Shae Simmons was among the area's most heralded high school baseball players the past two seasons while competing for the Scott City Rams.

Sunday afternoon at Capaha Field, Simmons flashed the strong right arm that Southeast Missouri State coach Mark Hogan believes could make him a star on the college level.

Simmons notched his first collegiate victory with three dominant innings of relief as Southeast finished off a three-game series sweep of IPFW by rallying for a 6-5 win.

Southeast, which beat IPFW 5-0 on Friday and 3-2 on Saturday, improved to 4-2. The Mastadons from Fort Wayne, Ind., fell to 0-6.

"It's a good start for us at home," Hogan said. "I'm thrilled for the sweep."

Southeast Missouri State's Louie Haseltine scores ahead of a throw to the plate during the sixth inning of Sunday's game against IPFW at Capaha Field. (LAURA SIMON)

Simmons entered in the sixth inning after Brett Clark's three-run homer off senior John Salazar put the Mastadons up 4-2 for their first lead of the series.

Simmons retired all three batters he faced in the sixth, then worked two more scoreless innings while allowing just a walk. He struck out four.

"I guess I did my job," said the soft-spoken Simmons, who threw one scoreless and hitless inning in his only other Southeast appearance, during a season-opening series at Auburn. "I thought I threw good. I put up some zeroes."

Hogan rates Simmons as the hardest thrower among Southeast's pitchers and loves his potential.

"He's got a devastating fastball and he's got a really good secondary pitch with the breaking ball," Hogan said. "We're just seeing the tip of the iceberg with him.

Southeast Missouri State's Louie Haseltine slides in for a run at the bottom of the sixth inning Sunday, February 28, 2010 as Southeast sweaps IPFW. (LAURA SIMON)

"Today was really outstanding. We didn't have any room for error when he came in."

Simmons said he has enjoyed his time at Southeast so far and is pleased to be seeing considerable early action after not really knowing what to expect.

"I like it. It's close to home and I know a lot of the guys," he said.

Simmons was in line for the victory after Southeast rallied.

After getting single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to forge a 4-4 tie, the Redhawks moved ahead with a two-run eighth.

Junior college transfer Tim Rupp singled with two outs and juco transfer Brennan Malham drew a walk before juco transfer Michael Adamson drove both in with a double to the right-center field gap.

"It's a great feeling," said Adamson, a two-way player for the Redhawks who is batting .385 as an outfielder and has two saves on the mound, including one Saturday.

Adamson jumped on the first pitch of the day from Ryan Jensen.

"I knew having [All-American catcher Jim] Klocke behind me I would get something to hit," Adamson said. "I wasn't going to let that one go by."

Juco transfer Trent Wise earned his first Southeast save by surviving an eventful ninth. He allowed a leadoff double, with that runner scoring on a sacrifice fly, then worked around a two-out walk.

Juco transfer left-hander Jordan Underwood gave Southeast a third strong start in the series by working five innings, allowing four hits and one run in his final inning on a solo homer by Garrett Segraves. He struck out four and walked three.

"I thought Jordan threw very well," Hogan said.

Southeast, which grabbed a 2-0 first-inning lead before falling behind, tied it in the seventh on a bases-loaded single by junior right fielder Louie Haseltine. But IPFW threw out the go-ahead runner at the plate.

Haseltine went 3-for-4 to lead Southeast's 12-hit attack.

"Louie hit the ball well and he made some nice plays in right," Hogan said.

Adamson had two hits and two RBIs. Klocke and Rupp both had two hits, while sophomore first baseman Kody Campbell from Oran, Mo., added a hit and two RBIs.

Campbell is hitting .385 to match Adamson for the early team lead among players with more than seven at-bats.

Southeast had only one error in the series, that coming Sunday on a miscommunication that resulted in an errant pickoff throw by Underwood.

"It was a great team win today," Hogan said. "It was a good weekend overall, minus the injuries."

But there's the rub as Hogan must wonder if Southeast is snakebit so far this season.

In the top of the first inning Sunday, second baseman Taylor Heon had to be helped off the field after being upended while turning a double play.

Heon, a juco transfer batting .368, suffered a knee injury and will be evaluated further this week.

That came on the heels of two other Southeast injuries.

Senior center fielder Nick Harris, a starter since his freshman year who ranks high on many of the program's career records list, played just one contest before suffering a season-ending elbow injury during pre-game warmups at Auburn.

Junior third baseman Trenton Moses, an Advance, Mo., product who also has started since his freshman year, injured his shoulder diving back to first base during Friday's series opener against IPFW.

Moses did not play Saturday or Sunday, and his availability for the immediate future is uncertain.

"It's hard to fathom in a period of six games we've lost three starting players," Hogan said. "I'm just sick about it."

Southeast returns to action Tuesday with a 2 p.m. game at Saint Louis University.