CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Interstat) — The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks broke open a tight game with a five-run rally across the sixth and seventh innings to defeat the Milwaukee Panthers 9-2 on Saturday afternoon and evening at Capaha Field.

The victory, played under changing skies from afternoon to evening, gave the Redhawks (9-7) a series win after taking the opener 8-2 on Friday. Milwaukee fell to 2-12 with its sixth consecutive loss.

For five innings, the contest was a tense, one-run affair. Milwaukee scratched out a run in the third when Ellis scored on Kibler’s infield single. Southeast Missouri State answered forcefully in the bottom of the fourth, erasing the deficit with three runs. Ryan Lopetegui ignited the rally with a solo home run to left field. Carson Schrack followed with a bunt single, J.T. Terranova doubled, and Moises Rosario tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Terranova then scored on a caught stealing to give the Redhawks a 3-1 lead.

Milwaukee responded immediately in the top of the fifth. O’Connell led off with a triple down the left-field line and scored on Kibler’s groundout, pulling the Panthers within 3-2. That, however, would be the extent of Milwaukee’s offense against the Southeast Missouri State bullpen.

The most important sequence of the game began in the bottom of the sixth with the Redhawks clinging to a 4-2 lead, after Brooks Kettering scored on a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Facing new pitcher Weckler, Schrack singled and later scored on Kettering’s RBI double. A wild pitch allowed another run to cross, extending the lead to 6-2 and shifting the momentum decisively.

Southeast Missouri State put the game out of reach in the seventh, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring three more times. A sacrifice fly by Schrack and a run-scoring single by pinch-hitter Logan Yule highlighted the inning, which was capped by Rosario’s RBI groundout, making it 9-2.

The star of the game was Redhawks reliever Nathan Mertens, who earned the win with four dominant innings. Entering in the sixth, Mertens silenced the Panthers, allowing four hits and no earned runs while striking out four. He stranded multiple runners and efficiently protected the growing lead, continuing a strong run of form after a seven-strikeout performance against Miami (Ohio) earlier in the week.

Milwaukee starter Aric Ehmke took the loss, working five innings and allowing four earned runs on no hits, with six walks and two strikeouts. The Panthers out-hit the Redhawks 10-11 but went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. Spencer and Schmidt each had three hits for Milwaukee.

For Southeast Missouri State, Schrack was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Kettering added two hits, two RBIs, and two runs, while Lopetegui’s home run provided the initial spark.

The teams conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. Milwaukee will look to avoid the sweep before traveling to Purdue on Tuesday. Southeast Missouri State hosts Missouri State on Tuesday in its next midweek contest. The result exceeded the projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 5-2 Redhawks victory.