Redhawks yield slam in 6-1 loss to Tech

One bad inning prevented the Southeast Missouri State softball team from possibly winning its second straight Ohio Valley Conference series to start the season.

A fifth-inning grand slam with two outs by Whitney Cummings gave visiting Tennessee Tech the lead for good Sunday in a 6-1 victory.

The squads split Saturday's doubleheader. Southeast is 12-10 overall and 3-3 in the OVC. First-place Tech is 19-16 and 7-1.

Southeast standout freshman pitcher Giana Zimmerman carried a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning when she lost her control.

Zimmerman loaded the bases on three walks before Cummings came through with her blow to put the Eagles ahead to stay. Those were Zimmerman's only walks of the game.

Zimmerman, who struck out a career-high 13 batters in Saturday's 3-2 first-game win, fell to 7-4. She allowed five hits and four runs in six innings, with six strikeouts.

Sophomore Whitney Dupuis gave up three hits and two runs in the seventh as the Eagles padded their advantage.

Southeast had five hits, led by freshman Shelby Stein with two. Junior Alex Ramirez belted her team-leading fourth home run of the season, a solo blast in the fourth inning that put the Redhawks up 1-0.

The Redhawks visit Jacksonville State this weekend for another OVC series.

Track wins five events

Southeast track and field athletes brought home five titles from Saturday's SIU Spring Classic in Carbondale, Ill.

Ashley Brewer won the discus with a throw of 155 feet, 3 inches and she placed third in the shot put (43-10 3/4).

Audrey Harwood won the pole vault (11-1 3/4), Samantha Espiricueta won the javelin (137-2) and Jackson product Rachel Kahle captured the 200 meters (25.16 second).

Paul Stemmerman claimed the lone men's title for the Redhawks by winning the 1,500 (3:54.20).

The men got second-place finishes from Central product Tyler Terry in the long jump, Josh Sutton in the high jump, Brandon Colbert in the discus and Chris Gill in the 100.

In the team scoring, Southeast's women were second among five squads and the men were last in the four-team field.

Southeast will host the Joey Haines Invitational -- formerly the SEmotion Relays -- Friday and Saturday at the Abe Stuber Complex.

-- From staff reports