Redhawks miss chance to sweep

Southeast Missouri State saw its six-game Ohio Valley Conference softball winning streak end Sunday, but coach Lana Richmond found little fault with her team's performance.

The Redhawks rallied with three sixth-inning runs to forge a 3-3 tie, but visiting Samford pushed across a run in the top of the seventh to prevail 4-3 and salvage one victory in the three-game series.

"It was another good game, and I'm really proud of the way the kids battled back," Richmond said. "Things just didn't go our way today, but I can't say enough about our kids."

Southeast, which swept Saturday's doubleheader, fell to 22-17 overall and 10-5 in OVC play. The Redhawks dropped into third place in the 10-team league, behind Samford (13-5) and first-place Jacksonville State (13-4).

"It's a really tight race and there are a lot of series left," Richmond said. "We wanted to leave this weekend being considered a contender, and even though we lost today, I think we did that."

Richmond believes the OVC race -- which is at just over the halfway point for most teams -- will go to the wire between several squads. Samford coach Beanie Ketcham agreed.

"It's very close and it should be exciting," Ketcham said. "Yesterday we were in a funk of some kind, and it's good to bounce back today, but SEMO is doing a great job."

The Redhawks were held to just one hit through five innings by Samford freshman Haley Scism, as they trailed 3-0 entering the bottom of the sixth.

Kelly Birk's leadoff home run -- her second of the series and fifth of the season -- got Southeast on the scoreboard.

Stephanie Huffman and Megan McDonald followed with singles, then Lyndsey Webb walked to load the bases with nobody out.

Emilee Lewis replaced Scism on the mound, and the Redhawks were able to tie the contest on consecutive sacrifice fly outs by Stephanie Mata and Lindsay Pickering.

Samford, however, would not be denied, despite seeing its first two batters in the seventh retired.

Liz Pearse singled and Trisha Holman reached when second baseman McDonald was charged with an error after failing to make a tough backhand play on a hard-hit ground ball.

"That was a really tough play," Richmond said. "If she makes it, we get a force at second and it's a great play, but you can't blame Mac for that."

Erin Hall followed with a single to left field as Pearse scored the tie-breaking run, which held up when Southeast was retired in the bottom of the seventh.

Amy Fahnestock, who was the winning pitcher in both games Saturday, took the loss despite another solid performance. Fahnestock (13-8) allowed six hits and four runs (one earned). She struck out five and did not issue a walk.

Lewis (3-6) was the winner with two hitless innings. Scism allowed four hits and three runs in five-plus innings.

"You have to credit their pitching," Richmond said.

Samford grabbed a first-inning lead on Shelley Stanley's two-run homer with two outs. Both runs were unearned after third baseman Victoria Torrez was charged with a tough error, as she failed to make connections after ranging far to her left on a ball hit by Hall.

"We had two errors, but they were really tough plays," Richmond said. "The effort was there."

Hall's RBI double in the third made it 3-0. She finished with two hits and two RBIs.

Southeast plays at Eastern Illinois Wednesday in an OVC doubleheader, then returns home for a three-game weekend conference series with Tennessee Tech.