SATURDAY'S SCORES
Austin Peay 6, @Murray State 4
@Belmont 2, Morehead State 1
@Southeast Missouri 7, UT Martin 2
@Jacksonville State 2, Eastern Illinois 1
@Tennessee Tech 11-4, SIUE 3-6
@Southern Illinois 4,
Eastern Kentucky 1
AUSTIN PEAY 6, MURRAY STATE 4
MURRAY, Ky. - Austin Peay State University’s baseball team rode an early offensive outburst to post a 6-4 victory against Murray State, Saturday, and complete a sweep of its three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Reagan Field.
Austin Peay (22-5, 7-1 OVC) struck first for the second consecutive game, plating a run in the second inning on third baseman Kevin Corey’s RBI groundout. Murray State responded with a run in its half of the inning, tying the game 1-1.
The Govs kept plugging away and posted four consecutive one-out singles. Shortstop Reed Harper had the last of those four hits and it resulted in a pair of runs as APSU built a 3-1 lead. Austin Peay tacked on another run in the fourth when right fielder Rolando Gautier doubled to left center – the game’s only extra-base hit – and scored on center fielder Dylan Riner’s single.
Murray State (12-15, 6-6 OVC) scratched back one of those runs in the fifth. The Thoroughbreds saw the first three batters of the inning reach base safely. Designated hitter Brandon Eggenschwiler drove in a run with his fielder’s choice, cutting the deficit to one run.
Austin Peay got the eventual game-winning runs in the sixth inning. The Govs had three of its first four batters on base to start the inning. After a pitching change, second baseman Jordan Hankins rifled the first pitch he saw through the right side, driving in two runs.
Those two runs were truly insurance as the ‘Breds scratched out single runs in both the sixth and eighth innings, narrowing the APSU lead two runs, 6-4, but they would not get any closer.
Austin Peay starter Ryan Quick (3-1) picked up the victory in his first OVC start since last season. He held Murray State to two runs on four hits and five walks over five innings. Closer Tyler Rogers tossed a scoreless ninth inning to record his season’s 10 save.
Shortstop Reed Harper reached base in all five plate appearances, finishing 3-for-3 with two RBI while also walking once and being hit by a pitch. Second baseman Jordan Hankins went 3-for-5 with two RBI.
Murray State starter Andrew Bramley (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on nine hits over 3.2 innings. Right fielder Paul Ritzheimer went 3-for-4 with a RBI single in the eighth.
BELMONT 2, MOREHEAD STATE 1
NASHVILLE - Belmont Baseball (20-6, 8-1) swept Morehead State Saturday at E.S. Rose Park, 2-1.
With the win, the Bruins swept their second consecutive conference series and are on a seven game win streak, which is the longest of the season.
An RBI single from Josh Davis (Fayetteville, Ga.) put the Bruins on top in the first inning.
Morehead State responded with a run in the top of the second after right fielder lead off the inning with a single.
The Bruins regained their lead behind an RBI single from Drew Turner (Shelbyville, Tenn.) to score Judah Akers (Cookeville, Tenn.), which proved to be the difference maker in the ball game.
Jared Breen (Marietta, Ga.) led BU with two hits on the day.
Dan Ludwig (Naperville, Ill.) matched his career long outing of eight innings. He gave up five hits, one run, struck out five and walked none. Davis closed his third consecutive game and earned his eighth save of the season.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, UT MARTIN 2
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Southeast Missouri baseball team defeated UT Martin 7-2 on Saturday afternoon at Capaha Field as the Redhawks earned their first sweep in Ohio Valley Conference play since May 20-21, 2011 when the Redhawks took a three game set from Eastern Illinois.
The Redhawks improve to 15-14 overall and 7-5 in the OVC with the sweep as the Skyhawks fall to 8-19 and 1-11 in the conference.
Junior Luke Shearrow got the win on the mound for the Redhawks going 3.1 innings allowing four hits with four strikeouts in his first victory as a Redhawks.
The top of the Southeast lineup paced the Redhawks as the first five batters in the order recorded nine hits. Jason Blum, Cole Bieser, Derek Gibson and Matt Tellor all recorded two hits in the contest. Andy Lennington extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single.
The Redhawks got on the board first with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Bieser opened the scoring with an RBI double to left centerfield scoring Alex Burridge. Bieser later scored on an RBI single from Gibson.
UTM tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning. The Redhawks recorded and error in the frame that allowed a runner to score to tie the contest.
Neither team could manufacture a run until Redhawks took the lead in the seventh inning on monster home run over the scoreboard in left field off the bat of freshman Clayton Evans to give Southeast a 3-2 lead.
Southeast added four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on their way to the 7-2 win. The Redhawks sent eight batters to the plate in the frame as they recorded three hits.
Starter Zack Smith threw 2.2 innings in the start, but the left the game due and was relieved by Tony Zerrusen as he went two innings. Senior Bobby Hurst threw one inning of relief in the ninth inning.
Dalton Potts (3-3) was tagged with the loss for the Skyhawks going six innings allowing three runs on six hits.
Matt Haynes led UT Martin offensively going 3-for-4 on the afternoon.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 2, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Stephen Bartlett hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead Jacksonville State to a 2-1 win and the three-game Ohio Valley Conference series sweep over Eastern Illinois on Saturday afternoon at Rudy Abbott Field.
Jacksonville State improves to 15-14 overall and 9-3 in the OVC, while Eastern Illinois drops to 6-18 overall and 0-8 in the conference. It was the Gamecocks' first walk-off win of this season and the first since JSU won 5-4 in 14 innings against Alabama State on May 1, 2012.
