Redhawks tennis team slips past Tennessee Tech 4-3

The Southeast Missouri State women's tennis team defeated host Tennessee Tech 4-3 Sunday afternoon.

Southeast (10-9 overall, 4-3 OVC) matched its conference win total from last season. They have three league matches remaining.

After losing the doubles point, Southeast was assured two singles victories because the Eaglettes (2-14, 2-4) have only four healthy players.

That meant the Redhawks had to at least split the four singles contests played.

No. 1 Bryce Kristal won in straight sets, while No. 2 Drew Kristal and No. 3 Julia Masotti lost in straight sets.

That left the outcome up to freshman Elise Nattier at No. 4 as she was the only Southeast player left on the court.

Nattier saved five match points to prevail 7-6, 3-6, 7-6.

Southeast 4, Tennessee Tech 3

Singles

No. 1: Bryce Kristal (SE) def. Margot Carter 6-1, 6-3; No. 2: Amy Anstey (TT) def. Drew Kristal 6-2, 6-4; No. 3: Kay Ngiam (TT) def. Julia Masotti 6-0, 6-3; No. 4: Elise Nattier (SE) def. Evgenia Yartseva 7-6 (2), 3-6, 7-6 (4); No. 5: Luz Garcia (SE) won by default; No. 6: Kimmy Anderson (SE) won by default.

Doubles

No. 1: Anstey-Ngiam (TT) def. Kristal-Kristal 8-2; No. 2: Carter-Yartseva (TT) def. Masotti-Nattier 8-2; No. 3: Garcia-Anderson (SE) won by default.

Softball salvages win

The Southeast softball team won the nightcap of Sunday's doubleheader with visiting Eastern Kentucky to salvage a victory in the three-game series.

After EKU (15-17 overall, 8-3 OVC) captured the opener 12-3 in five innings -- completing a contest that had been delayed by rain the day before -- Southeast recovered for a 3-2 triumph.

Elaine Fisher scattered 10 hits to notch Sunday's victory for the Redhawks.

Southeast (10-17, 4-5 OVC) had just five hits, led by Stephanie Mata with two. Mata had an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning that broke a 2-2 tie.

In Sunday's opener, Megan McDonald and Jennifer Vasquez homered for the Redhawks. Track athletes honored

Southeast track athletes Bilal Hameed and Rebecca Martin recently earned field athlete of the week honors in the OVC for a pair of first-place finishes at the Rhodes Invitational on March 24.

Hameed finished first in the triple jump with a jump of 48 feet, 2 1/2 inches that is the best in the OVC so far this spring. Martin, a Jackson High School graduate, was first in the javelin with a throw of 141 feet and one inch.

--From staff reports