LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 2 Southeast Missouri (34-20) rallied from a 6-0 deficit but couldn't complete the comeback, falling to #6 Tennessee Tech (30-25), 11-10, Thursday evening at Wild Health Field in SEMO's 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship opener. 
 
The Redhawks will now face #5 SIUE in an elimination game Friday morning at 10 a.m., CT. 
 
The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 6-0 lead over the first two innings before SEMO fought back and pulled ahead 8-7 in the sixth. 
 
Tennessee Tech then regrew its margin to 11-8 with the Redhawks coming as close as 11-10 in the bottom of the ninth. 
 
Trailing 11-8, with three outs remaining, SEMO opened the home half of the ninth frame with consecutive singles from Andrew Keck and Ty Stauss. The duo then advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch to move into scoring position.
 
Lincoln Andrews then delivered a two-run double down the right field line to bring the Redhawks within a run (11-10). SEMO was able to move Andrews to third before their late rally fizzled out. 
 
Tennessee Tech took an early 2-0 lead after a two-run home run from Ryan Guardino in the first. 
 
Redhawks ace and 2022 All-OVC Second Team Selection Jason Rackers was relieved by Tommy Windt in the second inning after play resumed following a four-plus hour weather delay. 
 
The Golden Eagles then added a four spot in the second inning. 
 
John Dyer opened the frame with a solo shot. 
 
Ed Johnson then drew a bases loaded walk followed by a RBI single from Guardino to increase the TTU edge to 6-0. 
 
Windt exited the contest in the top of the second due to injury for Fenton, Missouri, leftie, Blake Cisneros. Cisneros worked 3.2 innings out of the pen, allowing just one hit with a pair of strikeouts. 
 
SEMO trimmed the deficit to four (6-2) with a two-run round tripper from Andrews. 
 
Andrews, a sophomore from Canon City, Colorado, blasted his 14th home run of the 2022 campaign over the right field party deck in the bottom half of the second. Stauss earned a walk before the homer. 
 
The Redhawks then scored three runs on four hits including a pair of home runs to pull within one (6-5) in the fifth.
 
Brett Graber cleared the wall in left center before Keck slammed a two-run homer. 
 
Tyler Wilber singled to left before touching home on Keck's 15th home run of the campaign. 
 
Ed Johnson then regrew the TTU lead to 7-5 with a solo homer.
 
The Redhawks finally pulled ahead in the sixth. Ben Palmer opened the stanza with a walk before advancing to second on a groundout. 
 
Mason then belted a RBI double to right center to plate Palmer and cut the Golden Eagles advantage back to one (7-6).
 
Graber was then hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with just one out. 
 
Wilber, a 2022 All-OVC First Team Selection, then knocked a base hit to center to score Mason and even the contest at 7-7. 
 
Keck followed with a RBI groundout to push the Redhawks ahead 8-7. 
 
The Golden Eagles then pulled ahead and retook the lead with a four-run eighth. 
 
Austin Turner knotted the contest at 8-8 with a RBI double. Gabe Lacy added another RBI double before Hayden Gilliland's two-run double extended the advantage to 11-8. 
 
Austin Williams was assessed the loss for SEMO while TTU's Daniel Holley earned the win. Frankie Cresta picked up the save. 
 
Wilber, Keck, and Stauss all went 2-for-4 at the dish. Andrews finished with four RBI on a double and a home run, going 2-for-5. 
 
Keck, a 2022 All-OVC Second Team Player, added 3 RBI including a two-run homer. 
 
Keck, Stauss and Graber, a 2022 All-OVC Second Teamer, all scored twice. 
 
Guardino, a 2022 All-OVC Second Selection, paced TTU, going 2-for-4 with 3 RBI.
 
Thursday's 2022 OVC Baseball Championship Tournament game between SEMO and Tennessee Tech was originally scheduled for 2 p.m., CT before the start time was pushed back an hour (3 p.m., CT) due to a rain delay.
 
The game then went into an extended weather delay (four plus hours) in the bottom half of the first with Redhawks leadoff hitter Jevon Mason batting at 3:15 p.m., CT. Play was then resumed at 8 p.m., CT, concluding well after midnight. 

The Redhawks opened the game in black and white pinstripes before changing to an all black ensemble after the resumption of play. 
 
SEMO will next face #5 SIUE in a 2022 OVC Baseball Championship Tournament elimination game Friday morning at 10 a.m., CT.