Southeast Missouri State baseball team moves into tie for OVC lead with big win

Edwardsville, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State baseball coach Steve Bieser has a well thought out reason for every move that he makes with his team.

His decision to move freshman Peter Williams into the starting lineup for the first time in the Redhawks' season finale against SIU Edwardsville at the Simmons Baseball Complex on Sunday was made to give him the experience that he may need when he's called on later in the season.

It didn't hurt that the left fielder, who took his first at-bat as a Redhawk on Saturday, homered twice and had five RBIs as part of an 18-hit outburst by Southeast that led to a 22-8 defeat of the Cougars.

Defending OVC champion Southeast moved into a tie for first in the conference standings with SIUE as they improved to 9-3 in the OVC.

"Peter's just one of those guys, he's very laid back, he's a good player -- and we knew he was a good player from the onset," Bieser said. "We had some older guys, some upperclassmen that are good players, too, and we had to give them some opportunities, but what I started noticing is we get a little weak on the bench in some earlier games that we played and didn't have much maneuverability there without having a guy like Peter on our bench. So are we going to sit back and wait until the last two weeks of the season and we end up with a couple injuries like we've got right now and be in trouble without Peter having played all season long? Or do we need to make sure that Peter's ready to play down the stretch?

"And I think that what I decided was the fact that we needed to get him going now and get him in in the role he's going to play for us. He's not going to be an everyday player for us, but he's going to play in spot situations to where he's the best matchup as an outfielder out there. What I do know is he's going to be a very good bat off the bench and he can pinch run. He can do a lot of things to help us win a lot of ballgames, and that's why we needed to get him in there earlier as opposed to later in the year."

Williams' first collegiate hit and home run didn't come until the fourth inning when Southeast faced a 6-2 deficit.

Redhawks starter Alex Winkelman issued back-to-back walks with one out in the first inning before catcher Parker Guinn homered to left center to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead.

Redhawks right fielder Dalton Hewitt homered to left in the second to pull Southeast within 3-1, but SIUE answered in its half of the inning. Cougars center fielder Denton Reed reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt by Winkelman. Reed scored to make it 4-1 on a groundout.

Southeast plated one run on a double by second baseman Jason Blum in the top of the third, but SIUE shortstop Mario Tursi homered and left fielder Nick Lombardo had an RBI double that knocked Winkelman out of the game and extended the Cougars' lead to 6-2 after three.

Winkelman exited after allowing six earned runs on five hits over 2 2/3 innings. He walked six and struck out three.

"A starting pitcher has to be able to take his fastball and throw it for a strike anytime he wants," Bieser said. "If you're constantly nibbling and missing the plate, then eventually you've got to say, 'I've got to throw it right down the middle of the plate and make him earn it,' and I don't think he was willing to do that today. I think he was a little concerned about the conditions and worrying about getting hit, and that's why he got in the walk trouble. He gave up six walks, and you can't win ballgames if you're going to walk six guys. We had to go away from him early, and it's a good thing our bullpen picked him up."

Hewitt led off an eight-run, seven-hit fourth with a walk, and he scored after singles by catcher Scott Mitchell and shortstop Branden Boggetto to make it a three-run game.

Williams then hit a home run to left for his first career hit to knot the game at 6-6.

"I wasn't trying to do too much, just trying to get the ball up in the air and get a nice sac fly and got a little help from the wind, but I'll take it," Williams said with a smile.

Center fielder Clayton Evans, who went 3 for 4 and reached base five times, then doubled and Blum reached on an error at third. Designated hitter Garrett Gandolfo came through with an RBI single that put Southeast ahead for good.

Hewitt hit a two-out, two-run single to right to make it 9-6, and Mitchell drove in one more run to give Southeast a four-run cushion.

"The last couple wins have been a real team effort just because the hits are contagious -- once we get one we keep on rolling and the runs come," Williams said. "It's just a great feeling to win this series and know that we're on top right now."

Southeast added a couple of runs in the fifth on a two-out triple to center by first baseman Ryan Rippee to extend the lead to 12-6.

SIUE (9-13, 9-3 OVC) answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning, but the Redhawks scored four more in the sixth.

Williams hit a two-run home run to left to make it 14-7, and Hewitt sent a two-out single to right field that pushed the lead to 16-7.

Hewitt finished the game 3 for 3 with three walks, three runs and six RBIs.

"I don't think you can have much better of a game offensively than what Dalton had today," Bieser said. "I don't know that he swung at a ball outside of the strike zone. He waited and got into counts that made it favorable for him and he just came through in such clutch situations. They were just about to get out of the inning and slow everything down and Dalton comes up with a big two-out hit. Those are keys and those are difference-makers in the game, and I thought Dalton was the difference-maker in today's game."

The Cougars scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth.

Hewitt started a string of three consecutive two-out walks to load the bases in the eighth, and pinch hitter Nolan Fisher, who replaced Williams in the lineup, hit a grand slam to make it 20-8.

Hewitt came through with a sacrifice fly in the ninth, and pinch hitter Alex Burridge followed with a single to drive in the final run.

"With the winds gusting out today...we've been here before, and on days like today we know it's going to be a high-scoring game," Bieser said. "I think other teams may have quit early in the game whenever we got down like that, but they understood that there was a lot of game to be played. Honestly, I thought the score would probably be 16-14 today. I really thought it was just going to go back and forth and the team that was able to persevere through the challenges, mainly on the pitching staff, was going to win. ... I mean, you had to be tough enough on the pitching staff to know that if you go out there and you throw five innings today and give up five or six runs that's actually a good day today. I thought our bullpen was exceptional because they didn't give up those five or six runs. They gave up a couple runs and that was it."

Reliever Greg Mosel was credited with the win to improve to 3-1. He allowed two earned runs on one hit with three walks and three strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. Alex Siddle didn't allow a run and gave up just one hit over 2 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four. Matthew Wade pitched one scoreless inning with one walk and one strikeout.

Southeast improved to 18-10 overall with the victory. The Redhawks host Arkansas State at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Austin Peay will come to Capaha Field for a three-game OVC series beginning Thursday night. Games 2 and 3 are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

"I think obviously we're satisfied with the series win," Bieser said. "We wanted to come in here and play three very solid games. I thought we didn't play very well the opening night, but to be able to bounce back with that pressure on us that we've got to play good the next two games is very important. You've got to be pleased with any time you win a series."