Leigh pitches Southeast past No. 16 Alabama

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team picked up its first win Saturday, and it was a big one.

The Redhawks defeated Alabama, ranked No. 16 in the country, behind a masterful pitching performance from senior left-hander James Leigh.

Southeast plated two runs in the first inning and never trailed, picking up the 8-3 victory in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Senior Todd Strahlendorf earned the start for the Redhawks, but he only lasted 1 2/3 innings because of an injury. That's when Southeast coach Mark Hogan turned to Leigh.

Hogan didn't use another pitcher. Leigh went the distance from there, striking out seven over the final 7 1/3 innings. He allowed one run on six hits and walked one.

Leigh started last season on fire, posting a 4-1 record with a 0.72 ERA over the first month of last season. But he cooled off down after that, finising 5-2 with a 6.11 ERA. He's been drafted twice, once by the Chicago White Sox in the 39th round in 2004 then in the 27th round in 2005 by the Minnesota Twins.

Alabama threatened in the eighth, when it put runners on second and third with one out. But Leigh responded by striking out cleanup hitter Brandon May then getting Clay Jones to fly out to right field.

Leigh struck out pinch-hitter Ryan Rhoden to end the game.

The Redhawks (1-1) got off to a hot start when Nick Harris singled to lead off. Tyrell Cummings singled with one out to give Southeast runners at the corners. Matt Wagner gave his team the lead when he reached on an error by second baseman Ross Wilson. Advance High School graduate Trenton Moses added to the lead with a single through the right side.

Alabama tied it in the second on a sacrifice fly that Cummings dropped and a balk by Leigh.

The Redhawks responded with a two-out rally. After a pair of walks and a single, Jim Klocke smacked a single to center to score two.

Southeast added to the lead in the sixth with three runs on four hits. Wagner drove in a run with a single, Moses drove in another run with a single and Justin Wheeler picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice.

The Crimson Tide picked up their lone run against Leigh in the seventh on Jones' solo homer to lead off the inning.

The Redhawks added an insurance run in the ninth when Cummings singled to center to score Tony Spencer, who reached on an error to lead off the inning.

Cummings, Moses and Spencer picked up three hits in the game. Cummings finished 3-of-5 with two runs scored, while Moses went 3-of-5 with two RBIs. Spencer went 3-of-5 with two runs scored. Klocke went 2-of-6 with two RBIs and a run scored.

The Redhawks will try to win the series today when they face the Crimson Tide in the rubber match, with first patch scheduled for 2:05 p.m.