CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (24-19, 13-7) battled to win a pair of one-run games in a 4-3, 5-4, doubleheader sweep of UT Martin (27-16, 12-7) Wednesday at the Southeast Softball Complex.
Freshman
Aubrie Shore went 2-for-3 and hit the game-winning home run to send SEMO to its game one victory.
Tied, 3-3, after five and a half innings, Shore came up in the bottom of the sixth and ripped the first pitch of her at-bat deep over the left field wall for her seventh home run of the season.
Shore's blast answered a two-run home run by Kallie Pickens that initially tied the contest.
The Redhawks struck first with two runs in the bottom of the second that came on a two-RBI infield single by
Kelby Robinson.
After the Skyhawks made it a one-run game in the third, Wrigley scored on a two-out base hit by
Abigail Rickermann to stretch SEMO's lead to 3-1.
Rachel Rook relieved
Marisa Davis with runners at first and second and one out in the third inning. Rook retired 10 of the first 11 hitters she faced and finished with five strikeouts in 4.2 frames. She also walked one and allowed two runs on three hits.
Alexis Groet (10-7) suffered the loss. Groet struck out seven, walked one, gave up four runs and scattered seven hits in six innings of work.
SEMO outhit UTM, 7-5. Rickermann,
Kaylee Anderson, Wrigley,
Kat Sackett and Robinson each added a hit behind Shore.
In the nightcap, it was Wrigley who stole the spotlight out of the nine-hole in the Redhawks lineup.
Wrigley finished at 2-for-3 with a triple and career-high four RBI to pace SEMO which pounded out 10 hits.
The game was knotted at 3-3 after each team scored once in the third and twice in the fourth innings.
Avry Blume singled home Pickens to put the Skyhawks up by a run before SEMO took down the Skyhawks for good.
In the bottom of the sixth, Wrigley singled to left field to knock in
Kileigh Grisham and
Tatum Gerwitz for the decisive hit. The clutch hit came after Wrigley tripled home two runs in the home half of the fourth.
Rook (14-8) earned her second win of the day in a relief role again. She struck out one and allowed one run on two hits in two innings.
Davis was credited with her first save of the season after pitching a scoreless seventh.
Rickermann added two hits for SEMO in game two, as well.
The Redhawks remained undefeated with an 11-0 record at home this season.
SEMO returns to action when it visits SIU Edwardsville for a three-game series beginning Saturday.
