HAMMOND, La. – Southeast Missouri (4-5) picked up a win over a Power Four school for the fourth-straight season when it took down Big Ten Conference member Maryland (3-7), 9-3, at the Lion Classic Sunday.
SEMO nailed down its ninth Power Four win under Head Coach
Mark Redburn and knocked off its second Big Ten Conference opponent with Redburn at the helm. The other was a 4-3 victory over Iowa on Mar. 15, 2022.
SEMO took its first lead in the bottom of the second inning and never turned back.
Freshman
Brooklyn Saysoff doubled to right center for her first career extra base hit and advanced to third on a single by
Marissa Peek. Peek stole second giving the Redhawks runners at second and third with one out.
After a strikeout, freshman
Sophie Schupp delivered a two-out RBI-single and Saysoff scored to put SEMO ahead, 1-0. For Schupp, it was her first career hit in only her third at-bat as a Redhawk.
SEMO added to its lead behind a two-out rally in the bottom of the third.
Paige Halliwill was hit by a pitch, stole second and moved to third on a passed ball.
Aubrie Shore walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch with Halliwill scoring an unearned run. On the next play,
Gracie Luna singled to right and pinch-runner
Zoe Schulte scored to push the Redhawks lead to 3-0.
Megan Mikami drew a leadoff walk and came around to score UM's lone run on a sacrifice fly by Sammi Woods cutting SEMO's lead to 3-1 in the top of the fourth.
The Redhawks blew the game open during their at-bat in the fourth inning.
Three-straight hits by
Tatum Gerwitz, Schupp and
Sydney Dennis immediately loaded the bases with one out.
Brittany Affolter and Halliwill each walked in a run and Shore brought home Dennis on a sacrifice fly. Halliwill then stole second and a throwing error on the play allowed Affolter to score extending the Redhawks lead to 7-1.
UM scored twice more in the top of the sixth inning on a two-RBI double by Mazie MacFarlane. Freshman
Maddie Carney entered the game to get the final as the Terrapins stranded runners at second and third.
In her final at-bat of the game, Shore extended her hitting streak to nine games with a two-out, two-RBI to finish off the Terrapins for good.
Paytience Holman (2-1) earned the win allowing only one run on two hits in five strong innings. Holman also struck out two and faced 19 hitters.
Carney recorded the final four outs consecutively in the final 1.1 innings of the contest.
SEMO outhit UM, 8-3. Luna, Saysoff and Schupp accounted for half of those hits. Schupp went 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI to lead the way.
Today's win adds to a list of Power Four wins for Redburn that also includes Ole Miss (2023), Iowa (2022), Texas Tech (2021), Arkansas (2019), Kansas (2019, two wins), Missouri (2018) and Georgia Tech (2017).
The Redhawks are back in action when they head to the Auburn University Plainsman Invitational Feb. 23-25.
