CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Tyler Wilber went 4-for-5 with two runs, a double and two RBI as Southeast Missouri (21-7, 5-2) cruised to an 11-2 series-opening victory over Murray State (15-13, 1-6) Friday.
 
The Ohio Valley Conference's preseason number one and two teams hooked up in a game that was played two hours earlier due to chilly temperatures that dipped to the low 40s.
 
SEMO took its first lead with three runs in the bottom of the third inning and never turned back en route to claiming its program record 15th-consecutive home victory. The Redhawks are now 15-0 at Capaha Field this season.
 
Peyton Leeper and Wilber got things going with back-to-back singles and scored on an ensuing double down the left field line by Andrew Keck. With one out, Keck touched home on a beautifully executed safety squeeze bunt by Lincoln Andrews to put the Redhawks ahead, 3-1. 
 
SEMO added to its lead when Brett Graber knocked in both Wilber and Keck on a one-out double in the fifth. Wilber reached on his third hit of the game and quickly went to third on Keck's single to right. Graber worked deep in the count before delivering his extra base hit to stretch the Redhawks lead to 5-1.
 
The Redhawks then blew the game open with six runs in the seventh inning.
 
Graber singled and Andrews was hit by a pitch. After both runners advanced on a balk, Ben Palmer was intentionally walked to load the bases. On the next play, Ty Stauss walked and Graber scored. Joel Vaske followed with a three-RBI double to clear the bases. Wilber later smacked a two-out, two-RBI double to finish the rout.
 
In his sixth start, right-hander Jason Rackers (4-0) recorded a season-high seven strikeouts and allowed just one run on six hits in six innings. Rackers tossed five-straight scoreless innings after giving up his only run in the first. He also picked off a runner at first base and went a season-long six innings for the third time this year. Rackers threw 104 pitches.
 
Left-hander Hayden Wynja (2-3) suffered the loss. Wynja gave up five runs, eight hits, struck out five and walked two in 4.1 innings.
 
Wilber, who registered his first four-hit game of the season and seventh of his career, was one of five Redhawks with multiple hits. Leeper, Keck, Graber and Vaske followed with two hits each.
 
As a team, SEMO had 13 hits and improved to 12-1 in games where it reaches double-digit hits.
 
SEMO posted its largest margin of victory (+9) in a conference game this year. Before today, the Redhawks had not won a league contest by more than three runs.  
 
The Redhawks and Racers resume their series with a 2 p.m., CT matchup Saturday. Left-hander Noah Niznik is scheduled to start on the hill.