LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Southeast Missouri (37-21) started strong to grab an early lead, but #12 Louisville (39-18-1) responded with seven unanswered runs to earn a 7-2 victory in the opening game of the NCAA Regional at Jim Patterson Stadium Friday.
 
Fourth-seeded SEMO will face the loser of #2 Oregon and #3 Michigan in an elimination game at 11 a.m., CT Saturday.
 
SEMO seized some early momentum with the help of UL's defense. 
 
Leadoff man Jevon Mason reached on a throwing error by third baseman Ben Metzinger. Two hitters later, Tyler Wilber was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Ty Stauss lifted a pop up to shortstop Christian Knapczyk. Knapczyk lost the ball in the sun and Mason scored to give SEMO a quick 1-0 edge.
 
The Redhawks struck again in the second inning with another two-out hit. Peyton Leeper led things off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ben Palmer. After Danny Sperling reached on an initial hit by pitch, the play was reviewed and overturned for a strikeout. Mason followed with a double to right field and Leeper scored to push SEMO's lead to 2-0.
 
From then on, SEMO did not score again.
 
UL got on the board with a solo home run by Cameron Masterman during its at-bat in the second. Masterman worked the count full before launching his homer over the right field wall.
 
Aided by an uncharacteristic three balks in one inning, the Cardinals took the lead in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Jack Payton reached on a leadoff single and went to second on a balk. Payton scored the tying run on a one-out single by Levi Usher. Usher stole second, advanced to third on a balk and touched home on another balk to put UL ahead, 3-2.
 
After Jason Rackers recorded the first two outs on three pitches in the bottom of the fifth, Dalton Rushing singled and scored when Payton doubled down the left field line on a full count extending UL's lead to 4-2. Rackers was relieved by Blake Cisneros following Payton's hit.
 
Payton knocked in Metzinger on his second double of the game stretching UL's lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
UL scored twice more on a two-out, two-RBI single by Payton in the eighth.
 
In only his second start of the season, left-hander Garrett Schmeltz (2-0) allowed two runs on four hits, struck out eight and walked two in six innings. 
 
Tate Kuehner threw three shutout innings with four strikeouts to pick up the save.
 
Rackers (6-4) gave up four runs on eight hits, struck out two and walked one in 4.2 frames.
 
SEMO finished with five hits, including two by Ben Palmer and one each by Mason, Stauss and Leeper. Mason and Leeper scored the Redhawks runs.
 
The Cardinals had 15 hits with Payton going 4-for-5 with a run scored, two doubles and four RBI to lead the way.
 
SEMO and UL met for just the second time and first since 1996.

\