Ohio Valley Conference

COMMERCE, TEXAS - Southeast Missouri (1-6) split two games during the opening day of the East Texas A&M Lion Invitational Thursday.
 
SEMO beat tournament host East Texas A&M, 7-4, for its first win of the season and fell to Grambling State, 8-1.
 
The Redhawks scored in the first three innings to build a quick 5-1 advantage against the Lions.
 
Kamden Hutton delivered a leadoff double and advanced to third on an ensuing base hit by Winkler. After Winkler stole second, Brooklyn Saysoff singled and Hutton scored. Winkler later touched home on a sacrifice fly by Gracie Luna to put the Redhawks ahead, 2-0, in the top of the first.
 
ETAMU answered with a run in the bottom half of the first before the Redhawks tacked on two during their at-bat in the second.
 
Raigan Brannon reached on an error and pinch-runner Jaylie Walther moved to second on a bunt single by Kinley Wilkins. With two on and two outs, Winkler singled up the middle to score both Hutton and Walther.
 
Addisyn Martinie's two out-double knocked in Wilkins to push SEMO's lead to 5-1 in the top of the third inning.
 
The Lions countered with a run in each of the third and fourth innings to narrow the Redhawks margin to 5-3.
 
Then, in the fifth, SEMO put up two more runs, both unearned with the help of a pair of two-out errors. Wilkins and Hutton both scored to put the finishing touches on the Redhawks first win of the season.
 
Offensively, the Redhawks pounded out 11 hits. 
 
Winkler and Hutton combined for five of those at the top of the lineup. Winkler went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI, while Hutton finished at 2-for-4 with a run. Wilkins and Martinie had two hits apiece, as well. Additionally, Wilkins scored three runs.
 
Maddie Carney (1-2) went the distance for the third complete game of her career. Carney recorded a career-best six strikeouts, allowed four runs and did not give up a walk.
 
Maddie Muller (0-1) suffered the loss. Muller was roughed up for four runs on five hits in 1.2 innings. She also walked two and struck out one.
 
The Lions committed three errors that led to four unearned tallies.
 
A six-run first inning keyed GSU's win in the second contest.
 
SEMO's lone run of the game came on Martinie's first career home run, a solo shot over the left field wall in the top of the third inning.
 
Willow Van Haren (0-3) was the pitcher of record for the Redhawks. Van Haren allowed four runs on two hits and walked two in one-third of an inning.
 
Jaidan Richard (1-1) pitched a complete game win for the Tigers.

ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 5, WESTERN ILLINOIS 3
PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Western Illinois struck in the third inning when Ruby Tarr reached on an error, allowing Kam Utendorf to score and tie the game at 1-1. After Pine Bluff regained the lead, the Leathernecks answered in the fifth.

Maria Luna delivered the key swing, doubling to left center to drive in Tarr and Sophia Sanchez and give Western Illinois a 3-2 advantage.

The Golden Lions responded with a three-run sixth inning, capitalizing on timely hits to pull back in front and secure the 5-3 win.

Luna finished with two RBIs, while Sanchez reached base four times and added a stolen base. Audrey Clark started in the circle and struck out five over three innings. Lillie Wools took the loss in relief.

UT MARTIN 5, SAINT LOUIS 3
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball program kicked off its home slate with an impressive come-from-behind 5-3 victory over Saint Louis in the opener of the Skyhawk Invitational on Thursday afternoon.

The Skyhawks (4-2) picked up their third win of the season behind a pair of monster performances both in the batters box and in the circle. Leading the way for the home team was the play of senior Avary Makarewicz who went 2-for-3 at the plate while drilling a solo home run and driving in a game-high three RBIs in the victory. Makarewicz was one of three players to record multiple hits in the contest for UT Martin as both Kennedy Brown and Carly Ward went 2-for-2 to lengthen the lineup.

Ashtyn Green started the contest but was relieved by sophomore Natalie Kreuziger in the second inning. With a fresh arm in the circle, the sophomore hurler picked up her first win of the season after pitching 5.1 scoreless innings of relief while striking out four batters. When Kreuziger did run into a little action on the basepaths in the seventh inning, newcomer Sami Scholtz picked up her first save as a Skyhawk by stranding the bases loaded with a strikeout to secure the 5-3 win.

Saint Louis (2-4) jumped out to an early lead by scoring all three of the team's runs in the opening frame of the game. A fielding error out of the leadoff spot proved costly as a single by Karsen Jany was followed by a three-run home run to deep center field by Anna Christ to give the Billikens an early 3-0 advantage.

The Skyhawks began to climb out of their early hole in the second inning when Makarewicz turned on the second pitch she saw and launched a towering solo home run into the left center gap. UT Martin then tied up the margin in the bottom of the fourth when the twin tandem of Kyrsten Brown and Kennedy Brown tallied consecutive RBI-singles to knot the contest at 3-3.

After putting the Skyhawks on the board in the second inning, Makarewicz continued her hot-streak at the plate by lacing a two-run single through the right side to give the home squad a 5-3 lead in the fifth.

With a two-run cushion to lean on, the Skyhawks looked to close out their home opener with a victory. A leadoff groundout set up the inning before back-to-back singles up the middle by Jany and Christ chased Kreuziger out of the game. With Scholtz entering the game, the Billikens laced their third consecutive single to load the bases. A potential sacrifice fly came off the bat of Riley Nelson, but a strong throw by Teagan Hayes thwarted the potential play at the plate. With the bases still loaded and two outs, Scholtz anchored down and capped her first save with a swinging strikeout.

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 11, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0  (5)
YOUNGSVILLE, La. - Based on predicted weather issues later this weekend Eastern Illinois moved its Sunday game against No. 25 Southeastern Louisiana up to Thursday as the Panthers opened the Mardi Gras Mambo in Youngsville, La.

Southeastern Louisiana jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the opening inning on some control issues in the circle by EIU starter Bryanna French (1-2).  The Lions went on to pick up the 11-0 win.

The Lions scored three of their six runs in the opening frame on wild pitches with Colleen Kullavan delivering the big hit of the inning with a two-run single up the middle.

EIU's offense was held in check for the game as two Lions pitchers allowed just two Panther hits by Marybeth Dyson in the first and Chloe Wamboldt in the fifth.  Wamboldt did pick up her fifth stolen base of the season.

Rylan Gick and Rylie Schipp closed out the game in the circle for EIU as the Panthers fell to 2-4 on the season.

Halle Burns (3-0) picked up the win for the Lions as they improved to 5-3.

Kullavan was one of three Southeastern Louisiana players with two hits as she drove in four.  The Lions scored their other five runs for the game in the second inning.