Ohio Valley Conference

TROY, Ala. - Southeast Missouri (0-1) rallied for two runs and had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the seventh inning but came up short in a 4-2 decision to Sun Belt Conference member Troy University (4-2) Thursday.
 
Down, 4-0, through six innings, Gracie Luna singled and pinch hitter Hailey Burnett walked. On the next play, Sydney Melton reached on a fielder's choice and pinch runner Kinley Wilkins scored SEMO's first run of the season on an error.
 
Brittany Affolter drew a two-out walk and Tatum Gerwitz delivered a single through the right side to score Melton cutting Troy's lead to 4-2.
 
Madison Winkler then walked to load the bases before Trojan reliever Mya Holt got Sydney Dennis to ground out and end the game.
 
Troy got on the board in the bottom of the first.
 
Taylor McKinney hit Maddie Carney's first pitch of the season for a single, advanced to second on a passed ball and quickly scored on Caiden Oliva's bas hit through the left side.
 
The Trojans later had the bases loaded with one out before Carney ended the threat when she forced Reaghan Oney to hit into a double play keeping the score at 1-0.
 
Troy tacked on another run by way of a two-out double from Cassidy Boltz in the bottom of the third. Boltz knocked in pinch-runner Megan Loftis to put the Trojans ahead, 2-0.
 
A walk and hit by pitch put runners at first and second for the Trojans in the home half of the fourth inning.
 
Following a double steal, Makaley Boswell scored when Natalie Turner reached on a fielder's choice. McKinnon Howard later touched home on a bases loaded walk to widen Troy's lead to 4-0.
 
Luna, in her first career start at first base, posted SEMO's first hit of the season on a leadoff infield single in the top of the second. Gerwitz then reached on a one-out double in the third to give the Redhawks their first runner in scoring position. 
 
SEMO had a scoring opportunity in the top of the fifth where Melton doubled and advanced to third on a passed ball. Melton, however, was left on base after Troy's Esmee Ames recorded three-straight outs.
 
Alyssa Faircloth (2-1) picked up the win. Faircloth struck out eight, gave up two hits and walked one in four scoreless innings.
Holt earned her first save after ending SEMO's threat in the seventh.
 
Troy outhit SEMO, 7-5.
 
Luna went 2-for-2 with a run scored and Gerwitz finished at 2-for-3 with one RBI to pace the Redhawks.

Carney (0-1) worked three innings allowing three runs on six hits in her first start of the year.

Brooklyn Saysoff went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI to lead Southeast Missouri (1-2) to a 14-3 victory over Alabama State (0-6) for its first win of the season at the Troy University Cardinal Clash Friday.
 
Saysoff established a new career-high in hits with her big performance.
 
Saysoff jumpstarted SEMO with a two-RBI single that led to four runs in the first inning. She also stole a base and scored in that inning when Sydney Melton reached on an error.
 
The Redhawks extended their lead with four more runs in the top of the fourth.
 
Brittany Affolter scored Sydney Dennis on an infield hit. Hailey Burnett later ripped a double down the left field line to bring home both Tatum Gerwitz and Affolter before Melton doubled and Burnett scored making it 8-0 SEMO. For Burnett, the double was the first hit of her career.
 
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fifth, ASU scored three unearned runs on an error to cut SEMO's lead to 8-3.
 
SEMO buried the Hornets for good with another xx runs in the seventh inning.
 
Kinley Wilkins walked, Gerwitz singled and Madison Winkler was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Gracie Luna reached on a fielder's choice and Wilkins scored. 
 
On the next play, Burnett knocked in Gerwitz on a single to left field. Saysoff followed with her fourth hit and Melton belted a two-RBI double. Robbins scored Saysoff on a sacrifice fly and Addisyn Martinie drove in Melton on a single to left center pushing the Redhawks lead to 14-3.
 
Elliott Stinson (1-0), who made her first career start after transferring to SEMO from nearby Southern Illinois, worked 4.2 innings en route to her first win. Stinson struck out three, allowed three hits and gave up two runs (both unearned) in 4.2 innings.
 
Offensively, SEMO pounded out 15 hits with nine different players getting a hit.
 
Gerwitz, Burnett and Melton followed with two hits, while Dennis, Robbins. Luna, Burnett, Melton, Abby Robbins, Dennis, Affolter and Addisyn Martinie finished with one hit apiece. 
 
Gerwitz posted multiple-hits in her third-straight game. Robbins notched her first career hit. And, Martinie got her first college hit in her first career at-bat.
 
ASU had just three hits and Hornet pitchers allowed a combined 10 walks in the game.
 
Ashley Pye suffered the loss. Pye allowed eight runs on seven hits and walked seven in 3.2 innings.

