Southeast Missouri State baseball team's winning streak snapped with loss at SIU Edwardsville

The usually high-scoring Southeast Missouri State baseball team was shut out over the final seven innings of its series opener against Ohio Valley Conference foe SIU Edwardsville on Friday afternoon en route to an 8-4 loss at Simmons Complex in Edwardsville, Illinois.

The defeat halted the Redhawks' winning streak at six games and dropped them to 15-10 overall and 7-3 in conference play.

The Cougars (9-11, 9-1 OVC) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI double by Parker Guinn before Southeast recorded half of its eight hits of the game in the top of the second.

First baseman Ryan Rippee led off the inning with a base hit to center and scored to tie the game when shortstop Branden Boggetto doubled with two outs.

Center fielder Clayton Evans drew a walk to load the bases before second baseman Trevor Ezell reached on an error by the SIUE third baseman. Boggetto and left fielder Brendon Neel, who'd singled, scored on the error to go up 3-1.

Third baseman Jason Blum drove in the Redhawks' final run with a base hit to give Southeast a 4-1 lead going to the bottom of the second.

Southeast starter Travis Hayes gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning before walking back to back batters to load the bases with no outs.

The Redhawks turned a double play that got the lead runner trying to score and left runners on second and third with two outs.

The Cougars then scored on a throwing error by Blum and tied it at 4-4 with a double by second baseman Chase Green.

SIUE added a couple of runs on three hits in the bottom of the third to take a 6-4 lead.

Southeast scattered four hits over the final seven innings -- two in the fourth and one in each the seventh and eighth -- and did not have a base runner advance past second base.

The Cougars, who had 14 hits in the contest, scored a run in both the sixth and eighth innings for the final score.

Rippee, who was 2 for 4, was the only Redhawk with multiple hits. Leadoff batter and left fielder Nick Lombardo had three hits and three runs for the Cougars. First baseman Alec Saikal also recorded three hits.

Hayes (4-3) allowed seven runs, four earned, and 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work. He recorded three strikeouts and walked two batters in the loss.

Starter Ryan Daniels (2-3) was credited with the win for the Cougars. He gave up four runs, one earned, on six hits in five innings on the mound. He struck out four batters and walked one.

Ryan Agnitsch secured his first save of the season. He allowed just two hits in four innings of relief with two strikeouts and one walk.

Game 2 between the Redhawks and Cougars is set for 2 p.m. Saturday. Southeast's Joey Lucchesi and SIUE's PJ Schuster are scheduled to start on the mound.