Ohio Valley Conference

MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois celebrated senior day in a big way, pulling away late for an 11-3 run-rule victory over Lindenwood on Sunday afternoon at Mary Ellen McKee Stadium.

The Leathernecks (13-29, 8-15 OVC) struck first in the opening inning when Payton Brown lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Addie McLaughlin for the early 1-0 lead. After four scoreless frames, Lindenwood (25-22, 14-10 OVC) evened things up in the fifth, but Western Illinois immediately responded with a game-changing inning.

Western erupted for six runs in the bottom of the fifth. Sophia Sanchez drew a bases-loaded walk to give WIU the lead before Maria Luna delivered a two-RBI single down the left field line. Hannah Simpson and Alijah Williams followed with RBI hits, and another run crossed on a wild pitch to cap the six-run surge and make it 7-1.

The Lions scored two runs in the sixth, highlighted by a triple from Kylee Crowder, but the Leathernecks answered right back. Brown crushed a two-run home run to center, and RyLee German sealed the game with a two-RBI single to walk it off 11-3. 

Libby Spaulding earned the win, tossing four innings while allowing three runs on six hits. Kaitlyn Green got the start, throwing two scoreless innings.

Offensively, Western Illinois tallied nine hits and drew nine walks in the win. Brown led the way with three RBIs, while Luna and German each drove in two. Simpson added a multi-hit performance as well.

UT MARTIN 10, TENNESSEE TECH 6
UT MARTIN 7, TENNESSEE TECH 0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team completed its fourth series sweep of the season when it took both games of a doubleheader from Tennessee Tech, Sunday at Tech Softball Field in Cookeville. The Skyhawks used a monster sixth inning to win game one, 10-6, and followed that with a 7-0 shutout of the Golden Eagles in the finale.

The Skyhawks have now won six of eight OVC series this season, while playing only two games and splitting with league-leaders Eastern Illinois due to weather.

The Skyhawks were first on the board in the opening stanza of the game on a two-run home run from Avary Makarewicz, her 10th of the season, which leads the OVC. However, in the bottom half of the inning, Tennessee Tech took a 3-2 lead on a three-run home run from Ashley Capelouto, her eighth of the season. Capelouto tacked on another run for the Golden Eagles in the fifth on an RBI single to make it 4-2.

Down two runs in the top of the sixth, the Skyhawks reeled off eight runs on six hits and three Tennessee Tech errors to take a commanding 10-4 lead. Mikayli Harris hit a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh to pull the Golden Eagles within four, but it was not enough as UT Martin held on for the 10-6 win.

Karena Recrosio was 3-for-4 in the game with two runs, two RBIs and two doubles, while Makarewicz finished the game with a career-best four RBIs and two runs. Carly Ward went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, with Addie Roberts going 2-for-3 with an RBI, a double and a walk.

Joleanna Fox moved to 3-0 on the year as she tossed the final three innings of the game and gave up just two runs on three hits with a strikeout. Payton Harris also had a solid outing as she allowed just one run on four hits with three strikeouts over 3.2 innings of work.

In game two, the Skyhawks scattered seven runs across the second through fifth innings, while getting a complete game shutout from Natalie Kreuziger. In her second solo shutout of the season, Kreuziger (7-4) allowed no runs on just three hits and a walk, while striking out five over seven complete innings.

Offensively, Kennedy Bown was a perfect 3-for-3 in the game with two runs, an RBI, a double and a walk, while Karena Recrosio was 3-for-5 with two more doubles to give her four total in Sunday's doubleheader. Ava Scott was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two doubles of her own, while Jordyn Hustey was also 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a double.

The two wins Sunday give UT Martin 31 for the season, marking the second time in her three-year tenure that head coach Chelsea Farmer has guided the Skyhawks to 30 or more wins. It also marks just the second time since 2017 that UT Martin has won more than 30 games in a season. The Skyhawks can also finish the season no worse than third in the league and, as a result, have earned a bye into the double-elimination portion of next month's OVC Softball Championship in Peoria, Illinois.

EASTERN ILLINOIS 7, SOUTHERN INDIANA 4
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Eastern Illinois softball hit a pair of season milestones on Sunday with the Panthers 7-4 win over Southern Indiana giving them the weekend sweep at USI Softball Field.

With the win EIU improved to 30-20 overall, 20-3 in the OVC. It marked the fourth straight season EIU has won 30 or more games and third straight year EIU has picked up 20 or more conference wins. USI fell to 13-28 overall, 10-14 in the OVC.

The Panthers jumped out quickly to a 3-0 lead in the opening inning with Sophia Olman, Mo Hance and Marybeth Dyson all driving home runs.

Southern Indiana responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first taking advantage of a Panthers error to score four unearned runs. Jadyn Tinsley and Olivia Money had RBI before a big two-run single by Jordan Mackey put the Screaming Eagles in front.

