Southeast Missouri State softball team sits a game out of third place in OVC

The continued dominance of freshman pitcher Alora Marble and timely hitting pushed the Southeast Missouri State softball team to a 5-1 win in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader.

But the Redhawks could not finish the sweep as visiting Eastern Kentucky romped 8-0 in the nightcap stopped after five innings by the eight-run rule.

Southeast, which has won 10 of its last 14 games, is 27-27 overall and 17-11 in Ohio Valley Conference play.

The Redhawks remained fifth in the 11-team OVC. They already had clinched a berth in the six-team league tournament that begins Thursday in Charleston, Ill.

Southeast is just a half-game out of fourth place and one game out of third heading into today's regular-season finale.

"Two totally different games," said Southeast coach Lana Richmond, whose squad has posted the program's most OVC wins since the 2000 club also won 17 conference contests.

The opener featured a familiar theme as Marble remained strong. She notched her 10th consecutive victory in the circle while firing her eighth straight complete game.

"I think I did all right," said Marble, who is 15-6 and has not lost since March 30. "There's always stuff you can work on."

Marble threw a six-hitter, with five strikeouts and two walks, as she lowered her ERA to 3.13.

"She had another good outing and we'll go with her again [today]," Richmond said. "She gets ahead and throws a lot of strikes."

Southeast had 12 hits, led by a 3 for 3 performance from junior right fielder Cheyenne Gipson. Sophomore third baseman Kaitlin Wallace drove in two runs.

"We came out really fired up and ready to go," Gipson said.

There were two outs and nobody on base in the third inning but Southeast wound up scoring two runs for all the support Marble would need.

Junior left fielder Evan Sallis reached on an infield single and scored on a double by Wallace, who came around on a single by senior second baseman Carmen Fowler.

EKU (23-27, 10-18), which was eliminated from contention for an OVC tournament berth, got its only run in the fifth inning on a homer by Larkyn Wood.

An RBI ground out by Wallace in the bottom of the fifth made it 3-1.

The Redhawks broke open things with a two-run sixth, again doing damage after there were two outs and nobody on. Freshman catcher Shelby Kuryllo had an RBI double and Gipson added an RBI single.

"We had some key hits," Richmond said.

Not in the nightcap. Southeast managed just three singles against Kristin Perry, who struck out three and did not walk a batter in five innings.

"We couldn't get anything going against her," Richmond said.

Freshman Shea Cothren (4-12) took the loss, allowing nine hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings.

"We're trying to get some consistency," Richmond said about Southeast's search for a No. 2 hurler behind Marble.

A two-out second-inning homer by Ashley Dollins gave EKU a 1-0 lead. The Colonels made it 2-0 in the third and broke things wide open with a six-run fourth. They finished with 12 hits.

Southeast had a strong day defensively with no errors. Sallis threw out a runner at the plate in both games.

The Redhawks finish the series against EKU today with a 1 p.m. senior day contest. Seniors Fowler, Nicole Troncoso, Melissa Walker and Whitney Dupuis will be recognized.

Gipson said Southeast wants to give its seniors a victory in their final home game.

"I think we'll come out completely fired up and ready to go," Gipson said.

Troncoso honored

Troncoso is among just two OVC softball players named to the Capital One Academic All-District first team as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America. She will be placed on the national ballot for Academic All-America honors.

Troncoso, who has a 3.41 grade-point average in communication disorders, was Southeast's leading hitter the past two seasons. She is batting .276 with a career-high four home runs along with nine doubles and 31 RBIs this year.

Troncoso, a three-time member of the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll and a three-time Southeast Scholar Athlete, ranks in the school's top 10 in career batting average and hits. She was a second-team all-OVC selection in 2009.