WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Murray State 9, Southern Illinois 8
@Austin Peay 7, Western Kentucky 6
Southeast Missouri 4, @Arkansas-Little Rock 3
Michigan State 5,
@Tennessee Tech 3
Jacksonville State 1, @Alabama State 0
#5 Louisville
at Eastern Kentucky (cancelled)
Illinois State
at SIUE (cancelled)
MURRAY STATE 9, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 8
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State erased a six-run deficit midway through the game, and got an RBI single from Brandon Eggenschwiler in the bottom of the seventh to give the Breds the lead for good in a 9-8 victory over Southern Illinois Wednesday afternoon at Reagan Field.
After the Salukis tied the game in the top-half of the inning, Paul Ritzheimer started the inning by being hit by a pitch. A sacrifice bunt and a strikeout put the runner on second with two outs. Eggenschwiler fought off a 2-1 pitch and blooped a single into center field to score Ritzheimer with the winning run.
The Breds (5-7) tried to add some insurance in the bottom of the eighth as they loaded the bases with one, but failed to score. SIU responded in the ninth by getting a leadoff single from Matt Jones, who proceeded to steal second. That would be as far as he would get as Will Handlin settled in from there and retired the next three hitters on a strikeout, groundout and flyout to earn his first victory of the season.
Handlin (1-2) entered the game in the seventh and allowed three hits and one strikeout over three scoreless innings in the win.
The Salukis (5-6) scored the first run of the game in the third inning as Rennie Troggio was hit by a pitch to start the inning. After a failed pickoff attempt and groundout to second moved the runner to third, Ryan Rosthenhausler delivered an RBI double to left center.
SIU broke the game open in the fourth inning as they pushed across five runs in the frame. Austin Montgomery started the inning with a double just inside the bag at third, before scoring on Cody Daily’s single up the middle. After an error on a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch scored the second run of the inning. Jake Welch drove in a run with an field base hit before Rosthenhausler put down a sacrifice bunt to score another run. Jones plated the final run of the inning with a single through the left side.
A throwing error in the bottom of the fifth helped the Breds get right back into the game. With one out, Ty Stetson was hit by a pitch and Brandon Elliott walked. Eggenschwiler delivered an RBI single through the left side, and was followed by a Mike Kozlowski RBI single up the middle. A walk to Dylan Wheeler loaded the bases, before Noah Zipko’s grounder to third was bobbled and thrown down the right-field line, allowing three runs to score.
MSU gained their first lead of the game in the sixth as Stetson beat out a bunt single and went to second on an Elliott sacrifice bunt. Eggenschwiler and Kozlowski walked to load the bases, and pinch hitter Greg Guest drew a bases-loaded walk. Taylor Mathews was then hit by a pitch to plate another run, and Nick Paradossi drove in the third run of the inning with a single to left field.
The Salukis came right back in the top of the seventh as the first two hitters reached on a walk and hit by pitch. After a successful sacrifice bunt, Montgomery drove in two with a single to right center.
Aaron Snyder (1-2) took the loss after allowing one run on two hits over 1.2 innings. The SIU pitching staff combined to walk 10 hitters and hit four more.
Eggenschwiler led the offense by going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a pair of walks. Kozlowski added a pair of hits and an RBI.
AUSTIN PEAY 7, WESTERN KENTUCKY 6
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s bullpen tossed five scoreless innings and the offense produced two seventh-inning runs for a 7-6 victory against Western Kentucky, Wednesday, at Raymond C. Hand Park.
With the win, Austin Peay (10-2) is off to its best 12-game start in program history, equaling the mark set by the 1958 team. It also snapped the Govs six-game losing streak against the Hilltoppers – dating back to April 14, 2009.
Trailing 6-5, Austin Peay turned to its bullpen to hold the Hilltoppers in check. Reliever Kacy Kemmer was the first on call and tossed four scoreless innings, allowing one hit. Closer Tyler Rogers came on board in tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Govs offense used a pair of two-out hits in the seventh to take the lead for good. Right fielder Rolando Gautier, who singled earlier in the frame, scored on second baseman Jordan Hankins two-out double, tying the game. First baseman Craig Massoni broke the tie with a single through the right side, scoring Hankins for the 7-6 lead.
The game was a see-saw affair through four innings. Austin Peay took a 3-0 lead in the first inning as Massoni and left fielder Cody Hudson had RBI hits. The Govs had an opportunity to do more damage, but ran into an inning-ending double play that saw two baserunners caught stealing.
Western Kentucky (4-6) tied the game with a two-run second inning and a run in the third frame. Center fielder Trevor Lowe scored two runs on a single – his first collegiate base hit – in the second inning. Right fielder Anderson Miller tied the game in the third with his bases-loaded RBI ground out.
The Govs regained the lead in the third with Hudson’s two-run single. However, the lead would not last long as WKU first baseman Regan Flaherty hit a line-drive home run over the wall in right for three runs and a 6-5 lead.
Austin Peay starter Jared Carkuff made his first collegiate start and went four innings, allowing six runs on seven hits. Kemmer (1-0) picked up his season’s first victory with his four scoreless innings. Rogers notched his season’s sixth save.
