at bay, and were bested 13-5 in their first game of the season.
Junior Caitlyn Manus (0-1) got the ball to start for Tennessee State (0-1) and took the loss.
Sophomore Onnika Spencer led the way offensively for the Tigers, going 2-for-3 in the ballgame with a double and three RBI. Junior Ryla Traylor provided a noteworthy performance at the dish as well, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Sophomore Jasmine Blackburn also chipped in, going 1-for-1 for Tennessee State with a double and a walk.
The Tigers got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with one run in the top of the first inning. Tennessee State got an RBI single from Spencer, scoring senior Anayah Baker-Rowell from second base.
The Texans then rallied to score 10 runs and take a 10-1 lead before the Tigers got back on the board in the third. The Tennessee State offense exploded for four runs, highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of Spencer, which tightened the Texans lead to 10-5. The Tigers were unable to get any closer, as Tarleton State added three runs to their tally on the way to a 13-5 final.
UNM 7, TSU 6
Tennessee State took a 6-5 lead into the seventh inning, but could not hold on and fell 7-6 to the New Mexico Lobos in their second game on Friday.
Junior Caitlyn Manus (0-1) came out of the bullpen for Tennessee State (0-2) and took the loss.
At the plate, the Tigers were led by senior Nahtali Simpson, who went 2-for-3 on the day with a walk and two RBI. Junior Ryla Traylor compiled a noteworthy effort as well, going 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBI. Senior Laila Armstrong also helped out for Tennessee State, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding an RBI.
Trailing 3-0, the Tigers first put runs on the board in the third inning. Simpson drove in two runs for Tennessee State with a single, that scored senior Anayah Baker-Rowell and sophomore Onnika Spencer.
The Tigers kept the deficit at 3-2 before taking the lead in the fourth. The Tennessee State offense exploded for four runs, highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of Traylor, which brought the Tigers lead to 6-3. The Tigers were unable to hold the lead, as New Mexico scored four times over the remaining three innings to grab the 7-6 win.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 1, UT ARLINGTON 0; EASTERN ILLINOIS 6, GREEN BAY 1
YOUNGSVILLE, La. - Eastern Illinois softball opened the 2024 season with a pair of strong pitching performances and solid pitching in the circle winning both games on Friday at the Mardi Gras Mambo.
EIU beat UT Arlington 1-0 in the opener before an early evening 6-1 win over Green Bay as EIU is off to a 2-0 start to the season.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 1, UT ARLINGTON 0
Eastern Illinois manufactured the only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning and Olivia Price had solid defense behind her as the Panthers beat UT Arlington, 1-0, in the season opener for EIU.
With the game scoreless in the sixth, Kendall Grover reached on an error. She moved around to third on a hit by Avary Makarewicz with one out in the inning. Marama Makea pinch ran for Makarewicz and was thrown out at second on a double steal attempt which allowed Grover to score from third.
Defensively the Panthers played well behind Price as she tossed a complete game shutout allowing five hits. UTA threatened in the first and fourth innings placing a runner at third with two outs, but on both occasions the Panthers worked out of the jam.
The Mavericks biggest scoring threat was in the fifth when Nikki Donahue doubled to lead off the inning. She advanced to third with one out in the inning before being thrown out at the plate on EIU's biggest defensive play of the game. Shortstop Briana Gonzalez threw out Donahue who was one of three UTA players with doubles in the game.
EIU had three hits in the game coming off the bats of Makarewicz, Gonzalez and Rachel Kaufman. Kaufman had a double for the Panthers lone extra base hit.
EIU is 1-0 on the season. UTA fell to 0-2 after losing on Thursday night to nationally ranked Tennessee. Jessica Adams (0-2) took the loss for UTA in relief. Price (1-0) picked up the win.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 6, GREEN BAY 1
Eastern Illinois had another strong pitching performance in the circle and woke up the bats early during a 6-1 win over Green Bay in their second game of the day.
EIU jumped on the board in the bottom of the first with Kendall Grover reaching on a single and stealing second. Grover came around to score on a Jadin Justman sacrifice fly. It would be the first of two times Grover and Justman produced a run with a hit, stolen base and sacrifice fly in the game as the effort was repeated in the fourth putting EIU 5-0 at the time.
The Panthers expanded the lead in the bottom of the second with three runs as Green Bay starter Martha Miller (0-1) suffered the loss. EIU's starting pitcher McKenzie Oslanzi helped her own cause with an RBI double followed later in the inning by an RBI double by Sophie Cerveny and bases loaded walk drawn by Rachel Kaufman.
Oslanzi (1-0) was solid in the circle in her first collegiate start as the freshman went six innings allowing one run on three hits with ten strikeouts. Kaufman closed out the game in the circle with a scoreless seventh.
Green Bay scored its lone run in the sixth as Samantha Saloun had a two-out RBI single. Paige Hanson was the lone Phoenix player with multiple hits going 2-for-3.
Grover, Kaufman and Avery Makarewicz all had two hits to lead EIU. Makarewicz drove in the final EIU run in the fifth with an RBI triple.
EIU is now 2-0. Green Bay fell to 0-3.