Split forces playoff showdown

Southeast Missouri State didn't do enough Friday to nail down an Ohio Valley Conference tournament berth.

The Redhawks will have one last chance today when the regular season comes to a close.

After more than three months of baseball, the fate of both Southeast and Tennessee Tech has come down to today's 1 p.m. contest at Capaha Field that concludes a three-game series.

The winner earns the sixth and final spot in next week's OVC tournament. The loser puts away its gear for the season.

"That's about as much as you can ask for," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "For us to go to the conference tournament, we have to win; and it's the same opportunity for their side."

Today's scenario was set up by Friday's doubleheader split -- along with some other happenings around the league -- as Southeast won the nine-inning opener 10-5 and Tech claimed the seven-inning nightcap 9-5. A sweep for either team would have secured a spot in the conference tournament.

Tech (18-35, 11-15 OVC) remained in sixth place in the 10-team league. Southeast (20-31, 10-16) is seventh. A win today by the Redhawks forces a tie for sixth, but Southeast would slide into the tournament based on taking two of three from the Eagles.

"This is the situation we signed up for," Southeast second baseman Omar Padilla said. "It's a do-or-die game. I think it's awesome. We still have an opportunity. If you can't get up for that, you shouldn't be playing this game."

The Redhawks can largely thank Phillip Riley for giving them a chance to make the tournament for the 12th time in as many years under Hogan.

Anthony Maupin, Southeast's most consistent starter this season, was knocked out during the second inning of Friday's opener, as the Eagles scored five times to go ahead 5-0.

On came Riley, who might be the Redhawks' hardest thrower. He dominated the Eagles for the final 7 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits while striking out eight and walking three.

"I knew I had to probably give my best performance. I knew I had to give all I could," said Riley, a junior college transfer who improved to 3-4 after his longest outing of the season. "I knew if I could shut them down, our offense would come around."

It did, as the Redhawks used a 14-hit attack to take control. A three-run second got them close, a two-run fourth tied things and a five-run fifth put them ahead to stay.

"Anthony has done so much for us this year, but he just didn't have it today," Hogan said. "Phillip did a super job, and while he was neutralizing their offense, we got our offense going."

Southeast had a chance to clinch an OVC tournament berth by sweeping the doubleheader, but this time it was the Eagles who came up big, with some help from the Redhawks' defense. Two critical errors resulted in five unearned runs for Tech.

The Redhawks held a brief 1-0 lead after a first-inning run, but the Eagles tied it in the second and went ahead for good with a three-run third that included two unearned runs.

Ahead 4-2, Tech seized firm command with three in the fourth -- all the runs were unearned after a rare catcher's interference call that negated the third out -- and Southeast got no closer than three runs the rest of the way.

"You have to give Tennessee Tech credit," Hogan said. "They came back from a tough first game."

Matt Smith (4-5) gave the Eagles a solid second-game pitching performance.

"I thought he pitched really well for them," Hogan said.

Jamie McAlister, Southeast's second senior starter of the day, fell to 4-11 after failing to make it out of the fourth inning. Four of the six runs he was charged with were unearned.

Southeast had 23 hits in the doubleheader. Dustin Pritchett went 5-for-7 and Padilla was 4-for-8. Jordan Payne had a solo home run in the nightcap, his fifth of the season.

Tech finished the day with 18 hits, led by Jake New's 5-for-6 showing.

Now the teams will battle one more time in today's nine-inning finale, with their seasons on the line. Hogan will send his final senior starter, left-hander Derek Herbig, to the mound.

"I feel good about Derek," Hogan said. "He knows what big games are all about. Hopefully, he'll have his best stuff."