FRIDAY'S SCORES
SIUE 4, @Western Illinois 2
Lindenwood 5, @Morehead State 4
@Little Rock 7, Eastern Illinois 6 (14)
Southeast Missouri 13, @Tennessee Tech 11
UT Martin 10, @Southern Indiana 1
SIUE 4, WESTERN ILLINOIS 2
MACOMB, Ill. - Ryan Niedzwiedz tied the program record with his 35th career home run and Tim Teixeira struck out a season-high nine hitters as SIUE baseball defeated Western Illinois 4-2 Friday in the opener of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series.
SIUE improved to 11-2 in the OVC and 21-17 overall. Western Illinois fell to 3-10 in the league and 9-26 overall.
Teixeira (5-4) matched his career high with seven innings pitched, which he has equaled in four consecutive starts. He also came within one of his career high in strikeouts. He allowed a run on three hits.
Joseph Martin allowed a run in an inning of relief. Easton Martin earned his OVC-leading eighth save of the year with a perfect ninth inning.
The Cougars loaded the bases with one out in the second inning thanks to three walks by WIU starter Max Tripure. Sean Kang drove home a run when he grounded into a fielder's choice and the Cougars led 1-0.
Joshua Heyder's ninth home run of the year leading off the fourth made it 2-0 Cougars. Gage Franck doubled and Sean Kang reached on an error sending Franck to third. Daniel Gierer laid down a bunt to bring in Franck for the 3-0 lead.
Western Illinois got on the board with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning.
Niedzwiedz's blast came leading off the seventh and was a line-drive shot down the right field line to make it 4-1. He finished 2-5 with the homer.
The Leathernecks got a solo home run from Krayton Morse leading off the eighth inning.
SIUE outhit Western Illinois 7-4 in the game.
LINDENWOOD 5, MOREHEAD STATE 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Lindenwood baseball team (19-18, 6-7 OVC) picked up their first road win in-conference with a 5-4 victory at Morehead State (18-19, 5-8 OVC) on Friday night. The Lions were able to overcome an early four-run deficit to secure their sixth win in their last seven conference games.
It was a gritty performance on the mound by Josh Newell, who after allowing four runs on five hits through the first two innings, tossed five consecutive shutout frames while finishing the night with a career-high nine strikeouts. It was Newell's third consecutive win as he moved his record to 6-3 on the season.
Meanwhile, Easton Rakers secured his team-leading fourth save of the season after preserving the one-run lead through the game's final two innings.
Offensively, Filip Sarota led the way with two hits – both doubles – and a season-high three RBIs. The performance extended his hitting streak to seven games, with four of those being multi-hit outings.
The Lions tallied 12 total hits in the game, with Jake Radosevich and Kam Edwards also registering two hits apiece while Tanner Simpson and Sam Driscoll both recorded RBIs.
Morehead State scored four runs through the first two innings to take control early, plating one in the bottom of the first with back-to-back extra base hits by Davis Germann and Aubrey Kearns before a Caden Sheriden three-run homer in the second inning extended the lead.
Following a scoreless third, a Jake Radosevich base hit and Kam Edwards two-out walk set the table for Filip Sarota, who delivered a double to deep left center that cleared the bases and cut the deficit in half. After Owen Ralph drew a walk, pinch hitter Tanner Simpson added another run with an RBI single that plated Sarota from second.
Both teams stranded runners in scoring position in the fifth inning, but back-to-back doubles by Kam Edwards and Filip Sarota to lead off the sixth tied the game. Sarota then moved up 90 feet on an Owen Ralph sacrifice bunt before coming home to score the go-ahead run on a Sam Driscoll sacrifice fly.
A Will Geary leadoff single, Matt Graff walk, and Kam Edwards bunt single loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh, but the Lions were unable to bring any additional runs home.
After Josh Newell worked through his fifth consecutive shutout inning in the seventh, Easton Rakers took over in the eighth, and despite giving up three hits in the frame, kept Lindenwood's one-run lead intact as the game entered the ninth inning.
The Lions were unable to add any insurance runs in the top of the ninth and following an Ian McCubbin one out double in the home half, the Eagles had the tying run in scoring position. However, Rakers remained steady and got the next two MSU batters to roll into groundouts to end the game.
LITTLE ROCK 7, EASTERN ILLINOIS 6 (14)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Little Rock delivered a statement win Friday night, outlasting Eastern Illinois 7-6 in 14 innings at Gary Hogan Field to open a key Ohio Valley Conference series.
The Trojans (21-17, 9-4 OVC) showed resilience from start to finish, erasing multiple deficits before walking it off in the 14th against Eastern Illinois (21-12, 10-3 OVC).
Cooper Chaplain provided the final blow, lining a walk-off single to right field in the 14th to score Blake Simpson and cap a four-hour, 22-minute battle. Chaplain finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a home run and two RBI, delivering in multiple clutch moments.
Chaplain, a key contributor for the Trojans last season, has battled for consistency this year but delivered when it mattered most.
Little Rock's offense was relentless, piling up 17 hits and seven runs while drawing seven walks. Simpson led the way with a career night, going 5-for-7 with two runs scored and a pair of doubles, while Angel Cano added a 4-for-7 performance with three RBI.
