April 28, 2005

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - (Thursday, April 28, 2005) The Southeast Missouri State softball team completed a rough road trip down south with a disappointing 4-0 loss to Jacksonville State Thursday afternoon at University Field. The loss completed a sweep by the first-place team in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Gamecocks (37-14, 19-4 OVC) continued their winning ways with their 13th-straight victory of the season. Gamecocks ace Carly Kellam (21-6) again shutdown the Redhawks (22-25, 10-13 OVC) bats with a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits, two walks and striking out 11 batters.

The Redhawks were frustrated offensively as they only had five runners on base the whole game.

Their best opportunity was the opening inning when Michelle Summers (Glendale, CA/Hoover) led-off with a single up the middle. She later moved to second on a Victoria Torrez (Garden Grove, CA/Cypress CC) sacrifice, her team-high eighth sacrifice bunt of the season. Kelly Birk (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison HS) grounded out, moving Summers to third with two outs.

After Megan McDonald (Cape Girardeau, MO/Cape Central) was hit by a pitch Kellam retired Stephanie Huffman (Valmayer, IL/Forest Park CC) on a ground out to end the Redhawks opening threat.

Meanwhile Redhawks starter Amy Fahnestock (Ste. Genevieve, MO/Wabash CC) looked strong in the early innings as she shutdown the Gamecocks bats the first three-innings.

The Gamecocks struck in the fourth with a single run.

In the fifth the Redhawks again threatened. With two outs Charlene Ramirez (Walnut, CA/Mt. San Antonio CC) doubled to left center, but the Redhawks couldn't capitalize when Summers popped up to end the inning.

The Gamecocks added the deciding runs in the bottom of the sixth when Breanne Oleman hit her 13th homerun of the season with a three-run blast over the left center fence to make it 4-0.

Fahnestock was credited with the loss after giving up four runs on three hits in six innings of work. Her complete game was her 18th of the season.

The Redhawks will have the weekend off before ending the regular season with four home games starting with a single game against Eastern Illinois on Thursday, May 5 at the Southeast Softball Complex at 3:00 p.m. before hosting Austin Peay for a weekend series.