Southeast Missouri State baseball rocks UT Martin as Redhawk bats explode

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team blasted eight home runs as it routed Tennessee Martin 26-2 to complete the three-game sweep of the Skyhawks on Saturday in Martin, Tennessee.

The eight home runs are the most any NCAA Division I team has hit in a single game this season and the most by the Redhawks since March 28, 2010.

The Redhawks extended their winning streak to seven games and improved to 17-8 and 9-0 in the OVC.

"A lot of things went right for us today. I thought our guys were locked in and taking really good swings and a lot of good things happened," Southeast coach Steve Bieser said in a press release. "Not too often do you see eight home runs in a game and none of these were cheap either. The team hit well and we barreled the bat up really well. This is a hitters-friendly ballpark with solid dimensions but when you do hit it well, it goes in this park."

Five of the Redhawks homers came in a nine-run second inning.

Southeast already held a 1-0 lead after one when Chris Caffrey sent a two-out single up the middle to drive in second baseman Trevor Ezell, who led off the game with a walk.

Catcher Brian Lees started the home run derby with a one-out shot to left.

Right fielder Hunter Leeper hit a two-RBI double to center before left fielder Garrett Gandolfo and shortstop Branden Boggetto followed with back to back homers.

Caffrey walked and then first baseman Ryan Rippee and center fielder Dan Holst hit consecutive home runs to make it 10-0.

Leeper made it 12-0 with a two-run homer to center in the top of the fifth.

Rippee had an RBI single to make it 13-0 after five.

Gandolfo and Boggetto each hit RBI singles with one out in the sixth to extend the Redhawks' lead to 15-0.

Kylar Robertson drew a walk to load the bases with two outs when Chris Osborne was brought in to pinch hit and sent an 0-2 pitch over the wall in right center for a grand slam to make it 19-0.

Costello had an RBI single in the top of the seventh and scored on a groundout before Robertson blasted a two-run shot for Southeast's final home run to make it 23-0 after seven.

The Redhawks went up 24 runs on an RBI single by third baseman Andy Lack in the top of th eighth before the Skyhawks got on the board.

A hit batsman, single and walk loaded the bases with one out when second baseman Mike Murphy singled to left field to make it 24-1.

The Redhawks scored twice in the top of the ninth, including an RBI single by freshman Garret Reynolds for his first career hit.

UTM plated one run in the final frame.

Southeast scattered 31 hits in the game and did not commit an error. The Redhawks' 26 runs were the most since they scored 27 against Freed-Hardeman in 2007.

Rippee went 4-for-7 with 3 RBIs while Costello was 4-for-4 and drove in one run.

Gandolfo (3-for-6), Boggetto (3-for-7), Lees (3-for-4) and Lack (3-for-7) each had three hits while Ezell, Leeper and catcher Scott Mitchell each recorded two.

UTM had nine hits in the contest. The Skyhawks didn't have a hit in the first three innings against LHP Robert Beltran, who improved to 3-1 with the win.

Beltran allowed three hits with four walks and eight strikeouts in five innings of work.

"I think the long delays in the game effected Robert a little because four walks in uncharacteristic of him," Bieser said. "Sometimes you lose focus as your team scores a lot of runs for you. We decided that five innings was enough for him today leading into a couple extra days of rest for him."

Alex Siddle and Jake Busiek each pitched a scoreless frame. Siddle did not allow a hit or walk a batter in the sixth, striking out one. Busiek allowed one hit and had one strikeout in the seventh.

Brady Wright allowed one earned run in 1/3 of the bottom of the eighth on two hits with a walk and a strikeout. Zach Moore relieved him and got a double play to end the inning.

Justin Murphy gave up the final earned run in the ninth on three hits with no walks and one strikeout.

First baseman Nick Pribble and left fielder Andrew Castillo each went 2-for-4 to pace the Skyhawks.

Dom Bazzani took the loss on the mound to drop to 0-5. He allowed the first 10 earned runs on nine hits with four walks and three strikeouts. UTM used nine pitchers in the series finale as it dropped to 7-17 and 2-7 in conference.

Southeast faces Maryville at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Capaha Field before hosting SIU Edwardsville for a three-game conference series beginning 6 p.m. Friday.