FRIDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Kentucky 4, @Eastern Illinois 0
@Murray State 4, Southeast Missouri 0
@Austin Peay 9, Morehead State 8 (10 innings)
Belmont 3, @Jacksonville State 0
@Western Carolina 18,
Tennessee Tech 7
UT Martin at SIUE (cancelled)
EASTERN KENTUCKY 4, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Junior Brent Cobb recorded his first career complete game and first shutout in Eastern Kentucky University’s 4-0 victory over Eastern Illinois University in the series opener on Friday.
Cobb (5-5) allowed just six hits in nine innings. He did not strike out a batter, but walked only one. He’s now allowed just one earned run in his last 25 innings over three starts.
The game remained scoreless until the sixth inning. The Colonels left the bases loaded in the top of the fifth. The Panthers stranded runners at second and third in the bottom of the fifth.
With one out in the sixth, Sean Hagen doubled to right center. Freshman Kyle Nowlin followed with an RBI single up the middle. Three batters later, Alex Hughes drew a bases loaded walk to score Nowlin. Kenny Hostrander then drove a fly ball to center, deep enough to score Shaun Ball for a 3-0 EKU lead.
Another bases loaded walk, this time in the top of the ninth by Nowlin, pushed the Colonel lead to 4-0. Nowlin finished 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Doug Teegarden had two hits in four at bats.
Demetre Taylor was 2-for-4 for the Panthers. Jake Johansmeier (2-4) started for EIU and allowed three runs on six hits in five and one-third innings. He walked four and struck out one.
MURRAY STATE 4, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
MURRAY, Ky. - The pitching duo of Brock Downey and Cameron Finch made quick work of the Southeast Missouri offense as they combined to allow just three hits in a 4-0 Murray State victory in the opening game of a three-game series Friday afternoon at Reagan Field.
The shutout was the third this season for the Breds pitching staff, and the second in OVC play. It marks the first time the Breds have had multiple shutouts in conference play since recording three during the 1999 season.
MSU pitched backwards as Downey made his first career start, and Finch came in to close out the game. Downey allowed just two bloop hits and fanned three in his four innings. Finch entered the game in the fifth and continued where Downey left off. After setting the Redhawks (21-26, 12-13 OVC) down in order in the fifth, Finch ran into trouble in the sixth as a single and a hit batter put two one with no outs. Finch then got a lazy fly ball to left field, and followed it with an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
Finch just became more dominant from that point as he did not allow another SEMO hitter to reach base. He finished the game by allowing one hit and striking out three over five innings to improve to 5-3 on the season.
The Breds (19-27, 7-15 OVC) got all the offense they would need in the third inning. A bunt single and a fielder’s choice put a runner on first with one out. After a stolen base, Ty Stetson delivered a base hit that deflected off the glove of the pitcher and shortstop. Brandon Elliott followed with a bunt single of his own, the 200th of his career, to load the bases. Brandon Eggenschwiler put the Breds on the board with a single to right center.
MSU added insurance in the fifth with the help of two Redhawk errors. A one out single followed by an error put runners on first and second. Eggenschwiler then singled to left field to load the bases. But, the ball went through the legs of the left fielder and allowed two runs to score and Eggenschwiler reach third. Mike Kozlowski made the Redhawks pay with an RBI single passed a drawn-in second baseman.
Zack Smith (2-5) was the tough-luck loser for the Redhawks as he allowed four runs, two earned, on 10 hits and eight strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
The top three in the Breds lineup did the majority of the damage as all three hitters collected a pair of hits and scored a run.
AUSTIN PEAY 9, MOREHEAD STATE 8 (10)
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Catcher P.J. Torres’ lifted his second home run of the game over the wall in left center giving Austin Peay State University’s baseball team a 9-8 walk-off victory in 10 innings against Morehead State, Friday night, in Ohio Valley Conference action at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Trailing 8-5 after the top of the eighth, Austin Peay (33-13, 14-7 OVC) turned to the long ball to erase the deficit. Torres’ first home run cut the deficit to 8-6 in the seventh. In the ninth, Morehead State walked junior second baseman Jordan Hankins for the third time. First baseman Craig Massoni finally made the Eagles pay for that free pass, with a two-run home run that just cleared the wall in left, tying the game and setting up Torres’ extra-inning heroics.
