PEORIA, Ill. – Gracie Luna and Hailey Burnett each had two hits, and Elliott Stinson pitched a complete game shutout leading #3 Southeast Missouri (25-17) to a 5-0 win over #7 Tennessee Tech (19-34) Wednesday in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
 
Stinson's first career complete game in the circle ended in the first shutout of her career. As a result, SEMO opened an OVC Tournament with a shutout for the first time since 2019 when the Redhawks beat then-#5 Eastern Kentucky, 6-0, in Oxford, Alabama.
 
With Stinson setting the tone, SEMO's offense immediately gave her enough support starting with a four-run first inning.  
 
First-Team All-OVC shortstop Sydney Dennis led things off with a single and went to second on an infield hit by fellow First-Team All-OVC pick Sydney Melton. With one out, Burnett singled to load the bases before Luna, a native of Peoria, singled up the middle to score both Dennis and Melton for the first runs of the game.
 
Freshman Addisyn Martinie kept things going with her first career OVC Tournament hit, an RBI-double to right field. Tatum Gerwitz then brought home Luna on a groundout to get the Redhawks a 4-0 advantage.
 
SEMO added its other run in the bottom of the third when Burnett doubled for her second hit of the game and scored on a single by Luna and error.

A two-out RBI-single by Brittany Affolter capped the 6-0 win in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Luna and Burnett both finished at 2-for-3 with a run scored to pace the Redhawks who outhit the Golden Eagles, 7-3. Additionally, Dennis collected her 150th career hit in her first at-bat of the contest.
 
Stinson (4-2) allowed just three hits, struck out three and walked two in her sparkling performance. She threw 103 pitches with 65 percent of her pitches being strikes.
 
Payton Wagner (3-11) suffered the loss. Wagner gave up five runs on seven hits in three innings.
 
The Redhawks, in their 23rd OVC Tournament appearance in program history, ran their record to 53-34 all-time in OVC Tournament games. SEMO also improved to 4-0 in OVC Tournament games in Peoria.
 
SEMO advances to face #2 SIU Edwardsville Thursday at 10 a.m., CT.