Southeast Missouri State baseball team sweeps season-opening OVC series at EKU

It took a little longer than the Southeast Missouri State baseball team probably would've liked, but the Redhawks completed the sweep of Eastern Kentucky in their first Ohio Valley Conference series of the season with two wins in a doubleheader on Saturday in Richmond, Kentucky.

Southeast defeated the Colonels (7-8, 0-3 OVC) 7-3 in the first game of the day before finishing with a 4-1 victory in 12 innings.

The Redhawks improved to 9-7 and 3-0 in conference.

"After a long day of baseball, it was definitely worth the hard work we put in today," Southeast coach Steve Bieser said in a press release. "I like the toughness our team showed coming out and playing a doubleheader that featured 21 innings of baseball against a solid team. EKU is a very offensive team who will do a lot of good things in the conference this season; they are a very dangerous team to pitch to. They did a good job of slowing us down on the mound, but I like the way our team hung in there."

EKU, which entered the weekend as the second-best offensive team in the OVC, hit .178 during the three-game series and scored five runs.

The Colonels recorded six hits in the first game on Saturday and five in Game 2.

Southeast didn't trail in either game. The Redhawks took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first in Game 1.

Right fielder Daniel Costello and center fielder Dan Holst drew walks and scored when shortstop Branden Boggetto doubled to right center. Left fielder Garrett Gandolfo drove in Boggetto.

Southeast added a run in the second on an RBI groundout by Boggetto, who had three RBIs.

First baseman Ryan Rippee led off the third with a double to left center and designated hitter Chris Osborne, who went 2 for 3 in the game with three RBIs, followed with a two-run home run to right to make it 5-0 Southeast.

Osborne hit a solo homer to right center in the fifth to put the Redhawks up six.

"Chris really did an amazing job today, especially on his birthday," Bieser said. "A lot of guys did good things in the doubleheader, but I am very pleased with his performance. He's got some thunder in his bat, and when he barrels it up, he can really let it fly."

Redhawks starting pitcher Clay Chandler was perfect through the first four innings of the game. In the bottom of the fifth he gave up a leadoff double to first baseman Ben Fisher. Center fielder Shea Sullivan followed with a single.

Second baseman Cole Warrenfetlz singled to drive in Fisher, and then got caught in a rundown, allowing Sullivan to score and cut it to 7-2.

EKU's final run came on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth off reliever Matthew Wade.

Chandler, who allowed two earned runs on five hits with only one walk and seven strikeouts in five innings, improved to 2-0 with the victory. Justin Murphy recorded his third save of the season, pitching a perfect 1 1/3 inning to close out the game.

Neither team scored until the ninth in Game 2.

Southeast, which recorded 12 hits in the contest, stranded the bases loaded in the top of the third. EKU's only base runner over the first five innings against starting pitcher Robert Beltran reached on a fielding error by second baseman Trevor Ezell in the bottom of the third and was erased with a double play.

Rippee and catcher Brian Lees hit back to back singles in the ninth before designated hitter Chris Caffrey, who was 2 for 2 in the game, was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A sacrifice fly by third baseman Hunter Leeper plated the first run of the game.

Robert Beltran issued a one-out walk to left fielder Kyle Nowlin in the bottom of the ninth before exiting the game.

EKU third baseman Mandy Alvarez doubled down the left-field line off Murphy to tie the game at 1-1. The earned run was tagged to Beltran, who allowed only two hits and two walks in 8 1/3 innings. He struck out six.

Murphy recorded a strikeout and got Sullivan to pop out to strand Alvarez on third and send it to extra innings.

Southeast left runners on the corners in the 10th and runners on first and second in the 11th. Murphy retired the Colonels in order in both frames.

Four straight two-out singles in the top of the 12th gave the Redhawks the lead for good.

Boggetto, who went 2 for 6 at the plate, got things going for the Redhawks with a single to right followed by a base hit from Gandolfo.

Rippee, who went 3 for 6 in the game, drove in Boggetto with a single, and Gandolfo scored on a base hit by Lees (2 for 6).

The Redhawks went ahead 4-1 when Rippee scored on a throwing error at short on a fielder's choice.

Murphy gave up two one-out singles in the home half of the inning, but got the next two batters to fly out to secure the victory.

The right-handed pitcher picked up his first win of the season. He did not allow a run in 3 2/3 innings of work. He gave up three hits, struck out two and did not issue a walk.

"The real credit goes to our pitching staff," Bieser said. "When they continue to work, they keep us in the game. It's always a benefit when you can rely on your pitching staff, and they've done a tremendous job of allowing us to do that so far this season."

Nick Cumpston (2-1) took the loss in Game 2, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits as he pitched the final 1 1/3 innings. He struck out four. Starter Alex Hamilton pitched seven scoreless, giving up four hits, three walks and striking out a pair.

Starter Hunter Dunn (1-2) was the losing pitcher in the first game after going just four innings. He allowed six runs, five earned, on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

The Redhawks travel to Columbia, Missouri, to face Missouri in a 6:30 p.m. game Tuesday and a 4 p.m. game Wednesday.

Southeast hosts Morehead State in a three-game OVC series next weekend. The series opener is set for 3 p.m. Friday at Capaha Field followed by a 2 p.m. Saturday game and the series final at 1 p.m. Sunday.