Southeast Missouri State University student publication

Southeast baseball avoids sweep with walk-off bunt

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team avoided a sweep in walk-off fashion in its doubleheader against Oral Roberts Sunday afternoon at Capaha Field. After Southeast lost the first game 4-3, shortstop Branden Boggetto dropped a suicide squeeze with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to win the second game 6-5.

"I was just so happy," Boggetto said. "I knew I got my job done and it just felt good to get a win for the team."

After a one-two-three eighth inning, the Redhawks put together a game winning ninth inning after being down 5-4. Third Baseman Andy Lennington hit his second double of the game to leadoff the inning. Catcher Dalton Hewitt then put down a sacrifice bunt towards the third base side. Brandon Healy, the Golden Eagles' third baseman, committed a key error when he threw a wild ball towards first that allowed Lennington to score the tying run and Hewitt to go to second base.

Clayton Evans then pinch-hit for Steven Still. Evans laid down a sacrifice bunt towards third base. This time Jose Trevino, the catcher, tried to make the play to third. Hewitt slid under the tag and was called safe. With runners on first and third with no outs Josh Meade was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Pinch-hitter Tyler Boxwell struck out, resulting in the inning's first out. With the bases still loaded, Boggetto came up to the plate. He laid down a suicide squeeze that scored Hewitt from third and secured the Redhawks' 6-5 victory.

"That's a play we've executed a lot in practice," Southeast coach Steve Bieser said. "[Boggotto] knew exactly what he needed to do with the ball. He wasn't trying to get too fine with it, he was just trying to make the first baseman field it. That's great execution on his part."

The Redhawks had to climb out of a three-run hole in the third inning. Due to a throwing error, and sacrifice hits, the Golden Eagles scored three times off starting pitcher Luke Shearrow, who lasted 2 2/3 innings, allowed three runs, one earned, on two hits and walked four.

Left-handed pitcher Alex Winkelman then replaced Shearrow. With men on second and third, he struck out Joey Migliaccio to end the inning. Winkelman would prove valuable as he was able to go five innings and allowed only two runs.

"We went down early, which we've been doing too much probably, so I knew all I had to do was throw up some zeros at the right time," Winkelman said. "All we have to do is win the last couple of innings and I held out for as long as I could."

Lennington was 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBIs. Bogotto was 3-for-4, including his game-winning RBI.

"I didn't know if we were going to fold under pressure or battle back, and it shows our team's integrity that we fought back and persevered even though we went down late," Lennington said.

In the first game of the double header, Southeast's leadoff hitter, second baseman Jason Blum, got the Redhawks on the board with a solo homer in the Redhawks' first at-bat in the bottom of the first. That was Blum's third home run on the season and the only lead the Redhawks would hold in the game.

In the third inning, Oral Roberts scored three runs to take the lead. The Golden Eagles' Tyler Boss broke a 1-1 tie with a two RBI double in the inning giving Oral Roberts a 3-1 lead. Oral Roberts got its fourth and last run in the next inning off a bases loaded liner by Domenico.

The Redhawks would get that run back in the bottom of the inning. Center fielder Cole Bieser smacked a standup double down the left field line. Left fielder Derek Gibson then hit a line-drive double of his own into left center scoring Cole Bieser.The Redhawks were now down 4-2 after four innings.

Trying to make a late comeback, first baseman Matt Tellor hit a one-out homer, his second of the season, in the bottom of the ninth to pull the game to 4-3. However, that's all the Redhawks would get in the inning, which resulted in a loss. Zack Smith ended up as the losing pitcher. He went 6 2/3 innings, giving up six hits, four runs, three strikeouts and four walks on 108 pitches.

"I thought in the first game we battled in there, the whole series we battled, it's just something to be said to be able to win those games," Steve Bieser said. "They're a good program and that's why they took two out of three. We've got to be able to get better at winning all games."

Southeast lost the series 2-1. Oral Roberts won the first game of the series with a 3-1 win Saturday afternoon. The Redhawks are 7-5 and will face the University of Arkansas-Little Rock at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Little Rock, Ark.

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