Southeast Missouri State softball team splits pair with Tennessee Tech

The Southeast Missouri State softball team broke an eight-game losing streak and avoided a doubleheader sweep with a 5-2 victory over visiting Tennessee Tech on Sunday.

Southeast (12-22, 6-8 Ohio Valley Conference) scored all the runs it needed on a three-run home run by Savannah Carpenter in the bottom of the first inning.

The blast staked starting pitcher Haley Thogmartin, who had given up a home run to Alyssa Richards in the top of the inning, to a 3-1 lead.

Thogmartin also allowed a solo home run to Sarah Freels in the fourth inning, but they were the only Eagles to cross the plate.

Southeast added single runs in the third and fourth innings.

Thogmartin (7-8) gave up nine hits over seven innings, but she did not walk a batter and struck out four.

Carpenter's blast came off Eagles starter Taylor Waldrop (0-2), who allowed six hits over three innings. She gave up all five runs -- four earned -- to the Redhawks, striking out one and waking none.

Hannah Weaver allowed two hits over the final three innings.

Carpenter, Harli Wheeler and Sarah Messex all finished with two hits for the Redhawks.

TSU won the opener 3-2 behind a two-run home run by Richards, which came in the first inning off losing pitcher Madeline Krumrey (5-9), and some help from the Redhawks in the top of the seventh.

Richards home run was one of five hits off Krumrey, who pitched 6 1/3 innings before yielding to Mackenzie Hoelting. Krumrey struck out five and walked two.

The Redhawks managed just three hits off TSU's Danielle Liberatore, who struck out 13 and walked one in pitching all seven innings.

Wheeler accounted for two of the hits.

Southeast scored an unearned run in the fourth inning and pulled even at 2-2 on a Carpenter sacrifice fly that scored Wheeler in the sixth.

However, TSU scored the winning run in the seventh. A one-out single by Gabby Lasala and a fielding error on a bunt ended the day for Krumrey. Hoelting relieved and retired a batter on a sacrifice bunt, but then threw a two-out wild pitch that allowed Lasala to score from third.

Southeast will visit Saint Louis University for a non-conference doubleheader at 4 p.m. Wednesday.