TUESDAY'S SCORES
Miami (Ohio) 19,
@Eastern Kentucky 2
@Southern Illinois 7,
UT Martin 6
Arkansas State 5,
@Southeast Missouri 4 (12 innings)
West Virginia 13,
Morehead State 5 (Charleston, W.Va.)
@Middle Tennessee 12,
Belmont 9
@Memphis 5,
Murray State 0
Tennessee Tech 10, @#2 Vanderbilt 9
Eastern Illinois at Saint Louis (cancelled)
Austin Peay at Evansville (postponed)
MIAMI (OHIO) 19, EASTERN KENTUCKY 2
RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky lost 19-2 to Miami (Ohio) on Tuesday in the first of two midweek games against the RedHawks.
Miami jumped on the board quick in the first inning. After the first two batters were retired, the RedHawks put together four straight singles. Scott Slappey and Jake Romano each drove a runner with their base hits, another run scored on an Eastern error.
The RedHawks scored four more in the third to pull away. John Crummy drove in a run with a double and then scored on a wild pitch for a 5-0 Miami lead. Two more runners came home on a double by Alex Johnson and a single by Dan Walsh. Johnson added a solo home run in the fifth for an 8-0 advantage.
The first five batters reached in a 4-run sixth inning for Miami. Crummy hit a grand slam in a 5-run seventh that gave the visitors a 17-0 lead. Crummy finished 5-for-5 with four runs and six RBIs. Kevin Bower went 3-for-3 with three runs, two RBIs and a walk.
The Colonels got on the board in the bottom of the seventh on Steve Ferraro’s 2-run single to left field. Ferraro finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Sean Hagen went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
Chris Cervantes (0-2) started for EKU (11-22) and allowed five runs on six hits in two and one-third innings. He walked one and struck out one. Brian Thene (2-2) started for Miami and allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out three.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 7, UT MARTIN 6
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team battled throughout this afternoon at Southern Illinois but the Skyhawks couldn’t pull through in a 7-6 loss at Abe Martin Field.
UT Martin (10-26) struck first this afternoon, tallying three runs in the top of the first. Southern Illinois would then score seven runs over the first five innings but the Skyhawks scratched out three more runs in the top of the seventh to get within a single run. However, UT Martin could not push across another run in the eighth or ninth innings.
Offensively, the Skyhawks were led by Byron Johann’s two RBI’s and one run scored. Grant Glasser, Sonny Mastromatteo and Luis Paublini all scored once and tallied an RBI, while Matt Haynes (RBI) and Drew Erie (run scored) also heavily contributed to the UT Martin offensive attack.
On the mound, reliever John Skubina (1-1) tied a career-high with four innings pitched but was charged with the loss after allowing four earned runs. Junior right-hander John Houston pitched very well in relief, scattering three hits and fanning three while walking zero batters over four scoreless innings.
The first two batters of the game – Glasser and Mastromatteo – each drew six-pitch walks to lead off the game. Johann then lined a double to center field to score a pair and Haynes added to UT Martin’s run total with an RBI single to center to give the Skyhawks a 3-0 advantage.
However, the Salukis would get two runs back in the bottom of the first and add three runs in the second to go on top by a 5-3 margin.
After Skubina was responsible for a scoreless third inning, Southern Illinois came up with an unearned run in the fourth and another run in the fifth before Houston entered the game and halted a potential Saluki rally. The inning ended after a double play in which Houston registered a strikeout and Erie delivered a perfect throw to Haynes, catching a Saluki trying to steal third base.
After the Skyhawks threatened with a pair of hits in the sixth, UT Martin got back on the scoreboard with a crooked number in the top of the seventh. Zych led things off with a single and then stole second. Erie followed with a single and Paublini then singled through the left side, plating Zych. Pinch-hitter Taylor Cox then punched a single through the left side to load the bases for Glasser, who delivered the fifth straight single in the inning for UT Martin – scoring Erie. After a pitching change, Mastromatteo lifted a sacrifice fly out to center to make the score 8-7.
Houston did a masterful job of pitching around a leadoff double in the seventh, keeping the Salukis off the scoreboard. He then made short work of Southern Illinois in another shutout frame in the eighth.
The Skyhawks would put the tying run on base in the ninth thanks to a Mastromatteo single, but Southern Illinois closer Todd Eaton tallied his sixth save of the season.
