Rip Tide- SE wins

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Southeast Missouri State University came into the NCAA Tournament intent on proving that it indeed deserved to be mentioned with the nation's premier college baseball teams.

Friday night, the Indians definitely looked the part.

The Indians, seeded fourth in the four-team Tuscaloosa Regional, stunned top-seeded Alabama 7-4 in a first-round game. The sixth-ranked Crimson Tide are a No. 3 national seed.

Southeast (37-18) will play third-seeded Florida Atlantic (44-18) at 3 p.m. today in the winner's bracket final. If the Indians prevail, they advance to Sunday's championship round. If they lose, they play at 7 p.m. today against either Alabama (48-14) or second-seeded Auburn (34-25), who square off at 11 a.m. today in an elimination contest.

"It's just an unbelievable win for our program," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad won its first NCAA Division I Tournament game ever after having gone 0-2 in its only other Division I regional appearance, in 1998.

"To get our first regional win against one of the premier programs in the nation really says a lot about our ballclub, especially to beat them on their home field when basically the whole stadium was rooting against us. Obviously I'm very proud of our club."

Most of the 4,020 fans at Sewell-Thomas Stadium were rooting against Southeast -- the Indians did have about 25 vocal supporters who made the roughly seven-hour trip from Cape Girardeau -- but they didn't have all that much to cheer about as the Tribe grabbed an early 4-1 lead, then pulled away from a 4-4 tie with a two-run fourth inning. It was Alabama's first home postseason loss since 1974.

"It was a good thing we got the crowd out of the game right away by getting up early," Southeast right fielder Ryan Govek said. "It was an unbelievable atmosphere to play in."

Govek, who has not seen much action in recent weeks, made his presence felt Friday with his first career home run on the Division I level, a two-run shot in the top of the second inning that put the Indians up 4-1.

"It was a pleasant surprise," said Govek, a junior-college transfer in his first season with the Indians. "Coach said they were going to come after us with a lot of first-pitch fastballs. I was fortunate to drive the ball."

Another unlikely home run came from redshirt freshman first baseman Eric Hoffman, who entered the contest with by far the lowest batting average -- .229 -- among Southeast's normal starters. Hoffman led off the sixth with his third homer of the season to give the Indians a 7-4 lead.

Hoffman and Govek were the Nos. 8 and 9 batters in Southeast's lineup Friday.

"We've had different people doing it for us all year," Hogan said. "That's been one of the great things about our club."

Govek, Denver Stuckey, Clemente Bonilla, Tristen McDonald and David Lawson all had two of Southeast's 11 hits. Govek, Stuckey, Bonilla and Lawson all doubled while Stuckey tripled. Bonilla joined Govek in driving in two runs.

Brandon Smith and Tim Alvarez combined to limit Alabama to eight hits.

Smith (12-2), a senior right-hander, went five-plus innings for the victory, allowing four runs -- all in the first two innings -- and seven hits, with four strikeouts and five walks.

Alvarez, normally a starter, relieved Smith in the sixth after the first two Alabama batters reached base. Alvarez got a double play and a strikeout to end the threat and preserve the Indians' three-run lead.

Alvarez went on to pitch the final four innings, allowing just one baserunner on a single in the ninth. The junior left-hander, who notched his third save of the season, struck out two.

"What a job those two guys did," Hogan said.

The Indians grabbed a 2-0 lead in the opening inning. Stuckey ripped the first pitch he saw to the right-center-field wall for a triple. After Brian Hopkins walked, Bonilla doubled to score Stuckey and Hopkins.

Alabama came back with a run in the bottom of the first, but the Indians went up 4-1 in the second. Lawson led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Lawson. Govek then homered to right.

Alabama got its crowd into the game by tying the contest in the bottom of the second on a three-run double by Jeremy Brown.

But the Indians grabbed control again in the fourth. Govek doubled with one out and scored on Stuckey's double. With two outs, Stuckey dashed home on a wild pitch.

Hoffman's homer to right n the sixth gave the Indians some insurance and Alvarez did the rest.

"We were just totally outplayed, outcoached," Alabama coach Jim Wells said. "Southeast Missouri is a very good team and they did a great job."