OTAHKIANS SWEEP AUSTIN PEAY IN OVC OPENER

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- The Southeast Missouri State University softball team opened defense of its Ohio Valley Conference championship Tuesday by holding Austin Peay scoreless in a doubleheader road sweep.

Southeast, which has won five consecutive OVC regular-season championships, improved to 12-11 overall. Austin Peay fell to 7-14 overall and 0-3 in league play.

The Otahkians won the opener 4-0 behind the one-hit pitching of Christine Engelhardt. Southeast then captured the nightcap 3-0 behind the two-hit pitching of Debbie Schmelz.

"We got two outstanding pitching performances," said Southeast coach Lana Richmond. "Austin Peay had a difficult time getting around on either one of our pitchers."

Engelhardt (7-4) struck out 14 and issued one walk. Schmelz (5-7) fanned eight and did not walk a batter.

Southeast had 11 hits in the opener, two apiece from Kelsey White, Jenny Oermann and Renee Enos, who also drove in two runs.

The Otahkians had only five hits in the second game, two from Enos, who homered and had two RBIs.

Southeast will have a big OVC doubleheader at home Thursday when Eastern Illinois comes to Cape Girardeau for a 4 p.m. first pitch.

"Eastern Illinois is picked right behind us in the (OVC) preseason poll," Richmond said. "It's always a battle when we play them."

NOTES: Oermann has been named OVC Player of the Week while Schemlz is the league's Pitcher of the Week. Both stood out during the SIU Invitational that Southeast won last week.