CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southeast Missouri baseball (17-14) fell to Southern Illinois (17-17) on the road Tuesday to open the annual home-and-home series, 4-2.  
 
SEMO starter Nate Green (2-1) tied a season-long six innings of work in his sixth start. He allowed four SIU runs on seven hits, didn't strike out or walk any. Jared Waldhoff and Ryan Losman each threw a scoreless inning in relief.
 
Henry Boeckmann pitched three innings in his start. He gave up two unearned runs on three hits. Jamison Steege (1-1) earned the win in relief. He worked two scoreless innings, allowing only two hits. Ryan Netemeyer entered to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth and recorded his 11^th save of the season.
 
Southeast's offense was held to six hits. Clayton Evans and Tristen Gagan picked up a pair of base knocks each. Southeast struck out only four times, the least in 11 games; however, SEMO hit into a season-high four double plays, three of which were inning-ending.
 
After going in order in the fist, SEMO got the offense going in the second with a pair of runs. With runners on the corners and nobody out, Danny Wright used a slow roller to short, too slow for a double play, to plate Gagan with an RBI fielder's choice. Wright stole second and advanced to third on a base hit by Kyle Bottger. He tagged up and scored to give SEMO a 2-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Josh Haggerty.
 
The Salukis began the bottom of the third with their first two hits of the game. Ryan Smith got a bloop single to fall down the right field line to plate a run and cut the Redhawk lead in half, 2-1. Green worked out of the inning with the lead, stranding runners on second and third.
 
Southern Illinois not only tied the game but found a two-run lead in the bottom of the fifth. With Saluki runners on the corners, Smith grounded out to short to plate the tying run. The runner on second, Connor Kopach, stole third and scored the would-be winning run on a throw off the mark to the bag by Brian Lees. Jake Hand immediately followed with a solo home run to widen the new Saluki lead to 4-2.
 
Both offenses combined for three hits in the final three and a half innings as Southern Illinois held on to secure the 4-2 win over Southeast.
 
Addison Fugitt and Smith each finished with two hits for the Salukis while Smith drove in two of the four runs.
 
Southeast Missouri returns to Capaha Field for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series with Jacksonville State this weekend. The series will begin Thursday at 6 p.m. Friday evening's game will feature the next free tailgate of the season provided by the Kiwanis Club of Cape Girardeau and River Eagle Distributing.