SEMO SOFTBALL TEAM WINS OVC TOURNEY

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- It wasn't easy, but Southeast Missouri State University's softball team repeated as Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champion Sunday night.

The Otahkians needed to go to the final game before they routed Eastern Illinois 12-2 in a contest stopped after six innings by the run rule.

Earlier, Eastern Illinois had forced that late contest by handing the Otahkians their first loss of the double-elimination event, a 5-1 setback.

Also Sunday, Southeast beat Tennessee Tech 2-0 in the winner's bracket final. The Otahkians had posted two tournament wins Saturday.

Southeast, now 33-21 overall, will take on Mid-Continent Conference champion DePaul in a best two-out-of-three NCAA Tournament play-in series, with the winner earning a berth in the NCAA tourney. The series with DePaul will be played in Chicago Thursday and Friday.

The Otahkians, who have won three straight OVC regular-season championships in addition to their two consecutive OVC tournament titles, lost to Troy State in last year's NCAA play-in series.

Kendra Williams was named the tournament's most valuable player while other all-tourney selections from Southeast were Debbie Schmelz, Leanne Gryncewicz and Kim Palmer. Saturday, Palmer had been named the OVC Player of the Year while Lana Richmond was named OVC Coach of the Year.

In Sunday's 12-2 over Eastern Illinois, Christine Engelhardt was the winning pitcher. She allowed six hits in six innings while striking out three and walking one.

Southeast pounded out 14 hits, with Williams and Michelle Frank both getting three. Palmer, Chris Shetley and Jenny Oermann all added two. Palmer drove in three runs while Shetley had two RBIs.

The Otahkians sent 11 batters to the plate in the third inning as they scored five times to break the game open.

In Sunday's 5-1 loss to Eastern Illinois that forced a final game, Sara Reichert suffered the loss while Anne Wilson had two of Southeast's seven hits.

During Sunday's 2-0 win over Tennessee Tech to start the day, Schmelz notched the win with 3 1/3 innings of relief. Southeast again had seven hits. Runs came on an RBI single by Shetley and an RBI double by Wilson.