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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Southeast Missouri baseball team officially punched their ticket to their 20^th consecutive Ohio Valley Conference Tournament with a dramatic 12-inning walk-off 6-5 win over the Murray State Thoroughbreds (18-25, 10-12 OVC) Friday.
 
Southeast worked their way back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game in the seventh. After both teams added a run in the eighth, the game was sent to extra innings; the Redhawk's second extra-inning game in a row. Clayton Evans entered the game in a one-out, bases loaded, pinch hit situation in the 12^th and drew a walk-off walk to win the game.
 
The Redhawks are now 30-15 overall and 20-5 in OVC play. This is the Redhawks' first 30-win season since 2011. The Redhawks' magic number to clinch the OVC regular season title outright is now three.
 
"With bases loaded, it put a lot of pressure on the guy at the plate in such a tight situation. When Clayton came up, he was a little over aggressive but really settled down and turned it into quite possibly the best at bat of the year so far," said head coach Steve Bieser.
 
Southeast Missouri's 12-game scoring first streak came to an end when Murray pushed two runs across in the first inning.
 
A failed pickoff attempt in the second put Southeast on the board in the second.
 
The Thoroughbreds widened the lead by two runs in the fifth inning on an error and an RBI groundout; 4-1 'Breds.
 
After Derek Gibson reached on a fielder's choice, Andy Lennington drove him in on a triple to center field. With Lennington on third, Dalton Hewitt flew out to center field, deep enough for Lennington to tag up and score; 4-3 Murray.
 
The Redhawks tied the game on a shallow sacrifice fly to right off the bat of Gibson, scoring Jason Blum and tying the game up at 4-4.
 
An error by Lennington allowed the Murray go-ahead run to score in the eighth.
 
Southeast re-tied the game on a safety squeeze play by Branden Boggetto in the bottom of the inning.
 
Murray put together a couple good chances to score in extras but came up short.
 
Gibson led off the 12^th inning with a single to the third baseman. He was bunted over to second by Lennington. Hewitt was intentionally walked. Cole Ferguson singled through the left side but Gibson was held at third. Evans stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter in a bases loaded, one-out situation. After falling behind 0-2, Evans worked the count full. He looked at ball four, drawing a walk-off walk, and winning the game 6-5 in dramatic fashion.
 
Scott Mitchell, Gibson, and Ferguson all had two hits in the game. Gibson extended his hitting and on base streaks to 22 games. Matt Tellor also extended his on base streak to 23 games.
 
Perry Middleton (1-0) recorded his first win of the season as he was the pitcher of record in the 12^th. Redhawk starter Alex Winkelman worked eight innings. Winkelman gave up five runs, only three were earned, on six hits. Winkelman also fanned five batters. A total of five Redhawk pitchers were used Friday.
 
"We brought Perry in a tight first and second situation, knowing he hadn't seen much time, but we thought it was going to be a good matchup for him with the batters due up. If he kept his sinker down, which he did, he'd get ground balls and that's exactly what he did. He had a good outing tonight."
 
For the 'Breds, Taylor Mathews was the only hitter in the lineup with a multi-hit game. Tyler Lawrence finished 1-for-5 with two RBI.
 
Cody Maerz (1-6) suffered the loss. Maerz pitched five and a third innings in relief allowing three runs on five hits. Starter Cameron Finch worked six innings. Both Murray pitchers threw exactly 106 pitches.
 
Saturday's game will pit two of the best pitchers in the OVC against each other. Travis Hayes will face Brock Downey in game two. Saturday's game will be sponsored by Wood & Huston Bank with another free tailgate with food and drink provided by Buffalo Wild Wings and River Eagle Distributing.