Box Score

Tuscaloosa, Ala. (June 1, 2002) - The Southeast Missouri State Indians Baseball Team ended its season tonight as it fell to the Crimson Tide of Alabama by the score of 7-4. Southeast was eliminated from the regional field as Bama goes on to face Florida Atlantic tomorrow with the challenge of having to win two to get out of the regional.

The Tide got on the board first after four innings of scoreless pitching from starter junior Donnie Fuller. Back to back doubles scored Bama's first run. After a bunt moved a runner up to third, second baseman Peter Stonard had another double to score the second run of the game. An infield single by catcher Jeremy Brown scored Stonard from second for the third run of the inning.

Southeast got a run back in their half of the fifth as junior catcher Tristen McDonald singled, but advanced to second on an error by the left fielder. Freshman first baseman Eric Hoffman then singled through the right side to drive him home.

Alabama scored one in the sixth and three in the seventh. Junior Tim Alvarez had come in to relieve Fuller after Fuller went five innings. Alvarez lasted an inning and senior Brad Purcell came into relieve the lefty in the seventh with the bases loaded. A grounder in the hole at second led to an error by senior second baseman Clemente Bonilla that scored the final two runs of the inning.

Southeast got three runs in the eighth as senior center fielder Vern Hatton hit a three- run shot over the right field fence. That would be all the runs the Tribe would get in the inning.

The Tribe loaded the bases in the ninth with two outs, but just couldn't pull it out as Bama lefty Taylor Tankersley came in and shut down the game for his seventh save of the season.

Borowiak was 2-3 in the game with a walk. Hatton had a home run and three RBI's with a run scored. The Tribe had a hit from Hopkins, Bonilla, McDonald, Lawson and Hoffman. The hit by Bonilla let him end the season with a 20-game hit streak. Fuller pitched five innings, allowing three runs, all earned while striking out four. Alvarez allowed four runs over 1.1 innings, three of which were earned. Purcell finished off the game pitching 2.2 innings, allowing no runs, striking out two and walking just one.

Purcell finished the season with 117 innings pitched. That sets a new all-time record for innings pitched in a season at Southeast. His, as well as Brandon Smith's 12 wins on the season ties Todd Pennington's mark of last season for wins in a season.

The Tribe finishes the season with a 37-20 record. They won the program's first ever regional game. They defeated the third ranked team in the nation in Alabama. They played probably the toughest schedule in the program's history this season with match-ups against Oklahoma, Wichita State, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Mizzou, Saint Louis, Memphis, Alabama and Florida Atlantic. They came away with wins against Alabama and Arkansas in the SEC, Oklahoma State and Missouri in the Big 12, and Saint Louis and Memphis in Conference USA.