Southeast baseball team's win features ejections, extra innings

It probably wasn't the way the Southeast Missouri State baseball team wanted to win.

But after nearly five hours, 12 innings, two ejections and a blown lead late in the game, the Redhawks picked up a 10-9 victory against Austin Peay on Saturday in Clarksville, Tenn.

Southeast first baseman Matt Tellor drove in second baseman Jason Blum with a double to give Southeast the one-run lead in the top of the 12th and the Governors went down in order in the bottom of the inning to give Southeast the victory.

The game was dramatic even before extra innings.

When the teams headed to the bottom of the ninth, Southeast held a 9-5 advantage after plating three runs in the top of the inning.

Austin Peay second baseman Garrett Copeland reached on an error by Blum and scored after pitcher Christian Hull gave up a hit, walked a batter and then hit outfielder Cayce Bredlau with a pitch while the bases were loaded.

A one-out single made it 9-7 and a pair of bases-loaded walks with two outs knotted the game 9-9.

Southeast catcher Scott Mitchell was ejected from the game by the home-plate umpire after the walk that scored the tying run was issued.

That wasn't the first time that a Redhawk had been ejected from the game. Right fielder Dalton Hewitt was thrown out in the top of the seventh after he reacted to being called out at first base to end the inning.

Hewitt swung and missed on a third strike but the catcher lost the ball and the throw to first was dropped by the first baseman before he was called out.

Southeast trailed 5-4 at that point, and the tying run would've scored had Hewitt been safe.

According to Southeast sports information assistant Sean Stevenson, since the umpires reported that Mitchell and Hewitt's ejections were "unsportsmanlike," under NCAA ejection policy they cannot play in today's series finale.

The Redhawks took their first lead since holding a 1-0 edge in the top of the second during the eighth inning.

Pinch runner John Logan Zink scored to make it 5-all when Blum grounded into a double play. Center fielder Cole Bieser executed a bunt for a hit to move Zink to third before that.

Shortstop Branden Boggetto, who drew a walk earlier in the inning, scored the go-ahead run when pitcher Alex Belew's pickoff throw to first went over first baseman Dre Gleason.

For the second game in a row, Southeast's starting pitcher stayed in the game for just 1 1/3 innings.

Starter Ryan Lenaburg exited the game during the second inning after allowing four earned runs. He gave up six hits, walked two batters and had one strikeout.

Alex Siddle relieved him and pitched 3 2/3 innings, giving up an earned run on four hits. He walked one and had three strikeouts.

Hull pitched three scoreless innings before Austin Peay's four-run ninth tied the game. He allowed one earned run on three hits, three walks and five strikeouts.

Greg Mosel (2-2) gave up just two hits over the final three innings to secure the win.

Austin Peay's Ryan Quick (2-3) was dealt the loss.

Southeast improved to 23-11 and 14-3 in conference while Austin Peay dropped to 14-21 and 6-8 in the OVC.

The Redhawks remain in first place in the OVC and hold a 2 1/2 game lead on Jacksonville State, which lost its game to Murray State on Saturday.

The Govs and Redhawks will battle for the series win at 1 p.m. today.