WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
UT Martin 5, @Murray State 1
Morehead State 5, @Ohio 1
Western Illinois 13, @Indiana State 3
Austin Peay,
@Southeast Missouri
@Lindenwood 10, Saint Louis 1
UT MARTIN 5, MURRAY STATE 1
MURRAY, Ky. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team concluded a season-long five-game road trip with a 5-1 triumph over Murray State at Johnny Reagan Field to notch its third straight win.
TJ Grines (stolen base, double, two RBIs), TJ Dunsford (two RBIs) and Garner Anderson (double, two runs scored) led the UT Martin offense with two-hit outings. Colten Payton (hit) drove in a run while Tommy Koch (two runs scored, two walks) reached base safely three times. In the first inning, Grines tied the Ohio Valley Conference single-season stolen base record with his 57th of the year. He needs one more to break the 23-year-old record that was set by Josh Anderson of Eastern Kentucky in 2003.
Dean McCalla (1-0) was outstanding, going a season-best eight innings allowing just four hits and one run while striking out four. Will Turner closed out the contest for the Skyhawks (24-24) in the ninth with no hits and no runs surrendered.
McCalla began his gem with a 1-2-3 first inning and an inning-ending double play that helped the junior post back-to-back scoreless frames. The righty used a foul out, flyout and groundout to halt the Murray State (27-22) offensive in the third. He then retired the next 12 Racers he would face to keep the game tied at zero heading into the eighth.
With two outs, Payton worked a full count to draw a bases loaded walk and get UT Martin on the board. Dunsford was up next and he sent a single up the middle to centerfield that allowed Grines and Anderson to score that made it 3-0 in favor of the Skyhawks. Murray State would bring a run across in the home half, but that would be it after McCalla induced a foul out to his third baseman Eli Huebner to end the inning.
In the ninth, Grines added on to the advantage with a two-run double and Turner scored a 6-4-3 game-ending double play for the Skyhawks to defeat the Racers.
MOREHEAD STATE 5, OHIO 1
ATHENS, Ohio - The Morehead State baseball team got out to an early lead on home runs by Ian McCubbin and Davis Germann and freshman starter Sam Smith threw six shutout innings as the Eagles cruised to a 5-1 win over Ohio Wednesday at Bob Wren Stadium in Athens, Ohio.
Morehead State (25-23) jumped on Ohio starter Luke Bryant quickly. Davis Germann lined the first pitch of the game for a single to right center. After a ground out and an Ohio error advanced Germann to third, designated hitter Aubrey Kearns drew a one-out walk to put runners on the corners. Right fielder Ian McCubbin followed driving a 2-1 pitch over the wall in deep right center field to give MSU a quick 3-0 lead.
The Eagles struck again in the second inning. Nick Griffith got things going with a one-out single to right. Germann delivered with a homer in nearly the same spot as McCubbin's in the first frame to put the Eagles ahead 5-0.
Smith (3-0), making his second start of his collegiate career, tossed six shutout innings allowing just one infield hit and two walks. He struck out three Bobcat batters in his longest stint of the season.
Freshman Cole Wells allowed a run on two hits in the seventh, notching a strikeout. Senior Ethan Davis closed out the game throwing two shutout innings allowing a hit and a walk and carding two strikeouts.
Ohio (9-39) registered four hits against Eagle pitching. Starter Luke Bryant (0-5) took the loss. He threw 1.2 innings, allowing all five MSU runs on four hits. He walked one and notched one strikeout.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 13, INDIANA STATE 3
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Recap coming soon.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, AUSTIN PEAY 5
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (32-16) secured a 7–5 victory over Austin Peay (23-25) on Wednesday night at Capaha Field. Southeast Missouri jumped out to an early lead with a four-run first inning, setting the tone for the remainder of the game.
The Redhawks started strong in the first inning, capitalizing on a series of walks and a hit by pitch to load the bases. Cal Sullivan and Demitri Shakotko both reached base with walks, and Joe Hall was hit by a pitch. Dakota Joggerst then walked, bringing home the first run. Tank Sims followed with another walk, scoring Shakotko. Joe Terranova singled through the left side, adding another run, and Andrew Ramirez's fielder's choice brought in the fourth run, giving SEMO a 4–0 lead after the first inning.
In the fourth inning, Austin Peay got on the board with a solo home run by Velazquez, cutting the lead to 4–1. The Redhawks responded in the fifth inning when Terranova singled to shortstop, driving in Joggerst and extending the lead to 5–1.
Austin Peay rallied in the sixth inning, scoring three runs. Matias singled to left field, bringing in one run, and Johnson's single through the left side added two more, narrowing the gap to 5–4.The Redhawks answered in the bottom half of the inning. Brooks Kettering scored on a wild pitch, and Sims singled to shortstop, driving in Caleb Klein to push the lead to 7–4.
Austin Peay added another run in the seventh inning with a single from Wisdom, making it 7–5. However, SEMO's bullpen held firm, and Jackson Kranawetter closed out the game, striking out three in the ninth inning to secure a 7–5 victory for the Redhawks.
LINDENWOOD 10, SAINT LOUIS 1
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood baseball team (26-22) used a complete team performance to defeat Saint Louis (17-31) by a score of 10-1 at the Lou Brock Sports Complex on Wednesday evening. With the win, the Lions completed the two-game sweep of the Billikens and improved their record against opponents from the state of Missouri to 6-1 this season.
Will Geary stayed hot to lead Lindenwood offensively, going 3-5 with a triple, a homer, and three RBIs. Kam Edwards and Sam Driscoll also posted multiple hits with two knocks apiece, while William Zareh and Tyler Ellis both drove in a pair of runs for multi-RBI performances.
It was a collective effort on the mount for Lindenwood as six Lions combined to allow just one run on eight hits with six strikeouts. Tanner Paschke (2-0) picked up his second win of the season after giving up no runs through 2.2 innings of relief work.
After loading the bases with two outs in the second but failing to score, SLU juiced the bags again in the top of the third – this time with no outs. However, Tanner Paschke was called into duty out of the pen and worked out of the jam while allowing just one run to cross home plate, with a 1-2-3 double play followed by a swinging strikeout limiting the damage.
The Lions immediately responded in the bottom of the third, tying the game with a Will Geary RBI triple to the gap in right center following a two-out base hit and stolen base by Kam Edwards.
With runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the fourth, William Zareh delivered an RBI single through the left side that plated Filip Sarota for the go-ahead run. An infield single from Matt Graf brought in Sam Driscoll – who had reached on an infield base hit of his own – to make the score 3-1 before a third consecutive base hit by Owen Ralph loaded the bases. With one out, Kam Edwards put a ball in play to first base that allowed Zareh to score and extend the lead to three.
The tally remained 4-1 until the bottom of the seventh, with consecutive base hits by Edwards, Geary, and Jake Radosevich loading the bases before a Sarota sacrifice fly and Zareh RBI walk added two more runs to the lead.
The Lions added more insurance with four runs in the bottom of the eighth, beginning with a Will Geary two-run shot high off the foul pole in right field. It was Geary's first home run of the season and extended the lead to 8-1.
After a two-out walk, Sam Driscoll singled to right field to put runners on the corners before a Tyler Ellis double down the line in left brought in two more runs to make the score 10-1.
Luke Wright finished the game for Lindenwood, giving up one hit and zero runs in the ninth to secure the win.