Southeast Missouri State baseball team faces Salukis in finale of homestand

~ Southeast will attempt to sweep the season series against SIU-Carbondale

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team will try to end its seven-game home- stand on a high note by sweeping the season series from regional rival Southern Illinois-Carbondale.

The Redhawks won this year's first meeting with the Salukis 14-8 on April 12 in Carbondale, Ill. The squads hook up in the rematch at 5 p.m. today, weather and field conditions permitting.

"It was a nice win for us when we beat them earlier," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad entered the season having lost four of the past five to SIU. "It won't be easy to do it again. We generally have good games with them."

The Redhawks are 24-15 overall and 8-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play. They are second in the nine-team league, just percentage points behind Austin Peay.

SIU is in a three-way tie for first place in the eight-team Missouri Valley Conference at 6-3 despite its distinction as the only MVC squad under .500 overall at 15-24.

Southeast is 5-1 so far on its homestand, the lone loss coming Friday against OVC rival Jacksonville State in the nightcap of a doubleheader. That snapped the Redhawks' eight-game winning streak.

"We've been playing really well and hopefully we can keep it going," said Hogan, whose club captured Friday's opener against Jacksonville State and had Saturday's series finale rained out.

The Redhawks banged out 18 hits, including three home runs and five doubles, in the first matchup against SIU.

Junior Trenton Moses homered, doubled twice and drove in a six runs.

Southeast is second in the OVC in both batting average (.314) and ERA (4.55) while leading the league in runs scored (269) and fielding percentage (.971).

SIU is hitting just .271, seventh in the MVC, and has scored the fewest runs (184). The Salukis are fourth in ERA (4.19) and seventh in fielding percentage (.956).

Chris Murphy leads the Salukis with a .315 average. Jordan Sivertsen is tied for second in the MVC with eight homers and sixth with 40 RBIs while batting .306.

Following today's game, the Redhawks resume OVC play this weekend with a three-game series at Murray State.