TUESDAY'S SCORES
Appalachian State 9,
@Eastern Kentucky 6
@Southern Illinois 7,
Murray State 2
@Austin Peay 6, Lipscomb 4
Saint Louis 14,
@SIUE 5
@Evansville 6,
UT Martin 1
@East Tennessee 3,
Tennessee Tech 0
@Jacksonville State 12, Samford 11 (10 innings)
@Arkansas State 9,
Southeast Missouri 8
APPALACHIAN STATE 9, EASTERN KENTUCKY 6
RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky fell behind 4-0 in the first two innings before battling back to take a 6-5 lead, but a 3-run seventh inning sent Appalachian State to a 9-6 win on Tuesday at Turkey Hughes Field.
After falling behind by four, the Colonels (5-19) cut the deficit in half with two runs in the bottom of the second. Kenny Hostrander’s double brought home the first run. Doug Teegarden’s single drove in the second. EKU added two more in the third inning. Hostrander’s second RBI made it a 5-4 game in favor of the Mountaineers (15-9).
With the bases loaded in the fifth inning, Eastern took advantage of a misplayed fly ball to score two runs and take a 6-5 lead. Austin Grisham and Sean Hagen scored on the fly ball hit by Hostrander.
ASU tied the score in the top half of the sixth on an error by Eastern Kentucky. Hector Crespo’s RBI single in the seventh broke the tie and Dillon Dobson’s two-run homer pushed the lead to 9-6.
EKU loaded the bases with one out in the seventh but failed to cut into the lead.
Five Colonels registered two hits each. Grisham finished 2-for-4 and scored three times. Hostrander went 2-for-5 with a run and three RBIs.
Crespo had four hits in six at bats for Appalachian State. He drove in two and scored twice. Dobson went 3-for-5 with a run and three RBIs.
Tyler Jackson (1-0) earned the win after tossing two innings of scoreless relief. He allowed two hits, did not walk a batter and struck out two. Matt Lynch (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing three runs in one and one-third innings.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 7, MURRAY STATE 2
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Murray State was able to get base runners on all game, but they were unable to plate those runs as the Breds dropped a 7-2 affair to Southern Illinois Tuesday afternoon at Abe Martin Field.
MSU continued to have trouble after getting runners on as they stranded 11 base runners in the game, including two in each of the fourth through seventh innings.
The Salukis (13-14) got on the board in the first inning as Rennie Troggio delivered a one-out single through the left side and went to second on a passed ball. Matt Jones delivered an RBI double into the gap in left center, and then scored on a Ryan Casillas two-out RBI single up the middle.
SIU added a run in the sixth as Jones put down a bunt single and went to second on the throwing error by the pitcher. Austin Montgomery made the Breds pay as he followed with an RBI single to right center.
The Breds (12-16) finally got on the board in the seventh as Paul Ritzheimer doubled to left field to start the inning and went to third on a Ty Stetson single to shortstop. With one out and the bases loaded, Mike Kozlowski delivered a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Salukis came back in the home-half of the inning with four runs to take a six-run lead. Luke Mottashed started the scoring with a two-run home run to right field. After the third run scored on a bases-loaded walk, Donny Duschinsky delivered a sacrifice fly to left center.
MSU pushed across their second run in the eighth as Brandon Elliott was hit by a pitch to start the inning and scored on Ty Stetson’s bloop single to left field.
Tim Vonder Haar (1-3) was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits and one strikeout over five innings. Anthony Shimkus (3-0) earned the victory after walking one and hitting another over two shutout innings of relief.
Stetson led the Breds offense by going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Elliott finished the day 1-for-1 with walk, hit by pitch and a sacrifice bunt.
AUSTIN PEAY 6, LIPSCOMB 4
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Junior outfielder Rolando Gautier hit a go-ahead three-run home run and Austin Peay State University’s baseball team fended off a late Lipscomb charge to post a 6-4 non-conference victory, Tuesday night at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Lipscomb (10-20) scored the game’s first runs off Austin Peay starter Zach Hall. The Bisons saw four consecutive batters reach base during a two-out rally in the fourth. Second baseman Noah Chandler had a RBI double and first baseman Tyson Ashcraft followed with a RBI triple to put Lipscomb up 2-0.
The lead did not last the inning as Austin Peay (23-5) responded with its own two-out rally in the bottom half of the fourth. Catcher Britte Underwood started the rally with his first career triple down the first-base line. After third baseman Kevin Corey walked, Gautier hit a ball that landed atop the wall in right center and bounced out of the park for his season's first home run – a three-run shot that gave APSU a 3-2 lead.
The Govs would tack on much needed insurance in the seventh. Austin Peay greeted Lipscomb reliever Blake Fonfara rudely, with the first three batters reaching base. The Bisons made another pitching change, but first baseman Craig Massoni hit a high chopper over the drawn-in infield to drive in a run. The Govs took advantage of a wild pitch and an infield error to plate two more runs and build a 6-2 advantage.
