Game 1 - Southeast Missouri 3, Missouri State 2 Box Score
Game 2 - Southeast Missouri 1, Missouri State 2 Box Score
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (4-8) softball split the home-opening doubleheader Thursday afternoon with Missouri State (8-9), winning 3-2 in game one and falling in game two, 2-1.
“These were two well-played games,” said head coach Lana Richmond. “We capitalized on opportunities in the first game to earn ourselves the win. We played aggressively and we were not conservative; that helped us earn the win in game one and compete in game two.”
Southeast Missouri 3, Missouri State 2
Missouri State struck first in the top of the second when they scored on an RBI ground-out to to second by Caitlin Chapin to take a 1-0 lead on the Redhawks.
Missouri State added to their lead in the fourth when Chapin hit a home run to left field, going up 2-0 on Southeast.
With two out, and a runner on first, the Redhawks narrowed the Bear lead with an RBI triple to right field off the bat of Xia Wilson, her first career triple, to cut the lead 2-1.
Southeast scored the winning run in the fifth inning. The Redhawks tied the game on a Simone Patterson RBI single to score Brittany Smith. The Redhawks scored the go-ahead run when Lindsey Patterson struck out, followed by an impressive double steal, S. Patterson stole second and Kaitlin Zink stole home to take the lead on the Bears, 3-2.
The Redhawks worked out of a runner-on-third situation in the top of the seventh to secure the win over Missouri State.
Southeast out-hit Missouri State 9-8 in game one.
Wilson went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Seven other Redhawk batters all recorded a hit in the contest.
Lauren Eisenreich led the Missouri State offense going 2-for-3 in the contest.
Taylor Cowan (2-4) recorded the complete game victory going 7.0 innings, striking out a season-high five Bear batters, only walking one. This is Cowan's fourth complete game this season.
Chelsea Jones (7-3) suffered the loss in the contest.
Missouri State 2, Southeast Missouri 1
For the second time in the doubleheader, Missouri State jumped out to a lead first with a 2-RBI double off the bat of Heather Duckworth to take a 2-0 lead in the third.
L. Patterson cut the Bear lead to 2-1 on a monster blast to left field, her second of the season.
This would be the closest Southeast would get to the Bears as the score would stand at 1-2 to the end of the game.
Missouri State out-hit Southeast 6-5 in game two.
Savannah Carpenter had a 2-for-3 performance while L. Patterson went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Alexis Anderson and Chelsea Smith each added a hit in the game.
Hannah Clemons (1-2) suffered her second loss of the season Thursday evening going 6.1 innings, striking out a season-high six batters. Cowan pitched 0.2 innings in relief.
Jessie Van Es (1-6) earned her first win of the season Thursday evening. Van Es went 6.1 innings giving up one run on three hits, striking out two batters, only walking one.
“Our defense played behind our pitchers well today,” Richmond added. “Clemons and Cowan both gave us solid performances in the circle this afternoon. All of our players are embracing their roles on the team and are focusing on the little things.”
Southeast returns to action Saturday against Bowling Green at the Evansville Tournament at 10:30 a.m. followed by Evansville at 2:30 p.m.
