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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Southeast Missouri baseball team shutout Belmont University Thursday evening, 12-0. With the win, Southeast Missouri clinches at least of share of its second-straight Ohio Valley Conference regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the OVC Tournament.

One more win will clinch the title outright for the Redhawks. This is Southeast's third OVC regular season crown (2002, 2014, 2015). Friday's shutout of Belmont was the first time the Bruins have been held scoreless all season.

Southeast Missouri climbs to 32-20 on the season and 21-7 in OVC play. Belmont is 26-26, 14-13 OVC.

Joey Lucchesi picked up his seventh win of the season, improving to 7-1 on the season, after pitching eight scoreless innings Thursday. Lucchesi allowed six hits, struck out seven Bruin hitters, and walked four. 

Southeast Missouri captured a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Dalton Hewitt hit an RBI base hit through the left side to score Jason Blum from second base with two out. The Redhawks proceeded to load the bases but couldn't capitalize on the early opportunity but led 1-0 after a half inning.

Ryan Rippee led off the second with a base hit to left followed by Scott Mitchell drawing a walk. Trevor Ezell sacrifice bunted both runners over for the first out of the inning. Blum reached and Rippee scored on a strikeout/passed ball. Branden Boggetto immediately doubled to deep centerfield to score both runners and widen the lead to 4-0. Hewitt followed it up with a two-out triple to right center to plate Southeast's fifth run of the game; 5-0 Southeast in the second inning.

Rippee blasted a three-run home run to left center in the seventh inning, extending the lead to 8-0.

Hunter Leeper stepped in and launched a grand slam, widening the Southeast Missouri lead to 12-0 in the eighth inning.

Southeast outhit the Bruins, 14-6. Belmont committed three errors in the game.

Rippee went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. Four other Redhawks (Blum, Boggetto, Hewitt, Leeper) all had two hits each.

Lucchesi picked up the win. Brady Wright pitched the ninth inning. Wright fanned two of the final three outs.

Belmont's Tyler Walsh was the only Bruin hitter with more than one hit, going 2-for-4.

Dan Ludwig (4-5) recorded the loss. Ludwig pitched seven innings, allowing eight runs on 10 hits to Southeast.

The Redhawks and Bruins will play game two of the series Friday at 5 p.m. Southeast can win the OVC title outright with one more win.