Ohio Valley Conference

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Lindenwood softball (18-19, 9-9 OVC) earned the series win over the Leathernecks of Western Illinois (10-28, 6-12) after winning the rubber match by a final score of 4-2. The Lions' offense scored at least four runs in all three games this weekend as they pick up their third conference series victory of the season.

After a quick inning of work from Wapp to start the game, the Lions loaded the bases in the first inning but left all three runners stranded. Western Illinois scored the first run of the ball game in the top of the second after Wapp walked in a run, but the Lions responded in the next half inning as Dallis Darnell scored on a wild pitch to even the game at 1-1.

It took until the fourth inning for the Lions to break open the game as they scored three runs on four hits to take a three-run lead. After a single and stolen base by Teryn Brown, Hatton delivered her fourth home run of the season and second of the series to put the Lions ahead 3-1. McMinn then drove a ball to deep right center to bring home West to put LU ahead 4-1 entering the fifth.

Western Illinois was able to score one more run off of Wapp in the sixth, but she got out of the jam limiting the damage. Owens came into the game in the seventh picking up her second save of the season despite walking two batters. The Lions improved to 9-9 in Ohio Valley Conference play after the weekend.

SIUE 10, TENNESSEE STATE 9 (9)
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Anna Henderson collected three hits, including the game-winner, as SIUE softball swept the series Sunday with Tennessee State behind a 10-9, nine-inning triumph.

Anna Henderson delivered a hit down the left field line to drive home Kaylynn Salyars from  second base as the Cougars earned a walk-off win for the second time in as many days.

The 3 hour, 12-minute contest was longer than both games combined from Saturday and saw big innings from both teams.

SIUE, 23-16 overall and 13-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference, scored five runs in the first inning and chased starting pitcher Reina Castillo. The Cougars sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning. Emma Henderson launched her team-leading 10th home run in the first line.

Tennessee State, 20-13 overall and 10-7 in the OVC, worked its way back into the contest with a three-run rally in the third inning.

The Cougars added single tallies in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take an 8-3 lead, but Tennessee State answered with a five-run rally of its own in the sixth to tie the contest 8-8.

 SIUE regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth when pinch hitter Madison Kearns hit a sacrifice fly with one out to score Kaylin Fahy from third.

The Tigers utilized an SIUE infield error to tie the score again in the seventh.

It wasn't until the ninth that Salyars singled to left and moved to second on an outfield error. After Emma Henderson grounded out to advance Salyars to third, Anna Henderson recorded the game-winning hit with her blast down the left field line.

Olivia Calderone, 0-1, took the loss for the Tigers, throwing the final 4 2/3 innings in relief.

Avery Arwood started and won the game for the Cougars. Now 9-6 for the season, Arwood tossed three innings to start the game and was relieved by Kiana Villa and McKayla Anderson, but Arwood re-entered the game and recorded all three outs for the Cougars in the ninth.

SIUE outhit Tennessee State 13-12. Juztyne Torres joined Anna Henderson with three hits. Salyars, Emma Henderson and Fahy each had two hits.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8, MOREHEAD STATE 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (19-13, 12-5) completed a series sweep of Morehead State (4-36, 2-15) with an 8-1 victory Sunday. SEMO extended its winning streak to five games with its second series sweep of the season. 
 
MSU took its only lead of the contest when Sela Pickford hit the game's first pitch for a home run in the top of the first inning.
 
Starting Eagles pitcher Taikibrea Campbell walked the bases loaded before giving way to reliever Emma Solis in the bottom of the first. Solis walked in a run before Madison Winkler and Saysoff each scored on a wild pitch giving SEMO a 3-1 advantage.
 
Winkler led off the bottom of the third with a double and scored on a home run by Brooklyn Saysoff to extend SEMO's lead to 5-1. For Saysoff, it was her second round-tripper of the series and third of the season.
 
Another home run, this time by Brittany Affolter, ignited a three-run fourth inning. Affolter's first career home run was followed by a single from Tatum Gerwitz. On the next play, Sydney Dennis tripled and Gerwitz scored. Winkler then flied out to left center and Dennis crossed home plate polishing off the 8-1 win.
 
Delaney Kell (6-3) earned her team-high sixth win in the circle. Kell worked 5.2 innings allowing just one run on five hits. She also struck out four and walked none.
 
Campbell (0-2) took the loss for MSU. She walked three and gave up three runs.
 
SEMO outhit the Eagles, 8-5, with Affolter and Gerwitz both going 2-for-3 with a run scored to lead the way. Saysoff Dennis and Winkler each added one hit and two runs scored, while Saysoff finished with two RBI, as well.
 
Saysoff ran her hitting streak to nine games.