Senior Bryanna French entered in relief for EIU and closed the first inning. French then held USI scoreless for the next six innings to pick up the win and improve to 9-6 on the season.

Olman drew a bases loaded walk in the fourth to tie the game before Abbi Hatton singled to right to give EIU the lead.

Lizzie Stiverson drove in an insurance run in the fifth with Alisha Frederick's RBI single in the seventh, scoring the final Panthers run. Stiverson and Lexie Griffin each had two hits to lead EIU.

Mackey and Alyssa Mumaw each had two hits for USI. Anna Kemp (4-11) suffered the loss in the circle.

SIUE 7, TENNESSEE STATE 5
NASHVILLE - SIUE softball swept its Ohio Valley Conference opponent of a three-game series for the fourth time this season, besting Tennessee State 7-5 Sunday.

With the victory, SIUE evened its overall record at 25-25 and improved to 16-8 in the OVC. Tennessee State dropped to 2-34 overall and 2-22 in the OVC. The Cougars currently sit in third place in the OVC and have locked up at least one of the top four seeds for the upcoming OVC Tournament in Peoria, Illinois.

SIUE previously has swept three-game OVC series against Tennessee Tech, Morehead State and Southern Indiana.

The Cougars close out the regular season this week with four games. SIUE travels to SIU Carbondale for a 6 p.m. nonconference battle with the Salukis. Next Friday and Saturday, SIUE welcomes Western Illinois for the final regular season OVC series.

Gretchen Trello led the Cougars Sunday with three hits and two RBIs. She collected  RBI hits in both the third and fourth innings.

SIUE scored in each of the first four innings. Ashley Duran opened the scoring in the first with a sacrifice fly. Aidyn Barrera's RBI single in the second put the Cougars ahead 2-0.

Two more runs came across in the third with Trello's RBI double followed immediately by another RBI double by Abby Harvell.

SIUE's biggest inning was the fourth. This time, it was Duncan and Trello with the RBI hits.

Avery Arwood earned her 10th win of the season, tossing 6 1/3 innings. Kiana Villa threw the final two outs for her first save of the season.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 9, MOREHEAD STATE 2
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8, MOREHEAD STATE 3
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Southeast Missouri (16-28, 12-10) scored 17 runs and had 27 hits in a 9-2, 8-3, doubleheader sweep of Morehead State (7-34, 6-17) Sunday.
 
In game one, the Redhawks belted a season-high 15 hits en route to ending a six-game losing skid.
 
Tied, 2-2, SEMO began to pull away with a four-run sixth inning surge.
 
With two outs, Lily Delmain singled to shallow center field and pinch runner Mary Tutwiler scored. Aubrie Shore followed with a triple down the right field line to bring in Delmain. 
 
Raigan Brannon then delivered the third-straight RBI-hit when she doubled home Shore. On the next play, Gracie Luna reached on a fielder's choice and Brannon scored from second base with the help of an error to put the Redhawks ahead, 6-2.
 
Sydney Miles singled up the middle and Brittany Affolter reached on a bunt single to start the top of the seventh. After Kamden Hutton grounded out to short, Madison Winkler crushed a three-run home run deep over the center field wall to polish off SEMO's 9-2 victory.
 
MSU scored the game's first run in the bottom of the second inning.
 
Addy Martinie gave SEMO its first lead on a two-out, two-RBI single that scored Shore and pinch runner Abby Robbins in the top of the third.
 
Sophie Collins singled home Sela Pickford to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Shore and Brannon led SEMO with three hits each. Shore went 3-for-5 with two runs and one RBI. She was a home run shy of the cycle. Brannon finished at 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and one RBI.
 
Winkler, Delmain, Miles and Affolter followed with two hits apiece.
 
Willow Van Haren (4-7) picked up the win in relief. Van Haren allowed just one run on three hits, struck out four and walked one in four innings.
 
Ainsley Stubbs (7-12) suffered the loss. Stubbs gave up nine runs on 14 hits, walked four and struck out four in 6.1 frames.
 
Affolter hit a three-run home run in the top of the second inning to get the Redhawks going in the nightcap. 
 
SEMO tacked on four more runs when it loaded the bases in the third.
 
Miles walked in a run and Kaylyn Yamnitz touched home on a wild pitch before Hutton knocked in Luna on a single to left center. Winkler was then hit by a pitch and Miles scored.
 
Luna came up in the fourth inning and launched a solo home run over the left field wall to push the Redhawks lead to 8-0.
 
MSU managed to get a run in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the sixth inning.
 
Hutton went 3-for-5 with one RBI at the top of SEMO's lineup, while Brannon and Luna added two hits each. Luna scored three runs, as well.
 
Elliott Stinson (4-7) earned the win. Stinson worked six innings, where she struck out five, walked one and gave up three runs on six hits.
 
Rylie Burney (0-8) remained winless after allowing seven runs on six hits and walking three in just two innings.