WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 8, Illinois College 5
Southern Illinois 10,
Austin Peay 9
@Murray State 12, Evansville 6
@Ohio 10,
Eastern Kentucky 3
@Jacksonville State 8, UAB 2
EASTERN ILLINOIS 8, ILLINOIS COLLEGE 5
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Sophomore catcher John Devito went 2-for-3 with three RBI, a triple and a run to lead the Panther baseball team over Illinois College, 8-5, on Wednesday afternoon at Coaches Stadium. EIU extended its win streak to six games and improved to 12-18 on the year.
Trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third, the Panthers scored six runs on one hit to take a 6-1 advantage. Illinois College pitcher Chris Irvin started the inning by walking five consecutive batters for the first two runs before Trey Russell drove in the third run on a sacrifice fly. Devito added a two-out, two RBI triple for the next two runs before crossing home plate on a wild pitch for the final run.
Nick Dalfonso hit a RBI single in the fourth inning to get the Blueboys (8-10) within four (6-2) before the Panthers added two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh on RBI singles by Devito and Dane Sauer. Illinois College responded in the top of the next inning, scoring three runs on four hits to cut its deficit to three (8-5).
Illinois College took advantage of three hit batters in the top of the ninth by George Kalousek to get three runners on base, but the senior right-handed pitcher would retire the side to preserve the win.
Illinois College had five more hits (11-6) than EIU and committed two more errors (2-0). The Blueboys left eight more runners on base (16-8) in the contest.
Jaden Widdersheim (3-3) posted the win for EIU, striking out three batters and surrendering four hits and one run in 3.1 innings of work. Kalousek posted his second save of the year in the win.
Chris Irvin (0-2) took the loss for Illinois College, walking all five batters he faced without retiring any EIU players. All told, the Blueboys used eight pitchers who combined to walk nine batters with four strikeouts.
Dalfonso led the Blue Boy offense, going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Andrew Morris also went 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 10, AUSTIN PEAY 9
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Austin Peay State University’s baseball team saw an error put it in an early whole before it nearly pulled off an improbable comeback before falling 10-9 in non-conference action against Southern Illinois, Wednesday afternoon, at Abe Martin Field.
With the game tied 4-4 entering the bottom of the sixth, Southern Illinois (16-16) saw its first two batters reach base against reliever Alex Belew. Austin Peay turned to Ryan Quick out of the bullpen to stifle the Saluki run, and saw shortstop Ryan Rosthenhausler use a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. The Govs countered by intentionally walking second baseman Jake Welch to load the bases.
Quick then induced what appeared to be a ground ball for an inning-ending double play, only to see the ball slip under second baseman Jordan Hankins glove and into the outfield. The miscue permitted a pair of runs to score. Quick compounded the miscue when his pickoff throw to second sailed into center field, allowing the runners to advance. Right fielder Austin Montgomery quickly made the Govs pay for the miscues with a single to left, scoring two more runs. Southern Illinois would tack on a fifth run on catcher Luke Mottashed’s single to take a 9-4 lead.
Austin Peay (25-9) could not solve the Southern Illinois bullpen until the eighth inning. Right fielder Rolando Gautier walked to start the frame and scored when designated hitter Michael Davis launched a home run over the wall in left, cutting the deficit to 9-6.
Southern Illinois tacked on what proved to be the key insurance run in its half of the eighth. Center fielder Rennie Troggio led off the frame with a single and stole second base. That steal proved crucial as Montgomery laced a single into the right center field gap, scoring Troggio with what proved to be the game-winning run.
That did not mean the game wouldn’t get interesting in the ninth. Southern Illinois closer Todd Eaton quickly got two ground outs, but found the third out elusive. Third baseman Brett Carlson, a late defensive substitute, singled up the middle. Right fielder Rolando Gautier followed with a run-scoring double to the wall in left center.
Things got even more interesting when Davis came to the plate and hit a grounder to shortstop where SIU’s Rosthenhausler saw his throw to first pull the runner off the bag, allowing Gautier to score.
The strangeness continued when shortstop Reed Harper struck out swinging. However, the wild pitch eluded the catcher, allowing Harper to reach first base. The Salukis catcher attempted to prevent Harper from reaching base, but his throw sailed into right field, allowing Davis to score and Harper to reach second base, the SIU lead trimmed to 10-9.
Southern Illinois could not retire pinch hitter P.J. Torres, instead he walked to put two men on, still with two outs. However, the Salukis finally escaped the jam when first baseman Kyle Schlatter grounded into a fielder’s choice, the SIU third baseman stepping on third to end the game.
Davis led the Govs offense with a 2-for-5, three RBI outing that included a RBI double in the third and his two-run home run. Harper added a 2-for-5 outing in his first game batting No. 7 in the lineup.
Belew (0-1) was tagged for the loss after both the runners he left on base scored in the sixth. APSU starter Jared Carkuff lasted 2.2 innings and allowed four runs on six hits.
Montgomery led Southern Illinois with a 3-for-5, three RBI outing. Troggio was 2-for-3 with two RBI and Jones was 2-for-5. Reliever Matt Murphy (3-1) picked up the win as he held the Govs without a run or a hit in three innings of work.
