Southeast baseball salvages split, qualifies for OVC tournament

MOREHEAD, Ky. — The Southeast Missouri State baseball team got off to a horrendous start in Friday's doubleheader.

Host Morehead State jumped on top 10-2 after three innings of the nine-inning opener and held on for a 10-8 victory.

But the Redhawks bounced back with a big lead of their own in the seven-inning nightcap — 9-0 — and held on to win 9-6.

The split to begin their season-ending series was enough to get the Redhawks into the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

Southeast (23-23, 12-12) moved up to fourth place in the 10-team league, with the top six finishers making the OVC tournament.

Because of other results around the league Friday, the Redhawks can finish no worse than sixth regardless of what happens in today's noon regular-season finale with Morehead State.

Morehead State (17-33, 7-19), locked into ninth place in the OVC, already had been eliminated from contention for a league tournament berth.

The Eagles reached Southeast first-game starter James Leigh (5-2) for five second-inning runs to knock him out. Leigh allowed four hits in 1 1/3 innings. He struck out one and walked one.

Southeast reliever Josh Manning allowed five third-inning runs before throwing five straight scoreless frames. But by then the damage had been done. Manning gave up six hits. He struck out three and walked two.

Trailing 10-2 entering the eighth inning, the Redhawks rallied for six runs, getting a two-run homer from Nick Harris — his 10th of the season — and a three-run shot from Trenton Moses. But the Eagles nailed down the win.

The nightcap was almost a total reversal of the opener.

Jim Klocke's grand slam — his fifth home run of the season — highlighted a five-run third inning as the Redhawks grabbed a 6-0 advantage.

A two-run homer by Moses in the fifth inning — the second home run of the day and fourth of the season for the freshman from Advance High School — made it 8-0.

It was 9-0 as Dustin Renfrow carried a one-hit shutout into the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Eagles hurt Renfrow's ERA with two runs in the sixth and four in the seventh, but Renfrow (5-5) finished off the complete game. He allowed six hits, struck out six and walked three.

Southeast had 12 hits in each game against the worst statistical pitching staff in conference play. Morehead State entered the day with a 9.14 ERA against OVC opponents.

Wheeler went 5-for-8 to lead the Redhawks, including a second-game solo homer, his seventh of the season.

Wagner went 4-for-7 while Harris, Moses, Klocke and Tyrell Cummings all added three hits.

Harris doubled and tripled in addition to homering. Cummings had a double in each game. Moses finished the day with five RBIs.

Cummings, with two RBIs, moved into ninth place on Southeast's single-season list as he has 54 RBIs this year.

For Morehead State, which had 16 hits in the twin bill, OVC home run leader Eric Allen had a monster day.

Allen hit three homers, giving him 16 on the season, while delivering 10 RBIs, including all six of the Eagles' runs in the nightcap.

Ivan Nails is scheduled to start on the mound for Southeast in today's final regular-season game.