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Kansas State’s early rally downs Southeast, ending exciting run in Fayetteville
Monday, June 3, 2024
Southeast's Josh Cameron swings through a pitch during a Friday, May 17, 2024 game between the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks and the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com
Spending a couple hours in the national spotlight, and putting on an unforgettable performance over the weekend, Southeast Missouri’s stay in Fayetteville came to an end with Sunday night’s 7-2 loss to Kansas State.
Dominating Arkansas to advance to the program’s first-ever regional final, the Redhawks had a tremendous opportunity against a fearsome Big 12 opponent, but the Wildcats pounced hard early.
After a scoreless first, Kansas State scored four in the second and tacked on another three in the third, summarizing its scoring for the night as it trounced SEMO to secure the regional title.
All of the Wildcats’ runs came on either singles or outs, playing small ball all the way to the finish line as it put seven runs across in two innings to get them to the super regionals.
Vying for a spot in the top-16, already among the final 32 teams left in the country, Southeast pitcher Sam Heyman (5-4) was credited for four earned runs in 1.1 innings as it went south quick in the second.
Brendan Jones and Chuck Ingram each notched three hits for the Wildcats, with Jones driving in a game-high three runs with a handful of singles.
Entering in relief for Heyman, junior Ethan Osborne threw the next two innings after Heyman but earned another three in a big third for K-State, putting Southeast even further in the hole.
Ty Ruhl, entering the game with an ERA above 9.00, put together a masterful first four innings with just two hits allowed and no runs.
Ruhl got the Wildcats through those first four, exiting before the fifth and handing the ball off to Cole Wisenbaker (4-0) who doubled down with three more scoreless and got the win.
Needing a spark late, Bryce Cannon launched a two-run homer for Southeast in the eighth inning, scoring Josh Cameron to cut the lead to five, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the tremendous deficit.
Though it may get swept under the rug, after the seven-run outburst from Kansas State early, senior Tommy Windt came in and pitched three scoreless for the Redhawks to get them through the midgame.
But the late rally fell short, putting two runners on in the ninth but still falling, 7-2, to put an end to a season that helped redefine what Southeast Missouri could and couldn’t do.
Finishing with a record of 36-27, Southeast’s late rally to not only win the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament but knock off No. 5 Arkansas in its own ballpark will undoubtedly age like wine.
The uncertainty of conference realignment impacts not just the top power conferences but also the smaller ones, like the reshaping of the OVC and Missouri State’s departure for the Conference-USA.
Amidst that uncertainty, Southeast Missouri’s dominance in baseball and softball this spring has solidified it as a powerhouse on the diamond.
Those efforts helped Southeast to place third in this year’s OVC Commissioner’s Cup despite much turmoil over the winter.
Entering the national spotlight, even if just for a day, will do wonders for the reputation of the university, and that’s something the squad can hang its hats on.
Southeast tripled its program win total in the NCAA Tournament, previously having just one win, a 2002 regional opener against Alabama.
Adding wins against Louisiana Tech and Arkansas to that repertoire, the Redhawks will ride the highs of Sunday through the offseason, looking to rebound from its impending loss of 16 seniors.
But after making the national tournament for the third time in four years and making the biggest national impression in program history, Southeast could be back sooner rather than later.
With a host of talented underclassmen with a feeling for the moment, it could be right around the corner.
