CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.  – Claudia Gallo and Sarah Messex combined for seven hits to lead Southeast Missouri (35-12, 12-4) to a 11-3, 8-5, doubleheader sweep of Eastern Illinois (13-37, 3-15) Saturday afternoon at the Southeast Softball Complex.
 
SEMO's 35 wins are its most in a season since 1998 (38). The Redhawks also ran their record to 8-3 at home in 2019.
 
SEMO used three home runs, including a three-run walk-off smash by Messex to cruise by EIU in game one.
 
The Redhawks led, 8-3, with runners on first and second after Kaylee Anderson and Rachael Donald singled to start the bottom of the fifth inning. Messex stepped in and belted her sixth home run over the left center wall to polish off SEMO's sixth win in five innings this year.
 
The Redhawks fell behind in the top of the first inning, but quickly answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and five in the second leading up to Messex's walk-off home run.
 
Mykaela Arellanes immediately reached third with the help of two errors. After that, Claudia Gallo and Ashley Ellis hit back-to-back home runs to give SEMO a 3-1 advantage.
 
SEMO scored five runs on four hits during its at-bat in the bottom of the second inning. Messex doubled down the left field line and scored on a on Parker Bandy's single up the middle. Arellanes and Rachel Anderson both scored with the help of an error and Addison Barnouski delivered a two-RBI single to put the Redhawks ahead, 8-1.
 
EIU added two runs on singles by Tayler Wullenweber and Morgan Lamore in the top of the third prior to Messex's game-ending hit.
 
Haley Thogmartin (16-5) picked up the complete game victory, going the distance for the ninth time this season. She allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out four in five innings.
 
Jade Montgomery (4-18) suffered the loss. Montgomery gave up eight runs on five hits in just 1.1 innings.
 
SEMO outhit EIU, 10-7. Messex went 2-for-3 with a double, home run and three RBI to lead the way.
 
Tied, 5-5, after five-and-a-half innings, Gallo hit a three-RBI triple off the right field wall with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning to send SEMO to its doubleheader sweep in the nightcap.
 
All three of the Redhawks final runs were unearned as Chelsy Pena reached on an error earlier in the frame.
 
SEMO held a 3-0 lead, but EIU tied the game on a three-run home run by Breya Cooper in the top of the fourth inning.
 
The Redhawks regained the lead after scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth before EIU countered with two runs of its own to tie the game again in the fifth.
 
Rachel Rook (8-3) earned the win in relief. Rook was outstanding out of the bullpen striking out four of the eight hitters she faced in two scoreless, no-hit innings.
 
McKenna Coffman (4-11) took the loss. Coffman struck out three, walked four and surrendered eight runs on eight hits.
 
Gallo paved the way for SEMO in game two going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a home run, game-winning triple and four RBI. Arellanes added a hit and a run. As a result, she broke SEMO's all-time single-season record in runs scored. Arellanes' 49 runs scored this season surpassed the previous record of 48 by Kim Palmer in 1998.
 
SEMO honored seniors Messex, Thogmartin, Arellanes, Parker Bandy and Mackenzie Long prior to the start of game two. All five seniors were in the starting lineup for the nightcap.
 
The Redhawks step out of Ohio Valley Conference play to face SEC member Missouri in a road doubleheader Tuesday.