MOREHEAD, Ky. – Southeast Missouri State used a pair of late-game surges to topple the Morehead State softball team in Sunday's doubleheader at the Southeast Softball Complex in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Not only did SEMO score late into each game, but it also did most of its damage with two outs. Over the two-day, three-contest series, the Redhawks scored 11 of their 24 runs with two outs.

On Sunday, preseason Ohio Valley Conference favorite Southeast Missouri (17-13/6-3) opened with a 12-2 win and then followed with an 8-0 victory. In both cases, the game ended after five innings. The Redhawks have now taken the last eight overall meetings and the last nine on their field. The results also extended the Eagles road winless streak to 26.

Junior left fielder/right fielder Madeline Gailor started off Morehead State (2-25/1-10) by reaching base and then stealing second in the first inning of all three games. In Sunday's opener, Gailor singled to shortstop and then senior first baseman Alexis Strother walked, but MSU ended the inning scoreless.

The Eagles did not have the same good fortune in the bottom of the frame as the first three Redhawk batters walked and a wild pitch scored their first run. Another walk and the early struggles prompted a change in the circle as the Blue and Gold turn to freshman Madi Ogden.

A fielder's choice followed as Ogden threw to senior catcher Peyton Slater for the first out, but not before another run scored off an error. Slater then connected with sophomore second baseman Peyton Jordan to throw out a Redhawk attempting to steal a base. Ogden closed out the inning by striking out the final batter.

In the second, a SEMO single, stolen base, passed ball and double lead to their third run. but Ogden ends the inning again with a strikeout.

Sophomore center fielder Trinity Spear led off the third with single up the middle and freshman left fielder Ieesha Christian reached on a fielding error. Gailor came through again with a single to the shortstop to score Spear, with Christian moving to third and Ogden to second on the throw.

An unsuccessful squeeze bunt led to an out at home, but Strother grounded out to second base allowing Gailor to score the team's second run.

After the first two SEMO batters got out, the hosts collected a double from sophomore third baseman/second baseman Kynzie Wrigley and two walks, both on 3-2 counts. Then senior right fielder Kaylee Anderson broke the game open with a grand slam over the fence in left field.

Another single (on a 1-2 count), a wild pitch and a walk follow and MSU turns to its third pitcher of the game, freshman Maya Morris. The right-hander induces a ground out to end the inning, but Southeast Missouri had grabbed a 7-2 lead.

After the first inning, the Eagles' offense sputtered, getting seven straight outs and sending just three batters to the plate in three of the last four innings.

In the bottom of the fifth, SEMO got a hit on a 3-2 count. Wrigley doubled to drive in a run and the next two batters walk to load the bases. Anderson ended the game with one out after another grand slam, this time to center field.

"In the first game, we had a few baserunners on that led to us scoring. At times we hit the ball hard in play and let their defense make mistakes," MSU coach Samantha Jones said. "We just need to work on getting more timely hits and hitting the ball hard into play."

Freshman Bree Sexton (0-4) suffered the loss after facing just four batters in the first. She surrendered two runs (one earned) and four walks without allowing a hit or striking out a batter. Ogden pitched three and two-thirds of an inning, and yielded five earned runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Morris pitched for two-thirds of an inning and allowed five earned runs on three hits and two walks without a strikeout.

Junior pitcher Marisa Davis started the game and threw the first three innings. She gave up two earned runs on three hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Saturday's winner, senior Rachel Rook, the defending OVC Pitcher of the Year, closed out the contest by pitching two scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks to go along with five strikeouts. Rook earned the victory to improve to 10-6 on the year.

Gailor finished 2-for-3, with a run, an RBI and a stolen base. Spear went 1-for-2 with a run, while Strother collected a walk and an RBI.

Wrigley led SEMO with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate. She tallied three doubles, two RBI and scored two runs. Anderson went 2-for-3, with two homers, eight RBI and three runs. Sophomore shortstop Abigail Rickermann added three walks and scored three times, while sophomore center fielder Paige Halliwill walked three times and scored twice.
 

In the nightcap, Gailor again singled and stole second in the opening frame. A sacrifice bunt by junior shortstop moved Gailor to third, but the next two batters struck out to end the inning.

Just as it did in the first game, MSU started slowly on defense. SEMO got two singles and a walk, but the final two batters struck out looking to end the threat.

In the bottom of the second, Slater and Jordan thwart a stolen base attempt to end the inning. It is the fourth time in seven tries the Redhawks were caught stealing in the series. Not including strikeouts, Slater finished the weekend with three putouts and four assists as the catcher.

"Defensively, the infield did a good job of containing their offense," coach Jones said.

In SEMO's half of the third, leadoff batter Rickermann tripled to right field and a Halliwill ground out drove her home. An Anderson single and back-to-back doubles by freshman designated player Tori Bradley and sophomore catcher Kat Sackett brought in two more runs as the Redhawks took a 3-0 advantage.

Senior second baseman Peyton Rose got the visitors' lone hit in the next two innings, an infield single in the fifth. The hosts were able to close out the contest after a single and a walk, and then three more singles and an error, with all five runs coming with two outs.

Despite the offensive struggles, the Eagles did get their bat on the ball. Only four of their 17 batters struck out.

Southeast Missouri finished with 11 hits. All nine of its batters who came to the plate either had a hit or scored. Rickermann, Anderson and Wrigley again did most of the damage, with each going 2-for-3. Wrigley and Kat Sackett also added two RBI apiece.

Sophomore Paytience Holman went the distance for the win to improve to 4-2. In five scoreless innings, she allowed just two hits and no walks, while striking out four.

Sophomore Lennon Spicer dropped to 2-12 on the season after pitching four and two-thirds innings. She surrendered seven earned runs and two walks, while also striking out four.

"In the second game, SEMO only had two hard hits off Lennon. The rest were shallow soft liners that just fell through the cracks," coach Jones said.

At the plate, Gailor and Rose collected the team's lone hits. Gailor extended her on-base streak to eight games, while Rose broke out of an 0-9 slump.

Morehead State hosts Kentucky State on Wednesday for a doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. It will be the first two outings of an Eagle 10-game home stand that will run through April 16. Next weekend, Tennessee-Martin comes to town for a three-game series starting with a pair on Saturday. After that, the Eagles entertain Shawnee State and SIU-Edwardsville the following week.