March 8, 2001

Box Score

Stillwater, Okla. -- All good things must come to an end and that was the case of Southeast Missouri State's pitching's 27-straight innings without issuing a run. The 13th team in the nation and Southeast's opponent in game two of today's action, Oklahoma State, defeated the Indians, 10-7.

It didn't take the Cowboys (13-3) long to snap Southeast Missouri pitching's 27-consecutive innings of no runs allowed. Back-to-back doubles by Paul Powell and Nebasett Brown in the first inning brought the first run across. OS would add two more runs in its portion of the first.

Southeast (8-5) starter Tommy Thomas surrendered three more runs the next two innings as OS took a 6-0 lead into the top of the fourth. Coming off a perfect 2-for-2 performance earlier against Central Oklahoma, CF Vern Hatton homered to left field and drove in SS Zach Borowiak and C Jeff Bourbon to slice the score to 6-3.

Borowiak stretched his hitting streak to 13 games. He finished the game 1-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored.

OS matched Southeast's heroics in its portion of the fourth as Jose Virgil punched a double to left to score a run and Zach Cates singled to right to bring Virgil home. The third run was courtesy of Thomas reliever Brad Purcell, who with runners at second and third, pushed Cates across via the balk.

The Indians stuck next in the sixth and cut the advantage to 6-4 after 1B Shane Allen scored RF Tristen McDonald on his sacrifice fly to right.

Reliever RHP Mark Frazier entered the game in the sixth with one out to close the door on the Pokes offense over the next three innings. He allowed one run to cross in the eighth after Rob Watson sent a single to left.

Not backing down, RF Brian Hopkins and 3B Denver Stuckey led off the ninth with walks. The pair then advanced off a Joe Weaver wild pitch. The bases were then juiced after 2B Clemente Bonilla also picked up the third free pass of the inning. Weaver was replaced by Daniel Wew, who then coughed up a sac fly to Borowiak. Bourbon placed the final Southeast run on the board as he grounded out to the third basemen to score Stuckey. With two outs, Hatton was unable to score a waiting Bonilla at second, as he grounded to the second basemen to end the game.

Thomas (1-3) was charged with the loss. He pitched just two innings, while giving up four hits, five runs -- all earned -- and walked four. Purcell tossed three innings and recorded four hits, four runs, all which were earned. Frazier, who had been nearly flawless in his last two outings, did a fantastic job of slowing down the Cowboy offense over the final three innings. He was charged with just one hit, one earned run, four walks and four strikeouts.

Starter Josh Merrigan (4-2) picked up the win after tossing five innings of work. He allowed four hits, four runs -- all of which were earned --, one walk and three strikeouts.

Bonilla saw his 14-game hitting streak come to a halt. He finished the game 0-for-4.

Hatton and Allen both notched two hits for Southeast. Hatton closed the game 2-for-5 with three RBI and one run scored. Allen was 2-for-3 with one RBI and run scored apiece.

Virgil led the OS with two hits in four at-bats, three RBI and two runs scored.

OS now lead the all-time series vs. Southeast 3-0.

Southeast closes out its three-game turn in Stillwater tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. against Princeton.

-- SEMO --