SE ENDURES ROCKY OPENER, FALLS 10-1

To say that the 2001 season opener for her softball team did not go as Southeast Missouri State University coach Lana Richmond had planned would be a big understatement.

The Otahkians had a nightmare of a game against Southwest Missouri State Friday afternoon as the six-team Southeast Softball Classic got under way.

SMS banged out nine hits and also took advantage of four Southeast errors as the Bears routed the Otahkians 10-1 in front of 210 fans at the Southeast Softball Complex. The contest was stopped after six innings because of the eight-run rule.

"It was a rough first game," said Richmond. "But it's early and I like what I see out of my team. I think we'll be all right."

Southeast pitcher Kristen King particularly struggled in her Division I debut.

A highly touted junior college transfer who is being counted on by Richmond to shoulder much of the Otahkians' pitching load this season, King hurled all six innings. Six of the 10 runs she allowed were earned. She struck out three and walked four.

"Kristen had a rough outing making her debut," Richmond said. "I told her she's the key for us and I think she'll be back. I still have a lot of confidence in her and she'll start again against Western Kentucky (today)."

The Bears from Springfield, Mo., had already played six games entering the tournament and SMS coach Holly Hesse figures that made a difference.

"We usually have some real good battles with SEMO," said Hesse, whose squad is 3-4. "It's their first game of the season and that kind of explains some of it. Other teams we've played have had more games on us so this was a nice change."

SMS pitcher Tauni Kennemer worked all six innings, allowing four hits and an unearned run. She fanned two and walked one.

Jessica Gorham paced the Bears offensively with three hits and three runs batted in. Ashley Meredith had two hits and three RBIs.

Jenny Doehring, Emmy Kisaka, Shelley Conroy and freshman Erica Bonilla accounted for the Otahkians' four hits, all of them singles. Bonilla scored Southeast's lone run.

"They (SMS) have a solid program year in and year out. They're a good team," said Richmond.

The Otahkians broke on top with a run in the second inning, but that was about the extent of the good news for the home team.

SMS broke the game open with a five-run third. The Bears rounded out the scoring with two in the fifth and three in the sixth.

* In Friday's only other tournament game, Illinois-Chicago beat Buffalo 7-3.

Today's schedule for the three-day, round-robin event will feature seven games on two fields.

At 10 a.m., Western Kentucky plays Illinois Chicago and Northern Iowa takes on Buffalo. Then at noon, it's Southeast vs. Illinois-Chicago and SMS vs. Northern Iowa.

In 2 p.m. contests, Southeast plays Western Kentucky and SMS faces Buffalo. The day's action concludes at 4 p.m. as Northern Iowa plays Western Kentucky.

There will be six more games Sunday as the tourney comes to a close.