Lipscomb returned the favor in the eighth, taking advantage of Austin Peay’s bullpen. Reliever Kacy Kemmer saw an infield error allow the leadoff batter to reach and then allowed a one-out walk before leaving the game. He was followed by reliever Hunter Lindley who walked the first batter he faced before surrendering a two-run single to Ashcraft.
Lipscomb continued its rally with left fielder Chad Shannon reaching on a bunt single. The Govs escaped the inning neatly when second baseman Jordan Hankins ranged deep into the hole toward the first base side of the field and nabbed catcher Nick Rome’s ground ball. He quickly turned against his momentum and threw to second where shortstop Reed Harper caught the throw and threw to first to complete the inning-ending double play – snuffing out the Bisons final scoring opportunity.
Hall (3-1) picked up the win after holding Lipscomb to two runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out four. Closer Tyler Rogers tacked on a scoreless ninth inning to record his season’s 11th save.
Gautier finished the night 2-for-3 with three RBI and two walks to pace the Govs offense. Hankins and Underwood each had 2-for-3 outings.
Lipscomb starter Jacob Knott (1-4) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on six hits and four walks over six innings. Ashcraft led the Lipscomb offense with a 2-for-4, three RBI performance.
SAINT LOUIS 14, SIUE 5
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Skyler Geissinger had two hits and a season-high three RBIs Tuesday against Saint Louis, but the Billikens proved too much for SIUE, scoring a 14-5 win in non-conference baseball at Simmons Baseball Complex.
The Cougars fell to 7-16 with the loss. Saint Louis, which has won seven of its last eight games, improved to 19-10.
Geissinger was one of four SIUE players with two hits. Denton Reed, Joel Greatting, and Drew Johnson all finished with a pair of hits for the Cougars, who finished with nine hits total. James Vazquez had the only other hit for SIUE.
The Cougars scored twice in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a pair of hits against Billikens starter Joe Powell. Reed led off with a single. Greatting was hit by a pitch with one out. Geissinger drove them both in with a double to right field.
Saint Louis responded with four runs in the top of the second against SIUE starter Sam Hopkins and never trailed again in the game. The Billikens scored an unearned run in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 5-2. Hopkins allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits over four innings. He fell to 1-2 with the loss.
Saint Louis extended the advantage to 9-2 with a four-run fifth inning against Cougar reliever Drew Staples.
SIUE cut the lead to 9-3 in the bottom of the fifth when Travis Becherer scored on a wild pitch.
The Billikens scored three more times in the sixth inning and added a pair of runs in the seventh inning to go up 14-3.
Saint Louis finished with 16 hits against six SIUE pitchers. Six different players finished with two hits for SLU. Billikens catcher Jake Henson was 2 for 4 with a team-high three RBIs. Third baseman Braxton Martinez was 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Shortstop Alex Sole also was 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
Geissinger picked up his third RBI of the game in the seventh inning when he singled to drive in Greatting. Geissinger finished the game 2 for 5 with the 3 RBIs.
Greatting was 2 for 4 with a pair of runs scored.
The Cougars used 14 different position players throughout the game. Stoecklin said it was just a product of the way the game was going.
EVANSVILLE 6, UT MARTIN 1
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Senior first baseman Wade Collins extended his hitting streak to a dozen games tonight at Evansville, but The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team fell 6-1 in nonconference action at Braun Stadium.
Collins kept his streak alive with a leadoff double in the fifth inning, eventually coming around to score. However, that was the only run that UT Martin (8-20) could push across this evening.
Sophomore Nico Zych went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Skyhawks offensively, while Matt Young recorded UT Martin’s lone RBI.
Reliever Cody Miller (three innings, one run) pitched effectively for UT Martin tonight, while Chris Flores (0.2 innings), Nick Wilson (one inning) and Isaac Armstrong (0.2 innings) each tallied a shutout appearance. Starting pitcher John Houston (1-5) was charged with the loss after allowing five runs in 2.2 frames.
Houston cruised through the first inning, retiring the side in order without allowing a ball out of the infield. However, the Purple Aces scored once in the second, four times in the third and one more time in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead after four frames.
The Skyhawks got on the scoreboard in the fifth. After Collins’ double, Young drove the first pitch he saw for a single out to left, plating Collins.
Miller didn’t allow a ball out of the infield in the bottom half of the fifth, while Flores stranded runners on the corners in the sixth to keep Evansville off the scoreboard.
Meanwhile, UT Martin got the leadoff man on base in the sixth and seventh but couldn’t manage to cut into the Purple Aces’ lead.
Armstrong induced an inning-ending double play in the eighth to keep the score at 6-1. The Skyhawks put a runner in scoring position in the ninth but couldn’t slice into their deficit.
EAST TENNESSEE 3, TENNESSEE TECH 0
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - For the first time in 33 games, the Tennessee Tech baseball team finds itself on the losing end of a shutout, falling to East Tennessee State Tuesday evening, 3-0 in Johnson City.
The Bucs were led by the efforts of Dylan Tritsch, Chris Riopedre, and Matt Sorrow, who drove in all three runs for ETSU. Logan Rice earned the win for the Bucs, pitching four innings with four hits allowed and three walks.
