SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE ROUNDUP: Softball swept in Louisiana, outdoor track set to open

A day after getting its first doubleheader sweep of the season, the Southeast Missouri State softball team got swept in a twin bill at Southeastern Louisiana, the defending Southland Conference champion, on Wednesday in Hammond, Louisiana.

The Lions (14-12) took care of the Redhawks (6-11) by scores of 7-1 and 4-3.

SELA's Caitlyn VanHemelryck shut down Southeast, allowing just one run on four hits in a complete-game effort in Game 1. The Redhawks stranded seven runners on base.

SEMO notched its only run of the game in the top of the second inning, when Brittany Stevens tripled and then scored on a Darby Pruett sacrifice fly.

The Redhawks were haunted by a season-high four errors, with five of the Lions' seven runs being unearned.

Madeline Krumrey took the loss in the circle for Southeast, giving up six runs -- two earned -- on eight hits with three walks in five innings.

Kelsey Ihns threw one inning in relief, giving up an unearned run on one hit and one walk.

The second game saw Southeast take a 3-1 advantage in the top of the second inning on Abby Tillotsori's three-run home run. It was Tillotsori's first career homer.

Southeastern Louisiana responded and tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, with Mychal Truxillo knotting things up when she scored on a passed ball with two outs.

The Lions then loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, and a sacrifice fly from Katie Lacour gave the home team a walk-off win, 4-3.

Taylor Bishop (8-7) got the win in the pitcher's circle for SELA, allowing just two hits and striking out six in 4 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.

Krumrey (3-3) again took the loss for SEMO, coming on in relief for 1 1/3 innings and giving up two runs on three hits, striking out one and walking three.

Claire Wernig was 2-for-3 with a walk for Southeast.

The Redhawks open up their Ohio Valley Conference schedule at home this weekend in a three-game series against Murray State. The two sides open the series at 1 p.m. Saturday with a doubleheader. The final game will be played at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Track and field opens outdoor season

The Southeast track and field team opens its outdoor season Friday with the two-day Rhodes Invitational at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee.

Field events -- hammer throw, triple jump and javelin -- are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Friday, while running events -- 5,000 meters, 4x700 and 10,000 meters -- will start at 5:30 p.m.

Sunday's competition opens at 10 a.m.

The Redhawk men captured second in the OVC during the 2015 outdoor season, while the women were fourth. In the recent indoor season, the men were second while the women were sixth.

SEMO's Kevin Farley will be looking to take back the top spot in the thrower rankings, where he sat in the indoor weight throw and shot put in 2015 before missing the outdoor campaign. He already set a personal best in the discus this season at the Jaguar Opener in Mobile, Ala.

Freshman thrower Andrew Ryan set a collegiate career opening mark in the javelin at the same competition.

Following the Rhodes Invitational, Southeast will get set for the Arkansas Spring Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on March 25-26.

The Redhawks' first home meet of the season will be the Drury Hotels Joey Haines Invitational, which is scheduled for April 1-2.