March 21, 2007

Box Score

CONWAY, Ark. - (Wednesday, March 21, 2007) The Southeast Missouri State baseball team scored early and often against Central Arkansas on Wednesday. Unfortunately for the Redhawks, the nine runs in the first five innings were not enough as the fell 13-11 to the Bears.

The difference in the game was not the number of runs that scored, but rather the number of potential runs that the Redhawks (12-7) left stranded on base. Southeast left 14 runners on base, including the bases loaded in each of the first three innings, en route to the two run loss.

The Redhawks, who had scored a run in the first inning in five of their last six games going into the series finale, started with a pair in the first on Wednesday. Jim Klocke (St. Louis, Mo./Vianney HS) doubled to left center with one out. After a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases, Dustin Pritchett (Kennett, Mo./Forest Park CC) drew a walk to score Klocke. Matt Wulfers (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Missouri) then reached on a fielder's choice that allowed a run to score.

In the second inning, Southeast added a set of runs to take an early 5-0 lead. Omar Padilla (Point Reyes Station, Calif./Santa Rosa CC) was hit by a pitch with one out, and he moved to second on a wild pitch before Klocke singled to left. With runners on the corners, Nick Harris (Alabaster, Ala./Thompson HS) walked to load the bases with one out for the second consecutive frame, and Asif Shah (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wabash Valley CC) hit a two-run single through the left side of the infield. Pritchett followed with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Harris.

Central Arkansas (10-10) got four runs back in the bottom of the second against starter James Leigh (Bryant, Ark./Texarkana). After the bears loaded the bases with one out, Leigh delivered a base on balls. Scott Cline followed with a bases-clearing double down the left field line past a diving Harris at third.

Matt Holland (Ste. Genevieve, Mo./Southern Arkansas) entered the game in relief of Leigh after the double. He gave up a double to the first batter he faced, but Cline was only able to move ahead one base. Holland then forced a ground ball to short that allowed Cline to score and tie the game, even though the runner at second was doubled off to end the inning in an attempt to advance to third base on the throw across the diamond.

Southeast and Central Arkansas went blow-for-blow in each of the next three half innings as both teams scored one run in each of the half innings. In the bottom of the fourth, with Southeast leading 7-6, the Bears scored three runs off of reliever Mike Taylor (McClure, Ill./Shawnee HS) to take their first lead of the two-game series. Only one of the runs was earned, however, as the Bears benefited from a throwing error by Harris.

The Redhawks tied the game immediately in the top of the fifth. Klocke led off with a single, his third hit of the game, and Harris followed him with a double. Shah hit a two-RBI double off the top half of the double-high wall to straightaway center field that tied the game to drive in both runners and tie the game.

Central Arkansas recaptured the lead against sophomore Daniel Schuh in the bottom half of the frame. They used five hits, including two homers and two doubles, to plate four runs in the inning and go ahead 13-9.

Jeremy Cloud entered the game in the sixth inning and went on to retire the side of Southeast in the sixth and seventh innings. Cloud recorded six outs amidst a stretch of 10 consecutive Southeast batters that were putout.

Southeast attempted a comeback in the top of the ninth with two outs. The two-run effort in the ninth was just too little, too late for the Redhawks, as Graham flew out to end game representing the tying run.

The Redhawks pounded double-digit runs and hits for the third consecutive game as their 11 runs came on 11. However, it was also the third straight game in which they had left double-digit runners stranded. In the last three games, Southeast has left 39 runners on base.

Klocke finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and three runs scored.

Shah led the Redhawks offensively with four RBIs in a 2-for-3 performance at the dish with a double. He also scored once.

Wulfers and Moore each had a pair of base hits. Wulfers also had a double and three runs batted in.

The Redhawks hit five doubles in Wednesday's contest and also swiped four bases.

Cline of Central Arkansas got the best of the Redhawks on Wednesday. He finished the game 4-for-5 with two doubles, four RBIs and three runs scored.