Otahks sweep a pair against Tenn.-Martin

Southeast Missouri State University's softball team continued its late-season Ohio Valley Conference surge Saturday by sweeping a doubleheader from visiting Tennessee-Martin.

The Otahkians defeated the Skyhawks 3-0 and 5-4 and have won five of their last six conference games.

Southeast improved to 14-23 overall and 10-6 in the OVC to pull into a second-place tie with Eastern Kentucky. UTM fell to 20-26 and 11-8.

Southeast and UTM will close out their three-game series today with a 1 p.m. contest in Martin, Tenn.

Jessica Hunter was the story for the Otahkians in the opener. The walk-on, who has been Southeast's most consistent pitcher all season, worked all seven innings for the shutout, allowing six hits while striking out three and walking none.

The Otahkians had six hits, led by Kate Groden with two. Amy Murphy drove in two runs.

Southeast scored the only run it would need in the bottom of the first inning. Alicia Loucks led off with a single and moved to second on an error. She was sacrificed to third by Groden and came home on Brooke Nett's sacrifice fly.

The Otahkians added two runs in the third for insurance and that's the way the game ended.

In the finale, Melissa Van Velkinburgh notched the victory. She worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and four runs (three earned), with one strikeout and no walks.

Hunter came on to record an out during UTM's four-run sixth inning, and Kelly Birk notched a save by working the seventh and escaping a bases-loaded jam to end the contest.

Southeast again had six hits, led by Lyndsey Webb with two. Webb finished the doubleheader with three of the Otahkians' 12 hits.

The Otahkians got four of their hits and all of their runs during the fourth inning when they grabbed a 5-0 lead and managed to hold on.

UTM finished the day with 14 hits.

Sprint medley relay team fourth at Drake Relays

Southeast track and field athletes turned in solid performances during the rugged Drake Relays held Friday and Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.

The women's sprint medley relay team had the best showing when the group of Rose Fulton, LaQuita Andrews, Hannah Stuckenschneider and Brooke Woodruff finished fourth in 3:55.43.

Other top-10 finishes were turned in by Shelton Scott in the triple jump (seventh, 50-4 1/2), Courtney Haman in the javelin (eighth, 142-11) and Heather Jenkins in the discus (ninth, 149-2).

Jenkins also was 15th in the shot put (44-3 1/2). Brandon Myer placed 12th in the discus (165-11) and 16th in the shot put (52-8 1/4).

Tennis team defeated in conference tournament

For the second straight day, Southeast was shut out 4-0 in the OVC women's tennis tournament in Nashville, Tenn.

The seventh-seeded Otahkians (3-11) were defeated by sixth-seeded Tennessee-Martin during consolation action Saturday. Southeast lost to Murray State in Friday's first round.

After UTM captured the doubles point by winning two matches, the final doubles match was not played. Then, after the Skyhawks won three singles matches to clinch the victory, the other three singles contests were not completed.

Southeast will face Austin Peay today in the seventh-place match of the eight-team event.

-- From staff reports