CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (5-1) took both games of its doubleheader against Bellarmine (1-7) to clinch the 3-0 series sweep Sunday at Capaha Field. SEMO won the doubleheader opener, 10-2, before coming from behind in the night cap, 12-8, after a seven-run seventh inning.
With the win, SEMO improved to 5-1 in 2022 with its first 3-0 series sweep since Feb. 28-March 1, 2020, over Ohio (4-0 series sweep).
SEMO 10, Bellarmine 2 – Game 1 of Sunday Doubleheader
Catcher
Andrew Keck's first career grand slam sent SEMO to a 10-2 victory over Bellarmine in the second game of the series and opener of Sunday's doubleheader.
Back-to-back walks and a hit batsman quickly loaded the bases for SEMO with no outs in the bottom of the first inning. Keck stepped in and drove Arren Hash's 1-1 offering over the left field wall to put the Redhawks ahead, 4-0. The home run was Keck's first of the season and 10th of his career.
The Redhawks sent eight hitters to the plate in a first inning where Hash threw 29 pitches.
SEMO added another run in the third when
Brett Graber hit a two-out double and touched home on an ensuing base hit by
Joel Vaske.
Bellarmine got on the board in the top of the fourth. With runners at first and third with two outs, Dylan Byerly doubled to left center and pinch runner Jackson Case scored to narrow SEMO's lead to 5-1.
Danny Sperling drew a leadoff walk and scored an unearned run all the way from first to push the Redhawks lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Mason delivered a double down the left field line after his at-bat was kept alive on a dropped foul ball by catcher Ashton Smith.
After Bellarmine scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh, SEMO quickly answered two more runs.
With
Peyton Leeper on base following an error,
Tyler Wilber smashed his second home run of the season over the right field wall to extend the Redhawks lead to 8-2.
Still not finished, SEMO scored its final two runs with the help of an error and four walks in the bottom of the eighth to finish off its eight-run win.
Left-hander
Noah Niznik (1-0) earned his first win of the season. Niznik, SEMO's first starting pitcher to go six innings this season, allowed one run on five hits, struck out two and walked one.
Hash (0-1) suffered his first loss. He walked five and allowed six runs on six hits in four innings. Bellarmine pitchers issued 11 walks in game one.
Mason (2), Leeper (2), Wilber (2) and Keck (1) accounted for seven of the Redhawks season-high 10 runs. Graber also scored one run and led SEMO with two hits.
SEMO 12, Bellarmine 8 – Game 2 of Sunday Doubleheader
Trailing 8-4, SEMO pulled ahead with a seven-run seventh inning on five hits to secure the 3-0 series sweep of Bellarmine.
Jevon Mason led off the frame with a walk before coming around to score on a two-run homer by
Peyton Leeper. The shot was Leeper's first career round tripper.
Tyler Wilber then ripped a single before a double from
Andrew Keck and a walk assessed to
Lincoln Andrews. With the bases full,
Danny Sperling cleared the basepaths with a three-run double.
Sperling, a junior from Wauconda, Illinois, then moved to third on a wild pitch and touched home on a Mason basehit.
The bases were loaded for a second time in the seventh by Bellarmine reliever Matt Craven with Wilber set to bat. Wilber, the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Player of the Year, drew an RBI walk to grow the advantage to 11-8.
Sperling then registered his career-best matching fourth RBI of the day with a single to right to extend the Redhawks advantage to 12-8 in the eighth.
Craven surrendered five runs on four hits in 0.2 innings for the loss.
Anthony Klein closed out the game with four strikeouts over two shutout innings to secure the win for SEMO.
The Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader. Bellarmine batted around in the first inning with three runs on four hits.
Clayton Mehlbauer opened the game with a leadoff triple. He would then touch home on a groundout from Matt Higgins.
Austin Williams let up a pair of walks in the first inning with two outs. Casey Sorg walked to load the bases.
With the basepaths juiced, Brett Pfaadt singled home a pair of Knights to push the advantage to 3-0.
Jack Ockerman then increased the Bellarmine margin to 5-0 with a two-run single in the top of the third.
SEMO would then get on the scoreboard with a three-run bottom half of the third.
Jevon Mason knocked an infield single before coming home on a double by
Peyton Leeper.
Keck, who belted a grand slam in Sunday's doubleheader opener, then hit his second home run Sunday in the series finale.
The St. Louis, Missouri, native's two-run blast cut the deficit to 5-3.
Mason's sacrifice fly to deep center then made it a one-run game in the bottom of the fourth. Graber opened the frame with a single and moved to second and third after consecutive walks awarded to
Danny Sperling and
Wyatt Grant.
With the bases loaded full of Redhawks, Mason knocked a sacrifice fly to plate Graber and trim the Bellarmine lead to 5-4.
The Knights added a run on a wild pitch by
Tommy Windt who came on in relief of Williams. Mehlbauer advanced home on the errant throw.
The Knights continued to widen the gap with a RBI groundout and passed ball in the top of the seventh (8-4). Ockerman grounded out to second before Sorg touched home on the passed ball with
Blake Cisneros on the mound.
Williams let up five runs on seven hits in three innings of work in his second start of the season. He was relieved by Windt, Cisneros and Klein.
Windt recorded five strikeouts over three innings while allowing two runs on two hits. Cisneros appeared in one inning of relief, allowing just one run with two strikeouts.
Bellarmine starter Gavin Braunecker allowed six runs on six hits before being relieved by Craven.
Keck paced the Redhawks, going 3-for-5 hitting with two runs and two RBI. Mason, Leeper and Sperling each added two hits in the win.
SEMO next hosts Saint Louis in midweek action Tuesday at Capaha Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., CT.
