Jacksonville State 9 Southeast Missouri 8 - Box Score I PDF Version

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri dropped a 9-8 heartbreaker to Ohio Valley Conference Co-Leader Jacksonville State Friday evening in rainy conditions at Capaha Field. Jacksonville State's Paschal Petrongolo drove in the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning off of Southeast's Bobby Hurst to give JSU the victory.

The Redhawks fall to 20-23 on the season and 12-10 in the OVC as the Gamecocks move to 23-19 on the season and 15-4 in the conference.

The Redhawks were led by Alex Burridge as he drove in a career-high three runs going 2-for-4 on the day. Andy Lennington was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Starter Zack Smith went 6.1 solid innings for the Redhawks allowing nine hits and six runs (three earned).

The Redhawks got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning as Branden Boggetto hit his third home run of the season down the left field line to give the Redhawks a 2-0 lead. Southeast added another run in the frame on an RBI single up the middle by Alex Burridge to give Southeast a 3-0 lead after two innings.

Jacksonville State responded to the Redhawks' big inning with a big inning of their own in the third frame scoring four runs on four hits. An error by the Redhawks prolonged the inning as JSU scored three unearned runs in the frame.

The Redhawks took back the lead at 8-4 with five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Lennington opened the scoring in the frame driving in Derek Gibson on an RBI double to left centerfield. Nolan Fisher drove in Lennington in the next at-bat with an RBI single.

Clayton Evans drove in Fisher later in the frame and Burridge closed out the scoring in the stanza with a two-run single to centerfield.

Jacksonville State tied the game at 8-8 with four runs in the top of the seventh inning. Andrew Bishop highlighted the frame with a two-run double to left field.

JSU took the lead in the top of the ninth on Petrongolo's single up the middle as it was the first earned run given up by Hurst since February 24 against North Dakota State.

The Redhawks threatened to tie it in the bottom of the ninth with the tying run at third base, but Travis Stout got his 13^th save of the season with a strikeout as the Gamecocks took the series opener.

Boggetto and Evans also finished the day with two hits for Southeast. Boggetto added a pair of runs scored and a pair of RBI.

Cody Ponder (3-1) earned the win for JSU. Michael Mason was solid in relief of starter Casey Antley going 3.1 innings allowing an earned run on five strikeouts.

Coty Blanchard led the JSU offense going 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs socred.

The two teams will meet again Saturday with a teneative start time of 5:00 p.m. Check in with GoSoutheast.com to check for changes to the schedule due to the threat of rain in the area on Saturday.