Sports Zone Oct. 28, 2023: Eastman wins OVC title, SEMO soccer advances in OVC Tournament, SIU and SEMO football both victorious

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – The Southeast Missouri State soccer team has not played a game with a multiple-goal margin in a month, the they found themselves in another tight contest in their first-round game in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament against Eastern Illinois on Friday night.

The match went scoreless into overtime, but less than four minutes into the first overtime period, Emily Baker scored what would turn out to be the game-winner for SEMO. The Redhawks move onto the quarterfinals where they will take on 4th-seeded SIU-Edwardsville on Sunday at 3 pm.

SEMO men’s and women’s cross country brought home some hardware from the OVC Championships in Morehead, Kent., Saturday morning.

Hannah Eastman became just the fourth woman in SEMO history and the first since 2002 to win the Ohio Valley Cross Country Championship. Eastman outpaced the competition by nearly 30 seconds, finishing in a school record 20:42.77. Taylor Fox and Noah Little each set personal bests, finishing 7th in their races.

And on Friday night, Eastman was named the Ohio Valley Conference Female Athlete of the Year, the fourth female in school history to receive the honor and the first since 2020.

After a one-score loss to No. 1 South Dakota State last Saturday, the Southern Illinois University football team squared off with the Western Illinois Leathernecks Saturday afternoon.

The Salukis left little doubt as to who was the superior dog in this fight, literally and figuratively running away with a 63-0 road victory. SIU rushed for 228 yards and 7.1 yards per carry and led by 35 at halftime. The Salukis (6-2) return home to face South Dakota next Saturday at 1 pm.

The SEMO football team continued its winning ways, overcoming an 11-point deficit to defeat Nicholls State, 35-31.

Defensive lineman Steven Lewis had the game-sealing interception with less than a minute left, and quarterback Patrick Heitert won his first start of the season in place of Paxton DeLaurent.

The Redhawks will have their final home game of the season when they host Robert Morris on Nov. 4.