Southeast roundup: Gymnasts pick up win in final regular-season meet

In its final home meet of the season before it hosts the Midwest Independent Conference Championship meet in two weeks, the Southeast Missouri State gymnastics team picked up a big win over MIC foe Centenary College.

The Redhawks posted a 192.425 on Senior Day to top Centary, which finished with a 187.625 on Saturday.

It was a sophomore and junior that stole the show, though, as Alexis Brawner and Lauren Israel combined to win titles in all five events.

Brawner, who has claimed MIC Gymnast of the Week the last two weeks, won the all-around with a 38.952. Israel's 38.750 was good for second.

Brawner also won the vault (9.725) and floor (9.800) while Israel was first on the uneven bars (9.825) and balance beam (9.775).

The Redhawks outscored Centenary in each event. Southeast posted a 47.500 on vault to Centenary's 46.775, a 48.325 on bars to 46.625, a 48.400 on beam to a 46.750 and a 48.250 on floor to a 47.475.

Seniors Hayli Huiner and Taylor Penzien and juniors Israel and Alex Stokes were recognized after the meet, their final regular-season home meet of their careers.

"Today's performance was a solid conclusion to our home schedule," coach Kristi Ewasko said in a press release. "Our graduates performed really well as Lauren placed second in the all-around. Taylor really shined on bars and beam, while Alex made her competition debut on vault and floor."

The Redhawks travel to Ypsilanti, Michigan, to face Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan on Thursday before the MIC championships on March 19 at Southeast.

Softball

The Southeast softball team split a pair of games on the first day of the Cancer Awareness Tournament in St. Louis on Saturday.

The Redhawks (4-7) dropped the opener to Missouri State 9-3 before knocking off Northern Illinois 6-3 in the afternoon.

Southeast held a 1-0 lead after one and a 3-2 lead after four innings against NIU before a home run by left fielder Caitlyn Warren to lead off the top of the fifth knotted it back up.

Shortstop Sarah Messex accounted for the game-winning run in the home half of the inning when he homered down the left field line to make it 4-3.

The Redhawks added a run on an RBI single from center fielder Claire Wernig and made it 6-3 when second baseman Harli Wheeler scored on an NIU throwing error.

Pitcher Maddie Krumrey did not allow a hit over the final two innings as she secured the complete-game win in the circle.

She improved to 2-1, allowing three earned runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

Wernig, Messex and right fielder Riley Hayes each went 2 for 3 at the plate as the Redhawks recorded nine hits.

In Game 1 against MSU Southeast went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning on a home run by third baseman Haylee Krack.

MSU starting pitcher Kaitlin Beason homered in the second to cut the lead to one and then put the Bears up for good with a grand slam in the third. MSU added another run in the frame, which had five hits and two Redhawks errors, to make it 6-2.

Southeast scored in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout by Messex to score Danielle Turner.

MSU added a run in the sixth and two in the seventh for the final.

Haley Thogmartin (2-4) took the loss in the circle. She started and pitched three innings, allowing six runs, four earned, on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

Mackenzie Hoelting pitched four innings in relief, giving up three runs, all earned, on six hits with a walk and a pair of strikeouts.

Beason, who went 2 for 4 with five RBIs, improved to 4-1. She allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and did not walk a batter in five innings of work.