Box Score (PDF Version)
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Southeast Missouri softball team lost to ACC foe Georgia Tech Wednesday at home, 9-4.
A two-out Redhawk error in the sixth allowed the Yellow Jackets to open up a big lead on Southeast.
“The story of the game is our defense; we had trouble coming up with fundamental defense behind Taylor Cowan,” said head coach Lana Richmond. “We had timely hitting and Chelsea Smith had an outstanding game throwing two runners out from behind the plate but we came up short making the plays we needed to make to win the ball game.”
The Redhawks touched home in the first inning when Alexis Anderson, hot off a 5-for-7 weekend at Murray, threaded a single through the middle to bring Kaitlin Zink home and go up 1-0 on the Yellow Jackets early.
The Jackets took the lead in the third on one swing of the bat when Alysha Rudnik homered to right field with a runner on, going up 2-1.
Cowan had another thing to say about it in the bottom of the inning with a two-run shot of her own to dead-center field to re-take the lead, 3-2.
Cowan had a quick three-pitch inning in the fourth, sitting the Yellow Jackets down in order all on one pitch each.
With bases loaded in the sixth with two out, Courtney Ziese hit a blooper to shallow left field that Kelsey Gass dropped, allowing two runs to score and giving the Yellow Jackets to lead again. With bases loaded again, Ashley Thomas hit a single through the middle to score two more runs, extending the lead to 6-3.
Southeast narrowed the Georgia Tech lead in the bottom of the sixth on a ground-out double play by C. Smith, scoring Simone Patterson from third, 6-4 Jackets.
However, this would be the closest Southeast would get to Georgia Tech as they tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh with a solo home run off the bat of Hope Rush. They scored two more runs on a single and an error to extend their lead to 9-4.
Georgia Tech out-hit the Redhawks 8-5 in the contest. Cowan went 1-for-3 with two RBI while Anderson also recorded a hit with an RBI. Xia Wilson, Brittany Smith, and S. Patterson each contributed a hit.
Karley Fullem led the Yellow Jacket offense, going 3-for-4 in the game. Five other Jacket batters added a single hit.
Cowan (5-7) suffered the loss through six innings of work, giving up six runs, only two of which were earned, on five hits, striking out four batters and walking five.
Rush (7-9) recorded the complete game victory for Georgia Tech. Rush struck out one Redhawk batter and walked four.
Wednesday's doubleheader against Western Kentucky has been changed to a single game at 4:00 p.m. Southeast will take on OVC East Division foes Belmont and Tennessee State Saturday and Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.
