JACKSONVILLE, Ala – Southeast Missouri (28-14, 23-5) won the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title and claimed the top seed in this year's OVC Tournament with a 10-5, 3-2, doubleheader sweep of Jacksonville State (22-23, 20-13) Saturday.
SEMO won its second-straight OVC crown and seventh in program history. The Redhawks also claimed their first-ever series win over the Gamecocks and broke a school record with 23 league wins.
SEMO had a season-high four home home runs, including two by
Kaylee Anderson in its game one victory.
Down 1-0 after two innings, Anderson and
Kynzie Wrigley hit back-to-back home runs to give the Redhawks their first lead.
After pinch-hitter
Kimmy Wallen reached on a double to left, Anderson homered to left field. On the next play, Wrigley sent her second home run of the season over the right field fence putting SEMO ahead, 3-1.
JSU narrowed SEMO's lead to 3-2 when Jada Terry knocked in Keeli Bobbitt on a single in the bottom of the third.
The Redhawks then answered with another two-run home run, this time by
Alyson Tucker, to push their lead to 5-2 in the top of the fourth.
Austine Pauley, who was hit by a pitch, scored on Tucker's third round-tripper of the year.
SEMO continued to pour it on adding two more runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings, and another in the seventh.
Tucker's second hit of the game, a one-out single, scored
Ashley Emert and Anderson in the fifth. After Wallen singled to lead off the sixth, Anderson belted her second home run to left field pushing the Redhawks lead to 9-2.
Rachel Anderson doubled home SEMO's final run of the game in the top of the seventh.
SEMO pounded out 14 hits.
K. Anderson went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three runs scored and matched a career-high four RBI to lead the way. The multi-home run game was the third of her career. Additionally, Anderson recorded the final out of the game in her first pitching appearance this year.
Wallen added a pair of hits and two runs scored, while Wrigley and Tucker finished with two hits apiece.
Rachel Rook (18-8) picked up the win, her OVC best 18th of the season. Rook gave up three runs on four hits and struck out three in 6.1 innings.
Nicole Rodriguez (8-8) suffered the loss. Rodriguez gave up five runs and seven hits, struck out seven and walked one in three innings.
In game two, SEMO took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a two-out error.
JSU tied the game with a leadoff solo home run by Megan Fortner in the bottom of the fifth.
The Redhawks answered with two runs to get ahead of the Gamecocks, 3-1, in the top half of the sixth.
Kelby Robinson stole second and
Ashley Emert scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error by third baseman Karsen Mosley. On the next play,
Austine Pauley singled and Robinson scored.
JSU loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning and made it a one-run game when Fortner reached on a fielder's choice. Shelby Newsome scored trimming SEMO's lead to 3-2.
Marisa Davis struck out Sidney Wagnon to end the threat as JSU stranded the tying and go-ahead runners on base.
Rook entered the game to pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning, where Raegan Watkins doubled and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bobbitt.
With one out, Rook threw a high pitch that catcher
Chelsy Pena fielded off the backstop. Watkins broke for home, but was thrown out at the plate. Pena threw the ball to Rook who tagged out Watkins.
Rook then struck out Alex Howard to end the game earning her fourth save.
K. Anderson (1-0) was credited with the win. She struck out one in one inning of relief.
SEMO had only two hits in the nightcap.
Watkins (6-6) took the loss for JSU. She struck out three, walked six and gave up three runs on two hits in seven innings.
The Redhawks, who have won seven in a row, wrap up the regular season against the Gamecocks Sunday.
