area sports digest 8/3

Southeast soccer team taking trip to Canada

The Southeast Missouri State University women's soccer team is getting ready for an 11-day tour of Canada to play exhibition games in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, from Aug. 7-17.

Seventeen returning players will face various squads, including several from the Canada West Conference, a semi-pro team and the U-19 Australian National team.

"I think this will be great playing experience for the team," Southeast coach Heather Nelson, a native of Canada, said. "I want to make the trip a health and fitness experience along with soccer. Many of the girls may never have the opportunity to visit Canada again and I want them to have a rich experience."

The trip is being funded through private donations.

The Otahkians, who won their first Ohio Valley Conference championship last year, open the season Aug. 30 in their own tournament.

Southeast volleyball earns academic honor

After a year removed from not making the list, the Southeast volleyball team has once again been named a recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association and Molten Team Academic Award.

The award is handed out to teams with a cumulative grade point average greater than 3.30. Southeast, which had a 3.42 GPA, was one of only 47 Division I schools to obtain the honor and was

ranked 15th nationally.

Birmingham Southern had the highest GPA in the country this year with a 3.69 mark.

Heartland Nationals lose twice in tourney

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The Heartland Nationals, an area girls fast-pitch softball team, remained alive in the 14-under national tournament despite going 1-2 Friday.

After winning both their pool games Thursday when the tournament started, the Nationals beat a squad from Indiana 7-1 and then lost to Homewood (Ill.) 5-0 as pool play ended Friday.

That advanced the Nationals to the double-elimination portion of the tourney and they again lost to Homewood 4-3.

In Friday's win, Jamie Pobst pitched all seven innings, allowing five hits while striking out five and walking one. Heartland had nine hits, led by Miranda Schlosser, who went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Mindy Hendrix had two hits and Katie Daniel delivered two RBIs.

In the shutout setback to Homewood, Schlosser allowed five hits but no earned runs in taking the loss. Heartland made five errors and had just two hits, by Schlosser and Hendrix.

Four more errors hurt the Nationals in the second loss to Homewood. Sarah Cook was the loser, allowing five hits and just one earned run while fanning seven. Heartland had three hits, by Hendrix, Daniel and Tori St. Cin.

The Nationals will play an elimination game at 9 a.m. today.--From staff reports