MACOMB, Ill. - University of Southern Indiana Softball claimed both games of Saturday's Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Western Illinois University, winning 4-2 and 15-4 in five innings to secure a series victory.
USI Softball (8-15, 5-1 OVC) bounced back from Friday's series-opening loss by taking both games of Saturday's twin bill. It was USI's second OVC series win through two weekends of conference play. Western Illinois (6-15, 1-4 OVC), which won the series opener 5-3 on Friday, suffered its second OVC series loss.
In the first game on Saturday, USI opened up the scoring in the top of the second inning when junior catcher Alyssa Mumaw doubled and drove in a pair to give the Screaming Eagles a 2-0 advantage.
The Eagles doubled their lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Freshman pitcher Elly Robbins, who was in a groove on the pitching rubber, helped her own cause at the plate with a two-RBI double.
Even though Western Illinois cut the USI lead in half in the bottom of the sixth inning, 4-2, the Screaming Eagles closed out the win and forced a series rubber match after sophomore pitcher Kylie Witthaus came into the game and picked up the save.
Each team totaled seven hits in game one. Sophomore designated player Grace Huffman had two of USI's hits and also scored a run.
Robbins collected her first win of the day and third of the season in game one, logging 5.1 innings of work. Witthaus recorded her second save of the season after finishing the last 1.2 innings.
Western Illinois starting pitcher Lillie Wools (1-3) was charged with the loss after allowing two runs in two innings.
In game two of the afternoon and the series finale, USI's offense picked up even more steam. Junior infielder Sydney Long and freshman infielder Jadyn Tinsley each drove in a run in the first inning to quickly give the Screaming Eagles a 2-0 lead, which then grew to 4-0 in the top of the second when senior outfielder Caroline Stapleton and freshman outfielder Katelyn Marx each recorded RBI knocks.
USI's hit parade took off in the third inning, as the Screaming Eagles batted around in the frame to score six runs and increased the lead to 10-0. Freshman infielder Abbey Booher started the third-inning explosion with an RBI single. A couple of batters later, sophomore first baseman Lilly Brown singled in a run. Later in the inning, Marx brought in two runs. A two-RBI single by Huffman capped off the big inning.
While Western Illinois responded with three runs in the home half of the third to cut the USI lead down to seven, 10-3, the Eagles answered right back with four more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Stapleton drove in the first two runs of the inning with a single, and a few at-bats later, Tinsley and Huffman registered back-to-back sac flies to push USI's advantage to 11, 14-3.
Each side tallied a run in the fifth, with junior infielder Shelby Stivers driving in USI's run of the frame. The 11-run margin through the fifth ended the game via the run-rule.
The scoring frenzy in the series finale led to the most runs scored for the program in the Division-I era. Plus, the offensive outburst by the Screaming Eagles amounted to 18 hits, which is also the most for USI in the program's D-I era. Both totals are the most overall for the Eagles since the 2022 campaign, USI's last season at the D-II level.
Stapleton set the tone at the top of the lineup with a 3-3 game, three RBIs, and four runs scored. Marx went 3-4 with three RBIs and three runs. Brown also went 3-4 with an RBI and a run. Long had two hits and an RBI, Booher tallied two hits with two runs and an RBI, and Mumaw collected two hits with three runs scored. Tinsley had a hit and two RBIs, while Huffman had a hit with three RBIs.
Witthaus and Robbins combined for a strong five-inning outing. Witthaus took a no-decision, going 2.2 innings. Robbins (4-5) was credited with the win, her second of the day, after hurling 2.1 innings in relief.
Western Illinois had to use four pitchers in game two. The Leathernecks' starting pitcher Libby Spaulding (4-7), who had a complete-game win on Friday, was dealt the loss after surrendering four runs – three earned – in only two innings pitcheda.
TENNESSEE TECH 10, TENNESSEE STATE 2 (6)
NASHVILLE - Tennessee Tech will have to wait until Sunday morning to conclude its doubleheader against Tennessee State as Saturday's second game was called for darkness as the game went to extra innings, tied at 8-all.
Tech won the first game 10-2 in six innings on Saturday.
The game will pick back up at 11 AM Sunday morning. The originally scheduled Sunday game will no longer start at 1 PM, but will be approximately 30-45 minutes after the conclusion of the resumed game.
