Redhawks softball splits doubleheader with Aces

Southeast Missouri State and visiting Evansville split a pair of one-run softball games Tuesday.

The Redhawks dropped the opener of the nonconference doubleheader 1-0 before claiming a 3-2 victory.

Southeast is 11-19, while the Aces are 10-19.

Evansville scored the only run of the opener in the first inning. Leadoff batter Tamara Robey tripled and came home on a one-out single by Kayla Fortner.

Southeast outhit Evansville 8-6 but stranded 11 runners. The Redhawks had the bases loaded with nobody out in the fourth inning.

Freshman Annie Moore (1-6), who entered winless with a 7.98 ERA, pitched a complete game for the Aces. She walked one and did not record a strikeout.

Senior Taylor Cowan (6-12) also worked all seven innings for the Redhawks. She struck out eight and walked one.

Senior first baseman Xia Wilson led Southeast with two hits.

Southeast scored twice in the opening inning of the nightcap. Junior center fielder Alexis Anderson walked before the next two batters were retired. Cowan delivered an RBI double and Wilson followed with an RBI single.

Sophomore DH Lindsey Patterson's team-high fifth home run of the season, a solo shot in the sixth inning, made it 3-0.

The Redhawks then had to survive a harrowing final inning.

With one out in the seventh, an Evansville player reached on an error before pinch-hitter Mariah Ferguson belted a two-run homer.

Two walks and an infield single loaded the bases with two outs before a fly ball ended things.

Freshman Hannah Clemons (2-4) pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings for the victory. She allowed four hits, struck out four and walked two.

Clemons worked the first 5 1/3 innings before running into trouble in the sixth. With runners on second and third and one out, Cowan came on to escape the jam.

Cowan ran into trouble in the seventh and Clemons returned to the mound to record the game's final out.

Sophomore catcher Jamie Woodworth had two of Southeast's five hits.

Track & Field

Southeast sophomore thrower Kevin Farley was named the OVC male field athlete of the week on Tuesday for the second straight week.

Farley accounted for 30 points on three first-place finishes over the weekend as Southeast's men won the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational in Cincinnati. Farley launched the shot put an outdoor career-best 57 feet, 3 1/2 inches. He also won the discus and hammer throw. He leads the OVC in the shot put and discus.

-- From staff reports