SEMO BASEBALL SQUAD RIPS DIVISION III POWER

The difference between Division I and Division III is a big one, as Wednesday's baseball game at Capaha Park demonstrated.

Westminster College from Fulton came into the contest with a 13-2 record and a No. 19 ranking in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III poll.

But the Blue Jays were no match for Southeast Missouri State University's Indians, who romped 15-1 in front of more than 350 fans on a picture-perfect afternoon.

"They have some very fine players, but I thought we just had a very good performance," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad improved to 14-5. "I thought we played well in all phases, and it was good for us to be able to get a lot of different people in the game."

The individual components of the contest were about as lopsided as the final score.

Southeast banged out 18 hits, including three home runs and three doubles. On the other end, Westminster had just four hits and the Blue Jays struck out 16 times against five Indian pitchers.

"I didn't realize we had that many strikeouts, but that's very impressive, no matter who you're playing against," said Hogan. "

Homering for the Indians were Jeremy Johnson (his fourth of the season), Zach Borowiak (third) and Clemente Bonilla (second).

Borowiak, the Indians' freshman shortstop who bats No. 9 in the order, went 4-for-5, with two runs scored and two runs batted in.

Bonilla, a sophomore second baseman who hits in the No. 8 hole, went 2-for-3, with three runs scored and four RBIs.

"That's some heavy artillery for the eight and nine hole," Hogan said. "One thing about this offense is, one through nine, you don't know where it's going to come from. With our offense, we have a lot of different ways we can attack."

Phil Warren went 3-for-4, with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs.

Jeff Bourbon had the Indians' other double and he finished with two hits. Also getting two hits were Johnson and Charlie Marino. Johnson scored twice and had two RBIs.

Tommy Thomas (2-0) got the win as he pitched the first four innings, allowing two hits while striking out seven and walking one.

"As long as Tommy is in the zone with the breaking ball, he's very good," said Hogan of Thomas, who has had some control problems through the early part of the season. "He's got excellent stuff."

Andy Davidson pitched two perfect innings, fanning four. Brandon Smith hurled a hitless seventh before Westminster got its lone run and two hits against Ronnie Lewallen in the eighth. Augie Casson finished up with a hitless ninth.

"We had some very good performance on the mound," Hogan said.

Westminster used three pitchers. Starter Tim Ode (3-2) took the loss, allowing two runs and two hits in two innings. He fanned three.

"I thought Ode started out throwing well and I'm sure they pulled him for weekend considerations," said Hogan.

Johnson's two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning got the Indians off and running. Borowiak led off with his homer in the third and Warren had a two-run double in that frame, putting Southeast up 5-0.

The Indians scored once in the fourth and three times each in the fifth, seventh and eighth.

Westminster scored in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Justin Freesmeier, which plated Chad Ezell.

Now the Indians will turn their attentions back to Ohio Valley Conference play. Southeast, 1-1 in the OVC after splitting a doubleheader at Eastern Illinois last Saturday (the final game of the series was rained out), visits Austin Peay this weekend for a three-game series.

"That's going to be a very big series for us," Hogan said. "Austin Peay will have a very good club, as they always do. It'll be a big test for us."