Redhawks' pitching shines again

~ A 5-1 victory Sunday improved the Redhawks' record to 6-2.

Granted, Southeast Missouri State has not exactly played a killer early-season baseball schedule.

But the Redhawks have taken care of business for the most part, and they continued their best start since 2000 Sunday afternoon with a 5-1 home win over Cleveland State.

The Redhawks, who swept the two-game series from Cleveland State -- winning 3-1 Saturday -- are 6-2 for their fastest start since the 2000 squad began 8-2.

"I'm very pleased," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "There are a lot of areas we have to get better in, but who's going to complain about this kind of start?"

Pitching has been Southeast's primary strength so far, and that trend continued Sunday against a team that fell to 2-6 after going 10-42 last season. The Vikings have scored just 18 runs all year.

After junior college transfer Dustin Renfrow and two relievers combined to allow just one unearned run Saturday, freshman left-hander Josh Syberg pitched seven shutout innings Sunday.

Syberg, who gave up six hits and two walks while striking out six, improved to 2-0 and lowered his earned-run average to 1.93.

"He's very crafty. He's a guy who shows a lot of poise," Hogan said of Syberg, who starred last season for Missouri Class 4 state champion Vianney High School in St. Louis. "He threw a real nice ballgame."

The Redhawks have an impressive team ERA of 2.86, led by starters Asif Shah (0.84), Renfrow (1.08) and Syberg, along with reliever Josh Parham (1.59).

Despite losing his three primary conference starters from last season, Hogan began the year believing Southeast's pitching would be strong. So far that's the case.

"Our staff has done a really nice job," Hogan said. "Our pitching has been big time. Without it, we'd probably be 2-6."

Southeast's offense has struggled with a .229 batting average, but Hogan believes that will change.

"We need to hit more, and I think we will," he said.

So does all-Ohio Valley Conference second baseman Omar Padilla, who batted .340 last season but is at just .192 right now, although he had two hits Sunday.

"Pitching has been carrying us, but our offense will eventually come around," Padilla said. "Our hitters are too good."

Regardless of how Southeast is getting things done, Padilla said it's a nice feeling to be 6-2, especially after the Redhawks started off slow last year.

"It's exciting," he said. "We started off bad last year, and it's really good to be over .500."

Southeast had only six hits Sunday, and managed just two hits -- along with one earned run -- against Cleveland State's tough lefty Josh Hungerman, who went six innings.

But the Redhawks took advantage of three errors by the Vikings, which helped them score two unearned runs.

"We're not hitting yet, but you have to give the other pitchers credit," Padilla said. "He [Hungerman] was good."

Padilla got a one-out single in the first inning and later scored on Dustin Pritchett's RBI ground out.

The Redhawks did not reach Hungerman for another hit until the sixth, when they scored two unearned runs despite having just one hit.

Southeast opened up some breathing room with a two-run seventh, getting RBI singles from Padilla and Matt Wagner.

Cleveland State, which entered the game batting .214 but outhit Southeast 9-6, avoided a shutout with a run in the eighth off Lance Rhodes. Ivan Nails worked a scoreless ninth.

Southeast is in the midst of a stretch where it is playing 13 of 14 games at home, the exception being Tuesday's 6:30 p.m. contest at Arkansas State. Shah is scheduled to start on the mound.

Overall, the Redhawks play 18 of their first 24 games at Capaha Field.

"We've got great fans, and it's nice they'll get to see us play so much," Padilla said.