SEC Softball Schedule (3/29/17): Game times, TV channels, online streaming info

Leading Off...

Everything went about as expected for the teams of the SEC as each one that played picked up at least one win.

The Tennessee Volunteers swept their doubleheader against Liberty. The 19th-ranked Vols outscored the Flames 12-1 and pitched a 6-0 shutout in the second half of it. In Game 1, Brooke Vines picked up a double and three RBI as she increased her totals to nine and 34 in those respective aspects. Meghan Gregg posted her team-leading 46th RBI and Jenna Holcomb and Savannah Huffstetler were credited with the other two runs. Matty Moss meanwhile threw six innings, allowed one run, struck out four and allowed zero extra-base hits.

In Game 2, Tennessee tacked on two runs in the first inning thanks to a double by Gregg and a sac fly by Vines. In the third, Gregg was at it again as she laced a single to left that scored Holcomb to bring their lead to 3-0. Two innings later, the Vols put up a three-spot after a throwing error. Gregg, Holcomb and Aubrey Leach all scored following the error. Kelsey Morrison was on the mound for Tennessee and recorded her first-ever complete game shutout with six strikeouts and just two hits allowed.

9th-ranked Alabama handled their business, defeating Kent State 5-3. The Tide faced a 1-0 deficit in the first inning but responded with three straight runs in the first and second innings. Claire Jenkins was credited with a two-RBI single that plated Chandler Dare and Demi Turner home. The ensuing inning saw Turner hit an RBI single to bring Elissa Brown home.

Kent State tied the game in the third inning and the two teams would be locked up until the sixth. In that frame, it was Mari Cranek who would break the tie with a leadoff home run, her first of the season. Sydney Booker brought Gabby Callaway home later in the inning for much-needed insurance with an RBI single.

10th-ranked LSU would go on to blow out UL Monroe, run-ruling them 9-1. They got the fun started early despite trailing 1-0 in the first inning. A sac fly by Allie Walljasper brought home the first of four runs that were brought home in the inning. Constance Quinn tacked on two more runs with a double that brought Sahvanna Jaquish and Sydney Springfield in to score. A triple by Amber Serrett brought Quinn home right after and pushed the Bayou Bengals’ lead up to 4-1. A double by Jaquish added another run in the ensuing inning as she brought Emily Griggs home on the XBH.

The bottom of the fifth would prove to be the last inning for LSU as they jumped all over the Hawks, scoring four more runs to put the game out of reach. Taylor Satchell hit a single that brought Sydney Loupe home, and then Aliyah Andrews hit an RBI single that brought Serrett in. Two batters later after the bases were loaded, star Bailey Landry drew a walk to bring in the eighth run, and a walk drawn by the next batter in Jaquish was the final play of the game. Maribeth Gorsuch allowed only one earned run and three hits in 5 innings, and while she issued three walks, no Hawk hitter recorded an XBH against her.

South Carolina meanwhile shut Furman out 8-0 in five innings of work. The Gamecocks scored two in the second, one in the third, two more in the fourth and three more in the fifth and final inning as Furman was simply outmatched. A two-run homer by Taylor Williams got the scoring started for the Gamecocks, as she recorded her third long ball of the year. An inning later, Mackenzie Boesel got in on the fun as she drilled her sixth homer of the season, this one of the solo variety. The following inning saw the Gamecocks small ball their way to two runs. Lauren Stewart laid down a sacrifice bunt that brought Jordyn Augustus home, and two batter slater, Kamryn Watts hit a sac groundout that saw Tiara Duffy score.

In the fifth and final inning, with runners on second and third, Krystan White hit a sacrifice fly that scored the aforementioned Boesel. Augustus then drove a double to left centerfield that scored Kennedy Clark, and Tiara Duffy capped off the game with an RBI single thanks to reaching safely on a bunt. Jessica Elliott allowed just one hit in five innings, struck out nine and issued three walks while gaining the win and trimming her ERA down to 3.01.

Finally, Mississippi State had to rally to defeat Southern Miss. Trailing 2-0 in the seventh inning, they pieced together a sequence that wound up giving them a lead they would not relinquish. With the bases loaded, Calyn Adams drew a walk that scored Amanda Ivy. Then, Reggie Harrison hit a single that brought Kat Moore and Bevia Robinson in for the tying and go-ahead runs. With Alexis Silkwood having pitched the first 5.2 innings, Cassady Knudsen had to come in for relief. She proceeded to lock things down, allowing no runs in her innings of work, and capped the game off by striking out the side.

Today we find ourselves with another slate that again should feature some gimmes.

22-6 Kentucky will be facing off with Northern Kentucky in the first game of the day at 4 p.m. Then, the 29-2 Florida Gators, who lead the SEC at the moment, take the field against Bethune-Cookman, this coming after the controversy that took place earlier this week with Auburn’s Haley Fagan.

16th-ranked Georgia will be squaring off with Georgia Southern, 5th-ranked Texas A&M takes on Texas State and Mississippi State is back in action against Mississippi Valley State.

The lone road game of the day sees Ole Miss going to Alabama to face off with Jacksonville State.

Mizzou and Wichita State were originally supposed to play, but their series was postponed until May.