Redhawks bang eight HRs in win vs. Eagles

~ Southeast claimed the three-game series at Morehead State with a 15-7 victory

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team played home run derby to cap its first Ohio Valley Conference series of the season.

Southeast pounded eight homers -- it's uncertain if that is a school record -- during Sunday's 15-7 win over host Morehead (Ky.) State.

The Redhawks improved to 15-9 overall and 2-1 in the OVC. MSU is 13-14 and 1-2.

The squads engaged in a wild doubleheader Saturday. Southeast won the opener 23-10, then nearly rallied from a nine-run deficit before falling 12-11 in the nightcap. The contest ended when Southeast had the tying run thrown out at the plate.

That snapped the Redhawks' eight-game winning streak, but they bounced back Sunday as their offense continued to roll in MSU's quirky park that features extremely short distances to center and right-center.

"It was a great win for us after a tough loss last night," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "They showed a lot of heart and put on a great show. I really appreciate the type of kids I've got this year. It's a good OVC start for us."

Southeast banged out 19 hits to finish the three-game set with 57 hits as it boosted its OVC-leading batting average to .351. Among the hits were 13 homers and 12 doubles.

MSU entered the weekend leading the OVC in runs and home runs, but Southeast outscored the Eagles 49-29 and outhomered them 13-7.

"We had a sensational weekend offensively and defensively," said Hogan, whose squad committed one error in the three games.

Senior Jim Klocke homered twice Sunday as he had three hits and five RBIs. Klocke finished the series with seven hits and 10 RBIs.

Sophomore shortstop Kent Parmley also homered twice Sunday, giving him three home runs in the series. He had four hits Sunday to finish the series with nine. Parmley also scored 10 runs and drove in five over the weekend.

Juco transfer Brett Russell, after getting his first Southeast home run Saturday, was Southeast's third player to homer twice Sunday as he had three hits and five RBIs. He ended the series with six hits and eight RBIs.

Also homering Sunday were juco transfers Casey Jones and Michael Adamson. Each had two hits. Jones had six hits and six RBIs in the series, while Adamson recorded eight hits and four RBIs.

Sophomore Kody Campbell, an Oran High School graduate, contributed three hits Sunday to finish the weekend with seven.

Another local product, junior Blake Slattery from Central High School, also had seven hits in the series after adding one Sunday.

"We got production up and down the lineup," Hogan said.

Juco transfer left-hander Jordan Underwood survived a rocky beginning to give Southeast a strong start.

Underwood was touched for four first-inning runs, after Southeast had put up three runs in the top of the frame.

But Underwood shut out the Eagles over the next six innings on just three hits before allowing three eighth-inning runs to mark the end of his day.

In seven-plus innings, Underwood (2-3) gave up seven runs and nine hits. He struck out five and walked three.

"He had a rough start, then all of a sudden he found it and threw brilliant for us," Hogan said. "For any pitcher to throw six shutout innings here is a big deal, especially against a very good hitting team like Morehead.

"We got two really good starts this weekend, with Jordan and Kyle [Gumieny in Saturday[']s opener]."

After the Eagles sliced their deficit to 13-7 with the three-run eighth, Adamson finished with two scoreless innings.

Southeast started fast as Parmley homered on the game's first pitch. Jones' two-run shot made it 3-0.

After the Eagles scored four in the bottom of the first, both teams went scoreless until Southeast took the lead for good with a five-run fourth.

Russell's three-run homer put Southeast ahead 6-4 and Klocke's two-run blast made it 8-4.

It was 9-4 when Southeast came up with a four-run seventh that featured three consecutive homers, a two-run shot by Russell and solo shots by Parmley and Adamson.

Klocke's two-run homer in the ninth ended the scoring.

The Redhawks return to action Friday when they start a three-game home series against Eastern Kentucky with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.

Eastern Kentucky began its OVC schedule with a three-game sweep of defending regular-season champion and preseason favorite Eastern Illinois.