March 29, 2008

Box Score

By Tyler Koonce, Baseball Contact

MARTIN, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri State overpowered Tennessee-Martin with 19 runs on 17 hits in only five innings Saturday at Skyhawk Field. The game was called due to rain and darkness after the completion of the 5th inning. The Redhawks (10-8, 3-1) scored at least two runs in every inning to beat the struggling Skyhawks (1-19, 0-4).

The teams played only one game Saturday after a three hour, 50 minute rain delay. Originally they were scheduled to play a doubleheader and will play two seven inning contests Sunday beginning at 12 p.m.

Southeast wasted no time getting started and never let up on the Skyhawks. Nick Harris led off the game with a majestic home run to left field. Jim Klocke followed with a double to left and came around to score on a groundout by Tyrell Cummings.

The Redhawks plated two more runs in top of the second when Harris hit another blast to left that scored Tony Spencer, who had reached on a walk two batters earlier.

Trenton Moses added to the lead in the third with his first career home run to left-center, which also scored Justin Wheeler, who led off the inning with a double to right-center.

Tennessee-Martin cut the lead in half in the bottom half of the third on a three-run home run by Scott Gladstone.

The scoring birrage continued in the fourth for SEMO as they plated five more runs to push the lead to 11-3, highlighted by a tape-measure home run to right field by Matt Wagner. Klocke also added a two-run single in the inning.

Not to be outdone, Southeast sealed the game with an 8-run fifth. Matt Wulfers registered two hits during the inning, with a single to lead off and a two-run double after the Redhawks batted around.

UTM scored three runs in the bottom half of the fifth before the game was called due to darkness and rain. Gladstone added his fourth RBI of the game with a run-scoring single to right field.

James Leigh (5-1) pitched all five innings to earn his OVC-leading fifth victory of the season. He struck out four opposing hitters while issuing only one walk.

Eric Walker (1-4) took the loss for Tennessee-Martin, yielding seven hits and seven earned runs in three innings of work. He struck out one and walked two others.

Harris finished with three hits and six RBIs to lead the offensive outburst. Wagner and Moses both finished with two hits and three RBIs. Wheeler, Cummings and Wulfers all notched multi-hit efforts.