CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Freshman catcher Wade Stauss went 2-for-3 with a run scored, three-run home run and five RBI, and reliever Carlos Vega tied a career-high six strikeouts to lead Southeast Missouri (3-7) to a 12-8 comeback win over South Dakota State (0-8) Friday.

SEMO broke an 8-8 deadlock with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to claim its series opening win.

Trevor Ezell led off the inning with a single to left field and went to second on a one-out walk by Justin Dirden. After a pitching change, Ezell stole third and Dirden stole second. Ezell scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch and Dirden also touched home in the same fashion. Devon Wilson then launched his first career home run over the wall in left center to put the Redhawks ahead, 11-8.

The Redhawks added one more run in the eighth inning as Chase Urhahn scored on Tristen Gagan's grounder to third.

Vega, the sixth SEMO pitcher to take the mound, entered the game with two outs in the fifth inning. He got Phil Velez to fly out to right field as the Jackrabbits stranded runners at first and third. 

After that, Vega (2-1) struck out six of the next 12 hitters he faced to get his second win of the season.

For the fifth-straight home game, the Redhawks fell behind in the first inning.

Down, 2-0, SEMO took a one-run lead on Stauss' team-high third home run of the year. Stauss' bomb went opposite field and sailed over the left field wall. Gagan and Dirden, who each singled prior to Stauss' round-tripper, scored on the play.

A pinch-hit grand slam by Anthony Schneider regained a 7-4 advantage for SDSU in the top of the fifth inning. 

The Redhawks, however, answered with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the fifth to take an 8-7 edge. SEMO loaded the bases with three walks. Peyton Faulkner scored on Gagan's walk, the fourth of the inning. Urhahn scored when Dirden grounded out to first. Stauss then ripped a two-out single to right center scoring Ezell and Gagan.

Newt Johnson tied the game at 8-8 scoring with the help of two walks and two wild pitches.

SEMO registered a season-high 12 runs on 11 hits.

Wilson had a team-high three hits for the Redhawks. He finished at 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI. Wilson hit safely in each of his last three at-bats of the game.

Faulkner also joined Wilson and Stauss with multiple hits. Four others, including Urhahn, Ezell, Gagan and Dirden followed with one each. Ezell extended his hitting streak to 10 contests.

Brett Mogen (0-1) suffered the loss for SDSU, which fell to its eighth-consecutive loss this season.

In all, 12 pitchers took the mound between the two teams. There were also a total of 21 walks (13 by SEMO) and six wild pitches in the game.

Defensively, neither SEMO or SDSU committed an error.

The Redhawks and Jackrabbits resume their series at 2 p.m., CT, Saturday.