ARKANSAS STATE 5, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4 (12)
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Arkansas State scored a run on a wild pitch in the top of the 12th inning as the Red Wolves outlasted Southeast Missouri 5-4 Tuesday night at Capaha Field in a contest that lasted fours and thirty-three minutes. Tuesday's contest was the Redhawks' longest game since Southeast played a four hour and fifty minute contest against Memphis on March 14, 2008.
Southeast drops to 19-19 on the season as Arkansas State moves to 20-17 on the season as the Red Wolves sweep the season Series from Southeast.
Jason Blum led the Redhawks going 1-for-4 with two RBI as he extended his hitting streak to 12-games. Ryan Barnes also added a run scored and RBI for the Redhawks as Southeast recorded four hits on the night.
The Red Wolves got on the board first with two runs in the opening frame. Tanner Ring hit his first career home run to left field that plated Kaleb Brown to give Arkansas State a 2-0 lead.
The Redhawks got on the board in the fourth inning with four runs as the Redhawks took a 4-2 lead. Ryan Barnes drove in the Redhawks first run on an RBI single to right centerfield. Branden Boggetto tied the game at 2-2 with a safety squeeze down the first base line.
Southeast took a 4-2 lead on an RBI single to centerfield by Blum as he extended his hitting streak with the hit.
The Red Wolves tied the game with a two-run double down the left field line by Dustin Johnson in the top of the sixth inning.
The two teams then went five and a half frames of scoreless baseball until the Red Wolves took a 5-4 lead in the top of the twelve inning. A bad hop on an infield single extended the inning as Jones scored on a wild pitch.
Tanner Ring (2-0) sent the Redhawks down in order in the 12th to earn the win as Tyler Thomas (1-2) was tagged with the loss.
The Southeast bullpen was solid in relief led by Bobby Hurst as he went a career-high 2.2 innings with four strikeouts.
Ring was also effective at the plate leading the Red Wolves going 3-for-7 with two RBI and a run scored. Claude Johnson also added three hits for ASU.
WEST VIRGINIA 13, MOREHEAD STATE 5
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Five errors proved costly for the Morehead State baseball team as it gave up four unearned runs in a 13-5 loss to Big 12 Conference foe West Virginia on Tuesday night at Appalachian Power Park.
The Mountaineers improve to 21-17 on the year with the victory. The Eagles fall to 9-28 on the season, having now lost 13 straight.
MSU had runners in scoring position in six of the first seven innings, but was only able to drive in runs in two of those, stranding 12 in the process.
A single to center field in the third inning allowed sophomore first baseman Kane Sweeney, who went 1-for-4 with a walk in the contest, to extend his on-base streak to 28 straight games.
WVU got things going in the bottom of the second inning, plating four runs on one walk, two hit batters and two hits, highlighted by an RBI double from junior designated hitter Matt Frazer.
The Mountaineers added two more in the fourth on an MSU throwing error and an RBI double from sophomore shortstop Taylor Munden. They tacked on another in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Frazer to extend the lead to 7-0.
MSU got on the board in the top of the sixth when senior pinch hitter Kellen Begeman picked up his first RBI of the season, driving in senior left fielder Nick Duff with a single to right field. WVU answered in the bottom half of the inning, plating two runs on a pair of MSU miscues, the first an MSU throwing error and the second a wild pitch.
The Eagles rallied in the seventh, driving in four runs on four hits. They loaded the bases with only one out, setting up three straight RBI singles from senior catcher Drew Williams, freshman designated hitter Taylor Sears and sophomore second baseman Jeff Birkofer. Senior center fielder Taylor Pickens capped the rally with a sacrifice fly to cut the WVU lead to 9-5.
WVU bounced right back though, plating two runs in both the seventh and eighth to close out the game.
Senior shortstop Chase Greenwell and Sears, who were the only Eagles with multiple hits, both went 2-for-4 in the contest.
Junior right-hander Ryan Tezak (3-0) picked up the win out of the Mountaineer bullpen, allowing no hits or runs in two innings. MSU freshman right-hander Tyler Keele (2-5) was charged with the loss, allowing four runs on two hits while walking one and hitting two WVU batters.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 12, BELMONT 9
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The Belmont Baseball (26-9, 13-2) dropped their midweek contest at Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday, 12-9.
