MURRAY, Ky. – Southeast Missouri (21-17, 11-10) dropped its series at Murray State (18-22, 8-10) following a doubleheader split on Sunday, 4-3, 1-11.
It's the first time Southeast has lost a series to Murray State since the 2013 season.
Southeast Missouri 4, Murray State 3
Justin Murphy (5-3) picked up right where he left off last week in his start. He pitched seven scoreless innings before allowing two runs to reach in the eighth. He gave up only four hits, walked two, and struck out five.
Ryan Losman picked up his first save of the season in his close. He worked one and two-thirds innings, allowed one run on no hits.
Racer starter Austin Dubsky (2-6) pitched four innings while giving up all four runs on six hits. John Lollar pitched five scoreless innings in relief. He struck out a whopping nine hitters and walked one.
The Redhawk offense scattered 13 total hits in the game.
Brian Lees and
Danny Wright each picked up three hits while
Chris Osborne had two.
Southeast pushed a two-out run across in the top of the first to take an early lead.
Dan Holst began the two-out sequence with a single through the left side followed by
Tristen Gagan getting hit by a pitch. As Holst was off on a pitch to steal third, the pitch was wild, allowing Gagan to move up to second. Lees hit a slow chopper to the shortstop and beat the throw out at first, allowing Holst to score and putting SEMO on top in the first, 1-0.
Wright led off the second inning with a double that fell down the left field line. He advanced on a groundout then scored on a two-out fielding error by the shortstop off the bat of
Clayton Evans to widen the lead to 2-0.
Two more runs came in to score for the Redhawks in the top of the fourth inning. Wright led off with a triple that fell in left center.
Connor Basler drove Wright in with a base knock to right. After stealing second, Basler came around to score on a single through the left side off the bat of Osborne, bringing the score to 4-0 in the Redhawks' favor.
The Racers broke up the shutout in the bottom of the eighth. The inning began with Murphy allowing a leadoff walk then hitting a batter.
Jared Waldhoff entered to relieve Murphy then issued a one-out walk to load the bases. Brandon Gutzler broke up the shutout with a two-RBI single to left, cutting the lead to 4-2.
Murray State wasn't going to go down quietly in the ninth. Two walks and an error loaded the bases with two out. Aaron Bence was hit by a pitch to drive in the third Murray run, making it a one-run game, 4-3. Losman fanned the final out to secure the win.
The Racers were held to just five hits in the game but stranded eight runners on base.
Murray State 11, Southeast Missouri 1 (7 innings)
Redhawk starter
Nate Green (2-3) worked just one and two-thirds innings, getting hit for seven runs on six hits. He was the first of four total pitchers used in the nightcap.
Luke Brown (1-2) worked five scoreless innings in his start allowing just two hits. He struck out five but walked four hitters.
The Redhawk offense was held to just four hits in the seven-inning affair. Gagan was responsible for two of the four hits and drove in the lone run with his eighth home run of the season.
The Racers jumped out to a very early lead on the Redhawks. Bence scored on an RBI single by Gutzler to get on the board. Tyler Lawrence immediately followed with a two-run shot to left, 3-0 Racers.
Adam Bauer drove in Kipp Moore with an infield single to first. Gutzler then stepped in and hit a wall scraper in left, a three-run homer, to tack on a bunch, 7-0.
The game was sent into a one hour and 10-minute rain delay with one out in the top of the third.
Bauer drove in two more runs with a double down the left field line then scored on a single to right center off the bat of Jack Hranec, adding to the Racer lead in the fifth, 10-0.
Moore hit a solo shot to left in the fifth to make it an 11-0 game.
Gagan broke up the shutout with a leadoff home run over the wall in left in the top of the sixth, 11-1.
Four total Racer hitters recorded two hits apiece as Gutzler drove in four runs and Bauer drove in three.
Southeast Missouri returns to Capaha Field for four games this week beginning Tuesday against Southern Illinois. The Redhawks and Salukis square off at 6 p.m. in Cape.
