Ohio Valley Conference

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Lindenwood softball (22-21, 13-10 OVC) clinched a series win over Tennessee Tech (16-31, 8-15 OVC) after picking up a double header sweep on Saturday. The Lions now move to 13-10 in Ohio Valley Conference play ranking fourth in the conference standings as of Saturday afternoon.

Bats for both teams were silent through the first two and a half innings until Lindenwood broke the tie in the bottom of the third. After Nicole Henson walked and Irelynn West reached on an error, Tori Hatton moved the runners into scoring position for Jolie McMinn. McMinn singled into center driving in both runners and putting the Lions ahead 2-0.  

Ryleigh Owens got the start for the Lions and pitched five innings of four hit ball allowing one earned run. Owens walked one and hit a batter. After the first two hitters reached to start the top of the sixth, Owens was pulled for Avery Wapp. With runners on the corners, Wapp struck out the first batter before a double steal allowed the Golden Eagles to plate their first run of the afternoon. 

Wapp retired the next five Tennessee Tech batters, sealing a 2-1 win for the Lions in game one. Owens was credited with her team-best 11th victory of the season while Wapp earned her team-high fifth save of the season.

Lindenwood got the scoring underway in game two during the bottom of the first inning after Henson reached first safely with a single. Eventually she was brought home by Hatton putting the Lions ahead 1-0.
 
Tennessee Tech took their first lead of the series in the top of the second off of starting pitcher Lucy Pratt with two runs on a bases loaded walk and a groundout to Pratt. Tech led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the inning.
 
Lindenwood did not trail for long after scoring three runs in the bottom of the second. After singles by Mya Bethany and Dallis Darnell, Madisen Noll advanced the runners with a sac bunt. Teryn Brown loaded the bases with a walk and Lauren Pelton tied the game with a RBI walk. Henson and West both brought home an RBI as the Lions led 4-2.
 
Molly Heidrick pitched a perfect third inning after allowing a early double, but the Golden Eagles were left scoreless. The Lions added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth after Hatton was hit by pitch was the bases loaded and McMinn drew a walk as the Lions held a three-run lead. Hatton clinched the game with her sixth home run of the season in the sixth putting LU ahead 7-3. Wapp closed the game with her OVC leading sixth save while Heidrick earned her first win of the year.

UT MARTIN 8, TENNESSEE STATE 0 (6)
TENNESSEE STATE 9, UT MARTIN 6
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team split a doubleheader with Tennessee State at Bettye Giles Field Saturday. The Skyhawks shut out the Tigers in game one, 8-0 in six innings, but in game two, Tennessee State used a big sixth inning to capture the 9-6 win.

The first game belonged entirely to UT Martin, as the Skyhawks pounded out 14 hits in the game, including solo home runs from Dylan Scott and Avary Makarewicz, who finished the game with two RBIs each. Kennedy Brown led the Skyhawks in the contest by going 3-for-3 with two runs and a double, while Kyla Harley went 3-for-4 with a run. Carly Ward also had a hit and an RBI in the game, as did Josie Sanders in her pinch-hit at bat.

In the circle, Ashtyn Green picked up her fifth total shutout of the season and fourth solo shutout by allowing just three hits and no runs over 6.0 innings of work with four strikeouts and no walks.

In game two, the Skyhawks fell behind early but tied the game in the bottom of the fifth at five with a three-run frame. Dylan Scott drove in two runs on a double in the inning, while Alli Robinson scored Scott in the next at-bat on an RBI-single.

In the sixth, however, Tennessee State exploded for five runs in the inning, giving the Tigers a 9-5 lead. The Skyhawks scored one run in the bottom of the seventh, but it was not enough as Tennessee State held on for the 9-6 win.

Harley had another big game at the plate in the day's finale, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored, a triple, two stolen bases and a hit by pitch. Dylan Scott also turned in a solid performance and finished game two at 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run.

The Tigers outhit the Skyhawks, 14-7, in the game, but UT Martin made up the hitting gap by capitalizing on four Tiger errors. Joleanna Fox pitched 2.2 scoreless innings and allowed just two hits and a walk, while Payton Harris finished the game by allowing no runs on just two hits with two strikeouts over the final two innings.

MOREHEAD STATE 10, WESTERN ILLINOIS 6
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Recap.

SIUE 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
CHARLESTON, Ill. - SIUE softball pulled within one game of first place in the Ohio Valley Conference Saturday with a 3-1 victory at Eastern Illinois.

The Cougars and the Panthers are set for a 12 p.m. doubleheader tomorrow at Williams Field. Both teams are now 26-18 overall. SIUE, which halted Eastern Illinois' 10-game OVC winning streak, is 16-5 in league play while EIU is 17-4.

Avery Arwood scattered eight hits for her team-leading 11th victory of the season. She struck out four and walked two batters.

Kaylynn Salyars provided the big offensive presence for the Cougars. The Cougar second baseman hit a solo home run to left field in the third inning that proved to be the game-winning hit. She also drove home an insurance run with a double in the fifth inning.

Anna Henderson put the Cougars on the scoreboard in the first inning. She singled home Salyars who had drawn a walk from losing EIU pitcher McKenzie Oslanzi.

Eastern Illinois scored its lone run in the fourth inning on a single by Abbey Crain.

The Cougars finished with six hits overall, including singles by Lauryn Yslava and Emma Henderson as well as a double by Danielle Shuey.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Sydney Dennis went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and Delaney Kell pitched a complete game with six shutout innings leading Southeast Missouri (22-14, 15-6) to a 4-1 series-opening win over Southern Indiana (13-22, 10-10) Saturday.
 
SEMO took the early lead in the bottom of the first inning. 
 
Dennis and Madison Winkler both walked before Sydney Melton loaded the bases with the help of a one-out error. Dennis scored the game's first run on a fielder's choice.
 
The Redhawks added to their lead during their at-bat in the second.
 
With two outs, SEMO used a walk and four-straight hits to get three more runs. Tatum Gerwitz reached on a walk to ignite the two-out rally. Dennis and Winkler followed with a single and Gerwitz scored on Winkler's hit. Brooklyn Saysoff doubled to left field bringing in both Dennis and Winkler to push the Redhawks lead to 4-0.
 
USI scored its only run in the top of the sixth inning.
 
Kennedy Nalley led off with a double to left, advanced to third on a wild pitch and touched home on a sacrifice fly by Whitley Hunter.
 
Kell (8-3) threw her team-high fifth complete game of the season. She allowed just one run on four hits and struck out two in seven innings. Kell retired the Screaming Eagles in order in each of the second, third, fifth and seventh frames. She also pitched out of a one-out bases loaded jam in the fourth.
 
Josie Newman (8-14) suffered the loss. Newman worked six innings allowing four runs on seven hits. She walked three and struck out four, as well.
 
Dennis and Gerwitz had two hits apiece to lead SEMO. Winkler added a hit, one run scored and a walk extending her hitting streak to eight games.