SE SWEEPS EKU IN OVC OPENER

RICHMOND, Ky. -- The non-conference season has been somewhat disappointing for Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team.

But the Indians proved Saturday afternoon that they still plan on being a major force in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Southeast, the defending OVC Tournament champion and the preseason pick to win this year's regular-season title, opened 1999 OVC play by sweeping host Eastern Kentucky.

Ryan Spille pitched a shutout in the 1-0 opener, then the Indians banged out 14 hits in the 11-4 second game.

The Indians will go for the sweep today when the squads hook up in a noon single game.

"I'm really proud of the guys," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad improved to 8-10 overall. "We've struggled. We haven't done what we wanted, but we put it together today.

"It was a very big day for us. It's great to start out 2-0 (in league play). And now we have a chance to sweep."

Spille, the Indians' All-American left-hander, scattered eight hits in the opener. He struck out two and walked one. Spille outdueled EKU freshman hurler Chip Albright, who gave up just five hits while fanning seven and walking one.

"Spille pitched like an All-American," said Hogan of his senior, who improved his record to 4-0.

The game's only run came from the very first batter as Southeast freshman Clemente Bonilla Jr., who is having a solid rookie season, belted a leadoff home run for his first collegiate homer.

Southeast got another strong pitching performance in the second game as Lanson Debrock carried a shutout into the sixth inning before tiring.

Debrock, who improved to 2-2, was touched for four hits and four runs in the sixth. He allowed seven hits total while fanning three and walking one.

Jerry Wolsey relieved Debrock in the sixth and retired all three batters he faced while freshman Todd Pennington hurled a hitless seventh.

"Debrock threw a great game and Wolsey and Pennington came in and did the job," Hogan said.

Darin Kinsolving had three of Southeast's 14 hits in the nightcap and he also drove in six runs. Kinsolving had an RBI single, a two-run double and a three-run homer.

Jeremy Johnson also had three hits for Southeast while Steve Lowe and Dan Berry both added two. Bonilla drove in a pair of runs.

Kinsolving's RBI single in the second gave the Indians a 1-0 lead. Southeast then broke the game open with seven runs in the third, highlighted by two-run doubles from Kinsolving and Bonilla.

After EKU (13-10) pulled to within 8-4 in the sixth, the Indians added insurance in the seventh on Kinsolving's three-run blast.

"We really got our bats going in the second game," said Hogan.