MOREHEAD, Ky. – Southeast Missouri baseball (6-7, 0-3) dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Morehead State (11-5, 3-0) on Friday. The Redhawks fell in game one 17-5 then in the nightcap, 3-2.
 
It's the first time since 2013 that Southeast has been swept in an Ohio Valley Conference series and the first since 2009 Morehead has swept the Redhawks in a series. 2012 was the last season the Redhawks opened OVC play 0-3.
 
Morehead State 17, Southeast Missouri 5
The Redhawks scattered 13 hits but only pushed five men across the plate in game one of the doubleheader. Kylar Robertson recorded a three-hit game to lead the Redhawks. Three other Redhawks each had a pair of hits in the contest.
 
Justin Murphy (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season in his four-inning start. He allowed six runs, five earned, struck out three, and walked six. After allowing a season-high six walks in Thursday's game, the Redhawk staff allowed 11 in game one Friday.
 
Aaron Leasher (3-0) remained undefeated on the mound for Morehead. He pitched five innings, allowed three Redhawk runs, and fanned five hitters. David Calderon earned his second save of the season after pitching four innings in relief.
 
Much like Thursday's series opener, the Eagles scored twice in the opening frame. With Eagles on the corner, an RBI fielder's choice plated the first run of the inning. Following a walk and a flyout, a single by Braxton Morris plated the second run to go up 2-0 on Southeast after one.
 
The Redhawks loaded the bases with no out in the top of the second inning. Following a strikeout, Kyle Bottger flied out to center, allowing Brian Lees to tag up and score, cutting the Eagle lead in half, 2-1.
 
A one-out error by Bottger that would've been an inning-ending double play, opened the door for another scoring opportunity for Morehead in the second. Niko Hulsizer flied out to right, scoring Ryan Kent and widening the early lead to 3-1.
 
Eli Boggess hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the third to extend the Eagle lead to 6-1.
 
Southeast cranked up the two-out production in the fourth inning. A two-out walk and back-to-back singles loaded the bases. Leasher, who had issued no walks prior to Friday's game, issued his third walk of the day with bases loaded to Clayton Evans to drive in a Redhawk run, narrowing the deficit to 6-2.
 
SEMO kept the two-out run production going in the fifth inning. With runners on the corners, Chris Osborne singled up the middle past Leasher to plate Tristen Gagan and cut the lead to three, 6-3.
 
Three extra-base hits, two walks, and a pair of Redhawk errors by the middle infield allowed a five spot for Morehead State in the bottom of the fifth, tacking onto the lead, 11-3 after five.
 
Morehead State tacked on four more runs, highlighted by a three-run home run by Michael Patrick had the Eagles up 15-3 after seven.
 
SEMO's fourth run came home to score on a Gagan sacrifice fly to right, scoring Connor Basler, 15-4.
 
A two-run error by Chris Caffrey on a play at the plate in the bottom of the eighth added to the Eagle lead, 17-4.
 
A sac fly by Osborne in the top of the ninth plated SEMO's final run, making it 17-5 in game one of the doubleheader.
 
Patrick was one of three Eagles to record a trio of hits. He led the way for MSU with four RBI.
 
Morehead State 3, Southeast Missouri 2
The nightcap was vastly different from the first two games of the series with both team combining for only five runs. The Redhawks outhit the Eagles, 9-7. It's the first time this season Southeast has outhit its opponent in a losing effort.
 
Robertson, Evans, and Basler all scattered a pair of hits. Evans and Basler were responsible for the two RBI.
 
Clay Chandler fell to 2-2 with the loss. He pitched six innings, allowed all three runs on six hits, struck out a season-high nine, and walked two. Carlos Vega pitched two scoreless relief innings and struck out three.
 
Curtis Wilson (2-1) nearly pitched a complete game shutout. He worked eight and two-thirds innings before allowing SEMO's two runs to reach in the ninth. Cable Wright entered to record the final out but not before allowing two runs to score. He earned the save after preserving the lead in the ninth.
 
Unlike the first two games of the series, game three remained scoreless through four and a half innings. Kent picked up a two-out base hit in the bottom of the fifth. He came all the way around to score on a double drilled down the left field line by Reid Leonard, breaking the scoreless tie, 1-0.
 
Tyler Niemann widened the Eagle lead with a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the seventh. Chandler exited and Carlos Vega entered to pitch following a double to left. A couple wild pitches uncorked by Vega allowed the third Eagle run to touch home. After seven, SEMO trailed 3-0.
 
The Redhawks made it interesting in the final three outs. With two out, Lees drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Morehead went to the pen for Wright to record the final out. He issued a walk to Danny Wright to load the bases. A single by Basler poked through the right side avoided the shutout. Evans followed with a bases-loaded, two-out walk to cut the lead to one, 3-2. The game ended on a highlight reel diving catch by the left fielder to rob Dan Holst of extra bases to potentially put the Redhawks ahead.
 
Southeas Missouri will return to Capaha Field for four games this week beginning Wednesday when Missouri State comes to town. Wednesday's game will feature the next tailgate of the season sponsored by Wings Etc. and River Eagle Distributing.