Ohio Valley Conference

GREENSBORO, N.C. - True freshman pitcher Lainey Fitzgerald struck out 14 batters as the Tennessee Tech softball team gave George Washington its second loss of the season with a 4-1 victory in the Golden Eagles' first action at the UNCG Invitational on Saturday.
 
It is the most strikeouts in a single game for the Golden Eagles since Danielle Liberatore struck out the same number on April 1, 2017, against Austin Peay. Liberatore also holds the single-game record with 17 two years earlier against Morehead State.
 
Fitzgerald improved to 2-0 on the season as she allowed just one run in the complete-game effort, yielding four hits and three walks. Of her 129 pitches in the game, 77 were for strikes.
 
Her counterpart, GWU's Cece Smith, fell to 2-1 as she allowed two earned runs on five hits, walking three and striking four over 3 1/3 innings. Chloe Green pitched the final 2 2/3, allowing two runs – one earned – on three hits with two strikeouts.
 
Makayli Harris was 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI, while Ashley Capelouto was 2-for-3. Abby Shoulders, Alina Schlageter and Brooklyn Stewart also recorded hits.
 
George Washington struck first as Paige Hayward collected an RBI single in the top of the fourth to drive in Ashley Corpuz. Tech responded in the bottom half of the frame as Stewart drove in Julie Martin on a single to left center, then Harris followed suit to bring Capelouto home to take the lead.
 
Tech extended the lead with a run in the fifth as Capelouto singled to third, then an error by the GWU third baseman allowed Olivia Evans to score. One more crossed in the sixth as Schlageter roped a single down the right field line, giving Harris the green light to head home.
 
The Golden Eagles dropped a 9-6 decision to the host UNCG squad. Tech took a 6-5 lead in the top of the fourth with a four-run frame, but the Spartans answered back with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
 
Payton Wagner threw the first three innings, allowing five runs – one earned – on five hits and three walks, striking out one. Addison Abell was charged with the loss, allowing four runs – three earned – in the final three innings on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
 
Salem Ward improved to 7-0 on the season as she threw the final 3 1/3 innings in scoreless relief. She did not allow a hit, walking two and striking out four. UNCG started Reese Byrd threw the first 3 2/3 frames, allowing six runs – five earned – on six hits, walking two.
 
Harris continued her hot bat in the second game as she went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Shoulders, Ashlyn Riggs, Abbee Klinefelter and Sofia Carroll had the other hits.
 
UNCG scored first with a solo home run from Meredith Harwood in the bottom of the second, then Tech took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third with Carroll scoring on an error off Shoulders' sacrifice bunt, then Schlageter's grounder to second to bring Harris home.
 
The Spartans scored four runs in the third with two on errors and the others on a single and a double to left.
 
In Tech's fourth, Klinefelter doubled in Martin, then she came home on a wild pitch. Shoulders' single to right – coupled with an error – allowed Carroll to score, then Sydney Kirby drew a bases-loaded walk to force Harris home.
 
Three more runs cross for the Spartans in the fourth on a single to second, a sacrifice fly and a dropped fly ball. UNCG then got a second home run from Harwood in the sixth.

PURDUE 12, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0 (6)
UAB 4, SOUTHERN INDIANA 3
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - University of Southern Indiana Softball nearly concluded its trip to the University of Alabama Birmingham Green and Gold Classic with a comeback victory on Saturday, but the Screaming Eagles narrowly fell 4-3 against UAB after a 12-0 setback earlier in the day against Purdue University.
 
USI (1-8) started the day facing its first-ever Big Ten Conference opponent Purdue (7-5). Like Friday's games at the Green and Gold Classic, the first inning was a thorn in the side of the Screaming Eagles. The Boilermakers quickly grabbed a 1-0 lead after a triple and single to start the contest. Purdue scored twice more in the top of the first inning to go up 3-0.
 
After scoreless second and third innings, Purdue tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth and another pair in the fifth inning to increase its advantage to 7-0. Then the Boilermakers struck for five runs in the sixth to seal the game.
 
Senior outfielder Kennedy Nalley had one of USI's two hits that went for a double.  Senior pitcher Josie Newman (1-4) struck out three in five innings, giving up seven runs – five earned – in the start.
 
Purdue totaled 13 hits toward its 12 runs. Sophomore pitcher Julia Gossett (2-4) struck out five in the two-hit shutout.
 
In the midday matchup against UAB, Southern Indiana flipped the tournament tides and struck first in the first inning. Following a leadoff single and stolen base by junior outfielder Caroline Stapleton, sophomore infielder Sydney Long singled down the right-field line to score Stapleton and give USI the quick 1-0 lead. However, UAB answered with three runs – two unearned – in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-1 advantage.
 
The Blazers increased their lead to 4-1 in the home half of the third thanks to three singles in the frame.
 
