Redhawks rookies star in sweep of JSU

Southeast Missouri State's newcomers helped the Redhawks get off to a good start for the 2007 baseball season.

Southeast opened the season with a doubleheader sweep at Jackson State in Mississippi, winning 7-4 in the opening game and 2-0 in the nightcap.

Freshman pitcher Josh Syberg was part of a shutout in his first collegiate start, Nebraska transfer Matt Wagner had four hits and drove in three runs, and freshman Nick Harris had four hits in the Redhawks' first day of play in Jackson, Miss.

Southeast will try to complete a sweep of the series today, when the teams tangle at 1 p.m.

Syberg, a 5-foot-11, 160-pound lefty from Vianney High School in St. Louis, allowed just four hits and one walk over five innings while striking out 10.

Asif Shah pitched the final two innings for the save, allowing one hit and one walk to finish the shutout.

Southeast scored both of its runs in the fifth inning. Harris had a one-out single and stole second base. With two outs, Wagner singled Harris home. Wagner scored on an error.

In the opening game, reliever Lance Rhodes, another newcomer, picked up the win while Josh Parham had the save.

Rhodes, a Sikeston High graduate who transferred from St. Louis, pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief. He allowed two hits and no runs.

Parham, from Jackson, entered the game in the eighth inning with Southeast ahead 6-3 but Jackson had the bases loaded with no outs. Parham retired three batters in order with a fly out to short left and two strikeouts.

He allowed one run over two innings.

Wagner had two doubles and drove in two runs in the opener. Harris had two hits, with his triple in his first collegiate at-bat sparking a five-run third inning.