BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Southeast Missouri Baseball (3-5) split a doubleheader against Western Kentucky (5-3) at Nick Denes Field on Saturday, winning the first game 8-7 and falling in the second game 11-8.
In the first game, SEMO edged WKU with a victory that showcased a powerful offensive start. The Redhawks capitalized with back-to-back scoring in the first three innings, including two home runs, to establish an early lead.
Cal Sullivan hit a two-run homer in the first inning, bringing home
Brooks Kettering after his walk and advancement to second on a wild pitch, giving SEMO a 2-0 lead.
The Redhawks extended their lead to 4-0 in the second inning with Dakot Joggerst scoring after being hit by a pitch, followed by
Joe Terranova scoring on Kettering's sacrifice fly. SEMO continued its offensive surge in the third inning, scoring three more runs.
Tank Sims doubled and scored on Terranova's sacrifice fly, while
Carson Schrack's RBI single brought in
Ryan Lopetegui and
Caleb Klein's double down the line scored Schrack, pushing the lead to 7-0. WKU responded with one run, making it 7-1 through three innings.
However, WKU rallied in the fourth inning, scoring five runs to close the gap to 7-6, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Arroyos and an RBI single from Acosta. Terranova's solo home run in the fifth inning extended SEMO's lead to 8-6, and despite a run from WKU in the sixth inning with Acosta's RBI double, SEMO held on to win 8-7.
**SEMO Top Performers (Game 1)**
Cal Sullivan
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- 2 RBIs
- 1 home run
- 1 run
Joe Terranova
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- 2 RBIs
- 1 home run
- 2 runs
Carson Schrack
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- 2 hits
- 1 RBI
- 1 run
Jackson Kranawetter
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- 2 innings pitched
- 1 hit
- 2 strikeouts
- 1 save
SEMO then faced WKU in the second game, where they fell short despite a strong offensive display, particularly in a five-run sixth inning. The Redhawks opened the scoring in the first inning with
Caleb Klein singling up the middle and advancing to third on
Joe Hall's single.
Brooks Kettering executed a sacrifice bunt, allowing Klein to score, but WKU quickly responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Ross, making it 3-1.
WKU extended its lead to 6-1 in the second inning after Hayes hit a three-run homer. SEMO added a run in the third when
Demitri Shakotko walked and scored on a groundout by
Cal Sullivan, narrowing the score to 6-2. They scored again in the fourth inning, as
Carson Schrack was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by
Andrew Ramirez, but WKU maintained a 7-3 lead after adding a run in the bottom of the inning.
WKU widened its lead to 9-3 in the fifth. SEMO staged a significant rally in the sixth, loading the bases before Klein scored Rosario. Hall followed with a three-run double, and Kettering's single drove in Hall, cutting the lead to 11-8. However, no further scoring occurred in the final innings, and SEMO's comeback effort fell short.
**SEMO Top Performers (Game 2)**
Joe Hall
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- 3 RBIs
- 2 hits
- 1 double
Caleb Klein
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- 2 runs
- 3 hits
- 1 RBI
Carson Schrack
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- 1 run
- 1 walk
- 1 hit by pitch
- 6 assists
Southeast Missouri now holds a record of 3-5, while Western Kentucky improves to 5-3. Looking ahead, SEMO will travel to face Ole Miss at 4 p.m. CT Tuesday, Feb. 24 in Oxford, Mississippi.
