May 8, 2003

Game One Box

Game One Recap

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Brooke Nett slid home with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Southeast Missouri completed a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over Austin Peay in the first game of the 2003 Ohio Valley Conference Softball Tournament at Tennessee Tech.

Nett opened the frame with a single, and after a walk to Alana Bagby-Leonard and a single by Amy Murphy loaded the bases, Lyndsey Webb hit a high chopper on the infield and Nett beat the throw home.

The Otahkians (16-27) scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth and single runs in the sixth and seventh to open the tourney with the victory.

Austin Peay (19-29-1) refused to fold, scoring a two-out tying run in the top of the seventh as Brianna Venable ripped an RBI double to left, scoring Amy Hale from third with an unearned run. Hale had reached on a throwing error. Katie Cernecka's two-out double in the bottom of the sixth drove home Kemi Rampi as SEMO took a 4-3 lead.

Austin Peay slipped into the loser's bracket of the double elimination tournament and will play Friday at 11:15 a.m. Southeast Missouri moved into a 6:45 p.m. game against top-seeded Tennessee Tech on Thursday.

Jessica Hunter (7-9) got the win in relief after coming in to get the final out in the top of the seventh. Heather Skeels (2-5) took the loss in relief.

The Otahkians were forced to play from behind as the Lady Govs grabbed a 3-1 lead with a couple runs in the top of the fourth. A walk to Jessica Warden, a single by Venable and a wild pitch set the stage for Nickey's second RBI single. Jenny Kelley drove in the second run with a single to center, scoring Venable before SEMO coach Lana Richmond brought in reliever Melissa VanVelkinburgh to out the jam with a strikeout.

The Otahkians struck for two runs in the bottom of the fifth when Bagby-Leonard delivered a two-out double, scoring Kate Groden and Kelly Birk.

Game Two Box

Game Two Recap

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Junior Lori Bayless threw a two-hitter and freshman Lindsey Bornhoeft hit her fourth home run of the year as top-seeded Tennessee Tech claimed a 4-0 win over Southeast Missouri Thursday night in the 2003 Ohio Valley Conference Softball Tournament at Tech.

Bornhoeft's first swing in two weeks was a good one, driving the ball over the right field fence in the second inning to stake Tech to a 1-0 lead. The Golden Eagles added two in the fifth and one in the sixth, but Bayless didn't need the insurance, earning her sixth shutout of the year.

Tech threatened in the first when Stephanie Dallmann and Samantha Lovelady each singled to open the inning, but starter Jessica Hunter worked out of trouble with two groundouts and a strikeout.

The Golden Eagles also missed a scoring chance in the third when Amy Goad singled and LeeAnne Mongar was thrown out at the plate by SEMO right fielder Katie Cerneka.

SEMO turned a triple play to stop a potential Golden Eagle rally in the fourth. Tech put two runners on base with no outs and SEMO coach Lana Richmond brought in Melissa Van Velkinburgh to pitch. Lindsay Williams' line drive was snared by shortstop Kate Groden, who flipped to second to double off pinch runner Jennifer Markham. Brooke Nett's throw to first also caught Marianne Novac, who had slid hard into second base.

Tech lined into another inning-ending double play in the fifth, but not before LeeAnne Mongar's two-run double to right center had opened the Golden Eagle lead to 3-0. Jadryen Layne walked and Stephanie Dallmann singled to set the stage for Mongar's hit.

Tech made it 4-0 in the sixth. Bornhoeft walked and was bunted to second by Williams, and Jadryen Layne blooped an RBI double in front of the left fielder.

Southeast Missouri (16-28) moves into the loser's bracket of the double elimination tournament, where it will face UT Martin at 9 a.m. Friday.

The Golden Eagles (39-14) play in the finals of the winner's bracket Friday at 3:45 p.m. against the EKU-EIU game.

Starter Jessica Hunter (7-10) took the loss. The first of four SEMO pitchers, she threw the first two innings, allowed four hits and one run, didn't walk a batter and struck out two.

Bayless (14-6) gave up two hits, walked four and struck out six.