CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO.- Southeast Missouri (17-20) scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to overcome a two-run deficit and beat Saint Louis (25-10), 10-8, in a see-saw battle Tuesday night at Capaha Field.
SEMO trailed, 8-6, before scoring four runs after SLU had a five-run top of the seventh.
Alex Canty was hit by a pitch and went to second on a wild pitch. Alex Nielsen walked and Devon Wilson reached on an infield single to load the bases. Moments after a pitching change, Danny Wright reached on an error and Canty scored. Peyton Faulkner followed with a single to score Nielsen. On the next play, Wilson touched home on a wild pitch. Trevor Ezell then flied out to center and Wright scored to put the Redhawks ahead, 10-8.
After the wild seventh inning, which saw SEMO and SLU combine runs, the Redhawk bullpen retired the Billikens in order in each of the final two innings.
SLU took an early lead on a two-out single to right field by Jake Garella in the top of the first inning.
SEMO scored once in the second and third innings. The Redhawks took their first lead at 3-2 on Faulkner's double down the left field line in the third.
The Billikens regained the lead on a two-out, two-run home run by James Morisano in the top of the fourth inning.
That lead didn't last for long as the Redhawks answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the fourth.
Nielsen's sacrifice bunt scored Justin Dirden and Wade Stauss scored an unearned run with the help of an error to give SEMO a 4-3 edge.
The Redhawks loaded the bases in the sixth inning and managed to widen their lead to 6-3 courtesy of a run-scoring single by Ezell and a RBI-walk by Dirden.
SLU countered with five two-out runs in the top half of the seventh. Alex King ignited the Billikens two-out rally with a two-run home run. Parker Sniatynski followed with a double and Garella was hit by a pitch. Carter Hanford doubled home Sniatynski to tie the game. After a pitching change, Nick Reeser greeted Redhawk reliever Ryan Losman with a two-RBI single up the middle as SLU took an 8-6 advantage.
Losman (3-4), one of six SEMO pitchers to take the mound, was credited with the win. He struck out one in 1.1 innings of relief.
Daniel Bergtholdt pitched a perfect ninth inning to nail down his third save of the season.
SEMO outhit SLU, 10-7, with eight of its starters getting a hit. Faulkner and Dirden paved the way with two hits each. Ezell extended his hitting streak to 11 games and has now reached safely in 23-consecutive starts.
Sean Frontzak (1-1) suffered the loss for SLU. Frontzak gave up three runs on one hit and did not record an out.
Offensively, the first five hitters in SLU's lineup hit safely and scored.
SEMO returns to Ohio Valley Conference action when it hosts Murray State this weekend. The Redhawks and Racers open a three-game series Friday at 6 p.m., CT.
