MOREHEAD, Ky. – The biggest positive of the day for the Morehead State softball team in Monday's series finale against Southeast Missouri at the University Field at Prefontaine Park in Morehead was the sixth-inning, two-run home run by junior second baseman
Sage VanDemark. The Redhawks won the game 12-3 in six innings.
"We did a few good things today, and I was pleased with the play of a few players, but that was about it," Morehead State head coach
Megan Griffith said. "It wasn't our best effort."
The visitors got on the board first with a three-run home run by Raigan Brannon in the first inning, but the Eagles kept the Southeast Missouri (17-28/13-10) bats at bay for the better part of the next three innings.
Morehead State (7-35/6-18) got a single by junior first baseman
Noemye Letendre and a double by freshman designated player
Cheyenne Christman to start off the second, but the pair were left stranded when the inning ended.
The Eagles' defense came up with a double play in the third as Brannon lined out to VanDemark at second, who then threw to Letendre at first for the double play.
Two more singles came in the third as junior center fielder
Maddy Christopher came back from seeing her 11-game hit streak end the day before, and senior left fielder
Jordan Donato hit the ball to center field. Letendre later walked to load the bases, but Christmas flew out to center field to end the inning.
The Redhawks picked up a pair of two-out singles in the fourth, but junior pitcher
Ainsley Stubbs struck out the visitor's fifth batter of the frame to quell any scoring threat.
Morehead State loaded the bases again in the fourth as VanDemark reached on an error, sophomore catcher
Nyla Doiron singled to first base and Christopher singled to shallow left field. Donato drew a walk to send VanDemark home, prompting Southeast Missouri to make a change in the circle.
Pickford hit a shot to deep right field, but it was not enough as the Redhawks hauled it in to end the inning.
Southeast Missouri took advantage of some Eagle miscues and some good fortune as it added two more runs in the fifth.
The visitors opened the game up in the sixth by again capitalizing on MSU's mistakes. The Redhawks tallied seven runs on seven hits, sending 12 batters to the plate in the frame.
In the bottom of the frame, freshman shortstop
Kylie Mann singled to open the inning and VanDemark followed by rocketing the first pitch over the fence in left field. Later in the inning, Donato added a walk and Pickford a single, but the Eagles could not manufacture any additional offense as the game ended due to the run-rule for just the fifth time this season and the first since March 9.
Morehead State continued to put the bat on the ball, finishing the three-game series with 27 hits, including nine on Monday. The Eagles also had four errors and left 10 runners on base. SEMO finished with 16 hits, one error and five left stranded.
Eight different Eagles got hits, led by Christopher with two. Donato was 1-for-2, with an RBI and two walks. Pickford, Letendre, Christman, Mann, VanDemark and Doiron had the other hits. VanDemark had two RBI and scored twice. Mann scored once.
Six Redhawks had multiple hits, including Kamden Hutton, who was 3-for-4, with three runs and an RBI. Brannon finished 2-for-4, with five RBI and two runs. Gracie Luna added three RBI.
Freshman
Allicen Harris started the game and pitched two innings before suffering the loss to fall to 0-15. She gave up three runs (all earned) on four hits with a walk and no strikeouts. Stubbs threw for three and one-third innings and allowed seven runs (all earned) on 10 hits, with three strikeouts and a walk. Senior
Emma Solis finished the game by pitching the final two-thirds of an inning. She surrendered twor runs (one earned) on two hits, with a strikeout and no walks.
Maddie Carney improved to 5-12 after going three and two-thirds innings. She allowed six hits, one unearned run, with two walks and two strikeouts. Willow Van Haren earned a save after pitching two and one-third innings, yielding two runs (both earned) on three hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Morehead State will conclude the regular season next weekend needing a sweep to earn a bid to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in two weeks. The Eagles will travel to Lindenwood for two games on Friday, beginning at 2 p.m. ET (game two at 4:30 p.m. ET). The series finale will be Saturday at 1 p.m.
