Southeast Missouri State baseball team sweeps Eastern Kentucky

~ The baseball team pulled into a tie atop the OVC standings

A down-to-the wire opener and a blowout nightcap both went Southeast Missouri State's way Saturday as the Redhawks swept an Ohio Valley Conference baseball doubleheader.

Southeast pushed across a run in the top of the ninth inning to slip past host Eastern Kentucky 7-6, then romped 13-6 in the seven-inning second game.

The Redhawks, playing their first OVC road series, improved to 15-11 overall and 3-1 in league play. They moved into a first-place tie with the victories. EKU is 7-20 and 1-4. The teams close out their three-game series in Richmond, Ky., today.

"We really had a great day," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad began a stretch of nine straight road games. "I'm proud of the whole ballclub. Everybody contributed."

Southeast entered Saturday with 15 home runs in its first 24 contests. The Redhawks banged out seven homers in the twin bill, three in the opener and four in the nightcap. They added four doubles and a triple.

Senior left fielder Michael Adamson had three homers, two in the opener. He has a team-leading five this season.

Senior center fielder Blake Slattery, a Central High School graduate, homered in both games. He has three this year.

Junior first baseman Trenton Moses, an Advance High School graduate, got his third home run of the season in the nightcap. Senior catcher Ky Burgess recorded his first home run of the season in the second game.

"We had a big day offensively. The conditions were set up for a big day with the wind blowing out," Hogan said. "We got clutch pitching and the defense was right there."

Southeast had 28 hits in the twin bill, four each by Moses, Adamson and junior second baseman Taylor Heon.

Moses drove in six runs, Adamson drove in four and scored five times, while Heon scored four runs and added three RBIs.

Getting three hits apiece were Slattery, junior shortstop Kenton Parmley and senior DH Casey Jones, who doubled twice. Slattery added a triple.

Saturday's opener was a back-and-forth affair. Southeast never trailed but saw EKU erase deficits of 3-0, 4-2 and 6-4.

The Redhawks got a two-run first-inning single from Moses. Slattery's second-inning homer made it 3-0.

After the Colonels rallied for a 4-4 tie, Adamson's two-run seventh-inning homer put Southeast up 6-4.

Senior Jon Dicus was poised for the victory after working 7 2/3 innings before leaving with the 6-4 lead, two outs and a runner on first in the eighth.

EKU freshman Bryan Soloman greeted senior left-hander Logan Mahon with a two-run homer to forge a 6-6 tie.

Southeast came right back in the top of the ninth. Senior pinch-hitter Brett Russell led off with a walk and junior pinch-runner Brennan Malham replaced Russell on the bases.

Moses sacrificed Malham to second and was safe at first on an error. Senior right fielder Louie Haseltine followed with an RBI single.

Mahon, who entered with the OVC's third-best ERA (1.50), retired the side in the bottom of the ninth, including two by strikeout. Mahon (3-3) earned credit for the victory.

Dicus, who was charged with five runs, allowed nine hits. He struck out two and walked none.

"Jon just did a fabulous job," Hogan said. "We go to Logan and a guy gets a ball up, but Logan bounces back in the ninth to finish it out.

"We've lost some tough games earlier in the year and we had to come back and show our own mental toughness."

Southeast grabbed a 1-0 first-inning lead in the nightcap on an RBI single by Moses.

The Redhawks made it 5-0 in the second inning, getting a two-run single by Heon and a two-run double by Jones.

Southeast's advantage ballooned to 9-0 by the bottom of the fourth, and the Redhawks never seriously were challenged after that.

Soloman's second homer of the day, a fourth-inning grand slam, cut the deficit to 9-4, but Southeast made it 13-4 with a four-run sixth -- the big blow being Moses' three-run homer -- and coasted from there.

Senior left-hander Jordan Underwood (2-0) was the winner. He worked six innings, allowing eight hits and six runs.