JACKSON, Tenn. – Wade Stauss went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three runs, a double, walk and three RBI to lead top-seeded Southeast Missouri (28-19) to an 11-8 win over fourth-seeded Austin Peay (22-32) Thursday in the opening game of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
 
Stauss, who hit multiple home runs in a game for the first time in his career, increased his total to a team-high 13 this season.
 
SEMO trailed, 3-2, when Stauss followed a three-run home run by Lincoln Andrews with a solo shot to straightaway center as part of a five-run third inning for the Redhawks. 
 
"Wade was great today and I thought probably the biggest swing was Lincoln's home run because they just scored and had momentum," said SEMO Head Coach Andy Sawyers. "Andrews' swing gave us some separation."
 
Danny Wright kickstarted the bottom of the third with a single and advanced to second on a base hit by Andrew Keck before the back-to-back round-trippers. Peyton Leeper then doubled and later scored on a single by Jevon Mason putting the Redhawks ahead, 7-3.
 
The Redhawks tacked on three more runs during their half of the sixth.
 
Wright ripped a one-out double down the left field line and moved to third on an error. On the next play, Keck belted a double to right center and Wright scored. With two outs, Stauss stepped in and smashed his second home run of the game over the center field wall to stretch SEMO's lead to 10-4.
 
APSU rallied for four runs with the help of five-straight two-out hits in the top of the seventh.
 
Malcolm Tipler singled and scored on a base hit by Bobby Head. A two-RBI double by John McDonald and run-scoring single by Jack Alexander trimmed SEMO's lead to 10-8. OVC All-Freshman reliever Kyle Miller pitched out of the jam resulting in the Governors leaving runners at first and second when he forced pinch-hitter Ty DeLancey to hit into a fielder's choice.
 
"I was really proud of our guys' composure," said Sawyers. "Sometimes when your ace pitcher gets hit, it can rattle everybody, but I thought that was as good as approach we've had offensively, especially early." 
 
The Governors threatened again when they used back-to-back singles to begin the ninth inning. After a fly ball put runners at first and third, left-hander Blake Cisneros came on to record the final two outs. Cisneros struck out Alexander and got TJ Foreman to ground out en route to his second save of the season.
 
SEMO pulled ahead in the bottom of the first inning. Mason drew a leadoff walk and went to second on an ensuing groundout by Tyler Wilber. Wright followed with a base hit to center and Mason scored to give the Redhawks a 1-0 advantage.
 
With one out in the top of the second, APSU answered with a two-run home run by Jack Alexander. McDonald singled before Alexander's round-tripper gave the Governors their first lead of the game.
 
Stauss began SEMO's next at-bat with a double off the right field wall. Danny Sperling singled on the next play to give the Redhawks runners at first and third. Stauss touched home and tied things up at 2-2 on Leeper's sacrifice fly. 
 
Moments after APSU regained a one-run lead with a solo home run by Gino Avros in the top of the third, the Redhawks responded and never turned back.
 
In his first career postseason start, OVC Pitcher of the Year Dylan Dodd (9-1) registered a season-best 11 strikeouts and did not allow a walk in 6.2 innings. Dodd picked up his sixth-straight win. He also gave up seven runs on nine hits. He has not allowed a walk in 20.1 consecutive innings and recorded 10 or more strikeouts for the third time in 2021. Dodd threw 119 pitches.
 
"Dylan competes in the zone and is not going to give you free bases," said Sawyers. "I thought he was pretty good with the exception of pulling those change-ups early. He didn't walk anybody and punched out 11. I think anytime a guy does that for you, you're going to have a chance to win. Dylan certainly did that for us today."
 
Luke Brown (4-2) suffered the loss. Brown scattered 10 hits, walked two, struck out one and allowed seven runs in 2.1 innings.
 
SEMO and APSU each finished with 14 hits.
 
Mason and Wright joined Stauss with three hits apiece. Mason went 3-for-4 with a walk, RBI and one run scored, while Wright was 3-for-5 with a pair of runs and two RBI. Additionally, Wilber knocked in SEMO's last run of the game on a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the seventh.
 
The Redhawks opened the OVC Tournament with a win for the third time with Sawyers at the helm.
 
SEMO, which beat APSU for the fourth time this year, moves on to play the winner of #2 Murray State and #3 Morehead State at 11 a.m., CT Friday.