SUNDAY'S SCORES
Ball State 7,
Morehead State 5 (Spartanburg, S.C.)
George Mason 22,
Morehead State 5 (Spartanburg, S.C.)
@Austin Peay 7, Iowa 4
@Belmont 3, Bowling Green 1
Northwestern State 6,
@Jacksonville State 3
@Oral Roberts 6,
Southeast Missouri 2
@#34 Wichita State 21,
SIUE 2
@Alabama State 11,
Eastern Kentucky 3
#36 Tennessee Tech 5, @South Alabama 4
@UAB 5,
UT Martin 3
@#14 Louisiana-Lafayette 9,
Eastern Illinois 8
Ohio 7-6,
Murray State 6-7 (Columbia, Tenn.)
BALL STATE 7, MOREHEAD STATE 5
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - In the first game of two on Sunday, Morehead State fell 7-5 to Ball State.
MSU (0-2) got on the board first in game number one, when junior right fielder Brandon Rawe drove in junior second baseman Tyler Bigler. Ball State (2-0) answered right back though, driving in four runs on three hits in the bottom half of the first.
Sophomore third baseman Alan Mocahbee led off the second with his first home run of the season, followed by an RBI single from Bigler. The Eagles drew even in the third, 4-4, on an RBI single from freshman designated hitter Jimmy Wright.
Ball State tacked on another in the bottom of the fifth, which was answered in the sixth by Morehead State, but a two-run seventh inning put the Cardinals on top for good, 7-5.
BSU freshman righty Zach Plesac picked up the win, allowing only one hit in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen. MSU sophomore right-hander Craig Pearcy was tagged with the loss, allowing five hits and two earned runs in 2.2 innings.
GEORGE MASON 22, MOREHEAD STATE 5
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - In its second game of the day Morehead State suffered a 22-5 defeat to George Mason at the Wofford/USC Upstate Invitational.
The Eagles fall to 0-3 on the season while the Patriots (3-0) remained undefeated.
George Mason drove in four runs in the top half of both the first and second innings and never looked back. GMU also priduced nine runs in the seventh.
The Patriots racked up 26 hits to the Eagles' 11. GMU senior right fielder Josh Leemhuis went 5-for-5 on the day, reaching base seven times.
Freshman righty Tyler Zomboro picked up the win out of the Patriot bullpen, while Eagle sophomore righty Willie Sligh was saddled with the loss.
AUSTIN PEAY 7, IOWA 4
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s baseball team rallied back from a pair of two-run deficits and claimed a 7-4 victory against Iowa, Sunday afternoon at Raymond C. Hand Park. The win was head coach Gary McClure’s 800th career victory – he is one of 28 active Division I head coaches with 800 career wins.
Austin Peay (1-2) encountered its first deficit after just the first half inning as Iowa struck for two runs after just four batters. The Hawkeyes opened with back-to-back singles off APSU starter Ryan Quick and, after a fielder’s choice, saw two runs scamper home on right fielder Taylor Zeutenhorst’s single.
The Govs countered with a pair of runs in its half of the first, nearly duplicating the Hawkeyes half inning. A leadoff error and a single set the plate and designated hitter Ridge Smith cleaned the bases with a two-run double, tying the game.
Neither team scored for the next four innings. Iowa broke the tie in the sixth inning with a little help from Austin Peay. Left fielder Kris Goodman singled with one out and advanced to second on a groundout. Goodman scampered all the way home on a wild pitch that found its way to the backstop, for the inning’s first run. The Hawkeyes extended their lead when pinch hitter Blake Hickman hit his second home run of the series – a solo shot that gave Iowa a 4-2 lead.
Again Austin Peay wasted little time countering the Iowa push. The first three batters in the sixth inning each reached via a walk, but Iowa reliever Matt Allen seemed poised to escape after recording back-to-back strikeouts. Shortstop Logan Gray insured Iowa paid the price for the early walks, with a two-run single up the middle, tying the game 4-4.
The Govs took their first lead of the game in the seventh courtesy Smith’s sacrifice fly to drive in third baseman Alex Robles, who stood at third thanks to a Iowa passed ball. Austin Peay extended its lead in the eighth when first baseman Matt Wollenzin led off the inning with a triple, second baseman Garrett Copeland followed with an RBI double and later scored thanks to a wild pitch, giving APSU a 7-4 lead.
Iowa was stymied in the game’s final innings by the Govs pitching duo of sophomore Tommy Hager and sophomore Jared Carkuff. Hager (1-0) recorded the final out in the sixth and added a scoreless seventh en route to the win. Carkuff followed with scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth to record his first save. Quick was left with no decision despite tossing four scoreless innings after the two-run first.
Gray led the APSU offense with a 2-for-4, two RBI outing. Robles and Wollenzin also had two hits each. Smith’s two RBI gave him a team-best seven for the series.
Allen (0-1) suffered the loss for Iowa after allowing one unearned run in his 1.1 inning outing. Tyler Peyton started and went five-plus innings, allowing four runs on four hits.
Zeutenhorst led Iowa with a 1-for-5, two RBI effort. Goodman and centerfielder Eric Toole each had two hits.
