Errors prove costly in loss to Georgia Tech

Perennial softball powerhouse Georgia Tech is in something of a rebuilding year with injury problems and a young roster, but beating the Yellow Jackets would still have represented a notable win for Southeast Missouri State.

The host Redhawks appeared poised to pull it off, but a rough sixth inning foiled those hopes.

Georgia Tech scored four unearned runs in the frame to rally for a 9-4 victory Wednesday afternoon at the Southeast Softball Complex.

"It sickens me because we had them," a frustrated Southeast coach Lana Richmond said. "It would have been a nice win. They're still a very good team."

The Yellow Jackets, who were swept in a Tuesday doubleheader at SIU Edwardsville -- like Southeast a member of the Ohio Valley Conference -- improved to 14-15. They are 2-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Southeast Missouri State first baseman Xia Wilson fields a ground ball from Georgia Tech's Morgan Taylor during the Redhawks' 9-4 loss to the Yellow Jackets Wednesday, March 20, at the Southeast Softball Complex. (ADAM VOGLER)

Southeast fell to 8-13. The Redhawks are 1-1 in the OVC.

"We did a good job today," said Georgia Tech seventh-year coach Sharon Perkins, whose team dropped 2-1 and 1-0 decisions at SIUE. "They were tight games yesterday and we tried to battle. ... I thought we swung the bats much better today."

Georgia Tech has averaged nearly 45 wins per season under Perkins, who led the Yellow Jackets to NCAA tournament berths in her first six seasons. They have won either the ACC regular season or tournament title the past four years.

"We're young and we have had a lot of injuries," Perkins said. "But I hate to call it [a rebuilding year]."

The Yellow Jackets trailed 3-2 entering the sixth inning Wednesday.

Southeast’s Brittany Smith raps a double during the Redhawks’ 9-4 loss to Georgia Tech Wednesday. (ADAM VOGLER)

Two walks and an infield single loaded the bases with one out before Southeast senior ace Taylor Cowan recorded a strikeout.

Cowan looked like she would escape the jam with the lead when Courtney Ziese lofted a fairly routine fly ball to shallow left field, but it was dropped for a two-run error that put Georgia Tech ahead.

After a walk loaded the bases again, Ashley Thomas delivered a two-run single that made it 6-3.

"The story of the game was our defense in the sixth inning. We just didn't make the fundamental plays," Richmond said. "We're doing a lot of things right. ... then you have a breakdown on defense."

Southeast countered with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but Georgia Tech broke things open with a three-run seventh inning.

Southeast’s Simone Patterson takes off for home on a sixth-inning groundout by Chelsea Smith. Patterson scored on the play. (ADAM VOGLER)

"We just need to clean up our defense, but we're getting it together," junior center fielder Alexis Anderson said.

Cowan had another strong performance despite taking the loss. She was charged with six runs, two earned, and just four hits in six innings. She struck out four and walked five.

Cowan is only 5-7 but owns a solid 2.28 earned-run average. Her 80 innings this season are 20 more than Southeast's other three hurlers combined.

"She's going strong for six innings, working out of jams," Richmond said of Wednesday's outing. "I knew going into this game it would take fundamental defense, timely hitting and a performance on the mound where she's hitting her spots."

Cowan also delivered the biggest hit of the day for the Redhawks, a two-run homer in the third inning that put Southeast up 3-2. It was her second home run of the season.

The Redhawks took a 1-0 first-inning lead on an RBI single by Anderson, a junior college transfer who has surged to a team-high .352 batting average.

Anderson was coming off a monster performance during Saturday's OVC-opening doubleheader at Murray State, which Southeast split. She went 5 for 7 with two homers, a double, four RBIs, three runs scored and two stolen bases. She also robbed MSU of a home run.

"I think she's feeling a lot more comfortable at the plate. She's starting to come on," Richmond said.

Anderson had special incentive Wednesday because she is the only Georgia native on Southeast's roster. She said she was familiar with opposing pitcher Hope Rush and enjoyed competing against one of her home state universities.

"It would have been better if we won," she said with a smile.

Georgia Tech went ahead 2-1 on Alysha Rudnik's two-run homer in the third inning.

Southeast managed just five hits and committed four errors, although freshman catcher Chelsea Smith was a defensive bright spot as she threw out two runners trying to steal second base.

"She had an outstanding game," Richmond said.

The Redhawks played their third straight game without freshman third baseman Savannah Carpenter.

Carpenter, Southeast's second-leading hitter with a .321 average, is expected to miss at least two weeks with a knee injury.

"We miss her bat in the lineup," Richmond said.

Georgia Tech finished with seven hits and played errorless defense. Also homering for the Yellow Jackets was Rush, whose leadoff shot began the three-run seventh inning off junior reliever Lauren Reinagel.

"I thought we made a lot of key defensive plays," Perkins said.

Southeast will now embark on a five-game road trip over the next four days beginning today with a 4 p.m. nonconference matchup at Western Kentucky.

The Redhawks then have a pair of noon OVC doubleheaders in Nashville, Tenn., against Belmont Saturday and Tennessee State Sunday.