Win is Southeast's third in a row

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team finally posted its coveted first Ohio Valley Conference series sweep of the season.

It did not come without adversity, which the Redhawks should be used to by now.

Southeast lost starting pitcher Zack Smith to injury in the third inning Saturday afternoon against visiting Tennessee-Martin.

The Redhawks, undaunted, used continued stellar bullpen work, a tie-breaking seventh-inning home run from freshman right fielder Clayton Evans and a four-run eighth inning to post a 7-2 victory.

"This was a great series for us," junior center fielder Cole Bieser said. "It hurts when Zack goes down early, but we all battled and pulled together as a team."

Southeast, which won Thursday's series opener 8-5 and took Friday's contest 9-6, has its first three-game winning streak of the season since starting the campaign 5-0.

The Redhawks improved to 15-14 overall and 7-5 in OVC play and moved into fifth place in the 11-team league. UTM (8-19, 1-11) has lost 11 straight conference games.

"We needed a sweep bad," Evans said.

First-year Southeast interim coach Steve Bieser had mixed emotions after the win, mainly because of Smith's injury.

"We had a great weekend. I thought we played very solid baseball all weekend long," Bieser said. "But it was bittersweet."

Smith, a senior left-hander, was injured during a play with a runner on first base and one out in the third inning of a scoreless game.

Smith fielded a one-hop shot and fired to second base for a forceout. He immediately, after the throw, grabbed at his left hand, which had been hit when he went to field the ball and the bare hand was in close proximity to his glove.

Bieser said Smith injured his left ring finger, which suffered a small fracture and also required five stitches for a cut. Smith struck out three, walked none and allowed two hits.

"He'll be out for a while," Bieser said. "You could see early it was the kind of game he was really going to dominate. It's just a shame."

Southeast has lost three anticipated key pitchers, including two frontline starters, for the year due to offseason surgery. Several other hurlers have missed various amounts of time this year.

"It's been unbelievable with our pitching staff. It's been a tough year for our pitchers. We're snakebit," Bieser said.

Southeast's bullpen continued its season-long strong work, wrapping up an impressive series that saw Redhawks relievers allow just three runs in 14 1/3 innings.

Senior Tony Zerrusen, after firing 1 1/3 perfect innings Friday, relieved Smith. He did well under the circumstances, allowing two runs and four hits in two innings. He struck out two and did not walk a batter.

"Tony is a late-inning guy. He didn't even have some of his [uniform] stuff on," Bieser said with a laugh. "I felt bad bringing him in, but we needed somebody who could throw strikes and get us through a few innings."

Junior Luke Shearrow then fired off 3 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and no walks while striking out four. He received credit for the victory, his first at Southeast.

It was a second straight stellar performance out of the bullpen for the junior college transfer with impressive stuff who opened the season as Southeast's No. 1 starter but struggled, primarily with his control.

"It's about as good as I've felt in a long time," Shearrow said. "My slider was on again today."

Shearrow (1-2) had to do his best work in the eighth inning as UTM, trailing 3-2, threatened to either tie or go ahead.

Two singles and a sacrifice put runners on second and third with one out. Shearrow escaped the jam with a pop foul and a strikeout.

"Luke has really looked good coming out of the bullpen," Bieser said. "He had a great outing today."

Southeast, which grabbed a 2-0 third-inning lead before UTM tied it in the fourth, was locked in a 2-2 deadlock entering the bottom of the seventh.

Evans, leading off the frame, deposited his second home run of the season over the scoreboard beyond the left-field wall at spacious Capaha Field.

"He really got into that. It was a no-doubter," Bieser said.

Said Evans, "It felt real good. A curve ball high and inside. ... I sat back on it and drove it. It came off the bat pretty good."

A four-run eighth inning gave the Redhawks breathing room. Sophomore second baseman Jason Blum drove in a run with a double, sophomore catcher Alex Burridge squeezed home a run and freshman shortstop Branden Boggetto got an RBI when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Another run scored on a wild pitch.

Senior closer Bobby Hurst, who notched a save Friday, finished off Saturday's sweep with a hitless ninth inning in a non-save situation.

"I thought this was an outstanding ballgame played by both teams," Bieser said. "It got broken open late."

Each squad had 10 hits. Blum had two doubles. Bieser, junior left fielder Derek Gibson and junior first baseman Matt Tellor all added two hits.

Sophomore third baseman Andy Lennington extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single.

Southeast returns to action Tuesday, visiting Arkansas State for a 6:30 p.m. nonconference matchup.