Box Score

Cookeville, Tenn. (May 5, 2002) - The Southeast Missouri State Indians baseball team moved its conference-best record to 12-3 and its overall record to 25-15 with a series finale win over the Eagles from Tennessee Tech today, 12-6.

The Tribe got a strong pitching performance from junior Tim Alvarez. The lefty worked the complete game for his fourth victory of the season. He scattered 10 hits over the nine innings and used sparkling defense around him to help record the win.

The offensive player of the day was junior third baseman Denver Stuckey. For the third game in a row, Stuckey opened up with a lead-off single. Stuckey went 3-6 in the game scoring two runs and driving in three. His big blast came in an eight run fifth inning as he blasted a no-doubter to left field easily clearing the fence. Every person in the lineup today had a hit.

The Indians got things going in the first as the first three batters singled. Junior catcher Tristen McDonald hit a fly ball to right field sacrificing in Stuckey for the game's first run. Junior designated hitter David Lawson then nailed a pitch to the gap in right field driving in Bonilla and junior shortstop Zach Borowiak.

Tech would get one run in the first, two in the second, and one in the third to take a one run lead, but then the Indians had their inning in the fifth.

Borowiak started off the inning by doubling to right field. Senior center fielder Vern Hatton followed up with a single to right, driving in Borowiak. McDonald followed up with a double down the right field line scoring Hatton. Junior right fielder Brain Hopkins then walked and was followed by a Lawson single that moved the runners up. McDonald would score, though, on an error in the Tech infield. Freshman first baseman Eric Hoffman reached on an error by the second basemen that allowed Hopkins to score. Sophomore right fielder Brice Nicholas put down a perfect bunt single that drove in Lawson. A wild pitch moved both the runners up and set up Stuckey's massive drive over the left field fence. That made eight runs in the inning and was more than enough for Alvarez.

The Tribe got one more in the sixth, as did tech in the eighth and ninth, but the score would stand at 12-6. The day was a positive on all ends as the team got a nine-inning performance from Alvarez and 16 hits out of a line-up that has proven to be very potent.

Southeast now plays host to the University of Missouri Tigers Tuesday night at 5 p.m. over at Capaha Field. The game will be sponsored by River Eagle Distributing and will feature free food and beverages.