Southeast Missouri State baseball sweeps SIUE, improves to 12-0 in OVC

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team has proven itself to be versatile, and Sunday's performance was just another example.

The Redhawks continued to distance themselves as the top contenders in the Ohio Valley Conference, using three big innings and a group effort in the bullpen to complete the three-game series sweep of SIU Edwardsville with a 20-11 win at Capaha Field.

"We're excited more about the process than the results because when we do things right, the results follow, so we're trying to keep rolling," said Southeast junior Chris Caffrey, who finished 5 of 6 at the plate with a pair of RBIs. "It was a great team win today. Everybody pitched in."

The victory improves the Redhawks to 20-8 on the season, including a perfect 12-0 record in conference play. They've won 14 of their last 15 games, including each of their last 10.

"We're playing loose, and we're hitting our potential on all cylinders right now," Caffrey said. "Hopefully we can keep it going."

Southeast Missouri State's Dan Holst races toward home on a single by Chris Caffrey during the fourth inning.

Southeast took a 6-0 lead on five hits in the bottom of the first inning. Branden Boggetto plated a pair of runs with a one-out single to right field, followed by an RBI single from Caffrey that gave the Redhawks a 3-0 advantage. Daniel Costello continued the rally with an RBI double to right field before Brian Lees laced a two-run base hit up the middle to score two more and extend Southeast's lead to 6-0.

With a swirling wind blowing out to right field, Redhawks coach Steve Bieser said he anticipated a high-scoring affair.

"You knew runs were going to be put on the board the way the wind was blowing," Bieser said. "... You're expecting offense, and you've got to be able to score and put multiple runs and big innings together, so I'm really pleased with how they were able to put big innings together today."

Cougars starter Brendan Miller was replaced after Costello's hit and was tagged with the loss after 1/3 of an inning. He allowed five runs (all earned) on four hits with one walk before being replaced by Conner Buenger, the first of five SIUE relievers.

Southeast starter Robert Beltran threw two hitless innings until he encountered trouble in the top of the third. Two hits and a walk loaded the bases for SIUE leadoff hitter Alec Skender, who delivered an RBI single to right. Logan Anderson and Keaton Wright followed with back-to-back RBI singles, which prompted Bieser to turn to reliever Adam Pennington.

Southeast Missouri State's Brian Lees follows through on two-run single during the first inning.

SIUE (4-20, 2-10 OVC) cut its deficit to 6-5 when Dustin Woodcock plated a run on an RBI groundout, but Pennington recorded one of his game-high five strikeouts to end the threat.

Pennington saw the most action among the Redhawks' seven pitchers used. He retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced in four hitless innings, picking up his second win of the season.

A two-run home run by Kylar Robertson extended Southeast's lead to 8-5 in the bottom of the third, and Trevor Ezell led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot to right-center field, sparking a seven-run inning for the Redhawks.

"It definitely got a lot closer early in the game whenever we came back and gave them five runs back," Bieser said. "I had a lot of confidence that the offense was going to continue to score today."

Southeast loaded and turned the bases with seven players recording an RBI in the fourth. Buenger, who faced more batters than any other pitcher, was relieved by Ryan Agnitsch, and the Redhawks ended the inning with a 15-5 lead.

The offensive outburst reached its pinnacle in the bottom of the seventh when Daniel Costello, who finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, blasted a three-run home run just inside the right-field foul pole to give the Redhawks a 12-run lead.

Caffrey and Costello, the Nos. 5 and 6 hitters, respectively, combined for eight of Southeast's 20 hits, including three of the team's six extra-base hits.

Costello finished with a game-high five RBIs.

"He's been swinging the bat really well as of late, as he has all year. I mean, he had four hits over at Martin in a day, and he came out today and had a really solid game," Bieser said about Costello. "He's just a good hitter."

Caffrey's outing also proved to be crucial, as he filled in for an injured Ryan Rippee at first base.

"A lot of times when you move into a position that you're not extremely familiar with, it hurts you a little bit on the offensive side because you're so worried about making sure you're doing everything right defensively that you don't focus as much on the offense," Bieser said. "He did a good job. He's a good hitter.

"There's pop up and down our lineup from one to nine. Guys have some power there, so it makes our lineup pretty dangerous."

Rippee was injured Saturday when he recorded a hit but never made it out of the batter's box after collapsing in pain. The diagnosis is a dislocated knee, and Bieser said his star first baseman is currently listed as day to day.

Rippee is batting .281 on the season with a team-leading 28 RBIs. Bieser is hopeful he'll get the chance to see some action in this weekend's conference series at Austin Peay.

"Hate to see Ryan go down. We all love him, and he's going to be back in soon," Caffrey said. "Everybody on this team picks each other up, so we didn't freak out. We didn't panic."

Five relievers combined to pitch the final three innings for the Redhawks. Together, they gave up six runs (all earned) on seven hits with one strikeout and five walks.

Although there are still some questions surrounding Southeast's bullpen, Bieser said it's tough to evaluate their performance on a day that featured so much offense.

"Sometimes it's hard when you've got a 10-, 15-run lead to go out there and be really focused and locked in and able to use all your pitches because you're just going out there and saying, 'Hey, I've just got to throw enough strikes to make them put the ball in play and get out of here,'" Bieser said. "... We've just got to start finding those guys that are doing the job and start using them more."

Robertson finished with a pair of hits and four runs scored, while Garrett Gandolfo contributed three hits. Ezell, Lack and Lees also had multiple hits.

"Our pitching on the weekends has been dominant," Caffrey said. "We usually only have to score one or two on the weekends to get the win, so for our offense to kind of pick up the pitchers, instead of vice versa, it's kind of nice."

Southeast returns to action 6 p.m. Tuesday against Arkansas State at Capaha Field before resuming OVC play with a three-game series against Austin Peay, beginning Friday in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Regardless of his team's standing, Bieser doesn't foresee complacency becoming an issue as the year progresses.

"The day is a new day. What we did yesterday doesn't matter. We've got to go out today and prove it again, and they've responded to that so far," Bieser said. "There hasn't been really any let-up with this team. They continue to come out the next day, and it's a fresh start. They just get the job done.

"If you go back and look at some of the struggles that we went through early in the year -- maybe days where we were pitching really well and not swinging the bats as well, and vice versa -- they just found a way to win games. They feel confident when they walk out on the field that they're going to find a way to win. It doesn't have to be offensively. It doesn't have to be on the mound. They just find ways to put a game together, to find a solution to get a win."