TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Lindenwood 12, Southern Illinois 2
@Belmont 8,
UT Martin 5
@Morehead State 9, Marshall 6
SIUE 6, @Evansville 4
Tennessee Tech 15, @Lipscomb 5
LINDENWOOD 12, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 2
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood baseball team (25-19, 10-8 OVC) completed the season sweep of Southern Illinois (17-26, 8-7 MVC) with a 12-2 run-rule victory at home on Tuesday afternoon. The Lions have now won 11 of their last 12 games and improved their record during the month of April to 13-3.
LU tallied 12 hits in the contest, with Will Geary, Filip Sarota, and Owen Ralph leading the team with two hits apiece. Ralph also posted three RBIs, finishing tied with Spencer Pederson for the team lead.
Geary recorded three stolen bases in the contest, bringing his season total to a Lindenwood NCAA era record 24 swiped bags.
Meanwhile, Ethan Smith was credited with the win after surrendering just one run on four hits with three strikeouts through 3.2 innings of work.
Luke Wright had a solid outing in relief, giving up one run on two hits with three strikeouts through 2.1 innings. Tanner Paschke tossed one innings of shutout ball to finish the game.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Will Geary doubled to the gap in right center before coming around to score on a William Zareh RBI base hit to give the Lions an early 1-0 lead.
Lindenwood would follow that up with three runs on four hits in the second inning. A Filip Sarota double and Kam Edwards base hit to lead off the frame put runners on the corners before Owen Ralph drove in the game's second run with an RBI single.
Sam Driscoll then continued his hot month at the plate with an RBI double off the right field wall to make the score 3-0 and set up Jake Radosevich with a prime RBI opportunity, which he delivered on with a sacrifice fly down the right field line to extend the lead.
A leadoff single followed by a one-out triple off the left field wall got one back for SIU, but Ethan Smith was able to strand the runner at third to keep the lead at three for Lindenwood.
The Lions responded with a two-out rally in the home half with Filip Sarota singling and Kam Edwards reaching on a walk before Spencer Pederson powered a double down the left field line to make the score 6-1.
Three consecutive two-out walks loaded the bases for LU in the bottom of the fourth, but the Lions were unable to capitalize and bring any runs across in the frame. The Salukis were then able to shave one run off the lead with a Jacob McKenzie leadoff homer in the top of the fifth.
However, Lindenwood broke the game wide open with five runs in the bottom of the sixth, beginning with a leadoff home run to dead center by Jake Radosevich. Following the homer, Will Geary singled and stole second with one out before Tanner Simpson was walked to put two aboard.
After executing a double steal to put runners on second and third, Geary beat the throw home on a ground ball to third base to add another run. Kam Edwards was subsequently walked to load the bases before a groundout allowed Simpson to score from third.
With two outs and runners on second and third, Owen Ralph came through with a single to shallow right center to plate two more runs, extending the lead to 11-2.
SIU loaded the bases with one away in the top of the seventh, by Tanner Paschke was able to work out of the jam without allowing a run, and after Jake Radosevich drew a walk and Will Geary was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the frame, Tanner Simpson delivered the game-winning swing with an RBI double to deep left field that put the 10-run rule into effect.
BELMONT 8, UT MARTIN 5
NASHVILLE - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team’s game with Belmont was called in the sixth inning due to weather in the area. The Skyhawks fell 8-5 despite a multi-homer performance from TJ Dunsford.
Dunsford finished the game leading the Skyhawks (21-23) in hits (two) and RBIs (three) while Eli Huebner (double, RBI), Garner Anderson (double, RBI) and JT Popick also notched hits. Additionally, Andrew Davis (stolen base), Colten Payton (walk, run scored) and Tommy Koch (walk, run scored) reached base safely for UT Martin.
Getting the start was Dean McCalla who went four innings with four strikeouts while Gehrig Wright (strikeout) and Silas Jones (one inning, no runs allowed) pitched out of the bullpen.
McCalla started his evening getting out of a bases loaded jam by forcing a foul out to left field to end the first. Huebner rapped a double to right field on a 2-2 count that brought in Popick from first base to give the Skyhawks a 1-0 lead. The Bruins (17-28) capitalized in the home half of the second and carried the lead into the third inning.
Dunsford hit his first of two long balls on the day when he cranked a two-run shot in the top of the third to pull UT Martin within one. Belmont went down 1-2-3 after McCalla induced a 6-4-3 double play and punchout. The righty finished his day off by stranding two in a scoreless fourth.
With two outs, Dunsford homered on the first pitch he saw in the fifth inning to grab his first multi-homer game of the season and tie the game up at five. The Bruins retook the advantage in the bottom of the fifth, but the Skyhawks fired back off an RBI double from Anderson during the sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, weather entered the Nashville area and caused the game to enter a delay and later be called with Belmont picking up the win at E.S. Rose Park.
MOREHEAD STATE 9, MARSHALL 6
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State baseball team scored seven runs in the bottom of the third inning and cruised to 9-6 win over Marshall Tuesday night at Allen Field in Prefontaine Park.
Morehead State (23-21) gave up two runs to Marshall in the top of the third inning and answered by sending 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the frame, plating seven runs, the final six in a furious two-out rally. MSU center fielder Kyle Krupp led off with a flared single down the left field line. Miller Murray followed with a walk.
