CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Andrew Keck went 4-for-5 with a grand slam, double, four runs scored and seven RBI as Southeast Missouri (6-1) blew out Saint Louis (1-5), 16-5, Tuesday in midweek action at Capaha Field.
Keck established new career-highs in runs and RBI, and matched a career-best in hits. He hit safely in each of his first three at-bats before slugging his second grand slam in two days to finish off the Redhawks rout in the bottom of the sixth.
SEMO tore apart SLU's pitching all day with an onslaught that resulted in the Redhawks scoring in every inning.
After SLU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Mason quickly tied the game with a leadoff solo home run to left.
With one out,
Tyler Wilber and
Andrew Keck delivered back-to-back doubles. Wilber touched home on Keck's hit to give the Redhawks their first lead and SEMO never looked back.
On the next play,
Brett Graber singled to left and Keck scored to widen SEMO's lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the first.
A five-run second inning, keyed by three two-out hits, followed for SEMO.
With a run already in after Mason scored on a groundout by Wilber, Keck singled home
Peyton Leeper to start the two-out rally. Keck stole second and quickly scored on a base hit by
Lincoln Andrews.
Joel Vaske later drove in Andrews and
Brett Graber touched home when
Ben Palmer reached on an error to stretch the Redhawks lead to 8-2.
Two more two-out hits led to SEMO scoring twice more in the bottom of the third. Keck singled home Mason before scoring when Andrews doubled to center making it 10-2 in favor of the Redhawks.
An inning later, Mason picked up his third hit of the game on a run-scoring single to left.
With the bases full of Redhawks in the sixth, Keck knocked everyone in with his third home run of the season. He also hit a grand slam two days ago in a game two victory during SEMO's series vs. Bellarmine.
The 16 runs and 16 hits both marked season-highs for SEMO.
Mason, like Keck, also had a big game. He went 3-for-3 with his first home run of the season, three runs, a walk and two RBI. Andrews and Vaske also added two hits, two RBI and a run scored.
Right-hander
Tommy Windt (1-0) picked up his first win of the season. In his first career Division I start, Windt struck out three, walked none, allowed two runs and gave up two hits in two innings.
Grant Fremion (0-2) took the loss for the Billikens. Fremion walked two, struck out one and allowed seven runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings.
SEMO outhit SLU, 16-5.
With the win, the Redhawks are off to their best start in 27 years. The Redhawks began the 1995 campaign on a seven-game winning streak.
Today's game went seven innings because the head coaches agreed to a 10-run rule.
SEMO, which has won four in a row, remains home to host Missouri Valley Conference member Bradley in a three-game series beginning Friday at 3 p.m., CT.
