Tennessee Tech rallies in 7th for 8-3 victory over Redhawks

Two-time Ohio Valley Conference regular-season softball champion Tennessee Tech completed a series win over host Southeast Missouri State on Sunday by rallying for an 8-3 victory.

The squads had split Saturday's doubleheader, with Tech (43-15, 19-4) capturing the opener to clinch its second straight OVC regular-season title.

Southeast (17-28, 8-15) is in ninth place among 10 OVC teams.

The Redhawks, who have four games remaining, are three games out of sixth place. Only the top six finishers qualify for the OVC tournament, an event Southeast has never missed.

Southeast entered the seventh and final inning Sunday ahead 3-2, but Tech exploded for six runs to break things open.

Tech senior Bonnie Bynum, the 2006 OVC pitcher of the year who no-hit Southeast in Saturday's opener, improved her season record to 28-8. She allowed eight hits and one walk while striking out nine.

Lauren Bradley took the loss in relief. She was tagged for six hits and five runs in one inning.

Elaine Fisher allowed six hits and two runs in 4 1/3 innings. Stacia Dopudja gave up three hits and a run in 1 2/3 innings.

Southeast junior Michelle Summers drilled her 11th home run of the season, which increases her school career record to 32 homers.

Last year Summers tied Southeast's single-season homer record with 11, but Dopudja, a freshman, has surpassed that this season with 12.

The Redhawks play their final home game Wednesday when Eastern Illinois visits at 4 p.m. first pitch.

Track fares well

In the final tuneup prior to this weekend's OVC outdoor championships, Southeast track teams posted eight wins at Saturday's Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Twilight meet.

Juli Koenegstein led the way for the women by winning the 1,500 meters and the 3,000.

Whitney Thomas captured the 100 hurdles and the 400 relay squad was victorious.

Orie Ibe was second in the 100 hurdles and third in the 200. Linea Woldvelt was second in the 1,500 and Elizabeth Pruitt-Allen was second in the 400 hurdles.

Funtasia Clark was second in the high jump and fourth in both the long and triple jumps. Ashley Brewer was second in the discus and Rebecca Martin placed second in the javelin.

The Southeast men won the 400 and 1,600 relays, and received individual victories from Brandon Karcher in the 1,500 and Bilal Hameed in the triple jump.

Chris Williams was second in both the 200 and 400, Chris Herron was second in the steeplechase and Brandon Colbert nabbed second in the shot put.

The OVC meet will be Friday and Saturday at Eastern Illinois.

-- From staff reports