The 2024 Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championsip got underway on Wednesday.
The tournament will be held at the
Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Illinois. All games will be streamed on ESPN+.
GAME 1: #7 Tennessee Tech 7, #6 Lindenwood 3
Box Score |
Live Stats |
Live Video |
Photo Gallery
GAME 2: #8 SIUE 6, #5 UT Martin 1
Box Score |
Live Stats |
Live Video |
Photo Gallery
GAME 3: #3 Tennessee State 9, #7 Tennessee Tech 8
Box Score |
Live Stats |
Live Video |
Photo Gallery
GAME 4: #4 Southern Indiana 4, #8 SIUE 0
Box Score |
Live Stats |
Live Video |
Photo Gallery
#7 TENNESSEE TECH 7, #6 LINDENWOOD 3
PEORIA, Ill. - The seventh time was the charm as Tennessee Tech found an answer to Lindenwood to take them out in the opening round of the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championship, winning 7-3 Wednesday morning.
The victory advanced the Golden Eagles into the double-elimination rounds and will take on Tennessee State at the conclusion of the UT Martin/SIUE first-round contest.
It was the first victory for the Golden Eagles (23-22) in seven meetings against Lindenwood (25-25).
Jordan Key had the big blow of the contest, collecting a three-run double in the fifth inning, while Sofia Carroll also drove in two runs in the game.
Tech tagged Lion starter Amanda Weyh for five runs on seven hits, issuing four walks and striking out four. She fell to 15-9 on the season. Avery Wapp closed out the game for Lindenwood, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out three.
Payton Wagner collected her ninth win of the season as she threw a strong game, holding Lindenwood to three runs – two earned – on six hits as she walked two and struck out four over 6 1/3 innings. Emily York came on in the seventh and pitched out of a bases-loaded jam to pick up her eighth save of the season – breaking Bonnie Bynum Graham’s single-season record of seven in 2005.
Lindenwood dented the dish first, scoring a single run in the second innings as Morgan Gersch scored on Mya Bethany’s grounder to second.
Tech, meanwhile, stranded one in the second, the bases loaded in the third, then two more in the fourth. In the fifth, however, the Golden Eagles opened the flood gates, scoring six runs on six hits. Mac Fitzgerald led off with a single, then Abby Shoulders laid down a perfect bunt and beat out the throw. Carmen Betts singled to right to load the bases, then Sydney Kirby drew a five-pitch walk to push the first run across.
Carroll roped a single down the right field line to send Shoulders home to take a 2-1 lead, then Ella Bishop brought pinch-runner Bailee Stack across on a sacrifice fly to center field. After S.J. Talley singled to left to re-load the bases, Key dropped a double down to left field line sending Meagan Houk, Carroll and Talley scrambling for home.
Lindenwood scored twice in the bottom of the seventh as Bethany drove in Emma Daniels with a single up the middle and Chloe Honchar singled to right to bring in Dallis Darnell. The Lions had the tying run at the plate with two down, but York mowed down Ashley Gerber to end the game.
#8 SIUE 6, #5 UT MARTIN 1
PEORIA, Ill. - SIUE softball eliminated UT Martin from the Ohio Valley Conference Championships Wednesday with a 6-1 win.
The eighth-seeded Cougars, now 19-33, jumped out early against UT Martin, 30-22, with a solo home run by Emma Henderson in the second inning. An 0-1 pitch went opposite field and was a line drive over the right field fence.
SIUE added to the lead in the fourth. Grace Lueke led off with a walk, and Anna Henderson made it runners on second and third with a double to left center. Emma Henderson would ground out to drive home Lueke. Anna Henderson would score on a UT Martin infield error.
The lead increased to 5-0 in the fifth on a Lueke sacrifice fly that scored Kaylynn Salyars and an RBI single by Anna Henderson.