RUTGERS 9, SIUE 3
SIUE 6, ABILENE CHRISTIAN 1
COMMERCE, Texas - SIUE softball freshman Avery Arwood went the distance and captured her first collegiate victory Friday as the Cougars downed Abilene Christian 6-1 at the Lion Invitational.

Arwood scattered five hits over seven innings and allows just one earned run. She struck out eight and walked two.

SIUE improved to 3-4 overall after earlier being defeated by Rutgers 9-3 at Cain Family Field.

The Cougars capitalized on Abilene Christian mistakes in the first inning. Both Kaylin Fahy and Piper Montgomery were hit by pitches with the bases loaded to put SIUE ahead 2-0. Raegan Duncan added an RBI single, and Jenna Little provided an RBI to make it 4-0.

Kaylynn Salyars, who had a team-leading three hits against Abilene Christian, added an RBI single in the fourth inning. Anna Henderson's sacrifice fly in the fourth concluded the scoring.

Salyars, who had two hits in the Rutgers game, leads the team with a .474 batting average.

SIUE's offense managed six hits in the Rutgers game. All of the offense came in the third inning. Lauren Yslava blasted a two-run triple in the third while Emma Henderson added a sacrifice fly.

DEPAUL 5, UT MARTIN 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team dropped a 5-2 decision to DePaul Thursday in its final game of the 2025 Skyhawks Classic at Bettye Giles Field in Martin. Due to a weather-altered schedule the contest was the lone game of the day for the Skyhawks.

UT Martin was first on the board in the game when they struck in the opening frame on a pair of RBI-singles from Kyla Harley and Jordyn Hustey. However, DePaul quickly took the lead in the top of the second when Baylee Cosgrove hit a bases-loaded double to make it 3-2.

The Blue Demons added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth, this time on a two-run home run to right field by Kali Blount. UT Martin would go on to scatter four hits over the final six innings but were unable to score and left six stranded over the same span.

Kennedy Brown was perfect at the plate in the game, going 3-for-4 with a run and two stolen bases. Hustey finished her day at 2-for-4 with one RBI, while Harley tallied one hit, one run, one RBI and one walk.

Hustey got the loss for the Skyhawks in the circle, while Natalie Kreuziger, Ashtyn Green and Rylee Tittle also made appearances for UT Martin. Green went 1.2 innings and allowed no runs on three hits with a strikeout with Tittle finishing the game and allowing no runs on one hit with no walks over a complete inning of work.

TENNESSEE TECH 9, ARMY 0 (5)
SYRACUSE 3, TENNESSEE TECH 0
COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Tennessee Tech softball team opened up the day Friday at the Army Columbus Classic with a big victory over the tournament host, but ran into a speedbump with undefeated Syracuse in the nightcap to end the day with a split.

Tech (4-3) defeated Army 9-0 in five innings in the opener, then fell to Syracuse 3-0 later in the day. The Golden Eagles will face the Black Nights again Saturday at 9 AM Central, then will take on the Orange once more at 2 PM.

The Golden Eagles had three players with multi-hit games, but the big blow came off of Makayli Harris' bat as she ripped a three-run home run in the top of the fifth inning. Abbee Klinefelter, Sofia Carroll and Lainey Fitzgerald each had two hits in the contest.

Emily York (2-1) picked up her second win of the season as she worked all five scoreless innings in the run-ruled contest for the shutout, allowing six hits and striking out five without giving up a free pass.

Tech scored the first run in the top of the first as Jailynn Paderez drove in Abby Shoulders with a single to right.

The next two innings went scoreless before the Golden Eagles struck for three in the fourth. Klinefelter had a one-out single down the right field line, then took second on a wild pitch and third on Carroll's single to first. Bailee Stack came in to pinch-run for Klinefelter, then Carroll swiped second. Fitzgerald roped a single to third to score Stack.

Julie Martin came in to run in place of Fitzgerald, then immediately stole second. Ella Bishop and Harris both drew walks – the latter with the bases loaded to push across Carroll. Shoulders hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Martin to make it a 4-0 contest.

In the top of the fifth, Klinefelter reached on a three-base error on a collision in the outfield, then Carroll hit a double aided by an error to push one run across. An error at first allowed Fitzgerald to reach and Carroll to cross the plate. Bishop took a walk, then Harris launched a three-run shot for Tech's second home run of the season.

Against Syracuse, the Golden Eagles were held to three hits with Shoulders, Alina Schlageter and Bishop reaching on base knocks – all singles.

Orange hurler Madison Knight improved to 3-0 on the season with the complete-game shutout, walking one as Brooklyn Stewart drew a free pass, then struck out seven Golden Eagles.

Payton Wagner took the loss, allowing one run on four hits in 2 2/3 innings with two strikeouts. Addison Abell worked the next inning and a third, yielding two runs – one earned – on two hits, while Kyleigh Pitzer threw the final two frames with two hits, a walk and a strikeout.

