May 2, 2007

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Senior center fielder Lindsay Pickering (St. Charles, Mo./St. Charles West HS) posted a 2-for-4 hitting day with a triple and an RBI in the final home game of her collegiate career as Southeast Missouri State handed visiting Eastern Illinois a 5-2 loss in its Ohio Valley Conference home finale Wednesday at the Southeast Softball Complex. The Redhawks improve to 18-28 (9-15) with the win, while the Panthers fall to 22-29 (8-14) on the year.

After a pair of scoreless innings, Eastern Illinois captured a 2-0 in the third inning. Junior Ashley Robison led off the inning with a single and scored three plays later on a single from freshman Lauren Brackett to left field off Southeast starting pitcher Elaine Fisher (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell North). Brackett later scored on a wild pitch before the Redhawks recorded the third out.

A three-run homer from junior third baseman Michelle Summers (Glendale, Calif./Hoover) in the fourth inning to give Southeast a 3-2 advantage. Junior right fielder Katie Otterness (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates) and freshman catcher Alex Ramirez (Corona, Calif./El Modena) also scored on the play.

The Redhawks added a pair of runs in the sixth inning on a RBI singles from freshman first baseman Stacia Dopudja (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) and Pickering to conclude the scoring, while Fisher only faced four batters in the seventh inning to secure the win for the home team.

Fisher (13-19) got a complete-game victory for Southeast by allowing two runs on eight hits, while tallying five strikeouts and one walk.

Eastern Illinois was led by Robison's 2-for-3 offensive effort. Sophomore Kathleen Jacoby (9-14) gave up three runs on four hits in three and two-third innings to take the loss for the Panthers.

Southeast concludes the regular season in Kentucky this weekend with a three-game OVC series at Morehead State, beginning with a doubleheader this Saturday starting at 12 Noon.