Jacksonville State sweeps Southeast Missouri State softball team

The Southeast Missouri State softball team suffered an excruciating first-game loss on the way to being swept in Saturday's Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Jacksonville State.

Sara Borders belted a walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the host Gamecocks a 4-2 win. JSU then romped 13-5 in the nightcap, which was stopped after five innings by the eight-run mercy rule.

Southeast fell to 11-21 overall and 3-7 in OVC play with its fifth straight conference loss. JSU improved to 21-16 and 7-4.

The Redhawks took a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh inning of the opener on senior right fielder Simone Patterson's second solo home run of the game. She now has five homers to tie for the team lead.

Patterson's leadoff shot in the fifth inning gave Southeast a 1-0 lead before JSU pulled even in the sixth inning with an unearned run.

JSU's bottom of the seventh began with a walk. A strikeout and fly ball had the Gamecocks down to their final out before a single kept the inning going. Borders then connected for her game-winning shot.

Senior Taylor Cowan took the loss in the circle. She allowed five hits and three earned runs while striking out three and walking three.

Southeast had seven hits. Cowan matched Patterson by going 2 for 3.

The Redhawks grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the nightcap, but JSU answered with a five runs in the bottom half of the inning. The Gamecocks broke the game open with six runs in the second for an 11-3 lead.

Junior center fielder Alexis Anderson went 3 for 3 to pace Southeast's eight-hit attack. JSU had 10 hits, including the game's only two homers.

Cowan (6-14) suffered her second loss of the day, allowing four runs (two earned) and two hits in just 1/3 of an inning.

Southeast remains on the road today for a noon OVC doubleheader at Tennessee Tech.

Gymnastics

Junior Taryn Vanderpool had a solid performance during Saturday's NCAA South Central Regional meet in Norman, Okla.

Vanderpool, Southeast's lone regional qualifier, scored 9.600 or higher in all four of her events and finished 12th in the all-around at her first career regional meet.

"Taryn had a very solid meet. She hit all four of her routines, did a great job in general and had fun at this meet," Southeast coach Kristi Ewasko said. "When you are following a national-qualifying program like Stanford, you have to handle a lot of nerves. What I hope Taryn can do next year is convey to the team that they can compete at this same regional level and crack that top 36 as a team."

Vanderpool scored 9.725 on bars, 9.600 on beam, 9.675 on floor and 9.775 on vault. Her all-around total was 38.775.

Tennis

Shorthanded Southeast snapped its six-match losing Friday with a nonconference win before dropping its seventh straight OVC match Saturday. Both contests were on the road.

Southeast beat Brescia College, an NAIA program from Owensboro, Ky., 5-2, then fell to OVC leader Eastern Kentucky 7-0.

The Redhawks, down to three healthy scholarship players, are 3-9 overall and 0-7 in OVC play. EKU is 14-6 and 7-0.

Southeast closes out its three-match road swing today at OVC opponent Morehead State.

Southeast 5, Brescia 2

Singles

No. 1 -- Heather Robinson (SE) def. Kelsey Hurrigan 6-0, 6-1

No. 2 -- Elizabeth Nyenwe (SE) def. Alejandra Matiz 6-4, 6-1

No. 3 -- Jessica Courtnell (SE) def. Leanne Myers 6-0, 6-0

No. 4 -- Tarsila Duck (B) def. Sarah Uptmor 2-6, 6-3, 1-0 (12-10 super tie-breaker)

No. 5 -- Lauren Schaper (SE) def. Erin Harper 6-2, 6-4

No. 6 -- Eva Burelos (B) won by default

Doubles

No. 1 -- Robinson-Courtnell (SE) def. Hurrigan-Matiz 8-1

No. 2 -- Nyenwe-Schaper(SE) def. Myers-Duck 8-0

No. 3 -- Harper-Burelos (B) won by default

Eastern Kentucky 7, Southeast 0

Singles

No. 1 -- Amandine Faouzi (EKU) def. Heather Robinson 6-1, 6-1

No. 2 -- Kristina Labeja (EKU) def. Elizabeth Nyenwe 6-2, 6-0

No. 3 -- Saioa Oscoz (EKU) def. Jessica Courtnell 6-3, 6-3

No. 4 -- Marcela Jimenez (EKU) def. Sarah Uptmor 6-0, 6-0

No. 5 -- Carmen Rodriguez (EKU) won by default

No. 6 -- Milena Poffo (EKU) won by default

Doubles

No. 1 -- Poffo-Melissa Gerritsen (EKU) def. Robinson-Courtnell 8-4

No. 2 -- Rodriguez-Danielle Kinnen (EKU) def. Nyenwe-Lauren Schaper 8-4

No. 3 -- Faouzi-Labeja (EKU) won by default

-- From staff reports