CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Shortstop
Alyson Tucker's two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning lifted Preseason Ohio Valley Conference favorite Southeast Missouri (3-8, 1-0) to a 6-5 win over Austin Peay (5-3, 0-1) Friday afternoon at the Southeast Softball Complex.
With the win, SEMO improved to 19-10 all-time in OVC openers and began league play with a win for the eighth time in 11 seasons.
APSU led, 5-4, after four-and-a-half innings when Tucker slugged the first home run of her Redhawk career over the left field wall with one out. Tucker knocked in pinch-runner
Kelby Robinson who entered the game after
Ashley Ellis walked.
Left-hander
Marisa Davis, who relieved
Rachel Rook with two outs in the top of the fifth inning, shutout APSU for the final 2.1 innings to earn her first win of the year.
After striking out Kelsey Gray to start the seventh, Bailey Shorter and Brooke Pfefferle each single to give the Governors runners at first and second. Then,
Kaylee Anderson made a nice catch in right field. On the next play, Kelsey Gross singled to Tucker who threw out Shorter after she rounded third base.
SEMO fell behind, 2-0, in the top of the first inning, but quickly tied things up when K. Anderson hit a two-run home run to left. Anderson's round-tripper marked her team-high third of 2021.
The Redhawks took their first lead in the bottom of the second when they scored a pair of runs with the help of a hit by
Rachel Anderson and two errors.
Jillian Anderson touched home on one of those miscues when she stole third and R. Anderson scored to give SEMO a 4-2 advantage.
A solo home run by Drew Dudley in the top of the fourth inning and a RBI-double by Gross regained a 5-4 edge for the Governors before SEMO pulled away.
Tucker went 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI, while R. Anderson went 2-for-3 with two runs to lead SEMO. K. Anderson and Ellis accounted for one hit apiece. K. Anderson extended her hitting streak to six games.
Harley Mullins (1-3) suffered the loss for APSU. Mullins struck out two, walked four and allowed six runs on five hits. She worked five innings.
SEMO and APSU conclude their series with a doubleheader at 12 p.m., CT Saturday.
