Chandler's complete-game shutout vs. SIUE runs Southeast Missouri State baseball team's win streak to nine

Right-handed pitcher Clay Chandler pumped his fist in the air as he stepped off the mound at Capaha Field after recording his 11th strikeout.

The strikeout capped a 1-2-3 ninth inning and sealed the complete-game shutout for the junior transfer, leading the Southeast Missouri State baseball team to a 4-0 victory over SIU Edwardsville on Saturday afternoon.

Chandler couldn't help but chuckle as he explained what was going through his head after recording the final out, "Finally. I just wanted to get through that inning."

He'd made quick work of the visiting Cougars up to that point, allowing just four hits, but didn't want to give coach Steve Bieser any opportunity to remove him without finishing what he started.

"I knew if they got one run on me coach was liable to pull me because I knew someone was probably warming up," Chandler said with a smile.

Chandler and Bieser could tell he was sharp once he made it easily through the first inning, allowing just a two-out single to SIUE's top hitter Keaton Wright.

"If his fastball's crisp and his slider's already going downhill and has good break to it you know that he's on," Bieser said. "Clay's an adrenaline guy. He feeds off energy, and there was a great energy at the park today. And you just kind of had that feeling that Clay was going to be really good."

Chandler, who transferred from Wabash Valley College, said it was likely the first nine-inning complete game he'd thrown -- complete games at the junior college were just seven innings -- and he was ecstatic he accomplished the feat in front of an announced crowd of 2,025.

"That was special, especially in front of a crowd like this," Chandler said.

The Cougars got a leadoff single in the second, and Chandler issued a two-out walk in the third, his only walk of the game, before retiring SIUE in order in the fourth and fifth.

Wright, who went 2 for 4, had a two-out single in the sixth. Catcher Brock Weimer was the only Cougar to advance past first as he doubled to left in the seventh.

Chandler didn't allow a base runner in the final two innings.

The Redhawks didn't commit an error in the contest, and of Chandler's 105 pitches, 76 were strikes.

"Throw strikes, get ahead and pitch to contact," Chandler, who improved to 4-0, said of his mentality coming into the contest. "I never want to walk guys. I've always been big on that, and I feel like I've got a good enough defense behind me that I shouldn't worry about anything. Every time I see a ball leave off the bat, I know someone's back there. We've got some of the best behind me."

Southeast scored the only run it needed in the bottom of the first. Second baseman Trevor Ezell lined one to right to lead off the inning and then stole second before left fielder Garrett Gandolfo was issued a one-out walk. The pair executed a double steal to move to second and third, and Ezell scored when shortstop Branden Boggetto hit one deep in the hole at short for an RBI groundout that made it 1-0 Southeast.

"Today we only needed to put up one," Ezell said. "For him to put up nine zeroes on the board, that's fantastic. We need him to keep doing that, and we know he will."

The Redhawks had the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, but an inning-ending double play kept them from extending the lead.

They tacked on another run in the fifth. Third baseman Andy Lack singled to short and advanced to second when the throw to first got past the first baseman. He was bunted to third by right fielder Daniel Costello and scored when Ezell sent a 1-2 pitch into left to push the Redhawks' lead to 2-0.

Ezell, who went 3 for 4 with a run and two RBIs, drove in another in the seventh. Costello reached on an infield single to second with two outs and stole second before a wind-aided double to left by Ezell made it a three-run game.

The final run came in the eighth when Gandolfo hit a leadoff double to the gap in left center, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a Boggetto double to right.

Southeast had 10 hits in the contest and was 6 of 6 on stolen base attempts. The Redhawks recorded five stolen bases in their win over the Cougars on Friday night.

"We were wanting to put the ball more in line, more on the ground and just kind of keep it out of the air because it was so tough to hit the ball through that wind that was pretty much coming straight in from left," Bieser said. "Being able to manufacture runs and move runners up and steal bases, I think that's a positive for our offense."

The Redhawks received quite a scare in the home half of the sixth inning. Senior first baseman Ryan Rippee blasted a two-out hit off the wall in center, but didn't make it out of the batter's box as he collapsed on home plate in pain.

Bieser, team trainers and team doctor Jim Bowen came out to check on him, and he was diagnosed with a dislocated right knee cap.

"We were fortunate Dr. Bowen was here, and he was able to put it right back into place," Bieser said. "It slid back into place easy. When he told me he was going to be able to stand up and walk off the field, I was relieved. He walked off and didn't really say that it hurt too bad, so that's encouraging.

"We know that we're going to have swelling in it, we know it's going to be a couple days, but the hope is it's not too long, that hopefully he's ready by next weekend but we'll see. We'll have to take it easy. We're midseason. The last thing we want to do is push him hard now and not have him for the stretch run."

It was the ninth win in a row for the Redhawks, who improved to 19-8 and 11-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference as they clinched the series victory over the Cougars.

Southeast will go for the sweep with lefty Robert Beltran on the mound for a 1 p.m. finale Sunday.

"The thing that I like is they just come back out the next day and don't take anything for granted," Bieser said. "They know it's a new game, the game starts over and you've got to do it again each day. I think that says a lot about this club about not taking anything for granted."