Hudson finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBI. Massoni added a 2-for-3, two RBI outing.
Western Kentucky used seven pitchers in the contest, reliever Jake Thompson (1-3) suffered the loss after allowing two runs on three hits over 1.2 innings.
Flaherty led the Hilltoppers with his 2-for-5, three RBI effort.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK 3
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Southeast Missouri baseball team earned a mid-week series split with Arkansas-Little Rock with a 4-3 win over the Trojans at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock, Ark. Wednesday afternoon.
The Redhawks improve to 8-6 overall with the win as the Trojans dropped to 9-4.
Freshmen Branden Boggetto and Clayton Evans led the Redhawks with a pair of hits apiece. Evans added a pair of RBI with Boggetto scoring a pair of runs.
Junior Skylar Cobb (1-0) picked up the win for the Redhawks as freshman Tyler Thomas also threw two scoreless innings in relief.
The Redhawks opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the second inning. Southeast recorded four straight base hits in the frame as Clayton Evans drove in Dalton Hewitt for the first run.
Southeast added another run on a sacrifice fly from John Logan Zink to make it 2-0. Southeast failed to add another run in the frame with the bases loaded as Cole Bieser lined out to end the threat.
Southeast added another run in the fourth inning on an RBI double from Evans as he plated Boggetto, who reached on his second base hit the game.
The Trojans tied the game in the sixth inning with a trio of runs. The innings was highlighted by a pair of sacrifice flies and an RBI single from Austin Pfeiffer.
The Redhawks took back the lead with a run in the top of the seventh inning. Bieser opened the frame with a single and later squared on a safety squeeze by Hewitt.
The Redhawks' Bobby Hurst closed the door on a UALR comeback in the ninth with a pair of strikeouts as Southeast earned the win.
Southeast Starter Trevor Kill went five scoreless innings in the start as he allowed only two hits with two strikeouts.
Chris Burk led the Trojans with a pair of hits on the afternoon.
MICHIGAN STATE 5, TENNESSEE TECH 3
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and Michigan State (5-5) clinging to a three-run lead, all looked to be over for the Tennessee Tech baseball team (6-5), until junior Daniel Miles blasted a solo shot over the left field wall.
The home run, which was the first for the third baseman as a Golden Eagle looked to give Tech a surge that might lead to a late rally. Michigan State closer Jeff Kinley would have none of that, however, as he struck out pinch hitter Evan Frazier to end the game and move the Spartans to .500 for the year and leave the Golden Eagles on the short end of a 5-3 decision.
The story of the game was the different approaches to the pitching aspect of the contest. Michigan State starter Chase Rihtarchik, who earned his first win of the season, pitched 6.0 innings, giving up just three hits and two earned runs. The Golden Eagles went a different route, choosing to pitch by committee, using eight different pitchers throughout the contest in a planned attempt to give their pitcher work before the start of OVC play following two consecutive cancelled ball games.
Sophomore Jacob Honea picked up his first loss of the season, giving up two earned runs on two hits in one inning of work. Also picthing in the game were David Hess, Andy Williams, Nick Price, Garrett Baugh, Zane Morton, Stanton Taylor, and Seth Lucio. Each pitched one full inning with Morton taking the sixth and seventh innings.
The Tech batters were limited to just five hits in the contest, with James Abraham, Michael Morris, and Miles all garnering RBI on the night. Zach Stephens earned two more walks on the evening, bringing his season total to 16.
The heart of the order produced all of the damage for the Spartans as their Nos. three, four, and five hitters combined to go 5-for-10 with all four RBI. The fifth run was scored on a wild pitch.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 1, ALABAMA STATE 0
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Griff Gordon knocked in the only run of the night to lead Jacksonville State to a 1-0 win over Alabama State on Wednesday night.
Adam Polk (1-3) picked up his first win of the season after allowing just one hit and had three strikeouts for the Gamecocks. Travis Stout picked up his fifth save after recording the final three outs of the game. Anthony Ricciardi was the tough luck loser for Alabama State after allowing just four hits with six strikeouts in eight solid innings on the mound.
Chase Silvani led off the third inning with a single up the middle and moved all the way to third base on Gavin Golsan's sacrifice bunt. Michael Bishop hit a hard grounder to third and Silvani was thrown out at the plate for the second out of the inning.
Andrew Bishop then reached on walk as Michael Bishop moved to second. Gordon then hit a full count fastball to left center to score Michael Bishop and score the only run of the night. Gordon extended his hitting streak to 11 games with the game-winning RBI.
Jax State (8-6) finished the night with just four hits, as Gordon, Golsan, Silvani and Michael Bishop all singled to lead the Gamecocks. Marcus Swint had two of the five hits for Alabama State on the night.
The Gamecocks used five pitchers to win their fifth straight game as Michael Mason had a pair of strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings of work, Graham Officer pitched 1 2/3 of hitless ball. Cody Ponder pitched the seventh and eighth innings, allowing just one hit, before Stout threw 12 pitches to earn the save in the ninth inning.