Southeast drops two at JSU

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. -- The Southeast Missouri State softball team continued to struggle Wednesday, as host Jacksonville State rolled to an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader sweep.

JSU (36-14, 18-4) solidified its hold on first place in the OVC with 5-0 and 7-2 victories.

Southeast (22-24, 10-12) has lost eight straight games to fall into eighth place in the 10-team conference. Only the top six finishers make the OVC tournament.

The Redhawks had only seven hits in the doubleheader, and they hurt themselves with six errors. Five second-game errors led to all but one of the Gamecocks' runs being unearned.

Amy Fahnestock (13-12) lasted just one inning of the opener, allowing four hits and four runs -- three earned. Stephanie Huffman finished up, allowing four hits and one run in five innings.

Southeast was two-hit by Carly Kellam (20-6), who struck out 11 and walked one. Megan McDonald doubled and Lindsay Pickering singled for the Redhawks' only hits.

Elaine Fisher (5-5) took the second-game loss, allowing six hits and four runs (one earned) in 3 1/3 innings. Huffman gave up two hits and three unearned runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Michelle Summers and Lyndsey Webb each had two of Southeast's five hits, while Melissa Van Velkinburgh belted her first home run of the season.

The teams close out their three-game series at 2 p.m. today.