Southeast Missouri State baseball team wins series opener vs. SIUE

The usual suspects helped Southeast Missouri State move one step closer to a record 18th consecutive Ohio Valley Conference tournament berth.

But some of the Redhawks' less heralded players were the big stars when Southeast opened its final regular-season series in resounding fashion.

Southeast hammered one of the OVC's premier pitchers and rolled past visiting SIU Edwardsville 9-4 on Thursday night.

The squads square off at 2 p.m. today and finish the series with Saturday's 1 p.m. senior day contest.

"It was a huge win for us," Southeast senior catcher Jesse Tierney said. "But we've got two big games left."

Southeast (20-33, 11-14) is tied with Morehead State for sixth place in the 10-team OVC. Tennessee Tech is a half-game back because the Eagles have played one less league contest due to a rainout. All three squads won Thursday.

The Redhawks and Morehead are tied for fifth for OVC tournament purposes because fifth-place SIUE is not eligible for the event this season during its final year of the Division I reclassification process.

The top six finishers qualify for the tournament, so Southeast, Morehead and Tech are battling for the final two tourney berths with two league games remaining.

"Everything basically stayed the same today. Nothing is finished, but it's good to start off this way," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad is 8-5 in its last 13 OVC contests after beginning conference play 3-9.

First-year OVC member SIUE (26-27, 12-13), which would be in line for a tournament berth if eligible, trotted out sophomore Travis Felax, whose 3.08 ERA ranked fifth in the league.

Felax (6-5), a sophomore coming off a complete-game win in which he held OVC power Jacksonville State to one run, allowed season highs in runs (nine) and hits (13) while lasting just five innings.

"We all had good approaches at the plate," Tierney said. "We got to him early and often."

True freshman DH Ryan Barnes, Tierney and senior second baseman Taylor Heon, Southeast's Nos. 7 through 9 batters in the lineup who all entered play hitting .222 or less, combined to go 7 for 12 with five RBIs and seven runs scored.

"Any time you can get that part of the lineup working, it's big," Heon said.

Barnes went 3 for 4 with a double and three runs scored. Tierney went 2 for 4 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored, while Heon went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

"We've got those seniors [Tierney and Heon] packed down there," Hogan said. "They've produced for us since they've been here."

Heon had one of the game's biggest blows, a three-run homer to cap Southeast's four-run second inning that included Tierney's RBI double. It was Heon's second homer of the season and of his Southeast career.

"It felt good," said Heon, a former junior college transfer. "We got to them early. We got momentum, and it stayed that way."

Senior shortstop Kenton Parmley had the other key blow, a three-run homer to highlight Southeast's four-run fifth inning that made it 9-2. It was Parmley's 10th home run of the season.

But Parmley's night soon was over. SIUE reliever Drew Staples sailed a pitch over Parmley's head during his next at-bat, which came during the seventh inning.

Parmley, who evidently was unhappy with the delivery that came a bit too close, took a few steps toward the mound before retreating.

Hogan came out to try to calm down Parmley, but Parmley apparently said something to home plate umpire Mark McDonald and was ejected. Parmley will have to miss today's game per OVC rules.

"One of our best players, if not the best," Hogan said. "It's going to be difficult. It's going to add a challenge."

Southeast's top hitters this season, including Parmley, did their share of damage.

Sophomore left fielder Derek Gibson went 3 for 4. All-American senior third baseman Trenton Moses added two of the Redhawks' 14 hits.

Moses, who has a 21-game hitting streak, has reached base safely in a school-record 73 straight contests. Neither the OVC nor NCAA keeps a record for that category.

"We hit up and down the lineup," Tierney said.

True freshman left-hander Will Spitzfaden was Southeast's surprise starter after Hogan pushed back junior ace Shae Simmons one day because Simmons has thrown an abundance of pitches in recent outings.

Spitzfaden (2-2), who was making his first OVC start, allowed four runs, two earned, and five hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out one and walked three.

"It was very exciting," Spitzfaden said. "I had the butterflies before the game."

Spitzfaden didn't show it. He gave up just three hits and two unearned runs through five innings.

"He just threw great," Hogan said. "He's got a lot of poise."

Southeast's bullpen also was strong. Three junior college transfers did not give up a run.

Michael Patman worked 1 1/3 innings, left-hander Ryan Kendall fired off 1 1/3 perfect innings and Trevor Kill hurled the final frame.

"A very solid performance by all of those guys," Hogan said.