Future OVC foe sweeps Redhawks

~ Southeast's softball team has dropped nine consecutive games.

It's doubtful the Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville softball team will have any trouble being competitive in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Not with the way SIUE has performed during its first Division I season.

And certainly not with the way the Cougars beat up on host Southeast Missouri State on Wednesday.

SIUE easily swept a doubleheader, 6-1 in the opener and 12-3 in the nightcap that was stopped after five innings by the eight-run mercy rule.

Southeast's Carmen Fowler shows her disappointment after striking out during the sixth inning of the first game Wednesday. (ELIZABETH DODD ~ edoddsemissourian.com)

"Our kids have really been competing," SIUE coach Sandy Montgomery said.

SIUE was admitted to the OVC last summer, with the softball program beginning conference competition in 2011 and the school's other sports starting league play the following season.

"I think it's a real good fit for our program," Montgomery said of joining the OVC. "I know our entire university is excited."

The Cougars have been a perennial Division II powerhouse in softball, earning nine straight trips to the national tournament before this year.

Montgomery, in her 21st season at SIUE, led the Cougars to the 2007 Division II national championship after a runner-up finish in 2006.

Southeast's Nicole Troncoso catches the ball for an out against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville during the seventh inning of the first game Wednesday.

"We've had a pretty successful program for some time," said Montgomery, who has led the Cougars to 14 straight seasons of at least 30 wins. "We've prepared [for the jump to Division I]."

SIUE softball hasn't had much trouble adjusting to this year's higher level of competition. The Cougars are 31-7, which includes wins over nationally ranked Missouri and SIU-Carbondale.

The Cougars are 6-1 against OVC teams so far this season, with several games still to play against future conference opponents.

"I feel we'll be able to step right in [to the OVC] and compete," Montgomery said. "I feel real good about it."

Southeast coach Lana Richmond has no doubt the Cougars will be an OVC force as soon as they begin playing in the conference for keeps.

"They're solid," Richmond said. "I remember playing them when we were both Division II. We had some battles.

"They'll come right in and compete, make a run at the conference championship. They're very well coached and their program is fully funded."

Southeast fell to 12-17 as the Redhawks saw their losing streak reach nine games. Southeast was outhit 21-12 in the doubleheader.

"We're struggling right now," Richmond said.

SIUE pitcher Kaitlin Colosimo was the star of the 6-1 opener as she retired the first 14 batters she faced.

Senior Lauren Bradley finally reached Colosimo for a clean single with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning for Southeast's first baserunner.

Colosimo set down 19 of Southeast's first 20 batters before running into a bit of trouble in the seventh as the Redhawks used three hits and a walk to score a run and load the bases with two outs.

But Colosimo retired the final batter to end the contest. She finished with nine strikeouts during a four-hitter that raised her record to 14-3.

SIUE's pitching was not quite as dominant in the nightcap but more than good enough as the Cougars' offense exploded early and often.

"I'm proud of the way we've been playing," Montgomery said.

Freshman Giana Zimmerman (7-7) took the loss in the opener, allowing nine hits and six runs, although the score was just 3-0 entering the seventh. Zimmerman struck out seven and walked four.

Sophomore Whitney Dupuis (2-6) was tagged for 11 hits and 10 runs in just three innings of the nightcap.

Bradley had two hits in the opener for Southeast, while sophomore Carmen Fowler had two hits and two RBIs in the nightcap.

Southeast now will turn its attention back to OVC play. The Redhawks are eighth at 3-6 in the nine-team league entering Friday's doubleheader at Tennessee-Martin.

"We've got 15 conference games left. That's what we have to set our sights on," Richmond said. "We've already played the two top teams in the conference [Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech]. Now we have to do well against the middle to bottom of the pack."