MIAMI – Southeast Missouri (2-0) opened its season with two wins beating Stony Brook (0-1), 7-5, and Florida International (0-1), 7-4, in eight innings Friday at the Felsberg Invitational.
 
In its season-opener against Stony Brook, SEMO fought off a late rally for its first victory.
 
The Redhawks led, 7-1, in the top of the seventh when the Seawolves scored four runs on five hits and one error to make things interesting.
 
SBU strung together four-straight hits against Redhawk reliever Delaney Kell. An error also figured in during that stretch which led to two quick Seawolve runs. After Naia Ackerman stole home, a one-out single by Alyssa Costello scored Sofia Chambers to cut SEMO's lead to 7-5.
 
The Seawolves had the tying run at the plate with one out when Kell got Costello to ground out and settled in to record a big game-ending strikeout against cleanup hitter Corinne Badger. Badger homered in the second inning.
 
SEMO rallied behind a strong start from Paytience Holman in the circle.
 
Holman retired 12 of the first 13 hitters she faced and sat down the Seawolves in order during the first, third and fourth innings. She gave way to Kell with two outs in the fifth.
 
While Holman was tearing through SBU's lineup, SEMO struck first on a solo home run by Paige Halliwill in the bottom of the first. Halliwill drove a 3-1 pitch over the wall in right center for the 11th round-tripper of her career.
 
After Badger tied the game on a solo shot in the top of the second, SEMO added another run in the third, three more in the fourth and tacked on two tallies in the sixth.
 
Abigail Rickermann and reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Aubrie Shore each delivered RBI-hits and Halliwill knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly in the Redhawks breakthrough fourth inning.
 
A pair of unearned runs then extended SEMO's lead to 7-1 two innings later.
 
Holman (1-0) claimed her first win of 2024 after striking out four, walking one and allowing just two hits in 4.2 innings.
 
Mia Haynes (0-1) suffered the loss. Haynes gave up five runs on six hits, walked one and struck out four in five frames.
 
SBU edged SEMO, 8-7, in the hit column and committed three errors.
 
Shore went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI, while Halliwill, Kat Sackett, Kynzie Wrigley, Marissa Peek and Rickermann chipped in one hit apiece.
 
SEMO trailed, 3-2, after five innings before Kat Sackett hit a game-tying double in the top of the sixth. Sackett's second double of the game scored Wrigley who led off the inning with a double of her own.
 
Both teams headed to extra innings after FIU went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the seventh.
 
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, Shore immediately broke the tie with a double to left center. On the next play, Wrigley singled to right and pinch-runner Abby Robbins scored. Sackett then reached on a throwing error and that proved costly after Brittany Affolter later knocked in two runs on a two-out single to center putting the Redhawks ahead, 7-3.
 
SEMO registered 11 hits for its first double-digit hitting game of the early season. The Redhawks outhit the Panthers, 11-7.
 
Wrigley and Sackett each had three hits. Wrigley went 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored and one RBI, while Sackett went 3-for-4 with a run, two doubles and three RBI. Halliwill also scored twice, including the go-ahead run in the decisive eighth inning.
 
Freshman Willow Van Haren (1-0) was credited with her first career win out of the bullpen. Van Haren recorded four strikeouts and gave up only one hit in four innings.
 
Fellow freshman Maddie Carney pitched four innings with two strikeouts in her first career start.
 
SEMO is 2-0 to start a season for the third time under Head Coach Mark Redburn.
 
The Redhawks resume play at the Felsberg Invitational against Big Ten Conference member Ohio State Saturday morning.