Southeast baseball team improves to 10-1 at Capaha

There has been no place like home so far this season for the Southeast Missouri State baseball team.

The Redhawks finished a three-game series sweep of Valparaiso by rallying for an 8-7 victory Saturday.

Southeast, which has won five straight, improved to 11-8 and is 10-1 at Capaha Field, including 7-1 on its current 10-game homestand.

"We've played really good at home so far and hopefully we can keep it up," junior college transfer third baseman Casey Jones said. "It was great to get a sweep this weekend."

After mauling Valparaiso 17-4 in Friday's first game of a doubleheader to open the series, Southeast had its hands full with the Crusaders (5-15), who have not yet played at home.

Southeast held on to win Friday's nightcap 5-3, then needed to rally from a 6-5, seventh-inning deficit Saturday.

"It was a great series," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "We had the one big score and then two nailbiters.

"I was real happy with our players' performance this weekend."

The Redhawks appeared to be in good shape with a 5-0 advantage after five innings, but the Crusaders came up with five runs in the sixth inning as they knocked out juco transfer left-hander Logan Mahon.

Valparaiso grabbed its first lead of the day with a seventh-inning run.

But Southeast answered in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs with two outs to lead 8-6.

"We got off to an early lead and kind of shut down for an inning or two," Jones said. "We had the one bad inning where we made a couple of errors, but we came back and got a few key hits."

Juco transfer left fielder Michael Adamson's RBI single forged a 6-6 tie. After an error kept the inning alive, Jones came through with a two-run single to put Southeast ahead for good.

"I love the little pressure on me," said Jones, who leads the Ohio Valley Conference with a .482 batting average. "I just hope to keep hitting."

Even though the Redhawks did not relinquish the lead, they were far from out of the woods.

Adamson, who is hitting .378 with a team-high 22 RBIs while compiling two saves as a reliever, came in from left field to pitch with two on and nobody out in the eighth inning. Adamson, who throws left and bats right, retired the next three hitters to preserve Southeast's 8-6 advantage.

David Klein led off the ninth inning with a home run off Adamson as Valparaiso made it 8-7. Paul Heinkel followed with a single, which brought on Shae Simmons, Southeast's sixth pitcher of the day.

Simmons, a freshman right-hander from Scott City, had recorded his first collegiate save the day before by retiring both batters he faced with the bases loaded in the final inning of the 5-3 nightcap.

Simmons again was dominant Saturday, getting a strikeout looking, a fly ball to right field and a pop out to first base for his second save in less than 24 hours.

"As long as I keep my pitch count down, I'll be able to come back the next day," Simmons said. "We thought he [Adamson] would finish it out, but I was mentally prepared."

Simmons, Southeast's hardest thrower, also has a win to go along with the two saves. He has allowed just three hits in 13 innings while striking out 16. His ERA is 2.08.

"This was kind of a test tube for him," said Hogan of Simmons trying to close out consecutive games. "I was very impressed. I like his confidence, his swagger.

"Mentally, Shae is a really strong player."

Juco transfer right-hander Nick Thomas, who pitched two-thirds of an inning, was credited with the win. He improved to 3-0.

Southeast's offense continued to fare well, getting 11 more hits to finish the series with 42. Southeast is batting .339 as a group.

Adamson had two hits and three RBIs. He had seven hits and seven RBIs in the series.

"What a valuable guy he is for us," Hogan said.

Jones continued his surge after he initially broke into the lineup because of several injuries. Jones had two hits in every game of the series. He has hit safely in all 13 contests he has started.

"What a neat story," Hogan said. "He was kind of buried [on the depth chart] early, but opportunity knocked and he's been great."

Juco transfer second baseman Tim Rupp, who also initially got his opportunity due to injuries, added two hits. He is second on the team behind Jones with a .382 average.

Junior right fielder Louie Haseltine homered, his third of the season to tie senior catcher Jim Klocke for the team lead.

"It was big, to hold on in a close game and get the sweep," Haseltine said. "We've had a couple of comebacks like that. It's good to see."

Southeast hosts Saint Louis University at 3 p.m. Tuesday.