SATURDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 13, @Western Illinois 9
@Southern Indiana 14, Lindenwood 9
Southeast Missouri 10, @Little Rock 5
Morehead State 7, @Tennessee Tech 6
EASTERN ILLINOIS 13, WESTERN ILLINOIS 9
MACOMB, Ill. - Eastern Illinois concluded the regular season with their third OVC series sweep after beating WIU 13-9. The Panthers finish the regular season with a 31-19 (18-9 OVC), while Western Illinois finishes with a 17-36 (8-19 OVC). After today's victory, EIU will enter the OVC Tournament with the second seed. The conference tournament will take place next week in Marion, Illinois.
The Panthers used their high-powered offense to speed past the Leathernecks in the final game of the series. EIU scored 13 runs on 16 hits, which featured every Panther batter collecting a hit. There were six different Panthers with multiple hits. Furthering their offensive execution, four different Panthers collected multiple RBIs, while seven of the nine batters recorded a walk.
Peyton Wilson led the way for the Panthers, finishing with two hits and four RBIs, including a two-run home run in the 3rd inning, extending EIU's lead to 5-1. Wilson secured his third RBI in the top of the 5th inning with a single to left field, scoring Mike O'Conor. The Panthers scored three runs on three hits in the fifth to take a commanding 8-2 advantage.
The Leathernecks rebounded in the home half of the 5th inning with three runs on two hits to cut the deficit to 8-5.
Jack Helms made his second start of the season but was the victim of five earned runs. Helm struck out six WIU batters in 4.1 innings of work to keep the Panthers in front.
Anthony Solis provided another solid outing out of the bullpen, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings while striking out four.
With the lead dwindling, the EIU offense stepped up once again, scoring three runs in the 7th inning.
With Tyler Castro in scoring position, James Love singled to left field to reach double-digit scoring for the 16th time this season. Shortly after, Mike O'Conor drove Brett Stanley and Love home with a double to left field. Along with Wilson, O'Conor finished with four RBIs. He also collected three hits and a stolen base.
The dozen runs scored proved to be needed as the Leathernecks threatened a late rally. WIU had Dalton Boruff's number in relief, smashing back-to-back base hits to begin the bottom of the 8th inning. Following a hit-by-pitch and a walk, WIU put their sixth run on the board. Coach Anderson called James Geshel out of the bullpen, but Western Illinois continued to surge, scoring three more runs to cut the deficit to 12-9.
EIU added an insurance run in the 9th, and Geshel held off the Leathernecks for a 13-9 regular season final win.
SOUTHERN INDIANA 14, LINDENWOOD 9
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball picked up a series victory against Lindenwood following a 14-9 win Saturday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles finished the regular season with a 27-27 record and earned an eighth-place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference following a 10-17 conference slate.
After a clean top of the first from senior pitcher Jake Porter, the Eagles struck first in the bottom of the inning. Senior outfielder Hunter Miller opened the action with a double down the left field line before moving to third on a bunt single by senior outfielder Khi Holiday. Miller scored the first run of the contest on a groundout by senior infielder Patrick McLellan. Holiday later came around to score on a single to left from senior catcher Micajah Wall, giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead after one inning.
USI's offense continued to hum in the second inning. A single from junior infielder Parker Martin and a hit-by-pitch to both Zion Stephens and Holiday set up a two-run single from McLellan, putting the Eagles ahead 4-0 heading into the third.
The Lions scratched across two runs in the top of the fourth, trimming the Eagles' lead to 4-2 entering the bottom of the inning. However, USI answered right back. A single from Stephens and a walk by Holiday set the stage for McLellan's fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot that gave him four RBIs on the day.
Lindenwood once again made a push in the top of the fifth, plating one run before junior pitcher Trey O'Neil escaped a bases-loaded jam to preserve USI's 7-3 lead. Senior outfielder Noah Foster opened the bottom half of the inning with a triple down the right field line, but the Eagles were unable to bring him home, keeping the score at 7-3 through five innings.
