Redhawks' season fizzles with 5-1 loss

~ Samford scored four runs in the ninth to eliminate Southeast from the tournament.

PADUCAH, Ky. -- An Ohio Valley Conference baseball tournament that started with much promise for Southeast Missouri State ended with a thud.

The third-seeded Redhawks, who won their first-round game, were bounced from the six-team, double-elimination event with Friday's 5-1 loss to Samford.

Fourth-seeded Samford broke a 1-1 tie with four ninth-inning runs as the Bulldogs (32-27) remained alive with their second victory of the day.

"It's tough, but we gave it our all," senior right fielder Daryl Graham said. "I truly feel we left it all out on the field."

After scoring 10 runs on 11 hits in their tournament opener against sixth-seeded Murray State, the Redhawks were held to three runs and 11 hits -- six Friday -- in their final two games.

That includes Thursday's 15-2 beat-down at the hands of second-seeded Jacksonville State as Southeast suffered its most lopsided OVC tournament defeat ever.

"We just couldn't come up with the big hit today," senior second baseman Omar Padilla said. "It's disappointing, but that's the way it goes."

Southeast ends the season with a 32-24 record.

"You hate it when it's over," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "It's tough, but that's part of the game."

Even if the Redhawks had prevailed Friday, they would have needed to claim three more wins in order to capture their first OVC tournament title since 2002.

Freshman left-hander Josh Syberg did everything he could to give the Redhawks that opportunity. Syberg, one of three Southeast players to make the OVC's all-freshman team, went 8 1/3 innings in the longest outing of his young college career.

When Syberg left the game with one out in the top of the ninth, the contest was tied 1-1.

All Syberg had to show for his clutch performance was a loss.

Southeast's bullpen allowed two runners that had reached base off Syberg in the ninth to score as those tallies were charged to him, and Samford went on to break the game open with two more runs.

"Josh was incredible," Hogan said. "For a true freshman to go out in this pressure situation and perform like that was something."

Syberg (4-4) gave up three runs and nine hits while striking out three and walking one. His previous longest outing of the year was 7 2/3 innings.

"I felt good. I made some adjustments because my last few starts hadn't been so great," Syberg said. "It sucks because I really wanted to win for the seniors."

The Redhawks grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by sophomore designated hitter Matt Wulfers.

That scored Padilla, who had walked with one out and moved to third on a single by sophomore first baseman Matt Wagner.

But the Redhawks were blanked the rest of the way and Samford tied the contest in the seventh.

Things remained 1-1 until the ninth, when Garrett Rice and pinch-hitter Kyle Krebs both singled with one out.

Senior left-hander Josh Parham replaced Syberg, and Parham's first pitch was belted to the right-center field wall by John Morgan for a two-run triple.

Bill Whitehead followed with an RBI double, which brought on junior right-hander Ivan Nails, who was greeted by an RBI double from Michael Marseco to complete the four-run outburst.

Hogan explained why he elected to go with lefty Parham instead of righty Nails against right-handed hitters Morgan and Whitehead.

"I just felt, with the success Syberg was having, and Parham is the same type of pitcher, that gave us our best chance," Hogan said. "And I liked Parham having more experience."

Samford received a brilliant performance from Doug Denson, one of the OVC's better short relievers who had pitched just 26 innings all season.

Denson, a hard-throwing right-hander whose longest outing of the year had been 2 2/3 innings, limited Southeast to a pair of hits in five shutout frames to notch the win.

That came after another right-hander, Eric Lassiter, held the Redhawks to four hits and their lone run over the first four innings.

"He [Denson] was unbelievable for them," Hogan said.

Senior left fielder Asif Shah was the only Southeast player with two hits.

Samford finished with 12 hits.

Despite being bumped from the tournament with two straight losses, Hogan said he felt good about the year, which featured Southeast's most wins since 2002 and its highest OVC regular-season finish (third) since 2003.

"I think this was a comeback year, a rebound year. We had a lot of big wins," Hogan said. "We lose some great seniors, and I really appreciate what they did to help us get back on track, but we had so many young guys contribute.

"I'm really excited about the future of the program."

Noteworthy

• Freshman catcher Jim Klocke went 5-for-10 in the tournament and was the only Southeast player with more than three hits. He figures to be the Redhawks' best chance of making the all-tournament team.