MTSU HANDS OTAHKS PAIR OF 3-1 LOSSES, WINS OVC TOURNEY

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Middle Tennessee State University proved firsthand to Southeast Missouri State University that its regular season OVC softball title was no fluke.

MTSU won its first ever OVC Tournament on Friday, handing a pair of 3-1 losses to the Otahkians, one which occurred in the championship game.

MTSU advanced to the title game with a 3-1 victory over Southeast in the winner's bracket final. The loss dropped the Otahkians into the loser's bracket final where they edged Tennessee Tech 2-1 to gain a rematch with the Lady Raiders.

In the championship game, Stacy Preator held Southeast (31-23) to five hits and a lone run in the sixth inning. MTSU (39-19) broke out on top with two runs in the third inning on two hits and two Otahkian errors. Melanie Manley opened the third with a single off losing pitcher Jennifer Dippel and advanced to second on a walk to Carisa Chavez. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Manley then came home on a sacrifice fly by Laura Bockman. Chavez scored on a two-out error for a 2-0 MTSU lead.

Dippel (11-5) was lifted in favor of Renee Mueller after the inning. Dippel allowed four hits, walked two and struck out three.

Mueller retired the first two batters she faced in the fourth before surrendering a double to Manley, who promptly scored on a single by Chavez. The two hits were among four that Mueller allowed over the final four innings. She struck out three and walked no one. Manley and Chavez each had two hits for MTSU.

Southeast scored its run on an RBI double by Jenny Doehring in the sixth. Brooke Nett, who opened the inning with a single, scored on the play. Doehring finished with two of Southeast's five hits on the game.

Preator (12-6) retired the Otahkians in order in the seventh as MTSU claimed the title. Preator struck out 10 and did not walk a batter.

The game followed the pattern of the winner's bracket final. In that game, MTSU broke on top in the third inning, took a 3-0 lead into the sixth, where Southeast scored its only run.

Jennifer Martinez went the distance for the Lady Raiders, holding Southeast to three hits. She struck out six and did not walk a batter.

Doehring (8-6) pitched the first five innings for Southeast and took the loss. She allowed eight hits, struck out one and walked two. Mueller pitched one inning and allowed three hits.

Kelsey White accounted for two of the Otahkians' three hits and Southeast's only run via a solo home run in the sixth.

Southeast bounced back against Tennessee Tech as Dippel recorded the win. She went the distance, allowing seven hits, striking out two and walking one.

Tennessee Tech took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but Southeast countered with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Courtney Eklund had an RBI single in the fourth and Emmy Kisaka had an RBI double in the sixth.

Doehring had two of Southeast's six hits off losing pitcher Brandy Henry (31-17).