Ohio Valley Conference

GREENSBORO, N.C. - After striking out 14 on Saturday, Lainey Fitzgerald had another awesome performance on Sunday as she showcased the offensive side of her game, coming through with a clutch home run to even the game against Iona. The Tennessee Tech softball team finished out the game with a 3-2 victory over the Gaels to wrap up its action in the UNCG Invitational.

All three of Tech's runs came in the fifth inning as the Golden Eagles (6-6) rallied from a 2-0 deficit with Sofia Carroll providing the game-winning hit with a double to left center to drive in pinch-runner Bailee Stack.

That came after Sydney Kirby led off the Tech 5th with a double down the left-field line. Julie Martin was brought in as a pinch-runner. Fitzgerald fouled off the first pitch, then took a ball on the second. The third was launched to center field and over the fence tying the game.

After a flyout and a five-pitch walk to Jailynn Paderez, Stack came in to run at first and stole second as Carroll stood at the plate. Following a strike and a ball, Carroll ripped a double to left center to bring Stack rushing home and put the Golden Eagles on top.

Iona (1-7) left the bases loaded in the fourth and sixth innings. The Gaels got their first run in the opening frame as Hailey Guerrero hit a solo home run. Iona's second run came in the fourth inning as Kenadie Gonzalez singled to third base to drive in Brianna Bailey.

Fitzgerald improved to 3-0 on the season as she went the distance, allowing two runs on six hits. She walked one and struck out six to give her an even 20 strikeouts for the weekend.

Kirby finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate, while Abby Shoulders had the other hit for the Golden Eagles.

Hoppe took the loss to fall to 0-4 on the season, allowing three runs on four hits over 4 1/3 innings, walking two and struck out two. Rieb pitched the final inning and two-thirds, yielding one hit with two walks and two strikeouts.

EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, HCU 0 (5)
MONROE, La. - McKenzie Oslanzi threw a complete game shutout as Eastern Illinois closed out play at the ULM Warhawk Invite with a 9-0 win over Houston Christian.

Oslanzi (3-5) picked up her second win of the weekend allowing six HCU hits while striking out four batters and issuing just one walk

The Huskies placed base runners on in each inning but Oslanzi was able to rely on her defense and pitched out of each situation including stranding a HCU runner at third in the final inning to preserve the shutout.

EIU's offense provided early support as Kendall Grover opened the game drawing the first of three straight walks.  She came around to score on a RBI single by Briana Gonzalez.  Abbi Hatton drove home Gonzalez in the next at-bat staking EIU to an early 2-0 lead.

Karson Davey drew a bases loaded walk to score the Panthers run in the second before the offense exploded for six runs in the third. 

Gonzalez had the big hit in the third with a bases clearing triple to right center as the shortstop was 2-for-3 with four RBI.   Gonzalez was the lone Panther with multiple hits in the game.

Davey picked up her second RBI of the game in the third being hit-by-pitch with bases loaded. 

EIU is now 6-9 on the season. 

HCU fell to 3-9 on the year.  Zaria Turner took the loss in the circle falling to 0-2.  AB Garcia picked up three of the Huskies six hits going 3-for-3.

CENTRFAL ARKANSAS 10, SIUE 2 (5)
#11 OKLAHOMA STATE 10, SIUE 1 (5)
CONWAY, Ark. - SIUE softball played two games at the shortened Michelle Short & Adam Brown Tournament and dropped both contests Sunday.

Central Arkansas defeated the Cougars 10-2 in five innings. Oklahoma State downed SIUE 10-0 in five innings.

SIUE's offense was limited to two runs for the day in the fifth inning against Central Arkansas. Lauren Yslava doubled home Carle Bachman. Anna Henderson added an RBI single that played Kaylynn Salyars.

Anna Henderson led the Cougars for the day with two hits.

AUSTIN PEAY 10, MOREHEAD STATE 1 (5)
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Morehead State Eagles struggled on Sunday, falling to the Austin Peay Governors 10-1 despite the efforts of freshman Jordan Donato, who went 1-for-2.

Freshman Taikibrea Campbell (0-1) got the ball to start for Morehead State (1-13) and took the loss.

At the plate, the Eagles were paced by Donato, who went 1-for-2 on the day.

The Eagles were trailing 4-0 in the third inning when they first put runs on the board. Freshman Delaney Overstreet came across to score the lone run of the inning for Morehead State and get the Blue and Gold on the board. The Eagles were unable to get any closer, as Austin Peay added six runs to their tally on the way to a 10-1 final.

GREEN BAY 2, LINDENWOOD 1
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Lindenwood softball (4-6, 0-0 OVC) lost their home opener of the 2025 season against Green Bay (3-3, 0-0 HL) by a final score of 2-1. The Lions offense was held to just three hits in the game including two triples.

Both teams started the game with three-up and three-down before the second inning saw all three runs scored in the game. Roulanaitis allowed a walk and a double in the top of the second before she threw a wild pitch to score the first run. Jenna Redder then hit a single into left field to bring home the Phoenix's second run.

