INDIANS RIDE PENNINGTON'S ARM TO WIN OVER MOREHEAD

The Southeast Missouri State University baseball Indians captured the rubber game of their opening Ohio Valley Conference series with a 5-1 win over Morehead State at Capaha Field Sunday afternoon.

In more baseball-like weather conditions -- a doubleheader Saturday was played in chilly temperatures with strong winds howling -- Southeast rode a fine pitching performance by Todd Pennington to improve to 11-7 on the season and 2-1 in the OVC.

Winning pitcher Pennington, entering the contest with a 2-0 record and an outstanding 0.83 earned run average, tossed a four-hitter at the Eagles, allowing one run in 7 2/3 innings.

"For Todd, this is three weeks in a row he's just been tremendous for us," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan. "I think we've found our No. 1 (pitcher)."

Morehead State's lone run came in the second inning when Cary Page homered to left-center field to stake the Eagles to a 1-0 lead.

Southeast knotted the score in the fourth inning when second baseman Clemente Bonilla came home on an error by Eagle third baseman Kevin Matuszek.

Bonilla had reached on a double off the left-field wall leading off the inning and had advanced to third on shortstop Zach Borowiak's sharp single up the middle. The next batter, Jeff Bourbon, rifled a groundball to third that the Morehead third baseman mishandled, as Bonilla headed to the plate.

The Indians picked up two more runs in the sixth inning, one coming on Borowiak's first home run of the season, a solo shot over the left-field wall.

Bourbon plated the second run of the inning after being hit by a pitch, stealing second, advancing to third on a groundout and being waved home on a disputed balk call on Morehead starter Casey Campbell.

Eagle coach John Jarnagin argued vehemently that his pitcher was not on the rubber, but to no avail, as the call stood and the Indians took a 3-1 lead.

In the seventh, Southeast's freshman designated hitter Brad Beatty led off the inning with a double. Beatty moved to third on Denver Stuckey's two-out bunt single and both scored on a big triple by Bonilla down the right-field line to give the Indians a little more breathing room and close out the scoring.

"Bonilla's been a real key guy for us and he's been a clutch hitter all the way through," said Hogan.

Bonilla and Borowiak, both hitting well over .400 thus far, led the seven-hit offense with two hits apiece. Borowiak extended his hitting streak to 18 games.

Pennington, after fanning the first two hitters he faced in the eighth inning for a game total of 11 strikeouts, was replaced by reliever Jeff Hilz, who retired the last Morehead batter in the eighth inning and pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve the Indian victory.

On his recent success, Pennington said," It all really comes from just pitching a lot. You don't think about it, you just throw it. That's what I like to do."