WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 5, @Valpraiso 1
Eastern Illinois 9, @Valpraiso 2
@#13 Missouri 4,
SIUE 1
@Tennessee Tech 6, ETSU 1
@Middle Tennessee 5,
Tennessee State 2
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, VALPARAISO 1; EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, VALPARAISO 2
VALPARISO, Ind. - Eastern Illinois softball reached the 30 win mark for the season as the Panthers swept a midweek doubleheader on Wednesday at Valparaiso.
EIU won game one 5-1 with a 9-2 game two victory as the Panthers improved to 30-12 on the season. Valpo fell to 8-29 overall
Karlie McKenzie tossed five solid innings allowing just one unearned run as the Panthers continued to have their strong pitching trend carry over from the weekend in the 5-1 win.
McKenzie (2-0) had seven strikeouts allowing just one unearned run in the fourth which made it a 3-1 game at the time. Olivia Price pitched the final two innings to close out the victory.
The Panthers scored two in the first on a Jadin Justman ground out RBI single and solo home run by Rachel Kaufman.
Kaufman came around to score in the top of the fourth as she scored from third on a double steal attempt that had the additional runner thrown out at second.
Kaufman was 2-for-2 in the game joining Karson Davey as the only Panthers with multiple hits in the game.
Pinch runner Lauren Sena scored the Beacons lone run of the game in the fourth scoring on a fielding error.
EIU tacked on two more runs in the fifth with both unearned. Kendall Grover drove in one of the two runs with a sacrifice fly.
Three Valpo players finished with two hits while Sydney McDermott (4-15) took the loss in the circle.
EIU exploded for seven runs over the second and third innings to provide Rachel Kaufman (3-2) all the offense she would need for the complete game 9-2 win.
Valparaiso jumped out to a 1-0 lead scoring an unearned run in the first. The Beacons only other run of the game came on a Lauren Sena solo home run in the fourth as Kaufman scattered just four hits in the game.
EIU scored three runs in the second starting with a Briana Gonzalez RBI ground out and ending with an RBI double by Kendall Grover.
The would be the start of Gonzalez big offensive day at the plate as she delivered a two-run home run in the third and a solo shot in the sixth.
McKenzie Oslanzi, Sophie Cerveny and Jadin Justman all contributed RBI singles to close out the scoring for the Panthers.
Oslanzi was 3-for-4 at the plate with Grover, Gonzalez and Cerveny all finishing with two hits.
Anna Wilming (2-5) took the loss for Valpo.
#13 MISSOURI 4, SIUE 1
COLUMBIA, Mo. - No. 13-ranked Missouri defended its home field Wednesday, topping SIUE 4-1 at Mizzou Softball Stadium.
Kaylynn Salyars powered the SIUE offense with two hits, both of which were doubles. Salyars doubled home Lauren Yslava in the second inning. Yslava had drawn a one-out walk and scored from first base.
In what felt more like a pitcher's duel, Lilly Whitten outdueled SIUE's Sydney Baalman for Whitten's fifth win of the season.
Taylor Pannell recorded a save for Missouri, tossing a scoreless seventh inning. Missouri improved to 34-11.
TENNESSEE TECH 6, ETSU 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Continued offensive pressure and a collective effort in the circle were plenty enough to lift the Tennessee Tech softball team to a 6-1 victory over in-state rival ETSU Wednesday evening at Tech Softball Field.
Lennon Spicer opened the tilt for the Golden Eagles (18-18), flipping two scoreless frames with just a single hit allowed and three strikeouts. Payton Wagner, who earned her seventh victory of the year, took over in the circle to provide another two clean innings.
With Wagner in control, the Tech bats went to work on the Buccanneers (9-27), thanks to a hefty swing by Carmen Betts. Manning the hot corner for the purple and gold, Betts clobbered a home run to center field to give the Cookeville crew a 1-0 lead.
Backed by an advantage, Emily York took her turn in the circle for the Golden Eagles, finishing off the final three innings with just one run allowed and four strikeouts. She earned her seventh save of the year after the Tech offense dented the dish five more times to keep the lead intact.
The purple and gold made it a 4-0 lead in the fifth, with Sofia Carroll jumping in on the fun. The right fielder ripped an RBI double down the left-field line, doubling the Tech advantage to 2-0. A walk to shortstop Ella Bishop loaded the bags.
Designated player Abbee Klinefelter delivered for the big inning, lacing a two-run base hit to center field. After ETSU picked up its lone run in the sixth on an RBI single, the Tech offense responded in kind in the bottom half.
This time around, Sydney Kirby recorded the clutch swing. With the bases loaded again, Kirby ripped a two-run single to center field, plating a pair for the 6-1 lead.
Betts, Kirby, and Bishop all tallied a pair of hits in the contest to lead the offensive effort, with Kirby and Klinefelter tying for the team lead with a pair of RBI each. Betts also accounted for a pair of runs scored and two walks.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 5, TENNESSEE STATE 2
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Senior Nahtali Simpson went 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI, but the Tennessee State Tigers still came up short on Wednesday and suffered defeat at the hands of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders by a final of 5-2.
Junior Caitlyn Manus (9-9) got the ball to start for Tennessee State (20-19) and took the loss. Sophomore Holly Ayala was a bright spot for the Tigers, coming out of the bullpen and throwing two scoreless innings, allowing no hits, with one walk and two strikeouts.
In the batter's box, the Tigers were led by Simpson, who went 1-for-2 on the day with a home run, a walk and an RBI, while also scoring both of TSU's runs. Sophomore Jasmine Blackburn put together a standout day at the dish as well, going 1-for-2 with an RBI. Sophomore Onnika Spencer also helped out for Tennessee State, putting together one hit in three trips to the plate while adding a double.
The Tigers were trailing 4-0 in the fourth inning when they first put runs on the board. Simpson put Tennessee State on the board with a two-out solo home run off senior Kamryn Carcich.
The Blue Raiders expanded their lead to 5-1 before the Tigers offense got back to work, cutting into that lead in the seventh. Simpson came across to score the lone run of the inning for Tennessee State, which tightened the Raiders lead to 5-2. The ballgame ended with that seventh-inning rally falling short.