The Eagles came right back in the top of the fifth. Two singles brought Nalley up to the plate with a chance to deliver an RBI knock. Nalley came through with a two-RBI double to deep centerfield that brought USI back within one, 4-3.
 
Meanwhile, freshman starting pitcher Kylie Witthaus continued to get stronger into the late innings. The left-hander posted zeroes in innings four through six to give USI a chance going into the top of the seventh inning.
 
After two sharp outs to begin the seventh, USI targeted a two-out rally. Nalley singled to the left side to reach base as the potential game-tying run and extending the game to bring the potential go-ahead run to the plate. However, the Blazers were able to induce a final groundout to close out the contest.
 
Southern Indiana finished with three runs on seven hits. The top three in the batting order for USI – Stapleton, Nalley and Long – each registered two-hit games. Stapleton had two runs, Nalley collected two RBIs with the double, and Long also had an RBI. Freshman first baseman Lilly Brown added a hit and a run to the USI line score.
 
Witthaus (0-3) tossed her first career complete game, striking out one and giving up four runs – two earned – in six innings pitched.
 
UAB notched four runs on eight hits. Sophomore pitcher Caroline McLendon (4-0) remained undefeated for the Blazers after striking out four and allowing three runs in a complete seven innings pitched.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 11, IU INDY 5
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, INDIANA STATE 2
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri picked up two wins on Saturday to open the Frost Classic. The Redhawks defeated IU Indy 11-5 before edging out Indiana State, 3-2.

Madison Winkler opened the scoring of game two with an RBI single, driving in Tatum Gerwitz. The Redhawks added a pair of runs in the second inning as Gracie Luna doubled to plate Addisyn Martinie and later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Brittany Affolter.

Maddie Carney pitched the final four innings, shutting down the Sycamores allowing just three hits to secure the win.

Southeast Missouri is 4-2 on the season.

EASTERN ILLINOIS 10, SOUTHERN 1 (5)
ULM 2, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
MONROE, La. - Eastern Illinois jumped out early and never looked back as the Panthers picked up a 10-1 win over Southern University in the first of two Saturday games at the ULM Warhawk Invite.  In the nightcap against host Louisiana Monroe, EIU was held to just one hit as the Panthers lost 2-0 falling to 5-9 on the season.

Kendall Grover started the Panthers scoring in the first with a lead off home run, her third homer of the season.  Grover drove in another run in the second and came around to score on an RBI double by Alisha Frederick as Grover finished 3-for-4 in the game.

The Panthers broke the game open in the top of the fourth inning scoring six runs.  Abbi Hatton opened with the big hit of the inning delivering a two-run double.  Karson Davey added a two-run single later in the inning, Davey finished the game with two hits.

EIU's other two runs were unearned in the inning to extend their lead to 10-0.

Karlie McKenzie (2-2) was sharp in the circle for the Panthers allowing just three hits.

Asia George, Makyia Taylor and Andie Suhai had the hits for Southern University as they fall to 4-7 on the season.  Suhai drove in the lone Jaguars run in the bottom of the fifth.

In the nightcap against host Louisiana Monroe, EIU was held to just one hit as the Panthers lost 2-0 falling to 5-9 on the season.

EIU loaded the bases in the second inning against ULM starter Dakota Lake (4-2).   Abbi Hatton walked and moved to third on a single by Karson Davey.  Kira Manganello would be hit by a pitch with one out to load the bases.  EIU was unable to score in that inning.

Lake worked out of that jam and was able to work out of allowing four other base runners via walks or hit by pitch to pick up the complete game shutout.

EIU starter McKenzie Oslanzi (2-5) went toe-to-toe with Lake most of the game with the Warhawks scoring their first run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI triple by Carys Platt.  The run was unearned as ULM took advantage of an EIU error earlier in the inning.

ULM added an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI double by Elle Carter. 

Meagan Brown had two hits to the lead the Warhawks as they improved to 7-7.

FURMAN 8, MOREHEAD STATE 0 (6)
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Morehead State ran into a buzzsaw in the circle Saturday as senior Emme Buzhardt tossed a no-hitter for Furman, leading the Paladins over the Eagles 8-0 in 5.2 innings.

Freshman Emma Solis (1-4) started and took the loss in the circle for Morehead State (1-12).

Solis pitched for three innings, surrendering just four hits, two runs and no walks, while striking out two. Rylie Burney threw 2.1 innings in relief, giving up three hits, one earned run and one walk, while striking out three. Taikibrea Campbell also saw time, allowing one hit, two walks and two earned runs.

Despite its overall record, Saturday's game was just the second time this season the contest ended by the run rule. It is the first time a team held the Eagles hitless since the final outing of 2023.

Morehead State did not advance a runner past second base in the game. The Eagles went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, last placing a runner as far as second in the first, when freshman Sela Pickford made it into scoring position with one out.