~ Southeast tied the school's runs allowed record in 25-3 loss to SIUC

A lack of pitching depth has caused the Southeast Missouri State baseball team to struggle in recent mid-week nonconference games.

To say that the Redhawks struggled Tuesday wouldn't even be doing the situation justice.

The Redhawks were welcomed at Capaha Field by a enthusiastic announced crowd of 625 for the first of six Southeast baseball tailgates featuring free food and beverages.

All those fans no doubt enjoyed themselves on the warm spring evening.

Southeast players and coaches didn't have nearly as much fun during a historic 25-3 loss to Southern Illinois Carbondale.

Southeast tied a dubious school record for runs allowed, matching the 25 given up during a 2009 loss to Murray State.

"Things like this happen," Southeast coach Steve Bieser said. "It's one game, it's one loss. It's a terrible loss, it's an embarrassing loss. We just have to get ready for Austin Peay [Southeast's opponent this weekend]."

The Redhawks, who opened a five-game homestand, fell to 17-17. SIU improved to 15-16. The regional rivals will complete their annual two-game season series April 23 in Carbondale, Ill.

"We got off to a good start. ... It was just our day," SIU coach Ken Henderson said. "SEMO's a much better team than they showed."

Southeast has won five of its last six Ohio Valley Conference games, moving into fifth place in the 11-team league with a 9-6 record halfway through its 30-game league schedule.

But with injuries causing a shortage of available pitchers for nonconference play, the Redhawks have lost their last five such contests spanning more than a month. They've allowed 69 runs in those five games.

"We went into it knowing something like this could happen," Bieser said. "When you're short on arms like we are ... we know conference is the most important part of the season for us. There were people we need this weekend that we just couldn't use."

SIU, which is only 1-5 in Missouri Valley Conference play, entered Tuesday carrying just a .265 batting average.

But the Salukis exploded for a season-high run total during Sunday's 13-5 MVC win at Evansville, and they continued their offensive onslaught at the expense of Southeast.

The Salukis banged out 24 hits, their most since getting 25 in 2004. They finished one run short of the school-record 26 they scored against Murray State in 2000.

"We thought we could hit all along. We've done that the last week or so," Henderson said.

SIU hammered four home runs at spacious Capaha Field. Three were solo shots in the first four innings as the Salukis led 5-3 in what was shaping up as a competitive game.

Any notion of that went out the window in the fifth inning when the Salukis exploded for 10 runs to go ahead 15-3. They capped the romp with an eighth-inning grand slam by Cody Daily.

"They hit the ball," Bieser said.

Bieser entered the contest planning to use quite a few pitchers. He probably didn't plan to use so many players who don't pitch on a regular basis.

Sophomore Jason Blum, sophomore Nolan Fisher and redshirt freshman Andy Lack, position players who had made a combined five pitching appearance this season for a total of 5 2/3 innings, all took the mound after things got out of hand.

So did Bob Clark, a Jackson High School graduate who redshirted last year during his first season at Southeast and had not gotten into a game this year until Tuesday. Clark received his first collegiate at-bat and also hurled an inning.

"About midway through the game, we started looking at how can we get through this game without using the people we need this weekend," Bieser said.

All told, nine Southeast 'pitchers' saw action. Few experienced much success.

"It's one of those things," junior left fielder Derek Gibson said. "We want to win every mid-week game but we have a big series coming up.

"We're plagued with injuries. It's hard when you have two or three big-time arms hurt."

Southeast finished with 11 hits.

A highlight for the Redhawks was the first collegiate hits by redshirt freshman outfielder Steven Still, who made just his third start and had been 0 for 13. He went 2 for 4.

Gibson went 2 for 2 and scored two runs. Junior first baseman Matt Tellor and freshman shortstop Branden Boggetto added two hits apiece. Sophomore third baseman Andy Lennington drove in two runs.

Junior left-hander Skylar Cobb (1-1), Southeast's second hurler, allowed just one run and one hit in 1 1/3 innings but took the loss. The Scott City High School graduate gave up Rennie Troggio's first collegiate homer in the third inning, which broke a 2-2 tie and put SIU ahead for good.

Junior lefty Brad Drust (2-2) was the winner. He allowed seven hits and three runs in five innings. Two relievers blanked Southeast the rest of the way as the Redhawks did not score after the third inning.

Southeast resumes conference play this weekend with a three-game home series against two-time defending OVC regular-season and tournament champion Austin Peay.

Starting times are 5 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.