LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 2-seeded Southeast Missouri (35-20) earned an Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Tournament record 17 walks en route to a 14-6 victory over #5 SIUE (27-28) Friday at the 2022 OVC Championship held at Wild Health Field.
With the win, SEMO eliminated the Cougars from the Tournament and will face the loser of top seeded Belmont and #6 Tennessee Tech in the final elimination game Friday evening.
SEMO had to combat an early deficit for the second-straight game, overcoming a 5-0-hole Friday.
The Redhawks utilized an eight-run fifth inning to pull ahead 9-5 Friday and never relinquished that lead. SEMO benefited from seven walks and a pair of hit batsmen in the frame to go along with two hits.
Brett Graber opened the fifth inning with a four-pitch walk before a base hit by
Tyler Wilber followed by a walk to
Andrew Keck loaded the bases for the first time in the fifth.
Ty Stauss added another walk to score Graber.
Lincoln Andrews then knocked a RBI single to right center to keep the bases juiced.
Danny Sperling and
Ben Palmer continued the trend, compiling consecutive RBI walks to even the game at 5-5.
SEMO then pulled ahead on a RBI groundout from designated hitter
Spencer Parker.
Sperling tagged home on a Cougars wild pitch to make the score 7-5 Redhawks.
Wilber and Keck were then hit by pitches in consecutive at bats.
Keck earned a RBI as he was plunked with the basepaths full of Redhawks.
Stauss concluded the scoring in the fifth, posting a RBI walk.
SIUE utilized three pitchers out of the bullpen in the fifth inning.
The Cougars took an early 2-0 lead after consecutive home runs from Connor Kiffer and Brennan Orf in the top of the first.
SIUE add three more runs in the second. Brett Johnson drew a bases loaded walk before Steven Pattan scored on a wild pitch. Richie Well then added a sacrifice fly to right to extend the SIUE lead to 5-0.
SEMO scratched across a run in the bottom of the third (5-1). Keck grounded into a RBI double play to bring home Graber.
The Cougars added a run in the sixth on a RBI single from Well to make the score a three-run game (9-6).
The bases loaded walks continued for the Redhawks into the sixth with Mason and Graber both picking up RBI in consecutive four-ball at bats.
Wilber then had a sacrifice fly to right field to double the SEMO advantage, 12-6.
Wilber added a two-run homer to left to widen the gap to 14-6. The hit was SEMO's lone extra-base hit Friday.
The 2022 All-OVC First Team Selection from Los Alamitos, California, finished 3-for-3 Friday with 3 RBI, two runs scored and a walk.
With the 3 RBI, Wilber surpassed Matt Tellor (71, 2014) for first all-time for RBI in a SEMO single season with 72. Wilber is the third player in Southeast Missouri program history to total 70 or more RBI in a single season.
2022 OVC All-Freshman Team pitchers
Ethan Osborne and
Anthony Klein both competed in SEMO's victory over SIUE.
Osbourne allowed five runs on four hits with two strikeouts in 4.1 innings in the start for the Redhawks.
Klein picked up the win to improve to 2-0 in 2022, registering two strikeouts and just one run on two hits in 1.1 innings out of the pen.
SIUE's Alex Scherer was handed the loss, surrendering four runs on one hit and a trio of walks.
Hunter Ralls and
Hayden Malenfant also came on in relief for SEMO Friday. Ralls posted a pair of strikeouts and allowed just four hits in 2.1 innings.
Malenfant, a senior from Whitby, Ontario, Canada, closed out the ninth with a shutout inning of work.
Andrews finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, RBI and two walks.
Mason paced the Redhawks Friday with four walks and Graber added three. Stauss, Andrews, Palmer, and Sperling each had two. Stauss posted 2 RBI, going 1-for-3 with a run.
Well led the Cougars, concluding the game 2-for-3 with 2 RBI.
SEMO's 17 walks tie for third most in the nation this season for a single-season. The walks total ties the most for Southeast Missouri over the past 17 seasons.
SEMO will next face the loser of top seeded Belmont and #6 Tennessee Tech in the final elimination game Friday evening.
