WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
Northern Illinois 8,
@Murray State 4
@Tennessee Tech 7, Northern Kentucky 1
Austin Peay 3, @Lipscomb 1
@Western Carolina 11,
Eastern Kentucky 7
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 8, MURRAY STATE 4
MURRAY, Ky. - Northern Illinois pushed across seven runs in the second inning and held off a Murray State comeback in handing the Breds an 8-4 defeat Wednesday afternoon at Reagan Field.
The Huskies (3-13) got things rolling in the second inning as pushed across seven runs, with the benefit of just three hits. The inning was set up by three walks and a hit by pitch. NIU made the Breds pay with their hits as Micah McCulloch ripped a two-run double into the gap in right center, and Jeff Zimmerman plated two more runs with a single up the middle.
The Breds (7-10) looked to climb back into the game in the third as they loaded the bases with one out, but only managed to push across one run. Brandon Elliott drew a leadoff walk, and Paul Ritzheimer and Taylor Mathews were hit by a pitch. Brandon Eggenschwiler drove in a run with a fielder's choice to shortstop.
MSU added another run in the fourth inning as Dylan Wheeler blooped a double just inside the left-field line and went to third on wild pitch. Greg Guest drove in the runner with a groundout to shortstop.
The Breds took advantage of a pair of Huskies' errors in the fifth to score a run for the third-straight inning. With a runner on first and one out, Eggenschwiler hit a chopper to first that was thrown into left field to put runners on the corners. Mike Kozlowski followed with a sacrifice fly to right field that was dropped to keep two runners on base. Dalton West singled through left side to load the bases, but a comebacker to the mound ended the inning.
For the fourth-straight inning, the Breds pushed across one run. Ritzheimer and Ty Stetson singled to put a pair of runners on with one out. Mathews followed with a fielder's choice to short, that was thrown away at first, allowing the runner to score from third.
The Huskies added an insurance run in the top of the ninth as a throwing error allowed the leadoff hitter to reach before coming around to score on a Tommy Hook double down the left-field line.
Alex Gordon (0-2) took the loss after allowing five runs on three hits and two walks over one-plus inning of work. Zach Badgley (1-2) earned the victory after allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits over five innings. Jon Savarise picked up his first save by tossing four innings, allowing just one unearned run and striking out two.
MSU reliever Cameron Wallace had his best career outing as he did not allow a hit and struck out three over four shutout innings.
Eggenschwiler and Elliott each collected two hits in the loss.
TENNESSEE TECH 7, NORTHERN KENTUCKY 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Five pitchers combined for a three-hitter and Dylan Bosheers drove in three runs as the Tennessee Tech baseball team (10-6, 2-1) clinched its fifth series of the season with a 7-1 victory over Northern Kentucky (2-14, 0-0) Wednesday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles received a gem from starting pitcher Nick Price as the senior tossed a pre-determined four innings of no-hit ball. He allowed just one base runner, hitting a batter in the fourth inning. Cookeville native Ross Spurgeon relieved Price and didn't miss a beat, pitching three innings while surrendering just one hit. Neither pitcher walked a batter and the two combined for five strikeouts.
Tech's offense backed the performance on the mound immediately, scoring two runs in the top of the first off a Zach Stephens single to right field. Stephens drove in James Abraham, who had doubled in the previous at-bat, for his fifth consecutive game with an RBI. Daniel Miles added the second run, singling up the middle to bring in Stephens.
The game cruised to the sixth inning as Drew Campbell seemed to have solved the Tech lineup, giving up zero hits from the second to the fifth inning. Then the Golden Eagles struck again.
Fittingly, Stephens opened up the bottom of the sixth inning with a single. Brandon Thomasson, who extended his hitting streak to eight games, doubled down the left field line, his third two-bagger of the series. For the second straight contest, Northern Kentucky chose to intentionally walk Michael Morris, once again forcing sophomore Dylan Bosheers to try and beat them for the second day in a row.
The shortstop delivered again, drilling a two-run single to center field and doubling the Golden Eagle lead to 4-0. Zephan Guyear doubled down the left field line in the next at-bat, clearing the bases for two runs and extending Tech's lead to 6-0.
Bosheers added one more run for the Golden Eagle effort in the eighth inning, hammering his first long ball of the season over the left field wall.
The lone RBI for the Norse came in the eighth inning off a double by designated hitter Logan Spurlin. He recorded one of NKU's three hits.
