CEDAR FALLS, Iowa– Southeast Missouri (4-0) used 12 two-out hits en route to picking up two more wins at the UNI Dome Classic Saturday night. The Redhawks crushed tournament host Northern Iowa, 16-0, and beat Toledo, 7-5.
SEMO is undefeated in its first four games of a season for the first time since 1996.
The Redhawks dismantled UNI for the second day in a row. This time, the 16-run victory marked the Redhawks second-largest of their NCAA Division I era (since 1992). The margin of victory rates second to an 18-0 shutout vs. Tennessee State on Apr. 13, 1994.
SEMO took care of the Panthers in five innings for another impressive win against the Missouri Valley Conference's preseason-ranked number three team.
SEMO took a comfortable 8-0 lead in the top of the second inning with the help of four hits and an error.
Ashley Ellis homered to right field and
Claudia Gallo belted a two-run home run to left center following an
Addison Barnouski walk.
Mykaela Arellanes kept the inning alive with a two-out walk and went to second on a single by
Rachel Anderson.
Sarah Messex then walked to load the bases.
Rachael Donald reached on an error and Arellanes scored. Still not finished,
Parker Bandy walked and Anderson touched home. Ellis came up again and delivered a 3-RBI triple scoring Bandy, Donald and Messex on the play.
The Redhawks tacked on another run in the third on a single by Arellanes.
Ahead, 9-0, SEMO put up three more runs in the fourth and four in the fifth.
Randi Dae Conway scored on a two-out throwing error before
Brooke Rheinecker and Arellanes ripped back-to-back run-scoring singles in the top of the fourth.
An inning later,
Madison Harris scored on a catcher's interference and
Kaylee Anderson touched home on Arellanes' walk with the bases loaded. R. Anderson's single up the middle plated Rheinecker and Gallow to give SEMO a 16-0 lead.
Eight of SEMO's runs were unearned courtesy of four UNI errors.
Offensively, the Redhawks pounded out 13 hits. Ellis went 3-for-4 with a run scored, home run, triple and four RBI to lead the way. Anderson followed at 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI. Arellanes and Rheinecker each collected two hits. In all, 13 different Redhawks scored a run. SEMO drew nine walks in the game, as well.
Haley Thogmartin (2-0) allowed four hits, struck out four and walked one in her complete game shutout. It was the fourth shutout of Thogmartin's career.
Erica Oller (0-1) suffered the loss. Oller gave up eight runs on three hits and walked five in just 1.2 innings.
SEMO scored six runs after falling behind Mid-American Conference member Toledo.
Down, 1-0, in the top of the first, the Redhawks countered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Messex sparked a two-out rally with a walk and three-straight hits came after that. Gallo singled through the left side and Bandy smacked a 2-RBI triple to center. Ellis followed with a ground-rule double and Bandy scored to grab SEMO a 3-1 lead.
R. Anderson hit a two-out triple to left center to knock in Arellanes in the second inning.
A two-RBI single by Barnouski drove in
Mackenzie Long and Bandy to stretch SEMO's lead to 6-1 in the third.
Toledo used a two-run home run to close SEMO's lead to 6-3 in the top of the fourth inning.
Barnouski, however, singled home Bandy with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to put SEMO ahead, 7-3.
After adding a run in the sixth, Toledo scored once and had the tying run at the plate in the top of the seventh. Thogmartin got Brittney Davis to line out.
Alexis Estes (2-0) earned the win. Estes scattered three hits and allowed three runs, while striking out one and walking three in four innings.
Thogmartin picked up her first save of the season.
Six of the first eight hitters in SEMO's lineup finished with two hits. Arellanes, R. Anderson, Gallo, Bandy, Ellis and Barnouski formed that group.
As a team, SEMO registered 12 hits.
For the night, the Redhawks hit .522 (12-of-23) with two outs.
SEMO wraps up play at the UNI Dome Classic against Drake Sunday.
