CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (21-19, 11-11) fell to Tennessee Tech (31-13, 17-2) Friday afternoon by a score of 8-4 to open the three-game series.
 
Clay Chandler (6-3) worked five complete innings in his start against Tech. He departed in the sixth after relinquishing the lead. He allowed seven runs on 13 hits, struck out four, and walked three.
 
For the second time this week, Robert Beltran pitched very well out of the pen. He worked four relief innings, surrendering one run on four hits.
 
Michael Wood pitched four innings in his start and left trailing. He gave up four runs on five hits to SEMO while fanning and walking two each. Evan Fraliex (2-0) pitched two innings and earned the win as the pitcher of record in the sixth.
 
Ethan Roberts earned his 11^th save of the season. He pitched the final three scoreless innings, giving up only two Redhawks hits and striking out seven.
 
Southeast was outhit in the game, 17-9. Chris Osborne registered three hits with an RBI and a run scored. Connor Basler and Kyle Bottger each got two hits at the bottom of the SEMO lineup.
 
Third baseman Trevor Putzig hit a solo home run in the top of the first to left center to take an early 1-0 lead on Southeast.
 
Southeast put up a four spot in the bottom of the third to find a lead. The inning began with back-to-back hits by Basler and Bottger. Basler stole third and Bottger moved up as the throw down to third was off the mark. Osborne lined a single into center to plate Basler and tie the game at one run each. Wood uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Bottger to score and put the Redhawks on top. Tristen Gagan launched his ninth home run off the scoreboard in left to make it 4-1 in SEMO's favor.
 
Matt Jones hit a one-out double then came around to score on a David Garza single through the left side to make it 4-2 in the top of the fourth.
 
The Golden Eagles recaptured the lead with seven consecutive hits to open the sixth inning, plating five runs in the string of hits. Chandler's day was finished in the inning as Beltran came in to get out of the inning including inducing a 1-3-2 double play. TTU led 7-4 going to the bottom of the sixth.
 
An RBI single by Ryan Flick tacked on another Golden Eagle run in the top of the eighth, 8-4.
 
Putzig, Jones, and Garza all finished with three hits in the opener while Putzig drove in three runs, falling a triple shy of the cycle. Every hitter in the TTU lineup recorded at least one hit in the game.
 
The Redhawks and Golden Eagles are scheduled to face off in game two of the series Saturday at 2 p.m. Follow SEMO baseball on Twitter and Facebook for updates regarding inclement weather.