Redhawks reach OVC tournament with 21-10 thumping of Tech

~ Southeast banged out 22 hits in making the tournament for the 12th straight year.

It has certainly not been a vintage baseball season for Southeast Missouri State.

But the Redhawks are still going to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament for the 12th time in as many seasons under coach Mark Hogan.

Southeast punched its tourney ticket in resounding fashion Saturday afternoon by crushing Tennessee Tech 21-10 at Capaha Field in the regular-season finale for both squads.

The Redhawks (21-31, 11-16 OVC) pulled into a sixth-place tie with Tech (18-36, 11-16) in the 10-team league and earned the final berth in the six-team conference tournament because they won two of three games from the Eagles in the series.

"It's a good feeling to be going to the tournament," senior shortstop Jordan Payne said.

Southeast, the sixth seed for the double-elimination event in Paducah, Ky., will play third-seeded Eastern Illinois at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the opening round.

"Give our guys credit," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad split Friday's doubleheader with Tech to set up Saturday's showdown for the last OVC tournament berth. "We struggled a lot of the year, with so many tough losses, but they hung in there. We had an opportunity today and we took advantage of it.

"I would have never predicted this kind of score today. You come to the park and you expect a really tight game. All the credit goes to the players. They came through in a really pressure situation."

The Redhawks have lost 10 one-run games this season, but they made sure things would not go to the wire Saturday as they led 19-2 after four innings.

Tech scored eight times over the last three innings to make the final a bit more respectable, but the Eagles were not close to overcoming the Redhawks' season high totals of 21 runs and 22 hits.

"An explosion is what it was," Hogan said. "And there was nothing cheap about it. They really didn't help us out. Our hits were loud."

Southeast took control from the outset, scoring six runs on five hits in the bottom of the first inning, the big blow being Payne's three-run home run well over the left-field wall. It was the first of two long homers by Payne in the game.

Tech starter Matt Kearney did not record an out before being lifted, but most of the other five pitchers the Eagles used fared no better.

"It was great to get off early like we did and set the tone," Payne said.

After the Eagles scored twice in the second inning, Payne kick-started the Redhawks' six-run answer in the bottom of the frame with a two-run blast to left-center that also cleared the wall by a considerable margin.

Payne, who also homered in Friday's second-game loss, took over the team home run lead with seven. He went 4-for-6 Saturday, including a double, with five runs batted in and four runs scored.

"I was relaxed. I was trying not to do too much," Payne said.

Junior left fielder Dustin Pritchett went 3-for-6 with two RBIs. He finished the series 8-for-13.

Freshman center fielder Daniel Schuh was 3-for-5 with four RBIs, giving him seven RBIs in the series.

Junior third baseman Daryl Graham had two of Southeast's six doubles and went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Junior second baseman Omar Padilla added two hits and two RBIs. He went 6-for-13 in the series.

Also getting two hits apiece were senior catcher Levi Olson, senior right fielder Chris Gibson and freshman designated hitter Andrew Graham. Olson had two RBIs and scored four runs, while Graham scored five runs. Freshman first baseman Aaron Rave added three RBIs.

"When you get a game going like this, when you put up so many runs, you get the feeling 'who can beat you?' " Gibson said.

The mound beneficiary of Southeast's offensive explosion was senior left-hander Derek Herbig, who was a bit wild but had little trouble holding the Eagles at bay.

Herbig (3-4) allowed just two runs through six innings. He was lifted with one out in the seventh and was charged with five runs (four earned) on six hits, with five strikeouts and six walks.

"I was real excited to be pitching today," Herbig said. "It makes things easy when you get 21 runs. I'll take that any day."

Said Hogan, "Derek didn't have his best stuff, but he did a terrific job. It was a combination of him and the offense."

Junior left-hander Josh Parham continued his season-long strong work out of the bullpen with 1 2/3 hitless innings, before the Eagles scored five ninth-inning runs off redshirt freshman Michael Taylor. Junior left-hander James Hibbard recorded the final two outs.

Brian Sprowl had three of Tech's 11 hits. Scott Dunham homered for the Eagles.

"I'm really happy for the seniors that we're going to the tournament, and for all our young guys it will be a great experience," Hogan said. "I think we've got the kind of team to do some damage."