EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. –  Sixth-seeded Eastern Illinois (21-26) overcame a six-run deficit and used a walkoff home run by Hannah Cole to get by seventh-seeded Southeast Missouri (19-27), 10-9, in 12 innings Thursday.
 
The 12-inning marathon affair lasted three hours and seven minutes in what wound up being the longest game in OVC Softball Tournament history.
 
"I was happy with the way we came out of the gate after yesterday," said Southeast head coach Mark Redburn, the only first-year head coach in this year's eight-team tournament. "We didn't take advantage of some of our scoring opportunities and didn't get the timely hit."
 
Cole went 3-for-6 with two runs scored, a pair of home runs and five RBI to dig EIU out of a big hole. The Panthers trailed, 9-3, after five-and-a-half innings before mounting their late comeback.
 
EIU rallied for four runs in the sixth inning and added two more in the seventh to send the game to extra innings.
 
Bailey O'Dell drew a four-pitch leadoff walk and touched home on an ensuing home run by Cole. Keaira Schilling relieved starter Madeline Krumrey and was greeted by a single from Kylie Bennett. Pinch-runner Tori Johnson advanced to second on an illegal pitch and Taylor Miokovic followed with a single to get Johnson to third. A wild pitch got Miokovic to second on the next play. A Hannah Rachor double came after that and Johnson scored. Another illegal pitch by Schilling enabled Miokovic to score, as the Panthers pulled to within two runs, 9-7.
 
With runners at second and third and no outs in the bottom of the seventh, Cole knotted things up at 9-9 on a two-RBI single off Krumrey after she re-entered the game.
 
Southeast had its chances with runners in scoring position, but came away empty on three separate occasions in extra innings.
 
The Redhawks had runners at first and second with one out in the eighth and runners at first and third with one out in the 10^th. Then, in the top of the 12^th, Alexis Anderson reached on a leadoff double and tried to score on Lindsey Patterson's single. Anderson, however, was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Jennette Isaac.
 
Cole ended the game by clubbing Krumrey's first pitch over the center field wall in the bottom of the 12^th. It marked the eighth time Southeast lost in walkoff fashion this season.
 
A day after falling victim to a 21-0 loss to Jacksonville State, the Redhawks were aggressive from the start and jumped on the Panthers early.
 
Anderson hit the game's first pitch for a bunt single and advanced to second on a one-out single by Riley Hayes. Anderson came around to score on a fielder's choice as Southeast pulled ahead, 1-0, in the top of the first.
 
EIU tied the game with the help of a two-base error and RBI-double double by Bailey O'Dell in the bottom half of the inning.
 
The Redhawks put together their biggest inning in the third
 
Southeast sent 11 hitters to the plate with Anderson leading off with a solo home run to left. After Kayla Fortner walked, Hayes homered to right. Savannah Carpenter then touched home on Claire Wernig's one-out single to center. Three hitters later, Anderson delivered a two-out hit during her second at-bat of the inning. Anderson's base hit to center scored both Taylor McDannold and Wernig, extending the Redhawks lead to 7-1.
 
Southeast's other runs scored on a two-RBI single by McDannold in the sixth.
 
Michelle Rogers (9-12) was credited with the win after giving up 10 hits and three runs in 9.2 relief innings. Rogers also struck out two and walked four.
 
Krumrey (13-12) suffered the loss. She worked 10 innings, allowing 10 hits and six runs. Krumrey retired EIU in order during the eighth and ninth innings.
 
"Madeline did all she could do and kept us in the game," said Redburn "Eastern Illinois battled back and got the big hit."
 
Southeast outhit EIU, 15-14, with Anderson going 4-for-7 with two runs scored and three RBI to lead the way. Hayes and Patterson followed close behind with three hits apiece.
 
EIU got eight of its hits from the top four hitters in its lineup. Cole had three hits, April Markowski and O'Dell added two each and Isaac contributed one.
 
Southeast won eight of its final 12 games of the 2015 season.