SUNDAY'S SCORES
*UT Martin 1, @Tennessee Tech 0
*@Tennessee State 6, SIUE 5
*Eastern Illinois 2, @Southern Indiana 0
*Southeast Missouri 10, @Morehead State 1
*Southeast Missouri 14, @Morehead State 4 (6)
*Lindenwood 7, @Western Illinois 1 (Resumed from Friday)
*Lindenwood 10, @Western Illinois 1 (5)
*Lindenwood 9, @Western Illinois 3 (9)
UT MARTIN 1, TENNESSEE TECH 0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - With runs at a premium throughout the Ohio Valley Conference matchup, it was a RBI single by Maddi Long in the top of the seventh which proved to be the game-winner and ultimately the series clincher as the University of Tennessee at Martin softball team knocked off Tennessee Tech by a 1-0 margin.
The Skyhawks (23-18, 9-9 OVC) picked up another important series victory as the squad has won four of its six league series this season. UT Martin now holds tie-breaker advantages over Western Illinois, SIUE, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech when it comes time for OVC Softball Championship seeding.
With each team being limited to just four hits in each team's column, pitching was impressive for both squads. Kiersten Nixon earned the start and scattered four hits and two strikeouts over 4.1 innings before Katie Dreiling picked up her sixth win of the season – this time in relief – after tossing 2.2 perfect frames.
In the other dugout, Tennessee Tech (17-18, 8-10 OVC) saw Emily York keep the Skyhawks at bay until the seventh inning when she allowed one run in a complete game effort.
Both teams scratched out four base knocks in the contest with Dreiling, Long, Nixon and Avry Blume contributing for the Skyhawks. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles found hits from Abby Shoulders, Abby Buettner, S.J. Talley and Abbee Klinefelter in the setback.
Neither team found a lot of offensive traction until the top of the seventh inning. A leadoff double by Dreiling kick-started the frame before the two-way athlete was pinch ran for by Kyla Harley. After entering the game, Harley's time on the bags was limited as Long laced a single to centerfield which allowed the speedster to round third and scoring the eventual game-winning run.
With a one-run advantage in their pocked, the Skyhawks tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh to secure the series victory.
TENNESSEE STATE 6, SIUE 5
NASHVILLE - The Tennessee State softball team took down SIUE 6-5 on Sunday afternoon at Tiger Field to secure the Ohio Valley Conference series sweep.
Reina Castillo (6-5) started in the circle and picked up the win for TSU (20-18, 11-7). The right-hander went seven innings, giving up five runs, four earned, on seven hits, allowing one walk and striking out one.
Nahtali Simpson's two extra-base hits were the highlight of a 2-for-2 day and included two doubles and a walk. Onnika Spencer furnished a standout performance at the dish as well, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Anayah Baker-Rowell also helped out for the Tigers, putting together one hit in three trips to the plate while adding a triple and an RBI.
Trailing 2-0, the Tigers first put runs on the board in the third inning. An RBI triple from Baker highlighted a two-run inning for Tennessee State.
The score stayed at 2-2 until the very next inning, when the Tigers put runs on the scoreboard once again. Tennessee State scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Alexis Woods, which brought the score to 3-2 in favor of the Tigers.
SIU-Edwardsville fought back to even the ballgame at three before Tennessee State reclaimed a 6-3 advantage in the sixth inning. The Tigers scored three runs, all of them coming on a three-run homer from Spencer that scored Ryla Traylor and Simpson. SIU-Edwardsville put two runs on the scoreboard before the game was over, but Tennessee State still held on for the 6-5 win.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - McKenzie Oslanzi tossed a gem and Eastern Illinois picked up a 2-0 win over Southern Indiana to open a big weekend series in Evansville.
Oslanzi improved to 17-3 on the season allowing just four hits in the game, only allowing one Screaming Eagles player to reach second base during the game. That runner reached in the bottom of the seventh with EIU up 2-0.
Sammie Kihega led off the seventh for USI with a walk. After a strike out and fly out, pinch hitter Olivia Money singled to left before Oslanzi forced the final out on a line out to first baseman Rachel Kaufman.
Oslanzi's counterpart in the circle for USI, Josie Newman, was solid as well allowing seven Panther hits and one earned run. Newman fell to 14-6 with the loss.
EIU broke through in the fourth with Karson Davey and Jadin Justman connecting for back-to-back singles to open the inning. Davey would come around to score the first run on a two-out error by USI.
The Panthers added an insurance run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Kendall Grover that scored Briana Gonzalez. EIU had loaded the bases in the inning with three straight singles by Gonzalez, Marama Makea and Sophie Cerveny.
Makea was the lone player for either team with multiple hits going 2-for-3 for EIU.
EIU improved to 26-12, 12-4 in the OVC. USI fell to 16-15 overall, 6-5 in the OVC.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 10, MOREHEAD STATE 1; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 14, MOREHEAD STATE 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Southeast Missouri (17-21, 11-6) scored 24 runs in a dominating 10-1, 14-4, doubleheader sweep of Morehead State (10-20, 4-13) Sunday.
SEMO went over 10 Ohio Valley Conference wins and claimed its fourth series win along the way.
The Redhawks never trailed and used a seven-run seventh inning to blow by MSU in game one.
Ahead, 3-1, SEMO quickly loaded the bases when Paige Halliwill reached on an error and Brooklyn Saysoff and Kat Sackett both walked to start the seventh. Aubrie Shore hit into a fielder's choice and Halliwill scored. On the next play, Brittany Affolter was hit by a pitch. Sackett later touched home on a wild pitch and Gracie Luna hit a grand slam to center putting the Redhawks ahead, 10-1. For Luna, it was the first grand slam of her career.
