DALLAS, Texas – Southeast Missouri Baseball (0-1) fell in game one of 2024 by a final score of 9-5 to Dallas Baptist (1-0) on Friday afternoon. Chance Resetich led the SEMO offense going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a single and an RBI. 
 
Four Redhawks made their starting lineup debut in a SEMO uniform. Brooks Kettering, Michael Mugan, Bryce Cannon, and Ian Riley all made their first start on Friday afternoon. 
 
OVC Preseason Player Josh Cameron finished 1-for-4 at the plate, driving in a RBI in the contest. 
 
A four-run eighth inning for the Patriots proved to be the difference in the season-opener. An RBI groundout by Luke Heefner broke the 5-5 tie with one out in the inning. 
 
With two outs, back-to-back doubles plated the seventh and eighth runs. A third double in a row finished off the inning as the Patriots held on for the win. 
 
The Redhawks offense started hot, scoring four runs in the first four innings. Chance Resetich started the day going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and single. 
 
RHP Collin Wilma (record) started on the mound for the Redhawks… The senior finished four complete innings pitched, striking out two, and surrendering just one walk. He allowed three runs on four hits in the season opener. 
 
The Redhawks threatened early. Back-to-back singles from Redhawks debutants Brooks Kettering and Michael Mugan, put Redhawks on first and third with just one out in the first frame. 
 
Mugan was caught stealing but got in a rundown to allow Kettering to come in for the first run of the game. 
 
SEMO continued scoring in the second inning. With one out, first baseman Bryce Cannon doubled down the left field line. The next batter, Chance Resetich, doubled himself and brought Cannon around to score. The Redhawks led 2-0 after 1.5 innings. 
 
A leadoff single in the home second by DBU's Tom Poole eventually scored as a Luke Heefner double to right-center brought in Poole for the Patriots' first run of the ballgame. 
 
An RBI groundout would tie the game at two and after two complete innings, the Redhawks and Patriots were deadlocked at two. 
 
A walk to Peyton Leeper and a hit-by-pitch on Brooks Kettering started the third inning with runners on first and second with nobody out. 
 
Two batters later, right fielder Josh Cameron crushed a double to right field to bring in Kettering to give SEMO a 3-2 lead. 
 
The fourth inning started with a Resetich double to left field once again. Center fielder Ian Riley was hit-by-a-pitch and Ben Palmer singled to third base to load the bases for SEMO. 
 
An RBI groundout by Peyton Leeper (6-3) scored Resetich from third, giving SEMO a 4-2 lead. 
 
A sacrifice fly to right field by Kettering would bring in the Redhawks fifth run of the game and midway through the fourth, SEMO led 5-2.
 
Luke Heefner recorded his second RBI of the game for DBU with an RBI groundout in the bottom half of the fourth. 
 
The Patriots scored the rest of the runs in Friday's contest in the sixth and eighth innings to take game one of the series. 
 
LHP Sam Heyman made his SEMO debut in the contest, pitching 2.1 innings and allowed two earned runs over 10 batters faced. He recorded two strikeouts in the outing. 
 
Sophomore Gavin Johnston (0-1) was given the loss in the contest, allowing four earned runs in the eighth inning. 
 
Looking Ahead
SEMO Baseball will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 17, for game two of the series with DBU. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m., CT.