CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Second baseman Connor Basler went 4-for-8 with two runs scored, a walk and a double as Southeast Missouri (16-23, 6-14) dropped two games to Tennessee Tech (17-19, 5-12) by scores of 9-3 and 13-8 on a cold and windy day at Capaha Field Friday.
TTU put up four runs in the sixth inning to fuel its game one victory.
Clinging to a 3-2 lead through five innings, JD Funk and Jason Hinchman each delivered two-RBI doubles. Hinchman's two-out extra base hit stretched the Golden Eagles lead to 7-3.
TTU tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth inning when Hinchman led off with a solo home run and McMeans scored John Dyer on a fielder's choice.
The Redhawks fell behind, 2-0, but tied things up in the bottom of the fourth inning. Peyton Faulkner ripped a single down the left field line to bring home Andrew Keck and Alex Nielsen making it a 2-2 ballgame.
TTU answered with a run during its at-bat in the fifth and never looked back.
Andrew O'Dwyer (1-0) picked up his first win of the season, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings. O'Dwyer also struck out three and walked three.
Dylan Dodd (4-4) took the loss. Dodd struck out four, walked three and gave up five runs on seven hits.
Offensively, the Redhawks had eight hits. Nielsen, Keck and Peyton Faulkner collected two hits apiece. Faulkner knocked in all three of SEMO's runs. Austin Blazevic, who returned to the starting lineup after missing 16 games with a thumb injury, singled in his first at-bat of the contest.
Each of the first nine hitters in TTU's lineup reached base as part of a seven-run first inning in the nightcap.
TTU got to starting left-hander Austin Sachse early in the nightcap.
Hunter Higdon and Kevin Strohschein singled. After the runners advanced on a wild pitch, Hinchman walked to load the bases. On the next play, Dyer singled home a run. Then, Anthony Carrera slugged a grand slam over the left field wall. Nine-hole hitter Jason Hogan walked in a run when the Golden Eagles had the bases loaded for the second time in the inning. Following a pitching change, TTU scored again when Higdon grounded into a double play.
The Golden Eagles scored seven runs on seven hits and sent 11 men to the plate in their big first inning. Sachse threw just 26 pitches and did not record an out. Reliever Bryce Grossius inherited a no-out bases loaded situation and calmly pitched out of the jam forcing Higdon to hit into a double play and getting Strohschein to groundout to third.
Wilber got the Redhawks going with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. Wilber's second home run of the season cleared the left field wall.
SEMO added two more runs to cut TTU's lead to 7-4 with the help of an error and RBI-single by Faulkner. Basler and Hunter Southerland scored on the play.
The Golden Eagles countered with four runs on four hits to build their second seven-run lead of the contest in the top of the third inning.
JD Funk drove in Nathan McMeans on a single to left. Gavin Johns scored on a safety squeeze sacrifice bunt by Higdon. Hinchman knocked in the other two runs on a two-out double down the left field line to put TTU ahead, 11-4.
SEMO continued to chip away and responded with a two-out three-run double by Wilber to slice the Golden Eagles lead to 11-7 in the bottom of the fourth. Basler doubled and Southerland walked before scoring on Wilber's hit.
TTU scored once more in the seventh and eighth innings to widen its margin to 13-7.
The Redhawks had the bases loaded in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings. After coming up empty on its first two tries, SEMO drew four-straight walks to get a run in the
bottom of the eighth. Reliever Tyler Sylvester issued a walk and then recorded three consecutive outs to end the threat.
Thomas Saliba (3-1) claimed the win. Saliba allowed seven runs on seven hits, struck out two and walked three in four innings.
Sachse fell to 4-5.
Keegan Meyn, in just his second pitching appearance, was strong out the bullpen late in the game striking out four of the five hitters he faced.
Blazevic and Faulkner followed close behind Basler with three hits each in the twin bill. SEMO collected 10 hits in the nightcap.
Meanwhile, TTU concluded the doubleheader with 22 runs on 28 hits.
The Redhawks and Golden Eagles wrap up their three-game series Saturday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m., CT. There will be a free tailgate sponsored by River Eagle Distributing and Kiwanis Club of Cape Girardeau.
