This Week's Games
MONDAY, MARCH 27
Eastern Kentucky at
Murray State* (2) - 11 a.m.
TUESDAY, MARCH 28
Morehead State at Marshall - 2 p.m.
Alabama State at
Jacksonville State - 5 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29
Austin Peay at Memphis (2) - 3 p.m.
SIUE at Southern Illinois - 3 p.m.
Middle Tennessee at
UT Martin - 4 p.m.
Ole Miss at
Jacksonville State - 5 p.m.
Chattanooga at
Tennessee State - 5 p.m.
Tennessee Tech at Lipscomb - 5 p.m.
Murray State at Western Kentucky - 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 1
Eastern Kentucky at
Belmont* (2) - 12 p.m.
Austin Peay at
Tennessee Tech* (2) - 1 p.m.
Murray State at
Jacksonville State* (2) - 1 p.m.
Eastern Illinois at
Southeast Missouri *(2) - 1 p.m.
Morehead State at
Tennessee State* (2) - 1 p.m.
UT Martin at
SIUE* (2) - 1 p.m.
All times central
* - OVC game
adidas® OVC Players of the Week - March 27
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Allison Rager, INF, So, 5-8, Elk View, W.Va. - Morehead State
Rager finished the week with a .467 batting average with seven hits in 15 at-bats. She three home runs last week, including a two-run home run and a grand slam in the 11-0 win over Austin Peay. With the two home runs and six runs batted, she set single game career-highs.
Others Nominated: Danielle Liermann, Austin Peay; Amber Toenyes, Eastern Illinois; Mia Sanchez, Eastern Kentucky; Jamie McGuire, Jacksonville State; Jessica Twaddle, Murray State; Alyssa Heren, SIUE; Jodie Duncan, UT Martin
PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Haley Chambers-Book, LHP, R-Sr., 5-7, Coatesville, Ind. - SIUE
Chambers-Book tossed her fifth career no-hitter against Tennessee State with an 18-strikeout effort. She went 6 1/3 innings with a perfect game against Kansas. Chambers-Book struck out 32 batters in 21 innings picked. She lowered her season ERA to 1.63 and now has 150 strikeouts and 14 complete games for the season.
Others Nominated: Autumn Hanners, Austin Peay; Brooklin Lee, Belmont; Mollie Paulick, Eastern Kentucky; Whitney Gillespie, Jacksonville State
2017 OVC Softball Team Notes
AUSTIN PEAY (11-17 overall, 1-3 OVC): Austin Peay swept a doubleheader with Samford before splitting a twinbill with Morehead State and dropping a pair to Eastern Kentucky. With its 11 wins, the Govs have already surpassed their win total from the last two seasons. Sophomore Danielle Liermann had two multi-hit games with four of her six overall hits being extra-base hits. She had a .889 slugging percentage. Senior Autumn Hanners picked up the win in the circle versus Morehead State. She went 1-1 with a 1.08 ERA and three strikeouts last week. With its nine home runs last week, the Govs have 30 homers in 28 games this year, which is one more than they had for the entire 2016 season. Austin Peay will travel to Memphis for a pair of games on Wednesday and to Tennessee Tech for a doubleheader on Saturday.
BELMONT (25-8 overall, 2-2 OVC): Belmont defeated Memphis before splitting doubleheaders with Eastern Illinois and SIUE last week. The Bruins hit the 25-win mark for the first times since 1999. Freshman Brooklin Lee went 2-1 in the circle last week. She earned the complete game victory in the 11-inning game against Memphis. She finished the week with a 1.75 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 24.0 innings of work. The Bruins will host a doubleheader with Eastern Kentucky on Saturday.
EASTERN ILLINOIS (17-15 overall, 3-1 OVC): Eastern Illinois split a doubleheader with Belmont before picking up a pair of wins over Tennessee State. Senior Amber Toenyes led the Panthers with seven RBI over the four games. She hit .417 last week with three runs, one home run and her first career triple. The Panthers will travel to Southeast Missouri for a doubleheader on Saturday.
EASTERN KENTUCKY (13-16 overall, 2-0 OVC): Eastern Kentucky swept a doubleheader with Austin Peay last week. Freshman Mia Sanchez hit .635 with five hits, including a home run. She scored three runs and drove in one. Freshman Mollie Paulick picked up the win in the circle in the nightcap versus Austin Peay. She allowed just one hit and struck out 11 in the complete game. The Colonels will travel to Murray State on Monday and Belmont on Saturday.
