Eastern Illinois 5, Southeast Missouri 1 Box Score
Southeast Missouri 4, Eastern Illinois 1 Box Score
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (12-24, 4-10 OVC) split a doubleheader against first-place Eastern Illinois (27-11, 14-2 OVC) Saturday afternoon. A four-run seventh inning propelled EIU to a 5-1 win in game one but Southeast was dominate in game two, holding the Panthers to one run in the 4-1 victory in the nightcap.
“Hannah Clemons had a solid seven-inning outing in game two with great defense behind her,” said head coach Lana Richmond. “At the plate, Alexis Anderson is hot right now, she is seeing the ball well and is having solid games for us. We utilized EIU mistakes in game two to score key runs and earn the victory.”
Eastern Illinois 5, Southeast Missouri 1
Anderson led off the Redhawks half of the first inning with a monster home run to dead center to take a very early lead on the Panthers.
The Panthers were quick to respond in the second; it started with a lead-off double by Brooke Owens, who advanced to third on a wild pitch. Owens scored to tie the game on an RBI ground-out by Ashleigh Westover.
The game remained a thorough pitcher's duel through the sixth inning. EIU put up four runs to break the four and a half inning tie and take a big lead on Southeast. The inning began with a walk and a single that followed by both runners advancing on a sacrifice bunt. Both runners scored on a two-RBI double by Carley Willert. Willert scored on an RBI double by Hannah Cole. Cole then scored on a throwing error by Xia Wilson to widen the lead to 5-1.
Southeast was outhit 7-2 in game one of the doubleheader.
Anderson was responsible for the Redhawks only hits as she went 2-for-3 in the contest.
Cole led the Panther offense with a 2-for-4 performance with an RBI. Willert went 1-for-4 with two RBI.
Taylor Cowan (6-17) pitched her 13th complete game this season. Cowan gave up four earned runs, struck out two batters and walked three.
Hanna Mennenga (18-4) pitched the complete game holding the Redhawks to two hits while striking out 12 batters and walking four.
Southeast Missouri 4, Eastern Illinois 1
For the second time on the day, Anderson led off the game with a home run, this time off the scoreboard, to jump out to an early 1-0 lead.
Southeast extended the lead in the fourth on a fielder's choice by Brittany Smith that scored Lindsey Patterson and also allowed Cowan to score on a fielding error by the first baseman to go up 3-0 on the Panthers.
EIU narrowed the Redhawk lead in the following inning on an RBI double by Melise Brown to score Ally Seplak, 3-1 Redhawks.
An insurance run was added by Southeast in the sixth when Chelsea Smith was put out on a dropped third strike which was thrown down to first and allowed Cowan to seize the opportunity to steal home, putting the Redhawks back in front by three runs.
EIU put a runner on in the bottom of the seventh, but the insurance run added in the sixth prevented the tying run to come to the plate as the Redhawks held on to win the nightcap 4-1 over the Panthers.
Anderson posted another 2-for-3 performance in game two, finishing the day 4-for-6 with two home runs. Cowan also recorded a 2-for-3 game with two runs scored. Simone Patterson, Jamie Woodworth, and L. Patterson each contributed a hit.
Willert had two hits in game two with five other Panther batters recording hits.
Clemons (3-4) recorded her first career complete game giving up only one run on seven hits. Clemons struck out one batter and walked one.
Stephanie Maday (9-4) went 4.0 innings giving up two earned runs on five hits. Maday struck out four Redhawk batters. Mennenga, game one's starter, entered the game in relief in the fifth inning and struck out three batters, bringing her strikeout total on the day to 15.
The Redhawks and Panthers face off in the rubber match Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Southeast Softball Complex.
