Riley, Nails Tame Lions in Combined One-Hit Effort

March 27, 2007

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Tuesday, March 27, 2007) Senior Phillip Riley and junior Ivan Nails were nearly unhittable on Tuesday. The two pitchers combined to throw a one-hit shutout against Freed-Hardeman in a 5-0 Southeast victory.

Riley (Memphis, Tenn./Jackson State CC) gave up the only hit of the game to the Lions (19-16) in the first inning. Robert Matlock hit a bloop single into right field with two outs, but Riley picked him off at first base for the final out of the inning.

The senior right-hander went on to allow just two more base runners to reach through his five innings pitched; he hit a batter and issued one walk. Riley improved to 4-1 with the win, and he struck out three batters.

Senior Phillip Riley made the start on the mound against the Lions, allowing just one hit in five innings.

Southeast (16-7) jumped out to an early one-run lead in the first inning after senior Omar Padilla (Point Reyes Station, Calif./Santa Rosa CC) hit a leadoff double to right-center field. After Padilla advanced to third on a wild pitch, freshman Nick Harris (Alabaster, Ala./Thompson HS) drove him in with an infield single to the third baseman.

The Redhawks added a run in the bottom of the fifth with the help of an error. Senior Robby Moore (Rombauer, Mo./Jefferson CC) extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single, and he advanced to second as the ball was bobbled by the center fielder. Padilla moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt, and Moore scored on a Jim Klocke (St. Louis, Mo./Vianney HS) single to center.

With a 2-0 lead, Nails (Horn Lake, Miss./Southwest Tenn. CC) entered the game from the bullpen in the sixth inning. The junior right-hander struck out the first batter he faced and allowed just two Lions to reach base. After giving up a base on balls with one out in the sixth, Nails went on to retire eight consecutive Freed-Hardeman batters until the first batter of the ninth inning reached by way of an error.

Nails pitched four hitless innings en route to his third save of the season. He also struck out three batters.

Sophomore Matt Wagner hit his third homer of the season in the eighth inning.

The Redhawks added to their lead with an unearned run in the seventh. Sophomore Daniel Schuh (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenney HS) singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by the shortstop, and scored on Padilla's single.

In the eighth, sophomore Matt Wagner (Wahoo, Neb./Nebraska) hit a solo home run, his second in as many games, with two outs. Sophomore Matt Wulfers (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Missouri) followed with a walk and scored the Redhawks' fifth and final run from first base on Schuh's double to right-center.

The shutout was the fifth of the season for the Redhawks' pitching staff, while Southeast has yet to be shutout.

The Redhawks and Lions return to action tomorrow afternoon at Capaha Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m., and the game can be heard live on ESPN 1220 AM KGIR or via web cast available at www.espn1220.com.