Southeast sweeps first home doubleheader

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team swept a doubleheader from Jackson State in the Redhawks' home debut Saturday at Capaha Field.

Southeast was outhit 11-6 and held off a late comeback to win the first game 7-5, then completed a comeback of its own during an 8-7 win in the nightcap.

With help from Phillip Riley's two-run double, the Redhawks (3-3) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of the opener and led 5-1 after four innings.

Jackson State (4-5) made it 5-4 in the top of the fifth, but Southeast countered with two runs of its own.

After a scoreless sixth inning for both squads, Jackson State scoerd one run on three hits off Redhawks reliever Mike Taylor to make it 7-5.

Riley relieved Taylor with one out and walked the first batter to load the bases before striking out the next two batters. The save was the first of the season for Riley, a junior college transfer who is also the Redhawks' regular third baseman.

Anthony Maupin (1-0) earned the win for Southeast, giving up four earned runs off five hits and striking out four in four innings.

Jackson native Josh Parham pitched two innings in relief for Southeast, allowing no runs and three hits.

Redhawks rally in nightcap

In the second contest, Southeast fell behind 5-0. Jackson State knocked out starter Derek Herbig with three runs in the third inning. Herbig departed after giving up six hits.

Asif Shah allowed two runs in the fourth as Southeast fell even further behind.

The Redhawks scored three times in the fourth, then took a 7-5 lead with a four-run fifth, highlighted by Chad Mercado's two-out, two-RBI double that made the score 6-5.

JSU tied it with two in the sixth off Shah.

Southeast went ahead for good in the bottom of the sixth as freshman Aaron Rave's one-out single drove in Shah.

Freshman Andrew Graham picked up his first collegiate victory with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief.

Riley earned his second save of the day by retiring the final batter in the seventh.

Southeast matched JSU with 10 hits. Rave had three, while Riley added two.

"It's nice to win these two games," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "We got some clutch performances from different people.

"Jackson State has a very good hitting team. They're never out of a game."

The Redhawks will go for the sweep of the three-game series in today's 1 p.m., nine-inning contest at Capaha Field.