CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (10-18, 5-3) pounded out 24 hits in a doubleheader split with Tennessee State (15-13, 6-2) Saturday at the Southeast Softball Complex. TSU won game one, 4-3, before SEMO took the nightcap, 11-2, in five innings.
Marissa Peek hit a walk-off three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Redhawks their run-rule victory.
Peek, the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week, capped a five-run inning with her third home run of the season.
SEMO put up four runs to take an early lead in the bottom of the first inning and later added two more in the fourth and five in the fifth.
Sydney Dennis started off the fifth inning with a walk and
Tatum Gerwitz reached on an error. With runners on second and third and one out,
Abigail Rickermann knocked in two runs on a single to left. Peek then ended the game when she smashed a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall.
Peek went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a double and four RBI as one of six Redhawks with multiple hits. Rickermann paved the way going 3-for-4 with two runs, a double and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Shore,
Paige Halliwill, Dennis and Gerwitz followed with two hits apiece.
SEMO outhit TSU, 14-4, with its 14 hits marking a new season-high.
Paytience Holman (6-6) pitched a complete game victory allowing just two runs on four hits. Holman struck out three and retired the last 10 hitters she faced to polish off her strong outing.
Holly Ayala (3-5) suffered the loss. Ayala gave up four runs and five hits in just two-thirds of an inning. She faced only seven hitters prior to exiting the game.
Down, 2-0, TSU used a decisive four-run fifth inning to edge SEMO in game one.
Reigning OVC Pitcher of the Week Caitlyn Manus went the distance giving up three runs on 10 hits. Manus, now 8-5 this season, also struck out three and walked two.
Maddie Carney (1-4) took the loss in relief. Carney scattered four hits and allowed two runs to go along with two strikeouts and three walks in three innings.
The Redhawks had 10 hits with Dennis going 3-for-3 with two runs. Dennis' three hits matched a career-high.
Kynzie Wrigley contributed two hits as SEMO's other multi-hit performer in game one.
SEMO and TSU conclude their series at 12 p.m., CT Sunday.
