BOX SCORE (PDF) | AUDIO ARCHIVE
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Three
Morehead State pitchers only allowed three hits in the series opener at Southeast Missouri Friday, but a pair of two-run homers were included in that trio, and the Eagle baseball team fell 5-1 to the Redhawks at Capaha Field.
SEMO improved to 11-8 overall and 4-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while the Eagles dipped to 12-5 overall and 3-1 in league tilts. The Eagles have still won seven of the last 12 in the series.
Redhawk third baseman Hunter Leeper's two-run round-tripper slipped just inside the left field foul pole to break up a no-hitter in the fifth, and he lifted another two-run smash to left field in the seventh to account for the final two SEMO runs. MSU starter
Luke Humphreys (3-1) only surrendered that one hit in five frames but walked six.
"I really have no problem with the way Luke pitched today - except for the walks," said Head Coach
Mike McGuire. "When you are facing a great pitcher like (Joey) Lucchesi, you have to take your opportunities when they come, and we didn't today. We knew runs were going to be at premium coming into this series."
Southeast Missouri had more errors (4) than hits, but Lucchesi, the preseason conference Pitcher of the Year, struck out 10 and gave up just three hits in eight innings to improve to 4-1. He tossed 132 pitches after throwing 136 last weekend in his Friday start.
MSU junior rightfielder
Will Schneider provided his team with its lone run, crushing a Lucchesi pitch over the left centerfield fence in the top of the sixth. It was his team-best fifth long ball of the campaign. Freshman catcher
Hunter Fain, and junior first baseman
Jesus Carrera connected on the other two hits.
The teams will continue the weekend set on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET with senior
Matt Anderson getting the starting pitching assisgnment for the Eagles.
