Redhawks weather ninth-inning grand slam

~ Missouri State belted a two-out, game-tying home run in the ninth, but Southeast won 12-11

After what transpired in Wednesday's top of the ninth inning, it would have been easy for the Southeast Missouri State baseball team to collectively say "here we go again."

A two-out grand slam by Missouri State's Aaron Conway that tied the contest certainly was depressing for the Redhawks.

"Everybody was deflated a little bit," junior Louie Haseltine said.

Deflated, but not defeated.

Missouri State's Aaron Conway advances safely on a passed ball during the seventh inning as Southeast Missouri State third baseman Casey Jones takes the throw Wednesday at Capaha Field. (KRISTIN EBERTS)

The Redhawks answered right back with a run in the bottom of the ninth to pull out a crazy 12-11 win on a springlike day at Capaha Field.

"I thought we showed a lot of character, to battle back the way we did," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said.

Southeast broke a five-game losing streak and improved to 5-7, while MSU (4-7) had a three-game winning streak snapped.

The Redhawks also notched a rare victory over the perennial powerhouse Bears, who had captured nine of the past 10 meetings between the squads. That includes a two-game series sweep in Springfield, Mo., last year that saw Southeast outscored 29-5.

"It's a big win against a good team, especially after last year. They really handed it to us," Haseltine said.

Southeast Missouri State's Kenton Parmley hits the ball during a match against Missouri State at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday, March 10, 2010. Southeast Missouri State University won 12-11. (KRISTIN EBERTS)

Conway's blast that made it 11-11, on the first pitch thrown by junior college transfer Michael Adamson, looked like it might lead to another agonizing Southeast loss.

The Redhawks have had their share already this season, suffering three defeats in extra innings and another by one run, all to teams from the Southeastern and Big 10 conferences.

In all three of the extra-inning losses, Southeast was within either one or two outs of nailing down wins before faltering.

"We've been having a lot of close losses," junior Blake Slattery said. "It's about time one went our way."

That's exactly what Hogan was thinking.

"I was glad to see us get one like that," Hogan said. "I feel we have a few more coming our way."

Perhaps fittingly, it was Adamson who came up with the game-winning hit after allowing the game-tying grand slam.

Adamson, a two-way player for the Redhawks, already had notched two saves during his rookie season at Southeast when he trotted to the mound from left field with two outs in the ninth after freshman sensation Shae Simmons from Scott City had walked the bases loaded.

This time Adamson was not able to nail things down as Conway rocketed a shot to dead center, which is 400 feet from home plate.

"I was just trying to go after the guy with the bases loaded," said Adamson, who went on to record the final out of the inning.

Juco transfer Tim Rupp led off the bottom of the ninth with a flare single to right field and sophomore Kenton Parmley walked even though he was trying to sacrifice.

That brought Adamson to the plate. As Pat Doyle prepared to deliver a pitch, shortstop Travis McComack suddenly moved behind the second-base bag in an apparent pickoff play.

But there was a mixup somewhere along the line because Doyle came home with the delivery.

Noticing the vacant shortstop hole, Adamson grounded a ball right where McComack had been. It bounced into left field for a single as Rupp scored easily.

"I saw him [McComack] going over to second base and I just tried to get the ball there," Adamson said.

Adamson was glad for the chance to redeem himself.

"The first thing that went through my mind [after the grand slam] is I knew I was coming up," he said. "I knew I had another opportunity."

Despite missing out on a save, Adamson (1-1) was rewarded with his first Southeast win as the Redhawks' sixth and final pitcher of the day.

Adamson also went 4-for-6 at the plate and hit his first Southeast home run, a two-run shot in the fifth inning that forged a 3-3 tie. It was only the Redhawks' third homer of the year and first since the season opener. Adamson is second on the squad with a .370 average and leads in RBIs with 10.

"He's a big-time competitor," Hogan said. "He shook off a tough situation and came right back with a walk-off hit."

Haseltine, Slattery and juco transfer Ky Burgess each had three of Southeast's season-high 19 hits.

Slattery, a Central High School graduate who has seen extensive playing time in center field since senior Nick Harris suffered a season-ending injury after one game, raised his average to .333.

"The more I play, the more comfortable I get in the box," Slattery said.

Parmley and juco transfer Casey Jones both added two hits. Jones leads Southeast with a .481 average.

Southeast's biggest inning of the season, a seven-run seventh that featured seven hits, erased a 5-3 MSU lead and put the Redhawks up 10-5 but they couldn't shake the defending Missouri Valley Conference champion Bears.

No matter. Hogan was elated to have finally gotten the better of MSU even for just one contest after Tuesday's opener of a scheduled two-game series was rained out.

"I'm thankful to get off this losing streak against a team that has had its way against us," Hogan said.

MSU had 13 hits, including two homers and six doubles. Freshman Luke Voit homered, doubled and drove in four runs.

Southeast continues a 10-game homestand Saturday against North Dakota (0-2) in a 1 p.m. doubleheader. North Dakota is coached by former Southeast assistant Jeff Dodson.