Feb. 24, 2009

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By Tyler Koonce, Sports Information Assistant

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Led by five home runs in the first four innings, Southeast Missouri State (3-1) baseball defeated Lyon College (12-2), 11-6 at Capaha Field Tuesday. Matt Wagner led the offensive outburst with three hits and four RBIs in his second career multi-home run game. Tyrell Cummings also homered and drove in three runs.

After Lyon scored once in the top of the first, Wagner wasted no time in giving Southeast the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning. After Cummings reached on an infield single, Wagner hit a rising line drive over the right field fence.

Justin Wheeler homered to left-center field to lead off the second inning to increase the lead to 3-1.

Junior left-hander Josh Syberg (1-0) made the start for Southeast and worked two innings, allowing two hits and one earned run with two strikeouts. He was credited with the victory after a pre-game arrangement to be the pitcher of record during a short outing.

For the second straight inning, the Redhawks led off with a home run when reigning OVC Player of the Week Jim Klocke hit a blast to straight away center field. After a pitching change and walk to Cummings, Wagner hit his second long ball in as many at-bats as he sent a moonshot over the lights beyond the right field wall.

In the top of the fourth inning, Southeast scored five runs to put the game out of reach. Cummings hit a 3-run homer to right-center field, scoring Nick Harris and Klocke, who reached on an infield single and base on balls. The five home runs were the most since the Redhawks hit six against Tennessee Tech during the OVC opener on March 23, 2008.

Louie Haseltine drove in Trenton Moses with a run-scoring single to right-center for the 11th run of the afternoon. Moses previously hit a double down the left field line.

Lyon added a single run in the top of the fourth along with two in the fifth and eighth innings.

SEMO used eight pitchers throughout the game. Andy Stephens pitched a perfect sixth inning, striking out all three batters he faced. Kirk Boeller worked a perfect seventh, throwing only 10 pitches in his NCAA debut. Harris finished out the game with a scoreless ninth in his collegiate debut on the mound.

Wagner went 3-for-4 on the afternoon with four RBIs and three runs scored. Cummings also scored three times. Klocke and freshman Kenton Parmley both registered multi-hit performances with an RBI.

Kody Campbell and Kendal Deason both notched their first collegiate hits with singles during the late innings.

Josh McNatt (0-1) took the loss for Lyon after allowing six hits and four earned runs over the first two innings. He struck out two and did not issue a walk.

The Redhawks return to action Friday afternoon with the opening game of a 4-game weekend series against Purdue from the Big Ten Conference. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Capaha Field.