WESTERN KENTUCKY 10, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0 (5)
TROY 11, EASTERN ILLINOIS 6
TROY, Ala. - Eastern Illinois lost its first two games of the Troy Cardinal Classic on Friday.  The Panthers lost their opener 10-0 to Western Kentucky before an 11-6 loss to host Troy in the evening.

Western Kentucky allowed just one EIU hit in the Panthers first game of the Troy Cardinal Classic as the Hilltoppers beat EIU 10-0.
 
Eastern Illinois loaded the bases in the second inning with walks by Kira Manganello and Abbi Hatton followed by Briana Gonzalez reaching on an error with no outs.  EIU was unable to manufacture a run in that inning against Western Kentucky starter Rylan Smith (1-1).   Smith settled down and ended the game tossing a one-hit shutout against the Panthers.  Abbey Crain had the lone hit for EIU in the fifth inning.
 
WKU would take advantage of their runners reaching base in the bottom of the inning with the first two runs driven in by a fielder's choice and then sacrifice fly by Kendle White.  Annie White delivered the big blow of the inning with a two-run single down the right field line giving the Hilltoppers a 5-0 lead.
 
Western Kentucky tacked on four runs in the third and one more in the fourth.  Macy Gregor was 3-for-3 at the plate to lead WKU.
 
McKenzie Oslanzi (1-2) took the loss for EIU.
 
WKU moved to 3-4 with the win. EIU fell to 2-4. 

Eastern Illinois had its rally against Troy come up just short in its second game of the day as the Trojans held off the Panthers 11-6.

EIU took an early 1-0 lead scoring in the top of the second on a Sophie Cerveny RBI single that scored Abbi Hatton.  Cerveny was one of three Panthers with two hits in the game driving in two runs.

Troy responded with five runs in the bottom of the third trying the game on a passed ball before Annie Orman cleared the bases with a three-run double.  Orman finished 2-for-3 driving in four runs during the game.

The Panthers closed the lead to 5-4, scoring two in the fourth and one in the fifth.  Jenna Teakert and Alisha Frederick both drove in runs in the fourth.  Cerveny drove in her second run in the fifth.

Troy again had an answer with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.  Sarah Beth Brake had a home run in the inning.  Brake added a two-run double in the sixth for the final Trojans runs as she went 2-for-3 with four RBI.

Kendall Grover went 2-for-4 for EIU with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth.  Briana Gonzalez added two hits. 

Karlie McKenzie (0-2) took the loss for EIU as the Panthers fell to 2-5 overall.

Mya Holt (2-1) got the win for Troy which improved to 5-2 on the year.

CREIGHTON 3, MOREHEAD STATE 1
KENNESAW STATE 8, MOREHEAD STATE 3
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Morehead State softball team played its best game of the season against its best foe yet, but Creighton (4-2) came away with a 3-1 win on day one of the Kennesaw State Tournament. Sela Pickford extended her hitting streak to seven games. Kendra Lewis, Victoria Spencer and Ilencia Lightbody also collected hits, with Lewis getting her third double this year. Emma Solis was solid in the circle, throwing 4.2 innings, allowing five hits, two runs (both earned), with two strikeouts and no walks. Solis (0-2) started the game, but suffered the loss, dropping Morehead State to 0-6 on the season.

The Eagles put runs on the scoreboard first, starting the scoring in the fourth inning. Morehead State got an RBI single from freshman Ilencia Lightbody, scoring freshman Sela Pickford from second base. The Eagles were unable to hold the lead, as Creighton scored three times over the remaining three innings to grab the 3-1 win.

The Morehead State Eagles had a tough showing on Friday, falling to the Kennesaw State Owls 8-3 despite the efforts of freshman Ilencia Lightbody, who went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI.

Freshman Riley Burney (0-4) started and took the loss in the circle for Morehead State (0-7).

In the batter's box, the Eagles were led by Lightbody, who went 2-for-3 on the day with a triple and three RBI. Freshman Kendra Lewis put together a noteworthy day at the dish as well, going 1-for-4 with a triple.

Playing at home for the first time this season, Kennesaw State (2-5) won both of its games on the first day of the Kennesaw State Tournament.

The Eagles got the scoring started early, putting two runs on the board in the top of the first inning. Lightbody drove in two runs for Morehead State with a single, that scored freshman Sela Pickford and freshman Darlene Montoya.

The Eagles then held the Owls scoreless before expanding their lead in the third inning. Morehead State scored a run on an RBI triple off the bat of Lightbody, scoring Lewis, which brought the Eagles lead to 3-0. The Eagles were unable to hold the lead, as Kennesaw State scored eight times over the remaining four innings to grab the 8-3 win.

TENNESSEE STATE 8, MERCER 6
TENNESSEE STATE 3, QUINNIPIAC 1
NASHVILLE - The Tennessee State softball team picked up a pair of wins on Friday afternoon at the Tiger Invitational over Mercer (8-6) and Quinnipiac (3-1). 

