Southeast Missouri State baseball team loses 10-0 to Arkansas

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team sported a somewhat surprising three-game winning streak against perennial national power Arkansas.

That ended Tuesday night when the Redhawks were blanked 10-0 by the 16th-ranked Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ark.

Southeast (27-17) and Arkansas (30-13) close out their two-game series at 6:35 p.m. today.

"The score looks ugly, but I don't think we had a bad performance," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad last faced Arkansas in 2002, when Southeast swept a two-game series.

Southeast, losers for just the third time in its last 14 games, fell to 3-5 all-time against Arkansas.

This one was never in doubt following a 33-minute rain delay before the contest started. The Razorbacks scored five first-inning runs and piled up an 8-0 lead through three innings.

"They came out quick," Hogan said.

The Redhawks, despite the lopsided result, had plenty of chances to make things interesting.

Southeast stranded 14 runners and left the bases loaded twice.

"It was a really frustrating night offensively because of all the action we had on the bases," Hogan said. "We had so many chances.

"We played good defense and we had some good spots pitching. If you make a mistake, they make you pay."

Junior college transfer left-hander Ryan Prickett, who has been solid out of the bullpen, made his first career start for Southeast.

Prickett (1-1) was touched for the five first-inning runs. He bounced back with a scoreless second inning. He ended up allowing seven hits.

"They just jumped all over him early," Hogan said. "It looked like he had good stuff, but they had good offensive execution."

The Razorbacks made it 8-0 against senior Nick Thomas in the third inning, but Southeast held Arkansas to just two runs after that.

Thomas was charged with four runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Senior left-hander Josh Syberg allowed one run and three hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Senior Kirk Boeller pitched a perfect eighth inning.

Southeast, which entered play ranked 16th nationally with a .316 batting average and eighth nationally with 46 home runs, had seven hits -- all singles by seven different players -- and received seven walks.

The Redhawks could not break through against a pitching staff that carried an impressive 3.17 ERA into the contest.

Arkansas starter Brandon Moore (3-1) scattered three hits over four innings for the win.

Dominic Ficociello and Collin Kuhn both had three hits to lead Arkansas. Ficociello hit his fourth home run of the season and drove in three runs.

Ficociello had the big blow of the first inning, a two-run blast.

Southeast will send senior left-hander Jordan Underwood to the mound today. Underwood, the Redhawks' No. 1 starter for conference play, is 4-0 with a 4.65 ERA.

Hogan said Underwood will be limited by a pitch count.

Freshman Ryne Stanek (2-1, 4.62) will start for the Razorbacks. He was drafted in the third round by the Mariners last year.