COLONELS CLOBBER SE 24-2

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Southeast Missouri State University allowed the opposition to score 24 here Friday.

If the sport had been football, the Indians might have still been able to squeeze out a victory.

Too bad for the Indians, however, that they were playing baseball. Giving up 24 won't get you very far in that sport.

In a result that is almost hard to believe, host Eastern Kentucky bombed Southeast 24-2 in the opener of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series.

The teams will play a doubleheader beginning at noon today.

EKU (9-13 overall, 2-2 OVC) banged out 19 hits and took advantage of nine Southeast errors.

Southeast (7-15, 2-5) had only four hits.

David Michel (2-5) lasted just one inning as he suffered the loss. Michel allowed six hits and seven runs (five earned).

Talley Haines didn't fare much better, giving up seven hits and nine runs (five earned) in four innings.

After that, the Indians used two players who normally don't even pitch. Darin Kinsolving gave up five hits and six runs (four earned) in two innings while Kyle Yount allowed one hit and two unearned runs in one inning.

EKU's Ryan Saylor (2-1) gave up just three hits and struck out 11 in seven innings.

Jeff Wellman led the EKU offense with four hits while Jason Estep and Joe Smith both had three hits. Smith and Saylor both homered, with Smith driving in five runs.