BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Southeast Missouri (5-4) pounded out a season-high 14 hits in a commanding 12-4 five-inning win over Central Michigan Saturday at the Hilltopper Classic.
 
With the win, SEMO advances to face tournament host Western Kentucky (7-1) in the Hilltopper Classic championship game Sunday.
 
SEMO rallied to score nine two-out runs in the bottom of the first inning to key its second win over the Chippewas in the tournament.
 
Alyson Tucker, Paige Halliwill and Aubrie Shore each had two-RBI hits for the bulk of the scoring as the Redhawks put up nine or more runs in the first inning for the second time this season.
 
The Redhawks tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third before capping their third run-rule victory with one final tally in the fifth.
 
Freshmen Aubrie Shore and Tori Bradley combined for six hits out of the three and four spots in SEMO's lineup. Shore went 3-for-3 with a run scored and four RBI, and Bradley was 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
 
Halliwill and Kynzie Wrigley followed with two hits each.
 
Rachel Rook (4-1) pitched her fourth complete game victory in five starts. Rook struck out eight, walked two and allowed four runs on five hits. She now has 50 strikeouts through nine games. 
 
Earlier in the day, Taylor Sanders hit a one-out walk-off single to give WKU a 4-3 eight-inning win over the Redhawks.
 
With runners on second and third, Sanders hit Delaney Kell's 1-0 offering to left center and Randi Drinnon touched home to end the contest.
 
A pair of round-trippers accounted for the first two runs of the game.
 
Jordan Ridge led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run before Tucker's first home run of the season sailed over the left field wall to tie the game at 1-1 out of the leadoff spot in the third.
 
The Hilltoppers loaded the bases and quickly regained the lead on a two-out, two-RBI single by Bailey Curry to grab a 3-1 advantage in the bottom of the third.
 
Shore launched her team-high second home run of the season to left center and Tucker posted her second game-tying hit on a double to score Kaylee Anderson bringing the game to a 3-3 deadlock in the top of the fourth inning. 
 
After WKU pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the sixth, it put Hilltoppers at every base on three singles in the bottom half of the inning. However, Marisa Davis got Taylor Davis to line out and end the threat.
 
SEMO had another scoring chance with a runner on third in the top of the seventh, but WKU again escaped unscathed.
 
Marisa Davis worked seven innings, struck out five, walked five and allowed three runs on eight hits in her no-decision. Kell (0-1) suffered the tough luck loss after giving up hits to two of the three hitters she faced.
 
Tucker went 3-for-4 and fell a triple shy of the cycle. She doubled, homered, singled, scored once and had two RBI. She hit two home runs on the day.
 
First pitch of Sunday's game is set for 1:30 p.m., CT.