SATURDAY'S SCORES
*@Western Illinois 11, Tennessee Tech 6
*@Tennessee State 6, Lindenwood 3
*@Southern Indiana 8, Morehead State 0 (5)
*Southeast Missouri 7, @SIUE 4
*@Eastern Illinois 11, UT Martin 5
WESTERN ILLINOS 11; TENNESSEE TECH 6
MACOMB, Ill. - After a pair of tough losses on Saturday, Western Illinois looked to bounce back in the series finale vs. Tennessee Tech on Sunday. The Leatherneck bats stepped up to the task, scoring 11 runs on 14 hits.
Sunday's game started with a lot of offense, as Tennessee Tech jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, putting the Leathernecks in an early hole. Western answered back in an instant, as Valerie Combs led off with a double, then Rylee Boone singled and Malia Robertson walked to load the bases. Senior Bella Alvarez came through with a bases-clearing double, reducing the lead to one before the Leathernecks recorded an out. Megan Leonard then took the lead as she knocked in two more runs with a single, ending the inning with a score of 5-4.
The Golden Eagles tied it up at five in the second inning, but Western starter Lillie Wools took care of business in the third with a 1-2-3 inning and a pair of strikeouts.
The Leathernecks then exploded again in the bottom of the third, taking a four-run lead on five hits, including doubles from Beth Pavy and Malia Robertson. Three Western players stole a base in the frame as well, as Boone, Leonard, and Wools all swiped a bag.
Tech got one run back in the fourth inning to reduce the lead to three, and the 6-9 score held for a frame. A two-out single from Robertson in the fifth helped to spark another offensive run, as Robertson then stole second. Alvarez reached on an error, which scored Robertson before Maria Luna hit a double to bring the Leatherneck lead to five.
Emily Price came in relief for Wools in the sixth, and she closed the game allowing three hits in two innings while striking out one.
Lillie Wools got her third win of the season, as she struck out five in five innings while only allowing one walk. Five different Leathernecks finished with multiple hits, as Boone led the way going 3-4 with two stolen bases. Robertson, Pavy, Wools, and Leonard all finished with two hits. Leonard recorded a team-high three RBIs, tied with Bella Alvarez who did so on her lone double.
TENNESSEE STATE 6, LINDENWOOD 3
NASHVILLE - Anayah Baker-Row collected two extra-base hits to help lead the Tennessee State Tigers over the Lindenwood Lions 6-3 Sunday.
Caitlyn Manus (7-5) got the win for Tennessee State (14-11, 5-1), marking her third of the weekend. The right-hander went five innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on seven hits, allowing no walks and striking out five. Reina Castillo also pitched well, going two innings, surrendering one run on one hit, walking none, and striking out one.
Baker's two extra-base hits were the highlight of a 2-for-3 day, and included two doubles and an RBI. Laila Armstrong compiled a noteworthy day at the plate as well, going 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. Alexis Woods also helped out for the Tigers, putting together two hits in two trips to the plate while adding a walk and two RBI.
The Tigers were trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning when they first put runs on the board. Tennessee State's offense started clicking and put up five runs, including a one-run groundout off the bat of Armstrong.
The Lions then gained ground, narrowing the lead to 5-2 until the Tigers expanded their advantage in the fifth. Tennessee State scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Woods, which brought the score to 6-2 in favor of the Tigers. Lindenwood put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but Tennessee State still held on for the 6-3 win.
SOUTHERN INDIANA 8, MOREHEAD STATE 0 (5)
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Softball finished off a three-game sweep to kick off its 2024 home schedule with an 8-0, five-inning victory over Morehead State University at USI Softball Field on Sunday.
Just as they did in both games of Saturday's doubleheader, the Screaming Eagles scored first in Sunday's contest. Following two successful bunts for base hits and two stolen bases by the top of the order, senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenfield, Indiana) ripped a pitch into the left-centerfield gap to drive in two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
USI widened its lead in the bottom of the fourth inning with a three-spot in the runs column. Junior infielder Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) brought in one run on a sac fly before Fair collected another pair of RBIs on a deep double to centerfield, increasing the Screaming Eagles' advantage to 5-0.
The Screaming Eagles put the finishing touches to the run-rule win in the bottom of the fifth inning. Freshman pinch-hitter Kate Satkoski (Lanesville, Indiana) and sophomore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) had back-to-back RBI singles to put USI's lead at 7-0. Two batters later, USI walked off with the five-inning win after Fair was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Southern Indiana posted eight runs on 10 hits Sunday. Fair led USI with five RBIs, matching a career high, while going 2-2 at the plate. Stapleton went 3-4 with two runs and an RBI, and senior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) had two hits and scored twice.
In the pitching circle, junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) picked up her second win of the weekend to move to 8-5 this season. Newman struck out nine, allowed only three hits, and tossed her third shutout this season.
Morehead State freshman pitcher Addie Stem took the loss, dropping to 3-9 on the season. Stem lasted three innings and surrendered two runs on four hits and two walks.
After going 3-0 on the weekend, Southern Indiana sits at 10-11 overall and 4-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Morehead State moved to 7-11 this season with a 1-5 conference record.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, SIUE4
EDWRADSVILLE, Ill. - Marissa Peek went 2-for-3 with a run scored, two doubles and three RBI to lead Southeast Missouri (9-17, 4-2) to a 7-4 win over SIU Edwardsville (9-17, 1-5) Sunday.
With the win, SEMO picked up its first series sweep of the season. The Redhawks won five of their last seven contests, as well.
SEMO scored three runs in each of the first two innings to get a big lead and never looked back.
Kat Sackett got things going in the top of the first with a one-out double and Aubrie Shore walked. Marissa Peek followed with a double down the left field line and Sackett scored. Brooklyn Saysoff knocked in two more runs on a two-out single to right center putting the Redhawks ahead, 3-0.
Zoe Schulte reached on an error to begin the second inning and came around to score on a fielder's choice. Sackett doubled and Brittany Affolter scored before Peek brought home Abigail Rickermann on a sacrifice fly to push SEMO's lead to 6-0.
SIUE managed to cut SEMO's margin in half with three runs in the bottom of the third and later added one more tally in the seventh, but that was as close as the Cougars would get.
Peek continued to have her way with SIUE hitting her second double of the game to plate Rickermann and cap the Redhawks victory.
Peek collected her second multiple-hit game of the series. Sackett also went 2-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI. Like Peek, both of Sackett's hits were doubles.
Paytience Holman (5-6) won her second game in the series after allowing three runs on six hits in four innings.
Maddie Carney claimed her second save when she recorded the final two outs in the seventh.
Emma Henderson (0-3) suffered the loss. SEMO rattled Henderson for six runs and five hits in one inning.
The Redhawks notched nine hits. Five others, including Rickermann, Paige Halliwill, Tori Bradley, Saysoff and Affolter had a hit.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 11, UT MARTIN 5
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Recap coming soon.