SE SWEEPS CYCLONES IN HOME DEBUT

The Southeast Missouri State University baseball team opened its home season Saturday afternoon against Iowa State, playing as good, if not better than the weather in a doubleheader sweep of the Cyclones.

With balmy winter weather and the sun shining brightly most of the first game at Capaha Field, Southeast senior Jason Swearingen went the distance on the mound for a 10-2 victory.

Cloud cover cooled things off in the second game, but the Indians stayed hot with a 7-0 win. Ryan Spille pitched six scoreless innings for the victory.

"We were excited about the whole day," said Southeast head coach Mark Hogan. "The weather was superb, the ball club played well and we had a real nice crowd out enjoying the day and enjoying the baseball."

After dropping three games on the road last week at Mississippi, the two seven-inning victories improved the Indians to 2-3 overall. Iowa State, playing out of the Big 12 Conference, fell to 1-2.

"The pitching performances of Swearingen and Spille were almost identical to what we did at Ole Miss," said Hogan. "The thing we did better today is we swung the bats a lot better. We had a lot of extra base hits."

Twelve of the Indians' 26 hits on the day were for extra bases. Eleven of those were doubles, and the one remaining blast was a three-run home run by Darin Kinsolving in the first game that appeared to turn the tide for the rest of the day.

"Kinsolving's (home run) swing was real big for us," Hogan said. "Last week we never really cashed in and got the big hit. But when Kinsolving got that three-run homer, it kind of took the lid off and our guys relaxed a little bit more."

Kinsolving's two-out rocket to left field broke open a close game, putting Southeast ahead 6-2 in the fifth inning. Kinsolving totaled four RBIs in the game.

"Today I was able to come through with men in scoring position, but last week was a different story," Kinsolving said. "We just needed to relax. I saw the ball real good today and I was able to hit a mistake."

Southeast scored five runs in the fifth inning, four of the runs unearned due to an error on Cyclones second baseman Jade O'Brien with one out that allowed the Indians' inning to continue. The run support was welcomed by Swearingen, the lone senior on the Indians' roster.

"It's a lot easier to pitch when you have a lot of run support," said Swearingen. "Once you open a lead, you don't have to be so fine (on the mound). You just let (the other team) hit the ball."

Swearingen wasn't too easy on the Cyclones, allowing only six hits and one earned run in pitching all seven innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked only one.

"Swearingen's going to keep you in every ball game," Hogan said. "He's not a big strikeout guy, but he really knows how to pitch."

The left-handed Spille was just as effective in the second game, striking out 10 and allowing only three hits. Jerry Wolsey closed out the victory for Southeast, pitching a perfect seventh inning.

Spille also got plenty of run support from his teammates. Two runs in both the second and third innings put Southeast ahead 4-0. A three-run fifth put the game well out of reach.

"It feels good to have runs behind you when you're pitching out there," Spille said. "It makes your confidence a lot better and you just go right at people."

Kyle Yount slapped RBI-doubles to the right-field corner in both the second and fifth innings to spark the Indians' offense. Jeff Bourbon, Charlie Marino and Jeremy Johnson also had two hits as Southeast tallied 11 as a team.

In the first game, Southeast shortstop Steve Lowe led the Indians with three hits. O'Brien had the only multiple-hit game for Iowa State, wrapping a single and double in the first game.

"We played good ball last week and we came out today knowing we needed to come out with two wins," said Kinsolving. "Now we just need to go for the sweep."

Southeast sophomore Dan Huesgen takes the hill today as the Indians complete the three-game series with the Cyclones. The nine-inning contest is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.