CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (27-19, 17-10) won the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title when it split a doubleheader with UT Martin (19-29, 10-17) Friday. The Redhawks took game one, 3-2, before dropping the nightcap, 9-2.
 
SEMO officially clinched the crown and secured the top seed in next week's OVC Tournament. The OVC title is the first for fifth-year head coach Andy Sawyers. It is also the Redhawks fifth in program history and first since SEMO won three-straight regular-season championships from 2014-16.
 
The Redhawks, Murray State and Austin Peay will head to the 2021 OVC Tournament. The final spot of the tournament is still up for grabs. This year's event will be held at The Ballpark in Jackson, Tennessee (May 27-29). SEMO will open postseason play at 2 p.m., CT on Thursday, May 27.
 
SEMO claimed its 11th series victory this year. The series win marked the Redhawks eighth against the nine league opponents they faced, as well.  
 
The Redhawks jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Jevon Mason walked and quickly scored on a double by Tyler Wilber giving SEMO a 1-0 edge. 
 
The Skyhawks tied the game two innings later when Blake Davis led off with a single to right, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a one-out single by Jack Culumovic.
 
Danny Wright regained the lead for SEMO with a towering solo home run over the right field wall in the bottom of the fourth. Wright's home run marked his third of the season and put the Redhawks ahead, 2-1.
 
SEMO added another run in the sixth inning that proved to be big in the end.
 
Andrew Keck delivered a one-out single to center and stole second to get into scoring position. Lincoln Andrews finished off a long at-bat with a huge two-out single to score Keck stretching the Redhawks lead to 3-1.
 
After UTM pulled to within a run on a solo home run by Jack Culumovic in the top of the eighth, the Skyhawks made things interesting late. 
 
With runners at first and second and two outs in the eighth, Austin Williams got Christian Hall to line out to right field. In the ninth, the Skyhawks again had two runners on with two outs before freshman Kyle Miller came on and forced Culumovic to ground out to second ending the game.
 
UTM stranded six baserunners, including three in scoring position over its last four innings.
 
Bryce Grossius (4-2) had another strong outing allowing just one run on six hits in 5.2 innings. Grossius also recorded a career-high seven strikeouts and did not allow a walk.
 
Winston Cannon (6-6) suffered the loss. Cannon gave up three runs and six hits, struck out 11 and walked two in 5.2 frames.
 
SEMO posted eight hits with Mason and Andrews leading the way with two apiece. Mason, Wright and Keck scored one run each.
 
In game two, UTM trailed, 2-0, before scoring nine unanswered runs to get by the Redhawks.
 
SEMO plated both of its runs in the bottom of the third inning for its only lead of the contest. Danny Sperling was hit by a pitch and later scored on a single by Mason. Connor Basler, who reached on a bunt single touched home on a sacrifice fly by Wilber to give the Redhawks a 2-0 advantage.
 
After tying things up in the sixth, the Skyhawks scored four more runs in the seventh and another three in the eighth.
 
A three-run home run by Blake Daniels keyed the UTM seventh. Three hit batsmen, two balks and a single led to the Skyhawks scoring their final runs in the eighth.
 
Sam Folks (3-6) earned his third win of the season. Folks struck out eight, walked one and allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings.
 
Noah Niznik (2-6) took the loss in relief. Niznik relieved starter Hunter Ralls, who tossed five scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Mason went 2-for-4 with one RBI and Wilber, Andrews and Basler added one hit apiece.
 
The Redhawk baseball team gave SEMO Athletics its fourth OVC title this spring. SEMO's softball, women's tennis and women's outdoor track & field programs also hoisted championship trophies. Since the start of the 2019 calendar year, the Redhawks have won 10 conference championships, most in the OVC.
 
While competing in the middle of a COVID-19 pandemic, the Redhawks completed 2020-21 with their highest OVC regular-season winning percentage in school history. Combined, SEMO's teams went 93-42-1 (.688) in conference regular-season play. That winning percentage surpassed the Redhawks previous mark of .673 during the 1998-99 campaign.
 
Additionally, SEMO is the only OVC school that has qualified for every conference championship event this season.