Ohio Valley Conference

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Recap coming soon.

EASTERN ILLINOIS 11, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1 (5)
MACOMB, Ill. - Freshman Abbi Hatton drove home six runs including hitting her first career grand slam as Eastern Illinois rolled to an 11-1 victory at Western Illinois to close out the regular season.

EIU, which clinched the OVC regular season title with two wins on Saturday, improved to 31-19 overall, 21-5 in the OVC.  The Panthers will play as the No. 1 seed in the upcoming OVC Tournament in Peoria, Illinois.    Western Illinois ends the season at 11-37, 7-20 in the OVC.

Hatton opened her big offensive day in the second inning with a two run single up the middle.  Abbey Crain followed in the inning with an RBI single to extend EIU's lead to 3-0.

In the third Hatton cleared the bases with a home run to right field as the Panthers rolled out to 7-0 lead.

The Panthers offensive outburst extended into the fourth inning as they added four more runs.  Briana Gonzalez drove home the first run with an RBI single.   Sophia Olman followed with a two-run triple before scoring herself on a wild pitch.

McKenzie Oslanzi worked the first four innings picking up her third win of the weekend as she improved to 19-12 overall. 

The Leathernecks got on the board in the fourth with an RBI ground out by Cynthia Hull scoring Raegan Boone.  WIU's offense was held to five hits in the game, all of them singles.  Kathryn McChristy (1-9) worked 2.1 innings, taking the loss.  

Kendall Grover and Morgan Hance each had three hits to lead EIU's offense.  Hatton and Olman had two hits.

TENNESSEE TECH 10, MOREHEAD STATE 2 (5)
TENNESSEE TECH 3, MOREHEAD STATE 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Senior Day turned out to be a great day for Tennessee Tech's softball seniors as the Golden Eagles completed the sweep over Morehead State, locked up the No. 7-seed in next week's Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championship and put together some great performances.

The top of which was Payton Wagner throwing the program's 20th no-hitter in its history and the first since Alyssa Arden threw one in 2019 to top Jacksonville State.

Tech won game one 8-0 in five innings, then topped the visiting Eagles 3-1 in the second game.

The Golden Eagles complete the regular season with a 19-33 record and 11-16 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Tech will face No. 6-seeded Tennessee State in the opening game of the OVC tournament at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Ill. The winner will advance to the double-elimination portion of the tournament and will face No. 3-seeded Southeast Missouri at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

It is Tech's second-straight appearance in the OVC tournament, and the first time to make back-to-back appearances in the field since the 2016 and 2017 campaigns.

Wagner came close to throwing a perfect game, allowing a single walk to lead off the second inning. While the game was run-ruled, the Simi Valley, Calif., native went the distance, striking out eight – her best tally in a Tennessee Tech uniform.

Emma Solis took the loss, allowing eight runs – seven earned – as she gave up six hits, walked eight and struck out two.

Sofia Carroll went 2-for-3 in game one, while Jailynn Paderez drove in two.

Tech scored two runs in the bottom of the first as Sydney Kirby's ground out to second allowed Abby Shoulders to score, then Paderez singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Evans. The Golden Eagles plated two more in the second as Brooklyn Stewart doubled in Ella Bishop, then Stewart scored on a throwing error on a stolen base by Carroll.

One run came in during the fourth as Shoulders' sacrifice fly to center field brought in Skylar Sybesma, who was pinch-running for Stewart.

Tech forced the run rule in the bottom of the fifth as pinch-runner Bella Ochoa scored on Paderez' sacrifice fly to right. Makayli Harris grounded into a fielder's choice and Morehead State opted to try to get Kirby at the plate. The initial call had Kirby out, but, under review, the umpires ruled Kirby safe on obstruction. Carroll ended the game with what was officially a single to center field as Bishop crossing the plate forced the run rule.

In game two, Lainey Fitzgerald picked up her fifth win of the season, allowing one run on three hits, walking four and striking out three. Rylie Burney took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits, walking four and striking out one.

Kirby drove in two runs with a solo home run in the bottom of the first to tie the game at one, then a sacrifice fly in the third inning. Abbee Klinefelter drove in Shoulders before that with an intended sacrifice bunt that resulted in a fielder's choice. On the throw home, Shoulders slid under the tag and was called safe.

