Mahon wins Redhawks' baseball home opener

~ Southeast posted a shutout in its first home game of the year

Southeast Missouri State baseball coach Mark Hogan has shown enough confidence in newcomer Logan Mahon to start him on the mound in two of the Redhawks' first four games.

He won't be coming out of the rotation any time soon if he has more outings like he had Friday in Southeast's home opener.

Mahon earned his first Southeast win after allowing two hits over five innings as the Redhawks shut out IPFW 5-0 to open a three-game series.

"I thought he threw great under the conditions, with the temperatures the way they were," Hogan said of the chilly conditions. "It's still early for him. He's still kind of feeling his way out there.

Southeast center fielder Michael Adamson makes contact during Friday's game against IPFW. The Redhawks posted the 5-0 victory.

"His command will get better, but I thought he gave us an effort that was representative of what we've seen in the fall [during intrasquad play]."

Mahon, a left-hander who transferred to Southeast from Kaskaskia (Ill.) Community College, struck out five and walked three.

Mahon, who displayed an impressive curveball, was not happy with the amount of free passes he issued.

But it was an improvement from his first Southeast start, at Auburn last weekend.

Mahon walked six in four innings against the Tigers, although he allowed just one run and did not earn a decision.

Southeast baserunner Trenton Moses jumps to avoid being tagged out by IPFW's Jordan Kohler during Friday's game at Capaha Field.

"It's still too many walks, but I felt a lot more comfortable," Mahon said. "I threw better than down at Auburn, but still not where I'd like to be."

Mahon said it was a treat to start Southeast's first 2010 contest at Capaha Field, where more than 300 fans braved the elements.

"I liked getting the home crowd instead of being heckled," he said with a smile.

Mahon is among 19 newcomers on Southeast's retooled 35-man roster, with 13 of those first-year players junior college transfers.

Many of the Division I rookies, Mahon included, are expected to bolster a pitching staff that struggled in 2009.

Southeast outfielder Louie Haseltine makes a catch at the wall during Friday's game.

Although Hogan and his assistants still are in the early stages of sorting out their staff, Mahon hopes to remain near the top of the rotation.

"We've got a lot of competition on the staff, which is good," said Mahon, who lowered his ERA to 1.00. "That's a goal of mine, to always be a top guy to go to."

The two pitchers who followed Mahon to the mound, both right-handers, also were impressive as they finished off the two-hitter for Southeast's first shutout since 2008.

Juco transfer Jacob Wente allowed just a hit batter in his two innings. He struck out three and hasn't allowed a run in three innings.

Junior Brad LaBruyere, a Central High School product, fired off two perfect innings. He struck out two.

"I thought Jacob really threw well, and Brad was the same way," Hogan said. "A combined shutout is hard to do in college baseball, with the metal bats and the quality of the hitters."

Southeast (2-2) didn't exactly batter IPFW (0-4) hurlers, but Redhawks hitters did more than enough to back up the strong pitching.

The Redhawks had seven hits by seven different players, although they had only two hits after the third inning and scored all their runs in the first four frames.

Juco transfer second baseman Taylor Heon, off to a strong start, had a hit and drove in two runs.

"We have great team chemistry. We get along all the time," Heon said.

Sophomore first baseman Kody Campbell from Oran doubled and scored twice.

Campbell also made a dazzling defensive play, diving to his left to field a hard-hit ground ball and stepping on the bag for the out. Southeast did not commit an error.

"It was a good victory," Heon said.