JACKSONVILLE – Southeast Missouri swept a doubleheader from Jacksonville State and clinched the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference title on Saturday at University Field.
The Redhawks (28-14, 23-5 OVC) secured the No. 1 spot in next week's OVC Tournament in Oxford after taking a 10-5 win in the first game and a 3-2 victory in the second game with the Gamecocks (22-23, 20-13 OVC). JSU locked up the No. 4 seed in the four-team field and will play the Redhawks at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
In Saturday's matchups, the Gamecocks got to SEMO's ace for the first run of the first game, when
Karsen Mosley launched Rachel Rook's 2-2 pitch over the wall in left center. The blast put the Gamecocks up 1-0, but the lead wouldn't last long.
After two quick outs to start the top of the third, the Redhawks posted a two-out rally to claim the lead. After a pinch-hit, seeing-eye single from Kimmy Wallen extended the inning and set up back-to-back homers from Kaylee Anderson and Kynzie Wrigley to make it a 3-1 SEMO lead.
The Gamecocks got one back in the home half of the third on a
Jada Terry RBI single that scored
Keeli Bobbitt, but SEMO pulled ahead in the fourth on a 2-run shot from Alyson Tucker that chased
Nicole Rodriguez from the circle.
SEMO would add two more in each the fifth and sixth innings and another in the seventh to take a 10-2 lead before JSU scored three in the seventh. Bobbitt scored the first on an error and then
Jada Terry had an RBI double and
Alexus Jimmerson an RBI single to score the final two runs.
Rook (18-8) earned the win for the Redhawks after limiting the Gamecocks to three runs on four hits in 6 and 1/3 innings in the circle. Rodriguez (8-8) suffered the loss after giving up five runs on seven hits in three frames. She struck out seven and walked one. Jimmerson gave up four runs on five hits in two innings of relief, while
Lexi Androlevich allowed one run on two hits in her two innings.
The second game of the day was more of a pitcher's duel, with SEMO's Paytience Holman and JSU's
Reagan Watkins going toe-to-toe for the first five innings.
The Redhawks got an unearned run off of Watkins in the second, when a errant throw from
Savannah Sudduth at short allowed Jillian Anderson to score from third.
That 1-0 lead stood until the fifth, when
Megan Fortner led of the home half with a homer that tied the game, but SEMO capitalized on another JSU miscue in the sixth to score two more and take a 3-1 lead.
The Gamecocks loaded the bases with one out in the sixth and got one across on Fortner's grounder to third, but Kaylee Anderson struck out
Sidney Wagnon to end the threat.
Watkins led off the seventh with a double to left center and advanced to third on a sac bunt from Bobbitt, but she was caught at the plate trying to tie the game on a pitch that got to the backstop.
Kaylee Anderson (1-0) earned the win in relief for the Redhawks after allowing one run on one hit and a walk in an inning of work. Rook earned her fourth save of the season, striking out one and allowing a hit in one inning.
Watkins (6-6) suffered the tough-luck loss after holding the league's most prolific offense to three runs, one earned, on two hits in seven innings. She walked six and struck out three.
The two teams will wrap up the regular season on Sunday with a 1 p.m. game at University Field on what will be Senior Day for the Gamecocks. JSU will honor Terry, Rodriguez, Watkins and Jimmerson, as well as 2020 senior
Ryann Luna after her senior season was cut short by COVID-19. The senior ceremony will begin at 12:45 pm.
