Pitchers spark Southeast Missouri State baseball team to pair of wins over UAPB

After coming up empty in its season-opening series, the Southeast Missouri State baseball team returned to form by winning a pair of games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Friday and Saturday in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Redhawks senior Joey Lucchesi struck out 11 for a 10-0 win on Friday before starting pitcher Clay Chandler earned his first victory in a Southeast uniform in a 9-2 decision on Saturday.

Chandler went seven innings and allowed one unearned run on five hits. He struck out three and walked one.

"Clay was solid once again giving us six good innings," Redhawks coach Steve Bieser said in a press release. "He started to labor a little in the sixth so we went to the bullpen in the seventh and they did just what I asked them to do. Come in, throw strikes and let the defense play."

Southeast (3-3) broke the game open with five runs in the third inning. Brandon Boggetto had a two-run single before Trevor Ezell reached home on a bad throw back to to the pitcher. A pair of walks set up Daniel Costello, who drove a base hit to left to extend the Redhawks' lead to 5-0.

Southeast Missouri State starting pitcher Clay Chandler throws a pitch during Saturday's game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.Wayne McPherson ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian

"I felt the key to today's game was the two tough at bats that Kylar [Robertson] and Daniel took in the fifth inning with two outs," Bieser said. "Both guys fell down in the count 0-2, Robertson worked a walk and Costello punched a ball into left to plate two more runs. It looked we were going to settle for three runs in that inning but we were able to put up a five-spot instead."

Southeast scored and gave up a run in the fifth and seventh innings before Costello and Ezell each plated a run in the ninth inning to cushion the lead.

Costello led the charge on offense, finishing 2-for-3 with four RBIs, while Brian Lees and Ezell each added a pair of hits.

Matthew Wade and Jake Busiek split three innings of relief for the Redhawks. Busiek scattered two hits, allowed one earned run and had two strikeouts and one walk, while Wade pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing no hits and striking out two.

Humberto Medina took the loss for UAPB (0-6). He pitched seven innings, allowed seven runs and struck out eight.

Lucchesi's performance on the mound highlighted Friday's win over the Golden Lions. He was perfect through seven innings before being replaced by Jared Siddle and Alex Waldhoff, who each threw one inning to finish off the shutout.

"Joey was very sharp with his fastball location the first time through the lineup and then started mixing really well and settled in to go seven solid innings," Bieser said. "I would have really liked to see him go after a perfect game but it is just too early in the season to push his innings and pitch count."

The Redhawks' offense was paced by designated hitter Robertson, who was 4-for-5 with two runs, two RBIs, and two doubles, capping off a week that started with five RBIs against Alcorn State.

Southeast jumped out to 2-0 lead in the second inning after leadoff hitter Dan Holst was hit by a pitch, stole second and then scored on a Robertson double down the left-field line. Robertson then scored on a two-out error.

The Golden Lions continued to come up empty against Lucchesi, and the Redhawks added to their advantage in the top of the seventh inning when Scott Mitchell opened with a double to left field. Ezell bunted him over, Boggetto walked and Garrett Gandolfo plated both runners with a two-bagger, extending Southeast's lead to 4-0.

The gates were broken down in the following inning, during which the Redhawks sent 12 batters to the plate and scored six runs.

"Offensively, we got off to a slow start and missed some key opportunities early," Bieser said, "but then we came up with some big hits in the eighth to put us up by 10."

Gandolfo picked up a one-out, RBI single to open the scoring and Ryan Rippee came up with a bases-loaded, two-out triple to right-center to push the score to 8-0.

A Holst RBI base hit and a Robertson ribbie -- in his second at-bat of the inning -- sealed the 10-0 victory.

Anthony Bowmaker took the loss for UAPB.

Southeast concludes the series with the Golden Lions at 1 p.m. today before taking on regional rival Southern Illinois at 3 p.m. Tuesday.