Heartbreaker ends Southeast Missouri State softball team's streak

The Southeast Missouri State softball team saw its season-long five-game winning streak end with yet another tough Ohio Valley Conference loss.

Southeast was beaten 1-0 at defending OVC regular-season champion Eastern Illinois on Wednesday.

The Redhawks (19-25, 10-13) have suffered 12 of their 13 conference losses by one or two runs. They remained eighth in the 11-team league.

Third-place EIU (23-17, 13-6) scored the game's only run in the first inning.

Bailey O'Dell led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice and came home on a ground out.

Alora Marble (11-12) was the tough-luck loser in the circle despite pitching her 18th complete game of the season.

Marble allowed three hits, all over the first two innings. She struck out one and walked two.

Southeast managed just two hits off EIU hurler Stephanie Maday (13-9), who struck out eight and walked two.

The Redhawks threatened during their final chance in the seventh inning with a single and a walk with two outs. But Maday recorded a strikeout to nail down the win.

Southeast returns to action Saturday with a 1 p.m. OVC home doubleheader against last-place Tennessee State. The squads also will play at 1 p.m. Sunday.