The Tennessee State Tigers fought back from down 6-3 in the fifth inning to knock off Mercer. 

Reina Castillo (2-3) got the win out of the bullpen for Tennessee State (3-5). The right-hander went 3.1 shutout innings, giving up one hit, no walks and striking out two.

The Tigers were trailing 1-0 in the first inning when they first put runs on the board. Tennessee State got an RBI single from Anayah Baker-Rowell, scoring Jace Jackson from second base.

The Bears then scored five runs to retake their advantage heading into the fifth inning, when the Tigers responded by getting back on the scoreboard themselves. Tennessee State brought home a pair, with one run driven in by Baker-Rowell's single, which brought the score to 6-3 in favor of the Bears.

Tennessee State held the Bears off the scoreboard before rallying to grab an 8-6 lead in the sixth. The Tigers bats heated up in the inning, scoring five runs, including a two-run single off the bat of Onnika Spencer. The score remained 8-6 for the rest of the game, as Tennessee State held on for the win

The Tennessee State Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed from there on the way to a 3-1 victory.

Castillo (3-3) got the win for Tennessee State (4-4). The right-hander went seven innings, giving up one run on five hits, allowing three walks and striking out five.

At the plate, the Tigers were led by Kailyn Jean-Baptiste, who went 1-for-3 on the day with a home run and two RBI. Spencer compiled a standout day at the dish as well, going 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.

The Tigers got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with one run in the bottom of the first inning. Tennessee State got an RBI single from Spencer, scoring Mikayla Duke from third base.

The Tigers then held the Bobcats scoreless before expanding their lead in the fourth inning. Tennessee State scored twice on Jean-Baptiste's two-run homer, which brought the Tigers lead to 3-0. Quinnipiac put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but Tennessee State still held on for the 3-1 win.

NORTH ALABAMA 10, LINDENWOOD 2 (5)
LINDENWOOD 5, CHATTANOOGA 1
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Lindenwood softball (3-3, 0-0 OVC) picked up their first straight split of the season as they opened up the day with a loss to North Alabama (7-0, 0-0 ASUN) and closed out Friday with a 5-1 win over the host school Chattanooga (2-5, 0-0 SOCON) at the Chattanooga Challenge. The Lions currently sit at 3-3 through six games this season.

Lindenwood was limited to just four hits against North Alabama during the opening game of the tournament. Samantha Roulanaitis started her first career game on the mound for the Lions picking up the loss after throwing 3.2 innings allowing four runs (three earned) while striking out two.

Four different Lions had a hit in the game including Tori Hatton who continues her hot start to the 2025 season, She was the lone Lion to drive in a run during their opening round game with a two RBI single in the third inning. Madisen Noll, Dallis Darnell and Hanna Johanning all had a hit in the loss.

The Lions finished with a stat line of two runs on four hits with no errors while UNA scored 10 runs on 11 hits with no errors. Northern Alabama swept their two games to start the Chattanooga Challenge.

Ryleigh Owens dominated on the mound for her first career win at Lindenwood after throwing all seven innings allowing one runs on nine hits while striking out five Mocs. This included a scoreless first five innings of the game before Chattanooga scored in the sixth.

Both teams were struggling to find runs in the first four innings of the game as the Lions and Mocs were tied at 0-0. Lindenwood would explode for four runs in the fifth inning after Madisen Noll launched her first home-run of the season to bring home three runs. Jolie McMinn also added an RBI double to put the Lions up 4-0.

After Chattanooga scored in the bottom of the sixth inning, LU added an insurance run with the help of and RBI single by Dallis Darnell to score Noll. LU ended the game with six hits scoring five runs with one error.

SACRAMENTO STATE 4, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1
UTAH TECH 9, WESTERN ILLINOIS 4
HONOLULU - Western Illinois faced Utah Tech in a neutral-site contest in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 14, 2025. The Leathernecks started strong, scoring two runs in the first inning and adding two more in the third to take an early 4-0 lead. However, their inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities later in the game, along with defensive struggles, proved costly in a 9-4 loss.

Western Illinois' offense collected 15 hits but left 13 runners stranded. Malia Robertson led the charge with a triple and two hits, while Kaylee Ketcherside and Ruby Tarr each added multi-hit performances. Lillie Wools delivered a key RBI double, and Beth Pavy drove in two runs.

Defensively, the Leathernecks struggled, committing six errors that allowed Utah Tech to extend innings and put pressure on the pitching staff. The Leathernecks' pitchers combined to allow 12 hits and nine runs (seven earned) while striking out just one batter.

Utah Tech took advantage of Western Illinois' miscues, scoring in four of the final five innings. Despite a solid offensive effort, the Leathernecks were unable to keep pace, dropping to 2-6 on the season.