After her six-RBI, two home run game against ETSU on Tuesday, Ashley Capelouto picked up right where she left off in Johnson City as she went 1-for-2 at the plate with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored with two walks. Ella Bishop and Brooklyn Stewart each also had two RBI in the game.
Tech (4-17, 1-3 Ohio Valley Conference) struck for eight runs in the sixth inning, forcing the walkoff.
Addison Abell went the distance, throwing six innings as she allowed two runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out eight. Miriam Gordon took the loss for the Tigers (0-14, 0-4 OVC) as she allowed three runs – one earned – with five walks and a strikeout.
Tech scored first in the top of the first as Sofia Carroll drew a one-out walk, then, after a Jailynn Paderez grounder, Capelouto stood in and launched the 1-1 pitch over the fence to put Tech up 2-0.
The score held until the bottom of the third as Jace Jackson drove in Jasmine Blackburn on a triple, then Alexis Woods brought her home with a single to right to knot the game at two.
The Golden Eagles then put eight runs on the board in the top of the sixth. Capelouto drew a bases-loaded walk with two out to drive in pinch-runner Skylar Gooden. A passed ball allowed the runners to move up as Olivia Evans scored. Bishop then drove in Carroll and Capelouto with a two-run single, then Ella Grace Harvey doubled in Bishop.
Stewart hit a shot to left field, but the line drive dropped from the fielder's glove, allowing Harvey and pinch runner Alina Schlageter to score the eighth and ninth runs, then Julie Martin drove in the 10th with an RBI single. Abell was able to retire the Tigers in the bottom of the sixth to force the run-rule and end the game early.
In the suspended game two, Harvey got Tech on the board first with a bases-loaded double, driving in Bishop, Paderez and Carroll. Abbee Klinefelter followed up with a single down the left line to bring in Harvey.
TSU scratched out a run in the bottom of the first as Kailyn Jean-Baptist drew a bases-loaded walk, then added another run as a throwing error on Jasmine Blackburn's single allowed Noelani Wilkerson to score.
The Tigers later tied the game at 4-4 in the third with a pair of RBI singles for Kyra Taylor and Dani James.
Tech retook the lead in the fourth as Bishop singled home Evans, then Harvey picked up her fourth and fifth RBI of the game as Capelouto and Paderez scored on the play.
TSU made it a 7-5 game in the bottom of the fourth as Jean-Baptist singled home Alexis Woods, then made it 7-6 in the fifth as Jace Jackson tripled in Blackburn.
The Golden Eagles put their eighth run on the board as Makayli Harris hit a double to drive in Skylar Gooden, then, with two out in the bottom of the seventh, Hailey Hunt made everything all square with a two-run single to drive in Jackson and Blackburn.
With the outfield lights inactive at the stadium, the game was suspended until Sunday morning.
UT MARTIN 5, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
UT MARTIN 7, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team completed its first three-game sweep of Southeast Missouri since 2016 by taking both games of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Bettye Giles Field in Martin. The Skyhawks shut out the Redhawks in game one, 5-0, and staved off a late rally in game two, 7-2.
In the opener, Ashtyn Green threw a complete-game shutout against SEMO, allowing just four hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
Offensively, the Skyhawks did most of their damage in the fifth on a pair of two-RBI doubles from Jordyn Hustey and Kennedy Brown. They tacked on one more in the sixth when Ava Scott flew into a double play, but not before Carly Ward could score from second base.
Avary Makarewicz finished the game at 2-for-2 with a run and two walks, while Hustey went 1-for-1 with a run, a double, two RBIs and two walks.
Less than 24 hours after tossing the first seven-inning no-hitter in 20 years for the Skyhawks, Sami Scholtz attempted to do it again in game two and carried the bid five and two-thirds innings before giving up back-to-back home runs in the sixth. The home runs cut UT Martin's lead to one after Payton Hurst had an RBI groundout in the second and Ava Scott had a two-run home run in the fourth to build a 3-0 lead earlier in the game.
However, the Skyhawks answered in a big way in the bottom half of the inning to take a commanding 7-2 lead. Dylan Scott plated two runs with an RBI-single, while Karena Recrosio had an infield single to score Kyrsten Brown. Dylan Scott capped the scoring in the inning when she scored after a defensive miscue by the Redhawks.
