CLARKSVILLE, TENN. – The Southeast Missouri State baseball team stayed in the hunt for the Ohio Valley Conference title with a split against top-seeded Austin Peay today. The Redhawks dropped the first game 6-5, while picking up the win in game two, 3-2, behind Jon Dicus' complete game. Southeast is 11-7 in OVC play, while the Governors hold the top spot at 14-5.
Michael Adamson led the Redhawk offense with three hits in game one. Kenton Parmley went 2-for-5 with an RBI, run scored and his 15th double of the season. Trenton Moses had one hit, but also drove in one run. Tim Rupp improved his hitting streak to 12 games with one hit in three at-bats. He scored once and drove in one run, while also picking up a sacrifice fly.
Jordan Underwood took a no decision after throwing five innings. He gave up four runs on six hits and struck out three batters. He pitched into the sixth inning, but could not record an out before giving the ball to Trent Wise. He struck out two batters and gave up two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Christian Hull also pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up one run on one walk. Shae Simmons pitched two-thirds of an inning and gave up just one hit. Logan Mahon threw the final 1.2 innings, giving up one run on two hits. He struck out one batter and walked three.
Jon Dicus led the way for Southeast, throwing the first complete game of his career. He went seven innings, gave up two runs on nine hits and struck out six, while walking zero batters.
Trenton Moses went 2-for-3 with a two-RBI home run. It was Moses' tenth long ball of the season. Nick Harris had two hits in four at-bats with his seventh double of the season. Michael Adamson did not get a hit in the game, but stole two bases, walked once and scored once. Kenton Parmley, Casey Jones, Blake Slattery and Jesse Tierney each added a hit for the Redhawks.
Southeast wasted no time showing the Governors what they can do with the sticks, as they plated three runs on four hits in the top of the first inning of game one.
Kenton Parmley led off the game with a full count single to left field and moved to second on a line drive single to right field off the bat of Nick Harris. Michael Adamson hit a missile to third base that ended in a single off the glove of Greg Bachman. Trenton Moses grounded out to third on a high chopper, but would bring Parmley in from third on the play. Casey Jones drew a walk to load the bases once again and with two outs, Ky Burgess hit a hard grounder to third base, which was thrown in the dirt to third base and resulting in two runs crossing home plate.
Jordan Underwood struck out Michael Blanchard to start the game and quickly picked up the second out on a fly ball to Nick Harris. Bachman drew a full count walk to keep the inning alive for Austin Peay, but Underwood got John Hogan to ground out to Parmley to end the inning.
Southeast plated another run in the top of the second inning. Tim Rupp led off the inning with a single to right center and moved to second after right fielder Rolando Gautier kicked the ball all the way in to left center field. Parmley drove in Rupp with a deep double to left center. Harris moved Parmley to third on a ground out to short, but Parmley would be thrown out at the plate when attempting to score on a passed ball. Michael Adamson and Trenton Moses followed with back-to-back singles, but Jeremy Dobbs ended the inning by getting Casey Jones to ground out.
Underwood escaped a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the second inning with no runs. He got the first out of the inning, but walked Jordan Hankins. After getting the second out on a fly out to Adamson, he appeared to get out of the inning, but an error by Parmley kept the Governors alive. Underwood walked Cody Hudson to load the bases, but got Michael Blanchard to strike out to end the inning.
Gautier walked to start the bottom of the third inning and the Governors picked up their first hit of the game off the bat of Bachman through the left side. Gautier moved to third off the bat off John Hogan, but Underwood got the double play ball to put two outs on the board. Reed Harper drove in Gautier with an infield single, extending his hitting streak to 24 games. Underwood got out of the inning on four pitches later on a ground out.
Tyler Childress led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single to right center, but would be erased on a double play ball up the middle. Underwood ended the inning with a strike out to Cody Hudson, preserving the Redhawks 4-1 lead.
The Governors got a run on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo shot off the bat of John Hogan. The long ball cut the Redhawk lead to 4-2. Reed Harper singled through the left side on the next pitch, bringing the tying run to the plate. Jordan Hankins ended Underwood's day with a single through the left side. Trent Wise came into the game, attempting to keep the Redhawks on top. Tyler Childress fouled off three bunts to give Wise the strike out and first out in the inning. The runners would move to second and third on a throwing error by Wise on an attempted pickoff. Austin Peay brought in Michael Wollenzin to pinch hit. Wollenzin laced a single through the right side to plate Harper. Austin Peay tied the game up with a double down the right field line off the bat of Cody Hudson.