Zane Morton, Justin Alexander, and Andy Williams completed the outstanding pitching performance for the Golden Eagles, allowing just two hits and a run in two innings of relief work.
Price earned his second win of the season, moving his record to 2-1 during the 2013 campaign.
AUSTIN PEAY 3, LIPSCOMB 1
NASHVILLE - Austin Peay State University's baseball team scored twice in the ninth inning and won a midweek pitcher's duel, 3-1, against Lipscomb, Wednesday, at Dugan Field.
For the second consecutive game, Austin Peay (15-2) used an error to start its game-winning rally. Pinch hitter Brett Carlson appeared to ground out to second base, but the Lipscomb fielder could not handle the ball, allowing Carlson to reach base.
Center fielder Dylan Riner extended the rally with a walk and the Govs had a runner in scoring position with no outs. After a wild pitch allowed the runners to advance, third baseman Kevin Corey singled over the drawn-in infield, scoring the game-winning run. Second baseman Jordan Hankins grounded to first base, but the fielder threw the ball short of home and the Govs had a 3-1 lead.
Lipscomb (6-11) got the tying run aboard with no outs in its half of the ninth, as Austin Peay closer Tyler Rogers walked the first two batters he faced. After a visit from pitching coach Joel Mangrum, Rogers settled in and struck out the next two batters. A weak ground out to first baseman Craig Massoni secured the win.
Starter Jared Carkuff was masterful through 6.1 innings, scattering four hits and walking only two batters while striking out three. He surrendered a leadoff walk in the sixth and left after Lipscomb used a sacrifice bunt to move the runner. That runner would ultimately tie the game when Austin Peay surrendered a passed ball and a wild pitch, the latter allowing the run to score.
Reliever Kacy Kemmer (2-0) picked up the win as the third pitcher to the mound and picked up the win after inducing a pair of ground outs to end the eighth. Rogers recorded his season's seventh save.
Corey led Austin Peay's offense with a 1-for-2, two RBI outing. He batted in the Govs first run with a fifth inning ground out and tacked on the game-winning RBI single. Hankins went 1-for-5 with a RBI fielder's choice in the ninth. Center fielder Dylan Riner received four walks.
Lipscomb reliever Blake Fonfara (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) in two innings of work. Right fielder Lee Wilson went 2-for-3 at the plate - the only multi-hit outing by a player on either team.
WESTERN CAROLINA 11, EASTERN KENTUCKY 7
CULLOWEHEE, N.C. - With the game tied and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Western Carolina scored four runs on its way to an 11-7 win over Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday.
With the game tied 7-7, two outs and runners on the corners for WCU in the eighth, a wild pitch allowed the go-ahead run to come home. Bryant Noteboom followed with an RBI single. Austin Neary doubled down the left field line for another run. Julian Ridings finished it off with an RBI single to left center.
Shaun Ball finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs for Eastern (4-9). Sean Hagen was 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs and an RBI. Kyle Nowlin and Austin Grisham also had two hits each.
Aaron Attaway had four hits in five at bats at the top of the order for the Catamounts (10-7). He also scored twice and drove in one. Neary finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Ridings went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.
The Colonels jumped out to a four run lead in the first two and a half innings. An RBI single by Ball got the visitors on the board in the first inning. EKU pushed across five in the second. Grisham got it started when he scored on a throwing error on a pick-off attempt. Doug Teegarden drove in a runner with a single up the middle. Matt Phipps reached on a fielder’s choice and drove in a run. Ball capped it off with a two-run double to right center for a 6-2 lead.
Hagen’s solo home run in the third inning extended the Colonel lead to 7-3. The junior’s shot cleared a 20-foot high fence in straight-away center field.
Western Carolina drew within one in the bottom half of the third. Ridings cleared the bases of two runners with a triple to left center. Adam Martin followed with a single through the right side to make it a 7-6 game in favor of Eastern. The Catamounts tied the game in the fourth on Neary’s RBI single through the right side.
After EKU scored in each of the first three innings, and WCU scored in each of the first four, neither team scored again until the eighth.
Jonathan Waszak tossed five shutout innings of relief for Western Carolina. Hunter Brister (2-0) earned the win after tossing one and one third innings without allowing a hit.
Matt Lynch (0-1) suffered the loss. He left the game with runners on the corners and two outs after pitching four and two-thirds innings. He allowed three runs on six hits and struck out three.