EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.– Left-hander Dylan Dodd recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts to lead Southeast Missouri (11-7, 2-2) to an 8-6 series-opening win over SIU Edwardsville (4-10, 1-3) Friday.
 
SEMO snapped a four-game losing streak with its first road victory of 2019.
 
Dodd dominated on the mound, striking out eight of the first 12 hitters he faced. He started strong from the beginning striking out the side in the first inning. Dodd has struck out eight or more hitters in three of his five starts. His 11 strikeouts are the second-most in a game by any Ohio Valley Conference pitcher this year.
 
SEMO gave Dodd a lead when it pushed across a run in the top of the second inning. Tyler Wilber led off the inning with a walk and went to third when Alex Nielsen reached on a two-base error. With runners at second and third, Hunter Southerland grounded out and Wilber scored to give the Redhawks a 1-0 edge.
 
After going without a hit for 4.1 innings, SEMO ended its drought with a one-out double by Keegan Meyn in the fifth. Connor Basler followed with a single to left and Meyn scored. Danny Wright's two-out double to left center brought home Basler to push the Redhawks lead to 3-0. 
 
Dodd held SIUE scoreless for 5.2 innings before the Cougars scored their first run on an infield single by Raul Elguezabal in the bottom of the sixth.
 
An inning later, SEMO countered with three runs, two of which scored on a triple by Wilber. Wilber then touched home on a sacrifice bunt by Nielsen to stretch SEMO's lead to 6-1.
 
Southerland, in his first career start at first base, hit a solo home run to lead off the eighth inning. The round-tripper was Southerland's second of the season.
 
SIUE had its chances late in the game, but left the bases loaded in the seventh and stranded two more runners in the eighth. The Cougars wound up scoring once in each of those innings to cut SEMO's lead to 7-3.
 
Reliever Logan Winder struck out Dustin Woodcock to end SIUE's threat in the seventh and Aaron Stretch posted two strikeouts to get out of the eighth.
 
After SEMO tacked on another run on a two-out double by Nielsen in the top of the ninth, SIUE made things interesting during its final at-bat.
 
The Cougars again loaded the bases and managed to score three runs thanks to a RBI-single by Woodcock, a sacrifice fly by Elguezabal and a fielder's choice. Aaron Stretch, however, struck out Jordan Ross to preserve the victory. Stretch had five strikeouts out of the bullpen.
 
Dodd (3-1) picked up his team-high third win of the season. He also allowed only one run on five hits and did not give up a walk. 
 
Collin Baumgartner (0-3) remained winless for SIUE. Baumgartner worked five innings where he scattered four hits and allowed three runs to go along with seven strikeouts and four walks.
 
Offensively, SIUE had 12 hits, left 12 runners on base and went 5-for-21 with runners in scoring position.
 
SEMO finished with seven hits. Nielsen went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Wilber and Southerland added two RBI each.
 
The Redhawks and Cougars resume their series at 1 p.m., CT, Saturday.