Redhawks close wild series with 11-10 loss

It's hard to imagine a wilder baseball game than what transpired Sunday in Richmond, Ky.

Southeast Missouri State coach Mark Hogan and all-Ohio Valley Conference senior first baseman Matt Wagner were ejected in the late innings.

When several Southeast fans became unruly in the ninth inning -- according to radio reports, the father of senior left fielder Justin Wheeler ran onto the field before being subdued -- the contest was halted for several minutes until additional security arrived.

After all of that, host Eastern Kentucky pulled off its second improbable comeback of the weekend to win 11-10 and capture the three-game OVC series.

The Colonels rallied from early 8-2 and 9-4 deficits. They won the opener of Sunday's doubleheader 14-13 after trailing 10-0. Southeast's lone victory was 12-2 in Saturday's nightcap.

Sunday's setback was a damaging one for the Redhawks as they chase a first-round bye in next week's six-team OVC tournament, which goes to the top two regular-season finishers.

Southeast, 26-20 overall and 12-8 in the OVC, fell from second place into third place, percentage points behind Murray State (11-7-1 in league play). Both squads have three conference games remaining.

The Redhawks also were eliminated from contention for the OVC regular-season title. Eastern Illinois, 12-3 in the OVC, clinched the crown after having its entire series at Austin Peay rained out.

To make matters worse for Southeast, under conference rules for ejections, Hogan and Wagner will be forced to sit out the next OVC contest, the opener of Friday's home doubleheader against Morehead State that begins a three-game series.

Hogan was ejected in the bottom of the seventh inning during EKU's two-run rally that put the Colonels up 10-9. The ejection came after several close pitches went against Southeast.

Wagner was ejected moments after he struck out leading off the ninth. That came after his home run distance fly ball that would have tied the contest was ruled to have gone just foul.

Sophomore DH Louie Haseltine followed Wagner's strikeout with a dramatic home run to dead center field that forged a 10-10 deadlock. It was Haseltine's 10th homer of the season.

But the Colonels won it in the bottom of the ninth, taking advantage of Southeast's fifth error of the day to score an unearned run.

Tyler Rehmel led off with a single and Jayson Langfels walked. A sacrifice bunt then was misplayed as sophomore third baseman Trenton Moses threw wildly to first, allowing Rehmel to score the winning run.

EKU's two seventh-inning runs were unearned thanks to a pair of Southeast errors. EKU did not have a hit in the frame, which also featured two walks and a hit batter.

Southeast had nine errors in the series. The Redhawks' two errors in Saturday's doubleheader opener helped contribute to that loss as four of EKU's 14 runs were unearned.

Also key in Sunday's setback was the fact Southeast's high-powered offense did little after the Redhawks exploded for eight runs on eight hits in the first two innings.

Southeast was limited to two runs and three hits the rest of the way.

Leading the charge out of EKU's bullpen was freshman left-hander Greg Terry, who entered the day with a 5.92 ERA. Terry held Southeast to one run and two hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Southeast starter Todd Strahlendorf pitched a career-high six innings as the senior worked into the seventh for the first time in his two seasons at Southeast.

Strahlendorf allowed nine hits and was charged with 10 runs, seven earned. He struck out five and walked one.

Senior Ryan Poole (1-1) took the loss. The only run he allowed was unearned. He gave up one hit and walked three.

Southeast finished with 11 hits, giving the Redhawks 40 in the series. They had nine homers, six coming Saturday.

Haseltine led the Redhawks' attack Sunday by going 3-for-5 with four RBIs.

Haseltine has Southeast's second-best average in OVC play -- .397, trailing only senior right fielder Tyrell Cummings' .436 mark -- while leading the squad in homers (seven) and RBIs (27) during league games.

Junior center fielder Nick Harris went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Wagner and senior second baseman Tony Spencer added two hits apiece.

Harris belted his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot that highlighted Southeast's five-run first inning. Haseltine added a two-RBI single.

Moses hit his second homer of the season, a solo shot in the second inning. It was part of a three-run frame that put Southeast up 8-2.

A three-run fourth inning by EKU sliced Southeast's lead to 9-7 and set the stage for the wild finish.

The Colonels (26-21, 9-11) also had a strong offensive series with 35 hits, including 10 hits Sunday.