Southeast Missouri State baseball team gives up late lead in loss to Ole Miss

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team was able to keep up with nationally-ranked Ole Miss on Wednesday night, but with the game tied at 4-all after 7 1/2 innings, the Rebels plated two runs in the bottom of the eighth to come away with a 6-4 victory at Swayze Field in Oxford, Mississippi.

"I thought we responded really well after last night's game and not playing very competitively," Southeast coach Steve Bieser said in a press release. "In the end, it's a loss, and it's upsetting we had a chance to put this game away in our favor but couldn't close it out."

Left-handed pitcher Adam Pennington, who made his first start as a Redhawk, gave way to righty reliever Brady Wright in the eighth.

A leadoff single, walk and bunt single loaded the bases with no outs, and RHP Justin Murphy took over on the mound.

The Redhawks managed to get the leadoff runner out at home after a grounder to third, but the winning runs scored on a two-run single by pinch hitter Holt Perdzock. Wright (0-2) took the loss.

Ole Miss, the 13th-ranked team in the nation, took a 1-0 lead in the home half of the first. Will Golsan singled, advanced to third on a double by J.B. Woodman and scored on a sac fly by Colby Bortles.

Southeast tied it up in the top of the second. Left fielder Garrett Gandolfo, the only Redhawk with multiple hits in the game, sent a one-out single up the middle, and first baseman Ryan Rippee reached on an error by the third baseman in the next at-bat. Designated hitter Kylar Robinson sent a two-out base hit to left to score Gandolfo and make it 1-1.

A single and an error by shortstop Branden Boggetto brought up J.B. Woodman with one out in the bottom of the third. Woodman, who went 2 for 4, singled to right to make it 2-1 Ole Miss.

"We ended up with some errors in the game, but those errors were errors made on aggressive play making," Bieser said.

Southeast held a 4-2 lead after six innings. Second baseman Trevor Ezell and center fielder Dan Holst drew back-to-back walks to start the frame before Ole Miss brought in a reliever.

Boggetto reached on an error at third to load the bases with no outs.

A lineout and strikeout brought up catcher Brian Lees, who singled through the right side to drive in a pair.

Lees got caught in a rundown, but Boggetto scored before the final out was made to give the Redhawks a two-run cushion.

"One of the things I'd like to see us do is be more clutch in our at-bats," Bieser said. "We finally had a really clutch at-bat from Brian [Lees] when we had bases loaded. That really excited the team and got the team involved."

Golsan, who was 2 for 4, retied it with a two-out, two-run home run to left in the bottom of the seventh. The Redhawks' second error of the game came earlier in the inning.

It was the final inning of work for Pennington, who allowed four earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts. He did not walk a batter.

"I thought Adam was phenomenal," Bieser said. "He had a shaky first inning but then really settled in and was able to throw three pitches for strikes. One of the things he was able to do well was spot his fastball on the inside corner and lock up a lot of hitters. His late go-to pitch was his changeup that had great late-life."

Southeast, which recorded five hits in the contest, drew a walk in the top of the eighth but nothing else over the final two innings, as Ole Miss (12-1) held on for its seventh straight win.

Reliever Wyatt Short, one of five Rebels who pitched in the game, got his first win. He pitched the final 1 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings. He did not issue a walk and struck out a pair.

The Redhawks (6-7) begin Ohio Valley Conference action with a three-game series this weekend at Eastern Kentucky. Game 1 is set for 3 p.m. Friday in Richmond, Kentucky.