Redhawks win 9-1, claim first OVC series

~ Southeast is 2-1 in conference play after its weekend series with Samford.

The Southeast Missouri State softball team is off to a solid start in Ohio Valley Conference play.

Southeast routed visiting Samford 9-1 on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of the OVC opening series. The squads split Saturday's doubleheader.

The Redhawks improved to 6-8 overall and 2-1 in the OVC. Samford fell to 14-11 and 1-2.

"It is early in the conference race and there are many games to go, but taking two out of three gets us off to a good start," Southeast coach Lana Richmond said.

Sunday's contest was stopped in the bottom of the fifth inning by the eight-run mercy rule.

Junior shortstop Megan McDonald, a Cape Girardeau Central High School product, went 3-for-3 to lead the Redhawks' 10-hit attack.

Freshman left fielder Elise Sperakos blasted her first collegiate home run, a two-run shot in the bottom of the second inning that wiped out a 1-0 Samford lead and started the rout.

Junior third baseman Michelle Summers matched Sperakos with two runs batted in for the Redhawks, who broke the game open with a four-run third inning. They added a run in the fourth and ended the contest with two in the fifth.

Junior pitcher Elaine Fisher allowed four hits and three walks while striking out seven as she improved to 4-7.

"Elise stepped up with her home run to place us in the lead while Elaine continued to deliver another sharp performance on the mound," Richmond said. "I thought our defense played solid in the series by taking away a lot of Samford's base runners and its scoring opportunities."

The Redhawks travel to Western Kentucky today for a 2 p.m. nonconference doubleheader as they begin a week-long spring break road swing.

Southeast also plays non-league doubleheaders at Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday and Mississippi on Wednesday before resuming OVC play Saturday with a doubleheader at Tennessee State.