INDIANS SPLIT WITH CREIGHTON IN DEBUT

Amid these circumstances, a pair of 3-2 games doesn't seem so atypical.

Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team, playing with the new NCAA-mandated, powered-down bats and under occasional snow flurries, split its season-opening doubleheader against Creighton Saturday before 515 at Capaha Field.

The Indians, the defending Ohio Valley Conference champions, took the first game by virtue of Jeremy Johnson and Darin Kinsolving's hitting and Ryan Spille's pitching.

Then in the nightcap, Creighton, which entered the doubleheader on the heels of a 31-16 victory over the Air Force Academy, quieted Southeast's bats until the final inning and held on to win.

Creighton, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, carried into the games an average of almost 19 runs a contest. The Blue Jays improved to 5-1.

"What you saw today were two outstanding Division I teams," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "Their club executed really well, as did ours.

"We probably didn't hit as well as the players wanted to at this point in time, but that's pretty common this early in the season. But we've got some proven hitters, and that (hitting) is the least of my worries right now."

Southeast center fielder Jeremy Johnson, who went 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles in the opener, agreed with Hogan that sizable offensive outputs are sometimes hard to come by early in the season.

"That and it's 30 degrees," Johnson said with a chuckle. "That doesn't help. And the bats do make a little bit of a difference. But I think we're getting used to swinging them, and we'll be all right."

While the offense has yet to fully awaken from seven months' hibernation, other aspects of Southeast's game appeared near top form. Although one error proved costly, the Indians had little trouble turning several difficult defensive plays.

And starters Spille and Dan Huesgen, along with relievers Chad Bogenpohl and Jerry Wolsey, all pitched well.

"I thought the bright spot definitely was our defensive play," Hogan said. "We had some sparkling plays on defense, which is a credit to the athletic ability of the players we've got.

"We also got two really outstanding pitching performances from Spille and Huesgen. And it was great to see Bogenpohl get the save and then Wolsey did a very good job of finishing up game two."

After Creighton jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning of the opener, Southeast struck in the third.

With two out Johnson doubled to left. After Kyle Yount singled, pushing Johnson to third, Johnson scored on C.J. Keating's wild pitch as Yount moved to second. Jeff Bourbon then reached on a Keating error, which allowed Yount to score.

The Indians got the game-winning run in the fifth. Johnson led off the inning with a single and eventually scored on a single from Kinsolving (East Prairie High).

Creighton threatened in the seventh with a man on third and two out. But Vince Pietro's soft grounder was snagged on the move by third baseman Kinsolving, who made an excellent toss to first to end the game.

Spille, a senior right-hander and the OVC's pitcher of the year in 1998, permitted five hits and struck out five in six innings. Bogenpohl (Oak Ridge) pitched the seventh.

In the second game, Creighton carried a 1-0 edge into the seventh inning. The Blue Jays then tacked on two runs as Ovid Valentin and Kenny Sarna each picked up RBIs.

Trailing 3-0 in their half of the last inning, the Indians' bats finally sparked a bit.

Bourbon led off with a single and Phil Warren followed by drawing a walk. After Bourbon and pinch runner Kenny Gaebler (Delta) moved up on a wild pitch, pinch hitter Robert Kern (Cape Central) plated Bourbon with a single.

Gaebler then scored on Charlie Marino's sacrifice, but with two outs Steve Lowe flew out to center.

Southeast and Creighton will complete the three-game set today at 1 at Capaha Field.