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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - For the second game in a row, the Southeast Missouri baseball team walked off to defeat the SIUE Cougars (10-18, 8-6 OVC), 8-7, this time in the bottom of the ninth inning. Andy Lennington threaded a ball through the left side with bases full of Redhawks to win the game. The Redhawks are now 20-10 on the season and remain in first place in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 12-2 league record. 

"Walk off wins are always great but it is also nice to win it without having to make it dramatic," said Steve Bieser. "We were able to finish it off in the ninth inning and I am so proud of our guys for battling back again today. The guy that finishes the game always gets the credit but for the guys behind him to give him that opportunity is what's important. We always say 'pass the baton to the next guy' and that's what we did in the ninth today." 

Southeast took a 2-0 lead in the first inning without recording a hit. Jason Blum took the first pitch he saw off his left side to lead off the inning. Blum stole second then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Scott Mitchell drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Matt Tellor lined out to short. The shortstop tried to double up Mitchell at first base but threw the ball away, allowing Blum to score and putting Mitchell on second. Mitchell advanced to third on the second wild pitch of the inning then scored on an RBI groundout by Derek Gibson. 

Devin Caldwell put the Cougars on the board with a blast to left field off the scoreboard in the top of the second to pull within one run of Southeast, 2-1. 

Dalton Hewitt walked and Cole Bieser was hit to lead off the bottom half of the second inning. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Cole Ferguson. Branden Boggetto singled to center field to score Hewitt. Blum flied out to center, allowing Bieser to tag and score. Mitchell walked, then on an attempt to steal second, the catcher botched the throw to second, allowing Mitchell to swipe second and Boggetto to score. Southeast led 5-1 after two innings on only one hit. 

Southeast added a run in the third inning on a Hewitt groundout, 6-1 after three innings. 

Skyler Geissinger was hit by a pitch to lead off the fourth inning. Caldwell blasted his second home run of the game, once again off the scoreboard, to pull within 6-3 of Southeast. 

Southeast extended the lead to 7-3 with an RBI triple to center by Lennington in the fifth inning. 

SIUE put up a four-spot in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game. Back-to-back doubles scored the first run of the inning. Alec Saikel was hit by a pitch, prompting Southeast to go to the bullpen for Perry Middleton. Geissinger hit the third double of the inning to score two and pull within one run of tying the game. Middleton struck out Caldwell and was retired on the 2-3 putout. Geissinger advanced to third on the putout. Pinch hitter Austin Verschoore flied out to center, allowing Geissinger to tag up and tie the game at 7-7. 

"Ryan [Lenaburg] got in a little trouble in the inning and maybe got a little lax. I have to give them credit, SIUE earned their way back in to the game in the eighth." 

Southeast went down in order in the bottom of the inning followed by Skylar Cobb shutting down the Cougars in the top of the ninth. 

Blum drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to put the winning run aboard. SIUE made a call to the bullpen for Zach Malach. Malach issued a one out walk to Tellor, advancing Blum in to scoring position. Andy Lack, hitting in the four hole previously occupied by Gibson, was hit by the first pitch he saw to load the bases. Lennington stepped up to the plate, looked a ball, then drilled the next pitch past a diving third baseman and driving in Blum to win the game. 

Once again, SIUE outhit Southeast for the second game in a row, 8-5; however, the Cougars committed five errors in the contest. 

Gibson and Lennington were both 2-for-4 in the game. Boggetto was the only other Redhawk to record a hit. 

Cobb (2-0) picked up the win for Southeast after pitching one and two thirds innings in relief Saturday. Cobb never allowed a hit and struck out one batter. Starter Ryan Lenaburg got a no-decision after pitching seven complete innings. Lenaburg allowed six runs on seven hits but struck out five batters. 

Caldwell highlighted the Cougar offense with his two home runs and three RBI. Denton Reed was also 2-for-4 Saturday. 

Brett Thomas (2-2) suffered the loss after allowing the winning run to reach base in the ninth. Thomas worked one and a third innings out of the pen. Starter Evan Martens went six and two thirds innings, allowing seven runs, only four earned, with three walks. 

The Redhawks will look for their fourth OVC series sweep Sunday at 1 p.m. Travis Hayes has been given the thumbs up to pitch Sunday after suffering a strain in his side two weeks ago against Morehead State. Hayes was scratched from last Sunday's rotation because of the strain.