Redhawks back to above .500 after sweeping SIU

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team (21-20) returned to above .500 on the season after a 8-5 win over Southern Illinois on Tuesday, April 23, at Capaha Field.

The Redhawks have now played SIU twice, Murray State twice and Missouri once on the road, and have won all five games. For them, playing their rivals means something different, as shortstop Ben Palmer alluded to when he said, “there’s a different kind of energy when you get to the ball field.”

To win against their rivals means a lot more.

“It means a lot,” said third baseman Caleb Corbin. “Those are teams that when you come here you hear a lot, like here’s the teams that we want to beat every year, and just getting the job done this year, it’s cool. It’s important and it’s something to build on.”

The Redhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, beginning with Palmer hitting his 12th home run of the season, which moves him up to third in the Ohio Valley Conference. Before the start if this season, his career high for home runs was five in 2021. This year he is batting a career high .285 with 12 homers and 32 RBI.

“Something that I really worked on over the winter is making sure I take the same swing every time,” Palmer said. “I think I’ve always had that kind of juice with the bat.”

After the Salukis stuck back in the third inning and tied the game at 2-2, the Redhawks took back the lead in the bottom half with a solo home run by Brooks Kettering, his third of the season.

After SIU responded with a run in the fifth inning to tie the game once again, the Redhawks poured on four runs in the seventh inning. Ian Riley started the rally with a solo home run, his second of the season. The Redhawks then small-balled their way to three more runs in the inning.

“It was a great swing on a guy that honestly, we hadn’t hit all day,” Corbin said on Riley’s home run. “He got us going. I was trying to build on that and I was glad I was able to get two-strike hit and just keep the line moving.”

SIU threatened again with two runs in the eighth inning on singles to cut the SEMO lead to 8-5. The Redhawks were able to nullify one of them in the bottom half of the eighth when Josh Cameron drove a run in on a sacrifice bunt to make it a 9-5 game.

“Whenever we play for each other we can be dangerous,” Kettering said.

Kyle Miller closed out the game with a four-out save, his third of the season. Miller, who along with a handful of his fellow relievers, battled through injuries and adversity all season to get back to a point where they successfully hold leads for the Redhawks.

“It’s been interesting,” Miller said. “I have to step up in some situations and other guys have stepped up. We don’t get to the end of the game, I don’t get a save unless we’re winning at the end of the game.”

For Miller, a senior, this save was most rewarding for him as he goes out with three straight wins over SIU.

“It’s been really exciting,” Miller said. “And it’s big for Andy Sawyers. Three in a row against them is huge.”

Corbin and Kettering each collected two hits to go with Palmer’s 3-for-5 night. Bryce Cannon and Ty Stauss each went 1-for-3 but combined to drive in three runs for the Redhawks.

The Redhawks remain home this weekend to take on the only team in OVC with more home runs than them. After their three-game series against Morehead State (Friday-Sunday), the Redhawks will conclude the homestand against Evansville on Tuesday, April 30.

“Anybody can beat anybody on any given day,” Palmer said. “I think we got a really talented group of guys. We can play with anybody.”