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COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Southeast Missouri baseball won the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship Friday with a 12-8 win over Tennessee Tech (36-14, 16-9 OVC).
 
The Redhawks, who improve to 32-16, 22-6 OVC, also clinched the No. 1 seed in the 2014 OVC Tournament, May 21-25 in Jackson, Tennessee.
 
"I'm very proud of this group of guys," said head coach Steve Bieser. "They play the game hard and the right way. They never take anything for granted and just keep working hard every pitch. The best quote I heard from this team tonight is that there is still a lot of unfinished business."
 
This is Southeast's second OVC Championship and their first since 2002. The 2002 team went on the win the OVC Tournament.
 
Scott Mitchell crushed his first Redhawk home run to right field in the third inning to give Southeast a 1-0 lead. Tennessee Tech starter David Hess had only allowed two home runs all season prior to Mitchell's long ball.
 
Branden Boggetto and Jason Blum began the fifth inning with back-to-back singles. Cole Bieser laid down a great sacrifice bunt and reached safely when the covering second baseman dropped the ball on the throw. Boggetto scored on the play and Blum went to third. Matt Tellor then flew out to shallow left field. Blum, a great base runner, tagged on the play and snuck a hand around the catcher to extend the Redhawk lead to 3-0.
 
Tech began the fifth with back-to-back singles followed by a hit batsman to load the bases. Starter Tyler Iago was pulled from the game, relieved by Christian Hull. Hull gave up a walk to the OVC's home run leader Brandon Thomasson to drive in TTU's first run of the game. Hull worked out of the bases-loaded jam to end the inning. 3-1 Redhawks after five complete innings.
 
Southeast blew their lead wide open in sixth inning. It all began with a leadoff double from Dalton Hewitt. Mitchell walked and Boggetto was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After Blum popped up to second for two out, Bieser drew a walk after a fantastic seven-pitch at bat after falling behind 0-2 in the count. Tennessee Tech then went to the bullpen for Austin Tolle. Tolle then dished out a four-pitch walk to Tellor, the first batter he faced. Derek Gibson then broke the game wide open with a bases clearing, three-run double to left center field to give Southeast an 8-1 lead.
 
Just as the Redhawks put up five runs in the top of the sixth, TTU put up five of their own and then some. A leadoff walk preceded a home run by Jordan Parris. Another walk followed by a home run by Zach Stephens made it 8-5. Ryan Lenaburg was called in to pitch. Back-to-back doubles added another run followed by an RBI single by Dylan Bosheers brought the score within one run, 8-7.
 
Once again, Hewitt hit a leadoff single to begin the inning in the seventh. After Cole Ferguson drew a walk, a beautifully executed double steal put runners in scoring position with one out. Mitchell walked to load the bases followed by an RBI single by Blum. Bieser hit a sac fly to center to score Ferguson. Tellor then singled up the third base line that no one could come up with, scoring another run and putting the Redhawks up 11-7.
 
Southeast tacked on one run in the eighth on a Mitchell double to score pinch runner John Logan Zink; 12-7 Redhawks.
 
Tech added a single run in the eighth to make it 12-8 but that would be as close as they'd get to the Redhawks as Brady Wright shut down the Golden Eagles in the ninth inning, securing the 2014 OVC Championship for Southeast Missouri.
 
Southeast outhit the powerful offense of Tech 13-11 in the game.
 
Eight Redhawks recorded hits Friday evening with Blum, Gibson, Hewitt, Mitchell, and Boggetto all having two hits in the game.
 
Likewise, TTU had four hitters with two hits Friday.
 
On the mound, neither team hesitated using their bullpen as Southeast used five total pitchers and Tech used six.
 
After only working four and a third innings, Iago was not eligible for a win. Hull earned the win, as he was the next pitcher for Southeast. Hull improves to 4-2 on the season. Wright also earned his fourth save of the season Friday.
 
For TTU, Hess (8-3) suffered the loss. Hess worked five and two thirds innings, giving up five runs, striking out five, and walking five.
 
The Redhawks and Golden Eagles will face off in game two Saturday at 2 p.m.