The UTM softball team opened the Ohio Valley Conference portion of its 2005 slate with a big bang.

The Skyhawks swept visiting Southeast Missouri State 5-2, 2-0 in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Bettye Giles Field.

Sophomore Megan Mizell, from Vienna, Ill., tossed a seven-inning perfect game to lead the Skyhawks to a 2-0 win over Southeast Missouri State and complete the doubleheader sweep.

Mizell faced 21 batters and struck out six. Four batters flied out, while the rest either grounded out or struck out.

SEMO hit a drive to right field that threatened the no-hitter in the top of the fifth, but Christa Webb made a diving catch to preserve the perfection.

In the top of the seventh, SEMO threatened the no-no with a deep fly ball down the left field line. Skyhawk left fielder Brandy Whalen hauled in the shot to record the first out of the final inning.

For Mizell, the no-hitter was not uncommon. She had several in high school. The perfect game was her first collegiate gem.

It was also the first perfect game thrown by a Skyhawk pitcher in the past four years.

Because of the perfect game, Mizell was also named as the OVC Pitcher of the Week.

Sophomore Fallon Lowery provided the offensive power for the Skyhawks in the fourth inning when she doubled to right field. Lowery’s hit drove in Mizell who reached base on a fielder’s choice.

In the first game, junior Emily Webb hit a three-run homer to give the Skyhawks a 4-0 lead in the first.

Whalen drove in a run in the second and the Skyhawks led 5-0 going into the fourth inning.

Nicole Davis claimed her seventh pitching win of the season in game one. She allowed seven hits and three walks. She struck out eight and gave up two earned runs.

UTM hit three home runs early in the third game of the series on Sunday afternoon, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a couple of errors in the sixth inning.

SEMO defeated the Skyhawks 6-3 to avoid being swept in the Ohio Valley Conference season-opening softball series.

Brandy Whalen hit a home run in the first to tie the score at 1-1.

Emily Webb tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second with a solo homer to right field.

Davis gave the Skyhawks a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run down the left field line.

SEMO tied the game at 3-all in the top of the fifth inning when Michelle Summers tagged Skyhawk starter Allison Buckley for her second home run of the game.

SEMO scored three runs on two hits and two errors in the top of the sixth for the win.

UTM falls to 15-7 overall and 2-1 in the OVC, while SEMO improves to 8-8 overall and 1-2 in the league race.

With the 5-2 win in the first game, Skyhawk head coach Donley Canary recorded his 100th career victory. In four seasons, Canary now sports a 101-87 won-loss record.

The Skyhawks return to action Tuesday, March 22 when they travel to Clarksville for an OVC doubleheader against host Austin Peay.