Winkelman blanks EIU to lead Southeast Missouri State baseball team to series win

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team won its sixth straight Ohio Valley Conference series this season behind junior Alex Winkelman's six-hit shutout of Eastern Illinois on Sunday in Charleston, Illinois.

The Redhawks scored four runs in the first inning and added a solo home run by senior center fielder Brendon Neel in the second as they cruised to a 5-0 victory over the Panthers.

Winkelman (1-2) struck out four and walked one in collecting his first win of the season. The left-hander had won six games in 15 starts as a sophomore but was winless in his first eight starts this season.

The Ohio Valley Conference-leading Redhawks improved to 13-5 in conference play and 21-14 overall.

Southeast won the series opener 21-1 on Friday before dropping a 9-5 decision Saturday.

Southeast Missouri State's Brandon Neel circles the bases after hitting a home run during the second inning. (Wayne Mcpherson)

Eastern Illinois dropped to 2-13 in the OVC and 3-26 overall.

Panthers starter Garrison Stenger (1-7) yielded all five runs -- four earned -- in two innings. The Redhawks touched Stenger for five hits, but managed just two more hits over seven innings against relievers Andy Fisher and Luke Dietz. Stenger struck out two and walked two.

A leadoff walk, four consecutive one-out singles and an error accounted for Southeast's four runs in the first.

Freshman third baseman Trevor Ezell opened the game by drawing a walk and advanced to third on junior designated hitter Garrett Gandolfo's single. Senior left fielder Andy Lennington followed with a single up the middle to score Ezell for a 1-0 lead. Senior right fielder Dalton Hewitt's single and a throwing error on Panthers first baseman Adam Casson scored Gandolfo and put runners at second and third. Junior first baseman Ryan Rippee then singled up the middle to bring home Lennington and Hewitt for a 4-0 lead.

After Winkelman retired the Panthers in order in the first, Neel opened the second with a home run to left field. It was the only extra-base hit of the day by the Redhawks.

Stenger walked a batter in the inning but escaped further damage. He was replaced to start the third by Fisher, who allowed just two hits over the next 5 1/3 innings.

EIU's best chance to score came in the fourth inning, when Winkelman yielded back-to-back singles to Brant Valach and Demetre Taylor to start the inning. However, he retired the next two batters on a flyout and a fielder's choice before Taylor was thrown out stealing by junior catcher Hunter Leeper.

Winkelman surrendered a two-out double to Valach, who had three of the Panthers' six hits, in the sixth inning but retired Taylor on a fly ball to left field. Winkelman allowed just one base runner -- a one-out single in the eighth -- over the final three innings, and that runner was erased on a double play.

Southeast returns to action Tuesday when it hosts SIU Carbondale at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.