Travis Stout (2-0) picked up his second win of the season after pitching a scoreless ninth inning for Gamecocks, the winner of four straight games. EIU's Jake Johansmeier (1-2) suffered the loss after giving up the game winning hit for the Panthers.
Eastern Illinois took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Nick Priessman doubled down the left field line and came around to score after Jacob Reese singled to left field to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
Jax State tied the game in the seventh inning after Coty Blanchard reached on an infield single and moved to third when Paschal Petrongolo singled to right field. Eddie Mora-Loera followed with a single to left center to score Blanchard and tie the game at 1-1.
The Gamecocks had a chance to take the lead in the eighth inning after Johansmeier walked the bases loaded with one out, but he was able to get out of the inning without giving up any runs after Zach Elbirt and Mora-Loera both fouled out to the first baseman.
After Stout got out a jam in the top of the ninth inning after giving up back-to-back singles to Priessman and Demetre Taylor, he struck out Jacob Reese to setup the game winner for Bartlett in the home half of the inning.
After Johansmier struck out the first batter of the inning, Bartlett hit the first pitch he saw over the left centerfield fence to give the Gamecocks their fifth straight win over Eastern Illinois. Bartlett led the Gamecocks with two hits vs the Panthers.
TENNESSEE TECH 11-4, SIUE 3-6
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The longest active winning streak in Division I baseball came to an end Saturday afternoon as the Tennessee Tech baseball team, winners of 14 straight, lost the back end of a doubleheader against OVC foe SIU Edwardsville.
The Golden Eagles won the first game of the day, taking an 11-3 decision that saw Tech rally from a 2-0 deficit and extend the winning streak to 14 games. With the win, the squad tied the school's single-season winning streak record set by the 1955 team. The win also improved the Golden Eagles' record to 21-6 and conference record to 10-1, both program-best marks.
Tech nearly made it 15 in a row, rallying from a 4-1 deficit in game two, a seven inning contest, to tie things at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning. SIU Edwardsville would have none of it, however, scoring two more runs in the top of the sixth to take a 6-4 lead, an advantage the team would not relinquish.
The first game of the day was as complete for the Tech batters as could be as each player who took an bat for the Golden Eagles recorded a hit. Eight of the nine players also recorded at least one RBI, providing an overall team effort to give reliever Stanton Taylor his second win of the season.
The fifth inning was where Tech started the damage. With the score tied 3-3 since the bottom of the fourth, catcher Jordan Parris started an inning that would not end until he came up for a second time. The junior singled to center field to start things off.
Lead-off man Zach Zarzour followed suit, singling to right field. In an attempt to get the base runners in scoring position, center fielder Austin Wulf laid down a bunt. He placed it so perfectly, he was able to beat it to first and load the bases for junior slugger Zach Stephens. Stephens continued the hot streak, ripping a single to left field that drove in two runs.
Brandon Thomasson singled on the very next pitch, roping one to left field to load the bases for third baseman Daniel Miles. The hero from the first game of the series came through again, earning a free base after being hit by a pitch. James Abraham drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the next at bat and Dylan Bosheers hit a sac fly to drive in the fifth run of the inning. After a Michael Morris single, Parris finally ended the inning, grouding out to first base.
Even with a 8-3 lead, the Golden Eagles weren't done. The squad scored three more runs in the bottom of the eighth to put the game out of reach. Thomasson drilled a two-run double to lef center field and Miles drove him in with a double of his own.
In game two the Cougars would not be denied a win in the series, pulling out clutch hitting in the second game of the doubleheader.
Both Travis Becherer and Devin Caldwell grabbed two RBI each in the second contest with Becherer getting the game-winning run with a double down the left field line. Tony Schaeffer
Down 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth, the Golden Eagles began a rally that looked sure to provide a spark to keep the streak alive. With Wulf on second and Stephens on first, Miles came up huge for Tech, driving a double down the left field line and cutting the lead to just one.
In the bottom of the fifth, Thomasson came up big, tying the game with an RBI sinlge to center field. SIU Edwardsville collected two runs in the top of the sixth to seal the deal, however, giving Tech closer Seth Lucio his first loss of the season.
On the day, Thomasson and Miles led the way for the Golden Eagle offense. Thomasson grabbed five hits in eight at-bats, slugging 1.000 with a double and triple. He drove in three runners while scoring three times himself and walked once to a tune of a .667 on-base percentage. Miles collected two hits on the day, driving in a team-high five runners. He unloaded two doubles on the day.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 4, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Left-hander Shane Grimm gave Eastern Kentucky its second straight quality start, but the Colonels dropped the series finale at Southern Illinois 4-1.
Grimm (2-3) allowed four runs – only three of which were earned – on eight hits in seven and two-thirds innings of work. The senior struck out five and walked only one batter.
The Salukis (12-14) platted the game’s first run in the first inning. With one out an EKU fielding error allowed a runner to score from second base.
The Colonels (5-18) tied it in the top of the fifth. Alex Hughes led off the inning with a base hit, then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. A fly ball to center by Demetrius Moorer was enough to bring home Hughes from third.
A lead-off double by Donny Duschinsky in the bottom of the sixth set up the go-ahead run for Southern Illinois. Duschinsky moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on a single by Wes Neece. The Salukis added insurance runs in the eighth on an RBI double by Austin Montgomery and a run scoring single by Ryan Rosthenhausler.
Sean Hagen went 3-for-4 for the Colonels. Luke Mottashed was the only SIU batter to record two hits, going 2-for-3.
SIU starter Derek Fogel allowed one earned run on five hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out two. Anthony Shimkus (2-0) earned the win after tossing two innings of scoreless relief.