Ohio Valley Conference

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Lindenwood softball (17-19, 8-9 OVC) split their Saturday double header against Western Illinois (10-27, 6-11 OVC) by final scores of 8-6 and 3-8. The Lions will look to secure a series win on Sunday during the rubber match with first pitch slated for 12:00 p.m. CT.

Lindenwood capitalized on a big fourth inning and fended off a late rally to defeat Western Illinois 8-6 in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader at the Lou Brock Sports Complex.

The Lions jumped out early with a run in the first inning, but it was a five-run fourth inning that proved decisive. Nicole Henson led the charge for Lindenwood, going 3-4 with two RBI and a stolen base, while Tori Hatton added a solo home run (3) and a double. Jolie McMinn also added two RBI sac fly for the Lions.

Western Illinois trailed 8-1 entering the seventh but mounted a late comeback. The Leathernecks scored five runs in the final frame, highlighted by hits from Sophia Sanchez and Maria Luna. However, Lindenwood's Avery Wapp picked up the save recording the final out of the inning. Ryleigh Owens picked up the win after throwing 6.1 innings.

Western Illinois took advantage early in game two as they took game two of the three game series by a final score of 8-3. Wapp (L, 6-6) earned the loss on the mound for the Lions after throwing 3.0 innings allowing four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. Samantha Roulanaitis threw the final 4.0 innings allowing four runs on five hits.

Four different Lions had multiple hits in the loss including Henson who went 2-3 with an RBI. Dallis Darnell in the nine-hole also went 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Wapp allowed a single run in the second and three runs in the third as the Leathernecks went up 4-0 early. Roulanaitis took over for Wapp in the fourth and allowed two more runs in the fifth inning. LU scored their first run in the bottom half of the fifth with an RBI groundout by Hatton.

Lindenwood put a little pressure on the Leathernecks in the sixth scoring two runs after RBI from Darnell and Henson. Western Illinois shut the door on the Lions in the seventh scoring another two runs as WIU evened the series at 1-1.

SIUE 8, TENNESSEE STATE 0 (5)
SIUE 10, TENNESSEE STATE 0 (5)
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Avery Arwood and McKayla Anderson each tossed a shutout Saturday as SIUE softball swept a doubleheader from Tennessee State at Cougar Field.

SIUE won the opener 8-0 and the nightcap 10-0. Both games were in five innings.

The Cougars improved to 22-16 overall and 12-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Tigers dropped to 20-12 overall and 10-6 in the OVC. The two teams will play one more contest Sunday with a noon start.

In game one, Arwood, who ran her season record to 8-6, held a perfect game heading into the fifth inning. She struck out six and allowed two hits in the fifth inning.

SIUE's offense erupted for five runs in the third inning. Anna Henderson singled home a run. Raegan Duncan doubled home two runs. Juztyne Torres reached on a dropped fly ball in which two more runs scored.

The Cougars would walk it off in the bottom of the fifth when Kaylin Fahy homered off the outfield light pole in left center field with Duncan and Anna Henderson on base.

In game two, Anderson collected her fifth pitching victory of the season. She allowed just three hits and struck out one after retiring the first nine batters of the game.

SIUE's offense was on target in game two. The Cougars pounded out 12 hits, including a 3-for-3 performance by Kaylynn Salyars. Emma Henderson, Lauryn Yslava and Fahy each added two hits.

The Cougars rallied for six runs in the second inning and later made it 9-0 in the third inning with a two-run homer by Salyars. Fahy added an RBI single in the fourth.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 11, MOREHEAD STATE 7
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5, MOREHEAD STATE 4
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (18-13, 11-5) put together a pair of come-from-behind wins in a 11-7, 5-4, doubleheader sweep of Morehead State (4-35, 2-14) Saturday afternoon in Ohio Valley Conference action at the Southeast Softball Complex.
 
With the wins, SEMO has now beaten MSU in 16-straight contests. 
 
SEMO overcame a six-run deficit to take down MSU in game one.
 
Down, 7-1, the Redhawks started chipping away when they scored one run in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI-infield single by Tatum Gerwitz.
 
SEMO then erupted for six runs to get ahead of the Eagles in the bottom of the fifth and didn't turn back.
 
The Redhawks sent 11 hitters to the plate in their big fifth inning. Brooklyn Saysoff started things off with a solo home run to left field and Gracie Luna delivered a two-run shot over the left field wall for her team-high sixth round-tripper of the season.
 
Addisyn Martinie later walked and Gerwitz singled. Sydney Dennis followed with a two-RBI triple to tie the game before scoring the go-ahead run on an ensuing base hit by Madison Winkler giving SEMO an 8-7 edge.
 
The Redhawks finished off MSU by getting three more runs in the sixth inning with a RBI-double from Martinie and run-scoring singles from both Dennis and Saysoff.
 
SEMO outhit MSU, 15-7, and had 10 of those between the fifth and sixth innings.
 
Dennis, Winkler, Saysoff, Melton and Brittany Affolter each had two hits. Dennis, Winkler, Saysoff and Sydney Melton combined for eight hits, five runs scored and seven RBI in the first four spots of the Redhawks lineup.
 
