INDIANS' OVC HOPES ALMOST SWEPT AWAY

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team entered its weekend series against Morehead State needing one victory in order to qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

Following Saturday's doubleheader, the Indians are still searching for that elusive triumph.

Morehead's 5-2 and 9-7 sweep to start the final regular-season OVC series for both teams gives the Eagles plenty of momentum and backs the Indians into a corner heading into today's noon single game that will conclude the regular season.

The top six finishers in the nine-team league qualify for the OVC tourney that begins Thursday.

Southeast (10-13 OVC, 20-31 overall) needs to beat MSU (10-13, 25-29) today in order to qualify for the tournament. A loss means the Indians will be through for the season.

Entering play today, Southeast, Morehead and Eastern Kentucky are all tied for fifth through seventh place with 10-13 league records. But if the Indians lose today, they will be left out of the picture even if Eastern Kentucky loses because the Colonels won two of the three games against Southeast this year.

A lack of major offensive production hurt the Indians Saturday. Even though Morehead's Allen Field is known as a hitter's park -- the right-field fence is extremely shallow -- Southeast managed just 15 hits in the two games and had only four runs until scoring five in the seventh inning of the nightcap.

Brad Hoehner hit his third home run of the season and doubled in the opener to pace Southeast's six-hit attack.

Kyle Yount had three of Southeast's nine hits in the second game while Darin Kinsolving had two hits and drove in three runs and Jeremy Johnson belted his team-leading sixth homer of the year.

Morehead lefthander Troy Young -- who eliminated Southeast with a shutout performance during last year's OVC tourney -- was again too much for the Indians in Saturday's first game.

Young (8-6) gave up single runs in each of the first two innings, then blanked the Indians over the final five frames. He hurled a six-hitter.

Southeast starter and loser Talley Haines (1-4) also pitched well before faltering late. He allowed eight hits and five runs (four earned) in 5 1/3 innings.

Haines carried a 2-1 lead into the fifth, but the Eagles scored twice to take the lead for good. They added two in the sixth as Dan Huesgen replaced Haines on the mound.

The Eagles built a 9-2 lead after six innings of the nightcap, then had to hold on as the Indians scored five unearned runs in the seventh thanks to a pair of errors.

Dave Siboda (4-6) took the loss. He allowed eight hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings. Dave Michel pitched 1 1/3 hitless frames but Troy Pehle was touched for four runs in the sixth.

Morehead pounded out 23 hits in the two games, including three homers in the nightcap.