SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Tennessee Tech 6, Southeast Missouri 5
@Western Illinois 2, SIUE 0
Eastern Illinois 5, @Tennessee State 1
Eastern Illinois 8, @Tennessee State 1
TENNESSEE TECH 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech started off with a bang on Saturday, then held on in a dramatic finish as the Golden Eagles held on for a 6-5 victory over Southeast Missouri to close out the series.
Makayli Harris hit two home runs in the contest, then Emily York held off some of the Redhawks' top hitters to claim the victory.
Tech improves to 16-28, 8-13 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while SEMO falls to 21-14, 14-6 in the league. With the victory, the Golden Eagles maintain a one-game lead over Western Illinois for the No. 7-spot in the conference standings with six OVC contests to go. Tech also has a two-game lead over ninth-place UT Martin with the top eight team making the OVC tournament in Peoria next month.
Harris ended the game 2-for-3 at the plate with four RBI, while Olivia Evans also went 2-for-3.
The Golden Eagles put themselves in great position early on with a four-spot in the first frame. Abby Shoulders and Evans led the Tech side off with back-to-back singles, then a sacrifice bunt advanced the runners. Sydney Kirby reached on a fielder's choice and picked up the RBI as Shoulders crossed the plate.
Harris then took the first pitch, launching it over the left center field wall to put the Golden Eagles up 4-0.
Tech added a second run in the bottom of the second as Evans drove in Brooklyn Stewart with a single to right center.
In the bottom of the third with one down, SEMO tried to make the adjustment on Harris in her second at-bat. After the first pitch was outside for a ball, Harris was not fooled by the second as she drilled it over the left field wall and emptying the Golden Eagle dugout as the Golden Eagles then led 6-0 through the first three innings.
SEMO started to make its way back in the fourth inning, scoring a pair of runs as Tori Bradley hit a pinch-hit home run to center field, then after a triple put Addisyn Martinie at third, a throwing error allowed Martinie to score. The Redhawks then added a single run in the fifth as Sydney Dennis scored on an inning-ending rundown to catch Brooklyn Saysoff.
Wagner's day ended after the fifth as she allowed three runs – two earned – on four hits, walking three and striking out one. She collected the win – her second of the year – as Addison Abell and York held off the Redhawks.
Abell had a flawless sixth inning as she coaxed a pair of grounders to Jailynn Paderez sandwiching a flyout to Evans in left. However, back-to-back hits with a double for Brittany Affolter and a single for Kinley Wilkins prompted a chance to York.
Dennis loaded the bases on a bunt single, then a fielder's choice as Paderez tried to find an available play allowed Affolter to score. Saysoff flied out to center field, but no one advanced on the play. It wasn't the case the next batter as Gracie Luna hit a sacrifice fly to right field, deep enough to plate Wilkins and make it a one-run game with two down.
York wasn't fazed. She knew the task ahead and kept on working.
The sophomore nailed the location on the first pitch to Sydney Melton for a called strike, then just missed for a ball to even the count. Melton fouled off the third selection, then launched the ball on the fourth pitch. Alina Schlageter had it in her sights from right off the bat and made the catch in center field to end the contest.
Abell officially went one inning, allowing two runs on two hits, then York went one inning, yielding just one hit as she collected her first save of the season.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 2, SIUE 0
MACOMB, Ill. - Behind a career day from Payton Brown and a dominant complete game from Libby Spaulding, Western Illinois secured a 2-0 win over SIUE on Saturday afternoon at Mary Ellen McKee Stadium.
Brown was nearly unstoppable at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored to lead the Leatherneck offense. Ruby Tarr added a 2-for-3 performance, including a double and an RBI, while Megan Leonard chipped in with three hits of her own from the nine-spot in the lineup.
Western Illinois wasted no time putting pressure on SIUE, scoring a run in the first inning after Brown singled and eventually came around to score. Tarr's RBI double in the fifth inning provided a valuable insurance run.
Spaulding was in command from the start in the circle. The freshman tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just six hits while striking out four without issuing a walk. She improved her record to 3-5 on the year, recording her second shutout and complete game of the season.
Defensively, the Leathernecks were flawless with zero errors and clean execution across all seven innings. Maria Luna led the team with seven putouts at first base, while Malia Robertson added two putouts and an assist in center.
Despite stranding 11 runners on base, WIU's 10-hit attack proved enough in the low-scoring contest. SIUE was held hitless with runners in scoring position and left five runners stranded. The win marked one of Western Illinois' most complete efforts of the season as they handed SIUE just its fifth conference loss.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, TENNESSEE STATE 1
EASTERN ILLINOIS 8, TENNESSEE STATE 1
NASHVILLE - Eastern Illinois completed a weekend sweep over Tennessee State as the Panthers remained in sole possession of first place in the OVC standings with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
EIU won 5-1 in the opener and then 8-1 in the second game of the day.
The Panthers improved to 25-17 overall, 17-3 in the OVC. TSU dropped to 20-17 overall, 10-10 in the OVC.
In game one, Kendall Grover drove in four runs as Eastern Illinois picked up a 5-1 win in game one of Saturday's doubleheader at Tennessee State.
Grover was 2-for-4 with two additional runs scored. She tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI single to left scoring Abbi Hatton in the third. Grover came in to score later in the inning with an RBI by Alisha Frederick.
Grover connected for her tenth home run of the season in the fifth as her three run shot provided EIU its final offense.
Karlie McKenzie (8-3) allowed one run through five innings to pick up the win as she improved to 6-0 in OVC play this season.
Morgan Hance added two hits while Hatton scored twice for the Panthers.
Tianna Salcido (4-7) pitched into the fifth for the Lady Tigers taking the loss.
TSU scored first in the game with an RBI double by Alexis Woods in the bottom of the second. Woods picked up both hits for the TSU offense in game one.
In game two, Tennessee State scored first in the contest before Eastern Illinois broke open the game with a five-run sixth inning to post an 8-1 win and weekend sweep.
McKenzie Oslanzi was solid in the circle (14-10) allowing one unearned run in five innings of work. Karlie McKenzie closed with two innings of one-hit hit shutout relief. Reina Castillo (14-6) suffered the loss for TSU.
Kailyn Jean-Baptiste drove home the Lady Tigers run in the fourth inning scoring Olivia Calderone with an unearned run.
EIU tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fifth with a Kendall Grover sacrifice fly scoring Abbi Hatton.
The Panthers broke open the game in the top of the sixth scoring five times. Briana Gonzalez, Hatton and Abbey Crain all had RBI singles with Grover delivering a two-run double to round out the scoring in the frame.
In the seventh, Sophia Olman hit her second home run of the season with Abbey Crain closing out the scoring with an RBI single.
Crain was 4-for-5 in the second game. Grover, Gonzalez and Morgan Hance all added two hits for EIU's offense.