Southeast Missouri State roundup: Richmond reaches milestone in softball team's doubleheader sweep

The Southeast Missouri State softball team gave coach Lana Richmond a milestone win while sweeping Saturday's Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader in Clarksville, Tenn.

Southeast slipped past host Austin Peay 5-4 in eight innings in the opener, which was Richmond's 850th career victory with the Redhawks.

Southeast won the finale 7-3 to make Richmond 851-637-2 in her 30th season. The OVC's winningest softball coach ranks 14th in victories among all NCAA Division I softball coaches.

The Redhawks (18-24, 9-12), who tied their season-high four-game winning streak, remained eighth in the 11-team OVC. Austin Peay (12-24, 6-14) is in ninth place.

Southeast led 4-1 in Saturday's opener before the Governors rallied to forge a 4-4 tie after the regulation seven innings.

The Redhawks broke the deadlock in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by Renee Kertz.

Alora Marble retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth to nail down the victory.

Marble (10-11) pitched her 16th complete game of the season. She allowed 11 hits and four runs with three strikeouts and no walks.

Evan Sallis had three of Southeast's 14 hits. Kertz, Cheyenne Gipson and Simone Patterson all added two hits. Kertz drove in a pair of runs.

Southeast had 13 more hits in the nightcap. Sallis again collected three. Patterson also had three hits.

Kertz, Xia Wilson and Kaitlin Wallace all added two hits. Wilson homered and matched Kertz with two RBIs.

Shea Cothren (5-9) pitched all seven innings for the victory. She allowed six hits and three runs while striking out one and walking three.

The squads close their three-game series at 1 p.m. today.

Track

Craig Robinson's personal best highlighted three first-place finishes for Southeast at Saturday's Hilltopper Invitational in Bowling Green, Ky.

Robinson won the shot put with a throw of 57 feet, 11 inches, the sixth-best mark in school history.

Southeast also got victories in the men's and women's 3,000 meters. Chris Loseman claimed the men's race with a time of 8 minutes, 43.25 seconds, and Jessica Bollinger paced the women's field in 10:18.08.

Kevin Farley was second in both the shot put (57-7 1/2) and discus (160-4).

Others placing second were Rebekah Lawson in the 3,000 (10:19.84), Angelica Larrier in the 100 (career-best 11.71), Jerika Lewis in the 200 (24.24) and Mohamed Souleiman in the 800 (1:54.00).

Finishing third were Nikki Buchheit in the pole vault (career-best 11-9 3/4), Jessica Brown in the long jump (19-1 1/4), Alex Zisser in the 1,500 (career-best 3:57.1) and Reggie Miller in the high jump (6-8 3/4).

Blake Smith was fourth (24-5) and Blake Carter fifth (24-0 3/4) in the long jump. Both marks were career bests.

Others finishing fifth were Courtney Gapelu in the shot put (46-2 3/4), DeAndre Simmons in the 200 (career-best 21.66) and Josh Uchtman in the shot put (53-3 1/2).

Southeast returns to action Friday at the Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood Invitational in Louisville, Ky.

Tennis

Southeast won two singles matches but came up short in a 5-2 OVC loss at Eastern Illinois.

The Redhawks (5-11, 2-6) got singles victories from Melissa Martin at No. 4 and Heather Robinson at No. 5.

Southeast also recorded a doubles win by the No. 2 team of Robinson and Jessica Courtnell, but the Panthers (9-9, 5-3) won the doubles point and four of the six singles matches.

Southeast wraps up its season today at SIU Edwardsville.

Singles

No. 1 -- Janelle Prisner (EIU) def. Nikole Novikova 6-4, 4-6, 7-6

No. 2 -- Merritt Whitley (EIU) def. Elizabeth Nyenwe 6-3, 6-4

No. 3 -- Amanda Dibbs (EIU) def. Jessica Courtnell 6-4, 6-2

No. 4 -- Melissa Martin (SE) def. Jennifer Kim 6-2, 6-2

No. 5 -- Heather Robinson (SE) def. Sephora Boulbahaiem 7-5, 6-2

No. 6 -- Kristen Laird (EIU) def. Laura Garcia 6-2, 6-1

Doubles

No. 1 -- Prisner/Whitley (EIU) def. Novikova/Martin 8-4

No. 2 -- Courtnell/Robinson (SE) def. Kim/Boulbahaiem 8-3

No. 3 -- Dibbs/Annie Egan (EIU) def. Nyenwe/Lauren Schaper 8-5

-- From staff reports