Softball picks up OVC win

The Southeast Missouri State softball team notched its first Ohio Valley Conference series win of the season by virtue of Saturday's 7-5 victory over visiting Tennessee State.

That came after the squads split Friday's doubleheader, Southeast taking the opener 9-0 in five innings and TSU claiming the nightcap 6-4.

Southeast is 13-21 overall and 4-9 in OVC play. The Redhawks remained last in the 10-team OVC. Seventh-place TSU is 10-24 and 5-8.

The Redhawks trailed 4-1 on Saturday before rallying with a five-run fifth inning to take the lead for good.

Stefanie Barnes pitched all seven innings for her second win of the series. She allowed seven hits and three earned runs while striking out four and walking five.

Southeast had 10 hits, led by Shelby Stein, Jennifer Vasquez, Carmen Fowler and Melissa Walker with two each. Stein and Vasquez both drove in two runs.

Stein extended her hitting streak to seven games.

Barnes pitched her second shutout of the season in Friday's opener, firing a two-hitter. She struck out three and walked one.

Southeast had nine hits, including the first collegiate home run by freshman HaLeigh Willis. She had two hits and three RBIs. Fowler and Elise Sperakos also each added two hits.

The Redhawks again had nine hits in the nightcap, led by Stein with three. Whitney Dupuis took the loss, allowing eight hits and three runs in four innings.

Southeast returns to action Wednesday at OVC opponent Eastern Illinois.

Tennis splits matches

The Southeast Missouri State tennis team split a pair of nonconference matches in Little Rock, Ark., Saturday.

Southeast (3-18) beat Division II Southern Arkansas 7-0 to snap a 10-match losing streak, then lost to Division II Harding (Ark.) 4-3.

Alyce Kelly, Elise Nattier, Ashton Hartley, Diana Donoslovic, Laura Garcia and Sarah Pettigrew all notched singles victories against Southern Arkansas.

Kelly/Nattier, Hartley/Donoslovic and Garcia/Nikole Novikova prevailed in doubles.

Against Harding, Novikova and Kelly accounted for Southeast's singles wins. Kelly has a team-high seven singles victories.

Southeast won all three doubles matches as Alyce Kelly/Nattier, Hartley/Donoslovic and Garcia/Novikova all prevailed.

Southeast ended OVC play Friday with a 7-0 loss at Tennessee-Martin.

The Redhawks finished with a 1-8 OVC record, which placed them ninth in the 10-team conference.

Southeast plays its final match of the season today at Arkansas-Little Rock.

-- From staff reports