FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 2-8, Austin Peay 1-10
@Belmont 2, Eastern Illinois 1
@Morehead State 7-4, SIUE 5-2
Jacksonville State 9, @Southeast Missouri 8
@Tennessee Tech 4, Murray State 1
@UT Martin, Indiana State (postponed)
EASTERN KENTUCKY 2-8, AUSTIN PEAY 1-10
RICHMOND, Ky. - Pitcher Brent Cobb and catcher Sean Hagen led Eastern Kentucky to a 2-1 victory in the first game of an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader against Austin Peay on Friday. The Governors won game two 10-8.
Both teams scored a run in the fifth inning of game one and that’s the way it stayed until the bottom of the ninth. Bryan Soloman led off the final inning with a single through the right side. Demetrius Moorer came on to run and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Moorer then moved to third on a fielder’s choice. With two outs, Hagen singled up the middle, just out of the reach of the diving Governor shortstop, to plate the game-winning run.
Brent Cobb started for Eastern and allowed one run on just four hits over eight innings. He walked two, struck out three and retired the final 10 batters he faced. Myles Scott (2-1) earned the win after tossing one inning of hitless and scoreless relief.
Hagen had four of the team’s seven hits, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs. Three other Colonels had one hit each.
Austin Peay got on the board first with a two-out RBI single by Rolando Gautier in the top of the fifth inning. The Colonels answered in the bottom half of the inning. After a two-out walk by Doug Teegarden, Hagen ripped a double down the left field line to tie the game 1-1.
EKU got runners on second and third with one out in the seventh but APSU went to closer Tyler Rogers who retired the next two batters to get out of the jam.
Gautier finished 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Governors.
Austin Peay starter Lee Ridenhour pitched six and one-third innings, allowing one run on five hits. He walked four and struck out two. Rogers (5-2) suffered the loss after allowing one run on two hits in two and one-third innings.
APSU drew first blood in game two as well, taking a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI double by Craig Massoni. Just like in game one, Eastern answered in its half of the inning. Shaun Ball’s two-out single to left scored Teegarden from second base to tie the game.
The Governors took a 3-1 lead in the second. With one out and two on, Dylan Riner doubled to left center to drive in a pair of runs. APSU stretched it to 5-1 in the fifth. Massoni scored on an error and Reed Harper drove in a run with a double down the left field line.
Eastern Kentucky closed the gap to one in the bottom of the fifth. Luke Wurzelbacher drove in a pair with a single up the middle and then later scored on a balk to make it a 5-4 game.
The Colonels (15-25, 11-9 OVC) loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth. After a strikeout, Wurzelbacher was hit by a pitch, forcing in the tying run. APSU starter Casey Delgado got a strikeout and a fly ball to end the inning and limit the damage to a single run.
Austin Peay (31-13, 12-7 OVC) went back on top, 6-5, in the seventh when a bad throw on a ground ball to third allowed Massoni to score from first base. However, Hagen scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to knot the game again.
The seesaw continued with the Governors taking the lead in the eighth. Three straight 2-out singles led to one run. A double steal made it 8-6. A fourth straight hit, this time a 2-run home run by Massoni, made it 10-6 in favor of the visitors.
Hagen brought EKU to within three, with an RBI single in the eighth. The Colonels brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Austin Grisham kept Eastern alive with an RBI single to left field.
After suffering the loss in game one, Rogers earned the save in game two when he came on with two out in the ninth and got Teegarden to fly out to end the game.
Massoni went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBIs in game two. Kenny Hostrander had three hits in four at bats and scored twice for Eastern Kentucky. Hagen was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI.
BELMONT 2, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
NASHVILLE - Belmont Baseball (29-11, 15-4) defeated Eastern Illinois, 2-1 Friday in the series opener at Rose Park.
Matt Beaty (Dresden, Tenn.) scored both of the runs for the Bruins.
