Southeast baseball defeats Salukis for second straight win

The Southeast Missouri State University baseball team has a win streak after defeating SIU Carbondale Tuesday afternoon in Capaha Park.

"This felt familiar, it felt like SEMO baseball," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "This is what it has felt like around here for years, we can do this."

The Redhawks got its second win in a row after beating the Salukis 4-1. The game was the first since March 10 that the Redhawks allowed less than five runs in a game.

"I got a weird felling that we are starting to gel," Hogan said. "We got a good push from Spitzfaden and he didn't look freshman-like."

Freshman Will Spitzfaden entered the game in the seventh inning as pitcher while Southeast had a 3-1 lead over the Salukis. Sptizfaden allowed three hits and had two strikeouts in the two innings during his five appearance on the mound.

"I knew if I pitched well I'd stay out there," Sptizfaden said.

In addition to good pitching from Spitzfaden, pitchers Dylan Lynn and Ryan Prickett also had decent games. Lynn had six strikeouts, allowed three hits and one run in the first six innings. Lynn was credited with the win and is now 2-0 on the season.

"I just knew I had to go right at them," Lynn said. "We are getting ahead of hitters now and not getting behind."

Prickett only pitched in the ninth inning, but allowed no hits and was a part of huge double-play that would eventually end the Salukis chance at making a comeback.

Prickett got John Menken hit the ball right back to himself and after one bounce he caught the ball, slung it to shortstop Kenton Parmley at second base, who then threw it to Kody Campbell at first base to give the Salukis two outs.

"We played a flawless game defensively," Hogan said.

The huge double play was not the only big play Parmley was involved in on the day. Parmley was riding a 40-game hitting streak going into Tuesday's game. Parmley continued his streak Tuesday after a single in the first inning and a home run in the seventh inning that gave his team a 4-1 lead.

"They were throwing me outsides so I had to make some adjustments," Parmley said. "He left one over the plate and I made him pay for it."

Parmley now has the ninth longest hitting streak in NCAA history and is one game away from tying the Ohio Valley Conference record.

"All credit goes to Kenton Parmley and his hitting coach Chris Cafalone," Hogan said. "He's a tremendous player and very smart baseball player."

The Redhawks are now 10-24 on the season and 2-7 in the OVC. Southeast is currently last in the OVC standings out of 10 teams. The team needs to make it to the sixth spot to qualify for the playoffs.

"Looking forward to getting on that bus and heading to Morehead," Hogan said.

This weekend the Redhawks will take on Morehead State in a three-game series starting at 4 p.m. April 13 in Morehead, Ky.

"We need to win this series, if not sweep it to get back in the conference race," Parmley said.