Austin Peay uses four-run inning to defeat Southeast Missouri State softball team

The Southeast Missouri State softball team built an early lead before committing costly errors in the late innings and fell 6-2 to Austin Peay in the final game of a three-game series Sunday at the Southeast Softball Complex.

The Redhawks, 7-18 overall and 2-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play, failed to carry over their offensive outburst from Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader.

The Redhawks scored 13 runs on 14 hits to gain a split of Saturday's twin bill.

Southeast continued the offense early in Sunday's contest, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Lindsey Patterson doubled to the gap in left-center field to score Haylee Krack, who walked in the previous at-bat. Patterson later scored on a single by Rachael Duncan.

Southeast Missouri State starter Hannah Durham throws to an Austin Peay batter during the first inning.

Southeast was held silent the remainder of the game by Austin Peay starter Lauren de Castro, who allowed just the two early runs and a total of five hits over seven innings. De Castro had held the Redhawks to four hits and one run in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader.

She struck out nine Redhawks on Sunday.

Southeast coach Lana Richmond said de Castro kept the Redhawks off balance and guessing at the plate.

"We didn't have any offensive output after the first inning, and [de Castro] had a good mix of things all day and knew what our game plan was coming in to today's game against her," Richmond said. "She knew we would lay off the low rise pitch, and I felt like our team did a good job of doing that, but she just kept mixing it, keeping it low, hit her spots and just took a solid outing against us today."

Southeast pitcher Hannah Durham had a strong start, allowing just four hits and one earned run over the first five innings. Durham finished her day allowing one earned run on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Durham's lone earned run occurred in the fifth inning after the first two Governors were retired. Amanda De Vries singled with two outs and Rikki Arkansas followed with a triple off the left-field wall to cut Southeast's lead to 2-1.

The Governors added four unearned runs in the sixth inning -- all scoring with two outs.

Mel Pavel singled with one out and was replaced by pinch runner Taylor Mills. Durham got de Castro to ground out, but then hit Vinchen Dibenedetto with a pitch to extend the inning.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Laurel Burroughs hit a routine ground ball to Krack at third base. Mills scored the tying run when Krack bobbled the ball.

"I wish I was a little more focused and would've stuck my spots a little better in that inning," Durham said. "I could have and should have been a little stronger on the inside part of the plate, because I think that would have prevented me from hitting that girl, which could have gotten us out of that inning."

The hit by pitch and error opened up the offense for the Governors. Kristin Whitmire singled to left field, scoring Dibenedetto for a 3-2 lead. De Vries followed Whitmire with a two-run double down the right-field line, scoring Burroughs and Whitmire and extending the Governors' lead to 5-2.

The Governors added another unearned run in the seventh on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

Southeast had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. With the bases loaded and two outs, Duncan faced an 0-2 count. She was able to work the count to 3-2 before striking out on a curveball.

"We've got some things to work on fundamentally," Richmond said. "We're not where we'd like to be in conference play, but we'll go back to work in practice and get ready for Belmont next weekend."

The Redhawks host Belmont in a three-game series that starts with a doubleheader Saturday.