STARKVILLE, Miss.– Southeast Missouri (11-3) opened the Mississippi State Bulldog Slamboree with a pair of victoried Friday. The Redhawks beat Mississippi Valley State (3-12), 6-1, and Bryant University (1-8), 8-0, in six innings.
The Redhawks used two strong complete game pitching performances to key the day.
SEMO jumped on MVSU early by scoring three runs in the top of the first inning.
Austine Pauley walked and Kaylee Anderson reached on an error. K. Anderson stole second and Pauley scored the game's first run on the throw. Rachel Anderson followed with a two-run home run, her third round-tripper of the season.
The Redhawks added one run in each of the next three innings after that.
Pauley hit a solo home run down the right field line in the second. Ashley Emert knocked in Anna Griffin on a sacrifice fly in the third. And, K. Anderson scored when R. Anderson hit into a fielder's choice in the top of the fourth.
MVSU made its biggest threat with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the sixth, but freshman Paytience Holman pitched out of the jam.
Holman (2-2) went the distance allowing just one run on four hits. She recorded a season-high 14 strikeouts and did not allow a walk.
SEMO received another big pitching performance in the nightcap, this time by Rachel Rook.
Rook tossed a one-hit complete game shutout with a career-high 15 strikeouts, her second 10-plus strikeout outing this year.
Only two Bryant hitters reached base against Rook who struck out the side in the first inning and retired 15 of the 20 hitters she faced.
The Redhawks again struck first scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning.
K. Anderson knocked in a run on a single to right field and Ashley Ellis smashed a three-run home run to put SEMO ahead, 4-0. For Ellis, it was her team-high eighth homer of the season.
Addison Barnouski's two-run shot keyed a three-run third inning as the Redhawks extended their lead to 7-0. R. Anderson scored the other run with the help of an error.
Kimmy Wallen's run-scoring single up the middle capped SEMO's run-rule victory.
Rook improved to 4-1 this season.
Offensively, SEMO outhit Bryant, 11-1.
R. Anderson and Ellis led the way with two hits each, while Wallen, K. Anderson, Griffin, Rachael Donald, Barnouski, Madison Harris and Danina Marton followed with one hit.
SEMO resumes play at the Bulldog Slamboree Saturday.