Redhawks win third OVC title in four years, Coloma named MVP

MARION, Ill. - It was only proper that the Ohio Valley Conference championship would come down to a trilogy between its top two hitting teams.

After Morehead State struck late to force the rubber match with a 13-6 win in extra innings, the Redhawks soared past the Eagles to win the final game 9-6 on Saturday, May 25, in Marion, Illinois, to win its third OVC championship in four years.

Keoni Coloma was named OVC Tournament MVP for hitting 6-for-17 with two doubles, two home runs, and six RBI through four games.

“Fortunately I got some good pitches and was able to put some good swings on them,” Coloma said.

Southeast Missouri State outfielder Keoni Coloma was named Ohio Valley Conference Tournament MVP on Saturday, March 25, in Marion, Illinois.Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

Coloma has shared the designated hitter role for much of the season and started in 23 games leading up to the tournament, but has been a fixture in the lineup as of late, and has driven in 11 of his 28 RBI in the month of May.

“I found a few mechanical cues recently in the last couple of weeks that helped me get in the right spot every time,” Coloma said. “After that, it’s just trusting the scouting report that coach [Trevor Ezell] does. He does a great job on that. So going to every at-bat with all the information you need to have success.”

Roman Kuntz showed why he is the OVC Player of the Year when he came through for Morehead State with a two-out, two-run homer to take a 6-5 lead in the ninth inning of the first game. It was Kuntz’s 33rd home run of the year, which is second in the nation and leads the OVC by 10. Four of his home runs came against the Redhawks.

“I mean, obviously, I’m sitting there using all the bad words I know for pitching to Roman Kuntz,” SEMO head coach Andy Sawyers said. “At the time, it was our best versus their best.”

Josh Cameron tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run but the floodgates were blown wide open in the 10th inning, leading to a Morehead State 13-6 win to force Game 11 of the tournament.

A lesser team would’ve fallen in the second game as well, but the Redhaws were resilient and ready for redemption.

“After that first loss, it was tough, but we knew we were in the best place to win a championship,” Coloma said. “And obviously we’re banged up we had guys come off the bench and step up and that’s why we’re a great team.”

One of the bench players who had their moment in the tournament was Ian Riley, who filled in Michael Mugan’s spot at center field. He had a hit in all four games including a home run and a triple totaling four RBIs.

“It just felt amazing. I’m just so happy that we could win this,” Riley said. “It’s just an amazing opportunity that a lot of these guys are seniors and we get to play for another week.”

Riley, the senior from Dallas Baptist, came to SEMO with the expectation of being the everyday center fielder. Instead, he started three starts and batted .125 with his only RBIs coming from two solo home runs. He knew his opportunity would come and he took advantage of it when it mattered most.

“I believed that my moment would come,” Riley said. “It had some ups and downs for sure, but just trusting the fact that coach is putting the right lineup out there and we keep on winning. That’s all that matters.”

Ben Palmer struggled all tournament but his bat finally woke up in the finale with two hits and his 17th home run of the season.

Sam Heyman started the second game and threw six innings allowing four runs on five hits with five strikeouts. Hayden Dow, who started on Thursday against Morehead State, came in to take on Kuntz but lost the matchup on a two-run double to shrink the lead. Payton Lawrence threw the final three innings without allowing a run to close out the Eagles.

Brian Strange started the first game and went 4.1 innings allowing four runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Kyle Miller threw three innings including after losing the ninth-inning lead.

Despite the blown save, Miller will conclude his Redhawk career with three conference championships, three NCAA regional appearances, and the school record for appearances and saves, as well as a First-Team All-OVC to boot.

“We had senior day a couple of weeks ago and when they came to the line, Kyle Miller came in,” Sawyers said, “and I told him, ‘We might have recruited some better players … You might be the most important kid I ever recruited to the success at SEMO.’”

The Redhawks will find out where they will be playing on Monday, May 27.