CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (15-14, 4-1 OVC) took both games on Saturday to open the weekend series with Little Rock (13-10, 3-2 OVC) in nearly seven hours of action at Capaha Field.
Chance Resetich finished 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs in game number two to highlight SEMO's 18-hit day as the Redhawks picked up wins three and four in the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Redhawks took game one behind a strong pitching performance from senior LHP
Noah Niznik (3-2) who went six complete innings with just three hits and a run. The left-hander struck out six over 23 batters faced to pick up his third win of the season.
SEMO's offense was successful of off Little Rock ace Jackson Wells (3-2) who came into Saturday's contest with a 1.15 ERA.
The Redhawks pounded out nine hits and scored three runs off Wells led by outfielder's
Josh Cameron and
Brett Graber who each with 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Cameron recorded the game's first RBI with a gorgeous RBI bunt single down the third base line to score
Jevon Mason. A throwing error on the Trojans' third baseman advanced
Chance Resetich (single) to third base.
The Redhawks would record their second run of the ball game in the opening frame as
Lincoln Andrews, who returned from an injury, lined out to right field to drive in Resetich.
After an inning, the Redhawks led by two runs.
A pitching duel between Niznik and Wells over the next four innings as Niznik gave up his only run in the contest, a sacrifice fly to right field by LR first baseman Noah Brewer, in the sixth inning. Tyler Williams scored on the play.
An RBI single by both Graber in the home sixth, and Mason in the seventh gave the Redhawks all they needed as SEMO held on for a 4-3 victory in game one.
RHP
Kyle Miller picked up his second save of the season in the win.
Game Two
An RBI single by designated hitter
Carlos Aranda in the bottom of the 10
th inning gave the Redhawks their second victory of the day as SEMO held walked-it-off for a 6-5 win.
The Dominican Republic-native roped a ball into the left-center field gap off Little Rock RHP Jacob Weatherly to score
Chance Resetich.
The play was ruled a single due to the walk-off hit.
Little Rock tied the game in the top of the ninth inning to send the game to extra innings as the Trojans used two runs to close the 5-3 deficit after a SEMO four-run seventh.
Luke Pectol singled in Ty Rhoades off
Kyle Miller to cut the SEMO lead to just 5-4.
Designated hitter Christian Bernabe hit an RBI single to right field the following batter and the Trojans tied it at 5-5.
SEMO rattled off four runs in the seventh inning before LR tied the game thanks to back-to-back RBI singles by
Chance Resetich and
Jevon Mason.
Gunna Doyle accounted for an RBI in the inning with his sacrifice-fly to left field that would plate Aranda.
RHP
Payton Lawrence (no decision) started on the mound in game two going 4.1 innings, allowing just three runs on five hits in his second-straight OVC weekend start. The righty struck out four over 18 batters.
Collin Wilma picked up the win pitching the game's final five outs, coming in to relieve Miller in the top of the ninth with just one out.
Wilma pitched 1.2 innings and recorded two strikeouts in the outing.
The Redhawks will go for the series-sweep tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m., CT. in game three of the weekend series with Little Rock at Capaha Field.