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MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Sophomore right-hander Blake Smith allowed only five hits in 8.2 innings, while the Morehead State baseball team clobbered three home runs in a 4-2 home-opening win over Southeast Missouri on Friday afternoon at Allen Field.
The Eagles improved to 8-14 on the season, with a 3-4 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Redhawks dipped to 11-12, and 3-4 in the OVC.
“Blake has struggled a little bit in his last couple of outings, but today he came out and pitched like a Friday guy,” Head Coach Mike McGuire said. “Going that deep into the game really saved our bullpen for the rest of the weekend.”
MSU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth, when sophomore first baseman Kane Sweeney crushed his first home run of the season to left-center.
SEMO tied it up in the top of the fifth, when sophomore designated hitter Ryan Barnes drove an RBI single to left center.
The Eagles retook the lead in the seventh, when senior right fielder Drew Williams smacked a solo home run over the center-field wall, his third on the year. Then, in the bottom of the eighth, freshman third baseman Alan Mocahbee hit the final MSU home run of the contest, a two-run shot to left field.
The Redhawks tacked on one more in the top of the ninth, but Morehead State senior righty Austin Haney closed out the contest for his third save of the campaign.
Smith (1-2), who came within one out of his first career complete game, allowed only two runs while walking three.
Mocahbee went 3-for-4 at the plate, adding two singles to his homer. Sweeney also picked up multiple hits on the day, going 2-for-3 while also drawing a walk.
The teams will close out the series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Links to live stats and audio will be available on MSUEagles.com.
