Box Score

Morehead, Ky. (May 19, 2002) - The Southeast Missouri State Indians baseball team dropped its final regular season game today as the Eagles of Morehead State defeated the Tribe by the score of 16-10. The Indians gave all of its regular starters a day off today, as well.

Junior pitcher Ryan Cheo started for the Tribe and didn't fare well as he recorded only one out and failed to get out of the first inning. Cheo allowed six runs, all earned on eight hits, walked none and struck out none. He was relieved by junior Jim Beever, who pitched spectacularly going 4.1 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits and striking out three. Juniors Denver Stuckey and Ryan Govek would also relieve and combined to allow eight runs on 10 hits.

Southeast saw its bench players get a chance to shine today as Coach Mark Hogan gave most of his starters the full day off. Southeast had three home runs on the day including senior Brad Simmons first dinger as an Indian that easily cleared 450 feet. Sophomore outfielder Brice Nicholas hit his fourth of the season and freshman left fielder Josh Eftink hit his second. The Tribe had hits from everyone in the lineup except for senior shortstop Matt Baldwin and freshman DH Scott Reinagel.

Morehead jumped out on the Tribe in the first as six runs crossed the plate before it was all said and done. Eight hits including three doubles spelled doom for Cheo as Beever came in to relieve with one out. Beever got a batter to ground to first forcing a runner at home, then retired the last batter of the inning on a grounder to short.

Morehead got one more in the second as first baseman Will Renaker doubled to left field and then was singled home by shortstop David Hughes. They would score one more in the fifth, before SEMO broke out for four in the sixth.

Nicholas started the inning by homering to right center. Junior second baseman David Lawson then singled to second and moved to third on a single from freshman third baseman Eric Hoffman. Eftink flew out to right and Lawson tagged up, but an errant throw by the right fielder allowed Lawson to score and Hoffman to move up. That brought up big first baseman Brad Simmons. Simmons had yet to hit a home run at Southeast, but he got a hold of a fastball and drilled it over the right center fence for his first dinger at SEMO.

Morehead would get one more in the sixth and four in the seventh along with three in the eighth. Southeast made a valliant effort near the end scoring two in the eighth and four in the ninth including a home run from Eftink, but it would not be enough today as the Eagles bats overcame.

Southeast now moves its overall record to 32-17, 16-5 in the conference going into the tournament. Morehead is 29-25, 9-11 in the OVC as they head in to tournament play. The two teams will meet again the first day of the tournament as Southeast, the No. 1 seed will take on Morehead, the No. 6 seed in the game at 3 p.m. The winner of that game will take on the loser of the Austin Peay-Eastern Illinois match. That game will take place at 11 a.m. with the Tennessee Tech - Murray State game finishing off the night at 7 p.m.