Both Daniel Miles and Dylan Bosheers grabbed two hits apiece in the contest, but the Golden Eagles were held scoreless for the first time of the 2013 season due to clutch pitching by the ETSU staff. Tech threatened on several occasions in the contest, but the Bucs' were able to turn away those chances to hand the Golden Eagles their second consecutive loss.
The loss marked just the second time all season that Tech lost two in a row and the first time since mid-February.
Cookeville native Ross Spurgeon earned his first career start as a Golden Eagle, tossing four innings. He allowed just three hits and one earned run while striking out four ETSU batters.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 12, SAMFORD 11 (10)
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Andrew Bishop had a single to left center to score Coty Blanchard as Jacksonville State rallied for a 12-11 win over Samford after trailing by four runs with two outs in the ninth inning.
The Gamecocks trailed 11-7 with two outs in the ninth inning after Eddie Mora-Loera and Paschal Petrongolo both scored on a Samford error, and then Chase Silvani tied the game by driving in two more runs with a single up the middle to force extra innings.
Coty Blanchard walked to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning, before Paschal Petrongolo then singled up the middle as Blanchard moved the third on the play. Bishop then hit the third pitch to the fence in left center to give the Gamecocks their second straight walk-off win.
Travis Stout (3-0) recorded the final out of the top of the 10th to earn his third win of the season, while Parker Curry (0-2) gave up the game-winning run to suffer the loss for Samford.
Silvani led the Gamecocks with three hits, while Blanchard and Michael Bishop each had two hits to lead the Gamecocks' 12-hit attack.
Jax State (16-14) took an early 1-0 lead after Michael Bishop scored on Griff Gordon's RBI single in the first inning, before the Bulldogs tied the game in the third on a RBI single by Tommy Corbin.
Samford (15-14) then scored four runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run home run by Jared Watson, to build a 5-1 lead.
The Gamecocks scored three runs in the home half of the fifth inning after Blanchard drove in a pair of runs with his fourth triple of the season and then scored on a Samford error to cut the lead to 5-4.
Jax State tied the game in the sixth inning after Michael Bishop walked, stole second and moved to third on an infield grounder. Bishop then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 5-5.
The Bulldogs took the lead in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by C.K. Irby, before Christiaan Durdaller drove in two more runs for an 8-5 Samford lead.
Cal Lambert had a RBI grounder to cut the lead to 8-6 in the seventh, before Samford pushed the lead to 9-6 on a RBI double by Navarrete. Gavin Golsan scored on a Michael Bishop sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, before Samford tacked on two more runs in the ninth to build an 11-7 lead. Navarrete led Samford with three hits on the night.
Jax State then battled back in the ninth inning, scoring four runs with two outs, to tie the game and force the Gamecocks first extra inning game of the season.
ARKANSAS STATE 9, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8
JONESBORO, Ark. - The Southeast Missouri baseball team's comeback effort fell short as the Redhawks fell 9-8 to regional rival Arkansas State Tuesday evening at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro, Ark. in a three and a half hour contest. The Redhawks drop back to .500 on the season at 15-15 as the Red Wolves improve to 17-13.
Junior Matt Tellor led the Redhawks going 3-for-5 with two doubles and a triple to go along with two RBI and a run scored. Freshman Clayton Evans was 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored as he reached base four times in the contest.
The Redhawks got on the board first with two runs in the top of the first inning. Tellor knocked in Dalton Hewitt on a rare infield double. Andy Lennington plated Derek Gibson later in the frame on a sacrifice fly to left field.
Arkansas State responded with six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Drew Burks added a two-run single and Kevin Fitzpatrick added a two-run triple to highlight the Red Wolves frame.
Southeast tacked on two more runs to cut the deficit to two runs at 6-4 as Jason Blum drove in two runs on a single to left field.
The Red Wolves added to their lead in the bottom of the third inning with back-to-back RBI singles from Fitzpatrick and Ryan Emery to extend their advantage to 8-4.
Tellor cut the Red Wolves lead to 8-5 in the fourth inning as he laced an RBI triple into the right field line scoring Gibson.
The Redhawks tied the game at 8-8 in the top of the seventh inning with three runs. Ryan Barnes drove in Tellor with a double after Tellor opened the frame with a two-bagger for the Redhawks.
Evans brought the Redhawks within one with an RBI triple off the right field fence, he would later score on a wild pitch to tie the game.
A failed pickoff attempt in the bottom of the seventh inning helped Arkansas State take back the lead at 9-8 after the error lead to an RBI single to left centerfield from Ryan Emery.
The Redhawks could not add anymore runs in the contest as ASU's Daniel Wright earned the save in the ninth inning as the Red Wolves snapped their six game losing streak with a 9-8 win.
Trevor Kill (0-1) was tagged with the loss for Southeast as David Owen (1-0) earned the win for the Red Wolves.
Ryan Roberts and Fitzpatrick led Arkansas State offensively going 3-for-4 on the night as they combined for production of seven of ASU's runs.