Southeast Missouri State's pitching remained stout Saturday afternoon.
But shaky defense and missed opportunities on offense conspired to deny the Redhawks a third straight win.
Ball State pushed across four unearned runs in the top of the 13th inning to notch its first victory of the season, 6-2 at Capaha Field.
Southeast, which won Friday's opener of the three-game series 12-7, fell to 4-2 while the Cardinals are 1-4. The squads will close out the set at 1 p.m. today.
"It's a difficult loss," senior third baseman Nick Harris said. "Our pitchers pitched really well again and we had a lot of opportunities. Sometimes it goes that way."
The Redhawks committed just one error during the season's first four games. They now have made five errors in each of the past two contests.
Southeast survived Friday's shaky defense but could not overcome it Saturday. Five of the Cardinals' six runs were unearned.
Junior shortstop Kenton Parmley, arguably the Ohio Valley Conference's top defensive shortstop, had two errors on ground balls in one inning for the second straight contest.
"A tough game, just another day of bad defense," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "The pitching was surely there and we had a lot of chances.
"Ten errors. ... We're lucky we won a ballgame. We're a lot better than that. There's no excuse for 10 errors in two games on this level."
Despite all those miscues, the Redhawks had a golden opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the 11th inning. They loaded the bases with one out and two of their top hitters from last season were coming to the plate.
But senior right fielder Louie Haseltine popped out to shortstop and senior infielder Tim Rupp flew out to center field, keeping the contest deadlocked at 2-2.
"We had other chances, not just that inning," said Hogan, whose squad stranded 13 runners while the Cardinals left 15 on the bases.
The Cardinals finally broke through in the 13th off senior left-hander Josh Syberg, who was in his first inning of work.
Kirby Campbell doubled with one out and T.J. Baumet was walked intentionally.
It looked like the Redhawks got the inning-ending double-play ball they were looking for when Cody Elliott bounced a routine grounder to shortstop.
But Rupp, who had replaced Parmley in the later innings, had the ball go right through his legs as Campbell scored the go-ahead run.
"That was pretty much a routine double-play ball," Hogan said.
Mitch Widau gave the Cardinals some insurance with a two-run, two-out hit.
The fourth run of the inning scored on Southeast's second error of the frame, Syberg's wild pickoff throw.
On the positive side for Southeast, its four pitchers combined to allow just one earned run although BSU had 14 hits. The Redhawks lowered their ERA to 1.74.
Senior Jon Dicus gave up seven hits and two runs, one earned, over the first five innings. He struck out one and walked two.
Senior left-hander Logan Mahon allowed three hits in 3 2/3 shutout innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Sophomore closer Shae Simmons from Scott City continued his dominance with 3 1/3 scoreless, two-hit innings. He fanned four and walked three. Simmons has not given up a run in 7 1/3 innings this year.
"If our pitchers keep pitching like this, and once the offense gets going, we'll win a lot of games," Harris said.
BSU's hurlers were just as stout. Four Cardinals held the Redhawks to 11 hits.
Southeast's only damage came on a two-run homer by Harris in the sixth inning that tied the contest.
"It's disappointing for us, but it's a big win for them," Hogan said. "I thought they played hard and stayed with it."
BSU first-year coach Alex Marconi described the Cardinals' initial victory as a "relief."
Added Marconi: "I told the guys it's never as bad as it seems or as good as it seems. We have talent, but we're young. We got a great game from all our pitchers."
T.J. Weir, a freshman who was scheduled to start today's series finale, instead notched the win with two innings of one-hit relief to close out things.
Senior left fielder Michael Adamson led Southeast with three hits, giving him seven in the series.
Harris and senior DH Casey Jones added two hits.
Baumet and Widau paced the Cardinals with three hits apiece.
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