Austin Peay extends Southeast Missouri State baseball team's skid to seven games

Three of the key returning players from an otherwise inexperienced Southeast Missouri State baseball team did all they could to get the Redhawks back in the win column.

They came up short.

Southeast, despite stellar performances from junior Shae Simmons and seniors Trenton Moses and Kenton Parmley, fell to visiting Austin Peay 5-2 Saturday at Capaha Field.

Defending Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament champion Austin Peay, the favorite to repeat, will try to sweep the three-game OVC-opening series when the squads square off at 1 p.m. today.

"We just can't catch a break," said Parmley, Southeast's shortstop. "But I guess breaks are given how you perform. Breaks will start going our way."

Southeast Missouri State second baseman John Logan Zink bobbles the ball while fielding a grounder during the Redhawks’ 5-2 loss to Austin Peay on Saturday. Zink threw out the Governors’ Dylan Riner on the play. (ADAM VOGLER)

The Redhawks, who dropped Friday's series opener 8-5, fell to 7-17 overall and 0-2 in OVC play. Southeast has lost 13 of its last 15 games, including seven consecutive. Austin Peay improved to 13-10 and 2-0.

"It's real frustrating," said Moses, Southeast's All-American third baseman and Advance High School graduate. "Austin Peay is a good ballclub. We've just got to keep showing up to the park every day with a positive attitide."

Simmons was one of the OVC's top relievers the past two seasons before moving into the rotation this year. He's been strong in five of his six starts, save for last weekend at New Mexico State when he allowed eight runs in one inning.

Simmons, among only three returning pitchers for the Redhawks, doesn't have a win to show for his quality work.

That trend continued Saturday.

Southeast Missouri State third baseman Trenton Moses celebrates his two-run home run during the third inning.

The Scott City High School graduate fell to 0-4 despite striking out a career-high 12 in 5 2/3 innings while allowing just two hits, one on the infield. The three runs he gave up were unearned, thanks to four errors.

"I felt real good. Curveball, fastball, it was all working," said Simmons, who walked two and hit a batter while throwing 116 pitches.

Simmons said he hasn't been frustrated by his personal lack of success and believes the Redhawks soon will turn the corner.

"It's not really frustrating for me. It's a team deal," Simmons said. "We'll come together."

The 12 strikeouts were the most by a Southeast hurler since Josh Syberg struck out 14 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2007.

"Simmons is a good pitcher. The way he threw today, I would say he's one of the best pitchers we've faced this season," Austin Peay coach Gary McClure said. "We hung in there and when we got opportunities we got big hits and took advantage of situations, and that was key today."

Moses, who leads the OVC in the three triple crown categories of batting average (.482), home runs and RBIs (33), belted his 11th homer of the season, a two-run shot with two outs in the third inning that gave Southeast a 2-1 lead.

Moses also leads the league in runs scored (26), on-base percentage (.607) and slugging percentage (.976). He entered the week ranked second nationally in on-base percentage, fourth in batting average, fourth in slugging percentage and sixth in homers.

"I'm seeing the ball well, just trying to put a good swing on it," Moses said.

Parmley, also among the OVC's top hitters (.417), singled in his first at-bat while making two dazzling plays to record outs, one on a ground ball behind the second-base bag and the other on a ground ball into the shortstop hole.

Moses and Parmley also continued their streaks.

Moses has reached base safely in 45 straight games dating back to last year. He has a current 15-game hitting streak.

Parmley has a 31-game hitting streak dating back to last year and has reached base safely in 40 straight contests.

"People remind me, but I don't really think about it," Parmley said of his hitting streak that is just four shy of former major leaguer Kerry Robinson's school-record 35 straight. "I try to get a hit my first time up and get it out of the way.

"The personal record. ... I'd like to have our team record better."

Southeast outhit Austin Peay for the second consecutive day, 7-6.

"I feel like the last two days we've started to hit the ball better," Moses said.

Austin Peay senior left-hander Zach Toney, the only returning member of the Govs' 2011 conference starting pitching rotation, was nearly as good as Simmons.

Toney (2-2) struck out nine, walked three, hit a batter and allowed six hits in six innings. The only damage he suffered was Moses' third-inning homer.

"Both pitchers threw outstanding," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "We knew they would. It was a marquee matchup."

The Govs' bullpen shut down Southeast over the final three innings, giving up just one hit.

Senior Mike Hebert, who allowed two runs without recording an out Friday, fired two scoreless frames.

Tyler Rogers, who recorded a three-inning save Friday, finished Saturday's win with a perfect ninth inning for his fifth save of the season.

Rogers, a junior college transfer who is among the OVC's top relievers, lowered his ERA to 0.42.

"He wanted the ball again today after throwing three innings the day before," Hogan said. "That was impressive to see. That's a closer."

Austin Peay scored the game's first run in the third inning on two errors by juco transfer second baseman John Logan Zink on the same play.

The Govs, trailing 2-1, went up for good with a two-run sixth inning. Both runs also were unearned due to errors by Zink and redshirt freshman first baseman Andy Lennington, including a two-out miscue that allowed the tying run to score.

Sophomore P.J. Torres delivered a go-ahead RBI single. It was just Austin Peay's second hit of the day to that point and the first that left the infield.

"We mixed in a couple of boots and that was the difference in the game," Hogan said. "It seems like everything that happens gets magnified. That's just the way it is right now."

Southeast loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the sixth but senior Taylor Heon's pinch-hit line drive was hit right at senior third baseman Greg Bachman for the final out.

"That's the way it's going for us right now," Parmley said.

Austin Peay added insurance with two runs in the eight inning off juco transer Dylan Lynn, who allowed four hits over the final 3 1/3 innings.

Senior Kody Campbell led Southeast with two hits. Torres had two hits for Austin Peay.

"We're playing a super, veteran ballclub," Hogan said. "They don't make many mistakes and they don't get shook.

"The thing I like about us is we seem to be getting better and we keep playing hard. Hopefully things will start to turn our way."

Today's pitching matchup is scheduled to be Austin Peay senior Lucas Anderson (2-1, 3.86 ERA) against Southeast juco transfer left-hander Ryan Kendall (0-1, 6.14).

"It's a big game for us," Parmley said. "We need a win."