EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Southeast Missouri (12-20, 8-5) pounded out 21 hits and had two big home runs to key a 9-1, 7-4, doubleheader sweep of SIU Edwardsville (14-22, 7-7) Friday at Cougar Field.
SEMO, which extended its winning streak to six games, gave Head Coach
Mark Redburn his fifth career series win against SIUE.
In game one,
Gracie Luna's three-run home run gave SEMO an immediate jolt in the top of the first inning.
With a run already in on an RBI-single by
Aubrie Shore, Luna drilled a 1-2 pitch deep over the left field wall scoring
Madison Winkler and Shore with two outs to push the Redhawks lead to 4-0.
SEMO added three more runs in the fourth and another two in the sixth.
Lily Delmain doubled down the left field line to knock in
Addy Martinie and
Sydney Miles before
Kamden Hutton brought home Delmain on a single to center in the top of the fourth.
Brittany Affolter and Winkler then delivered RBI-hits to extend the Redhawks lead to 9-0 in the sixth.
SIUE avoided the shutout with its only run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth.
Willow Van Haren (3-6) was outstanding in the circle for the Redhawks.
Van Haren gave up only two hits and struck out four in six innings, her fourth complete game of the season. She retired the first eight hitters she faced and pitched 1-2-3 innings in the first, second and fourth.
Avery Arwood (3-5) suffered the loss. SEMO chased Arwood after a quick two-thirds of an inning. Arwood allowed four runs on two hits and walked three in that stretch.
SEMO outhit SIUE, 12-2, with Hutton reaching base four times on three walks and a hit.
Shore went 3-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI, while Delmain finished at 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI. Six others, including Affolter, Winkler,
Lilly Blagoue, Luna, Miles and Martinie had a hit.
After SIUE rallied for four runs to get within a run (5-4) in the bottom of the sixth inning, Affolter slugged a huge two-run home run over the center field wall to nail down the Redhawks victory in the nightcap.
Hutton led off the seventh with a single to right before scoring on Affolter's ensuing home run, the second of her career.
SEMO again jumped out front early scoring three runs during its first at-bat of the contest.
Hutton then scored on a wild pitch and Shore drove in Affolter on a single to center stretching the Redhawks lead to 5-0 in the second inning.
The Cougars left five runners on base in the final two innings.
Freshman
Summer Branch (2-1) picked up the win. Branch worked five innings allowing three runs on five hits. She also struck out one and walked three.
Maddie Carney pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to earn her second save of the season.
Mia Volpert (5-8) took the loss. Volpert lasted just 1.1 innings where she gave up five runs on four hits and walked two.
Both teams had nine hits and SIUE committed four errors.
Shore went 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Affolter was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI. Hutton, who reached base in seven of her eight plate appearances for the doubleheader, went 2-for-3 with three runs and a walk.
SEMO and SIUE close out their series with one more game at 12 p.m., CT Saturday.
