CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri Baseball (22-16, 9-4 OVC) shut out Ohio Valley Conference rival Lindenwood (17-20, 6-6 OVC) on Thursday evening by a final score of 2-0 at Capaha Field. 
 
RHP Nathan Mertens (5-1) picked up his fifth win of the season with a stellar performance. The junior from La Canada, California pitched 7.2 innings of scoreless baseball. He finished with seven strikeouts without allowing a walk over 30 hitters. 
 
The Redhawks scored their first-of-two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as a one-out single from designated hitter Ty Stauss got a runner on base. Stauss advanced to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third base on a flyout. 
 
Third baseman Caleb Corbin swung at the first pitch he saw from the Lions' starting pitcher Ethan Smith (2-2) and roped an RBI single into left field to make it 1-0 SEMO after the fourth. 
 
Just one more run in the ballgame came in the bottom of the sixth inning as Stauss once again got the inning in motion with a leadoff single to left field. A perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by catcher Shea McGahan moved Stauss up 90-feet into scoring position. 
 
After a walk to Carson Schrack and a ground out from Corbin moved Stauss to third base. A wild pitch allowed Stauss to come into score to make it 2-0 SEMO. 
 
Mertens continued to mow down the Lions, striking out four-of-seven in innings seven and eight as he gave way to Jackson Kranawetter with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. 
 
Kranawetter struck out the first Lion he faced to end the eighth inning. The Lions would load the bases in the top of the ninth inning, but two more Kranawetter strikeouts led to his sixth save of the season as the Redhawks held on for the 2-0 victory. 
 
Looking Ahead
SEMO Baseball will face Lindenwood in game two on Friday, April 18, with first pitch slated for 6 p.m. from Capaha Field.