MARION, Ill. – #4 Southeast Missouri (26-30, 14-10 OVC) dropped the elimination game of the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference tournament to #5 Eastern Illinois (35-18, 13-10 OVC) 7-6, to conclude the 2023 season. 
 
Freshman Caleb Rodgers hit a leadoff solo home run to begin the top of the ninth inning to cut the EIU two-run deficit to just one. 
 
Shortstop Peyton Leeper followed and roped a single to right field as the Redhawks had the tying run on base with no outs. 
 
SEMO failed to bring him in as the Panthers got the final out of the game with a runner in scoring position. 
 
EIU registered five of their runs with two outs in the contest as the Panthers advanced in the tournament. 
 
The Panthers got off to a big start with a three run first inning with an RBI double, RBI single, and a Redhawks error put EIU up 3-0 after the first frame. 
 
SEMO would respond. A three-run third inning brought the Redhawks back level. Jevon Mason put the first run across thanks in help to an EIU error to score Nolan Ackerman from third base. 
 
Lincoln Andrews followed it up with an RBI double to the right field corner to score Mason and Josh Cameron. 
 
After three innings, the game was tied at three. 
 
The Panthers scored a run back in the fourth with the lone Redhawks error of the afternoon to make the score 4-3. 
 
EIU brought in the next two runs in the top of the eighth inning with back-to-back RBI singles to make it a 6-3 game. 
 
The Redhawks would not go away as left fielder Carlos Aranda hit his seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the eighth inning. Aranda smashed the ball over the left-center field fence to make it a 6-5 game.
 
EIU tacked on one more in the top of the ninth with another RBI single in the ninth to make it 7-5. 
 
Rodgers hit his second home run of the season in the home half of the ninth to trim it to 7-6, but the Panthers would hold on for the win. 
 
LHP Noah Niznik (6-7) took the loss for the Redhawks as he pitched 5.2 innings, allowing three earned runs (4 total) on eight hits. 
 
Southeast Missouri's season comes to a close in the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference tournament as the Redhawks ended the season at a 26-30 mark, including a 14-10 OVC regular season record.