MURRAY STATE 12, EVANSVILLE 6
MURRAY, Ky. - The first five hitters in the Murray State lineup went a combined 11-for-19 with 11 RBIs and nine runs scored as the Breds put an end to a seven-game losing streak with a 12-6 victory over Evansville Wednesday afternoon at Reagan Field.
Mike Kozlowski continued to swing a hot bat as he went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and has now driven in 11 runs in the past three games. Third baseman Brandon Elliott went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and three runs scored, while Dylan Wheeler was 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Brandon Eggenschwiler was perfect at the plate as he went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, an RBI and three runs scored.
The Purple Aces (14-20) got on the board in the first inning as Chris Pearson delivered a one-out double to left field and scored on a Jason Hockemeyer single to center field.
MSU (13-19) got things going in the third inning as Nick Paradossi and Paul Ritzheimer both walked to start the frame. Stetson moved both runners with a bunt, before Elliott delivered an RBI groundout to second base. Eggenschwiler drew the third walk of the inning and Kozlowski followed with a two-run double to left center.
UE pulled within one run in the fourth as a walk and a bad-hop ball to short put runners on second and third with no outs. John Day plated the first run with a groundout to second and Nick Hathcoat followed with a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Breds came right back in the home half of the inning to extend the lead back to 7-3. Ben Lott started the inning with an infield single. With two outs, Stetson delivered an RBI triple to straight-away center field. Elliott followed with an RBI single through the right side to extend his hit streak to a career-best 11 games. A hustling Elliott took second and third on a wild pitch, ahead of Eggenschwiler’s RBI single up the middle.
After the Aces scored a run in the top of the fifth, the Breds came right back in the bottom of the inning to get the run right back. Wheeler started the inning with a single through the left side. A failed pickoff attempt moved the runner to third before eventually scoring on an infield single from Ben Lott.
The MSU offense continued to have a big day in the sixth as Elliott reached on a bad hop grounder to short before going to third on Eggenschwiler’s double to right field. Kozlowski drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to right center and Wheeler followed with an RBI single to left field.
The Aces pulled to within four in the eighth as they loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. With two outs, Kevin Kaczmarski drove in two runs with a double to left center.
The Breds had yet another answer for the Aces as Elliott singled to center and Eggenschwiler walked to star the inning. Kozlowski delivered an RBI single up the middle and Wheeler followed with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Tim Vonder Haar (2-3) was credited with the victory after allowing one run on two hits in a predetermined three innings of work. Phillip Diehl (0-1) took the loss after allowing five runs on six hits over 1.2 innings.
OHIO 10, EASTERN KENTUCKY 3
ATHEN, Ohio - Eastern Kentucky saw its four-game winning streak come to an end in a 10-3 loss at Ohio on Wednesday.
Ohio (7-24) took advantage of an error in the first to plate two runs. The Bobcats extended their lead to 7-0 with five runs in the third. Cody Gaertner drove in a run with a double to center. Dan Schmidt and Ben Otto had RBI singles.
EKU (9-20) got on the board in the fourth. An RBI double by Alex Hughes followed by a run scoring single from Matt Phipps cut the deficit to 7-2. A fielding error allowed Phipps to score after a pair of stolen bases.
Gaertner had a 2-run single in the sixth to put Ohio in front 9-3. Gaertner finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run. Jake Badsen and Schmidt each had three hits. Schmidt also had three RBIs.
Hughes finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Phipps went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Sean Hagen also had two hits.
Cameron Langfels (0-3) suffered the loss after allowing two runs in two-thirds of an inning. Brett Barber (1-3) earned the win after tossing one and one-third innings. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 8, UAB 2
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Michael Bishop and Paschal Petrongolo each had two hits and also drove in two runs to lead Jacksonville State to an 8-2 win over UAB at Rudy Abbott Field on Friday evening.
Tony Urban (1-0) scattered five hits and had two strikeouts to earn his first win of the season for the Gamecocks. UAB's Alex Luna (0-2) gave up seven runs in just 3 1/3 innings to suffer the loss for the Blazers.
UAB (15-18) took earn early 1-0 lead in the second inning on a RBI single by Harry Clark, but the Gamecockis tied the game in the home half of the inning.
Petrongolo reached on an UAB error and Eddie Mora-Loera followed with a single through the right side. Stephen Barlett singled to left center to score Petrongolo and tie the game at 1-1.
Jax State (17-16) scored two runs in the third inning to take the lead for good after Petrongolo drove in his first run of the night with an infield single, while Coty Blanchard scored on a UAB throwing error as the Gamecocks took a 3-1 lead.
The Gamecocks scored five runs in the fourth inning, as Bishop drove in two runs with a double to left field, while Petrongolo drove in a run with a single down the right field line. Griff Gordon added a RBI double and Mora-Loera had a sacrifice fly to score Gordon as Jax State built an 8-1 lead.
The Blazers scored a run in the eighth inning on a RBI by Tyler Mims for the final margin. Mims and Tanner Bryant led UAB with two hits each.