The game was a see-saw affair through the opening six innings, the Govs would score in the bottom of the inning only to see Morehead State rally to tie or cut the deficit in the top of the next frame. The Govs built a 5-3 lead courtesy a two-run fifth inning – one run scoring on a passed ball and the second on left fielder Cody Hudson’s sacrifice fly.
Morehead State (15-32, 9-13 OVC) would score the game’s next five runs. Right fielder Brandon Rawe’s two-run home run in the seventh gave the Eagles their first lead, 7-5. Third baseman Kane Sweeney would tack on a run in the eighth with a solo home run. However, it would not be enough to hold off the Govs late run.
Combined, Austin Peay and Morehead State combined for seven home runs, the Govs edging the Eagles by a 4-3 margin. Hudson added a solo home run in the fourth along with Massoni’s and Torres’ blasts. Sweeney, Rawe and shortstop Chase Greenwell each homered for the Eagles.
Austin Peay closer Tyler Rogers (7-2) appeared in his ninth consecutive game and earned the win with a scoreless 10th inning. Starter Casey Delgado allowed six runs on 12 hits over six innings but did not factor into the decision.
Morehead State reliever Matt Duncan (1-4) suffered the loss after allowing three runs over the final 1.1 innings. Eagles starter Blake Smith surrendered five runs on six hits and five walks over 4.2 innings. Torres led the Govs 13-hit effort with a 4-for-5, two RBI and he posted the Govs first multi-home run outing this season. Massoni, Hudson, center fielder Dylan Riner and right fielder Rolando Gautier each had two hits.
Sweeney led Morehead State’s 16-hit outing with a 4-for-5 effort. Greenwell added a 3-for-6 outing and three other batters finished with two hits each.
BELMONT 3, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Belmont Baseball (31-13, 17-5) shut out Jacksonville State, 3-0 on Friday at Rudy Abbott Field.
Matt Beaty (Dresden, Tenn.) got the first hit of the day for the Bruins with a two-out double in the top of the second to right field.
Jacksonville State's Griff Gordon doubled to the gap in right center in the bottom of the fourth, but was thrown out at third on a great relay play from the Bruins.
Belmont took a 2-0 lead in the sixth behind a squeeze play from Jared Breen (Marietta, Ga.) to score Drew Ferguson (Knoxville, Tenn.), who led off the inning with a double down the left field line. An RBI single from Beaty plated Alec Diamond (Kennesaw, Ga.) who reached on a JSU error.
Ferguson hit his first triple of the season to the gap in right center to score Scott Moses (Englewood, Tenn.) and put BU ahead 3-0.
Dan Ludwig (Naperville, Ill.) went 7.1 innings on the hill giving up four hits and no runs. The sophomore lefty struck out four. Ludwig is the first OVC pitcher to reach 10 wins this season and takes sole possession of first place for single season wins.
Jessie Snodgrass (Lebanon, Tenn.) came on in relief in the bottom of the eighth. The senior right hander is now tied for first in single season appearances with 34.
Josh Davis (Fayetteville, Ga.) came on to pitch for Belmont in the bottom of the ninth earning his 11th save. Davis is now tied for fourth place in single season saves.
WESTERN CAROLINA 18, TENNESSEE TECH 7
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - A late-game comeback attempt was too little too late for the Tennessee Tech baseball time on Friday evening as the Western Carolina Catamounts defeated the Golden Eagles behind a strong offensive performance.
The Golden Eagles made a strong push in the final inning of the contest, scoring five runs on several miscues by WCU. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done and the Catamounts earned their 32nd win of the season with an 18-7 victory.
The top bat for Western Carolina was outfielder Cody Jones, who drove in five runs off two hits, including a three-run home run. Catamount starter Jeremy Null put together a solid start, scattering seven Tech hits in six innings of one-run work. He recorded eight strikeouts while allowing just the one earned run.
Junior slugger Zach Stephens had a brilliant day at the plate for the Golden Eagles, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored. Daniel Miles and Austin Wulf recorded the only RBI for Tech in the contest, both on sacrifice flies.
Western Carolina had to record four outs to finish off the feisty Golden Eagles, as senior Michael Morris reached base on a wild pitch after striking out for what would have been the game-ending out. Tech took advantage of several Catamount mistakes in the ninth, scoring three of its five runs on wild pitches and one more on an error by the WCU catcher. The final run was the RBI by Wulf.