SUNDAY'S SCORES
*Tennessee Tech 9, @Morehead State 4
*@Southeast Missouri 4, Tennessee State 3
*@UT Martin 4, SIUE 3
*@Lindenwood 8, Southern Indiana 0 (5)
*Southern Indiana 2, @Lindenwood 1
*@Eastern Illinois 6, Western Illinois 1
*@Eastern Illinois 6, Western Illinois 1
TENNESSEE TECH 9, MOREHEAD STATE 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Sunday's series finale at Morehead State had a lot of twists and turns, but the Tennessee Tech offense broke the game wide open with a five-run fifth inning to take a 9-4 victory to take the series 2-1.
With the win, the Golden Eagles improve to 14-11 overall on the season, 6-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Tech has gone 2-1 in each of its first three league series and maintains a solid positioning among the top half of the conference.
Emily York improved to 5-0 on the season, picking up the victory in relief as she worked the final 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and a strikeout. Tech starter Lennon Spicer, facing her former Morehead State teammates, pitched the first inning and a third, allowing two runs on five hits.
MSU reliever Jessie Begley took the loss, falling to 4-4 on the season, as the reliever allowed four runs – three earned – in 1 2/3 innings.
S.J. Talley and Sofia Carroll both drove in two runs, while Mac Fitzgerald came home to score three times. Fitzgerald and Abby Buettner both went 2-for-4 at the plate.
Tech got the first run on the board in the top of the first as Abby Shoulders drove in Fitzgerald with a double to left center. Morehead took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second as Trinity Spear laced a triple into left center to plate two.
The Golden Eagles got the runs back in the top of the third as Carmen Betts hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring Fitzgerald home, then Buettner doubled to left center to score Shoulders. Tech extended the lead in the top of the fourth as Talley hit a solo home run to right center to make it a 4-2 Golden Eagle lead.
Morehead State evened the score once more in the bottom of the fourth as Darlene Montoya hit an RBI single into right field, then Taikibrea Campbell scored on a double play from a foul catch from Fitzgerald into a 4-2-3 putout to end the inning.
In the fifth inning, Fitzgerald led off with a double to left center, then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Betts drew a four-pitch walk and Bailee Stack came on to run at first. Buettner hit a ball to third, but the ball was muffed, allowing Fitzgerald to score and put runners at the corners.
With Tristen Head now running at first, Meaghan Houk singled to center field to send Stack home. Jordan Key singled to left and took second as the defense erased Head. Ella Bishop was walked on four pitches to load the bases, then Talley drew a walk on a 3-1 pitch. Sofia Carroll came through with the big blow as she hit a two-run double into right center to drive in Bishop and Key's pinch runner, Alina Schalgeter.
After the Golden Eagles' outburst, York held the home team to two hits and a walk, stranding four Morehead State runners to preserve the win.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, TENNESSEE STATE 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Paytience Holman pitched a complete game and matched a season-high six strikeouts to lead Southeast Missouri (11-18, 6-3) to a 4-3 series clinching win over Tennessee State (15-14, 6-3) Sunday.
SEMO claimed its second-straight series win and took down TSU, which entered the weekend as co-leader in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Holman, who tossed her team-high third complete game of the year, started strong by retiring the first seven hitters she faced.
SEMO scored once in each of the first four innings and that is all the Redhawks would need to hang on for their one-run victory.
Abigail Rickermann led off the bottom of the first with a single and Paige Halliwill followed with a double. Aubrie Shore scored the game's first run on a sacrifice fly.
Kynzie Wrigley began SEMO's at-bat in the second with a home run to straightaway center extending the Redhawks lead to 2-0. For Wrigley, it was her first homer of the season.
After TSU pulled within a run in the third, Marissa Peek then launched a home run over the left field wall. The round-tripper was Peek's second of the series after she ended Saturday's doubleheader with a walk-off home run.
The Tigers again got within a run when they scored another tally in the top of the fourth inning, but SEMO answered.
This time, Halliwill knocked in Brittany Affolter on a two-out single to right and that run held up big in the end.
TSU narrowed SEMO's lead to 4-3 when it scored on a groundout in the top of the fifth inning.
