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Box Score 2 NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The SIUE softball team continued its winning ways in Ohio Valley Conference play Friday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader at Tennessee State.
The Cougars (22-19, 14-3 OVC) defeated the Tigers 4-2 in the first game of the day before prevailing 2-1 in game two. SIUE has now won a season-high five straight games in conference play.
"At this time of the year, you're just concerned with getting the job done and we did that today," Head Coach Sandy Montgomery said. "We didn't hit exceptionally well but we got two wins and that's what counts."
SIUE secured the sweep behind a pair of impressive outings by the starting pitcher in both games of Friday's doubleheader.
In game one, sophomore Haley Chambers earned her 13th win of the season by limiting the Tigers to two runs on three hits while striking out 10 batters. It was Chambers' fourth consecutive start in which she's posted double-digit strikeouts.
At the plate, the Cougars got out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning, as Whitney Lanphier scored on a wild pitch before Brittany Toney delivered an RBI single to score Christian Harryman.
After Rebecca Gray scored in the top of the fifth to increase the visitors' lead to 3-0, the Tigers responded with two runs of their own in the next half inning to cut SIUE's advantage to 3-2.
Jordan LaFave would tack on an insurance run, however, singling to left center field in the top of the seventh to score Chelsea Yankolovich.
"Their pitchers had more movement than we were expecting," Yankolovich said. "We did a good job of taking what they gave us and getting runs any way we could."
In game two, freshman Alexis Robison-Kohrs shined in her first career start for SIUE. Kohrs allowed one unearned run on two hits while recording a pair of strikeouts.
"I was very happy for Alexis," Montgomery said. "She pitched well and handled their lineup throughout the game. She had great command and threw with a lot of confidence today."
The Cougars scored a run in both the second and third innings, capitalizing on some defensive miscues by the Tigers.
Rachel Coonrod reached on a fielding error in the second inning allowing Chambers to score, before Yankolovich advanced home on a passed ball in the top of the third.
Lindsey Burgess would score a run for the hosts in the bottom half of the third, but that's all they'd get against Kohrs, who needed only 73 pitches to get through seven innings of work.
SIUE will be back in action Saturday with a doubleheader at Belmont. Game one is scheduled to begin at noon at Rose Park.
"We have to be able to execute better," Montgomery added. "We did a lot of things well today and you're always happy when you win, but we still have some work to do."
