Southeast Missouri State baseball team stages rally but falls 9-8 to Arkansas State

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team staged an impressive rally Tuesday night.

But an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning foiled the Redhawks' hopes of a comeback win.

Host Arkansas State used two seventh-inning errors and an RBI single to post a 9-8 nonconference victory in Jonesboro, Ark.

Southeast fell to 15-15 as the Redhawks saw their three-game winning streak end. The Red Wolves improved to 17-13 as they snapped a six-game losing streak.

Tuesday's contest marked the first of the two annual meetings between the squads. ASU comes to Cape Girardeau on April 16.

"You've got to give our guys credit for not giving up. They kept battling," Southeast coach Steve Bieser said.

The Redhawks, whose only lead was 2-0 after the top of the first inning, erased deficits of 6-2 after one inning and 8-4 after three innings.

Southeast forged an 8-8 deadlock with a three-run seventh inning that featured a double by junior first baseman Matt Tellor, an RBI double by sophomore DH Ryan Barnes and an RBI triple by freshman outfielder Clayton Evans. Evans scored on a wild pitch to tie the score.

ASU answered with its unearned run in the bottom of the seventh, then set Southeast down in order over the final two innings.

Tellor led Southeast's nine-hit attack by going 3 for 5 with a triple, two doubles and two RBIs.

Evans went 2 for 2 with a triple and two runs scored. He also reached base with a walk and was hit by a pitch.

Sophomore second baseman Jason Blum added two hits and two RBIs.

ASU finished with 13 hits.

The Redhawks used six pitchers. Junior starter Hank Williams Jr. recorded just one out while facing seven batters. He was charged with ASU's six first-inning runs.

"That first inning got away from us," Bieser said. "Hank just didn't have it tonight."

Freshman Tyler Thomas fired two scoreless frames, allowing one hit.

Junior left-hander Skylar Cobb, a Scott City High School graduate, worked the Redhawks' only perfect inning.

Freshman lefty Alex Winkelman also hurled a scoreless frame.

Senior Trevor Kill (0-1) was charged with the unearned run in the seventh inning and took the loss.

Southeast resumes Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at SIU Edwardsville. Starting times are 6 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Redhawks are 7-5 in the OVC, good for fifth place in the 11-team league. The seventh-place Cougars are 5-7.