Junior pitcher Eben Hansen shut down the Lions in a scoreless top of the sixth before the Eagles continued their offensive explosion in the bottom half. Singles from Holiday and McLellan, along with a hit-by-pitch to Wall, loaded the bases for senior shortstop Clayton Slack, who slipped a two-run single through the left side of the infield. Wall later came around to score on a single up the middle by senior catcher Charlie Marisca, while Slack advanced to third.
Foster kept the rally going with a single through the right side, scoring Slack and extending the Eagles' lead to 11-3 after six innings.
The Lions answered with four runs in the top of the seventh against senior pitcher Mason Bell, but graduate pitcher Nathan Anderson halted the rally to preserve an 11-7 lead. Southern Indiana responded in the bottom half of the inning, loading the bases after a walk by Miller, Holiday reaching on an error, and McLellan being hit by a pitch. Wall then drove in junior outfielder Dane DeWees, who pinch ran for Miller, with a single to center field. Holiday later scored on a fielder's choice by Slack, while McLellan crossed home on a Marisca groundout to cap the seventh-inning scoring.
Sophomore pitcher Colin Wolfe entered the game at the top of the ninth, allowing two runs on two hits before graduate pitcher Ian Anderson was tabbed to get the final out of his last home game, closing out the game with a 14-9 Eagles victory.
Porter earned his third victory of the season after tossing three scoreless innings, allowing just three hits against the Lions. The Eagles used nine pitchers in the game, combining to allow nine runs on 14 hits while recording three strikeouts.
At the plate, McLellan and Foster each collected three hits as the Eagles racked up 17 total as a team. McLellan led the way with an impressive six RBIs, including three on his fourth-inning home run, while Slack added three RBIs of his own.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 10, LITTLE ROCK 5
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (38-16, 18-9 OVC) secured a 10-5 victory over Little Rock (30-25, 16-11 OVC) on Saturday at Gary Hogan Field. The Redhawks' decisive win was powered by an explosive eighth inning rally, scoring seven runs to seal the game.
The game's early innings were a defensive battle, with neither team scoring until the fifth inning. Brooks Kettering put the Redhawks on the board with a solo home run to right field, his fourth of the season. However, Little Rock responded with two runs in the bottom half, aided by a fielding error. The score after five innings was Little Rock 2, Southeast Missouri State 1.
In the sixth inning, the Redhawks regained momentum. Kettering's two-RBI double brought home Carson Schrack and Demitri Shakotko, allowing the Redhawks to take the lead. Little Rock tied it up again, scoring two runs on a double by Jerdy Lopez. The score was tied 4-4 after six innings.
The eighth inning was decisive for the Redhawks. Tank Sims doubled to deep center and scored on an Andrew Ramirez double. Caleb Klein added an RBI single, and Josiah Hall followed with a two-RBI single to left center. Ryan Lopetegui contributed with a two-RBI single, and Shakotko's RBI single capped a seven-run inning for the Redhawks, putting them ahead 10-4.
Little Rock's Trey Hill hit a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, but the Redhawks' defense held firm in the ninth to seal the win.
MOREHEAD STATE 7, TENNESSEE TECH 6
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Second baseman Nick Griffith belted a two-run homer early to give the Eagles the lead and then lifted a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth as the Morehead State Baseball team defeated Tennessee Tech 7-6 at the Averitt Express Complex Saturday.
MSU won its seventh straight game and secured a series sweep at Tech for the first time since 1994. MSU finished with a 15-12 OVC mark and a 31-23 regular-season record. The Eagles are the fifth seed in next week's conference tournament in Marion, Ill., and will face No. 8 Southern Indiana in an elimination game Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET at Mountain Dew Park.
Griffith's long ball was one of three the Eagles slammed on Saturday. First baseman Alex Kean connected on a 462-foot solo shot in the fourth, and catcher Miller Murray recorded his first career round-tripper in seventh.
Reliever Carter Owens was credited with the win, while Bradley Poynter slammed the door in the ninth for his first save of the year.