PHOTO GALLERY
WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
#3 Eastern Illinois 6, #6 UT Martin 4
#2 SIUE 1, #7 Tennessee Tech 0
#4 Murray State 7, #5 Eastern Kentucky 6
#1 Jacksonville State 2, #8 Morehead State 0
EASTERN ILLINOIS 6, UT MARTIN 4
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Third-seeded Eastern Illinois defeated No. 6 UT Martin in the first game of the OVC Softball Championship. The Panthers will play the winner of the SIUE/Tennessee Tech game at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday while the Skyhawks play the loser at 10 a.m. CT.
EIU plated three runs in the second and the fourth to secure the win. Ashleigh Westover drove in the Panthers first run of the game and would later score. EIU would add one more run in the inning to make it 3-0.
UT Martin cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the second as the Skyhawks scored on a pair of EIU errors.
Eastern Illinois' Carly Willert hit a three-run shot in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 6-2.
The Skyhawks added a pair of runs in the top of th seventh. Casey Vincent took the lose for UT Martin, striking out a pair of batters in 3.2 innings of work.
Deven Wilson and Stephanie Nidiffer led the Skyhawks with a pair of hits each.
Willert recorded three hits and drove in three runs to pace the Panthers. Hanna Mennenga picked up her 20th win of the season as she came on in relief to strike out seven in 4.1 innings of work.
SIUE 1, TENNESSEE TECH 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Second-seeded SIUE defeated No. Tennessee Tech in the OVC Softball Championship. The Cougars will face No. 3 Eastern Illinois at 12:30 p.m. CT on Thursday while the Golden Eagles will face No. 6 UT Martin at 10 a.m. CT
SIUE's Chelsea Yankolovich scored the games lone run as she hit her second home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Cougars Haley Chambers earned her 16th win of the season as she allowed just two hits and struck out seven in the complete game shutout.
Tennessee Tech's Danielle Liberatore suffered the loss, giving up just one run and striking out a pair.
MURRAY STATE 7, EASTERN KENTUCKY 6
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Fourth-seeded Murray State used a six-run sixth inning to defeat No. 5 Eastern Kentucky in the OVC Softball Championship. The Racers will play the winner of the Morehead State/Jacksonville State game tomorrow at 3 p.m. CT while the Colonels will face the loser at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Eastern Kentucky scored the first run of the game in the top of the second. The Racers would answer as Jessica Twaddle hit her fourth home run of the season.
The Colonels regained the lead as they plated five runs in the top of the fourth. After a scoreless fifth inning, the Racers took the lead as they scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Twaddle and Casey Castile each had two hits to lead the Racers. Twaddle also scored twice and drove in a run while Castile recorded a pair of RBI.
For Eastern Kentucky, Christina Ciolek and Lauren Mitchell each had two RBI and two hits in the game.
Murray State's CheyAnne Gaskey came on in relief to pick up her 14th win of the season. Gaskey gave up a pair of runs in 4.0 innings of work.
EKU's Leanna Pittsenbarger struck out six in the loss.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 2, MOREHEAD STATE 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Top-seeded Jacksonville State defeated No. 8 Morehead State, 2-0 in the OVC Softball Championship. The Gamcocks will face No. 4 Murray State on Thursday at 3 p.m. CT while the Eagles will play No. 5 Eastern Kentucky at 5:30 p.m. CT.
The Gamecocks got on the board in the bottom of the third with a home run from Ella Denes. The score would remain 1-0 until Cady Oliver added an insurance run for JSU in the bottom of the sixth with her sixth home run of the season.
Tiffany Harbin picked up her 18th win of the season, striking out 12 batters for the complete game shutout.
Tanna Seuferer was charged with the loss for the Eagles. Katie Raile lead Morehead State with a pair of hits in the game.