Southeast Missouri State softball team falls short of sweep

The Southeast Missouri State softball team fell short of a sensational weekend.

It still was a good weekend for the Redhawks, who won their second Ohio Valley Conference series in as many tries.

Visiting Tennessee Tech salvaged a win in the three-game set with Sunday's 4-1 triumph.

That came after Southeast swept Saturday's doubleheader against a perennially strong Tech squad picked to finish second in the OVC.

Southeast is 7-15 overall and 4-2 in conference play. The Redhawks won just six OVC games during their last-place finish in 2010.

Southeast grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Taylor Cowan led off with a single. She gave way to pinch-runner Renee Terry, who later scored on a single by Shelby Stein.

The Redhawks had a chance to add more runs in the inning but failed to capitalize on a bases-loaded, one-out situation.

Southeast stranded seven runners, including five in the first two innings.

Freshman pitcher Shea Cothren held the Eagles (11-11, 3-3) to one hit over the first four innings. Chanelle Spalding's two-out, two-run homer in the fifth inning gave Tech a 2-1 lead.

Cothren allowed two runs and three hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Tech added two sixth-inning runs, more than enough for Holly Thomas. She allowed four hits, struck out six and walked two in going the seven-inning distance.

Cheyenne Gipson and Nicole Troncoso collected Southeast's other two hits. Troncoso's sixth-inning double extended her hitting streak to four games.

Southeast concludes its five-game homestand with a nonconference doubleheader against Evansville at 3 p.m. Wednesday .

The Redhawks resume OVC play Saturday at Jacksonville State, the defending conference tournament champion and preseason favorite.