Natalie Kreuziger earned her second save of the season by shutting down Southeast Missouri in the final one and one-third innings, allowing no runs, hits or walks, while striking out one. Scholtz picked up her fifth win of the season and finished the game with six strikeouts and only one walk. Paired with Friday's game, the junior threw 12 and two-thirds consecutive hitless innings.
Kennedy Brown went 2-for-4 in the contest, while Karena Recrosio was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk. Ward was also 1—for-2 in the game with a walk, as well as two runs.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 12, LINDENWOOD 9
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, LINDENWOOD 1
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball made a habit of stringing together rallies all weekend as the Panthers swept the weekend Ohio Valley Conference series with two Saturday wins over Lindenwood at Williams Field. EIU won 12-9 in the opener before a 5-1 victory in the night cap. With the wins EIU improved to 11-16 overall, 6-0 in the OVC. Lindenwood fell to 11-14 overall 2-4 in the OVC.
In the opening game of the day EIU rallied for the second straight game to beat Lindenwood as the Panthers won 12-9.
Lindenwood stormed out of the gates taking an 8-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning. Madisen Noll delivered a two-run homer in the second inning as part of a three run second frame that gave the Lions a 4-0 lead.
The lead grew to 8-0 in the fourth with Noll opening the scoring with an RBI single. Anna Sanders, Tori Hatton and Jolie McMinn all followed with RBI hits. Hatton and Noll were two of the four Lions with two hits in the game.
EIU chopped the lead down in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run single by Maddux Marshall and a bases clearing triple by Alisha Frederick. Frederick and Lexie Griffin each drove home four runs for EIU while Marshall was the lone Panther with multiple hits going 2-for-3 with three RBI.
The big hit of the game came in the bottom of the fifth as Lexie Griffin hit a grand slam to cap a seven run inning for EIU. Frederick, Marshall and Chloe Wamboldt all tacked on RBI in the inning as Lindenwood was forced to go through four different pitchers over those two innings.
Molly Heidrick (0-3) suffered the loss in relief. Bryanna French (5-4) came in on relief for EIU and picked up the win tossing five innings.
Lindenwood's final run came in the seventh inning on an error by the Panthers.
Rylan Gick (4-3) put together a complete game in the circle as the EIU closed out the weekend series with a 5-1 win over Lindenwood.
Gick struck out seven batters with allowing a walk and scattering six Lions hits.
Mo Hance had an RBI single to score the Panthers first run in the bottom of the second. Lindenwood tied the game in the top of the third as Tori Hatton drove home Sadie Sexauer who had singled to open the inning. Sexauer was the only Lions player to get multiple hits finishing with two.
EIU countered with two runs in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Abbi Hatton and sacrifice fly by Hance. Hatton and Alisha Frederick led EIU with two hits each in the game.
Sophia Olman drew a bases loaded walk in the fifth and Brooklyn Groppel added an RBI single in the sixth to give Gick a few insurance runs.
Avery Wapp (5-2) suffered the loss for the Lions.
SIUE 3, MOREHEAD STATE 1
SIUE 5, MOREHEAD STATE 3
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE softball completed its second straight weekend Ohio Valley Conference sweep Saturday after defeating Morehead State 3-1 and 5-3 at Cougar Field.
SIUE evened its overall record to 13-13 and now holds a perfect 6-0 record in OVC play. Morehead State dropped to 1-19 overall and 0-6 in the OVC.
McKayla Anderson tossed a two-hit gem in game one Saturday. Morehead State managed a first-inning unearned run with the help of two SIUE errors. Anderson struck out two and walked one over the seven-inning game.
All of SIUE's offense came just when needed in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Jesslyn Stairs provided the game-tying run with a single that drove home pinch runner Elle van Breusegen. Arissah Garza was credited with eventual game-winning hit with a double to left center that scores Stairs from first base. Harley Limberger added a gapping double that brought home Garza.
In game two, SIUE fell behind 2-0 early and for the third straight game in the series the Cougars came from behind.
Kaylin Fahy put SIUE on the scoreboard with her third home run of the season, a blast to left field in the bottom of the first inning.
Abby Harvell tied the game in the second on an RBI single.
After the Eagles regained the lead in the third, SIUE mounted its comeback with a single tally in the fifth on an RBI single by Fahy.
Limberger provided the game winner in the bottom of the sixth, a two-RBI single that allowed Betsy Woodward and Stairs to score.