Eastern Illinois got on the board first in the first inning behind a single from Nick Priessman.
Beaty blasted his third home run of the season over the right field fence to tie the ball game in the bottom of the fifth.
In the bottom of the seventh, Beaty hit a double to the gap in right center and moved over to third on a balk before Drew Turner (Shelbyville, Tenn.) drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Alec Diamond (Kennesaw, Ga.) delivered a clutch two-out single to score Beaty and put BU ahead, 2-1.
Dan Ludwig (Naperville, Ill.) had another quality start as he earned his ninth win of the season. The sophomore tied the all-time single season wins record.
Josh Davis (Fayetteville, Ga.) tossed 1.1 innings of relief. The senior right hander is now tied for sixth all-time single season saves with 10.
MOREHEAD STATE 7-4, SIUE 5-2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Behind a solid relief appearance by senior sidearmer Morgan Cirbo in game one and a solo home run in the eighth by junior first baseman Bobby Burns in game two, the Morehead State baseball team swept both ends of its series-opening doubleheader with SIU Edwardsville.
The Eagles (15-29, 9-11 OVC) took game one, 7-5, before downing the Cougars (9-29, 6-17 OVC), 4-2, in the back end of the twin bill. MSU has now won five straight Ohio Valley Conference matchups, and six of its last seven games.
Senior righty Matt Duncan entered game two with a 4-2 lead, and picked up his third save of the season, forcing a game-ending pop-out to work out of a jam after two MSU fielding errors allowed the Cougars come within one.
The game had been tied at 2-2 heading into the eighth before Burns' (3-for-3 at the plate) home run broke up the tie ballgame, followed by sophomore pinch runner Chris Robinson scoring what would become the game winner by stealing home on a suicide squeeze attempt that got away from the catcher.
Morehead State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in third inning, when Burns drove in senior shortstop Chase Greenwell with an double to center before a sacrifice fly from freshman designated hitter Alan Mocahbee. SIUE bounced back in the fourth, manufacturing one run on two hits, before tying it up in the seventh on an MSU throwing error.
Junior right-hander Dan Hyatt (2-1) picked up his second win in as many weeks out of the Eagle bullpen, allowing no hits in his 1.2 innings of work.
Cirbo (2-2) entered game one with two outs in the top of the fifth and allowed just two hits and two runs in 4.1 frames tossed. He improved to 2-2 on the season, while SIUE starter Travis Felax suffered the setback. Entering the contest with a 1.83 ERA, the Eagles chased Felax after just two innings as he allowed nine hits and four earned runs.
The Eagles strung together seven straight singles to start the second inning en route to four runs. They added two in the fifth and a solo score in the eighth. SIUE plated three in the fifth to climb to within 4-3.
Greenwell (4-for-7, 2 RBI) and sophomore right fielder Brandon Rawe (4-for-8) both finished each game with two hits a piece. Sophomore third baseman Kane Sweeney extended his conference-best reached-base streak to 35.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 9, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Jacksonville State's Paschal Petrongolo drove in the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning to lead the Gamecocks to a 9-8 come-from-behind win over Southeast Missouri State in the opening game of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series on Friday.
Jax State improves to 23-19 and 15-4 in the league to remain tied for first place, while SEMO falls to 20-23 and 12-10 in the conference. JSU improves to 7-1 in 1-run games against OVC opponents and has won five straight 1-run games versus conference foes.
With the game tied at 8-8 headed to the ninth inning, Coty Blanchard reached on a one-out single off SEMO ace reliever Bobby Hurst, who had not allowed an earned run in OVC play. Blanchard then stole second and scored when Petrongolo singled up the middle and give the Gamecocks the lead.
Jax State then brought in reliver Travis Stout, who recorded the final three outs, including two strikeouts, to pick up his 13th save of the season. Cody Ponder (3-1) only threw two pitches in relief, but picked up the win for the Gamecocks. Hurst (2-1) got stuck with the loss for the Redhawks after giving up his first earned run since February 24 against North Dakota State.