JACKSONVILLE STATE (21-9 overall, 3-1 OVC): Jacksonville State defeated Alabama A&M, split a doubleheader with UT Martin and swept a twinbill with Southeast Missouri. With the first win over UT Martin, the Gamecocks extended the longest conference winning streak in the OVC with and school history to 31 games, before having it snapped in the next game versus the Skyhawks. Senior Jamie McGuire hit .750 with three runs, two home runs and four RBI. She was retired just three times in 18 plate appearances, recording a hit in all five games and notching three multi-hit games. She posted a 1.250 slugging percentage and a .833 on-base percentage. Junior Whitney Gillespie tossed 18 shutout innings for JSU and recorded three wins, limiting opponentes to just nine hits, all singles. She struck out 13, including seven in the shutout of UT Martin. Jacksonville State will host Alabama State on Tuesday, Ole Miss on Wednesday and Murray State on Saturday.
MOREHEAD STATE (18-9 overall, 2-2 OVC): Morehead State swept a twinbill with Alderson Broaddus before splitting doubleheaders with Austin Peay and Murray State last week. Sophomore Allison Rager hit .467 over the six games, including hitting three home runs. In the win over Austin Peay she set single game career highs with two home runs and six RBI. Junior Chelsea McManaway went 2-1 with two shutouts and a 2.10 ERA last week. She struck out 34 batters while walking just seven in 16.2 innings of work. The Eagles will travel to Marshall on Tuesday before traveling to Tennessee State on Saturday.
MURRAY STATE (24-9 overall, 1-1 OVC): Murray State dropped a pair of games at Cal State Northridge before splitting a doubleheader with Morehead State. Senior Jessica Twaddle went 4-for-8 over the four games with a run, four RBI and a home run. In the doubleheader with the Eagles, Twaddle was perfect at the plate by going 3-for-3 with a RBI and two walks. The Racers will host a doubleheader with Eastern Kentucky before traveling to Western Kentucky on Wednesday and Jacksonville State on Saturday.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI (15-14 overall, 0-4 OVC): Southeast Missouri dropped a pair of doubleheaders last week, falling to Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State. The Redhawks will be back in action on Saturday when it hosts Eastern Illinois for a doubleheader on Saturday.
SIUE (25-6 overall, 3-1 OVC): SIUE defeated Kansas before sweeping a doubleheader with Tennessee State and splitting a pair with Belmont last week. Sophomore Alyssa Heren hit a home run and went 4-for-4 in the win over Kentucky. Senior pitcher Haley Chambers-Book tossed her fifth career no-hitter against Tennessee State, striking out 18. She also went 6 1/3 innings with a perfect game against Kansas. She struck out 32 batters in 21 innings pitched. She now has 873 career strikeouts. Allison Smiley needs just one more RBI to become the 21st player with 100 or more career RBIs. The Cougars will travel to Southern Illinois on Wednesday before hosting UT Martin on Saturday.
TENNESSEE STATE (8-19 overall, 0-4 OVC): Tennessee State defeated Middle Tennessee before dropping doubleheaders to SIUE and Eastern Illinois last week. Senior Lauren Woodard earned a complete game win versus Middle Tennessee. She gave up just two runs in 18.2 innings of work. Courtney Gearlds became the all-time leader in TSU after being hit by a pitch for the 35th and 36th time over the week. TSU will host Chattanooga on Wednesday and Morehead State on Saturday.
TENNESSEE TECH (9-19 overall, 2-2 OVC): Tennessee Tech swept Southeast Missouri before dropping a pair to UT Martin last week. Danielle Liberatore recorded her season-high strikeout total of 16 against Southeast Missouri, while also recording her first save of the season. Aalia Bivens hit two home runs while Reagan Sparks and Bayli Cruse also went yard as the Golden Eagles increased their home run total for the season to 34. Tennessee Tech will travel to Lipscomb on Wednesday before hosting Austin Peay on Saturday
UT MARTIN (23-8 overall, 3-1 OVC): UT Martin split a doubleheader with Jacksonville State before sweeping a twinbill with Tennessee Tech. Junior Jodie Duncan tallied a team-high seven hits on 12 at-bats. She scored four runs over the weekend while drawing two walks. Senior Brooke Kennedy went 2-0 last week with one save. She struck out seven in 15.1 innings of work. UT Martin will host Middle Tennessee on Wednesday before traveling to SIUE.