FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Murray State 9, Bowling Green 7
North Dakota State 7,
@Southeast Missouri 2
Kansas 8,
SIUE 0 (Little Rock, Ark.)
Niagara 4,
@Tennessee Tech 2 (10)
@Austin Peay 9, Illinois State 4
@#21 Southern Miss 6,
Eastern Illinois 3
Southern Illinois,
@Jacksonville State (suspended)
MURRAY STATE 9, BOWLING GREEN 7
MURRAY, Ky. - For the second time in as many games, the Murray State offense put up a big number in the seventh inning. This time, the Breds scored six runs in the inning to take their first lead of the game en route to a 9-7 victory over Bowling Green in the opening game of a three-game series Friday afternoon at Reagan Field.
Paul Ritzheimer started the rally with a single to right center. After a successful sacrifice bunt by Ty Stetson and a walk to Brandon Elliott, Dylan Wheeler drove in a run with a single through the right side. An intentional walk to Mike Kozlowski loaded the bases for Brandon Eggenschwiler, who drew a walk to score a run. Taylor Mathews drove in a run with a fielder’s choice into the hole at short, and Noah Zipko delivered an RBI single to left field. Nick Paradossi followed by hitting a ball up the middle that took a bad hop off the second baseman, resulting in an RBI double. A hustling Zipko scored all the way from first when the catcher could not handle the throw at the plate.
The Breds (2-3) took advantage of an early miscue in the first to scratch across a run. Stetson started the inning by reaching on a fielding error before going to second on a sacrifice bunt from Elliott. After a wild pitch moved the runner to third, Wheeler delivered an RBI groundout into the hole at short.
The Falcons (2-2) answered back in the second as another error to start the inning led to runs. With one out, Matt Pitzulo started the rally with a single up the middle. Logan Walker followed with an RBI single through the left side, before Jake Thomas and Patrick Lancaster each went back up the middle for RBI base hits.
BGSU added to its lead in the sixth as Thomas tripled over the head of the center fielder and scored on Lancaster’s line drive single to center field.
MSU answered back in the home-half of the inning as Kozlowski reached on a throwing error and went to third on a Eggenschwiler double off the top of the fence in right field. A wild pitch allowed Kozlowski to score, before Zipko delivered an RBI single through the left side.
The Falcons crawled back into the game in the eighth as they pushed across three runs with two outs. Thomas drove in the first run with a double to left field, and was followed up by an RBI double off the bat of Trey Keegan. Lancaster capped off the scoring with a run-scoring single through the left side.
Both starting pitchers threw well, but did not figure into the decision. Will Handlin allowed four runs, two earned, on 10 hits and four strikeouts over six innings. Cody Apthorpe allowed three unearned runs, on four hits and six strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Tyler Saltsman (1-0) picked up the victory after allowing three runs on three hits over 1.2 innings. Jason Link (0-1) took the loss after surrendering four runs on three hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning. John Rafferty (1) earned the save after allowing one hit and striking out one over 1.1 innings.
Zipko led the offense by going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Paradossi collected a pair of doubles and drove in a run, while Wheeler drove in two runs.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE 7, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Southeast Missouri baseball dropped their first contest of the season on Friday afternoon as North Dakota State defeated the Redhawks 7-2 at Capaha Field.
The Bison scored six runs in the opening frame on only one hit as they sent 12 batters to the plate. Southeast allowed five walks in the opening frame with two hit batters as NDSU jumped out to an early 6-0 lead.
Southeast starter Luke Shearrow (0-1) went a third of an inning allowing six runs with four earned runs as he was tagged with the loss. Shearrow was picked up by the Southeast relief corp as the bullpen kept the Redhawks in the contest by not allowing a run until the ninth inning.
The Redhawks got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning on a two-run single through the right side by Dalton Hewitt in a 10-pitch at-bat to make it 6-2. But, North Dakota State starter John Straka went seven innings for the Bison allowing five hits with five strikeouts to move to 2-0 on the season as North Dakota State took the series opener 7-2.
The Southeast bullpen was impressive as senior Michael Patman went 4.2 scoreless innings allowing four hits with three strikeouts. He has recorded 14 innings of scoreless baseball dating back to last season.
Skylar Cobb followed with two innings of work allowing one hit. Trevor Kill threw 1.2 innings allowing an earned run as it was the first earned run for the Redhawks' bullpen since opening day at New Orleans.
Junior Derek Gibson led the Redhawks offensively going 2-for-4. Andy Lennington added a hit in the contest as he extended his hitting streak to eight games dating back to last season.
Designated hitter Tate Leapaldt led the Bison going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.
KANSAS 8, SIUE 0
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - SIUE baseball managed just three hits Friday afternoon, falling to Kansas 8-0 at Gary Hogan Field at Arkansas-Little Rock
The Cougars and Jayhawks hooked up when weather issues forced KU to change its travel plans.
KU starter Frank Duncan (1-0) allowed two hits over 7 2/3 innings to earn the win. He struck out six and walked three.
Travis Felax (0-1) took the loss for SIUE (1-3). Felax, making his second start of the year, allowed three runs on seven hits of 5 2/3 innings. He struck out two and did not walk a batter.
The Jayhakws (3-2) took a 2-0 lead in the fifth on three consecutive two-out hits. Ka'iana Eldredge and Justin Protacio each picked up RBIs for KU in the inning. Eldredge and Protacio each finished with two hits to lead KU at the plate.