MTSU struck first in the bottom of the first, getting a pair of runs across the plate, but the Bruins responded in the second by taking a 3-2 lead.
Scott Moses (Englewood, Tenn.) led off the inning with a walk before Spencer Petett (Tompkinsville, Ky.) singled to center. An RBI double from Jamie Ritchie (Buford, Ga.) got the Bruins on the board. An Alec Diamond (Kennesaw, Ga.) single tied the ball game, 2-2 before MTSU starter Heath Slatton hit Judah Akers (Cookeville, Tenn.) with a pitch to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead.
MTSU scored eight unanswered runs capped by a sacrifice fly from Michael Adkins' that tied the game at 3-3 before a Belmont error allowed the Blue Raiders to take the lead, 4-3.
A two-run triple to right field from Hank LaRue to put MTSU ahead 6-3 before a pair of singles, extended the Blue Raiders lead, 8-3.
The Blue Raiders added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 10-3 lead over the Bruins.
Belmont responded with five runs in the top of the seventh. Judah Akers led off the inning with a single to left field. With the bases loaded, Moses reached on an error by the MTSU shortstop to score the first run of the inning. Jared Breen (Marietta, Ga.) scored on a wild pitch before Neil Hickman (Hermitage, Tenn.) grounded into a double play to bring Drew Turner (Shelbyville, Tenn.) home.
A two-run home run from Ritchie cut MTSU's lead, 10-8. That was Ritchie's first home run of the season.
MTSU added a run in the bottom half of the inning.
Diamond led off the eighth inning with a successful sacrifice bunt and advanced to second on an MTSU error. A sacrifice fly from Akers allowed Diamond to score, but MTSU plated another run in the bottom half of the inning to extend their lead, 12-9.
MEMPHIS 5, MURRAY STATE 0
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Sheldon Baxter was impressive in his first career start as he allowed just four earned runs over six innings as Murray State fell, 5-0, to Memphis Tuesday evening at FedEx Park. The loss marked the first time the Breds have been shut out in 101 games, dating back to May 3, 2011.
Baxter (1-4) threw a career-long six innings, allowing 11 hits and striking out one. Despite allowing five runs, Baxter was able to work out of a bases-load jam in the fourth.
The Tigers (24-14) got on the board in the second inning with a leadoff home run to left field off the bat of Drew Griffin.
The bottom of the third inning saw the Tigers extend their lead as they put two on with two outs. Tucker Tubbs plated one run with a single to center field, and Griffin followed with a run-scoring base hit through the left side.
MEM strung together three hits in the fifth to push across their fourth run of the game. Jake Little was the final hit, driving in Griffin from second base. A wild pitch and a throwing error in the sixth inning pushed across the fifth run of the game for the Tigers.
The Breds (13-23) offense was led by Nick Paradossi who went 2-for-2 and was hit by a pitch. He also picked off a runner and threw out another attempting to steal. Ty Stetson delivered a single in the eighth inning to extend his hit streak to eight games.
Dylan Toscano (2-0) earned the victory after allowing just one hit over five shutout innings.
TENNESSEE TECH 10, #2 VANDERBILT 9
NASHVILLE - Clinging to a one-run lead with the bases loaded against No. 2 ranked Vanderbilt (33-5, 14-1), the Tennessee Tech baseball team put a cap on the biggest victory in program history in the most appropriate fashion, turning a 4-6-3 double play to down the Commodores, 10-9.
The Golden Eagles (27-10, 15-3) used their most consistent skill to their advantage in what stands as a landmark win for the program. The defense, which is on pace to shatter the TTU single-season record for fielding percentage with a .978 mark, was as clutch as clutch can be. The Tech squad turned four double plays against Vanderbilt, denying several good scoring opportunities late in the game.
Tech did what it has done so often this season on the road; picked up the lead right off the bat and held on all the way through the contest.
Second baseman Zach Zarzour reached base to start the contest, getting hit by the second pitch of the game. After two quick outs, Brandon Thomasson smacked a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third. Junior Daniel Miles singled up the middle in the next at bat, driving in both Zarzour and Thomasson to give the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead over an opponent that had lost just two games at home all season.
