OTAHKIANS SWEPT BY EVANSVILLE

The Southeast Missouri State University women's softball team dropped a pair of home non-conference games to Evansville at Parker Field Thursday.

An Otahkians' rally in the seventh-inning of the first game ended with the bases loaded as Evansville escaped with a 5-4 win. Evansville outscored Southeast 3-1 in the seventh inning of the nightcap for a 10-8 victory.

The losses ended a 16-game win streak and put the Otahkians' overall record at 27-7. Evansville improved to 23-11.

Despite Kim Palmer's sixth home run of the season, a two-run blast to center field in the third inning, Southeast dropped the opening game. by a run. Palmer and Renee Enos had two of the Otahkians' seven hits.

Debbie Schmelz took the loss in the first game, allowing six hits in seven innings.

In the second game, the two squads combined for 25 hits and eight errors. Southeast out-hit Evansville 13-12, but five errors allowed Evansville six unearned runs. Two errors in the seventh inning led to Evansville's three runs off Southeast reliever Melissa Thornton.

Palmer was 3-for-3 in the finale with two doubles and teammates Enos, Erin Frazier, Jenny Oermann and Jenni Gaines all added two hits. Christine Engelhardt took the loss, pitching six innings and allowing four earned runs with five strikeouts.