Redhawks relinquish first place in OVC

~ Doubleheader sweep knocks Southeast out of first place in conference.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- Southeast Missouri State fell out of first place in the Ohio Valley Conference on Saturday as the Redhawks are assured of their first OVC series loss of the season.

Today the Redhawks will attempt to salvage one victory in their three-game set with host Austin Peay.

Austin Peay swept Saturday's doubleheader 4-2 and 4-0 as the Govs prevailed in a battle between the league's top two pitching staffs.

The Redhawks (24-15, 9-5) entered Saturday tied for the OVC lead with Jacksonville State. They now trail the Gamecocks by two games, after Jacksonville State swept a doubleheader at Eastern Kentucky.

Austin Peay (22-16, 9-5) pulled into a second-place tie with Southeast.

Southeast came into the doubleheader leading the OVC and ranking 30th nationally with a 3.69 ERA.

The Govs carried a 4.06 ERA, which was second in the conference and 46th nationally.

While Southeast's pitching was solid Saturday, Austin Peay's was dominant as the Redhawks managed just seven hits in 16 innings.

Southeast's ERA increased slightly, to 3.73, while Austin Peay's fell to 3.92.

Senior right-hander Shawn Kelley, who came in with the conference's fifth-best ERA at 2.78, totally dominated Southeast in the nine-inning opener.

Kelley (7-2), who leads the OVC in wins and is Austin Peay's career strikeout leader, fired a three-hitter, with eight strikeouts and one walk.

Kelley allowed a one-out single to Jim Klocke in the first inning and then retired 21 straight batters.

Southeast finally put another runner on base in the eighth inning as Matt Wulfers got a one-out single.

Pinch-hitter Phillip Riley delivered a two-out, two-run homer that cut Austin Peay's lead to 4-2, but Kelley had little trouble finishing off his fourth complete game of the season. He faced just three batters over the minimum.

Southeast junior right-hander Dustin Renfrow (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season as his OVC-leading ERA rose from 1.47 to 1.69.

Renfrow, who pitched his third complete game, allowed 10 hits and three earned runs in eight innings. He walked one and did not record a strikeout.

Austin Peay reached Renfrow for two runs on three hits in the first inning and the Govs were in control the rest of the way, adding single tallies in the fourth and fifth.

The Redhawks' offense was no better in the seven-inning nightcap as two Austin Peay pitchers combined to hand Southeast its first shutout of the season.

Starter Matt Reynolds, a senior left-hander, allowed all four Southeast hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two.

Sophomore right-hander David Vicini replaced Reynolds with two runners on and two outs in the fourth.

Vicini (2-1) went on to fire 3 1/3 perfect frames, retiring all 10 batters he faced, two on strikeouts.

Southeast senior left-hander Asif Shah (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season despite working his fourth consecutive complete game.

Shah, who entered the contest second in the OVC with a 2.26 ERA and saw it increase to 2.63, allowed four hits in six innings, with three strikeouts and three walks.

The Govs also broke on top in the opening inning against Shah, scoring three runs on two doubles and a walk.

They added a run in the fourth and cruised to the sweep.

Omar Padilla went 2-for-3 in the second game as he was the only Southeast player with more than one hit on the day.

Today's 1 p.m. series finale will pit Southeast freshman left-hander Josh Syberg (4-1, 2.83) against Austin Peay sophomore right-hander Ryne Mantooth (3-3, 4.84).

Syberg has the OVC's sixth-best ERA.