SATURDAY'S SCORES
*@Tennessee Tech 4, SIUE 3
*@Tennessee Tech 4, SIUE 0
*Eastern Illinois 5, @Morehead State 4 (8)
*Eastern Illinois 14, @Morehead State 5 (6)
*@Lindenwood 2, UT Martin 0
*UT Martin 4, @Lindenwood 2
*@Southern Indiana 5, Tennessee State 4
*Tennessee State 7, @Southern Indiana 0
*@Southeast Missouri 8, Western Illinois 1
TENNESSEE TECH 4, SIUE 3; TENNESSEE TECH 4, SIUE 0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - With two victories on Saturday to take both ends of the doubleheader against SIUE, the Tennessee Tech softball team is assured of one thing – the Golden Eagles will be heading back to postseason action in the Ohio Valley Conference softball championships in Peoria.
With the two wins and now four games up on the Cougars and six on Morehead State, Tech (21-21, 11-12 OVC) is assured of at least the No. 7-seed with a chance to move up further with wins in their last four games of the season and help from fellow OVC teams in the final three days of conference competition.
Sydney Kirby had a strong game in the opener, driving in all four of Tech's runs in the 4-3 victory as she went 1-for-2 with four RBI.
After SIUE (15-32, 7-16 OVC) took a 3-0 lead through the top of the fourth inning, Tech cut the deficit by a third in the bottom of the inning as Carmen Betts legged out a one-out triple to left center. Kirby then put the Golden Eagles on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly out to left field.
In the sixth inning, Abby Shoulders led off with a single to right, then Betts laid down a bunt single back to the circle, beating out the throw. With the wind blowing out and facing a 2-1 count, Kirby launched the next pitch over the right field wall for a three-run blast, putting the Golden Eagles on top.
Lennon Spicer picked up the victory in relief, throwing the final four innings of the contest. The Cougars threatened in the seventh as Paige Rocha and Grace Lueke hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners, but the veteran Tech hurler coaxed a fly out to Alana Schlageter to end the contest.
Spicer went four scoreless frames, allowing four hits and striking out three to pick up her fifth win of the season. Starter Emily York was touched up for three runs on six hits across the first three innings, striking out two.
Tech tagged Sydney Baalman for four runs on six hits in six innings of work as she walked one and struck out none. Baalman fell to 4-15 on the season. Betts had two of Tech's six hits as she was 2-for-3 at the plate.
Game two was all Golden Eagles as Payton Wagner threw a complete-game, four-hit shutout to improve to 8-4 on the year. She did not walk a batter and struck out one. Her counterpart, Kelsey Ray, fell to 7-9 on the season. Ray allowed four runs – three earned – on five hits, walking one and striking out two.
Tech got the scoring going early as Mac Fitzgerald led off with a single to center field and stole second. She moved over to third on Betts' flyout to center field, then Kirby took a walk on four straight pitches. Sofia Carroll got the first of her two hits in the game as she roped a triple into right field, bringing Fitzgerald and Kirby home to roost.
After two scoreless frames, the Golden Eagles put two more on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Carroll led off with a double into right center, then an error on a bunt allowed Ella Bishop to reach. Abbee Klinefelter laid down a sacrifice squeeze and was taken out at first as Carroll crossed the plate. S.J. Talley drove in the other run as she flew out to left center, allowing Bishop to score.
SIUE threatened in the fifth, putting two runners on with a pair of two-out singles, but that was the last threat the Cougars had as Betts ended the inning on an unassisted force at third, then Wagner yielded just one hit in the sixth, then retired the side in order to close out the game in the seventh.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, MOREHEAD STATE 4 (8); EASTERN ILLINOIS 14, MOREHEAD STATE 5 (6)
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Eastern Illinois softball improved to 34-15 on the season, 18-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference as the Panthers clinched their weekend series at Morehead State with a pair of Saturday wins over the Eagles.
EIU rallied to win game one, 5-4, in eight inningthrs before picking up a 14-5 run-rule victory in game two.
Morehead State is now 11-25, 5-18 in the OVC.
In the opening game EIU rallied scoring runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to tie the game at 3-3 and force extra innings.
