GAME ONE BOX SCORE (HTML | PDF)
GAME TWO BOX SCORE (HTML | PDF)
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Freshman
Amber Riddle was the hero in extra innings in the first game, but mental mistakes in the form of four errors cost Morehead State softball in game two as the Eagles split an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Tennessee State Saturday afternoon at Tiger Field.
MSU won game one 5-3 in nine innings, but struggled early in game two, falling 10-4. The Eagles moved to 10-12 overall and 3-1 in OVC play. The Tigers are now 2-2 in the OVC and 7-14 overall.
Riddle, a local Rowan County High School product, was 1-for-5 on the day, but her one hit was crucial. After the teams had traded a single run in the extra-inning eighth,
Courtney Seiler reached on a one-out walk in the ninth. Riddle stepped in with two outs and lifted a home run over the right-centerfield fence, giving the Eagles a two-run lead in the ninth. MSU starter
Alex Gjevre then struck out the side for the Tennessee ninth to secure the win.
The Eagles scored twice in the fifth to negate two early runs by TSU, one in the first and one in the third.
Kayla Ashbrook, who reached on a lead-off walk in the fifth, scored MSU’s first run when
Elizabeth Wagner hit a bases-loaded single.
Rebecca Butler reached on fielder’s choice, pushing home Anna Sommer, who had also reached on a walk.
The teams were scoreless until
Sam Woodall scored in the eighth for the Eagles on a single by
Bethany Ellis. TSU equaled the potential game winner in the bottom of the inning however, when Natalie Papini scored on a Christy Hill double, paving the way for Riddle’s ninth inning heroics.
Gjevre allowed eight hits and three runs, all earned with 12 strikeouts to earn her fifth victory of the season. Butler and Wagner each had two hits to lead the Morehead offense. Megan Hendrick took the loss for the Tigers, allowing two runs on one hit in one and two-thirds innings of work.
Morehead State scored first in game two, notching a first-inning run when Riddle singled and scored
Kayla Brill. But Tennessee State responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, two of which came on an RBI-double by Caitlin Eaton. The Tigers added one more run in the bottom of the second inning.
MSU cut into the lead with two runs in the top of the third inning, the first coming on a one-out solo homer by Riddle, the second on a Sommer sacrifice bunt that scored pinch-runner
Taylor Sherritt that cut the TSU lead to 5-3.
The Tigers made things tough for Morehead in the sixth however, taking advantage of two Eagle errors to post five runs, all of which were unearned. Trailing 10-3 entering the seventh, MSU scored one run on a two-out Seiler RBI triple that pushed across
Sam Sparks, Morehead’s only run in the seventh.
Sarah Funston (5-4) took the loss for MSU, allowing eight runs, four earned on seven hits with six strikeouts in five and one-third innings of work. Hendrick avenged the game one loss by picking up the victory, allowing just one run on four hits in four and two-thirds innings.
Riddle and Seiler each went 2-for-4 to lead MSU with Riddle collecting two RBI. Eaton had three hits for the Tigers.
The Eagles will close out the series at TSU Sunday at 2 p.m. EDT before hosting a doubleheader against rival Eastern Kentucky Tuesday at MSU Softball Field with first pitch set for 2 p.m. EDT