A run on a pair of singles in the sixth inning made it 3-0 Kansas and chased Felax for the day. The Jayhawks added three runs in the seventh and two in more in the eighth.
Brooks McDowell followed Felax and allowed two runs in an inning of work. Caleb Wilkerson allowed three runs on six hits in 1 1/3 innings of work. He stuck out one.
Ryan Monaghan, Ryan Mansfield and Brian Sipe had the only hits for SIUE.
NIAGARA 4, TENNESSEE TECH 2 (10)
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Friday afternoon's game turned into a pitcher's duel for the Tennessee Tech baseball team (2-3), as the starters for both the Golden Eagles and Purple Eagles pitched at least eight innings in a 4-2, 10-inning win for Niagara (1-4).
Purple Eagle right hander Kyle Olver made an impressive career debut for Niagara, pitching nine innings with just four hits and two earned runs allowed. The freshman recorded six strikeouts before Jordan Schwartz came in and closed out the game in the tenth inning for the save.
Senior Tech ace Tristan Archer threw eight innings for the Golden Eagles, striking out seven batters and allowing just five baserunners. He gave up only two runs in the contest.
The Purple Eagles grabbed two runs in the top of the 10th inning to take the lead for good and hand Tech reliever Garrett Baugh his first loss of the season. Greg Rodgers drew a leadoff walk, then raced to third when a pickoff attempt went wild. A double by Pavel Chavez-Rusov plated the go-ahead run. Following a sacrifice bunt, the Purple Aces added another run on a sacrifice fly from Kevin Paulsen.
In the top of the third inning, Niagara third baseman Greg Rodgers started off the scoring with a solo home run.
Tech answered three innings later, evening up the score to 1-1 with a Zach Stephens sacrifice fly to center field. Stephens drove in second baseman Zach Zarzour, who tripled earlier in the inning.
Niagara popped out to another one-run lead in the top of the seventh, off the bat of Ryan McCauley. The first baseman hit the Purple Eagles' second solo dinger of the contest.
Once again, the Golden Eagles answered the call, scoring on a wild pitch by Oliver in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sophomore shortstop Dylan Bosheers scored the tying run following a lead-off double and a sac bunt from Michael Morris.
AUSTIN PEAY 9, ILLINOIS STATE 4
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University's baseball team scored in five of the first six innings en route to a 9-4 non-conference victory against Illinois State, Friday night, at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay (4-1) got on the board in the first inning when second baseman Jordan Hankins pounded his season's first home run - a two-run shot - over the right center field wall. One inning later, catcher P.J. Torres added a solo home run to left center field, putting the Govs up 3-0.
After the long ball display, the Govs began utilizing singles to get the job done. Right fielder Rolando Gautier added an RBI singles in the third and fourth innings, the latter providing the eventual game-winning run. Austin Peay posted three straight singles in the fifth and scored runs on third baseman Craig Massoni's single, center fielder Cody Hudson's sacrifice fly and left fielder Dylan Riner's double to move ahead 8-0.
That was enough run support for Austin Peay starting pitcher Lee Ridenhour (2-0) who allowed one run over 6.1 innings and struck out six for his second straight win. He retired the first five batters he faced before running into trouble in the second, surrendering a walk and back-to-back singles - the latter by second baseman Marshall Vallandingham scoring the Redbirds' first run. Ridenhour would settle back in and would not allow another run the rest of his outing.
Illinois State (2-2) would scratch out some runs against the Govs bullpen, right fielder Eric Aguilera hit a three-run home run to right center for the game's final runs.
Hankins finished the evening 3-for-5 at the plate, following his home run with a single and a double. Shortstop Reed Harper went 3-for-4 for his first multi-hit outing this season. In addition, Gautier was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Riner was 2-for-4 with a RBI. Austin Peay posted season highs for runs scored and hits (14) in the contest.
Illinois State's Brad Sorkin (2-2) suffered the loss after allowing five runs on six hits over four innings. Aguilera's home run was part of a 2-for-4, three RBI outing. The Redbirds offense was held to four runs on six hits.
#21 SOUTHERN MISS 6, EASTERN ILLINOIS 3
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Following an hour rain delay in the top of the eighth inning, the Panther baseball team rallied back to get within two against No. 21/30 Southern Miss but the Golden Eagles added two late runs to pull out the 6-3 victory on Friday night at Pete Taylor Park.
Jacob Reese hit a one-out, two-RBI double in the eighth inning to get the Panthers on the scoreboard and start the late-inning rally. Following a ground out by Derek Page on the following play, Nick Priessman cut the Panther deficit to two (5-3) with an RBI single to left field.
Southern Miss (4-1) added one run in the bottom of the frame before Daniel Wineski got the final Eastern Illinois (1-4) batters to ground out to end Panther upset bid in the ninth inning.
The Golden Eagles got on the scoreboard early, scoring four runs on four hits and one Panther error to take a 4-0 advantage in the second inning. Southern Miss took a 5-0 lead in the sixth inning on the Panthers second error of the contest.
Both squads posted six hits on the night while EIU had two more miscues (2-0) than Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles left four more runners on base (6-2).
Reese led the Panthers at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and run. Priessman added two hits and an RBI.
Matt Borens (0-1) took the loss for EIU, striking out four batters while allowing five runs (three earned) in six innings of action. Andrew Pierce (2-0) posted the win for Southern Miss as the senior right-handed pitcher pitched 7.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Wineski recorded his first save of the year for the Golden Eagles.