AUBURN, Ala. – Southeast Missouri (4-8) fell to Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite Northern Iowa, 5-3, and #24 Auburn, 13-5, Saturday at the Plainsman Invitational.
Reigning MVC Pitcher of the Year Samantha Heyer had 14 strikeouts and re-entered the game to get the final out when
Kat Sackett represented the go-ahead run at the plate in the early matchup of the day.
Down, 1-0, SEMO tied things up in the top of the sixth inning.
Aubrie Shore singled and went to second on an error. Pinch-runner
Kinley Wilkins advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a double by freshman
Gracie Luna making it a 1-1 ballgame.
UNI immediately answered during its at-bat in the sixth.
Pinch-hitter Ellie Owen drew a leadoff walk and Kate Lappe and Taylor Hogan (bunt) each singled to load the bases with no outs. Following a strikeout, Savanna Jemilo regained the lead for the Panthers with a two-RBI pinch-hit double. Daryn Lamprecht walked and Kylee Sanders doubled home two more runs to put UNI ahead, 5-1.
The Redhawks didn't go down without a fight in the top of the seventh.
Sophie Schupp walked and
Paige Halliwill blasted a two-run home run with two outs cutting UNI's lead to 5-3.
Still not finished, Luna walked to give SEMO runners at first and second with pinch-hitter Sackett coming to the plate. Heyer got Sackett to foul out ending the threat.
Heyer (3-0) averaged two strikeouts per inning en route to her third win of the season pushing her strikeout total over 40 through four starts this year.
Paytience Holman (2-2) took the loss. Holman posted a season-high six strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Holman also walked three and gave up five runs on seven hits.
Offensively, SEMO had seven hits against UNI. Shore and Luna each had two hits to lead the way. Halliwill hit her team-high third home run of the season.
Alexis Pupillo gave UNI its early lead with a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.
Four of UNI's eight hits in the game came in the sixth.
SEMO took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning against nationally-ranked AU.
Brittany Affolter scored Luna on a bunt single and later touched home on a wild pitch.
After pulling within a run in the bottom of the second, the Tigers scored eight in the third as the Redhawks pitching fell apart.
Four different pitchers were in the circle during an inning that resulted in six walks and two home runs, including a grand slam by Neila Peralta. Mariah Penta also homered to widen AU's lead to 9-2.
SEMO did get three runs back in the top half of the fourth when
Marissa Peek knocked in
Brooklyn Saysoff on a double down the left field line and Schupp brought home two runs on a double to right center trimming the Tigers margin to 9-5.
AU, however, answered with three more runs in the fourth and scored the game's final run on a fielding error to close out its five-inning victory.
Peek went 2-for-2 with a run scored to lead SEMO which had six hits.
Maddie Carney (0-1) suffered the loss in relief after allowing four runs and four walks in one-third of an inning.
Tegan Livesay started the game and gave way to Carney after working 3.2 innings. Livesay struck out six, walked two and allowed five runs on three hits.
Delaney Kell and
Willow Van Haren each tossed one-third of an inning.
Three of AU's seven hits were home runs. Peralta was 2-for-2 with two runs scored, a grand slam and five RBI.
Annabelle Widra (2-0) threw two-thirds scoreless innings to get the win out of the bullpen.
SEMO faces UNI in its final game of the Plainsman Invitational Sunday.