In the eighth EIU scored twice and held on for the 5-4 win. Olivia Price (9-9) picked up the win in relief. Briana Gonzalez scored the go ahead run on a wild pitch while McKenzie Oslanzi drove in what proved to be the iwnning run.
Ilencia Lightbody hit a home run in the eighth to cut the Panthers win to a one run margin.
Morehead State took a 3-0 lead with Trinity Spear driving in a pair of runs on a double in the fourth. Two of the Eagles three runs were unearned against starter Oslanzi.
EIU manufactured its first run in the fifth and cut the margin to one run in the sixth on a Gonzalez home run. Gonzalez and Rachel Kaufman each had two hits to lead EIU.
Kaufman's second hit came in the seventh driving in Marama Maeka to tie the game at 3-3.
In the second game EIU broke open a 7-5 game with seven runs over the fifth and sixth innings to pick-up the run-rule win, 14-5.
Karlie McKenzie (3-0) picked up the win in relief for EIU throwing four innings of scoreless relief.
Kaufman drove home her third run of the game in the fifth inning after delivering a two-run single in the second.
Aryn Henke had the big hit of the five-run, sixth inning, with a bases loaded three run double to left center. Henke finished the game 2-for-3 with four RBI.
Kaufman was 2-for-3 while Kendall Grover drove in two runs going 3-for-4.
LINDENWOOD 2, UT MARTIN 0; UT MARTIN 4, LINDENWOOD 2
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Lindenwood softball (25-20, 13-10 OVC) split their double header against UT Martin (27-20, 12-11 OVC) on Saturday with scores of 2-0 and 2-4. The Lions celebrated their eight seniors on Saturday after the game.
Amanda Weyh (W, 15-7) pitched a gem of a game during the Lions' win as she threw her 11th complete game of the season and sixth solo shutout as Lindenwood would go on to win 2-0 in game one. Weyh allowed just three hits while striking out eight.
Both offenses struggled to get going in the first matchup as their was a combined seven hits in the game, four coming from the Lions. Four different Lions came up with hits including Tori Hatton who had the lone RBI of the ballgame.
Weyh started out the game with three straight strikeouts and five within the first two innings of the game. She now has 144 strikeouts during her final season in an LU uniform, the second most in a season during her career.
Lindenwood scored their two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning after Mya Bethany started the inning with a bunt single. Weyh was then walked on a pass ball which moved Bethany to third. The Lions executed a double steal that brought home Bethany. Hatton then delivered the RBI single to bring home Weyh for the second run of the inning.
Weyh finished the game retiring the final nine batters for the Skyhawks in rout to a 2-0 shutout win for Lindenwood. It marked the first ever win vs. UT Martin in program history.
UT Martin go their revenge on the Lions after Saturday's second game of a double header as they won 4-2. Lindenwood's comeback effort fell short after scoring their two runs in the sixth inning and had two runners on in the seventh.
Avery Wapp (L, 9-10) suffered the loss on the mound for the Lions after throwing all seven innings allowing 12 hits and four runs with eight strikeouts. Brooklynn Linnemann (W, 8-6) held the Lions for most of the game throwing six innings allowing two runs on only four hits.
Lindenwood's offense again was held to less than seven hits in back-to-back games as they posted six hits scoring two runs. Chloe Honchar and Ashley Gerber both went 1-4 with a run scored.
UT Martin scored one in the first and second innings to take an early two run lead. Wapp settled down on the mound from there going three and out in the third before allowing another run in the fourth with an RBI single by Anna Hazlewood.
Down 3-0, Lindenwood cut the lead to one with two runs in the sixth inning. After back-to-back bunt singles by Honchar and Gerber, Bethany reached on a field error by the first baseman to bring home Honchar. Amanda Weyh then delivered a sac fly RBI to center field to bring home the Lions' final run.
UT Martin scored one more run in the top of the seventh to secure the win and split the double header on Saturday.
SOUTHERN INDIANA 5, TENNESSEE STATE 4; TENNESSEE STATE 7, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Softball split its doubleheader against Tennessee State University at USI Softball Field on Saturday. The Screaming Eagles held on late in a competitive contest to win 5-4 in the opener before a 7-0 loss in the second game.
