CEDAR FALLS, Iowa– Southeast Missouri (2-0) opened its 2019 season strong with a sweep in the first day of the UNI Dome Classic Friday. The Redhawks beat South Dakota State, 7-3, and tournament host Northern Iowa, 5-1.
SEMO used a five-run second inning to propel its tournament-opening win over SDSU giving head coach
Mark Redburn his third-straight win in a season-opener.
Down, 2-0, following a two-run home run by Ali Herdliska, the Redhawks immediately answered with a five-hit ambush in the top of the second.
Sarah Messex led things off with an infield single and went to second on a base hit by
Ashley Ellis.
Claudia Gallo stepped in and smacked a ground-rule double and Messex scored.
Parker Bandy's one-out single up the middle knocked in both Gallo and Ellis before
Rachael Donald ripped a two-RBI single to right center giving SEMO a 5-2 advantage.
Donald, in just her third career start at catcher, knocked out SDSU starting pitcher Emma Hardin with her clutch hit.
SEMO scored again in the third and once more in the fourth to bury the Jackrabbits.
Bandy tripled home
Addison Barnouski with two outs in the third and Messex drove in
Rachel Anderson on a one-out single in the top of the fourth.
Haley Thogmartin (1-0) picked up her first win of the season. Thogmartin allowed two runs on four hits and struck out one in four innings.
Kaylee Anderson relieved Thogmartin and scattered three hits in 1.2 innings. Anderson also struck out one and gave up a run.
Rachel Rook then struck out three in 1.1 scoreless, no-hit innings.
Offensively, SEMO registered 12 hits with Bandy (2), Messex (3) and Donald (2) combining for seven. Messex went 3-for-4 with a RBI, Bandy went 2-for-4 with a triple, run scored and three RBI and Donald finished at 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Eight of the Redhawks nine starters had a hit. Although
Rachel Anderson scored a run and walked twice, her 16-game hitting streak came to an end with a 0-for-2 performance out of the No. 3 spot in the lineup.
Against tournament-host UNI, SEMO struck first when
Madison Harris ripped a two-out RBI-single in the top of the third inning.
The Redhawks blew the game open when they came to bat in the fourth.
Bandy drew a leadoff walk and was at second following a groundout by Ellis. Barnouski doubled to right center and Bandy scored. With Arellanes at second after she was hit by a pitch and advanced on a wild pitch, R. Anderson slugged a two-out triple to left center scoring both Arellanes and Barnouski. Messex greeted UNI reliever Hannah Kelley with a base hit and R. Anderson touched home to make it 5-0 in favor of the Redhawks.
UNI avoided the shutout when it scored its only run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Alexis Estes (1-0) claimed her first win of the season tossing four scoreless two-hit innings. Estes recorded two strikeouts, as well.
Marisa Davis made her college debut in relief pitching one inning before Rook struck out three in two frames.
R. Anderson and Messex each went 2-for-4 at the top of SEMO's lineup. Barnouski also contributed two hits.
Messex had a huge opening day hitting .625 (5-for-8) with a double, two RBI, .750 slugging percentage and .625 on-base percentage.
SEMO resumes action at the UNI Dome Classic against Northern Iowa and Toledo Saturday.