Southeast jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the second inning, highlighted by a two-run home run by Branden Boggetto, but the Gamecocks answered in the third inning to take their first lead of the game.
Gavin Golsan had a one-out single and moved to third when Michael Bishop doubled to right center. Golsan scored on Adam Miller's ground out to cut the lead to 3-1. Griff Gordon then reached on a SEMO error, which allowed Bishop to score to slice the lead to 3-2.
Blanchard then doubled down the left field line to score Griffin and Eddie Mora-Loera followed with a single to right field to score Blanchard and give the Gamecocks a 4-3 lead.
The Redhawks responded in the fifth inning by scoring five runs to build an 8-4 lead as Andy Lennington, Nolan Fisher, Clayton Evans each drove in a run, and Alex Burridge delivered a two-out single to score to more runs for Southeast.
Jax State battled to tie the game in the seventh inning after Gordon drove in his second run of the game with an infield single, before Andrew Bishop drove in two runs with a single to left field and Petrongolo followed with a pinch-hit RBI single to make the score 8-8.
Blanchard led the Gamecocks with three hits, while Gordon, Mora-Loera, Petronglo and Michael Bishop each added two hits to lead JSU's 15-hit attack. Gordon extended his hitting streak to a season-long 11 games, while Blanchard has now hit safely in 10 straight and reached base in 19 straight games.
TENNESSEE TECH 4, MURRAY STATE 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - With the Tennessee Tech baseball team (30-12, 17-5) looking to make a statement after losing its first series of the season last weekend, Tristan Archer (7-3) lived up to his title as the Golden Eagle ace, throwing 8.2 innings of two-hit ball to lead Tech to a 4-0 win over rival Murray State (17-24, 6-13).
The senior right-hander, who already owns a complete-game shutout this season, just missed out on his second, giving up the only run of the contest with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. Archer was lights out, retiring 21 consecutive Murray State batters after allowing a lead-off hit to start the game. He finished with 10 strikeouts in the contest, marking the second time this season he has recorded double-digit Ks.
The Golden Eagles collected just four hits in the contest, but were able to make those hits count and take advantage of a couple of Murray State miscues to score four runs and win the first of an important Ohio Valley Conference, three-game series.
Dylan Bosheers led the Tech offense, grabbing two of the team's four hits and scoring two runs as well. Daniel Miles and James Abraham put up the other two Golden Eagle hits, each recording one RBI apiece.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Golden Eagles used a Dylan Bosheers hit to set up their first run of the game. Bosheers advanced to second on a fielder's choice and error by Murray State pitcher Cameron Finch (4-3). Michael Morris and Bosheers advanced to second and third base, respectively, after a wild pitch. Abraham finished off the scoring chance, grounding out to short and driving in Bosheers.
Tech put two more runs on the board in the fourth inning, beginning with a lead-off walk by Brandon Thomasson. Miles followed with a triple over the center fielder's head, driving in Thomasson to double the Tech lead to 2-0. Morris added the last run after driving a sac fly out to right field, allowing Miles to score. The Golden Eagles added one more run in the sixth off an error by third baseman Brandon Elliott.
Sophomore closer Seth Lucio didn't have to do too much for his 10th save of the season as he needed just six pitches to put an end to the game, striking out Murray State first baseman Mike Kozlowski. The save put Lucio just two away from tying the Golden Eagle career record of 12 saves.
The 4-0 victory marks the 30th win of the season for the Golden Eagles, marking just the seventh time in program history that a team has hit the 30-win threshold. Head coach Matt Bragga has had the honor of coaching four of those teams as his 2013 squad joins the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Tech teams in the 30-win club. The other three teams to hit the 30-win mark in Tech history were former head coach Aaron Carroll's 2001 squad and former head coach David Mays' 1988 and 1997 teams.