INDIANS BREAK OUT BIG BATS TO ROMP PAST ORAL ROBERTS 14-4

TULSA, Okla. -- Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team rebounded from Saturday's loss in the first game of a doubleheader to win a weekend series against Oral Robert with a bang.

The Indians -- after salvaging a split Saturday with a 7-2 win in the nightcap -- bombed the Golden Eagles 14-4 Sunday.

So the Indians returned home to Cape Girardeau early this morning with a streak that has seen them win nine of their past 12 games.

"We're playing good baseball and I'm proud of the guys," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad was hampered by bus problems Friday that resulted in the Indians arriving to Tulsa in the early hours of Saturday morning. "We had a rough trip and a tough first game (losing 12-4 Saturday), but we bounced back against a good ballclub."

Southeast improved to 17-21 while ORU fell to 22-22.

The Indians banged out 19 hits Sunday -- including another home run from freshman Darin Kinsolving -- and got a complete-game performance from David Michel, who continued his recent strong pitching.

"We really put on an offensive show," Hogan said.

Kinsolving, a former all-stater at East Prairie High, belted his fourth homer of the season -- all coming in the past week. He had two hits and three RBIs.

Brad Hoehner, a former Anna-Jonesboro (Ill.) High standout who has been performing extremely well since moving into the lineup at catcher several weeks ago, also homered and had three hits.

LaMonte Collier -- batting .424 entering the game -- increased that lofty average with three hits.

Steve Goodman, Jeremy Johnson, Lance Craft, Kyle Yount and Scott Sullivan all added two hits. Johnson and Sullivan both had two RBIs.

Michel (4-5) allowed just five hits and one earned run in nine innings. He struck out five and walked one.

ORU was held hitless through five innings before Michel was touched for two homers in the sixth. But he blanked the Golden Eagles the rest of the way.

"David was really in command," said Hogan.

The Indians took control of the game by scoring two runs in each of the first three innings. Southeast failed to score in only one inning -- that being the ninth.

"It was really a good overall performance for us," Hogan said.

The Indians will return to action Tuesday when Missouri Baptist comes to Capaha Park for a 7 p.m. game.

INDIAN NOTES: Southeast is tied for second place in the Ohio Valley Conference with Middle Tennessee State, both clubs having 9-6 league records. Tennessee Tech leads the OVC at 13-5. The top six teams qualify for the OVC Tournament, with the regular-season champion hosting the event...

The Indians resume OVC play this weekend as they travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to take on Middle Tennessee. The clubs will have a doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday.