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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Southeast Missouri baseball team picked up a game one victory Thursday evening over the Eastern Illinois (11-26, 5-11 OVC) Panthers, 7-5. Southeast improves to to 26-11 overall and 16-3 in Ohio Valley Conference play. 

With Jacksonville State's 8-7 loss to Tennessee Tech Thursday, the Redhawks widen their lead to three and a half games on the Gamecocks in the league standings. 

The Redhawks touched home three times in the first inning. Dalton Hewitt hit a one-out single followed by a walk to Matt Tellor. Derek Gibson reached on a bunt single. Hewitt scored and Tellor went to third on a throwing error by the catcher trying to get Gibson at first. A double steal by Gibson and Tellor scored the next Redhawk run. Scott Mitchell scored Gibson on a single threaded through the left side, putting the Redhawks up 3-0 after one inning. 

With bases loaded and two out in the Panther half of the third, an error by Andy Lennington at third base allowed two runs to score, narrowing the Redhawk lead to one run, 3-2. 

Tellor extended the lead with a laser home run down the right field line in the bottom of the inning, 4-2 Redhawks. 

The Redhawks tacked on a couple more runs in the fifth inning. Clayton Evans doubled to lead off the inning. He came around to score on a single by Hewitt. A fielder's choice and a single put Tellor and Gibson on base with two out. Lennington doubled down the right field line to score Tellor and extend the lead to 6-2. 

Alex Winkelman's day was done to begin the eighth inning. Greg Mosel was brought in to pitch. 

With one out in the eighth, pinch hitter Jason Scholl wore a pitch. A double down the right field line by Cameron Berra put runners in scoring position. Another double scored Scholl. Mosel was pulled from the game and was replaced by Christian Hull with one out in the inning. With bases loaded and one out, Dane Sauer singled off the leg of Hull, who had no play. A run scored and all runners were safe. A fielder's choice scored another EIU run to pull the score within one run of Southeast, 6-5. 

Lennington tripled with one out in the bottom of the inning. Pinch hitter Cole Ferguson sent the first pitch he saw up the middle, scoring Lennington and adding a much needed Redhawk insurance run, 7-5. 

With Lennington's triple, he is now tied for eighth in career triples at Southeast as a junior with eight in his career. He is also now tied for tenth in single season triples with four in 2014, tying his total from last year.

Hull allowed one walk in the top of the ninth but otherwise shut down EIU, securing the 7-5 victory. 

The Redhawks outhit the Panthers 10-8 in the game. 

Hewitt, Gibson, and Lennington all scattered two hits each. Lennington had a double and a triple with an RBI and a run scored Thursday evening. Tellor was 1-for-3 and scored three runs with an RBI. 

Winkelman improved to 3-2 with the win Thursday. He pitched seven complete innings, allowed two unearned runs on five hits. He also fanned eight batters, a new career-best for the sophomore. Hull picked up his fourth save of the season. Hull went an inning and two thirds of scoreless baseball, allowing only a hit. 

Starter Matt Borens (1-4) recorded the loss. Borens pitched seven and a third innings, allowing seven runs, five earned, on nine hits. Borens walked and struck out two batters each. 

Brant Valach and Berra both had two hits in the game. 

First pitch of game two will be at 5 p.m. on Friday. Ryan Lenaburg will face Jake Johansmeier in the contest.