Redhawks unable to locate win in Mississippi

After three narrow losses at the BankFirst Baseball Challenge in Starkville, Miss., Southeast Missouri State finished up the four-game, three-day event with a lopsided defeat.

Michigan State pounded the Redhawks 9-0 on Sunday, sending Southeast to its fifth straight loss.

The Redhawks opened the BankFirst Baseball Challenge on Friday by dropping extra-inning contests to Michigan State of the Big Ten Conference and host Mississippi State of the Southeastern Conference.

In both cases, Southeast could have closed out wins but errors led to unearned runs that allowed the opposition to extend the games.

Then Saturday, Southeast dropped a one-run decision to Mississippi State as the Redhawks stranded two runners in the ninth inning.

"There were a lot of bright spots this weekend," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said.

The Redhawks are 4-7. Three of those losses have come in extra innings, including one against Auburn of the SEC.

In Sunday's rematch with Michigan State, the Spartans (6-3) scored single runs in each of the first three innings and cruised from there. They added three runs in the fifth and rounded out the scoring with a three-run eighth.

Southeast junior starter Corey Harness lasted 2 2/3 innings. He was knocked out after allowing three runs (two earned) and six hits. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter.

Five pitchers followed Harness to the mound. Only two emerged unscathed.

Junior college transfer Jacob Wente worked two shutout innings, allowing one hit. He walked one and hit two.

Senior Kirk Boeller, a Notre Dame Regional High School graduate seeing his first action of the year, struck out the side in the ninth after allowing a hit and hitting a batter.

After getting 31 hits in its first three games of the weekend -- and outhitting all three of its opponents -- Southeast was outhit 17-9 in its final contest.

Sophomore Tony Bucciferro, a member of last year's Big 10 all-freshmen team, pitched a complete game shutout. He struck out seven and walked one.

"He threw really well. He was really in control," Hogan said. "And we weren't very good on the mound today. Game four [of the weekend], we were kind of on fumes today."

The Redhawks' best chance came in the bottom of the first inning when they had runners on second and third with one out.

Southeast also loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, had two on with two outs in the eighth and had two on with one out in the ninth. The Redhawks stranded 10 runners on the day.

Juco transfers Casey Jones and Michael Adamson led Southeast's offense with two hits apiece.

Southeast begins an 11-game homestand 3 p.m. Tuesday against Missouri State.