KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Southeast Missouri (24-22) couldn't complete its series sweep of Western Michigan (19-22) on Sunday, falling in the finale, 8-6.
The teams nearly scored as many runs as there were hits in the game as each squad scattered eight base knocks.
Danny Wright was the lone Redhawk with multiple hits, going 2-for-5. He may have only had one hit, but
Dan Holst was on base four times after tying a career-best three walks.
Nate Green pitched six and a third innings in his ninth start. He allowed three runs in the first then settled in to pitch five straight scoreless, hitless innings. In the end, he was responsible for five runs on only four hits. He struck out a season-high four batters but walked three. He suffered a no decision after WMU tied the game in the seventh inning.
Reliever
Chase Hagerty (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. Southeast used four pitchers in the final inning and two-thirds.
WMU starter Jimmy Townsend-Chase worked six complete innings and allowed four runs on five hits. He struck out two but issued two walks and hit two batters. After recording the loss in game one of the series, Nic Laio (3-1) earned the win on Sunday as he was the pitcher of record when WMU took the lead in the eighth. He pitched the final three scoreless innings, surrendering just three hits.
The Broncos hit Green for three runs in the bottom of the first to take an early lead. A leadoff walk and a base hit began the inning. Both runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Tanner Allison drove in the first run with a single into left. Nate Grys followed with a two-RBI double to go ahead 3-0 on Southeast.
In the top of the next inning, SEMO plated a pair of runs to cut the early lead to one.
Chris Caffrey was hit by the first pitch of the inning and Wright followed with a base hit. After
Aiden McMahan bunted both runners over,
Josh Haggerty put the ball in play with a groundout to short, good enough to put the Redhawks on the board.
Connor Basler drew a two-out walk then induced a rundown between first and second. On the play, Wright snuck home and scored before Basler was tagged out at second, 3-2.
Holst led off the top of the fifth with a bounding ball single through the right side. He advanced on a groundout then scored from second on a base hit to left by
Tristen Gagan to tie the game at three all. The RBI was Gagan's 50
th of the season.
Three runs in the top of the seventh gave the Redhawks a lead.
Kyle Bottger led off the inning with a base hit. After a pitching change, Holst drew a walk and
Chris Osborne reached on an error by the left fielder to load the bases. Following another pitching change, Gagan hit a slow roller in front of the plate for an RBI groundout to score Bottger, the go-ahead run. Caffrey immediately followed with a two-run double to make it a three-run, 6-3 lead for the Redhawks.
The Broncos immediately got all three runs back in the bottom of the inning to retie the game. Following a one-out walk, the first hit off Green since the first inning was an RBI double by Nick Vogelmeier.
Jared Waldhoff entered, got the second out then hit the next batter he faced. SEMO brought
Wesley Pyles in to face Allison who tied the game with a two-run double to right center, 6-6. Hagerty then took the mound and got the final out of the inning, preserving the tie.
Alex Goodwin led off the eighth with a double down the right field line. On a sac bunt attempt by Jesse Forestell, McMahan threw the ball wildly to first, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Connor Smith later drove in Forestell with an infield single to short, 8-6.
Smith and Allison each had two hits for WMU in the finale while Allison drove in three runs. Exactly half of the Broncos' hits were doubles.
Southeast Missouri is back in action next weekend with a three-game series at Belmont University. The series will begin Friday evening at 5 p.m. at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville, Tennessee.
