Redhawks baseball swept by Bears

Southeast Missouri State dropped the second of a two-game, home-and-home midweek series with Missouri State 7-3 on Wednesday at Capaha Field.

Junior infielder Lincoln Andrews got the Redhawks going in the first with a single to right field, bringing in Chance Resetich for his 16th RBI of the season. Head coach Andy Sawyers said Andrews has been steady this season and is pleased with how he plays.

“He's been very steady, before he's been kind of a peaks and valleys guy where he’d have a bunch of home runs in a week and then have a week where he doesn't put the ball in play,” Sawyers said. “I'm pleased with how he's playing, he's an older guy, he's given us kind of a veteran presence in the middle of the order and I think he's doing a fine job.”

Freshman pitcher Eddie White got the start on the mound where he made it through three scoreless innings, maintaining SEMO’s 1-0 lead.

Two home runs for the Bears in the fourth brought the score to 3-1 before reliever Payton Lawrence came in to finish the inning. The Redhawks used a total of six pitchers as Missouri State kept on hitting on their way to the victory.

Sawyers said the team played better today but allowing a four-run fifth inning was the deciding factor.

“Kevin Johnson goes up and gets two quick outs and then they go single, single, walk, double, double, five guys in a row were able to get on base and I thought that was the turning point in the game,” Sawyers said.

The Redhawks plated eight hits but only scored three runs and stranded nine men on base, something Sawyers said is the secret to winning games.

“If I knew the answer to that, we’d be scoring more runs,” Sawyers said jokingly.

“We're not hitting with runners on base and that’s the secret sauce, I don't know if anybody knows how to coach that piece,” Sawyers said.

The Redhawks (7-12) remain home for a three-game weekend series with Western Illinois, beginning on Friday at 3 p.m. at Capaha Field.