MARTIN, Tenn. – Southeast Missouri (9-7) let a three-run lead slip away in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 14-13 loss to UT Martin (5-10) Sunday.
SEMO opened Ohio Valley Conference play with a series win after beating the Skyhawks in the first two games.
The Redhawks held a 13-10 lead going into the bottom of the ninth. UTM then scored four runs and walked off with a two-out, two-RBI single by Wil Lafollette. Lafollette's game-winner was one of five hits in the Skyhawks final at-bat.
The Redhawks and Skyhawks hooked up in another wild affair, this time combining for 27 runs and 39 hits.
SEMO got on the board with three runs in the top of the first inning thanks to a RBI-single by Andrew Keck and run-scoring double by Justin Dirden. Dirden scored the third run of the inning when Austin Bazevic hit into a double play.
After UTM tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, the Redhawks regained a one-run edge when Tyler Wilber knocked scored Wright on a single to left in the top of the second.
That lead stood until the bottom of the third when the Skyhawks pulled ahead for the first time on a two-run home run by Lafollette. Lafollette's round-tripper gave UTM a 5-4 advantage.
An inning later, UTM and SEMO combined for eight runs in the fourth.
The Redhawks scored five in the top of the fourth to build a 9-5 lead. SEMO had five RBI-hits in the inning.
UTM, however, answered with three runs of its own. Blake Davis hit a solo home run and Ethan Whitley hit a two-RBI double to make it a 9-8 game.
SEMO increased its lead to 12-8 with a three-run sixth inning. Connor Basler drove in Caleb Feuerstake on a single to left. Feuerstake knocked in a pair of runs on a base hit to left before scoring on Basler's single.
With a runner on, Davis hit his second home run of the game to narrow SEMO's margin to 12-10 in the bottom of the seventh.
Dirden then smashed a solo home run in the top of the ninth for his team-high eighth round-tripper of the year.
Keegan Meyn (0-1) took the loss out of SEMO's bullpen. Meyn gave up four runs on four hits in just two-thirds of an inning.
Offensively, the Redhawks pounded out 18 hits with seven of their starters getting two or more.
Wilber, Dirden and Feuerstake led the way with three hits and combined for seven runs scored, while Keck, Blazevic, Wade Stauss and Basler followed with two apiece.
The Redhawks scored a total of 51 runs and notched 56 hits in three games against UTM.
SEMO's winning streak ended at seven games. It was the longest winning streak under head coach Andy Sawyers and the team's longest since the Redhawks won 11 in a row in 2016.
The Redhawks head to regional-rival Southern Illinois for a midweek matchup on Mar. 11.