Lindenwood's offense scored their lone run of the ball game in the bottom half of the second. After Irelynn West singled and was thrown out at third after a fielder's choice from Jolie McMinn, Franz hit her RBI triple to bring home McMinn. LU would leave McMinn stranded at third to end the inning.

Noll had her triple in the bottom of the third as the Lions looked the threaten. After a Tori Hatton walk and a stolen base, the Lions had both runners in scoring position but Irelynn West grounded out to end the inning. Lindenwood would go three and out for the final fur innings of play at the plate.

Avery Wapp returned to the mound for the Lions after not pitching last weekend. She threw the final 1.2 innings of the game allowing just one hit with a team-high strikeouts. As a team, the Lions posted nine strikeouts in the loss.

ILLINOIS STATE 5, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4
CHATTANOOGA 1, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Gracie Luna, Sydney Melton and Sydney Dennis each had two hits as Southeast Missouri (4-4) came up on the short end of two one-run games at the Frost Classic Sunday.
 
SEMO fell to Illinois State, 5-4, and tournament host Chattanooga, 1-0.
 
Down, 3-2, ISU scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning to earn its close victory.
 
Tatum Wolford hit an RBI-single and Delainey Bryant knocked in a run on a double before Wolford scored what turned out to be the decisive run on a wild pitch.
 
SEMO pulled within a run when Luna singled home Brooklyn Saysoff in the top of the seventh, but Hannah Meshnick pitched out of a bases loaded jam to get the save.
 
The Redhawks fell behind, 2-0, in the bottom of the third before taking their only lead with three runs in the top of the sixth.
 
Delaney Kell (0-1) fell to her first loss of the season, while Hannah Meeks picked up the win in relief for the Redbirds.
 
Melton and Luna each had two hits to lead SEMO which ended up with six in the game.
 
Pitchers Maddie Carney and Peja Goold locked up in a strong pitcher's duel in the second game.
 
Carney and Goold combined to throw five-and-a-half shutout innings before UTC scored the game's only run in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Kailey Snell led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored with the help of back-to-back wild pitches with one out.
 
Goold finished off her complete game shutout with three-straight outs after giving up a walk to start the top of the seventh.
 
Carney worked 5.2 innings allowing just one run on four hits. She recorded 14 groundball outs and gave up only one walk, as well.
 
Goold struck out eight and scattered three hits (all singles). She also walked five and threw 121 pitches.
 
Madison Winkler, Kinley Wilkins and Sydney Dennis each had a hit for SEMO.

WESTERN ILLINOIS 4, MURRAY STATE 3
MURRAY, Ky. - Western Illinois secured a hard-fought 4-3 win over Murray State at Racer Field on February 23, 2025.

The Leathernecks came out strong, scoring two runs in the first inning. They extended their lead with single runs in the third and fourth, capitalizing on clutch hitting and patient at-bats. Malia Robertson led the charge, going 3-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored, while Maria Luna added three hits, including a double, and an RBI. Kaylee Ketcherside contributed with an RBI double as well.

On the mound, Lillie Wools pitched a complete game, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out one. She maintained control through the early innings but ran into trouble late, surrendering a solo homer to Bailey Broemmer in the fifth and two more runs in the sixth. However, she held strong in the seventh to preserve the win.

Defensively, Western Illinois played clean, committing no errors while recording 14 assists and 21 putouts. Murray State's late push fell just short as the Leathernecks stranded four Racers on base.

EVANSVILLE 14, UT MARTIN 2 (5)
WESTERN MICHIGAN 3, UT MARTIN 2
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team dropped both games of the opening day of the 2025 Aces Tournament hosted by Evansville Sunday at Cooper Stadium in Evansville.

In game one, Evansville jumped out to a 4-0 lead by scoring three runs in the first and another in the second. However, in the third, the Skyhawks cut the deficit in half when Kennedy Brown doubled to left center to score Joleanna Fox and Dylan Scott, who reached on a walk and a double, respectively, earlier in the inning.

Those two runs would, unfortunately, be the last run scored by the Skyhawks in the game, as the Purple Aces reeled off 10 unanswered to secure the 14-2, five inning win.

In game two, Jordyn Hustey put the Skyhawks on the scoreboard first in the top of the second when she grounded out with the bases loaded and drove in Kyrsten Brown, who reached on a single earlier in the inning.

Western Michigan tied the game in the third on an RBI groundout and then extended the lead to 3-1 in the fifth and on a double from Taylor Wolfe, who then scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.

Pinch runner Morea Hodge pulled the Skyhawks within one in the seventh on an RBI groundout from Kyla Harley. With two outs, UT Martin had runners at second and third but were unable to push them across the plate and fell, 3-2.

Kyrsten Brown and Carly Ward each tallied two hits in the game, while Dylan Scott and Alli Robinson had one. Rylee Tittle took the loss in the circle for UT Martin after allowing two earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts over a complete game.