March 17, 2001

Box Score

Cape Girardeau, Mo. -- Southeast Missouri State baseball opened up its 2001 Ohio Valley Conference with a split over Morehead State today at Capaha Field. The 4-3 Eagle win in game one snapped a seven-game win streak Southeast had collected against MSU over three seasons. The Indians then escaped a scare in game two, but came out with an 8-6 win in the nightcap.

Southeast (10-7, 1-1 OVC) starter Tommy Thomas, who has faltered in his last three starts, was tagged with his fourth loss of the season, was charged with four hits and four runs -- two of which were earned -- by a hot-hitting Eagle squad in his 1.1 innings of work. MSU entered the game with a .303 team batting average.

The Eagles (9-11, 1-1 OVC) needed just the first two innings to put their four runs on the board. MSU first baseman Will Reneker doubled to score two unearned runs in the first and then third basemen Kevin Matuszek singled and scored Casey Gilven and David Hughes in the second.

Southeast cut the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the second when C Jeff Bourbon, who reached on a lead-off walk, scored on a Eddy Bushelman wild pitch. Rookie DH Brad Beatty then doubled down the right field line to score RF Tristen McDonald, who also had reached on a double.

The Indians added their final run in the third after Bourbon singled to left and scored CF Vern Hatton.

Southeast had a chance to go ahead in the fifth inning when with runners at third and second Hatton and Bourbon both went down on strikes to end the rally started by 2B Clemente Bonilla. Bonilla returned to the lineup today after missing the last two games due to a shoulder injury suffered in a play against Oklahoma State.

The two teams combined to hit eight doubles in game one.

Southeast wasted no time getting on the boards in the nightcap, as the Indians jumped out to a 5-0 lead before MSU scored in the fifth inning.

Bourbon once again came through for Southeast after he launched a two-out two-run homer down the left-field line in the first.

Morehead finally solved Indian starter Brad Purcell in the fifth inning as C Thad Kingsolver rallied with two outs to stroke a double down to left center. Hughes followed with a single to score the first run of the inning. Next, Gilven's third strike came in as a wild pitch and he reached the base before Bourbon could hunt down the ball. The play scored Kingsolver to push the score to 5-2. Matuszek's walk then scored Hughes. Southeast then replaced Purcell, who received his second win of the season, with RHP Brandon Smith. The reliever closed the inning with a line-out, but not before hitting Cary Page with a pitch to bring the final run of the inning home and give Southeast a slim 5-4 advantage.

Backs to the wall, the Indians answered the very next inning with a three-run spree as Beatty singled to score Bourbon, who had tripled and 3B Denver Stuckey hit a two-run single, and Southeast jumped back out to a comfortable 8-4 lead. Stuckey closed the game 3-for-4 with three RBI.

The Eagles pushed Smith in the sixth for two runs, but the rallied died after Matuszek struck out and stranded the tying runs and Smith secured his first save of the year.

Borowiak continued his destruction of the opposition's hitting by notching his 16th- and 17th -consecutive games with a hit. He closed the day 3-for-7, including two doubles, with one run scored.

In game one, Lunski notched four consecutive strikeouts. He tossed five consecutive innings and has not given up an earned run in his last nine innings.

Bourbon had a phenomenal day going 3-for-6 from the plate with three runs and three RBI. In both games behind the plate he registered 20 putouts and caught one base runner.

McDonald helped his ailing batting average today going 3-for-6 with two runs and 1 RBI.

The Indians close out their OVC-season opener vs. the Eagles with a nine-inning contest at 2 p.m. tomorrow.