Redhawks fall to Govs, finish fifth in the OVC

Southeast Missouri State's softball team, having secured a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament the day before, failed to finish the regular season with a victory Sunday.

Austin Peay defeated the host Redhawks 4-2 as they salvaged one win in the three-game series and also snapped Southeast's three-game winning streak.

The Redhawks fell to 25-26 overall and 13-14 in OVC play as they wound up fifth in the 10-team league. Southeast, the fifth seed for the six-team OVC Tournament, plays fourth-seeded Tennessee-Martin at 10 a.m. Thursday in Jacksonville, Ala.

Southeast had just four hits Sunday, but the Redhawks did belt two more home runs to add to their single-season school record of 33. Freshman Megan McDonald hit her eighth homer of the season, while Lyndsey Webb got her first homer.

Amy Fahnestock (14-14) suffered the pitching loss as she allowed seven hits and three runs in five innings, with no strikeouts and one walk. Elaine Fisher allowed three hits and an unearned run in two innings, with one strikeout and no walks.

Natasha Anderson was the star of the game for Austin Peay (17-37, 10-15), which finished eighth in the conference. Anderson pitched a four-hitter, and she also homered.

Austin Peay broke a 1-1 tie with two fifth-inning runs. The Govs went ahead 4-1 in the sixth and closed out the victory.