Redhawks avenge loss, rout Salukis 13-1

~ Southeast banged out 18 hits against the regional rival

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team had struggled against Southern Illinois University in recent years, losing four straight games and five of six to the Salukis.

Southeast reversed that trend in a big way Tuesday, rolling to a 13-1 nonconference victory in Carbondale, Ill.

That came just two weeks after SIU posted a wild 16-11 decision in Cape Girardeau in the opener of the annual home-and-home series between the regional rivals.

The Redhawks, who are tied for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference, improved to 22-14. SIU fell to 16-21 with its fifth straight defeat.

SIU, which banged out 19 hits in the first game against Southeast this year, was limited to six hits in the rematch.

Nick Thomas shut down the Salukis as the junior did not allow a run in a season-high six innings.

Thomas, who has been a solid midweek starter for the Redhawks, improved to 5-0. He gave up four hits, struck out a season-high six and walked none.

Junior third baseman Casey Jones led Southeast's 18-hit attack with his second straight monster performance against the Salukis.

Jones went 4 for 6 with six RBIs. In the earlier meeting with SIU, he went 4 for 4 with two home runs and five RBIs. He raised his batting average to .444, which ranks among the national leaders.

Sophomore shortstop Kenton Parmley went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Senior catcher Jim Klocke had two hits and four RBIs, three coming on a home run. He has hit safely in 24 straight games, the nation's fourth-longest active hitting streak.

Klocke, who ranks high on many of the program's career lists, moved into second place in RBIs with 170.

Adding two hits apiece for Southeast were junior right fielder Louie Haseltine, junior second baseman Tim Rupp and junior left fielder Michael Adamson. Adamson scored four times.

Southeast used three pitchers in addition to Thomas.

Senior Kyle Gumieny, Southeast's No. 1 starter for OVC play who was knocked out early Saturday at Tennessee-Martin, hurled a perfect seventh inning.

Junior Jacob Wente gave up SIU's lone run in the eighth inning.

Freshman Shae Simmons from Scott City continued to dominate as he worked a scoreless ninth inning, giving up one hit and striking out one.

The Redhawks jumped in front on Jones' first-inning RBI single. Haseltine's third-inning RBI single made it 2-0.

Southeast began to pull away with a three-run fourth inning, highlighted by Jones' two-run single.

Another two-run single by Jones keyed a three-run sixth inning that made it 8-0.

Klocke's three-run homer was part of a four-run seventh inning and Jones' ninth-inning RBI single finished the rout.

Southeast has another nonconference game today, hosting NAIA Harris-Stowe from St. Louis at 6 p.m.