PALMER SETS HOMER RECORD; OTAHKS SWEEP LADY GOVS

With Kim Palmer etching her name in the Southeast Missouri State University softball record book once again, the Otahkians swept an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader Tuesday.

Palmer hit her eighth home run of the season -- which was also the 13th of her career -- to help lead the Otahkians past Austin Peay 2-1 and 9-1 at Parker Field.

Southeast, seeking its fourth consecutive OVC championship, improved to 33-9-1 and 15-1 in league play. Austin Peay fell to 19-24 overall, 2-11 in the OVC.

Palmer had earlier this season broken Southeast's single-season home run record of six. And her blast Tuesday broke the school's career homer mark of 12, previously shared by Palmer and Shelly Trieb.

Palmer, the OVC Female Athlete of the Year in 1997 who was also a basketball standout for the Otahkians, ranks either at the top or near the top of several other school records.

"Kim has just had a wonderful career at Southeast," said Otahkian coach Lana Richmond. "She's so strong, whenever she gets her pitch, she's obviously going to send it."

After Austin Peay scored a run in the first inning in the opener, Southeast got runs in its second and third.

Southeast's Ricki DeArmon had a solo homer and Chris Shetley added a run-scoring single.

Debbie Schmelz (16-4) got the win. She went all seven innings and allowed five hits.

"She did the things necessary to win," said Richmond of the performance by Schmelz. "She kept the ball low and got the job20done."

After totaling five hits in the first game, the Otahkians got 11 in the nightcap. Southeast scored two runs in the first inning, one in the third, five in the fourth and one in the sixth.

"Our bats woke up in the second game," Richmond said. "We really hit the ball well."

Palmer went 2-for-3 with a double to go along with her homer. She also had two RBIs and scored three runs.

Jenny Oermann was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Shetley went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

Christine Engelhardt went the distance and earned the win. She permitted three hits and struck out seven.

The Otahkians will return to action Friday with a doubleheader at Eastern Illinois.

Next week will mark the final action of the regular season for Southeast, which will host the OVC Tournament May 2-3.