RICHMOND, Ky. - Senior left-handed pitcher Joey Lucchesi pitched his first complete game in a Redhawk uniform in Friday's Ohio Valley Conference opener. Southeast Missouri (7-7, 1-0 OVC) held on to defeat Eastern Kentucky (7-6, 0-1 OVC), 2-1.

Lucchesi (3-1) pitched nine innings, allowed one run and gave up eight hits. The southpaw fanned 13 hitters, including striking out the side in the ninth inning. He allowed just two walks in the 38 batters he faced. Lucchesi threw a career-high 136 pitches in the game. His 13 strikeouts tied a career high he set twice a season ago.

"Joey put the team on his back tonight and really showed outstanding toughness," Steve Bieser said. "He really made some big time pitches to get out of a couple tough situations in the OVC opener."

Eric Nerl (2-1) suffered his first loss for EKU in the game. Nerl pitched only three innings, allowing just one run on two hits. While Nerl struck out four Redhawks, he also allowed five walks. Caleb Johnson and Spencer Jackson combined for six innings in relief for the Colonels.

Southeast's offense was quiet but the Redhawks were able to capitalize on key EKU misdealings to score both of its runs.

Three consecutive walks to start the second inning loaded the bases for the Redhawks. After a strikeout by Ryan Rippee, a wild pitch allowed Branden Boggetto to score the Redhawks' first run. Hunter Leeper drew a two-out walk to reload the bases but Southeast was unable to make any more noise in the frame and led 1-0 after one and a half innings.

EKU knotted the game up at 1-1 in the third inning. Doug Teegarden led off the inning with a double down the right field line and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Ben Fisher. Lucchesi and company halted the Colonels from taking a lead with an inning-ending double play.

Rippee jumpstarted the sixth inning with a leadoff double blasted to deep left field. Leeper contributed a single to center to put Redhawks on the corners with one out. Again, a wild pitch plated the Redhawks' second run to recapture the lead, 2-1.

Lucchesi was able to keep the second best offense in the OVC at bay the remainder of the game en route to the victory. Lucchesi even fanned the side in the ninth inning to close the game. 

Southeast and EKU each recorded eight hits in the contest. The Redhawk defense committed three errors in the game.

Garrett Gandolfo led the way for the Redhawk offense with three of Southeast's eight hits. Gandolfo was on base four times in the game and was the only Redhawk with a multi-hit game.

Luke Wurzelbacher and Teegarden finished with two hits each in Friday's game.

Southeast Missouri and Eastern Kentucky will play a doubleheader on Saturday slated to begin at 11 a.m., CT. The series schedule was altered due to impeding weather in the area on Sunday.