Southeast softball splits doubleheader

The Southeast Missouri State University softball team hosted the University of Evansville in a doubleheader Tuesday. The teams split the doubleheader as Evansville took the first game 1-0 and Southeast defeated Evansville 3-2 in the second game.

Evansville got on the board quickly in the first inning of the first game with a triple by Tamara Robey followed by an RBI single by Kayla Fortner.

The rest of the game was a pitching duel between Southeast's Taylor Cowan and Evansville's Annie Moore. Cowan threw her 10th complete game of the season while Moore also pitched a complete game.

Cowan tied a career-high eight strikeouts in the first game, while Xia Wilson, a senior utility player for Southeast, paced the offense going 2-for-3 for the first game. Southeast led Evansville in hits 8-6 in the first contest but were unable to convert any runs.

Southeast got off to a quick start in the second game. With Alexis Anderson on first after being walked, Cowan drove in Anderson with a hit down the left field line. Wilson then brought Cowan home with a single, putting Southeast up 2-0.

Southeast utility player Lindsey Patterson hit a homerun in the bottom of the sixth inning that proved to be the winning run. This was Patterson's fifth home run of the season.

Evansville struggled until the top of the seventh. With a runner on base in the top of the seventh Mariah Ferguson of Evansville blasted a home run to bring the Aces within one run.

Southeast's Hannah Clemons pitched 5 1/3 innings and secured the win. She was subbed out during the game, but was brought back in and forced a fly out to end the game.

Catcher Jamie Woodworth went 2-for-3 to lead Southeast's offense.

Southeast has a record of 11-19, with a 3-5 record in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Redhawks will head to Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech this weekend for a pair of conference doubleheaders.