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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri baseball recorded their 30th victory of the 2015 season Friday evening with a game-one win over Tennessee Tech, 9-1. It was also the 20th Ohio Valley Conference win for the Redhawks.
The Redhawks are now 30-15 on the season and 20-5 in OVC play. Tennessee Tech falls to 20-23, 11-11 OVC.
The Redhawks now have a five-game winning streak, have won their last eight OVC games, and have won their last nine home games.
Southeast starter and reigning OVC Pitcher of the Week Joey Lucchesi pitched his second-straight 13-strikeout game. He worked eight innings, allowing just one run on four hits to the Golden Eagles.
After a scoreless first inning, Tennessee Tech plated their would-be lone run in the top of the second inning to take a lead. Three walks loaded the bases with no out for the Golden Eagles. A run scored on a 6-4-3 double play; 1-0 Tennessee Tech after the top half of the second.
Andy Lennington tied up the game with one swing of the bat when he homered to left field in the bottom of the second. The game was all square, 1-1, after two innings.
The Redhawks' first of three sacrifice flies of the game came in the third inning. Peter Williams tagged up and scored on a sac fly by Garrett Gandolfo to give Southeast a 2-1 lead.
Jason Blum drew a leadoff walk in the fifth and came around to score on an RBI double by Lennington; 3-1 Southeast Missouri after five innings.
The Redhawks plated a trio of runs in the sixth inning to take a commanding lead on the Golden Eagles. Scott Mitchell scored on a sac fly by Blum. Two more runs scored on a two-out base hit up the middle by Gandolfo, extending the lead to 6-1.
The Redhawks scored three more runs in the seventh. Dalton Hewitt scored from third on a wild pitch, 7-1 Southeast. Ryan Rippee crossed the plate on a triple down the right field line by Mitchell. Mitchell scored on Southeast's third sac fly of the game to put the Redhawks out in front, 9-1 after seven innings.
The Redhawks had 12 hits to Tennessee Tech's six in the contest.
Mitchell paced the Redhawk offense going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored while Trevor Ezell and Lennington each had a pair of hits. Gandolfo finished with three RBI.
Tennessee Tech's Dylan Bosheers was the only Golden Eagle hitter with multiple hits, going 2-for-3.
Lucchesi earned win number six of the season, improving to 6-1. Ryan Lenaburg pitched the ninth inning in relief.
TTU starter Chris Chism (6-3) recorded the loss. Chism pitched five innings, allowing five Redhawk runs on seven hits.
Game two of the series will be Saturday at 2 p.m. Saturday's game will feature a free tailgate with food and beverages provided by Jimmy John's and River Eagle Distributing. Saturday's game, along with Sunday's game, can be viewed for free on the OVC Digital Network.
