OTAHK BATS QUIETLY SWEEP ASIDE TECH

For those people who would rather see Mark McGwire crush a home run every game than watch Greg Maddux put the clamps on opposing batters, Southeast Missouri State University's softball team's doubleheader on Saturday was chilly and a bit sluggish.

But close games they were. In its Ohio Valley Conference home opener, Southeast beat Tennessee Tech 2-0 in the opener and 3-2 in the nightcap, its 10th win in a row.

The usually astute-hitting Otahkians, who are hitting just under .300 as a team, had just seven hits Saturday, which surprised Otahkians coach Lana Richmond.

"Seven hits -- I would expect that in just one game alone," Richmond said. "They were low-scoring but we were able to manufacture some runs. When we got somebody on, we were able to execute with our short game and move them into scoring position. We can hold one-run leads."

In the first game, Southeast (21-5-1, 4-0 OVC) totaled just three hits but got runs in the second and third innings. In the second, Michelle Frank drew a walk, stole second base, took third on a Ricki DeArmon sacrifice and scored on a Josie Earnest groundout.

In the third inning, Chris Shetley, who is hitting a team-leading .407, doubled, went to third on a Tami Hebert sacrifice and scored on a Kim Palmer sacrifice fly.

Southeast's Debbie Schmelz (11-3) went the distance, allowing two hits and striking out two. Two runners got on with no outs in the seventh inning, but Schmelz, who has a 1.21 ERA this season, got a double play and a groundout to escape.

"I thought Debbie Schmelz was in control the whole way," Richmond said. "Her last three outings she hasn't been touched."

In the second game, the Otahkians scored three runs in the first inning and were shut out the rest of the way.

Shetley led off with a double and took third on a Hebert sacrifice. Jenny Oermann walked and an Earnest triple plated Shetley and Oermann. Earnest, who went 2-for-3, scored on a wild pitch.

Tech (9-8, 1-2), which had six hits, scored twice in the second inning.

Christine Engelhardt (8-2) threw a complete game and earned the win.

"(Christine's) first two innings were a little rough because she kept getting the ball up," Richmond said. "She settled down after that and kept the ball down and worked her change up really well."

After committing two errors in the opener, Southeast was flawless in the nightcap.

"When you do not score a lot of runs and you're not hitting the ball exceptionally well," Richmond said, "your defense has to be 100 percent. I thought the defense held up pretty well. We did the things necessary to win the ballgame."