April 29, 2007

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State softball suffered an 8-3 loss to defending league champion Tennessee Tech to conclude an Ohio Valley Conference weekend series at the Southeast Softball Complex. The Golden Eagles improve their record to 43-15 (19-4) with the win, while the Redhawks drop to 17-28 (8-15) with the loss.

Prior to the game, seniors Stephanie Mata (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling HS) and Lindsay Pickering (St. Charles, Mo./St. Charles West HS) were honored in a Senior Day ceremony along with the four seniors from Tech.

Southeast's Elaine Fisher (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell North) and Tech's Bonnie Bynum batted in another classic pitcher's duel through the first two innings of the contest. The Redhawks posted a 1-0 lead in the third inning when after junior shortstop Megan McDonald (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Cape Central) singled home junior right fielder Katie Otterness (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates).

Tech scored two runs in the top of the fifth with junior Katie Speiser posting an RBI sacrifice fly to right field that brought home senior Katie Sutherland from third base. Junior Stephanie Fischer later brought home fellow junior Beth Boden with a run-scoring single through the left side of the infield. The home team recaptured the lead at 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth after junior third baseman Michelle Summers (Glendale, Calif./Hoover) blasted a two-run home run to left field that also scored Otterness from second.

The score remained the same until the top of the seventh when Tech freshman Amanda Glover blasted a three-run homer to left field to highlight a six-run rally that gave the visitors an 8-3 advantage. Bynum held off a late Southeast rally attempt in the bottom half of the seventh for the win.

Boden and Fischer each went 3-for-5 with an RBI to lead the Golden Eagles. Bynum (28-8) claimed the complete-game victory for Tech after posting nine strikeouts, while allowing three runs on eight hits.

McDonald, Otterness and sophomore catcher Amber Peterson (Camarillo, Calif./Oaks Christian) each tallied two hits to pace Southeast's offense. Sophomore Lauren Bradley (Overland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission South) dropped her record to 4-3 on the mound after giving up five runs on six hits in an inning of relief.

The Redhawks will conclude their home schedule this Wednesday with an OVC single game against Eastern Illinois with a start time of 4 p.m.