Southeast Missouri State baseball team sweeps series from EKU

Southeast Missourian

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team used plenty of offense to remain perfect in Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend in Richmond, Ky.

Southeast scored a total of 37 runs and pounded 50 hits in sweeping its road series against Eastern Kentucky.

The Redhawks won 15-8 on Friday, then swept the Colonels in a doubleheader Saturday, winning 13-11 and 9-4 to improve to 6-0 in conference play.

Southeast, 13-6 overall, is on a seven-game winning streak.

The second game of Saturday's doubleheader had been scheduled for Sunday but was moved up due to a forecast that called for rain.

Designated-hitter Derek Gibson continued to feast on conference pitching. The reigning co-OVC Player of the Week was 7 for 8 in the first two games of the series with eight RBIs. He went 1 for 4 in the nightcap Saturday with an RBI.

Gibson had a pair of RBI doubles among his four hits in Saturday's first game. Right fielder Dalton Hewitt also went 4 for 5 with two RBIs, while center fielder Cole Bieser had three hits and catcher Cole Ferguson had two. Shortstop Brandon Boggetto had one hit but matched Gibson's three RBIs.

Southeast trailed 6-3 entering the fifth inning but pulled even on an RBI double by Gibson, which was followed by a two-run home run by first baseman Matt Tellor.

The Redhawks chased EKU starting pitcher Tanner Perkins (1-3) in a two-run sixth for an 8-6 lead. Ferguson's two-run single scored Bieser and Jason Blum.

Southeast added a single run in the seventh and four in the eighth for a 13-6 lead.

The Colonels (7-12, 1-5) made things interesting with a five-run ninth inning, but Brady Wright closed the door on the rally, retiring the only two batters he faced for his first save of the season. Wright came in after reliever Greg Mosel was touched for the five runs, all of which were earned.

Winning pitcher Ryan Lenaburg (2-1) allowed nine hits over the first seven innings. He struck out four and walked two. Mosel allowed three hits and walked one over 1 1/3 innings.

In the nightcap, Southeast snapped a 4-4 tie on an RBI single by Hewitt in the eighth inning and plated four insurance runs in the ninth with Hewitt providing a two-run double.

The runs made a winner of Alex Siddle (2-1), the Redhawks' third pitcher of the day. Siddle walked two and allowed one hit in one inning.

Mosel pitched a hitless ninth for his second save.

Reliever Cody Cramer (0-1), the third pitcher for the Colonels, took the loss. He allowed six hits and five runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Scott Mitchell had four hits in the Redhawks' 17-hit offensive. Andy Lennington and Clayton Evans both finished with three hits, while Blum and Hewitt both had two.

On Friday, Southeast found itself tied 4-4 after three innings but broke loose with five runs in the fourth off losing pitcher Brent Cobb (2-3). The outburst included a two-run double by left fielder Evans and a two-run triple by Bieser.

EKU scored at least one run in each of the first six innings and chased Redhawks starter Tyler Iago with two outs in the fifth. Christian Hull (1-1) pitched the final 4 1/3 innings for the win.

Hull allowed three hits, two walks and one run. He struck out three. Iago was touched for nine hits and seven runs -- all earned.

The Colonels crept to within 9-7 after five innings, but Southeast padded its lead with a two-run single by Gibson in the sixth.

EKU closed the gap to 11-8 with a run in the sixth, but the Redhawks retaliated with four runs in the eighth.

Blum, Gibson and Tellor all had three hits for Southeast. Boggetto added two hits.

Gibson and Tellor, the Nos. 4 and 5 batters, respectively, combined for eight RBIs. Gibson had five of the RBIs.