SEMO scored its first run of the game on an RBI-single by Sackett in the first inning and added two more in the top of the third.
Tatum Gerwitz led off the third with a double to left center and scored on a wild pitch. Halliwill, after being hit by a pitch, came around to score on a single by Sackett.
Paytience Holman (9-8) pitched her fifth complete game of the season striking out a season-best eight and allowing only one run in seven innings.
Sackett went 3-for-3 with a run scored, one walk and two RBI to lead SEMO which finished with eight hits.
SEMO keyed its win in the nightcap with another big inning, this time scoring eight runs in the top of the second.
Down, 2-1, Kynzie Wrigley started things off with an infield single, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Affolter followed with a bunt single and Wrigley scored. Shortly after Abigail Rickermann stole home, Halliwill launched a two-run home run to right field. Wrigley came up again and delivered a two-RBI single. After that, Sydney Dennis singled up the middle and Wrigley scored to give SEMO a 9-2 advantage.
An inning later, Halliwill stepped and hit her second home run of the game to push the Redhawks lead to 10-4. It was the second two home run game of Halliwill's career.
SEMO scored its final four runs in the sixth inning to complete its shortened six-inning win.
The Redhawks established a new season-high in runs and matched their season-high in hits during their game two victory.
Aubrie Shore went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and one RBI, and Wrigley finished at 2-for-3 with two runs to lead SEMO offensively.
Delaney Kell (2-3) picked up the win in relief. Kell threw 3.1 scoreless no-hit innings out of the bullpen.
SEMO has won five of its last six games.
LINDENWOOD 7, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1; LINDENWOOD 10, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1 (5); LINDENWOOD 9, WESTERN ILLINOIS 3 (9)
MACOMB, Ill. - Lindenwood softball (24-16, 12-6 OVC) earns three straight victories this weekend over Western Illinois (14-26, 4-14 OVC) to continue their 10 game win streak and move into second place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. The Lions' active winning streak is the sixth longest in the country. They also have swept three straight OVC series.
Lindenwood played the majority of game one on Saturday before it was suspended and finished on Sunday. Amanda Weyh (W, 14-6) tossed her 59th career win against Western breaking the record for career wins at Lindenwood in the process. She threw 5.1 innings allowing one run of three hits while striking out six. Avery Wapp (S, 3) earned the save after throwing the final 2.1 innings allowing no hits and striking out three.
At the plate, Lindenwood posted 12 hits on their way to a game one victory. Four different Lions had at least two hits including Irelynn West and Tori Hatton who also both had an RBI. Ashley Gerber pinch hit in game one and delivered with a bases clearing double.
The Lions struck first in the second inning with two runs. West and Hatton started the inning with two singles. Dallis Darnell, with two outs, brought home the first run after a field error. Mya Bethany added and RBI single to center field to bring the lead to 2-0.
After four straight scoreless inning by the Leathernecks, they broke through in the fifth off of Weyh with an RBI single by Maria Luna. Weyh ended the inning with three straight outs including two strikeouts. The game was delayed in the sixth inning.
When the game resumed play, the Lions struck in the top of the seventh with five runs stretching their lead to 7-1. A West RBI single and a Hatton RBI double brought the first two runs in. With the bases loaded Gerber dropped in a three RBI double to secure the win for the Lions. Wapp shut the door on WIU in the seventh.
After picking up the game one victory, Lindenwood secured the series with a 10-1 win in five innings over Western Illinois to start Sunday's double header. The Lions scored 10 runs on 11 hits while holding WIU to just four hits in the process.
Avery Wapp (W, 8-7) was the winning pitcher in game two after throwing 4.2 innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out four. Molly Berkey pitched the lat 0.1 innings giving the Lions the victory.
Lindenwood continued their hot bats as they had four Lions with multiple RBI including three from Chloe Honchar and two from Jolie McMinn. Honchar, McMinn, Gerber and Darnell all had two hits in the game two win.
The first inning saw the Lions jump out the gate with four runs on three hits giving them the early lead. West got the action started with a two RBI double into the left center gap bringing home Gerber and Bethany. Madisen Noll then added a two RBI double down the left field line to put the Lions up 4-0.
After surrendering a run in the bottom of the third, Lindenwood bounced back with two more runs in the fourth. Honchar and Gerber went back-to-back RBI singles to increase the lead to 6-1.
Lindenwood then scored four runs in the top of the fifth to complete the game at 10-1. McMinn had a two RBI single to score the first two runs while Honchar added a two RBI triple to finish off the Leathernecks in game two.
Game three came down to the wire, but the Lions strung together six runs in the ninth inning to secure their 10th win in a row and their third straight OVC sweep. It also moved the Lions into second place in the OVC.
Wapp (W, 9-7) picked up her second win of the weekend in relief after tossing the final 4.0 innings allowing no runs. Weyh (ND) earned a no decision has throwing the first five innings allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.
Western Illinois got on the board first in game three with an RBI double by Bella Alvarez. Lindenwood tied the game up with their pitcher after Weyh hit a sac fly to center field in the third inning to score West.
Jolie McMinn gave the Lions their first lead in the fifth inning with a two RBI single putting them up 3-1. The Leathernecks tied the game for the second time after another two RBI double by Alvarez.
After a pitching duel for had the game knotted at three runs each heading into the ninth inning, the Lions struck one final time giving them their 10t straight win. Bethany got the ball ruling after hit a tough play into left field that brought in three runs off of an error. Gerber continued her great weekend with another RBI single and was followed by West with two more runs to bring the score of 9-3. Wapp closed the door again and gave Lindenwood the win.