Southeast pulls off dramatic sweep of SDSU

~ Matt Wulfers provided a walkoff home run in the opener, while the Redhawks won the second game with just one hit.

There were plenty of goosebumps to go around Saturday afternoon at Capaha Field, and it couldn't all be attributed to the blustery, damp, 40-something degree conditions.

Those die-hard Southeast Missouri State baseball fans that braved the less-than-ideal conditions were treated to a dramatic sweep of South Dakota State University.

After Matt Wulfers blasted a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Southeast a 7-4 victory in the opener, Southeast broke up a no-hitter in the eighth inning of a scoreless nightcap and won 1-0.

The victories improved Southeast's record to 4-2, while SDSU fell to 4-5.

Southeast Missouri State's Josh Parham threw a pitch against South Dakota State after relieving starter Josh Syberg in the first game at Capaha Field Sunday. (Fred Lynch)

Wulfers, a former Notre Dame High School star who transferred from the University of Missouri, had three of Southeast's 10 hits on the day, including a leadoff double in the eighth inning of the second game that spoiled the no-hitter. The lone second-game hit for Southeast set the stage for the game's only run, which scored on a two-out, bases-loaded balk.

Both team's had a three-run inning in the opener. Southeast took a 3-1 lead in the first, with Phillip Riley and Jim Klocke picking up RBI singles. The Jackrabbits went ahead 4-3 in the third off Southeast starter Josh Syberg. The Redhawks pulled even in the fifth inning with the day's only unearned run.

Syberg pitched into the seventh inning, allowing eight hits and four earned runs. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. After Nick Adams touched Syberg for a two-out double, Josh Parham relieved and retired No. 3 hitter Jake Rogers on a flyout to left field.

Jake Angier relieved SDSU starter Matt Bowman to start the seventh and obtained the first out. Dalton Decker then replaced Angier, and Southeast promptly started its game-winning rally with a single by Asif Shah. After Shah was erased on a fielder's choice, Riley extended the inning with a single. Wulfers, a sophomore who hits from the left side, then ended the game with a three-run blast.

Parham (1-0), a left-hander who graduated from Jackson High School, collected his first win of the season.

The late fireworks yielded to a pitchers' duel in the second game, as the Jackrabbits' Caleb Thielbar and and the Redhawks' Shah paired off. While Thielbar threw a no-hitter through seven innings, Shah was nearly his equal, allowing two hits.

Both pitchers worked into the eighth. Shah allowed his third hit in the top of the inning, but worked out of a one-out jam that had the potential winning run at second base.

Thielbar started the eighth and gave up a leadoff double to Wulfers down the left-field line. Dustin Pritchett was intentionally walked, and Thielbar was lifted after Klocke flied to center. Kirby Morsching relieved and loaded the bases with a one-out walk to Daryl Graham.

Morsching looked like he might escape the jam when Wulfers was forced at home on a grounder by Brent Lawson. But the Jackrabbits reliever was called for a balk with leadoff hitter Nick Harris at the plate, scoring Pritchett.

The run rewarded Shah (1-0) with his first victory. He allowed three hits, struck out eight and walked one.

The Jackrabbits claimed the opener of the the three-game series Friday, winning 5-2.