Willow Van Haren picked up the win in relief. Van Haren tossed 3.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts and no hits allowed.
 
Rylie Burney suffered the loss. Burney gave up eight runs on nine hits, walked five and struck out two in 4.2 innings. 
 
SEMO's game one victory gave Mark Redburn his 150th career OVC win as the Redhawks head coach.
 
The Redhawks again came back to beat the Eagles in the nightcap.
 
Luna lifted a sacrifice fly to right field in the bottom of the seventh inning to score pinch-runner Taryn Coon giving SEMO its 5-4 victory.
 
Saysoff began the Redhawks final at-bat with a walk and advanced to third on a single by Melton. Luna followed with her high fly ball to left giving SEMO its walk-off win. 
 
Down, 3-1, Saysoff ripped a two-out single to right center scoring both Dennis and Affolter to tie the game. 
 
An inning later, Winkler stepped in and delivered a one-out RBI-single. Tori Bradley set up the go-ahead run with a leadoff double. Selby Patberg pinch ran for Bradley and went to third on a groundout by Abby Robbins before scoring on Winkler's hit.
 
MSU answered with a run to tie the game in the top half of the seventh inning.
 
Sela Pickford reached on a leadoff double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Darlene Montoya to make it a 4-4 ballgame.
 
Van Haren (4-2) claimed her second victory of the day out of the bullpen. She struck out two and gave up one run on two hits in two innings.
 
Burney (2-18) was charged with the decisive run, allowed one hit and walked two in one inning.
 
Melton went 2-for-4, Bradley finished at 2-for-2 and Winkler went 2-for-3 teaming up for six of the Redhawks eight hits.

TENNESSEE TECH 8, UT MARTIN 4
MARTIN, Tenn. - After UT Martin surged out to a 4-0 lead in the second, the Tennessee Tech softball team battled back, scoring eight unanswered runs on Saturday to take the first game of the series against the Skyhawks.
 
Tech and UTM conclude the series on Sunday with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
 
Sydney Kirby led the Golden Eagles with three hits in the game, while Makayli Harris was 2-for-2 at the plate. Harris and Ella Bishop each had two RBI.
 
Emily York improved to 7-6 on the season as she went the distance, allowing four runs on five hits, walking four and striking out nine.
 
UT Martin scored four in the bottom of the second. As K Brown stole third, a throwing error allowed her to come home to score. Makarewicz plated two on a double down the right field line, then one more came home to roost on a wild pitch.
 
Tech answered back with three runs in the top of the third as Abbee Klinefelter drove in the first run with a single to center field to send Alina Schlageter home. Abby Shoulders stole home on a double swipe with Julie Martin, who later came home on a wild pitch.
 
The Golden Eagles tied the game in the top of the fifth as Harris singled to left field to bring Bailee Stack across.
 
Tech then scored four runs in the top of the sixth. Jailynn Paderez intended to reach on a sacrifice, but the play resulted in a single to get Klinefelter across. Bishop followed up with a two-run single through the right side to push Kirby and Paderez across. Harris collected her second RBI of the day with a double to right center to score Bishop.
 
York coaxed two infield popups and a fly ball to right to close out the contest.
 
Jordyn Hustey took the loss to fall to 0-3 on the season, throwing an inning-and-a-third as first relief, allowing four runs on six hits. Starter Natalie Kreuziger went the first two frames, allowing two runs on three hits, walking three and striking out two.
 
Ashtyn Green went two complete, allowing two runs on four hits, walking two and striking out one. Rylee Tittle went a third of an inning, walking two of her three batters faced. Payton Harris threw the final inning and a third, striking out two.

EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, SOUTHERN INDIANA 2
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball took advantage of two walks in the first inning and two home runs in the third as the Panthers beat Southern Indiana, 5-2, in Saturday's series opening game at Williams Field.
 
Abbey Crain and Alisha Frederick both drew first inning walks against USI starter Josie Newman (6-12) with Karson Davey driving in the first run of the game with a single to shallow right to score Crain.  Frederick would come in to score later in the inning on a wild pitch as Newman allowed just four EIU hits in the contest striking out nine.
 
Three of those four hits came in the three-run third inning.  Frederick opened the inning with a solo home run to right field.  Davey followed with a single and came home to score on a two-run homer by Abbi Hatton.   Davey was the lone EIU player with multiple hits going 2-for-3 in the game.
 
USI had scoring chances in the third and fourth innings but EIU starter McKenzie Oslanzi (11-10) was able to work out of those two jams without allowing a run.   The Screaming Eagles broke through against Oslanzi in the fifth with two walks and single loading the bases with two outs.  Jordan Mackey had the big hit for USI with a two-run single up the middle.  Mackey was 2-for-4 in the game, one of two USI players with two hits, Whitley Hunter the other.
 
Karlie McKenzie entered in relief and allowed one hit over 2.1 innings of work to pick up her league leading fourth save of the year.  McKenzie struck out three in relief including the final two USI batters.
 
EIU remained in first place in the OVC standings improving to 20-17 overall, 12-3 in the OVC.  USI fell to 10-19 overall, 7-7 in the OVC.