FIT TO BE TIED: OTAHKS DROP OPENER TO SIU, TIE NIGHTCAP

At times during Tuesday's softball doubleheader at Parker Field between Southeast Missouri State University and Southern Illinois-Carbondale, neither team played like it wanted to win.

As it turned out in the nightcap, neither did.

The second game of the twinbill was called after seven innings because of darkness with the game tied 3-3. SIU didn't leave town empty-handed, claiming the first game 4-3 despite four errors.

SIU, which combined for seven errors in the two games, hadn't played a game in over a week because of a tournament getting snowed out last week. Despite their sloppy play, the Lady Salukis improved to 16-5-1 overall. The loss and tie dropped Southeast to 11-5-1.

"We never really got into it; particularly our defense," said SIU head coach Kay Brechtelsbauer. "We were probably fortunate to come away with a win and a tie."

SIU trailed going into the final inning of both games, but timely hitting kept them from defeat. SIU got a two-out, bases-loaded bloop hit in the seventh inning of the first game from junior Jaymie Cowell to provide the winning runs. In the second game, Jamie Campbell led off the seventh inning with a home run over the left field fence to knot the score 3-3.

Cowell, a junior college transfer heavily recruited by Southeast last year, burnt the Otahkians with her two-RBI blooper that fell perfectly between three Southeast fielders.

"We watched (Cowell) in junior college and knew this kid could hit," said Southeast head coach Lana Richmond. "We had to play her deep and it was just one of those hits that dropped in."

Carissa Winters, SIU's overly energetic sophomore pitcher, hurled a perfect seventh inning to go the distance for the win. Winters, who constantly bounces, skips and swings her arm between pitches, struck out seven and allowed only four hits in the first game to improve her record to 8-3.

"She has so much energy and is so hyper, that's her way of keeping herself focused and in control," said Brechtelsbauer. "She's kind of like (former major league relief pitcher) Al Hrabosky. It's just her style."

Southeast led most of the first game before the Lady Salukis' comeback. Two SIU errors in the first inning staked the Otahkians to a 2-0 lead.

SIU got unearned runs in the third and sixth innings to tie things up 2-2, but Southeast went back ahead in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-loaded walk by Ricki DeArmon.

Southeast junior hurler Debbie Schmelz (7-3) was unable to keep the lead, allowing three hits and two walks in the seventh inning to take the loss. Only two of SIU's four runs were earned as Southeast committed three errors behind Schmelz.

"It's the same thing that's been plaguing us all season ... we're unable to play seven innings of defensive ball," said Richmond. "We definitely didn't help ourselves out any at all today and Carbondale took advantage of our errors."

Southeast didn't commit an error in the second game, but the Otahkians were unable hold onto two late leads.

Michelle Frank doubled and scored an unearned run in the second inning to put Southeast ahead 1-0. Carbondale got another two-out, two-RBI bloop hit in the fifth inning by Jen Feldmeier to go ahead 2-1.

Jenny Oermann led off the sixth inning with a first pitch home run to left that tied things up 2-2. Kim Palmer followed with a double and eventually scored on a groundout by freshman Renee Enos to put Southeast ahead 3-2.

Campbell laced the game-tying home run to start the seventh inning off of Southeast starter Christine Engelhardt. SIU loaded the bases with two outs, but Schmelz relieved Engelhardt to get out of the jam.

Southeast plays a 2 p.m. doubleheader today at St. Louis University.