SATURDAY'S SCORES
*@SIUE 2, Southern Indiana 1 (16)
*Southern Indiana 4, @SIUE 2
*@Eastern Illinois 9, Tennessee Tech 5
*@Eastern Illinois 2, Tennessee Tech 1
*@Tennessee State 1, Western Illinois 0
*@Tennessee State 4, Western Illinois 2
*@UT Martin 10, Morehead State 0 (5)
*Morehead State 1, @UT Martin 0
*@Southeast Missouri 1, Lindenwood 0
*@Southeast Missouri 4, Lindenwood 0
SIUE 2, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1 (16); SOUTHERN INDIANA 4, SIUE 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - In an opener that lasted just a few minutes shy of four hours, SIUE edged Southern Indiana 2-1 in 16 innings. It was the longest game for SIUE in the Division I era and the most since the Cougars played a 16-inning contest in 2001.
Southern Indiana won game two of the doubleheader 4-2 in a 1 hour, 37 minute contest.
Sydney Baalman went the distance for the Cougars in game one. Her 16-inning performance included 250 pitches where she allowed just a single run in the fifth inning.
Southern Indiana's Josie Newman also went to the 16th inning in the circle. She struck out 13 despite the loss and tossed 189 pitches overall.
Despite the low-scoring contest, the game had its share of exciting plays, many of which were momentum-busting plays on defense.
With USI leading 1-0 going into the bottom of the seventh, Lauren Yslava would send the game to extra innings with a double to right center that drove home pinch runner Jenna Little. It would be nine more innings before another runner crossed the plate. Paige Rocha hit a sacrifice fly to left field that drove home Danelle Shuey.
In game two, USI came out aggressive with two runs in the first inning and held off the Cougars. Raegan Gibson earned the win for the Screaming Eagles while Kelsey Ray took the loss for the Cougars.
Emma Henderson blasted her third home run of the season, a solo shot to left field in the SIUE's two-run fourth inning. Shuey added an RBI bunt single later in the inning.
SIUE, now 15-28 overall and 7-13 record in OVC play, had six hits in game two with two from Anna Henderson.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, TENNESSEE TECH 5; EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, TENNESSEE TECH 1
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball clinched another weekend series win as the Panthers won both games of Saturday's Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader against Tennessee Tech at Williams Field.
EIU won the opener 9-5 with a 2-1 decision in the second game as the Panthers extended their current win streak to nine games improving to 32-12 overall, 16-4 in the OVC.
TTU fell to 18-20 overall, 8-12 in the OVC.
In what started as a tightly contested game, Eastern Illinois had a break through inning scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to post a 9-5 game one win.
With the game tied at 2-2, EIU started their rally with one out in the inning against TTU starter Lennon Spicer (4-9). The Panthers would get big hits by Rachel Kaufman, Briana Gonzalez and Kendall Grover all driving in two runs in the inning as the Panthers exited the inning with a 9-2 cushion.
TTU scored three runs over the final two innings with McKenzie Oslanzi tossing her 11th complete game this season to improve to 19-3 on the season.
TTU looked destined to open the game with a big inning as they took a 1-0 lead and had bases loaded with no outs in the first. Sofia Carroll hit a soft liner towards second base which Marama Makea fielded in the air. Her momentum carried Makea to second base to tag the bag for the second out and then she threw to first to complete the triple play.
EIU countered in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run by Jadin Justman. Justman had two hits in the game finishing as one of four Panthers with two RBI in the game.
Grover led EIU at the plate with a 4-for-4 day including two runs scored and two RBI.
Mac Fitzgerald and Ella Bishop each had three hits for TTU.
Olivia Price was masterful in the circle for the second straight game as the reigning OVC Pitcher of the Year scattered three hits during the Panthers 2-1 win.
Price did not allow a hit until the fifth inning when Sofia Carroll broke up the no-hitter with a single up the middle.
TTU's other two hits came in the sixth inning with EIU leading 2-0. Mac Fitzgerald singled and came around to score on a double by Sydney Kirby. Price pitched out of the inning and closed the seventh with a 1-2-3 frame to improve to 8-7 this season.
EIU scored its first run in the fourth inning as Marama Makea beat out an infield single to second base that allowed Aryn Henke to score the first run of the game.
In the fifth EIU tacked on a much needed insurance run as Kendall Grover scored on a sacrifice fly by McKenzie Oslanzi.
TTU starter Payton Wagner (7-4) scattered seven EIU singles taking the loss with the Panthers unearned run in the fifth.
TENNESSEE STATE 1, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0; TENNESSEE STATE 4, WESTERN ILLINOIS 2
NASHVILLE - The Tennessee softball team picked up two wins on Saturday afternoon, taking down Western Illinois in both games of the Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader. Reina Castillo tossed a no-hitter in game one, followed by a solid pitching performance from Caitlyn Manus in game two.
Reina Castillo turned in a brilliant performance in game one on Saturday, throwing a no-hitter to lead the Tennessee State Tigers over the Western Illinois Leathernecks 1-0.
Castillo (7-5) added her seventh win of the season to her outstanding performance. The right-hander struck out one and walked one for Tennessee State (21-19, 12-7) on her way to the record books.
