Eastern Illinois 10, Southeast Missouri 1 Box Score
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (12-25, 4-11 OVC) dropped the series finale against Eastern Illinois (28-11, 15-2 OVC) Sunday afternoon, 10-1.
Eastern Illinois won the three-game series after these teams split Saturday's doubleheader.
EIU put together an early multiple scoring opportunity that began with a lead-off walk that came around to score on an RBI single from Brooke Owens. After giving up the run, the Redhawks were able to get out of the bases loaded jam in the first.
The Panthers added to their lead in the fourth and the fifth, adding two runs in each inning. With bases loaded in the fourth, Carly Willert doubled to left field, driving in two runs. The Panthers scored again in the fifth on two RBI singles from Morgan Biel and Melise Brown, taking a 5-0 lead going to the bottom of the inning.
EIU starter Hanna Mennenga, threw a four innings of hitless softball that ended with a home run blast off the bat of lead-off hitter Simone Patterson, narrowing the Panther lead to four runs.
The seventh inning allowed EIU to open up a big lead on Southeast. With runners on second and third with no out, pinch hitter Haylee Beck tripled to right center, driving in both runners. Brown scored Beck on a sacrifice fly to left. The Panthers concluded the scoring with back-to-back home runs by Hannah Cole and Owens, widening the lead to 10-1.
Southeast was held to just two hits in the contest, as the Redhawks were outhit 16-2.
Coming off a 4-for-6 performance Saturday, Alexis Anderson went 1-for-3 while S. Patterson also went 1-for-3.
Bailey O'Dell and Cole each had a 3-for-4 day while Reynae Hutchinson, Owens, and Biel all added two hits each. Four Panther batters drove in two runs each in the contest.
Taylor Cowan (6-18) suffered the loss, pitching 5.0 innings, giving up four earned runs on eight hits.
Mennenga (19-4) recorded the win for the Panthers. Mennenga held Southeast to just two hits, struck out four batters, and walked only one.
The Redhawks welcome East Division rivals Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State to Cape Girardeau next weekend for two doubleheader series beginning at noon on Saturday and Sunday.
