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OXFORD, Ala. -- Scoring the most runs of any team in the OVC Tournament since 2006, Morehead State baseball pounded out a season-best 25 hits in defeating second-seeded Southeast Missouri 18-9 Thursday at Choccolocco Park.

The Eagles improved to 34-23 overall and scored in eight of the nine innings, including multiple tallies in five frames.

"I thought it was probably our best best offensive performance overall this year," said head coach Mike McGuire. "I thought it was crucial that we jumped on them early, and then we were just relentless at the plate all day long."

Junior shortstop Reid Leonard was 5-for-6, extending his OVC high reached-base streak to 49 games, while senior DH Tyler Niemann and junior right-fielder Jake Hammon both had four hits apiece. Niemann crossed the plate four times and came within a home run of the cycle, while junior catcher Hunter Fain drove in four runs. Junior first baseman Trevor Snyder totaled three hits, and Fain, senior second Braxton Morris and junior center-fielder Connor Pauly all had two hits. Pauly hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and also doubled in the ninth to move his reached-base streak to 22 games and his hitting streak to 11.

Freshman relief pitcher Will Lozinak even got into the hit parade, ripping a leadoff single in the ninth inning before closing the game on the mound too.

The Eagles built a 10-0 lead before starter TJ Satterly even allowed a Redhawk hit in the fifth inning. As it was, Satterly only surrendered two hits in 4.2 innings. Freshman lefty Cory Conway came in with the bases loaded in the seventh and got a strikeout and ground out. He was credited (as the most effective relief pitcher) with the win to improve to 7-3.

Trevor Ezell and Justin Dirden trimmed their team's deficit just a bit with home runs in the ninth inning off Lozinak.

Morehead State, the third seed, will now face top-seeded Tennessee Tech in the winner's bracket at Noon ET on Friday.

"We have respect for Tennessee Tech as they are a great team this year, but we will be ready to play," said McGuire. "We know if we just throw strikes and continue to have good at-bats all game long we have a great chance to come out with a win."