Redhawks fall in OVC tourney

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. -- The Southeast Missouri State softball team saw its run through the losers bracket of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament finally come to an end.

The fifth-seeded Redhawks, who posted two elimination victories Friday, were bounced from the six-team tournament Saturday, as top-seeded Jacksonville State prevailed 6-4 in the loser's bracket final.

Host Jacksonville State (42-16) then lost to second-seeded Tennessee Tech 6-2, and the Eaglettes (35-26) captured the championship and earned an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.

Southeast, which finished third in the tournament after placing fifth in the OVC's regular season, ended the year with a 27-28 record for the program's most victories since 2000.

The Redhawks improved considerably from last year's 16-36 mark, but still posted their fourth straight losing season. Until 2002, they had not suffered a losing record during any of coach Lana Richmond's previous 19 seasons at Southeast.

The Redhawks grabbed a 1-0 first-inning lead Saturday as Kelly Birk homered. It was her seventh home run of the season and second of the tournament.

Southeast made it 2-0 in the second inning as Charlene Ramirez belted her second homer of the season.

Jacksonville State scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the contest, then went ahead for good with a four-run fifth. OVC Player of the Year Maigin Alexander broke the deadlock with a two-run homer, her ninth of the season. Alana Hicks also had a two-run homer to make it 6-2.

Southeast rallied with two runs in the seventh, but the Gamecocks held on for the victory.

Birk went 3-for-4 to lead the Redhawks' nine-hit attack and finished with nine hits in Southeast's final three tournament games. Victoria Torrez added two hits and Ramirez drove in two runs.

Freshman Elaine Fisher (8-6) took the loss in relief, allowing four hits and four runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Three Redhawks were named to the 12-player all-tournament team, led by Birk, a senior and four-year starter who concluded a stellar career by hitting .600 in the tournament. She ranks in Southeast's career top 10 in eight offensive categories.

Also on the all-tourney squad from Southeast were Torrez, a senior, and sophomore Lindsay Pickering.

Pickering wound up leading Southeast in batting average for the season at .343. Also above .300 were freshman Michelle Summers (.330), freshman Megan McDonald (.327) and Birk (.318).

Summers' 10 home runs are the second-most for a single season in school history, and her 47 runs scored also rank second. As a team, Southeast hit a school-record 38 home runs.

Tennessee Tech's Bonnie Bynum was named the MVP of the tournament. She pitched all three victories and allowed just two runs, as the Eaglettes went 3-0.