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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Travis Hayes was lights out Sunday as he pitched Southeast Missouri baseball's first complete game of the season. After dramatic finishes to the first two games of the series over SIUE (10-19, 8-7 OVC), the Redhawks defeated the Cougars 12-1, securing the series sweep. 

The Redhawks' fourth Ohio Valley Conference series sweep was made even sweeter Sunday as Derek Gibson blasted a grand slam in the eighth inning to put the Redhawks ahead 12-1.

Southeast Missouri is now 21-10 on the season and 13-2 in conference play. OVC play is now half way over for the Redhawks as they have five league series remaining in 2014. With Sunday's win, the Redhawks have tied a season-best seven-game winning streak. 

"Travis had an outstanding performance today. After coming off two weeks rest, he started a little shaky but adjusted quickly and began to cruise through the game," said head coach Steve Bieser. "If he got in to any trouble, he really bared down and made some really good pitches. It made for a good birthday present for him to go out and throw as well as he did." 

SIUE's Nick Lombardo drew a leadoff walk to begin the game. Lombardo stole second then advanced to third on a groundout. Just like game one, the first run of the game scored on a wild pitch. After struggling to find the strike zone in the first, Hayes locked in afterwards, hold the Cougars to that one single run. 

Andy Lack hit a one out single up the middle in the third inning. Lack stole second and advanced to third on a single by Jason Blum. After Scott Mitchell drew a walk to load the bases, Matt Tellor flew out for a sacrifice fly to score Lack and tie the game at 1-1. 

Southeast took a lead in the fourth inning with a Branden Boggetto two-run blast to left field, 3-1 Redhawks. 

Southeast added two more runs in the fifth inning, first on an RBI double by Gibson followed by an RBI single by Andy Lennington to score Gibson and extend the lead to 5-1. 

Southeast tacked on a run in both the sixth and seventh innings. With runners on the corners in the sixth, Blum executed a perfect safety squeeze bunt to plate Boggetto. 

Tellor led off the seventh inning with a double. Tellor tagged up and took third on a fly out by Gibson then scored on a single from Lennington. 

Up 7-1 in the eighth inning, Gibson put the cherry on top of a great weekend for the Redhawks when he blasted a grand slam to right field to put Southeast ahead 12-1. This was Gibson's second career grand slam. He hit his first at UT Martin in 2012. 

Hayes made his way out of the dugout to throw the complete game in the ninth. SIUE put runners on the corners but Hayes and his defense worked out of it without giving up any runs and securing Southeast's fourth OVC series sweep of the season. 

For the first time in the series, Southeast outhit the Cougars, 15-8. 

Lennington was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Boggetto also had three hits with three RBI. Gibson finished with two hits, five RBI, and two runs scored. Cole Bieser, Blum, and Lack also recorded multiple hits in the game. 

"Any coach will tell you a team win is the best kind of win. Every one of our players can come out any day and contribute to the team; it hasn't just been one guy all season. Boggetto got in there today to give us a 3-1 lead, allowing us to settle in a little. 

"We could've come out today thinking we had the series and just let up; but that's not our mentality. We are never satisfied. I truly respect every guy on this team and I know they take every game to heart and they want to get better each and every day," Bieser added.

Hayes improves to 4-0 on the season. He allowed only one run, which came in the first inning scored by the leadoff hitter. Hayes fanned five batters and walked two. 

Alec Saikal was 3-for-4 Sunday for SIUE while Keaton Wright, the designated hitter, was 2-for-4. 

SIUE starter Jake Stauffenburg (1-4) recorded the loss. Stauffenburg pitched six complete innings, allowing six runs on nine hits. 

Southeast will wrap-up the five game home stand Tuesday against Southern Illinois at 5 p.m. Tuesday's game will also be a free tailgate provided by John A. Huber Brewing Company. Alex Winkelman will make the start against the Salukis.