Southeast Missouri (9-13, 2-1 OVC) at Eastern Kentucky (6-12, 0-0 OVC)

Dates: Saturday-Sunday, March 17-18, 2012
Series Schedule: Mar. 17 - Noon, CT (DH); Mar. 18 - Noon, CT
Location: Richmond, Ky.
Site: Gertrude Hood Field
Series Record: Southeast leads, 28-27 (since Redhawks moved to Division I)
Coaches: Lana Richmond (842-626-2 overall, 264-167 OVC, 30th Season); Jane Worthington (514-509 overall, 20th Season)

Media Coverage
Live Stats: EKUSports.com
Webcast: OVCSports.tv

Redhawk Softball Notebook

Redhawks Heating Up
Southeast Missouri enters this weekend's series with momentum after winning five of its last seven games. The Redhawks went 3-1 during the midweek, posting their first doubleheader sweep this season at Indiana State (Mar. 14) and splitting a pair of games at Evansville (Mar. 15). Southeast saw a season-long four-game winning streak come to an end in its 5-4 loss to the Purple Aces Thursday.

Road Warriors
Southeast is in the midst of a nine-game road trip. The Redhawks, who are on their spring break, visited Missouri Valley Conference opponents Indiana State (Mar. 14) and Evansville (Mar. 15) during the midweek. Southeast will play at Eastern Kentucky this weekend before heading to UT Martin for a doubleheader on Mar. 21. The Redhawks play 24 of their first 27 games away from home this season.

Series History
The Redhawks hold a 28-27 edge in their all-time series against Eastern Kentucky since joining the NCAA Division I ranks. The Colonels have won four of the last six meetings between these teams. Southeast has not won a series in Richmond since 2001.

Richmond Closing in on 850 Career Wins
Lana Richmond is closing in on 850 career wins in her 30th season as Southeast's head coach. Richmond, who has coached in a total of 1,470 games, holds an overall record of 842-626-2. She has also won 264 Ohio Valley Conference games, leading the Redhawks to OVC Tournament titles in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, and OVC regular-season crowns in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. Richmond currently ranks 14th in victories among all NCAA Division I head softball coaches.

Redhawks Earn First Shutout
Southeast blanked an opponent for the first time in 22 games this season when it beat Indiana State, 4-0, on Mar. 14. The Redhawks scored 13 unearned runs on a combined 11 errors in their doubleheader sweep of the Sycamores. Indiana State had seven errors in the first game alone. That win snapped Southeast's nine-game losing skid away from home this year.

Marble Deals Wins
Sophomore Alora Marble has won in each of her last three pitching appearances. Marble, after picking up a relief win in Southeast's series finale against Morehead State (Mar. 11), posted complete game victories in back-to-back starts. She matched a career-high eight strikeouts in a four-hit shutout against Indiana State (Mar. 14). A day later, Marble allowed only one run and struck out four in seven innings at Evansville. Marble is now 5-5 in 14 appearances and nine starts this season. She has recorded 23 victories in two years at Southeast.

RBI Machine
Senior shortstop Renee Kertz is on the verge of cracking Southeast's top-five career leaders in runs batted in. Kertz, who leads the Redhawks with 17 RBI, currently has 104 in her career. She needs four more RBI to tie Jenny Oermann (108, 1996-99) for the fifth-place spot. Michelle Summers holds the school's all-time career RBI record with 132 from 2005-08. Kertz is also fourth in career walks (73) at Southeast.

Gipson Enters Weekend on Eight-Game Hitting Streak
Outfielder Cheyenne Gipson, who leads Southeast with a .359 batting average this season, enters the weekend on a season-long eight-game hitting streak. Gipson is two games away from matching her career-long 10-game hitting streak which stretched over the first 10 contests of 2011.

Southeast vs. Eastern Kentucky in 2011
Eastern Kentucky and Southeast hooked up in Cape Girardeau for the final series of the 2011 regular-season on May 7-8. The Colones, after dropping game one, 5-1, rallied to win the final two contests and take the series. The Redhawks went on to go 4-2 at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, forcing a winner-take-all game with Jacksonville State, which Southeast lost.

On Deck
The Redhawks continue Ohio Valley Conference play at UT Martin on Mar. 21. Southeast and UT Martin will play a doubleheader at 3 p.m., CT.