McDonald helps Redhawks sweep doubleheader

Megan McDonald didn't expect much out of her freshman softball season.

But she has received plenty --much to the delight of Southeast Missouri State coach Lana Richmond, whose team has already won more games than it did all of last year.

McDonald, a Cape Girardeau Central High School graduate, continued her impressive rookie campaign Saturday, belting two home runs as the Redhawks swept an Ohio Valley Conference home doubleheader.

After slipping past Eastern Kentucky 3-1 in the opener, the Redhawks romped 8-0 in a nightcap that ended in the bottom of the fifth inning by the eight-run rule.

"It was a really good day for us," McDonald said.

McDonald was among the primary stars. Her two-run homer in the third inning of the opener broke a 1-1 tie, and her solo shot in the third inning of the nightcap was part of a five-run uprising that broke things wide open.

"I needed it," a smiling McDonald said. "The last couple of games, I'd been in kind of a slump."

But McDonald, Southeast's second baseman, hasn't slumped very often this year. By going 3-for-4 Saturday -- with a double in addition to her two homers, good for three runs batted in -- she raised her batting average to .355, which has her tied for the team lead with Lindsay Pickering.

McDonald also ranks second on the squad in homers with four and RBIs with 17.

Instead, McDonald has started all 33 games for the Redhawks -- and her play hasn't surprised Richmond at all.

"I am not surprised. I expected her to come in and start, being the quality of player she is," Richmond said. "She's hitting very well, and she's so smooth at second base."

McDonald, who has made just four errors, is part of a freshman class that Richmond has called among the best she has had in her 23 seasons as Southeast's coach.

Two more of those youngsters also sparkled Saturday.

Michelle Summers, an outfielder from Glendale, Calif., went 4-for-7 with a home run and three RBIs. She leads Southeast in homers with eight, doubles with nine, RBIs with 21 and runs scored with 29. Her batting average is .313.

"She's smart, she moves the ball around. She was in total command," Richmond said. "Our freshmen are really doing well for us."

Of course, some of Southeast's older players also played major roles in the sweep.

Senior pitcher Amy Fahnestock, the ace of the staff, did not appear to have her best stuff, but she still worked all seven innings in the opener. Fahnestock (11-6) allowed six hits, struck out two and walked one.

"She knew she wasn't sharp, but she just bore down. That's the way she is," Richmond said.

Senior Kelly Birk went 4-for-6, senior Victoria Torrez went 3-for-6 and junior Stephanie Huffman belted a three-run homer in the nightcap.

Southeast had 17 hits in the two games and limited a strong EKU offensive team to only eight hits.

"Our hitting was very good today, and it was just a good all-around day for us," Richmond said.

The Redhawks grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener as junior Lyndsey Webb doubled with one out and scored on Birk's single.

Pickering, a sophomore center fielder, turned in the defensive play of the day in the second inning as she leaped over the fence to take a home run away from Katie Rolf.

"That was an unbelievable play, and I think it really gave us a lot of momentum," Richmond said.

After EKU tied the score in the third, Southeast went ahead for good in the bottom of the frame as Birk singled and, one batter later, McDonald homered to make it 3-1.

Fahnestock escaped a major threat in the sixth as EKU put runners on second and third with nobody out, but failed to score.

The nightcap was no contest as Southeast's five-run third -- featuring consecutive homers, a three-run shot by Huffman and a solo blast by McDonald -- made it 6-0. Summers' two-run homer in the fifth made it 8-0 and ended the contest early.

EKU's Amy Mayrhofer went 3-for-5 on the day.

Southeast will go for the series sweep at 1 p.m. today when the teams play a seven-inning contest.

"Hopefully we can have another good game," McDonald said.