Box Score

Stillwater, Ok. (April 23, 2002) - The Southeast Missouri State Indians baseball program got one of its biggest wins Tuesday as the Tribe was able to knock off No. 16 ranked Oklahoma State in Stillwater by the score of 5-3. The win marked the first in four tries against the Cowboys.

Southeast went out and dominated a top-notch OSU team by out-hitting them 14-5 and limiting a powerful offense to only four runs. The tribe got a punch in the arm from red-hot second baseman Clemente Bonilla as the senior turned out three doubles in part of a 4-4 day at the plate scoring one and driving in another. The three doubles ties a Southeast record last matched by Jeff Bourbon on 3.7.99.

Starter Brandon Smith pitched five solid innings for the win moving his record to 7-1 on the season. Junior Tim Alvarez pitched the final four innings holding the Cowboys to only one hit to tie up his first save of the season. Smith scattered four hits and three runs while striking out six, whereas Alvarez allowed the one hit and struck out two.

The Indians started their scoring barrage in the first as they jumped out for two quick runs. They move their record to 7-0 when scoring first. Junior third baseman Denver Stuckey singled to start the inning and Bonilla hit a ground-rule double over the right field fence moving Stuckey to third. Senior center fielder Vern Hatton then flied out to deep right field driving in Stuckey and moving Bonilla to third. Bonilla would later score on a wild pitch making the score 2-0 after one.

Southeast got two more runs in the third. Stuckey once again started things off with a mammoth blast to left field. Bonilla followed with a single to center. Bonilla was erased on a double-play bringing Hatton to the plate. He was promptly hit by a pitch, a category in which he leads the team. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single from junior catcher Tristen McDonald.

They would get their final run in the very next inning as Stuckey started things off again by advancing on an error by the shortstop. He then stole second and was advanced to third on an error by the catcher. Bonilla came up and hit another double to right field scoring Stuckey. Smith allowed three runs over the next two innings, before he departed. Alvarez then came in and shut down the Cowboys, limiting them to just one hit and no runs to earn the save.

Bonilla led the attack with the 4-4 performance. Stuckey, McDonald and Hopkins all had two hits with Stuckey, Hatton, and McDonald coming through with RBI's.

The Tribe now makes the long trip back to Cape and begins to prepare for a crucial OVC series this weekend with visiting Austin Peay. Peay is currently in fourth place in the conference with a 5-4 mark. Morehead follows close behind the Tribe with a 7-5 record compared to Southeast's mark of 7-2. Murray is also at 7-5.

Southeast and Peay will match up for two seven-inning games on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. and one nine-inning affair on Sunday starting at 1 p.m. It will be Dog Days at the park as well as being Kid's Day on Saturday.