Southeast Missouri (12-17, 5-5 OVC) vs. UT Martin (20-12, 9-2 OVC)
Dates: Thursday, March 29, 2012
Series Schedule: Mar. 29 - 5 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Site: Southeast Softball Complex
Head Coaches: Lana Richmond (845-630-2 overall, 267-169 OVC, 30th season); Donley Canary (345-253-1, 10th season)
 
Media Coverage
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
 
Redhawk Softball Notebook
Redhawks End Homestand
The Redhawks close their four-game homestand on Thursday in a mid-week game against OVC foe, UT Martin. The Redhawks and Skyhawks went head-to-head on Mar. 21 in Martin, Tenn. when the Skyhawks swept the Redhawks in the doubleheader, 4-5, 1-2.The Redhawks look to avoid the series sweep on Thursday.
 
Scouting the Skyhawks
UT Martin is currently tied for first place in the OVC with Jacksonville State. Since Southeast traveled to Martin, the Skyhawks lost a weekend series against OVC foe Murray State. Murray delivered the Skyhawks their first conference losses of the season in the doubleheader sweep on Saturday (Mar. 24), 4-1, 3-2, before falling to UT Martin in Sunday's game, 4-2. The Skyahawks come to Cape after defeating Belmont, 3-1 on Tuesday. Leah Taylor leads the Skyhawks and the OVC with a .427 batting avg. She also leads the league in hits (47), runs scored (31), triples (8), tied for first in total bases (80), and ranks second in stolen bases (17).  She went 0-for-4 against Belmont on Tuesday. Chelsea Jones leads the Skyhawk pitching staff with a 13-4 record. Jones leads the league in wins (13), innings pitched (123.2), complete games (16), and rankes second in strikoutes with 104.
 
Countdown to 850
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 1,477 games, holds an overall record of 845-630-2. She has also won 267 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.
 
Close Call
Three of Southeast's first 10 Ohio Valley Conference games have gone extra innings. The Redhawks have fallen by no more than two runs in each of their five conference losses this year.

Marble Takes Charge
Sophomore Alora Marble has won in four of her last seven 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. She is 6-8 with a team-best 3.42 ERA, limiting opponents to a .295 batting average.
 
RBI Machines
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 19 RBI, currently has 106 in her career. She needs two more to tie Jenny Oermann (108, 1996-99) for the fifth-place spot. Michelle Summers (2005-08) holds the school's all-time career RBI record with 132. Kertz is also fourth in career walks (73) at Southeast. Freshman Lindsey Patterson is right behind Kertz with 18 RBI in her rookie season with the Redhawks.
 
Southeast vs. UT Martin in 2011
The Skyhawks and Redhawks went head-to-head last season for two games in Cape and a single game in Martin. The Skyhawks, after dropping game one, 5-4, rallied to win the final two contests and take the series in 2011.
 
What's on Tap
Southeast tavels to Tennessee Tech this weekend to take on the Golden Eagles in a three-game series. Both teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT, before ending the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. Southeast returns home for a seven-game homestand beginning on April 4 against Eastern Illinois.