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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Branden Boggetto's walk-off home run in the ninth inning lifted the Southeast Missouri baseball team past Jacksonville State in game one of the three-game series Friday evening, 5-4.
Boggetto blasted two home runs in the game, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs.
Southeast holds sole of first-place in the Ohio Valley Conference with the victory as they climb to 14-5 in league play and 23-14 overall. Jacksonville State falls to 19-17 on the season and 7-9 in OVC play.
Friday evening featured the first tailgate of the season, sponsored by the Bank of Missouri and Kohlfeld Distributing. Official attendance Friday evening was 1,424.
"We had a tremendous crowd at Capaha and it made for a great atmosphere," said head coach Steve Bieser. "I'd like to thank all our fans who came out and cheered us on to victory and I'd especially like to thank our sponsors, the Bank of Missouri and Kohlfeld Distributing, for providing the food and drinks tonight. We are glad we gave them a good game to watch."
Jacksonville State plated a run in the first inning with a pair of doubles by Clayton Daniel and Tyler Gamble. JSU led 1-0 after a half inning.
Southeast's four-game streak of first-inning scoring was snapped Friday.
The Gamecocks extended the lead to 2-0 in the third inning with a sacrifice fly by Paschal Petrongolo.
Southeast got on the board in the fourth inning when Dalton Hewitt drove in Andy Lennington, narrowing the JSU lead to 2-1.
Southeast not only tied the game in the fifth, but took their first lead of the game. Boggetto led off the inning with a solo home run to right, tying the game at two runs apiece. After Garrett Gandolfo grounded into a bases-loaded 3-2-3 double play, Lennington followed it up with a double down the left field line to plate a pair of runs and take a 4-2 lead on the Gamecocks.
Gamble hit a two-out solo home run in the sixth inning to narrow the Redhawk lead to 4-3.
With Gamble on first and two out in the eighth inning, Ryan Sebra doubled to right center, scoring Gamble and tying the game. The inning ended on a fantastic play at short by Boggetto to preserve the tie.
Boggetto stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth and blasted the second pitch of the inning over the left field wall to walk off on Jacksonville State, 5-4. It was his second home run of the game and his team-leading seventh of the season.
Southeast outhit JSU, 9-7. Lennington was the only other Redhawk with a multi-hit game going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Joey Lucchesi got a no decision in the game. Lucchesi pitched seven complete innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He fanned eight hitters and walked two. Matthew Wade (2-0) picked up the win in releif. Wade pitched two innings out of the pen. Wade allowed the tying run in the sixth inning.
Gamble finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored for JSU. Daniel added a pair of hits in the game.
Zachary Fowler worked seven innings for the Gamecocks. He allowed four runs on eight hits. Joe McGuire (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing Boggetto's walk-off home run.
Saturday's start time has been moved up to 1 p.m. Southeast Missouri and Jacksonville State will determine prior to first pitch if they will play a doubleheader.