TENNESSEE STATE 9, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8 (8)
TENNESSEE STATE 4, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
NASHVILLE - The Tennessee State softball team closed out the regular season in dramatic fashion with a pair of walk-off wins over SEMO, claiming a 9-8 victory in eight innings followed by a 4-2 win on Sunday afternoon.

The Tigers needed eight innings to get the job done, but earned the 9-8 extra-innings win, walking it off on a single off the bat of Onnika Spencer to claim victory over the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks Sunday.

Tianna Salcido (5-7) got the win for Tennessee State (22-21, 12-12 OVC). The right-hander went five innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on six hits, allowing three walks and striking out two.

At the plate, the Tigers were paced by Jace Jackson, who went 3-for-5 on the day with a double, a home run and two RBI. Alexis Woods furnished a noteworthy performance at the dish as well, going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and three RBI. JaKeyla McDaniel also helped out for Tennessee State, putting together two hits in three trips to the plate while adding a walk and an RBI.

The Tigers got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Tennessee State's offense started clicking and put up four runs, including a two-run home run off the bat of Jackson.

The Redhawks then gained ground, narrowing the lead to 4-1 until the Tigers expanded their advantage in the second. Tennessee State scored three runs in the frame, buoyed by a two-RBI double from Woods, which brought the score to 7-1 in favor of the Tigers.

SEMO narrowed Tennessee State's lead to 7-2 before the Tigers stretched the advantage to 8-2 in the fifth inning. The Tigers scored once on an RBI single off the bat of .

SEMO then rallied to tie the ballgame at 8-8 before Tennessee State walked it off in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single off the bat of Spencer.

The Tigers rallied to score three in the seventh inning and walked it off on Jace Jackson's three-run home run off of Delaney Kell to pick up the 4-2 win over the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks Sunday.

Reina Castillo (16-9) started in the circle and picked up the win for Tennessee State (23-21, 12-12 OVC). The right-hander went seven innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on nine hits, allowing three walks and striking out two.

Trailing 2-0, the Tigers first put runs on the board in the sixth inning. Jackson put Tennessee State on the board with a leadoff home run off Elliott Stinson.

Tennessee State kept its deficit in check, holding Southeast Missouri State scoreless before scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh to claim victory, walking it off on Jackson's three-run homer off of Delaney Kell.

SIUE 4, UT MARTIN 0
SIUE 6, UT MARTIN 5 (11)
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE softball will be the No. 2 seed for the upcoming Ohio Valley Conference Championships after a Sunday sweep over UT Martin.

The Cougars improved to 29-20 overall and 19-6 in the OVC after a 4-0 win in game one and a 6-5 victory in 11 innings in the nightcap. UT Martin, which is the No. 8 seed for the OVC Championships, fell to 16-30 and 8-17 in the OVC.

SIUE's Emma Henderson provided the heroics in both games. She tossed a three-hit shutout in game one and then singled home the game winner in game two. That RBI gave her 44 for the season, the most by a Cougar in a season during the Division I era.

SIUE will have a double bye in the league championships, which start Wednesday in Peoria, Illinois. The Cougars' first game will not be until 10 a.m. Thursday and will await four games before finding out its first-round opponent.

After cancelling the first game of the series Saturday due to overwhelming rain, Sunday's doubleheader was the final home game for seniors Anna Henderson, Emma Henderson, Madison Kearns, Piper Montgomery, Kaylynn Salyars, Danielle Shuey and Lauryn Yslava.

In game one, Emma Henderson struck out six for her sixth win of the season. Anna Henderson's RBI single in the first inning is all that was needed. SIUE collected seven hits overall, including two from Juztyne Torres who had a bunt for an RBI in the fourth inning.

In game two, both teams scored five runs in the first five innings capped off by a solo home run in the fifth by Anna Henderson.

The bullpens for both teams took over. McKayla Anderson went seven innings for SIUE and threw 103 pitches for the Cougars in relief. Natalie Krueziger tossed 6 2/3 innings and 110 pitches in relief before suffering the loss.

In the bottom of the 11th, Harley Limberger drew a one-out, pinch-hit walk. Shuey added a quick bunt single. After Salyars flew out and advanced both runners, Emma Henderson laced a ball to the left side of the infield just out of the complete reach of  UT Martin shortstop Kyrsten Brown, allowing Limberger to score the game winner.