MARTIN, Tenn. – Southeast Missouri (26-24, 14-5 OVC) dropped the first game of the series with UT Martin (19-31, 12-10 OVC) by a final score of 9-8 Friday afternoon at Skyhawk Baseball Field. 

LHP Noah Niznik (6-5) started the game for the Redhawks pitching 4.2 innings and allowed seven runs (6 ER) on seven hits. The lefty struck out five over 24 batters faced in the loss. 

The Skyhawks got on the board in the first inning with an RBI double by Andrew Fernandez and Mac Danford to get out to a 2-0 lead. 

SEMO would not be silent for long. The Redhawks would respond with a four run third inning started by a bases-loaded walk by Peyton Leeper. 

Leeper's walk brought up right fielder Josh Cameron who hit a shot to the left-center field gap to plate Jevon Mason and Ben Palmer to give the Redhawks a 3-2 lead. 

An RBI groundout by Lincoln Andrews plated the fourth run of the third inning. 

UTM would get a run back in the home half and after three, the Redhawks led 4-3. 

Two more SEMO runs in the fourth inning off the bat of Ben Palmer (SF) and a wild pitch that scored Danny Sperling would give the Redhawks a 6-3 lead. 

Martin would respond with a six run fifth inning, with every run being scored with two-outs in the inning. 

An RBI triple by Blaze Bell tied the game at six. The Skyhawks would use two more singles to plate three more and took a 9-6 lead into the final three innings. 

The Redhawks would get two back with a run in the seventh and the eighth from the bat of Josh Cameron (RBI-single) and Danny Sperling (RBI-double) but failed to score in the ninth as the

Skyhawks took game one. 

Josh Cameron finished the day going 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs to pace the Redhawks offense. 

Danny Sperling finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI from the designated hitter spot. 

Game two of the weekend series will be tomorrow, Saturday, May 13, in Martin, Tenn. Game time is TBA and will be updated as soon as a decision is made.