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MURRAY, Ky. – The Southeast Missouri State baseball team defeated Murray State Saturday in game two of the three-game series, 17-12. With the win, Southeast won their eighth Ohio Valley Conference series of the season.

The Redhawks climb to 17-15 on the season and 18-5 in OVC play. Murray falls to 14-30, 9-11 OVC. Murray extended their losing streak to 12 games.

The game featured the 2014 OVC Co-Pitchers of the Year, Travis Hayes and Brock Downey, as the starting pitchers.

The Redhawks jumped on Murray State pitching for 10 runs in the first inning. The inning was highlighted by home runs by Ryan Rippee and Garrett Gandolfo and three-run triple by Trevor Ezell. Every member of the Redhawk lineup scored at least one run in the frame and 13 men went to the plate in the inning. Downey recorded only one out before being taken out of the game. Downey was responsible for six of the 10 first-inning runs.

The Racers scored an unearned run on an error by Branden Boggetto in the bottom of the third inning; 10-1 Southeast Missouri.

Back-to-back doubles by Jason Blum and Gandolfo began the fourth inning and extended the lead to 11-1. Dalton Hewitt singled up the middle to plate Gandolfo and go up 12-1 in the fourth.

Pokey Harris reached on a dropped third strike that Hunter Leeper couldn't handle with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. The following batter, Matt McGowen, homered to left field to make it 12-3. Another run scored on an RBI double by Tyler Lawrence to bring the score to 12-4 after four innings.

The Redhawks got some two-out production in the sixth inning. It started with Leeper driving a triple to right-center field. Leeper scored on a single by Brendon Neel, who advanced to second on a fielding error by the left fielder. Neel then touched home on a double by Ezell, extending the lead to 14-6.

The Racers plated five runs, four unearned, in the bottom of the sixth inning. Murray sent 10 batters to the plate and knocked Hayes out of the game early in the frame. Murray State narrowed the Redhawk lead to 14-9 heading to the seventh.

Rippee blasted a mammoth, 2-run home run over the scoreboard in left field in the seventh inning. Later in the inning, Boggetto scored on an RBI double by Neel, widening the lead to 17-9.

Four walks and an error aided the Racers to scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Alex Siddle, the third Southeast pitcher of the inning, came in and slammed the door shut on the Racers and secured the series victory for Southeast. Siddle entered with the potential tying run on deck and earned a save for his performance, his second of the season. 

Southeast outhit Murray, 21-9. Every Southeast starter has at least one hit and one run scored in the game while all but two had RBI. Ezell finished 4-for-7 with four RBI and two runs. He fell a home run short of hitting for the cycle. Rippee also had four RBI while Gandolfo and Hewitt had three hits each.

Hayes picked up his seventh win of the season and improves to 7-4. Hayes worked five and a third innings, allowing eight runs (only two earned) on six hits. Hayes struck out six but walked five. In total, Southeast pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts but walked 12.

The Southeast defense committed a season-high five errors on Saturday. Of Murray's 12 runs, only four were earned.

Four separate Racer hitters had two hits apiece.

Downey (4-5) recorded the loss. Downey recorded only one out and allowed six earned runs.

The Redhawks will go for the sweep of the Racers Sunday at 1 p.m. Alex Winkelman will be on the mound for Southeast.