April 14, 2005

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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Thursday, April 14, 2005) The Southeast Missouri State split a doubleheader with non-conference rival Saint Louis at the Southeast Softball Complex Thursday afternoon dropping the early game 7-3 before winning the nightcap 8-3. The Redhawks hit three homers in the twinbill, including two in game two.

Holding a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth, senior Kelly Birk (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison HS) hit a two-run shot over the rightfield fence plating Victoria Torrez (Garden Grove, CA/Cypress CC). Freshman Megan McDonald (Cape Girardeau, MO/Cape Central) added a solo shot, her fifth homerun, to leftfield to extend the lead to 7-0 and ultimately the 8-3 victory.

The Redhawks (20-16) jumped on Billikens (16-21) pitcher Ashley Levan early scoring three runs in the second. Katie Otterness (Schaumburg, IL/Hoffman Estates) singled with two outs and fellow freshman Ashley Robison (Sparta, IL/Sparta) walked.

Both runners later advanced on a Levan wild pitch. Michelle Summers (Glendale, CA/Hoover) walked to load the bases for Torrez who laced a single up the middle knocking in Otterness and Robison. Summers headed home and was called safe when the throw by the centerfielder got pass the Billiken catcher making it 3-0.

In the third the Redhawks added another run when Stephanie Huffman (Valmayer, IL/Forest Park CC) singled to lead-off the inning. Freshman Lindsey Woodworth (Sparta, IL/Sparta) replaced Huffman as a pinchrunner and later scored Otterness hit a deep fly to right allowing Woodworth to tag-up and score easily.

Elaine Fisher (St. Peters, MO/Francis Howell North) saw her consecutive scoreless innings pitched streak snapped at 21 innings after the Billikens added an unearned run off of her in the fifth inning.

Despite the setback Fisher won her fifth game of the season and her third straight going 4.1 innings allowing one run on five hits and striking out two.

The Redhawks got the run back scoring their final run of the game in their half of the fifth. Robison singled to center driving in Stephanie Mata (Wheeling, IL/Wheeling HS).

The Billikens scored two runs in the top of the sixth for the final margin.

McDonald went 3-4 raising her average to a team-high .381 and extending her hit streak to six games.

Huffman went 2-3 and Birk finished 2-4 with her third homer of the season.

The Redhawks scored their eight runs on a season-high 13 hits.

In the early game the Billikens used five-run fifth to pull away from the Redhawks for the 7-3 victory.

The Billikens struck first with a run in the first off Redhawks starter Amy Fahnestock (Ste. Genevieve, MO/Wabash CC).

The Redhawks answered with a run of their own in their half of the first to know the game at one apiece.

Torrez hit her first homer of the season over the leftfield fence for the Redhawks run.

The Redhawks then pulled ahead 2-1 with a run in the second when Torrez doubled in Summers.

The Billikens used four hits and a Redhawks error to score their five runs in the fifth to knock Fahnestock from the game and pull ahead 6-2.

The Redhawks tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth but could only manage one run when McDonald singled in Torrez for the Redhawks final run.

Torrez reached base all four times going 2-2 with a double and homer, walked and reached on an error. She drove in two and scored two runs.

McDonald finished with a 2-3 performance.

Fahnestock was stuck with the loss dropping her record to 11-7 on the year.

Lorena Floccari picked up the win going the distance.

The Redhawks return to Ohio Valley Conference action when they host Samford for a three-game series at the Southeast Softball Complex this weekend. On Saturday, April 16 the teams will play a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. before ending with a single game on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.