CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Rachel Rook broke her program's all-time career strikeout record when she struck out 13 and allowed just two hits to lead Southeast Missouri (12-10, 1-0) to a 9-1 victory over Tennessee State (9-14, 0-1) Saturday in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams.
 
Rook posted her 502nd career strikeout when she fanned Mikayla Duke to end the sixth inning. Her 502 strikeouts surpassed Elaine Fisher (501, 2005-08) for the new mark. She also surpassed 100 strikeouts for the second-straight season.
 
A native of Republic, Missouri, Rook began her 13th start of the season strong by striking four in a row and four of the first six hitters she faced.
 
A leadoff triple by Alyson Tucker, the first of her career, led to her scoring the game's first run in the bottom of the first.
 
SEMO tacked on three more runs to its lead in the bottom of the second which began with a solo home run by Paige Halliwill. Kat Sackett and Chelsy Pena were then able to score with the help of a single to push the Redhawks lead to 4-0.
 
Another home run, this time by Aubrie Shore, made it a 5-0 ballgame with two outs in the third.
 
After scoring once in the fourth, SEMO put the exclamation point on its shortened six-inning win with three more tallies in the bottom of the sixth. 
 
Preseason OVC favorite and league's reigning back-to-back regular-season champion, improved to 20-10 all-time in OVC openers. The Redhawks started OVC play with a win for the ninth time in 12 seasons.
 
Rook (8-4) also allowed two walks in her seventh complete game this year.
 
Caitlyn Manus (5-2) took the loss. Manus allowed 10 hits and nine runs, and walked two in 5.2 innings.
 
Defensively, TSU committed three errors.
 
Pena finished at 2-for-3 with three runs scored as one of three Redhawks with multiple hits. Sydney Dennis and Halliwill had two hits, as well. Additionally, seven different SEMO players scored.
 
The Redhawks out-hit the Tigers, 10-2.
 
SEMO and TSU wrap up their series with a 11 a.m., CT doubleheader Sunday.