Redhawks salvage final game of series

~ Southeast defeated Morehead State 13-7 to keep its OVC tournament hopes alive.

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team avoided a sweep with a much-needed 13-7 victory Sunday over Morehead State in the finale of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference road series.

The victory moved the Redhawks into seventh place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, one game behind sixth-place Tennessee Tech, which was swept by Samford over the weekend. The Redhawks could claim the sixth and final spot for the OVC tournament with a sweep of Tennessee Tech, which visits Cape Girardeau on Friday for the start of three-game series that will conclude the regular season for both teams.

With its 5-0 victory over Tennessee Tech, Samford clinched at least a share of the regular-season title and the top seed for the OVC tournament.

After being outscored 11-4 in two losses on Saturday, the Redhawks (18-30, 9-15) hammered out 13 hits. Southeast led 6-2 after two innings and scored five runs in the final frame to top the Eagles (17-32, 8-15).

Tennessee Tech starter Greg Wood did not retire a batter in the first inning, allowing two hits and two walks. Levi Olson chased Wood with a bases-loaded, two-run single. Wood was replaced by Tyler Lee, who pitched into the fifth inning.

The Eagles took the lead with four runs in the bottom of the first, but Southeast countered with four runs in the second on a two-run home run by Omar Padilla and back-to-back RBI singles from Dustin Pritchett and Chris Gibson.

Daryl Graham gave the Redhawks a 7-4 lead in the fifth with an RBI single. Southeast made it 8-4 in the eighth when Daniel Schuh was hit by a pitch by Dan Klausmeier to force in a run.

Klausmeier, the last of four Morehead pitchers, hit four Southeast batters in 2 1/3 innings, including Graham and Padilla to start the ninth. Both runners scored on a double by Jordan Payne. Asif Shah added a two-run homer -- his first of the season -- before Gibson singled to drive home the fifth run of the inning.

On the game, a total of eight players were hit by pitches -- five by Morehead pitchers. Southeast was also issued 12 walks.

Padilla finished 3-for-5 for Southeast with three runs and three RBIs. Shah, Pritchett and Gibson each added two hits. The Redhawks were also perfect on six stolen base attempts, including three by Gibson.

Phillip Riley earned the win, allowing four earned runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked four. Riley was replaced by Derek Herbig, who struck out five and gave up two earned runs on two hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Donald Cheney had two home runs for Morehead to run his season total to 12. Cheney was was 2-for-4 with four RBIs.