After a ground out advanced the runners Griffin Olson walked. Third baseman Aubrey Kearns reached on a fielder's choice; Krupp scored, Murray advanced to third and Olson was put out at second for the second out of the inning.
Ian McCubbin followed with a blast down the left field line, a 393-foot, three-run home run to put the Eagles ahead 4-2. Designated hitter Caden Sheridan singled to left and second baseman Nick Griffith walked. First baseman Brayton Coomer then delivered a three-run home run deep in left center that traveled 409 feet to extend the MSU lead to 7-2.
Marshall (19-23) got two runs back in the fourth inning, with two walks to lead off the inning and two two-out RBI singles to cut the Eagle lead to 7-4.
Morehead State got two more runs in the sixth. Davis Germann reached on a fielder's choice and stole second. Olson walked to put runners on first and second bases. After a fly out for the second out of the inning, McCubbin walked to load the bases. Sheridan followed with an infield single down the third base line to score Germann. Olson scored on a throwing error by the Marshall third baseman on the play.
Marshall got solo runs in the seventh and ninth innings for the final margin.
MSU reliever Ethan Davis (2-2) earned the win throwing three innings, allowing one run and two hits. He issued no walks and notched three strikeouts.
Marshall starter Landen Doll (2-3) took the loss. He threw two and two-thirds innings, allowing six runs, all earned. He allowed two hits, walked four Eagle batters and struck out two.
SIUE 6, EVANSVILLE 4
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Ryan Niedzwiedz hit his 20th home run of the season and drove in four runs to lead SIUE to a 6-4 win Tuesday at Evansville.
SIUE improved to 24-21 overall. Evansville fell to 16-26.
Niedzwiedz got the scoring started in the third with an RBI double.
The Purple Aces scored three times in the bottom of the inning against SIUE starter Brady Coon who worked 2.2 innings.
After back-to-back walks to open the fifth inning, Niedzwiedz homered to right to give the Cougars a 4-3 lead.
Evansville tied the score again in the bottom of the inning on a bases loaded walk.
Jose Fichera walked and went to second on a wild pitch with one out in the sixth inning. Daniel Gierer singled to put the Cougars up for good. SIUE added a run in the seventh when Isaiah Kettler scored from third when Ethan Willoughby was caught stealing at second base.
Connor Vander Luitgaren (0-1) allowed a run on a hit in two innings to take the loss. He walked three and struck out two.
Gabriel Nutter (2-0) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in relief to earn the win. He did not allow a hit. He walked one and struck out three.
Brennen Grams worked the final 1.1 innings striking out three to earn his first save.
Niedzwiedz finished with two hits. The Cougars finished with six hits and outhit the Aces 6-4.
TENNESSEE TECH 15, LIPSCOMB 5
NASHVILLE - A strong start and a surge in the middle innings helped lead to an early ending for the Tennessee Tech baseball team as the Golden Eagles downed Lipscomb 15-5 in a run-rule, seven-inning win, Tuesday afternoon in Music City.
Tech's final non-conference contest of the year saw the Golden Eagles score six in the first inning, six more in the fifth and three in the sixth en route to a midweek season-high 15 runs. Tech's triumph also completed a season sweep of the Bisons after purple and gold took down Lipscomb in the first midweek game of the year in a 7-5 victory in TTU's home opener on Feb. 17.
Eight of the nine Golden Eagles in the starting lineup notched a hit, while every single starer scored a run.
Tech's top of the order did a brunt of the damage behind multi-hit performances from the top four spots in the lineup. Landon Smelser, Jorsixt Jimenez, Owen Lee and Eddie Garza all picked up two hits. Smelser and Lee reached base three times thanks to a walk as well, while Jimenez was on-base in four-of-five plate appearances with a walk and a hit- by-pitch to go along with his pair of knocks.
The bottom of the order played its part as well with the last two slots of Cade Fuller and Luke Bragga combining to reach base six times and score four runs. Fuller also tallied a pair of RBIs in the win after delivering a two-run single in Tech's six-run first.
Owen Lee and Eddie Garza each drove in runs with singles in the opening inning to go along with a Ty Denton bases loaded hit by pitch and a Landon Smelser RBI fielder's choice to help give the Golden Eagles a 6-0 lead before the Bisons even batted.
Two Lipscomb errors, bases loaded walks by Smelser and Jimenez, and a Lee sacrifice fly accounted for Tech's six runs in the fifth inning.
The Golden Eagles tacked on three more in the sixth with Smelser and Jimenez once again smack dab in the middle of the action. The Tech duo drilled back-to-back RBI singles before Smelser scored on a passed ball to give the Golden Eagles their 10-run cushion on the way to the win after seven.
Only three Tech arms were needed to get the job done on the mound. Braxton Lewis collected his first career win behind a career-best 4.2 innings of work. The Knoxville native held the Bisons to three runs on four hits. Lewis did not walk a batter and struck out two over just 48 pitches to pick up the decision.
Carson Davis started the game, going 1.1 IP with two runs allowed and three strikeouts. Lawson Stricklin finished things out with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh.