URBANA, Ill. – Southeast Missouri (14-25) hit a season-high three home runs in a close 9-8 loss to Big Ten Conference member Illinois (12-31) Wednesday at Eichelberger Field.
 
SEMO and Illinois combined for five round-trippers in the first-ever meeting between the teams.
 
In a back-and-forth battle, the Fighting Illini scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to edge the Redhawks.
 
Adisyn Caryl had a RBI single to right center and Ellie Haggard walked in the go-ahead score with the bases loaded. Skylar Brennan scored the winning run on the play.
 
Illinois loaded the bases and scored three unearned runs to take an early lead in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Brennan walked, Caryl reached on an error and Haggard hit a one-out single. Keirys Click was hit by a pitch and Brennan scored. Ady Kiddy walked on the next play and Caryl touched home. Delaney Mosely grounded out, and Haggard scored to give the Fighting Illini a 3-0 cushion.
 
Illinois added to its lead when Eileen Donahue hit a two-run home run to make it a 5-0 game in the bottom of the second.
 
SEMO got on the board during its at-bat in the top of the third courtesy of a solo home run by Lily Delmain. Delmain's second homer of the season was followed by an Aubrie Shore single. Sydney Miles later delivered a two-out single with the bases loaded and pinch-runner Abby Robbins scored to cut Illinois' lead to 5-2.
 
The Redhawks used back-to-back home runs to take their first lead of the game in the top half of the fourth inning. Shore belted a three-run home run and Gracie Luna followed with a two-run smash to put SEMO ahead, 7-5. 
 
With two outs and a runner on following a SEMO pitching change, Donahue hit reliever Maddie Carney's first pitch for a two-run home run to tie things up at 7-7 during the Fighting Illini's turn in the bottom half of the fourth.
 
Delmain knocked in Madison Winkler on a two-out single to left putting the Redhawks back in the lead at 8-7 before Illinois countered with the decisive runs.
 
Abby Sabalaskey (6-7) picked up the win in relief working 3.2 innings. Sabalaskey allowed one run on two hits, struck out two and walked one.
 
Carney (4-11) took the loss. She faced nine hitters giving up three runs, five hits and three walks in two-thirds of an inning.
 
Illinois edged SEMO, 11-10, in the hit column.
 
Donahue went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two home runs and four RBI to lead the way.
 
Shore, who hit her 20th career home run, finished at 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI, while Delmain went 2-for-4 with two runs, a home run and two RBI for the Redhawks.
 
SEMO hosts Lindenwood in a three-game series on Apr. 18-19.