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On day one of the 2007 O'Reilly Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship, both higher seeded teams won and stayed in the winners bracket for Thursday's contests. No. 4 seed Samford topped No. 5 Eastern Kentucky 8-3 in the opener while No. 3 seed Southeast Missouri State was a 10-7 victor over No. 6 seed Murray State in the nightcap.
Eastern Kentucky and Murray State will meet in an elimination game on Thursday morning at 11 a.m. CT. No. 2 seed Jacksonville State will open play at the event by challenging Southeast Missouri (2:30 p.m.), while 2007 OVC Regular Season Champions and No. 1 seed Austin Peay take on Samford in Thursday's nightcap (6:30 p.m.).
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Wednesday's Schedule
Game 1 - #4 Samford 8, #5 Eastern Kentucky 3
Box Score | Live Stats | Live Video
Game 2 - #3 Southeast Missouri 10, #6 Murray State, 7
Box Score | Live Stats | Live Video | Photo Gallery
Game 1 - #4 Samford 8, #5 Eastern Kentucky 3
PADUCAH, Ky. - A four-run first inning was enough as Samford defeated Eastern Kentucky, 8-3, in the opening round of the 2007 O'Reilly Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship, Wednesday afternoon, at Brooks Stadium.
Samford (30-26) scored four times in the opening frame, Garrett Rice's two-run home run serving as the inning's big blow. The Bulldogs added runs in the third and sixth innings before Bear Burnett's eighth-inning two-run home run capped the game's scoring.
Eastern Kentucky (23-28-1) scored the game's first run in the top of the first using back-to-back singles and a Matt Davis sacrifice fly to take the one-run lead. The Colonels threatened with the bases loaded in the fourth, but only mustered a walk and an outfield single to score twice before seeing a runner thrown out at home to end the frame with EKU trailing 5-3.
Samford starter Josh Ehmke left the game after two-plus innings after an apparent injury, with one run allowed on two hits and four strikeouts. Reliever Tyler Hill (6-6) went the rest of the way, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out four. Burnett led the Bulldogs offense with a 4-for-5, three-RBI effort.
"Trent (Hill) has been a great luxury to have the last three or four weeks, knowing that if the starter got in trouble we could go to him early and he could give us four or five innings," said Samford head coach Casey Dunn. "Today, he really bailed us out in a tough situation in the third. And, the fact that he was able to finish the game for us, not forcing us to go to our bullpen any more can be big as this tournament plays out. In essence, we really lost two guys today when it should have been one."
Eastern Kentucky starter Chris Grider (6-5) was tagged for the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk. Tyler Barnett and Lucas Waters each had two hits for the Colonels.
"I thought it was a well-played game but our pitchers just weren't able to execute in some key situations," EKU head coach Elvis Dominguez said. "We also were unable to capitalize on some opportunities [offensively] in the early innings."
Game 2 - #3 Southeast Missouri 10, #6 Murray State 7
PADUCAH, Ky. - Southeast Missouri downed Murray State, 10-7, in opening-round action at the 2007 O'Reilly Ohio Valley Conference Championship, Wednesday night, at Brooks Stadium. The Redhawks advance to play Jacksonville State at 2:30 p.m., Thursday, in the second round, while the Thoroughbreds will meet Eastern Kentucky at 11 a.m., Thursday morning.
"I was really pleased with how Dustin Renfrow pitched tonight, especially since we needed him to pitch at least six innings," Southeast Missouri head coach Mark Hogan said. "Our offense made a big burst with the rally in the fourth, which I believe was one of our best innings this season."
Murray State jumped out to an early lead posting two runs in the second and third innings. In the second, Murray State's Jamie Liedolf knocked a two-RBI single to center field and in the third the Thoroughbreds capitalized on a two-out error, plating two more runs for a 4-0 lead.
Southeast Missouri delivered the game's big blow, scoring six runs in the fourth. After a one-out solo home run by Jim Klocke, the Redhawks recorded four straight hits, scoring two more runs. Daryl Graham then ripped a three-run home run, putting Southeast ahead, 6-4.
"That's why we play nine-inning games," Murray State head coach Rob McDonald said. "We got a lead early but we had to add to it. They had a big inning, but we felt like we were still in the game. In the end, we made some mistakes - unusual, intolerable - 99 times out of 100, you handle those plays and we didn't. In tournament play, you've got to be clean with those plays and that didn't happen."
The 'Breds added one run in the seventh after a leadoff single by Liedolf and a Seth Hudson sacrifice fly. The Redhawks, however, took advantage of a pair of Murray State miscues, tacking on four more runs in the bottom of the seventh, to take a 10-5 lead. Murray State scored a pair of runs in the ninth inning, setting the final 10-7 margin.
Klocke, the OVC's Freshman of the Year, led Southeast Missouri with a 4-for-5, two RBI effort; the four hits were a career-high. Omar Padilla went 2-for-4, while Graham finished with three RBI.
Redhawk starter Dustin Renfrow (5-1) picked up the win, pitching six innings and allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits, while striking out five and walking three. Josh Parham pitched a scoreless ninth inning, earning his season's third save.
'Bred's starter Mike Perconte (6-7) was tagged with the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits, striking out six in six innings. Leidolf went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead Murray State.