Briefly: Southeast Missouri State baseball team wins OVC tournament, secures bid to NCAA regional

JACKSON, Tenn. — The wait is finally over for the Southeast Missouri State baseball team.

The top-seeded Redhawks, winners of three consecutive regular-season Ohio Valley Conference titles, took home their first OVC tournament title since 2002 with a 14-8 victory over No. 2 Jacksonville State on Sunday night at The Ballpark.

Southeast defeated JSU 10-7 in the first game of the championship round Sunday to force the winner-take-all. The Redhawks improved to 39-19 with the victories, the most wins in a season in program history.

"Just a surreal feeling. I can't explain how we feel," Southeast fourth-year coach Steve Bieser said. "There was a lot of pressure on this club and I think a lot of pressure on our seniors and the guys that have been here for the past three years. I know I felt pressure, and this is probably the most pressure I've felt in the tournament setting yet. Just felt like we had to get it done this time. Seeing our seniors really rally around and come through on two tough days with back to back doubleheaders, just super excited for those guys."

Southeast led 4-0 after one inning in the championship contest but trailed 7-4 after three.

A two-run home run to left by senior left fielder Hunter Leeper in the bottom of the fifth knotted it at 7-7. JSU scored one run in the top of the sixth before the Redhawks took the lead for good in the home half. An RBI double by Garrett Gandolfo put Southeast up 9-8.

Two-time OVC Pitcher of the Year Joey Lucchesi, who pitched a complete-game shutout in the Redhawks' first game of the tournament on Friday night, entered in the seventh and shutdown the Gamecocks over the final three innings for his first save. He allowed one hit and struck out three batters.

Southeast, which outhit JSU 17-9, added some insurance with four runs in the seventh and one in the eighth.

Senior reliever Brady Wright pitched four innings in middle relief, allowing two unearned runs on two hits with no walks and five strikeouts to secure his first win of the season.

The Redhawks will have a watch party for the NCAA regional selection show at 11 a.m. Monday at Wings, Etc. in Cape Girardeau.