ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Sydney Dennis and Sydney Melton combined for five hits and each had one RBI to lead Southeast Missouri (16-13, 9-5) to a series-clinching 2-1 victory over Lindenwood (16-18, 7-8) Monday.
 
SEMO started strong out of the gate with three of its first four hitters getting a hit. With two outs, cleanup hitter Melton singled and Tatum Gerwitz scored to give the Redhawks a 1-0 edge in the top of the first inning.
 
LU loaded the bases on three-straight two-out walks in the bottom of the first, but Delaney Kell pitched around the jam to keep the Lions off the board.
 
The Lions loaded the bases again in the second inning, this time with one out. After a pitching change, reliever Elliott Stinson recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
 
Stinson went on to retire eight in a row before giving way to Willow Van Haren. Van Haren followed with a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
 
LU pulled within a run on a RBI-single by pinch-hitter Danielle Franz in the bottom of the sixth. The Lions had the bases loaded with no outs before Maddie Carney entered the game and got three-straight outs to keep it a 2-1 contest.
 
After SEMO came up empty with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, Carney forced LU to hit into three-straight groundball outs to claim her first save of the season.
 
Stinson (3-2) was credited with the win tossing 2.2 shutout no-hit innings with three strikeouts.
 
Offensively, SEMO outhit LU, 9-4. Dennis went 3-for-4 and Melton finished at 2-for-3. Brooklyn Saysoff pushed her hitting streak to six games with a base hit.
 
The Redhawks posted their fourth one-run victory of the season and ran their record to 8-1 against LU all-time.
 
SEMO returns home to host Morehead State Apr. 12-13.