OTAHKS SWEEP REGULAR-SEASON FINALE

If Southeast Missouri State University's softball team can duplicate Wednesday's performance against St. Louis University in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament which begins on Saturday, the Otahkians are in for an easy weekend.

Southeast dominated visiting St. Louis Wednesday at Parker Field, sweeping both games of the doubleheader without allowing a run.

Southeast (29-20-1) won the opener 9-0 in five innings and the nightcap 7-0. The games were the last of the regular season for the Otahkians.

The Otahkians had 10 hits and took advantage of five errors by St. Louis in the opener. Southeast scored two runs in the first, five in the third and two in the fourth.

Sara Reichert went the distance and earned the win. She allowed two hits, struck out two and walked one.

For Southeast, Kim Palmer went 2-for-3 with three runs and two runs batted in and she had a home run. Palmer's homer was her fifth to move into second place on Southeast's single-season record list. Jenny Oermann went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and Karen Matzenbacher had two RBIs.

In the nightcap, Southeast totaled 13 hits and St. Louis was once again plagued by errors as it committed three.

Debbie Schmelz was the winning pitcher. She threw all seven innings, allowing four hits and striking out seven while walking none.

The Otahkians scored four runs in the second, two in the fourth and one in the fifth.

Offensively for Southeast, Tami Hebert went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, Palmer went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Oermann went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and scored two runs, Chris Shetley went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and Anne Wilson went 2-for-4.

Southeast, the No. 1 seed, will play in the OVC Tournament in Morehead, Ky., on Saturday at 9 a.m. against Austin Peay. The Otahkians went 20-5 in league play this year to capture their third consecutive OVC regular-season championship.

The Otahkians will be looking for their second straight OVC tourney title, but they figure to have their work cut out for them.

Expected to give Southeast a tough challenge are several teams, including second-seeded Tennessee Tech (20-9 in the OVC) and third-seeded Eastern Illinois (19-11). Tennessee Tech won the OVC tourney in 1995.

Rounding out the tournament field are Tennessee-Martin (15-11), Middle Tennessee State (14-12), Eastern Kentucky (14-13), Morehead State (11-19) and Austin Peay (5-14).