BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — SEMO Baseball (2-4) faced off against Western Kentucky (4-2) in a doubleheader on Friday at Nick Denes Field, suffering two defeats with scores of 12-4 and 4-2.

In the second game, the Redhawks briefly took the lead in the third inning, capitalizing on a single from Demitri Shakotko followed by an RBI double from Caleb Klein, bringing Shakotko home. Cal Sullivan then added to the tally with an RBI single that scored Klein. However, the Hilltoppers responded consistently, scoring across four innings, including a crucial RBI double from Howard in the bottom of the eighth that secured a two-run lead and ultimately sealed the game.

Despite Joe Hall's leadoff single in the ninth inning, Southeast Missouri struggled to narrow the gap due to a combination of a strikeout and a fielder's choice, leaving them with no opportunities to advance runners past second base in critical moments.

SEMO Top Performers (Game 2)
Caleb Klein  
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- 1 run  
- 1 hit  
- 1 RBI  
- 1 double  

Moises Rosario  
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- 1 hit  
- 3 assists  
- 2 runners caught stealing  

John-Paul Sauer  
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- 4 1/3 innings pitched  
- 5 strikeouts  
- 2 earned runs allowed  

Gavin Johnston  
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- 3 2/3 innings pitched  
- 8 strikeouts  
- 2 earned runs allowed  

In the first game, the Redhawks started strong, scoring three runs in the second inning after Joe Hall's single and subsequent hits from Tank Sims and Carson Schrack loaded the bases. Logan Yule's groundout brought in Hall, and Caleb Klein's RBI single scored Sims while Schrack crossed home on a caught stealing, leading to a 3-0 advantage. However, the Hilltoppers struck back with five runs in the same inning, including a two-RBI double by L. Arroyos.

SEMO managed to narrow the score to 5-4 with an RBI single from Hall in the third inning, but WKU escalated their lead significantly in the sixth with six runs, capped off by a two-RBI single from K. Hayes, extending the score to 11-4. WKU added one more run in the seventh on a wild pitch, finishing the game at 12-4.

SEMO Top Performers (Game 1)
Joe Hall  
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- 3 hits  
- 1 run  
- 1 RBI  

Tank Sims  
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- 1 run  
- 1 hit  
- 1 caught stealing (fielding)  

Carson Schrack  
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- 1 run  
- 1 walk  
- 4 assists (fielding)  

Overall, Southeast Missouri holds a record of 2-4, while Western Kentucky improves to 4-2. Looking ahead, the Redhawks will return to Bowling Green, Ky., for a rematch against Western Kentucky at 1 p.m. CT Saturday, Feb. 21.