CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri baseball (18-14, 9-7) came out on top in its series opener over Jacksonville State (17-13, 6-7) Thursday evening, 7-6.
 
The teams combined for 19 hits, five of which were over the wall, six doubles, and a triple. Southeast was narrowly outhit in the win, 10-9.
 
Brian Lees tied a career-best three hits, one of which was a double. He drove in one and scored one. Tristen Gagan had two hits and three RBI, one hit being a home run while Chris Osborne also had two hits with his sixth-inning home run being the difference in the game. Chris Caffrey was responsible for SEMO's first home run of the day which was a two-run jack to put the Redhawks on the board.
 
Redhawk starter Clay Chandler (7-2) worked six innings in his start on the mound. He allowed six runs on 10 hits, both a season-high allowed by the righty. He fanned three and walked only one.
 
Southeast used five total pitchers. Joey Burris earned his first Redhawk save when he entered and used one pitch to induce a game-ending double play.
 
Derrick Adams pitched four and a third innings in his start, allowing six runs on seven hits. He fanned eight Redhawks and walked two. Reliever Grant Chandler (0-2) suffered the loss. He allowed Osborne's go-ahead home run in the sixth.
 
Southeast touched home in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a two-run home run to right off the bat of Caffrey, his second homer of the season.
 
The Gamecocks worked quickly to get both runs back in the top of the third. Josh Bobo doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a single through the left side by Clayton Daniel. Joe McGuire drove in the tying run with a groundout to second.
 
The Redhawks recaptured the lead in the bottom of the inning with a trio of runs. With two on and one out, both runners were on the move as Gagan lined a tracer in the gap in left, driving in both runs and putting SEMO back on top. Gagan immediately came in to score on a base hit by Lees, 5-2 Redhawks.
 
Payton Young cut into the SEMO lead with a leadoff solo jack in the fourth, 5-3.
 
JSU once again tied the game in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs. Daniel singled to center to make it a one-run game. After a double play, McGuire doubled to right center then scored on a base hit by Trent Simpson, knotting the game up at five all.
 
Gagan broke the tie and put SEMO back on top with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning, his seventh of the season, 6-5.
 
Bobo responsed with a two-out solo homer in the top of the sixth to once again tie the game at six runs apiece.
 
The fifth home run of the game was by Osborne in the sixth to put SEMO back on top, 7-6. Osborne's jack proved to be the difference maker as both bullpens silenced the opposing offenses the remainder of the game.
 
Nic Gaddis, Daniel, and Bobo all recorded two hits for JSU while Daniel drove in a pair at the top of the lineup.
 
The Redhawks and Gamecocks will face off in game two Friday evening at 6 p.m. The game will feature the next free tailgate sponsored by the Cape Kiwanis Club and River Eagle Distributing.