Southeast Missouri State's Lucchesi earns OVC Pitcher of the Week

Southeast Missouri State junior left-hander Joey Lucchesi has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week after striking out 11 batters in a 10-0 road win against SIU Edwardsville on Saturday.

Lucchesi allowed just two hits in throwing seven innings, combining with Brady Wright and Ryan Lenaburg for the shutout.

Lucchesi's performance came after an 8-4 loss to SIUE a day earlier and pulled the Redhawks to within one game of the OVC-leading Cougars. Southeast (17-0, 9-3 OVC) caught SIUE in the standings with a 22-8 victory Sunday.

Lucchesi (4-0) took a no-hitter into the fifth inning in recording his fourth straight win. He has not allowed a run in his last two starts, which covers 14 innings.

Lucchesi has a 3.82 ERA on the season and is holding opponents to a .218 batting average. He has struck out 32 batters over 30 2/3 innings, allowing 24 hits -- only three for extra bases -- and walking 11.

Southeast Missouri State's Joey Lucchesi pitches to a UT Marin batter in the second inning Saturday, March 21, 2015 at Capaha Field. (Glenn Landberg)

The 6- foot-4, 200-pound Lucchesi, who is from Newark, California, is in his first season at Southeast after playing two years at Chabot College in Hayward, California.

He is the first Redhawks pitcher to be honored by the OVC this season.

Southeast returns to action today when it hosts Arkansas State in a 6:30 p.m. nonconference game at Capaha Field.

-- From staff report