Southeast Missouri State roundup: Softball team falters vs. JSU

The Southeast Missouri State softball team lost two of three games over the weekend to defending Ohio Valley Conference tournament champion Jacksonville State.

The two defeats were one-run affairs, which wasn't a surprise considering the way this OVC season has gone for the host Redhawks.

JSU captured the series with Saturday's 2-1 victory. The squads split Friday's doubleheader. Southeast won the opener 2-1, and JSU held on in the nightcap 9-8.

Southeast is 14-24 overall and an eighth-place 7-12 in the 11-team OVC. Preseason conference favorite JSU is 20-21 overall and a second-place 14-6 in league play.

Eleven of the Redhawks' 12 OVC losses have been by either one or two runs.

JSU led 2-0 on Saturday before Southeast got its only run on a fifth-inning homer by Renee Kertz, which also was the Redhawks' first hit of the game.

Southeast managed just three hits off JSU's Tiffany Harbin (10-5), who struck out six and walked two.

Alora Marble (8-11) took the loss in the circle despite pitching her 14th complete game of the season. She allowed six hits and one earned run while striking out one and walking none.

Marble fired a six-hitter in Friday's opener. She gave up an unearned run. She struck out two and walked two to beat Harbin.

Southeast grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning by executing a double steal, with Evan Sallis taking second and pinch-runner Leah Becker coming home.

Taylor Cowan's RBI single in the fifth inning made it 2-0. JSU cut the deficit to 2-1, and Xia Wilson rounded out the scoring with a sixth-inning home run.

Wilson had two hits for Southeast. Both squads finished with six hits.

JSU belted four home runs to build a 9-3 lead in the nightcap. Southeast rallied with a five-run seventh inning that featured four hits and an error. Brittany Smith and Kertz both delivered two-RBI singles before the comeback died.

Kertz, Kaitlin Wallace and Lindsey Patterson all had two of Southeast's eight hits. Kertz delivered three RBIs. Shea Cothren took the loss in the circle.

Southeast closes its seven-game homestand Wednesday with a 3 p.m. nonconference doubleheader against Middle Tennessee State.

Tennis

Southeast finished its home schedule by splitting two OVC matches. The Redhawks fell to conference leader Eastern Kentucky 7-0 on Friday and beat Morehead State 5-2 on Saturday.

"It was a big win for us," Southeast coach Mark Elliott said about Saturday's victory that gives the Redhawks a solid shot to qualify for the OVC tournament. "We just have to finish strong."

The Redhawks (5-10, 2-5) won five of the six singles matches against Morehead.

Southeast plays again Saturday at Eastern Illinois.

Eastern Kentucky 7, Southeast 0

Singles

No. 1 -- Amandine Faouzi (EKU) def. Nikole Novikova 6-4, 6-0

No. 2 -- Kristina Labeja (EKU) def. Elizabeth Nyenwe 6-0, 6-3

No. 3 -- Saioa Oscoz (EKU) def. Melissa Martin 6-1, 7-5

No. 4 -- Melissa Gerritsen (EKU) def. Jessica Courtnell 6-2, 6-3

No. 5 -- Milena Poffo (EKU) def. Heather Robinson 6-1, 4-6, 10-8

No. 6 -- Carmen Rodriguez (EKU) def. Laura Garcia 6-0, 6-1

Doubles

No. 1 -- Labeja/Gerritsen (EKU) def. Novikova/Martin 8-6

No. 2 -- Oscoz/Poffo (EKU) def. Courtnell/Robinson 8-7

No. 3 -- Faouzi/Marcela Jimenez (EKU) def. Nyenwe/Lauren Schaper 8-3

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Southeast 5, Morehead State 2

Singles

No. 1 -- Novikova (SE) def. Alix Young 6-2, 6-1

No. 2 -- Nyenwe (SE) def. Alexis Garrett 6-1, 3-6, 7-5

No. 3 -- Courtnell (SE) def. Victoria Cran 7-6, 5-7, 12-10

No. 4 -- Martin (SE) def. Jessica Montemayor 6-3, 6-5

No. 5 -- Robinson (SE) def. Brooke Helms 6-1, 6-0

No. 6 -- Shilpa Naruka (MS) def. Garcia 6-0, 6-0

Doubles

No. 1 -- Cran/Helms (MS) def. Novikova/Martin 8-2

No. 2 -- Garrett/Young (MS) def. Courtnell/Robinson 8-5

No. 3 -- Montemayor/Naruka (MS) def. Nyenwe/Lauren Schaper 8-7, 7-4

-- From staff reports