Southeast gets a series win over EKU

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team's good weekend fell a bit short of being great.

But the Redhawks found it hard to complain much after notching their first Ohio Valley Conference series win of the season by taking two of three from visiting Eastern Kentucky.

Southeast clinched the series victory Saturday, capturing the first game of an afternoon doubleheader 5-3. That came after the Redhawks won Friday night's series opener 8-6.

But EKU avoided a sweep with Saturday's 7-1 victory in the nightcap. The squads were scheduled to play single games Friday, Saturday and today, but today's strong forecast for rain moved Southeast officials to play a rare Saturday doubleheader.

"Granted, it would have been really nice to get a sweep," sophomore third baseman Andy Lennington said. "But winning the series gets us back to .500 [in conference play]. It's a start. Our goal is to win every series, if not sweep."

Southeast is 11-10 overall and 3-3 in OVC play. Defending OVC regular-season co-champion EKU is 5-11 and 2-4.

"It was very important for us to come out and win this series," first-year Southeast interim coach Steve Bieser said. "I was really proud of the effort and the way the whole team contributed this weekend.

"It's so hard to sweep a series, especially doing it in a doubleheader."

Southeast, after leading most of the way Friday, led all the way in Saturday's opener.

Eastern Kentucky’s Demetrius Moorer slides safely into second in front of Southeast’s Jason Blum in the third inning of the second game. (Laura Simon)

But a 5-0 bulge through four innings -- only two of the runs were earned -- turned precarious when EKU scored all three of its runs in the sixth inning.

Lennington then preserved the lead -- and perhaps the game -- with a defensive gem worthy of ESPN SportsCenter top plays status.

The Colonels, after cutting the deficit to 5-3, still had runners on second and third with two outs in the sixth.

Matt Phipps drilled a one-hop bullet toward the third-base bag that looked like a certain two-run double, which would have tied the contest and kept the inning going.

But Lennington left his feet and, at the far reach of his dive to his right, snared the ball. He quickly got up and threw out Phipps.

"That's a game-saving play. If he doesn't make that play, you don't know how it turns out," Bieser said.

Said a smiling Lennington: "He hit it really hard. I just kind of reacted to it and made the play. I was about as far as I could go [on his dive]. It was a big momentum changer. It felt really good."

If Lennington's play was the game's No. 1 highlight, Luke Shearrow's pitching didn't rank far behind.

The junior college transfer with impressive stuff opened the season as Southeast's No. 1 starter. But he struggled, primarily with his control, and has recently come out of the bullpen in order to help regain his form.

If Saturday's performance is any indication, Shearrow is on the right track. He earned his first Southeast save, setting EKU down in order in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

Shearrow struck out six, including the side in the ninth inning.

"It felt good. I just wanted to throw strikes," Shearrow said. "I just haven't felt comfortable this year. I felt back to normal today."

Shearrow did most of his damage Saturday with a devastating slider that left EKU batters flailing and rarely making contact.

"I've seen him like that when I was recruiting him," Bieser said. "If he gets that slider going, it's almost unhittable. He really dominated the strike zone."

Senior left-hander Zack Smith was the winner. He fired off five shutout innings before being touched up in the sixth and exiting without retiring a batter.

Smith (2-2) allowed six hits and three runs. He struck out two and walked two, both free passes coming in the sixth.

"Zack looked good," Bieser said.

Junior Hank Williams Jr. recorded the three sixth-inning outs after relieving Smith. He allowed one hit and was on the mound for Lennington's dazzling play.

Southeast outhit EKU 10-7. Freshman right fielder Clayton Evans, junior first baseman Matt Tellor and junior center fielder Cole Bieser all had two hits for the Redhawks.

Evans, whose .352 batting average ranks second on the team, scored twice and freshman shortstop Branden Boggetto accounted for Southeast's only RBI as the Redhawks took advantage of four EKU errors.

The Redhawks, after banging out 24 hits in the first two games of the series, managed 10 more hits in Saturday's nightcap -- but just four over the first six innings -- as they were outhit for the first time in the series 11-10.

Southeast trailed 7-0 until scoring its only run in the seventh inning on an RBI single by sophomore DH Ryan Barnes.

"I think we came out a little flat," Lennington said.

Junior Brent Cobb helped the Colonels avoid a sweep with eight stellar innings. He allowed one run, eight hits and two walks while striking out seven.

"He was very good," Steve Bieser said. "He controlled the inside part of the plate and really made it difficult on our hitters. You have to give him credit."

Freshman starter Alex Winkelman (2-3) was also solid despite taking the loss. The left-hander gave up two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two.

"I thought Alex was good. He eliminated any big innings," Bieser said. "All three starters this weekend gave us a chance to win."

Southeast's bullpen, one of the squad's strengths so far this season, finally hit a rough patch. EKU, ahead 2-0, broke the game open with a five-run seventh inning.

Freshman Alex Siddle was Southeast's most effective reliever, firing two scoreless innings.

Barnes went 3 for 4 and leads the Redhawks with a .353 average.

"Ryan did a great job of barreling up the ball today," Bieser said.

Cole Bieser had two hits and made a diving, highlight-reel catch that saved at least one run and matched Lennington's gem even though it came in defeat.

"That was quite a catch," Steve Bieser said of his son's play.

Southeast returns to action Tuesday, visiting Saint Louis University for a 3 p.m. nonconference matchup. The Billikens beat the Redhawks 8-4 in Cape Girardeau on Feb. 26.