UT Martin scored its only run in the sixth. With the Skyhawks threatening further Jenna Herron made the play of the tournament so far with a catch in left field. Herron made a play on a ball from Kiersten Nixon in which she caught the ball and ran into the fence within a split second.
SIUE used back-to-back-to-back singles from Herron, Lueke and Anna Henderson to add an insurance run in the seventh.
Sydney Baalman went the distance for the victory and is now 7-16 for the season. She yielded just two UT Martin hits and struck out seven.
#3 TENNESSEE STATE 9, #7 TENNESSEE TECH 8
PEORIA, Ill. -
The No. 3 seeded Tennessee State softball team rallied to score three in the seventh inning and walked it off on a two-run triple off the bat of Nahtali Simpson to pick up the 9-8 win over the No. 7 seed Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles Wednesday.
Holly Ayala picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Tennessee State. The right-hander went three innings, giving up three runs, all of them earned, on six hits, allowing one walk and striking out one.
Offensively, the Tigers were led by Laila Armstrong, who went 4-for-5 on the day with a double and two RBI. Simpson put together a noteworthy performance at the dish, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a walk and two RBI. Onnika Spencer also helped out for Tennessee State, putting together three hits in four trips to the plate while adding a triple.
The Tigers put runs on the scoreboard first, starting the scoring in the second inning. Tennessee State scored twice on a two-run double off the bat of Anayah Baker-Rowell.
The Tigers lost the lead they built in the second, but got back on the board in the third trailing 4-2. Simpson came across to score the lone run of the inning for Tennessee State, which tightened the Golden Eagles lead to 4-3.
Tennessee Tech built their lead to 6-3 before the Tennessee State offense got going, reducing that lead to 6-5 in the fifth.
Tennessee State held the Golden Eagles off the board before tying it up in the sixth. Simpson crossed home plate with the lone run of the inning for the Tigers, evening the score at 6-6.
Tennessee Tech then broke the tied and took an 8-6 lead before Tennessee State scored three runs in the bottom half of the seventh to grab the win, walking it off.
#4 SOUTHERN INDIANA 4, #8 SIUE 0
PEORIA, Ill. - University of Southern Indiana Softball opened its 2024 Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament run in Peoria, Illinois, with a 4-0 victory over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Wednesday evening.
The 8-seeded SIUE Cougars (19-34, 10-17 OVC) defeated no. 5 University of Tennessee at Martin earlier on Wednesday, 6-1, to earn the right to face the 4-seeded USI Screaming Eagles (23-20, 16-11).
Southern Indiana scored a big first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, USI put together an offensive run. After a walk and a single, freshman infielder Sydney Long (Haubstadt, Indiana) struck a pitch back up the middle to put USI on the scoreboard, 1-0.
Both sides went scoreless in the second and third innings. The Screaming Eagles grabbed a little more momentum in the fourth inning. Sophomore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) generated some energy with a highlight catch to end the top of the fourth inning, crashing into the fence in foul territory down the right-field line and reaching over to make the catch.
The excitement from Stapleton's catch carried over into the bottom of the fourth inning at the plate for the Eagles. Long led off with a double and scored in the next at-bat on an RBI double by USI's starting junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana), who helped her own cause. Later in the bottom of the fourth, USI scored again with two outs with an RBI single from junior outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana), giving Southern Indiana a 3-0 advantage through four innings.
Southern Indiana added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Following a double and a single to start the frame, Nalley picked up her second RBI of the night with a sac fly and pushed USI up 4-0.
From there, Newman and the Screaming Eagles finished out the shutout win to advance in the winner's bracket.
Long finished 3-3 with a run and an RBI at the plate for USI. Nalley tallied a pair of RBIs in the game.
Newman was credited with her 20th win of the season, moving to 20-8 on the campaign. The right-hander struck out nine in the two-hit shutout.
SIUE senior pitcher Kelsey Ray tossed a complete game for the Cougars, dropping to 8-10 with the loss. Ray surrendered four runs off 10 hits.