Otahkians, Skyhawks split a pair

Southeast Missouri State University's push to qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference softball tournament broke even Tuesday afternoon as the Otahkians and Tennessee-Martin split a tight doubleheader.

After Southeast scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the opener 5-4, visiting UTM held on for a 3-2 victory.

The Otahkians (14-29, 9-9) remained in sixth place among 10 OVC teams; the top six finishers earn berths in the conference tournament. The Skyhawks (29-19, 12-7) began the day tied for third place.

"These were two really good ballgames, but we really could have used two wins. It would have put ourselves in a better position," Southeast coach Lana Richmond said.

Southeast has a 2 1/2-game lead over seventh-place Austin Peay (7-12) and a 3 1/2-game lead over eighth-place Eastern Illinois (6-13), but the Otahkians still have seven games remaining, including three this weekend, when they close out their home schedule against first-place Eastern Kentucky.

"We have to distance ourselves from the bottom four teams," Richmond said. "We still have some really tough games left."

Said pitcher Amy Fahnestock: "We just want to finish strong and get in the tournament. If we can get in the tournament, we have as good a chance as anybody."

Fahnestock, who earlier in the season was slowed considerably by a wrist injury, continued to do her part to help the Otahkians' cause. The junior right-hander posted her third complete-game victory in four days by firing a four-hitter in the opener to improve to 8-9. She also worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief in the second game.

"I just do what I have to do," said Fahnestock, asked if she minds all the work.

Southeast handed Fahnestock the win in thrilling fashion. Tied 4-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, the first two batters were retired and it looked like the squads would play extra innings. But Amy Murphy singled, Suzi Lair singled and Victoria Torrez drove in Murphy with a single that ended the game.

That momentum looked like it might carry over into the second game, but one bad play helped turn the tide. UTM got three runs in the fourth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit, the final two scoring as Southeast made two errors on the same play. That marred an otherwise strong defensive performance by the Otahkians.

"We had the lapse in defense on one play," Richmond said. "Otherwise we played really good."

The Otahkians, after scoring an unearned run in the fourth to make it 3-2, barely threatened the rest of the way as freshman reliever Megan Mizell, from Vienna, Ill., shut the door by retiring eight of the nine batters she faced to save the victory. Allison Buckley got the win.

Kelly Birk took the loss, allowing two hits and one earned run in 3 1/3 innings. Jessica Hunter gave up three hits and an unearned runs in two innings.

Birk, however, sizzled at the plate by going 7-for-8, including 4-for-4 in the opener.

Southeast outhit UTM 20-10. Lair added three hits on the day while Torrez, Murphy, Alana Bagby-Leonard and Lyndsey Webb all had two hits.

Jennifer Young and Nicole Davis both had three hits for UTM. Young got the day's only home run, a two-run shot in the opener.

"I thought we hit really well," Richmond said. "We just needed that one big hit in the second game."