Leigh nails down win for gray team

The gray team claimed a 5-2 victory over the black squad in the fifth and deciding game of the Steak & Beans World Series on Wednesday.

The seven-inning contest at Capaha Field concluded Southeast Missouri State's fall baseball workouts.

Starting pitcher Corey Harness allowed only one unearned run in five innings. He gave up five hits, struck out three and walked five to earn the win.

James Leigh recorded the game's final two outs to earn a save.

The gray team had six hits by six different players. The black squad had seven hits.

Kody Campbell, a freshman from Oran High School, went 3-for-4 with a double for the black team.

Scott City product Blake Dirnberger, a redshirt freshman, reached base in all four plate appearances with two singles and two walks for the black.

Jim Klocke, Southeast's leading hitter last season and a first-team all-Ohio Valley Conference catcher, led all hitters in the fall series with a .500 average (9-for-18). He had four doubles.

Louie Haseltine, who received just nine at-bats last season, led gray hitters with a .450 average (9-for-20), including a home run, double and six RBIs.

Todd Strahlendorf led all pitchers in the series, throwing 10 innings without allowing a run. Leigh gave up two earned runs in nine innings.

Strahlendorf and Leigh are statistically Southeast's top two returning hurlers, combining for nine wins last season.

Pats re-sign Connolly

Former Southeast offensive lineman Dan Connolly, released Monday by the New England Patriots, was signed to their practice squad Wednesday.

Although Connolly had been on the Patriots' active roster before Monday's release, he had not played in any regular-season games this year.

Connolly played in four games on special teams as an undrafted rookie for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2005 and spent the entire 2006 campaign on Jacksonville's injured reserve list before being released.

Connolly was signed to the Patriots' practice squad last year and spent the season on the practice squad.

-- From staff reports