OTAHK SOFTBALL SPLITS DOUBLEHEADER WITH EIU

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State University's softball team clinched the Ohio Valley Conference Western Division title Friday with a doubleheader split against Eastern Illinois.

Southeast lost the first game 4-0, but came back in the second contest for a 6-0 victory. The Otahkians are now 34-10 overall and 16-2 in the OVC. EIU stands at 20-19, 7-8

Debbie Schmelz hurled a four-hit shutout in the second game, improving her record to 17-4. Schmelz, last week's OVC Player of the Week, allowed no walks while striking out two.

Three triples powered the Otahkians' offense. Jenny Oermann tripled and scored to lead off a two-run fourth inning and Tami Herbert started a three-run fifth with another triple.

Oermann scored Hebert with a triple and Kim Palmer brought Oermann around with the final three-bagger. Michelle Frank plated Palmer with a single to make the score 5-0.

Oermann, who went 4-for-4, scored on a wild pitch in the seventh inning. Palmer had three of the Otahkians' 10 hits and Hebert had two. Frank's RBI-single was the only other hit for Southeast.

The Otahkians could have used a few of those hits in the first game, totaling only two in the shutout loss. Jenny Oermann and Erin Frazier had the only Southeast hits.

Christine Engelhardt (14-5) went the distance, but took the loss. She struckout four and walked two. EIU's Sara Delaere (11-5) struckout seven and walked none in her shutout.

Southeast closes out its OVC schedule at home Tuesday against Tennessee-Martin. The Otahkians may have already clinched the conference title by then, but two wins over Martin would assure Southeast the title.

"Those two games with Martin could be huge," said Southeast coach Lana Richmond.