In the second inning, the Golden Eagles found themselves crossing the plate again. Senior Michael Morris singled to start the inning and, after one out, Jordan Parris also collected a single, advancing Morris to third. Zarzour walked on four straight pitches to load the sacks for Austin Wulf. The senior outfielder collected a base hit through the right side, driving in a runner to give Tech a 3-0 lead. Thomasson hammered a line shot that only missed clearing the bases after a web-gem of a catch by Xavier Turner.
After Tech starter Garrett Baugh tossed his second inning of no-hit ball against a .312 hitting team, the Golden Eagles expanded their lead once again, putting up a three-spot in the top of the third behind patient at-bats from catcher Jordan Parris, left fielder James Abraham, center fielder Wulf, and first baseman Zach Stephens. Parris, Abraham, and Wulf all earned walks while Stephens was hit by a pitch. Wulf and Stephens each grabbed RBI as well, along with Zarzour who beat out an infield single with the bases loaded. The Golden Eagles now led 6-0 over a team on a program-best 14-game winning streak.
Vanderbilt finally got involved offensively in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs behind a solo home run by Rhett Wiseman and a few singles to cut the lead in half headed to the fourth inning. The Commodores picked up two more runs in the fourth, as Wiseman connected on his second long ball of the game, this time driving in two runs.
With just a one-run lead, the Golden Eagles decided to liven up the game after a scoreless fifth, striking twice in the sixth to give a little cushion to its advantage. After two outs, Morris cracked a single to right field, driving in a run. With a long throw headed toward home, the senior outfielder sprinted towards second base, forcing pitcher Jared Miller to make an errant throw in attempt to throw him out. Bosheers was able to score on the error to give Tech an 8-5 lead headed to the bottom of the sixth.
The Golden Eagles held the Commodores scoreless in the bottom half of the sixth and came up with perhaps the turning point of the game in the seventh. After Vanderbilt loaded the bases with no outs, Tech called upon sophomore pitcher David Hess for relief. The righty forced Tony Kemp, who was batting over .400 entering the contest, to drill a hard ground ball down the first base line. Stephens made an incredible play on the ball, lunging for a snow cone-like grab, stepping on first base and firing the ball to catcher Jordan Parris to nail the runner headed for home plate. The double play allowed the Golden Eagles to escape the inning with just one run allowed.
Two-out scoring practically became the theme of the Golden Eagle attack as the squad grabbed two more clutch runs in the top of the eighth. Miles accepted a four-pitch walk and immediately stole second base to set up Dylan Bosheers for an RBI double, the sophomore's team-leading 14th of the season. Morris wrapped up the scoring for Tech, blooping a single to center field and driving in the eventual game-winning run.
Closer Seth Lucio came aboard with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning with runners on first and second and a run already scored on a towering home run ball by Vandy clean-up hitter Connor Harrell. The sophomore stumbled a little, hitting the first batter he faced to load the bases. He settled a little to strike out his next opponent to give Tech two outs. Lucio was then called for a balk, advancing all runners one base and giving the Commodores a run. He forced the final batter of the inning to fly out to take a 10-8 lead to the ninth.
No great game is without some sort of drama, and this contest was no exception. After recording a quick out to open the bottom of the ninth, Lucio walked the next two batters. Harrell then singled up the middle, driving in a runner to bring Vanderbilt within just one run of extra innings. Lucio then hit the next batter, a hooking breaking ball that barely caught the foot of Mike Yastrzemski. With the bases loaded, the sophomore closer turned to a defense that had been so good all season long, inducing a ground ball to Zarzour, who flipped it to Bosheers for out number two, who then fired it to Stephens to record out number three and send the Golden Eagle dugout into a frenzy of celebration as the upset was complete.
David Hess earned the win in the contest, allowing just one hit in an inning of work. Starter Tyler Ferguson took his first loss of the season, just the fifth of the year for the Commodore squad.
Michael Morris led the Golden Eagle offense on the historic day, going 3-for-5 with two RBI. Also a large part of the offense were Jordan Parris, who went 1-of-2 with three walks, and Dylan Bosheers, who collected three hits and an RBI while scoring three runs.
Lucio recorded his ninth save of the season, a single-season program record, leaving him just three saves shy of the career record at Tech.
The win over Vanderbilt marked the first for the Golden Eagles over a ranked opponent since the 2009 season when they defeated No. 14 Alabama in the NCAA Tournament Regional. With Vanderbilt holding a No. 2 ranking, the win also marked the highest ranked opponent the baseball team has ever defeated.