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The 2016 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship continued with three games on Saturday.
The first day of the game was an elimination contest between Belmont and Austin Peay with the Governors coming out on top 7-4 in 13 innings (matching the longest game in tournament history). Jacksonville State topped Southeast Missouri in the second game of the day to advance to Sunday's Championship Round. Southeast Missouri then topped Austin Peay in an elimination contest to advance to the Championship Round and play the Gamecocks.
This season marks the 38th time the event has been held and the seventh year in a row it has been held at The Ballpark at Jackson (formerly Pringles Park) in Jackson, Tennessee. The venue is home of the Jackson Generals, the AA-affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
The entire tournament is being streamed live and free of charge on the OVC Digital Network. The games are available in HD and available on any computer, tablet or smart phone, as well as Roku streaming devices. The games will air live and are immediately available on-demand.
Game 7: #3 Austin Peay 7, #6 Belmont 4 (13)
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Game 8: #2 Jacksonville State 11, #1 Southeast Missouri 7
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Game 9: #1 Southeast Missouri 10, #3 Austin Peay 4
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#3 AUSTIN PEAY 7, #6 BELMONT 4 (13)
JACKSON, Tenn. - In what matched the longest game in OVC Tournament history, Austin Peay plated three runs in the top of the 13th inning to eliminate Belmont from the 2016 OVC Baseball Championship by a 7-4 margin.
The game lasted four hours and 44 minutes and saw 26 combined hits, although only five went for extra bases. Austin Peay will now advance to play an elimination game later tonight.
Belmont (33-27) scored three runs in the first two innings to take an early lead before Austin Peay (30-22) responded with three runs in the third inning on RBI singles by Garrett Copeland and Logan Gray and a Belmont error.
The bullpens then locked in for each team with APSU only adding a lone run in the seventh and Belmont tying the game in the ninth on an error (one of seven combined in the game).
Belmont loaded the bases with two outs in the 11th inning and sent a ball to leftfield where senior Josh Wilson made a diving catch to save the game and send it into the 12th inning.
In the 13th Ridge Smith doubled home a run and Clayton Smithson plated two more runs with a double of his own to give the Govs its 30th victory of the season.
In relief Caleb Powell set the table for the Govs in allowing only two hits over 4.1 innings. He gave way to All-OVC selection Jared Carkuff who went the final 6.2 innings and allowed only four hits and one run while striking out 11 to improve to 6-1 on the season.
#2 JACKSONVILLE STATE 11, #1 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7
JACKSON, Tenn. - A Taylor Hawthorne three-run home run in the seventh inning put Jacksonville State on top and Tyler Gamble added a two-run shot an inning later as the Gamecocks topped No. 1 seed Southeast Missouri 11-7 to advance to Sunday's Championship Round.
Jacksonville State (34-22) took a 5-1 lead after two innings only to see the regular season champion Redhawks pull ahead with three runs in the fifth inning. But the back-to-back home runs capped the Gamecocks offensive night as they look to win their second OVC Tournament Championship in three seasons.
Clayton Daniel had three hits to lead the JSU attack and was one of four Gamecock players who drove in multiple runs. Scott Mitchell had three hits to lead Southeast Missouri.
Graham Officer started the game for JSU and lasted four innings. In relief Garrett Farmer (4-4) picked up the victory in pitching four innings and allowing two unearend runs.
Southeast Missouri starter Robert Beltran allowed five runs (three earned) in 1.1 innings before making way to Clay Chandler (4-5) who took the loss after allowing the Hawthorne home run.
#1 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 10, #3 AUSTIN PEAY 4
JACKSON, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri scored four times in the eighth inning to break a 4-4 tie with Austin Peay and send the Redhawks to its second consecutive OVC Baseball Tournament Championship Round.
Southeast Missouri (37-19) also equaled its program record for wins in the victory. The Redhawks are in search of its third OVC Tournament Championship and first since 2002.
After losing its game with Jacksonville State earlier in the day, Southeast had to turn around and play its second game of the day and grabbed a 3-1 lead in the second inning on a double by Dan Holst, sacrifice fly by Ryan Rippee and single by Trevor Ezell.
Southeast held that advantage until the fifth inning when Austin Peay (30-23) got a three-run bases clearing triple by Chase Hamilton to knot the contest.
But Southeast Missouri started the eighth inning with four consecutive hits including a three-run double by Hunter Leeper. Southeast then added two insurance runs in the ninth to account for the final score.
In relief Jake Busiek (2-2) picked up the victory; he pitched the final 4.1 innings and allowed just two hits while striking out six and not walking a batter. Alex Robles, who started APSU's first game of the tournament on Wednesday, entered in relief in the sixth inning and suffered the loss after allowing four earned runs.
Garrett Gandolfo led Southeast with four hits and four runs scored while Leeper drove in four runs.