April 27, 2008

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By Tyler Koonce, Baseball Contact

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Senior right-hander Lance Rhodes pitched five inning of scoreless relief to lead Southeast Missouri State to a 10-9 victory over Austin Peay in the final game of a three-game weekend series. The Redhawks (18-18, 8-8) and Governors (21-22, 9-9) combined for 24 hits, 19 runs and a total of 10 errors.

Austin Peay got off to a quick start with three runs in the top of the first inning. Greg Bachman drove in Rafael Hill with an RBI single and Trey Lucas brought in Bachman on a sacrifice fly. Will Hogue then singled to left field to score Matt Kole for an early 3-0 advantage.

Southeast wasted no time answering back as they took the lead with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Matt Wagner hit a run-scoring single to right-center plating Jim Klocke. Justin Wheeler drove in Tyrell Cummings with the second run and Wagner tied the game when he crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Nick Harris gave SEMO a 4-3 lead with an RBI double down the left field line to score Wheeler.

The Redhawks increased the lead to 6-3 in the second when Cummings and Wagner drove in Blake Slattery and Tony Spencer on sacrifice flies.

Peay got one run back in the top of the third when Daniel Baggett doubled into the left field corner, bring Kole plateward.

Southeast pushed two runs across for the second consecutive inning on a double by Slattery down the right field line, scoring Trenton Moses. Slattery scored the eighth run on an unconventional play where APSU's catcher Josh Purcell threw the ball away at second base trying to gun down Spencer, who was running on a wild pitch.

In the top of the fourth, the Governors offense rebounded by plating three runs, narrowing the margin to 8-7. Bachman hit an RBI single and came around to score himself on an error by Klocke, similar to the play the inning before.

Harris increased the lead to two at 9-7 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth to bring in Cummings, who was hit by a pitch to lead of the inning. He moved to second on a single by Wagner and advanced to third when Wheeler was hit by a pitch.

APSU came back again to tie the game with two runs in the fifth. Hill delivered a two-run single to left-center, scoring Baggett and J.B. Gilbert, who led off the inning with a single and double.

SEMO regained the lead, 10-9, in the bottom of the seventh when Zachary Blemker laid down a bunt on a safety squeeze. Wheeler broke home and beat the throw from APSU pitcher Jeff Hughes.

Rhodes shut down the Govs offense to finish the game. Over the five innings, he struck out five and allowed only two hits.

Matt Kole took the loss for Austin Peay after allowing the go-ahead run in the seventh.

Wagner, Slattery and Spencer all registered multi-hit games. Wagner and Harris both drove in two runs each.

Hill, Bachman and Kole all finished with three hits and drove in runs for the Governors.

Southeast has the week off and will travel to Eastern Illinois next weekend for a crucial three-game Ohio Valley Conference series. First pitch on Saturday and Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m.