April 7, 2007

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Saturday, April 7, 2007) The Southeast Missouri State baseball team rallied with three runs in the eighth inning on Saturday to claim a 3-2 victory against Jacksonville State. Southeast climbed into a tie for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference with the Gamecocks as the Redhawks claimed their first ever series win against Jacksonville State.

With two outs and a runner on first base in the eighth, Southeast (21-11, 7-2 OVC) strung together three consecutive singles to tie the game at two.

Sophomore 1B Matt Wagner's only hit on Saturday tied the game at two in the eighth inning.

After Gamecocks starter Donovan Hand was relieved by Jon Clements, sophomore Matt Wagner (Wahoo, Neb./Nebraska) delivered the game-tying blow for the second straight game. The left-handed-batting Wagner grounded a ball fair over the third base bag past a diving third baseman that allowed freshman Nick Harris (Alabaster, Ala./Thompson HS) to score from third base. Sophomore Matt Wulfers (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Missouri) walked to load the bases.

The next pitch was off of catcher Richard Turner's mitt and went to the backstop, allowing Asif Shah (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wabash Valley CC) to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Southeast starter Josh Syberg (St. Louis, Mo./Vianney HS) and Hand battled toe-to-toe through the first seven innings, and neither allowed a run to score until the fifth inning.

Jacksonville State (17-15, 7-2 OVC) struck first in the top of the fifth when Jake Ball hit a solo home run to leadoff the frame. It was just the third hit by either team at that point.

Hand carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, until sophomore Daniel Schuh (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenney HS) singled with one out. Still Southeast could not muster any offense against Hand until the eighth inning as Hand gave up just two hits through the first seven.

Hand (3-5), who has won the last two OVC Pitcher of the Week honors, threw seven and two-thirds innings against the Redhawks, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, though he was tagged with the loss. He also struck out seven and walked two.

The Gamecocks added a run in the top of the eighth against Syberg, who saw his day come to an end with two outs in the eighth as well. The freshman southpaw matched Hand's seven and two-thirds innings pitched as he allowed just two runs on six hits and three walks. He also struck out six batters, overtaking the conference lead in strikeouts with 51 on the season.

Junior RHP Ivan Nails picked up his second win of the season against the Gamecocks.

Junior Ivan Nails (Horn Lake, Miss./Southwest Tenn. CC) closed out the game for Southeast and recorded the victory. Nails (2-1) entered with runners on the corners and two outs in the eighth inning. He forced Ball, who had recorded three hits up to that point, to pop out to second base to end the inning.

Nails stayed in and pitched the ninth inning. He allowed one hit and struck out one in one and one-third innings of relief.

Ball was 3-for-4 with a home run against the Redhawks on Saturday.

Shah was the only Southeast player to record multiple hits, finishing the game 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Senior Omar Padilla (Point Reyes Station, Calif./Santa Rosa CC) saw his 11-game hitting streak come to an end on Saturday; he was 0-for-4 at the dish.

Southeast, now tied for first place in the OVC with the Gamecocks, is off to its best start through nine games of OVC play, matching the mark set in 2002 and 2000.

The Redhawks will look to win their third straight game on Tuesday against Southern Illinois. Southeast hosts its local rival at Capaha Field for a 3 p.m. start.