Holman then kept the Tigers off the board for the final two innings sitting down the last six TSU hitters along the way.
Holman (7-6) allowed three runs on seven hits. Two of those runs were unearned.
Caitlyn Manus (8-6) suffered the loss. Manus struck out three, walked two and gave up four runs on nine hits.
Rickermann, Halliwill and Peek had two hits apiece to lead the Redhawks. Those three hitters combined to hit .600 (6-for-10) for the day.
Wrigley, Affolter and Tatum Gerwitz followed with one hit each.
UT MARTIN 4, SIUE 3
MARTIN, Tenn. - After a slow start to the contest, the University of Tennessee at Martin softball team switched it into another gear in the late innings with four runs from the fifth inning on to knock off visiting Ohio Valley Conference rival SIUE and steal the season series against the Cougars with a 4-3 victory.
The Skyhawks (16-13, 4-5 OVC) were held hitless through the first three innings but once the dam broke, the hits came in bunches as the squad recorded eight base knocks in the comeback victory. Senior Anna Blanton paced the team with two hits – including the go-ahead RBI in the sixth inning – to pace the squad.
Joining in the action was newcomer Alli Robinson who made the most of her one hit on the day as she laced a single up the middle to score a pair of runs in the fifth frame. She was joined in the hit column by Kaci Fuller, Katie Dreiling, Anna Hazlewood, Maddi Long and Avry Blume as seven Skyhawks got in the action.
The pitching staff kept the squad in the game while they figured out their offense through the early frames. Hazlewood got the start and pitched three innings – allowing zero earned runs – before being relieved by freshman Lindsay Kline whose only bump came on a solo home run in two innings of work. Wrapping up the game was senior Brooklynn Linneman (5-3) who earned the win after tossing two perfect innings down the stretch.
SIUE (10-20, 2-7 OVC) jumped on the board first with two runs in the first inning. The Cougars led off the game with a walk before Jenna Herron reached on infield single before a defensive miscue on a pickle play allowed both runners to move into scoring position. Following a strikeout by the Skyhawks, the Cougars came through with the hit they needed as Grace Lueke singled up the middle to take a 2-0 advantage.
After starting pitcher Sydney Baalman looked to be cruising through the first four innings, the Cougars made a pitching change to bring in yesterday's winning pitcher and turn the ball over to Rylie Pindel. The move proved to be costly for the visitors as the Skyhawks jumped on the new pitcher with four hits and three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The trio of Blume, Blanton and Fuller each reached base with singles to load the bases before the team's first run scored on a wild pitch. With the first run on the board, Robinson then brought the other two runners in to score with a single up the middle to take a 3-2 advantage.
Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived for UT Martin as SIUE's Lauren Yslava rifled the first pitch she saw over the right field wall to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the sixth.
Despite the gut-punch, UT Martin stayed aggressive and responded with the go-ahead run in the bottom half of the frame. Hazlewood led off the bottom of the sixth with an infield single before pinch-runner Carly Ward entered the game and moved into scoring position with a single from Long. The tandem later moved into scoring position with a well-placed grounder to the right side before Blanton picked up her second hit of the day, lofting a single just past the third basemen to give the Skyhawks a 4-3 lead which they would not relinquish down the stretch.
LINDENWOOD 8, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0 (5); SOUTHERN INDIANA 2, LINDENWOOD 1
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Lindenwood softball (14-16, 3-6 OVC) split their Sunday double header at home against the Screaming Eagles of Southern Indiana (12-12, 6-3 OVC). The Lions took game one in five innings by a score of 8-0 before losing game two by a final of 2-1.
Lindenwood evened the series in game one of Sunday's double header after run-ruling Southern Indiana by a final score of 8-0 in five innings. The Lions scored at least one run in every single inning while posting eight hits and capitalizing on USI's six errors.
Amanda Weyh (W, 9-7) through another complete game shutout for Lindenwood allowing just two hits while striking out five. It marked her fourth solo shutout of the season on the mound and her seventh complete game. Whitley Hunter (L, 2-4) suffered the loss.
