Southeast Missouri State baseball team drops series opener to Wright State

~ A line drive Friday killed a Redhawks' rally, and nearly a pitcher

Michael Schum used his arm and his head to beat the Southeast Missouri State baseball team Friday.

Schum pitched 4 2/3 dominant relief innings and was involved in one of the most unusual plays seen at Capaha Field in some time.

That combination led Wright State to a 6-5 victory in the opener of a three-game series. The Raiders rallied with runs in the eighth and ninth innings.

"That's three one-run games in a row we've had," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad lost 2-1 at Missouri State on Wednesday after beating the Bears 8-7 in 13 innings Tuesday. "It was a good game by both sides. You can't ask for much more."

Southeast could have asked for more during a bottom of the fifth inning that featured the weird play in question and prevented a bigger rally.

The Redhawks, who trailed 4-0 early, forged a 4-4 tie and went ahead for the first time during the fifth inning as Schum relieved starter Casey Henn with the bases loaded and one out.

Senior Blake Slattery, a Central High School graduate, gave Southeast a 5-4 lead with an RBI infield single. It would be the only hit off Schum.

With two outs and the bases still full, junior Kenton Parm-ley drilled a shot that hit Schum on the top of his head and knocked his hat off.

The ball bounced high in the air and was headed to short center field when second baseman Sam Picchiotti made a sliding catch before it hit the grass for the third out, saving at least two runs.

"It's the strangest play I've seen in years," Hogan said. "That should have been two runs, but it was a great play by their second baseman."

Almost as amazing as the play itself, Schum was none the worse for wear after being dinged.

Schum, who following the contest smiled and removed his cap to show where the ball struck him, was asked if he was stunned by the blow.

"Just at first. ... Picc made a heck of a play," Schum said.

Schum, a junior closer, did the rest as he kept Southeast hitless over the final four innings. He allowed just two runners on a walk and a hit batsman.

"I'm usually the end of the game guy, but I wanted to keep going," said Schum, who is already 5-1 with two saves.

Schum closed out Southeast in the ninth with the help of two more defensive gems.

Shortstop Justin Kopale went deep in the hole and threw out senior Casey Jones leading off.

First baseman Jake Hibberd then went all the way to the screen near home plate and made a sliding catch on a pop foul off the bat of senior Louie Haseltine. A strikeout ended the game.

The late-inning heroics by Schum and his defense allowed the Raiders to stage a rally after Southeast ace senior left-hander Jordan Underwood had settled down from a shaky start.

Underwood, pitching a season-high 7 2/3 innings, was in line for the win before WSU scored an unearned eighth-inning run to forge a 5-5 tie.

Underwood allowed a two-out single, followed by Southeast's only error of the day and a hit batter to load the bases.

Senior lefty Logan Mahon, who has been dominant out of the bullpen all year, relieved Underwood and gave up a tying single to Dan Marsh, who fouled off several pitches before delivering.

The Raiders scored the tie-breaking run in the ninth inning.

Mahon (2-3) hit Corey Davis with one out and walked Tristan Moore with two outs. Kyle Mossbarger singled up the middle with two strikes to plate Davis.

"They got big two-out hits," Hogan said. "It ended up being a heck of a game at the end."

Underwood was touched for season highs of seven hits and four runs through just three innings.

"They were hitting a lot of good pitches," Underwood said. "Give them credit."

The Raiders managed just two hits and the unearned run off Underwood over the next 4 2/3 innings. He finished with five strikeouts and two walks.

"I just kind of settled down, got a lot more comfortable, and the defense made some nice plays," said Underwood, 1-0 with an impressive 2.76 earned-run average.

"You have to give them credit early but Jordan really settled down," Hogan said.

Senior Tim Rupp's two-run homer off the left-field foul pole in the fourth inning tied things at 4-4. It was his second home run of the season.

Senior Michael Adamson and junior Jesse Tierney both had two of Southeast's 10 hits.

Hibberd, Kopale and Kody Krizman all had two of WSU's 11 hits.