Box Score

Cookeville, Tenn. (May 4, 2002) - The Southeast Missouri State Baseball team split two games today with the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech University by the scores of 7-2 and 9-2. The Indians will finish the series tomorrow with a single nine-inning affair.

Southeast got one run in the fourth, four in the fifth and two in the seventh to put away the Eagles in the first game. Senior second baseman Clemente Bonilla was 2-2 with two runs scored and one RBI, while senior centerfielder Vern Hatton was 2-4 with four RBI's including a massive home run to center field. Junior catcher Tristen McDonald had a home run to left in the game, as well.

Senior pitcher brad Purcell picked up the complete game as he limited the Eagles to two first inning runs, one earned, on 11 strikeouts and one walk. The 11 strikeouts were a season high for the righty.

After two quick Tech runs, McDonald came up in the fourth inning and ripped a pitch way over the left field fence for his fifth home run of the season. The game was blown open in the fifth by the Tribe as they scored four runs capped off by a Hatton dinger.

Junior first baseman Tim Alvarez started the inning off by walking. He was pinch ran for by senior Matt Baldwin. Junior third basemen Denver Stuckey reached on a fielder's choice. He then stole second and was advanced to third on an error by the catcher. Bonilla singled him home and he was followed by a single by junior shortstop Zach Borowiak. That brought about a pitching change for Tech. Hatton promptly swung at the first pitch he saw from the new pitcher and drilled it over the center field wall making the score 5-2. SEMO scored two more times in the seventh to take the 7-2 win.

The second game of the twin bill was an exact opposite of the first as the Eagles used a seven-run fourth inning to get past the Tribe 9-2. Six of the seven runs that inning were unearned as senior Brandon Smith pitched 3.2 innings striking out five, walking one and allowing only the one earned run.

Neither team scored until the third when Tech put across one run single by shortstop Casey Benjamin. The Eagles got seven in the next frame, as a two-out error cost the Tribe and led to six big runs for Tech.

Southeast got one in the fourth and in the seventh, but couldn't pull any closer to Tech as the Eagles won going away. Four errors in the field hurt the Tribe, as Tech out-hit them 15-9. Hatton went hitless in the second game ending his hitting streak at 22 consecutive games this season.

Both teams get back at it tomorrow at Quillen Field on the campus of Tennessee Tech. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.