Extra effort: Southeast tops Missouri in 10 innings

Southeast Missouri State's Redhawks have been in desperate need of a signature win that might jump-start their season.

They may have gotten it Wednesday night.

Ernie Bracamonte's walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted Southeast past 19th-ranked Missouri 8-5 and delighted the second-largest crowd in Southeast baseball history.

An announced gathering of 2,732 saw the Redhawks improve to 11-16 as they posted their second 10-inning triumph in as many days, following Tuesday's 3-2 victory at St. Louis University. The Tigers fell to 23-6.

"This feels great. This is what we've been looking for," said center fielder Frankie Montiel, who went 4-for-5. "Now I think we're ready to take off."

Added Bracamonte, who went 4-for-6 with two homers and five runs batted in: "This was a real team win and what we've been needing. We had chances earlier in the year against nationally ranked teams, but tonight we got it done."

Second baseman Bo Jenkins led off the bottom of the 10th with a single. Catcher Brady Noll then sacrificed Jenkins to second, and Noll reached safely when pitcher Taylor Parker booted the bunt for an error.

One out later, with the runners still on first and second, Travis Wendte came on to face Bracamonte. On a 1-1 count, Bracamonte belted a no-doubt blast well beyond the left-field fence as the Redhawks exploded out of the dugout.

"It was a 1-1 slider and he hung it a bit," Bracamonte said. "I knew it was gone as soon as I hit it. It felt great."

Even though Missouri had won the past four meetings against Southeast, the squads have played some classics, including last year's 13-inning decision in Columbia. Three of the last four games have been decided by one run.

"It seems like these games are always bizarre," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad last beat Missouri in 2002, when it swept two games from the Tigers. "It's turned into a pretty neat rivalry."

Southeast led 3-0 after two innings, fell behind 4-3, then went back ahead 5-4 on another long Bracamonte homer to left, a two-run shot in the fourth.

Missouri tied it in the seventh and that's the way things stood until Bracamonte's final homer of the night, and his third of the season -- but both squads had plenty of chances to go ahead before then.

Montiel threw out a Tigers baserunner at home plate in the eighth after a single.

In the Missouri 10th, the Tigers had runners on first and third with one out when freshman Joey Evans came out of the bullpen. He got a strikeout and ground out to escape the jam.

Evans, who pitched a shutout during an Ohio Valley Conference game Saturday, then got Tuesday's win in relief, also became the winner Wednesday as he improved to 4-3 with three pressure victories in five days.

"I love being in clutch situations," Evans said. "What a great win for us."

Southeast had 16 hits against a pitching staff that had been limiting teams to just a .207 batting average. Noll and freshman Jim Clayton both added two hits.

Five Southeast hurlers limited Missouri -- which had a .310 batting average -- to 10 hits.

Freshman Casey Johnson started and allowed four runs on three hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked four.

Jamie McAlister pitched 3 1/3 innings of three-hit, one-run ball. Derek Herbig, Southeast's No. 1 starter, gave Southeast two scoreless innings, allowing two hits. Brent Lawson allowed two hits in the 10th before giving way to Evans.

Trevor Helms led Missouri with four hits.