Madisen Noll and Weyh both had two hits in the Lions' victory with Weyh hitting her first home run of the season to deep center field. Jolie McMinn also had two runs batted in to help Lindenwood get their first win of the weekend.
Dallis Darnell singled to lead off the first inning for LU before being brought home on a wild pitch later in the inning. The Lions then scored their second run of the game in the bottom half of the second after an RBI groundout by Weyh.
Lindenwood scored two more in the bottom of the third after Mya Bethany and Tori Hatton both reached safely to start the inning. Bethany and pinch runner Annie Schimpf both scored after a wild pitch and a throwing error to give LU a 4-0 lead.
Weyh then hit a solo home run to center field in the fourth for the lone run of the inning. The Lions then scored the final three runs of the ballgame in the fifth after McMinn's two RBI single and a run scored by Hanna Johanning after a throwing error by the Screaming Eagles.
Game two was all about defense as the Screaming Eagles scraped out of Lou Brock Stadium with a 2-1 win. The Ohio Valley Conference's leading strikeout pitcher Josie Newman (W, 10-5) had 10 strikeouts through seven innings.
Avery Wapp (L, 4-6) earned the loss for the Lions after allowing two runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Weyh returned to the ball game in the seventh inning allowing only one hit in game two.
Lindenwood was held to just four hits in game three of the series including two by Darnell at the lead-off spot. Bethany and Noll also had singles for the Lions in the loss.
The first inning saw the Lions jump out to an early 1-0 lead after Darnell reached safely with a shallow double to start the game. After a stolen base, Tori Hatton was able to get enough of the ball into the outfield to bring home Darnell for a RBI sacrifice fly.
Wapp did not allow a hit until the third inning with a double from Kennedy Nalley. She would be brought home later in the inning with a single by Hailey Gotshall to tie the game at 1-1. USI scored their second run off of Wapp in the top of the sixth after an RBI single by Lexi Fair. The Lions were unable to bring runners home in their final two innings.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 6, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1; EASTERN ILLINOIS 6, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball picked up a pair of 6-1 wins on Sunday to sweep their weekend series with Western Illinois as both games on Sunday finished with the identical mark.
EIU won its seventh straight OVC game improving to 22-9 overall, 8-1 in the OVC. Western Illinois fell to 12-19 overall, 2-7 in the OVC.
Western Illinois jumped on top 1-0 in the first inning in game one of Sunday's double header as the Leathernecks took advantage of an early Eastern Illinois error. The Panthers would use a WIU error to take the lead before going on to win 6-1.
Valerie Combs reached base to lead off the game on an error and came around to score on a RBI single by Bella Alvarez.
EIU took advantage of a WIU error in the second inning resulting in a two run single by Kendall Grover that gave the Panthers the lead.
That offense would be all Olivia Price needed to finish with a complete game win improving to 6-6 on the season. Price struck out three and allowed just six hits.
EIU provided Price a cushion in the third on two-run homer by Briana Gonzalez and RBI in the fifth by McKenzie Oslanzi and Mia Mazzola.
Gonzalez was 3-for-3 in the game while Oslanzi had two hits.
Lillie Woods (3-7) took the loss pitching five innings. Rylee Boone went 2-for-3 to lead WIU.
In the second game EIU scored four runs in the third inning as they finished the weekend sweep with a 6-1 win.
McKenzie Oslanzi (13-2) pitched five innings allowing one unearned run and scattering two hits with seven strike outs. Karlie McKenzie pitched a hitless final two innings with three strike outs.
The four-run third was led by a Rachel Kaufman RBI double then followed by two-run single by Jadin Justman and RBI single by Sophie Cerveny.
WIU broke through in their half of the fifth with an RBI single by Abrianna Gracia that scored Gabriela Drager.
EIU drove in two insurance runs in the bottom of the frame to go up 6-1. Briana Gonzalez had a bases loaded walk while Oslanzi helped herself with a sacrifice fly.
Emily Price (5-9) suffered the loss as Malia Robertson was the only other Leatherneck with a hit with a double in the fourth.
Kaufman, Justman and Cerveny all had two hits to lead EIU.