The Trojans struck in the third inning after falling behind 2-0 early. Cano delivered a two-run single to tie the game, and Nolan Freund followed with a sacrifice fly to give Little Rock a 3-2 lead.
Eastern Illinois answered throughout the middle innings, tying the game in the sixth before taking a 5-3 lead in the seventh on a two-run double from James Love. But Little Rock continued to respond.
Ty Rhoades drove in a run with a double in the eighth, and Chaplain tied the game in the ninth with a solo home run to deep right field, sending the contest into extra innings.
After the Panthers briefly regained the lead in the 11th on a sacrifice fly, the Trojans answered immediately. Cano delivered again with an RBI single to tie the game at 6-6 and extend the night.
From there, Little Rock's bullpen took over. Gage Haley was dominant down the stretch, tossing three shutout innings with four strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 4-3 on the season. He did not allow a hit and worked around two walks to shut the door.
The Trojans' pitching staff combined for nine strikeouts and worked out of multiple jams, aided by three double plays that erased scoring threats.
Eastern Illinois finished with six runs on 10 hits but struggled to capitalize, stranding 14 runners and going just 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Mike O'Conor led the Panthers with three hits and two RBI, while Love added two hits and two RBI.
Little Rock, meanwhile, consistently executed in key moments, going 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position and applying pressure throughout the night.
The decisive rally in the 14th showcased that approach. Simpson led off with a hit, and the Trojans strung together quality at-bats to set up Chaplain's game-winner, sealing one of their most complete and hard-fought wins of the season.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 13, TENNESSEE TECH 11
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (27-11, 8-4 OVC) secured a 13-11 victory over Tennessee Tech (12-26, 2-11 OVC) on Friday night at Bush Stadium.
The Redhawks tallied four home runs and scored in five different innings, while Tennessee Tech managed three home runs in the high-scoring affair.
The Golden Eagles jumped to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first inning. Landon Smelser doubled, and Jorsixt Jimenez hit a two-run home run. A single by Eddie Garza later brought in another run, making it 3-0 in favor of the home team after one inning.
In the second inning, the Redhawks were held scoreless, while Tennessee Tech added four more runs. Jackson Rooker's RBI fielder's choice plated the first run, followed by a three-run homer from Manny Garza, extending the lead to 7-0 by the end of the inning.
Tech increased its lead to 8-0 in the third inning, with Smelser driving in Tyler Bennett with a single.
SEMO began its comeback in the fourth inning with Ryan Lopetegui singling and Dakota Joggerst doubling. Andrew Ramirez grounded out, allowing Lopetegui to score. A fielding error allowed Joggerst to score, reducing the deficit to 8-2.
The fifth inning saw Southeast narrow the gap further. Joe Hall reached on a dropped third strike, and Ramirez drove in Hall with a fielder's choice. Carson Schrack singled to bring in another run, making it 8-4.
In the sixth inning, Cal Sullivan hit a two-run homer, and Lopetegui followed with a solo home run, bringing Southeast Missouri within a run at 8-7.
The visitors took control in the eighth inning. Sullivan hit a solo home run, then Schrack doubled down the line to score two runs, and Tank Sims singled to bring in another. By the end of the inning, the Redhawks led 11-8.
The ninth inning featured another home run from Lopetegui, this time a two-run shot, extending the lead to 13-8. The Golden Eagles attempted a late rally with a three-run homer by Ty Denton, but Southeast Missouri held on for a 13-11 victory.
UT MARTIN 10, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team received its first nine-inning complete game since 2024 as Skyhawk standout Jacob Sitton went the distance in the 10-1 triumph against Southern Indiana.
Amari Conley (double) led UT Martin (19-18, 6-7 Ohio Valley Conference) in hits with three while Andrew Davis (double, stolen base) recorded a team-best three RBIs. TJ Grines (double, RBI) and Colten Payton (two doubles, two RBIs) also recorded multi-hit games for the Skyhawks.
Sitton accomplished his second complete game of the season behind nine innings of one run baseball. The righty struck out six and allowed just five hits to become the first UT Martin pitcher since 2024 to throw a nine-inning complete game (Tristan Walton, OVC Baseball Championships First Round vs. Tennessee Tech).
Facing bases loaded in the second, Sitton escaped by inducing a popout to his first baseman JT Popick. The senior stranded just one runner in the third from a strikeout, fielder’s choice and a runner caught stealing by his catcher Payton.
With the game still knotted up at zero in the fourth, Popick drew a bases loaded walk for UT Martin to score the game’s first run. Conley deposited a single to center field that scored TJ Dunsford which was followed by an RBI single off the bat of Garner Anderson. Grines plated a run from a sacrifice fly and Davis drove in two runs with his fourth double in the last three games. Payton ended the scoring in the frame on an RBI double to left field to make it 7-0, Skyhawks.
Sitton made a statement for his team by retiring the next six batters and leaving a runner stranded in scoring position during the sixth. In the seventh, Conley scored on a wild pitch and Anderson was able to come home from an error. Payton extended the UT Martin advantage to 10-1 by plating Grines to continue the offensive assault.
During the final three innings of his outing, Sitton allowed just one hit to complete his most impressive performance of the season and clinch a series opening win for the Skyhawks.