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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Southeast Missouri baseball team picked up their eighth Ohio Valley Conference series win with an 8-6 victory over Murray State (18-16, 10-13 OVC) Saturday in front of a crowd of 1,816. 

Southeast improves to 31-15 overall, 21-5 in OVC play and the magic number to clinch the OVC regular season title outright is now two. If the Redhawks sweep the Thoroughbreds Sunday, they will ensure at least a portion of the OVC title. 

"I knew we would do something different from yesterday as the focus really wasn't there in game one," said head coach Steve Bieser. "Our guys are excellent at rising to the challenge, knowing we had our hands full, and came out locked in. Our guys were a little more selective on their pitches today and that was the difference. I would also love to thank our outstanding crowd today. I'm glad we could put on a good show for them. 

"Murray is a very scrappy team and they're very tough to play against. They do all the little things right and that's frustrating for a pitcher and Travis really kept his cool today. It takes a veteran type guy like Travis to work like that."

The Redhawks touched home in the first inning. Jason Blum led off the inning with a single to center. Cole Bieser bunted him over in to scoring position. Matt Tellor threaded one just under a diving third baseman to score a speedy Blum, giving Southeast a 1-0 lead after the first. 

Southeast extended their lead the best way they know how, on a sacrifice fly by Cole Ferguson, in the second to take a 2-0 lead. 

The Thoroughbreds tied the game in the third inning. After a leadoff infield single by Taylor Mathews, Anthony Bayus tripled to right center field to score Mathews. Bayus immediately came around to score on a double by Kollin Dowdy. 

Tellor put Southeast back on top in the bottom of the inning with a mammoth two-run home run to left center field; 4-2 Redhawks. 

Southeast went ahead a little more with an RBI single by Blum; 5-2 Redhawks after the fifth. 

Murray narrowed the lead just a touch with an RBI groundout by Clay Kelly in the sixth. 

Ferguson continued the Redhawk scoring with another two-out, two-run home run for Southeast. The Redhawks led 7-3 going to the seventh. 

Bayus homered to right in the top of the seventh. After the home run, Bayus was only a single away from hitting for the cycle; 7-4. 

Tellor blasted his second home run of the game in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 8-4. 

Christian Hull came in to pitch the ninth inning. Hull struck out the first batter he faced then proceeded to give up a single and a walk. He struck out another batter for two out. Matt McGowan then ripped a double down the left field line to score both runners. After giving up another walk, Brady Wright was called in from the pen. Wright threw Dalton West a chair to end the game and pick up a save. 

Tellor finished 3-for-4 with four RBI on two home runs. Blum was the only other Redhawk with a multi-hit game after going 2-for-3. The Redhawks were outhit 13-10 in the game. 

Travis Hayes picked up his seventh win as he improves to 7-1 this season. He worked eight complete innings, allowing four runs on 11 hits. Wright earned his third save of the season after pitching only a third of an inning to close the game. 

Bayus finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored after falling a single shy of hitting for the cycle. 

Brock Downey (8-2) suffered the loss. Downey worked six innings, allowing seven runs. 

Southeast will honor five seniors Sunday prior to first pitch. There will also be a free concert at the Capaha Park Band Shell featuring Natalie Stoval and the Drive after the game Sunday sponsored by the Student Activities Council.