GAME 12: SIUE 8, Tennessee State 3
GAME 13: Tennessee State 9, SIUE 6
RECORDS: TSU (5-8, 1-4), SIUE (1-9, 1-4)
FIELD: Tiger Field
LOCATION: Nashville, Tenn.
WEATHER: Cloudy, 73; Cloudy 67
NASHVILLE --- Tennessee State used a late two-out rally in game two of its Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader on Thursday evening to earn a split with SIUE. The Tigers scored seven runs in the sixth inning to claim a 9-6 win in the night cap after dropping the opener 8-3.
The Cougars built a five run lead after three and a half innings off starter
Lauren Powell. The Tigers started to chip away at the lead with a run in the fourth and the fifth.
Francys King relieved Powell in the fourth and held SIUE scoreless for the next three innings, giving the offense a chance.
After the first two batters were retired to start the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers loaded the bases on three consecutive walks to
Meaghan Lewis, pinch hitter
Analeigh Coursey and Anaya Baker-Rowell.
Bri Vire would make the Cougars pay with a double to left center to chase home Lewis and Coursey to move the Tigers to within one, 5-4.
Renae Spears earned a walk to reload the bases in front of
Savanah Wallace, who dropped a single into centerfield to bring home Baker and Vire, giving TSU the 6-5 lead.
Kennedy McCurry and
Kayli Mothershed each earned walks, with the second bringing home Spears.
Peyton Fointno and Lewis added one run singles to up the score to 9-5.
In all, the Tigers sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring seven runs on four hits and six walks.
King allowed a solo home run in the seventh, but struck out the final batter of the game to gain her first collegiate win.
In game one, the Cougars jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings off starter
Raven Loveless. The junior pitcher would settle in through the middle inning as Spears ripped a double and scored on a Wallace single in the fourth to make the score 3-1.
An inning later, TSU evened the score at 3-3 with a Spears RBI single and another off a Cougar miscue.
A Tiger error in the top of the sixth led to three unearned runs, allowing SIUE to regain the lead at 6-3. The Cougars added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh to solidify the win.
GAME 1
- SIUE scored a run in the first and two in the second for the early 3-0 lead.
- Renae Spears led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a double to right center.
- Two batters later, Savanah Wallace drove a ball into center to chase home Spears.
- In the fifth, Spears came through with an RBI single with two runners on base.
- The Tigers tied the game at 3-3 a batter later as Kayli Mothershed reached on a Cougar error.
- SIUE answered in the next frame as they made TSU pay for a pair of errors.
- The Cougars went on to score three unearned runs off starter Raven Loveless to regain the lead, 6-3.
- SIUE added two more runs in the seventh, one unearned, off Loveless before she was lifted.
- Francys King came in to face the final three batters, fanning two.
- Loveless fell to 2-5 after surrendering eight runs, three earned, off 10 hits and three walks, while striking out one.
- Spears and Wallace led the way with two hits apiece.
GAME 2
- The Cougars started fast with a run in the second, three in the third and one in the fourth off Lauren Powell.
- King entered with no outs and a runner on second in the fourth.
- The freshman retired the next three batters without giving up a run.
- In the bottom of the frame, Wallace reached on a fielder's choice and stole second to move into scoring position.
- Four batters later, Meaghan Lewis singled to the shortstop allowing Wallace to score and put the Tigers on the board, 5-1.
- In the fifth, Anayah Baker-Rowell tripled to left center to open the inning.
- Bri Vire followed with a bunt single which gave Baker the chance to break home to get the Tigers closer.
- In the sixth, the Tigers found themselves down to their final out with no runners on base.
- Lewis, pinch hitter Analeigh Coursey and Baker earned walks to load the bases.
- Vire came through with a double to left center to bring home Lewis and Coursey to cut the lead to one, 5-4.
- Spears walked to reload the bases for Wallace.
- The senior singled to center which plated two runs to give the Tigers their first lead during OVC play.
- Kennedy McCurry walked, forcing the Cougars to change pitchers for the third time in the inning.
- The new SIUE pitcher, who had started the frame, threw three warmup pitches which is not permissible for a hurler who had thrown in the same inning.
- The three warmup pitches were credited to Kayli Mothershed as a 3-0 count to start the at bat.
- Mothershed was walked on the first pitch she saw in her second plate appearance in the inning.
- The walk drove in another run to put the Tigers ahead 7-5.
- TSU increased its advantage with a pair of RBI singles by Peyton Fointno and Lewis.
- The lone run King would give up came in the seventh before the first-year caught the final batter looking at the final strike of the game.
- King (1-0) worked the final four innings and was touched for one run on four hits, while striking out four.
- Vire, Fointno and Lewis each collected two hits.
UP NEXT:
The Tigers will face SIUE at 11:00 a.m. on Friday morning to close out the Ohio Valley Conference series.
NOTES:
- The Tigers wore their blue jerseys, white pants and blue socks.
- Francys King earned her first career win in the night cap.
- King struck out her first batter in the opener.
- Anayah Baker-Rowell singled in game one and registered a hit and two walks in game two, extending her reaching base streak to 12.
- Lauren Powell tossed three innings in game two increasing her career innings total to 437.3.
- Powell moved into second all time at TSU, passing Teresa Onry (1995-98) who finished with 436.3.
- The start was the 71st for Powell which is third in the TSU record books.
- The redshirt senior also made her 105th appearance in the circle, moving into third at Tennessee State.
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