DOWN THE PIPES: INDIANS FALL TO SPARTAN HURLER 4-2

Southeast Missouri's Jeremy Johnson grounded out on a Joe Pipes delivery in the third inning of Tuesday's 4-2 loss to Missouri Baptist.

Joe Pipes wasn't the pitcher Southeast Missouri State University's struggling offense would have elected to face.

The Indians entered Tuesday's nine-inning game against NAIA school Missouri Baptist at Capaha Park averaging just 2.8 runs in their last four games and carried in a .244 batting average as a team for the season.

Pipes, the Spartans' ace and a junior from Pacific, Mo., who played last season at Jefferson Junior College, threw a two-hitter and the Spartans beat Southeast 4-2.

The loss was the Indians' fourth in their last five games. Missouri Baptist improved to 3-1, dropping Southeast to 3-7.

The right-handed Pipes, who improved to 2-0, went the distance, striking out five, walking three and allowing two earned runs.

"He's one of the better arms in Missouri and he's a guy that showed it today. There's no doubt about it," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan.

"We're going to be good when we have Joe Pipes on the mound," said Missouri Baptist coach Andy Carter. "He's a Division I pitcher; there's no two ways about that."

Southeast's Justin Buck (0-1) started the game by striking out the first two batters, but from there was knocked around for four runs on eight hits and was relieved with no outs in the fourth inning.

The Spartans scored two runs in the first inning and added two in the third to take a 4-0 lead into the fourth inning.

Former Cape Central standout Talley Haines entered the game in the fourth inning and threw six brilliant innings. Haines shut out the Spartans in the final six frames, allowing three hits and striking out five.

"Talley's outstanding," said Hogan. "It was either him or Buck to start. If I start Talley we maybe have a one-hitter going and a two-hitter going in the ninth inning."

While Haines kept Southeast in the game, the Indians' offense couldn't produce. Southeast cut the lead to 4-1 with a run in the fourth inning as Steve Goodman led off the inning with a double and later scored on a LaMonte Collier groundout.

The seventh inning looked promising for the Indians. The first batter, Jeff Bebej, was hit by a pitch and then scored on pair of throwing errors. Pipes attempted to pick off Bebej at first, but threw wildly down the right-field line. First baseman Chris Hon retrieved the ball and proceeded to throw it into the Southeast dugout in an attempt to cut down Bebej at third.

The next batter, Jim Gerwitz, was also hit by a pitch, and Jeremy Johnson followed by drawing a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. But Gerwitz was picked off at second base and the crushing mistake was followed by a double-play grounder off the bat of pinch hitter Scott Sullivan that ended the inning.

Southeast will play Arkansas State tonight at 7 in Jonesboro. The Indians are 0-4 on the road this season.