Southeast salvages finale of series at UTM

~ The Redhawks won 15-1 to keep a share of first place in the OVC

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team bounced back from Saturday's doubleheader loss in resounding fashion.

Southeast routed host Tennessee-Martin 15-1 on Sunday, after UTM swept Saturday's twin bill 12-4 and 6-3.

The Redhawks, who broke a four-game losing streak, improved to 21-14 overall and 8-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play. They are tied with Jacksonville State for first place in the nine-team league. Those squads square off this weekend in Jacksonville, Ala.

"Congratulations to our guys," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "It was really a tough day at the park [Satruday]. ... I was really proud of the way our guys played."

After UTM (18-17, 3-6) held Southeast's explosive offense in check for one of the few times this year Saturday, the Redhawks broke loose in the series finale.

Southeast, the OVC's top-hitting team and among the national leaders with a .354 average, banged out 17 hits, including two home runs.

Junior left fielder Michael Adamson had a huge day. He went 4 for 4 with a grand slam, six runs batted in and three runs scored. His seventh-inning slam extended the lead to 10-1.

Junior first baseman Brett Russell had three hits, including a homer, and scored three times. He also had three hits and a home run in Saturday's opener.

Junior second baseman Tim Rupp also recorded three hits, along with two RBIs.

Getting two hits apiece for the Redhawks were senior catcher Jim Klocke, junior right fielder Louie Haseltine and junior third baseman Casey Jones. Jones added two RBIs.

Klocke has a 23-game hitting streak, the longest by an OVC player this season.

After UTM reached Southeast pitching for 18 runs and 27 hits Saturday, junior left-hander Jordan Underwood dominated the Skyhawks.

Underwood, who has been Southeast's most effective starter in recent weeks, had his third straight strong outing during conference play. He went seven innings, allowing five hits and one run.

Underwood, who struck out four and walked four, improved to 4-3 and lowered his ERA to 3.99, the best among Southeast's starters and among the best in the league.

"He's really done a good job," Hogan said.

Despite the lopsided final score, the game was not decided when UTM loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth inning. Southeast led 6-1.

Underwood escaped the jam without damage. He got a fly ball to short center, then induced a double play ground ball.

Two Southeast relievers finished off what Underwood started with a scoreless inning each.

Junior Jacob Wente allowed just an eighth-inning walk, then standout freshman closer Shae Simmons from Scott City worked a perfect ninth.

Southeast grabbed a 2-0 second-inning lead on an RBI single by Rupp and sacrifice fly by junior DH Ky Burgess.

After UTM scored its only run in the bottom of the second, Southeast answered with a two-run fourth highlighted by Russell's leadoff homer.

Rupp's RBI single in the fifth made it 5-1 and Klocke's RBI double in the sixth made it 6-1. After Adamson's seventh-inning grand slam broke the game open, Southeast added five in the ninth.

Noteworthy

* The Redhawks return to action Tuesday with a 3 p.m. nonconference game at SIU-Carbondale. The Salukis beat the Redhawks 16-11 on April 6 in Cape Girardeau.

* Southeast has added a nonleague home contest Wednesday, against NAIA Harris-Stowe at 6 p.m.