Saturday's twin bill kicked off Senior Weekend and the final home series on the 2024 schedule for USI Softball.
In the first game, Tennessee State (24-21, 15-8 OVC) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a get them on, get them over, and get them in approach, as the leadoff hitter reached base and came around to score.
The Screaming Eagles (19-19, 13-10 OVC) bounced back immediately against the Tigers' starting pitcher in the home half of the first. Three consecutive two-out singles by the middle of the order did the trick. RBI knocks from senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) and freshman infielder Sydney Long (Haubstadt, Indiana) put USI ahead 2-1.
In the middle innings, the Eagles' offense extended the lead with a run in the third, fourth and fifth frames. The Tigers tallied a run in the fourth and fifth innings, but USI junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) got out of the jams and limited the damage by keeping USI ahead 5-3 through five innings of play.
Tennessee State threatened in the top of the seventh by loading the bases and even drawing to within one run of USI, 5-4, on a bases-loaded walk, but once again, Newman pitched out of trouble to clinch the series-opening victory for the Screaming Eagles.
Offensively, Tennessee State ended up with four runs on seven hits while Southern Indiana scored five runs off six hits.
Newman moved to 16-8 with the win, giving up four runs – three earned – with seven strikeouts in the complete game. Tennessee State junior starter Reina Castillo dropped to 7-6 with the loss after surrendering three runs in three innings of work.
In game 2, neither side could strike in the first inning like they did in the opener despite both having runners in scoring position in the first.
Defensive struggles, walks, and wild pitches stacked up against USI in the top of the second inning, allowing Tennessee State to take advantage and score four times. The Tigers added another tally in the third inning.
Sophomore pitcher Raegan Gibson (Louisville, Kentucky) halted Tennessee State's momentum until the top of the fifth when the Tigers loaded the bases and brought home another run to take a 6-0 advantage.
USI again fell victim to miscues as the Tigers scored their seventh and final run in the seventh inning to seal the win, earn a doubleheader split, and force a decisive series rubber match on Sunday.
Southern Indiana junior starting pitcher Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Illinois) suffered the loss, giving up four unearned runs with four strikeouts in 1.2 innings to drop to 2-7 this season. Gibson tossed 5.1 innings and allowed three runs – one earned – in relief.
Tennessee State junior pitcher Caitlyn Manus went to 11-10 on the season with the shutout win. Manus gave up only two hits.
Both teams maintained their positioning in the Ohio Valley Conference standings on Saturday. USI remained in a tie for fourth place with Lindenwood University, and Tennessee State stayed put in third place. Only four games remain in the conference season.
The Screaming Eagles and Tigers conclude the weekend series Sunday at Noon from USI Softball Field. Senior Day ceremonies will take place following Sunday's game, recognizing catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana), first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana), and outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana).
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Seniors Abigail Rickermann, Paige Halliwill and Kynzie Wrigley each had two hits and scored leading Southeast Missouri (24-22, 18-6) to an 8-1 victory over Western Illinois (14-32, 4-20) Saturday.
SEMO completed a series sweep of WIU on Senior Day sweeping its fourth Ohio Valley Conference opponent this season. The Redhawks ran their winning streak to nine-straight over conference foes.
The Redhawks jumped all over starting pitcher Emily Price out of the gate.
Rickermann hit the first pitch of her at-bat for a double to left field and went to third on an ensuing single by Halliwill. Rickermann then scored on the front end of a double steal which also got Halliwill to third. Kat Sackett and Wrigley later delivered back-to-back RBI-hits to give SEMO a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
SEMO scored once in each of the third fourth and fifth innings before burying the Leathernecks with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Halliwill and Marissa Peek each knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly to give the Redhawks their seven-run win.
Paytience Holman (13-8), in the 105th appearance of her career, allowed only two hits and a run in 5.1 innings. Holman no-hit WIU through her first four frames.
Price dropped to 7-18 this year.
For the third-straight time, SEMO registered double-digit hits against the Leathernecks holding an 11-2 advantage in that area.
The Redhawks handed WIU its 20th loss in OVC play and 12th-straight defeat.
SEMO honored its seven seniors, including Halliwill, Holman, Peek, Rickermann, Sackett, Zoe Schulte and Wrigley.