Austin Peay looked to take the lead on a suicide squeeze, but after the ball landed in fair territory, spun into foul territory and gave Michael Blanchard two strikes in the at-bat. On the next pitch, Wise froze Blanchard with a fastball to pick up the strikeout. Christian Hull entered the game to record the final out of the inning on a ground out to second base.
The Governors scored another run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Bachman led off the seventh inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from John Hogan. After Shae Simmons came in to relieve Hull, Bachman moved to third on a wild pitch from Simmons. Reed Harper gave Austin Peay a 5-4 lead with a line out sacrifice fly to left field.
The Redhawks put together a rally in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game. Blake Slattery appeared to make the second out on a foul ball right behind home plate, but catcher Michael Wollenzin dropped the ball, giving Slattery another life. He drew a full count walk and Ky Burgess drilled a single through the left side. Louie Haseltine drew a full count walk from the Governors closer Ryne Harper to load the bases for Tim Rupp. Rupp tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field, plating Slattery.
Tyler Childress reached base on a single to center field to give the Governors the go-ahead run on base. Logan Mahon entered the game on the mound and got the first out of the inning, while keeping a runner on first. Wollenzin laid down a sacrifice bunt attempting to move the runner to second, but Tim Rupp snagged the bunt and threw it to second base for the force out. Cody Hudson struck out on three pitches, but Wollenzin moved to second on a wild pitch. Michael Blanchard walked to keep the inning alive, but a foul out to Casey Jones at first ended the threat.
Austin Peay got the run they needed in the bottom of the ninth inning. John Hogan singled with one out on a liner to right field and stole second before Reed Harper was intentionally walked. Jordan Hankins singled through the right side to load the bases, but Blake Frazier grounded into a fielder's choice to Moses, who would get Hogan out at the plate. Matt Wollenzin drew a full count walk to end the game as Reed Harper jogged home for the game winning run.
In game two, the Redhawks jumped on the board with two runs in the first inning, thanks to Trenton Moses' tenth blast of the season. Parmley led off the game with a single to right field on the first pitch. Nick Harris reached on a fielder's choice to retire Parmley at second and Michael Adamson reached on a fielder's choice to third base to retire Harris. On the third pitch of the at-bat, Moses drilled a long fly to left field to the right of the scoreboard. It was Moses' 44th and 45th RBI of the season.
Michael Blanchard doubled to right field to start off the Governors half of the first inning and moved to third on a groundout off the bat of Rolando Gautier. Greg Bachman plated Blanchard from third on a sacrifice fly to right field, cutting the Redhawk lead to 2-1.
Jon Dicus struck out the side in the bottom of the second inning, but gave up two singles and hit a batter to load the bases. Dicus struck out the final two batters of the inning to prevent any runs from crossing home plate.
Nick Harris singled through the left side with one out in the third inning. He made the second out just a few pitches later when he was caught stealing second. Michael Adamson drew a walk and moved to second on a single to left field off the bat of Moses. Adamson would steal third just a few pitches later, but Casey Jones struck out to end the inning.
Austin Peay tied the game with one run in the bottom of the third inning. Gautier got hit to lead off the inning and advanced to second on Bachman's single down the left field line. Gautier would be thrown out at third on a force out after John Hogan attempted a sacrifice bunt. Bachman moved to third on Wollenzin's fly out and scored on Reed Harper's RBI single to center.
The Redhawks took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning with one run. Casey Jones singled up the middle with one out to get things going for Southeast. Blake Slattery followed with a single to the short stop on a 2-and-0 count, moving Jones to second. Mike Hebert game in to relieve starter Jack Snodgrass and moved the runners up 90 feet with a wild pitch. Tim Rupp walked to load the bases on four pitches. Taylor Heon hit a ground ball to third base, resulting in Jones being thrown out at the plate for the second out. Slattery would trot home on a wild pitch from closer Ryne Harper.
With one out in the top of the seventh inning, Nick Harris smashed a single to center field, but never got out of the batter's box, as he went down in pain with an injury. He would be thrown out from center field for the second out. The inning ended with a strike out, sending Jon Dicus into the bottom of the inning with the chance for a complete game.
Dicus retired the three batters in order, the final out on a strikeout earn the complete game victory.
The Redhawks and Governors will play the final game of the series tomorrow at 1 pm.
