Southeast Missouri State baseball team defeats nationally-ranked Missouri

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team took advantage of a fast offensive start and the pitching of junior Jacob Lawrence to snap a two-game losing streak with an 8-5 win over nationally-ranked Missouri on Tuesday at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.

The Redhawks struck for seven runs over the first two innings on their way to avenging an 11-inning loss to the Tigers during the 2014 season.

Six of the early runs came with two outs, and three were driven in by senior Andy Lennington. All seven runs were charged to Missouri senior right-handed starter John Miles (0-1), who lasted just 1 2/3 innings.

Meanwhile, Lawrence, a junior right-hander was superb in collecting his first victory as a Redhawk. The transfer from Eastern Oklahoma State College retired the first nine Tigers he faced and allowed just a bunt single over the first five innings. He allowed three runs, six hits, struck out seven and did not walk a batter over 7 2/3 innings.

Lawrence (1-0) entered the game with a 6.92 ERA, having given up 10 earned runs, 10 hits and issuing 11 walks over 13 innings.

The Ohio Valley Conference-leading Redhawks improved to 31-17, while the Tigers of the Southeastern Conference, ranked No. 21 in the Baseball America Top 25, fell to 28-21.

Southeast freshman third baseman Trevor Ezell had hits in each of the first three innings of the game and finished 4 for 6, leading the Redhawks' 14-hit attack.

Senior Dalton Hewitt added two hits and three RBIs, while junior Branden Boggetto had two hits and two RBIs.

Ezell opened the first inning with a double, stole second with one out and scored when Lennington's smash went off the glove of first baseman Zach Lavy for an error. After Hewitt flied out, Boggetto doubled to score junior Garrett Gandolfo, who had walked, and Lennington for a 3-0 lead.

Ezell started a four-run rally in the second inning with a two-out single with the bases empty. Senior Jason Blum reached on an infield single and Gandolfo drew his second walk to load the bases. Lennington drove home two runs with a single when Trey Harris was unable to make a diving catch in right field, knocking Miles out of the game.

Hewitt greeted junior left-hander Austin Tribby with a single to left field and advanced to third on the misplayed ball, scoring Gandolfo and Lennington for a 7-0 lead.

The Redhawks threatened to extend the lead in the third with another two-out rally but stranded the bases loaded.

Southeast increased its lead to 8-0 in the sixth inning with a two-out single by Hewitt that scored Blum.

Meanwhile, Lawrence made things look easy.

Brett Peel ended Lawrence's perfection with a leadoff bunt single to lead off the fourth inning, but Lawrence retired the next six batters before yielding a home run to freshman Shane Benes, the son of former Cardinals pitcher Andy Benes, to open the sixth inning to make it 8-1.

Peel finished with three of the six hits off Lawrence.

Travis Hayes relieved Lawrence with two runners on with two outs in the eighth and allowed a flair single to Jake Ring that scored both runners to cut the deficit to 8-3. Hayes struck out Ryan Howard to end the inning.

Hayes allowed three singles and a run in the ninth before giving way to senior Ryan Lenaburg with one out. Lenaburg obtained a force out on an RBI groundout by Benes to cut the lead to 8-5 before retiring Peel, the potential tying run, on a force play.

It was the first save for Lenaburg, who is unscored upon in his last 11 appearances.

Missouri had defeated Southeast 6-5 last year and still leads the season series 22-11.