Southeast Missouri State baseball team follows nail-biters with 12-1 win vs. SIUE

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team knew that it couldn't get comfortable with any kind of lead in the finale of its three-game series against SIU Edwardsville.

The Redhawks had seen four-run leads disappear in the first two games of the series and squeaked out one-run wins, but that was definitely not the case Sunday as they rolled to a 12-1 victory to complete the series sweep of the Cougars at Capaha Field.

"I think we put the pressure on us throughout the game because we knew for a fact that even though we're up six or seven runs, we knew what they could do, and I think that's what pushed us today just to keep scoring runs and not be satisfied," Southeast left fielder Derek Gibson said. "I think that's been this team's attitude the whole year. We're never satisfied. We want to make the most of every single day and we come out and work hard and get the most out of what we have."

Southeast coach Steve Bieser was pleased with how his team handily defeated SIUE, especially after the 8-7 walk-off wins on both Friday and Saturday.

"I think that says something about our ball club because we could've came in and just said, 'Well, we've got two,' and been satisfied," Bieser said. "But they were hungry. They wanted to finish this series off the right way and they stretched that lead out. I think they learned something from the games before that they can't let up at all or they're going to be right back in there and put some pressure on you. So they kept the hammer down and didn't allow them to get back in the game."

Southeast Missouri State’s Derek Gibson is congratulated by teammates on his way back to the dugout after hitting a grand slam against SIUE during the eighth inning Sunday at Capaha Field. Southeast won 12-1. (Fred Lynch)

Southeast, which extended its winning streak to seven games, improved to 21-10 overall and 13-2 in the OVC to remain in first place in the standings exactly midway through its conference schedule.

The Cougars (10-19 overall, 8-7 OVC) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning off Southeast starting pitcher Travis Hayes, who hadn't pitched since March 23 due to a strained side. Hayes walked left fielder Nick Lombardo to lead off the game. Lombardo stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.

Other than that, Hayes didn't have much trouble on his 22nd birthday. He pitched a complete game to improve to 4-0 on the season. He gave up eight hits, walked two batters and struck out five.

"He had two weeks rest, and sometimes you worry when a guy doesn't get that routine start every week that he could lose some command, and we saw him start just a little shaky, but he settled down in quickly and made those adjustments," Bieser said. "He just kind of cruised right through the game. He was making good pitches, and when he got in some trouble, he really beared down and made some excellent pitches to get himself out of it. What a nice birthday present to go out and throw as well as he did."

Hayes was quick to credit his teammates and specifically mentioned a play when the Redhawks trailed in the top of the third inning.

Southeast Missouri State’s Derek Gibson belts his grand slam against SIUE.

SIUE catcher Zach Little hit a leadoff single to left field but was thrown out by Gibson as he tried to stretch it into a double.

"The complete game is cool, but the biggest thing is that we won today and we completed the sweep and that everybody played well because really, everybody did behind me," Hayes said. "My defense was outstanding -- [shortstop] Andy Lack was great up the middle today, Cole [Bieser] was great in center, DG [Derek Gibson] threw that guy out early in the game.

"That really was one of the bigger plays in the game because that could've kind of led to a bigger inning because I walked the next guy. But because he threw that guy out, it was one pitch and one out instead of one pitch and a double."

Southeast knotted it 1-1 in the home half of the inning when first baseman Matt Tellor hit a bases loaded sacrifice fly to center to score Lack.

"I think when we got down one, we're like, 'They came to play today. We better turn it on because it's not going to be an easy game to win,'" designated hitter Branden Boggetto said. "And really we just snapped out of it."

Southeast Missouri State’s Cole Bieser reaches second base safely with a double as SIUE second baseman Chase Green looks for the call during the eighth inning Sunday.

Boggetto gave Southeast a lead it never relinquished when he hit a two-out, two-run home run to left field in the fourth inning.

"I think any coach would say that's the most satisfying thing is whenever you do it as a team," Bieser said. "You're not relying on one guy. Each guy on each different day could come up big, and that's what we've seen, I think, most of this year. It's never been the same guy; it's always been somebody else contributing. Branden Boggetto offensively today just really jumped in there and gave us that 3-1 lead, which really allowed us to settle in and play as well as we did."

The Redhawks added to the lead in the fifth when Gibson sent an RBI double to right-center and then scored when third baseman Andy Lennington singled to left field to make it 5-1.

Second baseman Jason Blum executed a safety squeeze bunt in the sixth to score Boggetto, and Lennington got a base hit in the seventh to drive in Tellor, who'd led off the inning with a double to give the Redhawks a six-run cushion.

The Redhawks secured their sweep with five runs in the eighth.

Bieser and Boggetto hit back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning, and Gibson later smashed his second career grand slam to right field.

The Redhawks have swept four of their five conference series this season, but by no means are they comfortable with where they are.

"I don't think we ever play our best baseball because I think if we said we were playing our best, I think we're setting limits on ourselves, and we don't set limits for ourselves," Gibson said. "We have no limits, and I think with this team the sky's the limit. We can go as far as we want to go. We're going to come out this week and we're going to try to get better. We had a great weekend and we know that to play in Division I baseball you've got to keep getting better or somebody else is going to [catch] you. I'm real excited about this week ahead and I think we're going to get better and get back after it."

Southeast hosts SIU Carbondale at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Capaha Field with Alex Winkelman getting the start on the mound. There will be a free tailgate provided by John A. Huber Brewing Company.