OTAHKS GIVE RICHMOND 600TH WIN

With a doubleheader sweep of Tennessee State University on Friday, the Southeast Missouri State University women's softball team gave longtime coach Lana Richmond her 599th and 600th career victories.

"It's all about them. It's all about this team and the teams I've had before them," said Richmond. "Sometimes I have those days and I wonder what I'm doing out here, still doing this, but I guess they just keep giving me 600 reasons why."

The Otahkians defeated Ohio Valley Conference foe TSU by scores of 7-4 and 9-1 at the Southeast Softball Complex.

Besides the Richmond milestone, the Otahkians (16-15, 10-3) were striving to go over the .500 mark for the first time this season, as well as keep pace with OVC leaders Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech. Entering this series, Southeast trailed EKU by one and Tech by one-half game.

"That's the most important thing," said Richmond. "It keeps us in the thick of things in the OVC."

It was no cakewalk in the first game, as the Otahkians needed two comebacks and a dramatic three-run walk-off homer from Renee Enos in the 12th inning to secure the 7-4 win.

TSU (9-20, 5-9) went up 3-0 in the top of the fourth inning on a three-run homer to right field by shortstop Jo Sharp.

The Otahkians battled back in the bottom of the sixth to tie the score at 3-3. Two walks and two-out RBI singles from Reagan Hamlin, Amy Thompson and Erica Bonilla did the damage.

The Lady Tigers, never a winner against Southeast in 22 games, pushed across a run in the tenth inning to regain the lead, 4-3.

Once again, the Otahkians fought back when Courtney Eklund singled sharply up the middle to drive home the tying run.

"That was a big hit with two outs and the game hanging in the balance," said Richmond. "I hand it to our kids. They didn't quit. They came back and did the things necessary to win the ballgame."

On her game-winning homer, Enos said, "I was angry. They had walked the person in front of me twice to get to me, but I made it hurt."

That strategy proved questionable since Enos is the hottest-hitting Otahkian with a team-leading .400 average and seven hits in her last 11 at-bats.

Jenny Doehring went the distance for the Otahkians to run her record to 11-7. Doehring gave up six hits, struck out nine and walked three.

"She's our workhorse; she's such a competitor," said Richmond. "We put so much pressure on her. She's got to do it on the mound, in the field and at the plate, too."

TSU freshman Shannon Hicks (6-11) pitched admirably while going the route, but took the tough loss.

The second game saw Southeast pick up three runs in the first and three in the third to jump out to a 6-0 lead.

Eklund's three-run homer accounted for all the third-inning runs.

After TSU scored its only run in the fourth inning, the Otahkians extended the margin to 8-1 on a two-run homer by Hamlin in the fifth.

The game ended due to the eight-run mercy rule when Southeast tacked on a single run in the sixth inning.

Kristen King picked up the complete-game win to improve to 5-9. King allowed six hits, struck out six and walked two.

Top hitters for Southeast, on the day, were Enos with four hits; Doehring, Hamlin and Eklund with three each.

Southeast returns to action today when Middle Tennessee visits for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.