CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (14-23, 10-7) dropped its series finale to Eastern Illinois (22-20, 14-3), 6-4, Sunday afternoon at the Southeast Softball Complex.
SEMO came away with a series win against the Ohio Valley Conference leading Panthers with its doubleheader sweep in the opening day of the weekend set.
After
Maddie Carney pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the first inning, SEMO scored the game's first run when
Aubrie Shore ripped a single through the left side to score
Brittany Affolter in the bottom half of the inning.
EIU loaded the bases for the second time two innings later.
Maddux Marshall and Lizzie Stiverson each walked in a run and Mo Hance scored when Viola Smith was hit by a pitch putting the Panthers ahead, 3-1.
Affolter crushed a solo home run off the video board in left center to make it a one-run game in the bottom of the third. For Affolter, it was her second round-tripper of the season.
Two EIU errors led to a pair of unearned runs as SEMO regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Pinch-runner Kaylin Yamnitz stole third and scored on a throwing error by catcher Sophia Olman and
Madison Winkler touched home on a fielding error by first baseman Abbi Hatton giving the Redhawks a slight 4-3 advantage.
Then, in the top of the sixth inning, Hatton and Olman hit back-to-back home runs to put EIU back on top, 5-4. The Panthers had five hits and loaded the bases with no outs before SEMO ended the jam with a double play.
The Panthers tacked on one more run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh.
Affolter went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a home run and one RBI to lead SEMO which had seven hits for the day.
Elliott Stinson (3-6) took the loss in relief after giving up two runs on three hits and walking two in two innings. Stinson also had one strikeout and faced 11 hitters.
EIU registered 12 hits and left 13 runners on base.
Bryanna French (6-2) picked up the win out of the bullpen. French threw 3.1 scoreless innings with two hits allowed. She walked two and struck out one, as well.
SEMO next heads to Evansville (Apr. 14) and Illinois (Apr. 15) for back-to-back midweek matchups.
