CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (20-13, 9-3) completed its third Ohio Valley Conference series sweep when it beat Eastern Illinois (21-20, 6-8) by scores of 7-6, 8-0, Sunday on a windy day at the Southeast Softball Complex.
SEMO improved to 9-0 at home this season and swept EIU for the first time in seven years. That year, the Redhawks posted a sweep of the Panthers in a doubleheader rather than a three-game series.
Abigail Rickermann lifted a fly ball to center to drive in
Kynzie Wrigley for the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning during game one.
After EIU tied the game in the top of the seventh, Wrigley hit a leadoff single and went to third on an error when left fielder Marama Makea mis-played the ball. On the next play, Rickermann hit her second pitch deep enough to bring Wrigley home for the walk-off victory.
SEMO scored in each of the first four innings to build its early lead.
Kaylee Anderson crushed a two-out home run in the bottom of the first to quickly get things going.
Aubrie Shore led off SEMO's second at-bat with a walk and scored on a double by
Kat Sackett to increase the Redhawks lead to 3-0.
A two-out, two-RBI double by Shore plated two more runs in the third before
Abigail Rickermann's sacrifice fly brought home
Sydney Dennis to give SEMO a 6-3 advantage after EIU scored three times in the top of the fourth.
The Panthers knotted things up with three solo home runs, including back-to-back hits to center by Kendall Fields and Rachel Kaufman in the sixth. Megan Burton's one-out home run tied the game in the final inning.
Marisa Davis (3-3) was credited with the win in relief. Davis recorded the last two outs of the game and added a strikeout.
Seven different Redhawks had a hit. Halliwill, Anderson, Shore, Sackett, Dennis and Wrigley all finished with a hit and one run scored.
For the third-straight game of the series, SEMO again pulled ahead in the first inning.
With Rickermann and Halliwill both on following a walk and hit by pitch, Anderson slammed her second home run of the day over the center field fence to grab the Redhawks a 3-0 advantage. For Anderson, it was her team-high ninth homer of the season.
After Dennis singled and Wrigley doubled to start the bottom of the second, Halliwill knocked in both runners to push the Redhawks lead to 5-0.
Following a one-out single by Rickermann in the bottom of the fourth Halliwill stepped in and launched a home run to left stretching SEMO's margin to 7-0. The round-tripper was the seventh for Halliwill in 2022.
SEMO loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Rickermann sent the Redhawks to their second walk-off victory of the day. This time, she singled up the middle to score
Kelby Robinson for the game-winner.
Davis (4-3) picked up her second win of the day after throwing a complete game shutout with seven strikeouts and no walks. She allowed just three hits, as well. The shutout was the first of Davis' career and her seven Ks are a career-best.
SEMO outhit EIU, 8-3, in the nightcap.
Rickermann and Halliwill each finished with two hits and two runs. The two combined for five RBI and Anderson chipped in three more RBI of her own.
The Redhawks, now on a six-game winning streak, hit the road for their next eight contests. SEMO begins its lengthy road stretch with a non-conference doubleheader at SEC member Arkansas on Apr. 12.
