Reeling Redhawks suffer ninth consecutive defeat

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. -- The Jacksonville State softball team continued in the right direction Thursday, while Southeast Missouri State remained in its funk.

The Gamecocks recorded their 13th straight victory, completing a midweek three-game sweep of the Redhawks with a 4-0 decision.

Southeast fell to 22-25 overall and 10-13 in the Ohio Valley Conference with its ninth straight loss. The Redhawks, once close to the top of the OVC standings, have fallen to eighth in the 10-team league with four games remaining. The top six teams will play in the OVC tournament, which will be hosted by the top seed -- most likely JSU.

The Gamecocks celebrated senior day and their final regular-season home game by improving to 37-14 overall and 19-4 in the OVC. They lead the conference by 3 1/2 games over Samford.

JSU junior Carly Kellam (21-6) pitched her second shutout in two days, limiting the Redhawks to two hits. She walked two and struck out 11.

Michelle Summers led off the game for Southeast with a single and was stranded on third base. Charlene Ramirez had a two-out double in the fifth inning for Southeast's other hit.

JSU was kept off the bases by Southeast pitcher Amy Fahnestock until the fourth inning, when the Gamecocks turned a hit batsman into a run.

Breanne Oleman hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning for insurance.

Fahnestock (13-13) allowed just three hits and walked two in surrendering four earned runs in six innings. She struck out three.

Southeast is off until May 6, when it plays four home games in three days to close the regular season. Eastern Illinois (13-26, 10-10) plays a single game May 6 and Austin Peay (16-32, 9-10) comes to town for a three-game set.