Southeast Missouri State softball team drops finale of Classic against Arkansas

The Southeast Missouri State softball team struck for two early runs but saw Arkansas counter with five unanswered runs as it closed the Lion Classic Scramble with a 5-2 loss Sunday in Hammond, Louisiana.

The Redhawks went 1-3 in the tournament, the third hosted by Southeastern Louisiana in a weather-plagued season thus far, and fell to 3-6 on the season.

Southeast scored both its runs in the bottom of the second. Leah Duffe plated Chelsea Smith, who had reached on a single, with a triple and later scored on a groundout by Claire Wernig.

The Razorbacks (12-7) of the SEC struck for three runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead. Winning pitcher Haley Meinen belted a leadoff home run to start the uprising, and an infield single, a throwing error and a single helped plate the tying and go-ahead runs.

Arkansas, which went 5-0 in the Lion Classic, tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth.

Aubrey Denno (0-2) took the loss for Southeast, giving up five hits and three runs in 1 2/3 innings. Madeline Krumrey started and allowed four hits over four innings. Keaira Schilling pitched the final 1 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and one run.

The Redhawks went hitless over the final four innings against Meinen (1-1), who came on in relief and did not . She struck out one and did not walk a batter.

Arkansas held a 12-5 advantage in hits.

The Redhawks will play their first home games of the spring when they host the Southeast Games this weekend. The Redhawks are scheduled to play Wisconsin-Green Bay and Northern Kentucky on Friday, Western Illinois and Cleveland State on Saturday and a rematch with Western Illinois on Sunday.