INDIANS ENCOUNTER A CLASSIC LOSS TO MTSU IN RAIN SUSPENDED GAME

The baseball game that wouldn't end has to be regarded as a classic in anybody's book.

Southeast Missouri State University and Middle Tennessee battled through a pair of weather-related delays -- the second of which made the game stretch over into a second day -- before MTSU squeezed out a 3-2, 10-inning victory in the winner's bracket semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament at Capaha Field.

The contest between the second-seeded, host Indians and third-seeded Raiders began at 8:30 p.m. Thursday. In the bottom of the second inning, a tornado warning caused a delay of 90 minutes.

Play finally resumed at 10:20 p.m. and continued until just after midnight, when heavy rain halted the action with the game tied 2-2 after eight innings. A short time later, the decision was made to suspend the contest until Friday morning.

At just before 11 a.m. Friday, the squads squared off again and MTSU made an unearned run in the top of the 10th inning hold up for the win that sent the Indians into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination event.

"Just an unbelievable game," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan.

But it was unbelievable more for the type of show the teams put on rather than the weather problems. Save for one error by each side, it was about as well-played and dramatic a game as any baseball fan has a right to expect.

"It was a classic game," said MTSU coach Steve Peterson, whose school is leaving the OVC for the Sun Belt Conference after this season. "I think they'll be talking about this game in the OVC for a long time to come."

During the first day of the game, the pitchers took front and center stage as Southeast's Lanson Debrock and MTSU's Jeff Parsons hooked up in a fantastic duel of right-handers.

Debrock allowed four hits and two runs in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out seven, walked one and about the only lapse he had was in the eighth, when consecutive wild pitches allowed the Raiders to score the tying run.

Parsons, who consistently blew fastballs by Southeast's batters, gave up four hits and two runs in eight innings. He fanned 12 and walked three. Two of the hits Parsons allowed were solo home runs, by Phil Warren and Jeremy Johnson.

"It was a classic pitcher's battle," Peterson said. "Both guys threw great Thursday."

Said Hogan, "The pitchers Thursday were phenomenal. Debrock was tremendous and so was Parsons."

On the squads went to Friday morning, where the pitchers were Jeffrey Hilz for Southeast and Brad Howard for MTSU. Hilz, third nationally in earned-run average, had retired the final two batters in the eighth Thursday night, forcing the Raiders to strand the bases loaded as he struck out Justin Links despite falling behind three balls and one strike.

Both teams went down relatively quietly in the ninth inning, which fittingly set the stage for a wild and thrilling 10th.

In the top half, MTSU scored the eventual game-winning run. With one out, Kris Lammers singled, and Bryan Peck singled with two outs. Links then hit a slow roller toward third base. Southeast third baseman Denver Stuckey made a nice play to barehand the ball, but his off-balance throw -- which would have been in plenty of time -- was wide for an error. The ball wound up rolling several feet away from first baseman Darin Kinsolving as Lammers raced home with an unearned run.

But Southeast was far from done. In the bottom of the 10th, Clemente Bonilla led off with a single and pinch-hitter Shane Allen flied out deep to left as Hogan elected not to try and sacrifice Bonilla to second.

Kevin Meyer then drilled a shot to left-center. The ball skipped off the wall away from left-fielder Links and it appeared as if Bonilla would be able to score with relative ease on what turned out to be a double.

The Raiders, however, pulled off a defensive gem. Center fielder Peck got to the ball quickly and threw a bullet to shortstop Wes Whitehead, who in turn fired a perfect strike to catcher Josh Pride. Pride, with the plate blocked, tagged Bonilla just before he could reach home.

"I could kick myself for sending Bonilla," Hogan said. "I knew it would take two great throws. But it goes along with the greatness of the game."

Peterson had no doubt what he would have done in the same situation.

"Anybody would have sent him," he said. "The play got in the right hands for us on both throws. It was a perfect play. When the ball hit the wall, I thought he (Bonilla) would score easily."

Southeast was still alive as Charlie Marino walked to put runners on first and second with two outs for OVC Player of the Year Jeremy Johnson. But Johnson bounced out to second, ending one of the best -- and most unusual -- OVC Tournament games in recent memory.

"It was just a great game, an exciting game to be a part of, even though it was disappointing for us," said Hogan. "The amount of big plays was just unbelievable."