Indians face a quick finish in OVC following loss

PADUCAH, Ky. -- Southeast Missouri State University can still win the Ohio Valley Conference baseball tournament -- but it's going to take a whole lot of work.

The defending champion Indians, seeded second out of six teams, were stunned by fifth-seeded Eastern Kentucky 12-6 in Wednesday's first round.

So the Indians already have been relegated to the loser's bracket of the double-elimination event. It will take a minimum of four straight wins to capture the title and possibly five victories, depending on how the rest of the tournament plays out.

"We've put ourselves in a big hole," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "It can be done, but it's going to be really tough."

Southeast (30-19) plays an 11 a.m. elimination game today against top-seeded and fellow first-round upset victim Austin Peay. The Governors blew an 8-0 lead and lost to sixth-seeded Eastern Illinois 12-11.

"If any team in this tournament can win four or five games in a row, it's us," Southeast's Denver Stuckey said.

Meanwhile, EKU (22-27) advances to tonight's winner's bracket game after beating Southeast for the third time in four meetings this year.

"My hat's off to Eastern Kentucky. They played a real good game," Southeast's Zach Borowiak said. "We just didn't play real well. We didn't get many timely hits, and the pitching wasn't that good."

Hogan had pretty much the same thoughts.

"You've got to give Eastern Kentucky credit. They played great and we didn't," Hogan said. "We gave a good effort, but we didn't play well."

In a matchup of the top two offensive teams in the OVC --EKU entered with a .333 average and Southeast was at .323 -- both squads finished with 13 hits and committed two errors. But Southeast pitchers issued eight walks compared to four by EKU hurlers, and quite a few of those free passes led to big innings by the Colonels.

"The walks definitely hurt us," Hogan said.

EKU scored twice in the top of the first inning off Southeast starter Bill Clayton and basically had control the rest of the game. Clayton (4-3) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on four hits and five walks in three-plus innings.

"I felt like I had control warming up, but I had trouble in the game," Clayton said.

Trailing 5-1, Southeast scored three runs in the fifth inning to pull within 5-4, and the Indians appeared to have all the momentum. But the Colonels responded with a run in the seventh and then broke things open with a five-run eighth to go up 11-4 and seal the upset.

EKU entered the contest with a 8.00 earned-run average, but starter Brian Engle and Scott Goetz were effective -- particularly Goetz (3-4), who allowed just four hits and two runs over the final five innings to get the win.

"The key was Engle gave us four solid innings, and Goetz was just bulldogging," EKU coach Elvis Dominguez said.

Gary Gilbert doubled twice for the Indians while Stuckey, Justin Christian, Seth Moulton and Aaron Fangman all added two hits. Christian drove in two runs.

EKU was led by OVC Player of the Year Josh Anderson with three hits. Neil Sellers drove in three runs as he set an OVC single-season record with 82 RBIs.

mmishow@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 132