The game stayed scoreless until the bottom half of the seventh, when Tennessee State walked it off when Jasmine Blackburn came across to score.
TSU broke through after a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning to take down the Western Illinois Leathernecks 4-2 in game two of Saturday's doubleheader.
Caitlyn Manus (10-9) got the win for Tennessee State (22-19, 13-7). The right-hander went seven innings, giving up two runs, zero earned, on three hits, allowing no walks and striking out two.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard first, starting in the second inning. Nahtali Simpson came across to score the lone run of the inning for Tennessee State and get them on the board.
The Leathernecks then rallied to score two runs and take a 2-1 lead before the Tigers got back on the board in the third. Tennessee State pushed across a run on Anayah Baker-Rowell's two-out RBI double, which evened the score at 2-2.
That 2-2 tie turned into a 4-2 Tennessee State lead in the sixth. The Tigers added two to their tally on Simpson's two-run homer to take the lead. The score remained 4-2 for the rest of the game, as Tennessee State held on for the win.
UT MARTIN 10, MOREHEAD STATE 0 (5); MOREHEAD STATE 1, UT MARTIN 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - In a tale of two games, the University of Tennessee at Martin softball team exploded for 10 runs in the series opener against Ohio Valley Conference rival Morehead State en route to a 10-0 run-rule victory before being shutout in the second half of the twinbill by a 1-0 margin.
The Skyhawks (25-19, 10-10 OVC) continued a trend this season where in the squad's four series victories that they win Game 1 before falling short in Game 2. UT Martin will hope the past is a view into its future as the team has eventually found a way to win the series in the finale – which will be contested on Sunday afternoon.
UT Martin tallied 13 hits on the day – including 11 in the series opener alone. Extra base hits were aplenty for the Skyhawks as the team tallied three doubles and three home runs on Saturday on the way to a big win in the series opener.
Infielder Alli Robinson paced the team with a three-hit day – including a two-run home run. The senior trio of Anna Hazlewood, Maddi Long and Katie Dreiling also tallied a pair of base knocks each while Long and Avry Blume joined Robinson by stroking home runs.
The pitching staff allowed just one run on the day as Dreiling picked up her seventh win of the season after tossing a five-inning shutout while striking out six. Then in the second game, Brooklynn Linneman earned the hard-fought loss after striking out four and allowing just one run in a complete-game effort.
Morehead State (11-22, 5-15 OVC) snapped an eight-game losing streak with the team's shutout victory. Jessie Begley picked up her sixth win of the season after scattering two hits over seven scoreless frames.
Today's action saw UT Martin score six of its 10 runs in the bottom of the second inning of the series opener. Small-ball saw Kiersten Nixon score the game's opening run with a bunt single to drive in the runner from third base before a pair of two-run doubles by Hazlewood and Kaci Fuller broke the game open. The Skyhawks capped off a six-run inning later in the frame as Robinson dumped a single into the left-center gap.
A solo blast by Blume highlighted the third inning before a pair of home runs by Robinson and Long put the game away in the bottom of the fourth inning to give UT Martin a 10-0 advantage.
Then in the second game of the day, Begley kept the Skyhawks off-balance from the first inning on. The game saw its lone run cross the plate in the top of the third inning when an RBI-double by Sela Pickford proved to be the difference in the game as Morehead State tallied the only run it needed.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1, LINDENWOOD 0; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, LINDENWOOD 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Softball (20-21, 14-6 OVC) picked up both wins in Saturday's doubleheader against Lindenwood (24-18, 12-8 OVC) by a final score of 1-0 in game one, and 4-0 in game two at the Southeast Missouri Softball Complex.
The Redhawks registered six hits in each game for a total of 12 on the day as SEMO out hit Lindenwood, 12-6, on the day.
Second baseman Abigail Rickermann and catcher Marissa Peek recorded multi-hit days on Saturday. Rickerman finished 2-for-3 in game one, while Peek was 2-for-3 with a home run in game two.
Designated hitter Kat Sackett recorded the game's only run in the contest in game one with her solo blast to right field in the second inning off Lindenwood's Amanda Weyh (14-7).
For Sackett, the blast was her third of the season and was the game-winning hit.
Starting pitcher Paytience Holman (11-8) was sharp in the circle, recording the complete game victory for her 11th of the season. Holman allowed just four hits and no runs over 26 Lions' hitters. She recorded one strikeout over her seven innings.
Starting pitcher Maddie Carney (4-4) picked up her fourth win of the season in game two of Saturday's doubleheader with a complete game shutout.
In a game that lasted just one hour and nine minutes, Carney carved through the Lions lineup allowing no runs, on just two hits, and striking out three hitters.
Catcher Marissa Peek provided the offense in game two, finishing 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, home run, and four RBIs beginning with a first inning double.
After a leadoff single by Abigail Rickermann and a walk to center fielder Paige Halliwill, Peek drove a ball to the left field wall off LU's Avery Wapp (9-8) to plate both base runners to make it 2-0 SEMO.
In the third inning, first baseman Aubrie Shore doubled down the right field line to bring Peek to the plate with one out in the inning. Peek blasted her home run to left field to make it 4-0 Redhawks at the end of the third inning.
Carney shut down the Lions the rest of the day as LU recorded just two hits in game two.