CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Junior outfielder
Chris Osborne made history hitting for the cycle in Southeast Missouri's 7-3 series finale victory over Austin Peay (18-12, 10-5 OVC) Sunday.
Osborne is the first Southeast Missouri baseball player to hit for the cycle since Denver Stuckey did it on May 4, 2003 at UT Martin. Osborne singled in the second inning, homered in the fifth, tripled in the eighth, and doubled in the ninth to complete the cycle.
"Chris had some special at bats today and really competed,"
Steve Bieser said. "He fought off some pitches in the game to get to a hitter's pitch and he puts a good swing on the ball to come up some big hits. He's off to one heck of a start to the season. He doesn't play every day and doesn't have a lot of at bats yet but he keeps going out there and proving he belongs in the lineup."
The Redhawks salvage the third game of the series after dropping the first two to the Governors. Southeast is now 22-10 overall and 13-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play.
Robert Beltran picked up his fourth win of the season and improves to 4-1. Beltran pitched six complete innings, allowing just two runs on six hits. He struck out six ad walked four.
Justin Murphy earned his team-leading fourth save. Murphy worked one and a third innings in relief to close the game.
Caleb Powell (3-2) suffered the loss. Powell pitched five innings in the start, allowing four runs on eight hits. He struck out seven Redhawks and walked only two.
After being turned away in the first inning, the Redhawks came out swinging in the second. Singles by
Ryan Rippee,
Hunter Leeper, and Osborne loaded the bases with no out. A bases-loaded walk to
Brian Lees drove in the first run of the inning.
Daniel Costello lined a double over the left fielder's head to plate two more runs and take a 3-0 lead on the Govs. Southeast reloaded the bases but stranded them full in the inning.
Osborne blasted his team-leading seventh home run in the top of the fifth, widening the Redhawk lead to 4-0.
Clayton Smithson hit a two-run home run to right center, slicing the Redhawk lead in half in the bottom of the seventh inning. Beltran was knocked out of the game following the home run, opening the door for
Jake Busiek who retired all three batters he faced to end the inning.
Osborne lined a triple off the right field wall with one out in the top of the eighth. Leeper drilled a bullet into left, scoring Osborne and widening the lead back to three, 5-2.
Dan Holst hit a solo home run to right field in the ninth to make it a 6-2 game. With two down in the inning, base hits by
Garrett Gandolfo and Rippee kept the inning alive for Osborne. With a 1-2 count, Osborne drilled the final leg of the cycle, the double, down the right field line, scoring Gandolfo and bringing the tally to 7-2.
With bases loaded, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dre Gleason in the bottom of the inning made it 7-3 in the Redhawks favor but Murphy buckled Alex Robles' knees for the final out of the game.
The Redhawks put up 14 hits and committed no errors on Sunday.
Behind Osborne's four hits, his first four-hit game of the season, Ezell, Rippee, and Leeper all put up two hits in the game.
Patrick Massoni and Robles each finished with three hits for Austin Peay in the contest. The Govs scattered 11 hits in total.
The Redhawks will wrap up their four-game road swing Tuesday at Arkansas State. First pitch from Jonesboro is set for 6 p.m.