TENNESSEE TECH 2, UT MARTIN 0
TENNESSEE TECH 9, UT MARTIN 4 (11)
MARTIN, Tenn. - It was late-inning heroics for the Tennessee Tech softball team as the Golden Eagles completed the sweep over UT Martin with a 2-0 victory in game one, then a 9-4 win in 11 innings in game 2.

Sydney Kirby went 5-for-6 at the plate with three RBI in the night cap, while Jailynn Paderez was 3-for-5. Abby Shoulders and Abbee Klinefelter both drove in two runs in the second game.

In game one, however, there was no scoring until the top of the seventh. The Golden Eagles didn't even get a hit until that frame as Ella Bishop broke up the no-no bid to open the seventh. After an Alina Schlageter single to left moved pinch-runner Julie Martin to second, Olivia Evans broke the scoreless tie with a single, bringing Martin home.

Klinefelter then added the second run with a single to right to send Schlageter home. Evans attempted to score on the play as well, but the 7-2 relay was in time to get her at the plate to end the inning.

UT Martin had a leadoff single for Carly Ward, then Lainey Fitzgerald struck out the next two batters. Morea Hodge singled to right, then Tech was able to retire Carly Ward at third 6-5 on a fielder's choice to secure the win.

Fitzgerald improved to 4-7 on the season with the win, going the distance for the complete-game shutout as she yielded seven hits and struck out five. Payton Harris took the loss, allowing both runs in the final two innings on four hits, walking one and striking out one. Natalie Kreuziger went five innings in the start, walking four and striking out four without allowing a base hit.

In game two, the Golden Eagles struck quickly for four runs as Evans tripled to right to drive in Shoulders, Klinefelter and Kirby both had an RBI double, then Paderez hit an RBI single up the middle.

Tech did not score again until the 11th inning, collecting seven of its 19 hits in what became the final inning of the game. Between the second and 10th innings, the Golden Eagles stranded seven.

In between, UTM scored a run on a fielder's choice in the fifth, then hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 4-all.

Shoulders hit a two-run single up the middle to bring Martin and Sofia Carroll in, then Schlageter scored on Klinefelter's grounder to second. Kirby had the last blow of the inning, driving in Shoulders and Evans with a single to right.

Tech's defense allowed one hit after a pop-up and fly out, then the game ended on a unassisted play by Bishop at second.

Payton Wagner went five full innings in the start, allowing three earned runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Emily York came on in relief and threw the final six frames, allowing one run on six hits while striking out four.

EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1 (8)
EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1 (5)
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball had a pair of walk-off wins coming in two different fashions on Sunday as the Panthers finished their weekend OVC series sweep against Southern Indiana.
 
EIU won the opener 3-1 in eight innings before posting a 9-1 run-rule win in six innings in the final game of the series.
 
EIU improved to 22-17 overall, 14-3 in the OVC.  USI fell to 10-21 overall, 7-9 in the OVC.
 
Sophia Olman hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift to Eastern Illinois to a 3-1 win in pitchers dual in the circle.
 
Karlie McKenzie carried a no-hitter through six and third innings before Jordan Mackey broke up the no-hitter with a pop-up single in the infield that a severe wind carried away from the nearest EIU fielder.   Kate Satkoski followed with an RBI double to left field that tied the game at 1-1 at the time.
 
McKenzie finished out the game allowing just three hits and the one run as she improved to 7-3 on the season.  She had eight strike outs in the game.
 
She was matched by USI starter Kylie Witthaus (4-7) who allowed seven hits while striking out seven in the loss. 
 
EIU scored its opening run in the fifth with Olman pounding a double off the centerfield fence.  Pinch runner Emily Konkel came home to score on a wild pitch for the first run of the game.
 
In the eighth, Abbi Hatton had a one out single and moved to second on a ground out for the second out of the inning.  Olman then delivered the game winner to left center for her first home run of the season.  She was 2-for-4 in the game.  Abbey Crain also added two hits for EIU. 
 
Kennedy Nalley joined Mackey and Satkoski as Screaming Eagles with hits in the opener.
 
In the second game EIU was able to take advantage of early Southern Indiana errors and eventually break open the game for a run-rule, 9-1 win.
 
Leading 6-1 heading into the sixth inning EIU strung together two hits and took advantage of another USI error to score its first run of the inning on an Abbi Hatton single through the left side.  Morgan Hance then capped the game with a two-run double to right field as the freshman went 3-for-4 in the series finale.
 
Sophia Olman, Kendall Grover ad Hatton all finished with two hits for EIU in the second game as EIU scored four unearned runs against USI starter Josie Newman (6-13).
 
Alisha Frederick drove home a run in the first for EIU while Maddux Marshall had an RBI single in the third.
 
Southern Indiana scored its run in the top of the third against EIU starter McKenzie Oslanzi (12-10) who allowed five hits and no earned runs in the complete game win.
 
Whitley Hunter singled in the Screaming Eagles run with a single to right.  No USI players had more than one hit in the game.