CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (23-15, 16-7) rallied to win the nightcap and force a split in a doubleheader with Southern Indiana (14-23, 11-11) Sunday. SEMO dropped game one, 4-3, and took game two by a score of 10-0 in five innings.
SEMO scored six unearned runs with two outs in the second inning to key its game two victory and series win over the Screaming Eagles. For the Redhawks, it was their sixth series win of the year.
Hailey Burnett reached on an error,
Sophie Schupp got on with a bunt single and
Tatum Gerwitz walked to load the bases.
Sydney Dennis hit into a fielder's choice and an error on the play allowed Schupp and pinch-runner
Selby Patberg to score.
Madison Winkler then doubled home two runs and
Brooklyn Saysoff followed with a two-run home run to put the Redhawks ahead, 6-0.
The Redhawks put up another run in the third inning and three more in the fourth to finish off USI in five innings.
SEMO scored on a fielder's choice in the third before pinch-runner
Abby Robbins scored on a wild pitch and
Gracie Luna and
Hailey Burnett each touched home on two-out errors in the fourth.
Willow Van Haren (5-2) threw her second shutout of the season. Van Haren gave up five hits, walked two and recorded four strikeouts.
Josie Newman (8-15) suffered the loss. Newman scattered three hits, walked three and gave up six runs, all unearned.
The Redhawks pounded out 10 hits with Saysoff going 2-for-2 with a run scored, home run and two RBI. Schupp also added two hits, while Winkler had a two-RBI double and one run scored to run her hitting streak to 10 games.
In game one, USI and SEMO combined to score five runs in the first inning.
The Screaming Eagles struck first when the four of the first five hitters in their lineup reached on a hit. Caroline Stapleton led off with an infield single and went to second on a base hit by Kennedy Nalley. With one out, Whitley Hunter singled to load the bases and Jordan Mackey followed with a three-RBI double to put USI ahead, 3-0.
SEMO quickly made it a one-run game during its at-bat in the bottom half of the first.
Dennis ripped a double to left center at the top of the Redhawks order. Winkler followed with a single to left and Dennis moved to third. On the next play, Winkler stole second and Dennis scored on the throw to second base. Luna's two-out hit to right center scored Winkler cutting USI's lead to 3-2.
USI tacked on another run in the top of the third inning when Jinnis Gerth's two-out single scored Sydney Long to make it a 4-2 contest.
SEMO managed to get one more run in the top of the fifth inning on
Sydney Melton's two-out run-scoring single, but it wasn't enough.
Kylie Witthaus (6-7) gave up three runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out two in her complete game victory.
Maddie Carney (2-5) took the loss. Carney allowed four runs, seven hits, walked three and struck out two in five innings.
Dennis went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, and Luna finished at 2-for-3 with one RBI to lead SEMO in game one.
Stapleton had two hits and Long scored two runs, including the decisive tally in the third inning.
SEMO returns to action when it hosts former Ohio Valley Conference member Murray State in its final home game of the season on Apr. 30.
