CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Freshman Peyton Leeper delivered a sinking line drive base hit in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Southeast Missouri (3-5) a 4-3 walk off win over Illinois State (2-4) Friday in a flair for the dramatic at Capaha Field.
 
SEMO ran its record to 20-10 all-time in home-openers in its NCAA Division I era. The Redhawks also snapped an 11-game losing streak in its series against ISU.
 
Danny Wright led off the Redhawks final at-bat with a single up the middle and Jevon Mason was hit by a pitch. Ty Stauss advanced both runners on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs after Connor Basler flied out to right, Leeper singled home the winning run on his first career walk off hit.
 
It was a see-saw battle leading up to the thrilling finish.
 
ISU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning with the help of back-to-back two-out doubles by Jack Butler and Ryan Cermak. 
 
The Redhawks tied things up with two runs of their own four innings later. Peyton Leeper led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch and stole third. Tyler Wilber followed with a double down the left field line and Leeper scored. Andrew Keck then delivered a one-out double to right and Wilber touched home to make it a 2-2 ballgame.
 
ISU regained the lead in the top half of the sixth. Butler reached on a one-out single. Jordan Libman hit into a fielder's choice and moved into scoring position on an error. Jake McCaw drove in Libman on a base hit up the middle putting the Redbirds up, 3-2.
 
SEMO loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh and tied game at 3-3 on Mason's two-out bases loaded walk.
 
Starting left-hander Dylan Dodd struck out eight and walked one while allowing eight hits and three runs through seven innings.
 
Relievers Austin Williams and Blake Cisneros kept the Redbirds off the board the final three innings. Williams and Cisneros both came up with big strikeouts while ISU threatened late. Cisneros (2-1) was credited with the win after striking out two in a no-hit 10th  inning.
 
Derek Salata (0-2) suffered the loss for ISU. Salata scattered two hits and allowed the winning run in two-thirds of an inning.
 
Both teams posted 11 hits. Leeper and Tyler Wilber combined for five of those at the top of SEMO's lineup. Leeper went 2-for-5 with a run scored and one RBI, and Wilber was 3-for-4 with a run and one RBI. Stauss also had two hits for the Redhawks.

SEMO and ISU resume their series with a 12 p.m., CT doubleheader Saturday. Both games will be seven-inning contests. Left-hander Noah Niznik will start on the mound.