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Post Game with Coach Bieser
 
JACKSON, Tenn. – No. 1 Southeast Missouri advances to game eight of the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament as they defeated No. 6 Eastern Illinois (22-32-1) Thursday evening, 8-6.
 
Down 8-3, Eastern Illinois tried for a comeback in the ninth as they posted three runs in the inning but Southeast held off the Panthers for the game five victory.
 
Southeast Missouri tied the single season win record Thursday as they improve to 37-18. The single season wins record was set back in 2000 and 2002.
 
No. 1 Southeast Missouri will play No. 2 Tennessee Tech Friday at 7 p.m. in game eight of the tournament.
 
Jason Blum set a new school record to lead off the game when he was hit by a pitch. He has now been hit 50 times in his career, topping Trenton Moses' mark of 49. Cole Bieser singled followed by a groundout by Matt Tellor to put Blum on third. He scored on a groundout by Derek Gibson to put Southeast on the board, 1-0.
 
A two-out error by Blum in the top of the third scored Mitch Gasbarro from second to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Clayton Evans hit a one-out single and stole second in the fourth inning. He scored from second on a single up the middle by Scott Mitchell to put Southeast ahead 2-1.
 
Dalton Hewitt drew a one-out walk followed by a single by Evans in the sixth inning. Mitchell drove in his second run of the game with a single up the middle to score Hewitt. Andy Lack then doubled down the right field line to drive in Evans. Mitchell then scored on a groundout to first by Blum to give the Redhawks a 5-1 lead after six complete innings.
 
Southeast posted two runs in the seventh inning, first on an RBI single by Evans followed by Mitchell's third RBI hit of the evening, widening the Redhawk lead to 7-1 heading to the eighth.
 
Eastern Illinois scored two quick runs in the top of the eighth to bring the score to 7-3.
 
Matt Tellor hit a one-out single then scored on a Gibson triple to right center to extend the Redhawk lead to 8-3 in the eighth.
 
Eastern Illinois wasn't going down quietly as they posted three runs in the final frame. Alex Siddle came in to pitch to begin the ninth. Back-to-back walks followed by a double plated an EIU run. Brady Wright came in to relieve Siddle. An RBI single by Gasbarro followed by a sacrifice fly made it 8-6. Wright proceeded to pick Gasbarro off at first for the second out. Brant Valach singled to left center but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double by Evans to end the game.
 
Bieser, Evans, and Mitchell all had three hits in the contest to propel the Redhawk offense. Mitchell finished with three RBI. Gibson and Evans each had two hits in the game.
 
Alex Winkelman (6-2) was superb on the mound as he worked eight complete innings. He allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts. Wright earned his sixth save of the season after closing out the game in the ninth.
 
Southeast Missouri and Tennesse Tech face off at 7 p.m. Friday evening. The game can be viewed for free on the OVC Digital Network and be heard on SEMO ESPN 1220 AM.