Southeast Missouri State baseball uses steady offense to down Jacksonville State

There was just one inning that the Southeast Missouri State baseball team didn't score a run in its series opener against Jacksonville State on Friday night at Rudy Abbott Field.

The Redhawks were held scoreless only in the ninth inning and by that point were well on the way to their 11-6 victory over the Gamecocks in Jacksonville, Ala.

Ohio Valley Conference-leading Southeast improved to 28-13 overall and 18-4 in the conference and maintained its three-game lead over second-place Tennessee Tech, who defeated Murray State on Friday.

Third-place JSU dropped to 22-18 and 11-8 in the OVC.

The Redhawks struck in the first inning with a two-run home run from first baseman Matt Tellor.

Tellor, who sprained his UCL in his left arm in a collision during Southeast's game against SIU-Carbondale on Tuesday, was questionable for Friday's game. He went 4 for 5 with two runs scored and three RBIs in the game. His home run was his 12th of the season.

That lead didn't last long as the Gamecocks knotted it up in the bottom of the inning.

Southeast starter Alex Winkelman walked the first three batters he faced, and a run scored on a double play and then a throwing error by shortstop Andy Lack.

Lack's RBI single in the second gave the Redhawks the lead for good and he later scored on left fielder Clayton Evans' base hit to make it 4-2.

The Redhawks plated a run in both the third and fourth innings before a Gamecock run in the bottom of the fourth made it 6-3. That was the closest JSU would come the rest of the game.

Designated hitter Derek Gibson's RBI double in the third for Southeast and extended his hitting streak to 18 games.

Third baseman Andy Lennington drove in a run with a base hit in the fifth, and Tellor drove in two with a single in the sixth to make it 9-3.

Winkelman allowed a double and back-to-back singles for a JSU run in the sixth and struck out third baseman Joe McGuire before being relieved from the game.

He didn't walk a batter after the first inning and picked up his fourth win of the season. He pitched 5 1/3 innings allowing five runs, three of which were earned. He gave up seven hits, struck out seven batters and walked three.

Brady Wright relieved him and walked a batter to load the bases and then JSU's Michael Bishop hit an RBI sac fly to make it 9-5.

Southeast added a run in each of the next two innings, and Wright pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth before JSU right fielder Gordon Griff homered in the ninth for the final run of the game.

He allowed two hits and one earned run in 3 2/3 innings in relief. He had five strikeouts and walked two in his second save of the season.

Adam Polk (4-2) took the loss for the Gamecocks. The starter pitched just 2 1/3 innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits with a walk and a strikeout.

Gibson, Lennington and Lack each had two hits apiece, and Gibson and Lack each had two RBIs.

JSU shortstop Andrew Bishop was the only Gamecock with multiple hits. He went 3 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Game 2 is set for 1 p.m. Saturday in Jacksonville, Ala.. Travis Hayes will start on the mound for Southeast.