BELMONT 3, BOWLING GREEN 1
NASHVILLE - Belmont Baseball (2-1) came from behind in Sunday's series finale to defeat Bowling Green, 3-1.
Bowling Green struck first in the fifth as Jesse Rait's RBI groundout scored Andrew Kubuski, putting the Falcons ahead, 1-0.
Jamie Ritchie scored the first run for the Bruins after Matthew Kinney reached on a fielder's choice. Tyler Walsh's RBI single to center gave Belmont the go-ahead run, scoring Kinney from second base.
Belmont added one more in the seventh as Spencer Petett singled through the left side to bring home Ritchie, putting BU up 3-1.
Patrick McGrath made his debut for the Bruins and picked up his first win. The left-hander went seven innings and struck out five. Greg Brody pitched the top of the ninth and earned his second save in two tries.
NORTHWESTERN STATE 6, JACKSONVILLE STATE 3
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - C.J. Webster had a pair of hits, while Chase Daughdrill and Bret Underwood each drove in two runs to lead Northwestern State to a 6-3 win over Jacksonville State on Sunday afternoon at Rudy Abbott Field to avoid the sweep.
John Gault (1-0) scattered four hits and had four strikeouts to earn his first win of the season for the Demons, while Caleb Dugas picked up his first save of the year. JSU's Adam Polk (0-1) gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings to suffer the loss for the Gamecocks.
Jax State (2-1) took an early lead after Andrew Bishop reached on an infield grounder and came around to score after Tyler Gamble singled up the middle to give JSU a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Northwestern State (1-2) took the lead for good after scoring five runs in the fourth inning as Daughdrill and Underwood each drove in two runs during the inning, as the Demons took advantage of two Gamecock errors to take a 5-1 lead.
Jax State cut the lead to 5-2 in the eighth inning after Gavin Golsaon scored on Griff Gordon's grounded out, but the Demons extended the lead in the ninth after Joel Atkinson scored on a Gamecock wild pitch.
Tyler Gamble led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a solo home run, his first of the season, to cut the lead to 6-3, but the Gamecocks could get no closer. Ryan Sebra and Gamble each finished with a pair of hits to lead the Gamecocks.
ORAL ROBERTS 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
TULSA, Okla. - The Southeast Missouri (2-1) baseball team came up short in their attempt to sweep the Oral Roberts (1-2) Golden Eagles Sunday, in the series finale. ORU took the lead in the first inning and never relinquished it, downing Southeast, 6-2.
The Redhawks took no time to manufacture their first run of the game in the first inning. Jason Blum reached on a swinging bunt that he beat out to first to get on base. Blum stole second then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Cole Bieser. Matt Tellor flew out to left, deep enough for Blum to tag up and score for an early 1-0 lead for the Redhawks.
Emmanuel Forcier hit a lead-off single in the bottom of the inning and advanced on a balk by Redhawk starter Ryan Lenaburg. A blooper off the bat of Matt Brandy to right field, just out of Dalton Hewitt's reach, was enough to score Forcier and tie the game. A single and a walk loaded the bases for the Golden Eagles. Brandon Healy drew a bases-loaded walk to give ORU the lead, 2-1
Oral Roberts widened the early lead in the second when they scored on a Blum error at second base, 3-1 ORU.
Southeast Missouri pulled within a run in the top of the sixth inning. Tellor reached on a leadoff single to left field. Hewitt then drew a two-out walk to give Southeast runners on first and second. Scott Mitchell came through with an RBI single up the middle to score Tellor. The Redhawks loaded the bases but came up short in an attempt to take the lead.
Oral Roberts got their run back and then some in the bottom of the inning. With Brady Wright on the mound, Forcier hit a one-out single and scored from first on an RBI double down the right field line off the bat of Joey Migliaccio. The following batter, Jose Trevino, knocked Migliaccio in with a single to center field, 5-2 ORU.
The Golden Eagles padded their stats a little with an RBI single from Anthony Sequeira, extending the lead to 6-2 going into the ninth inning.
The Redhawks went three up, three down in the top of the ninth.
Not a single Redhawk had a multiple hit day as five recorded only a single hit. Four separate ORU players had two hits on the day. ORU out-hit Southeast 10-5 in the win.
Lenaburg (0-1) suffered the loss for Southeast in his first appearance as a Redhawk pitcher. In his first appearance this season, Alex Siddle pitched 2.1 innings, giving up one run on only one hit, walking two and striking out two. In his first appearance this season, starter Gavin Glanz (1-0) picked up the win for the Golden Eagles.
#34 WICHITA STATE 21, SIUE 2
WICHITA, Kan. - No. 34 Wichita State used a pair of eight-run innings Sunday to take the finale of a three-game series 21-2. The Shockers swept the three-game season-opening series from the Cougars.
Jarrett Bednar (0-1) made his first start at the Division I level, allowing nine runs, six earned, on seven hits in just 1 1/3 innings.
Six other pitchers worked for the Cougars. Evan Martens allowed four earned runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings. Martens walked one and struck out one. Brett Thomas surrendered six in 2/3 of an inning. He struck out two and walked two. Caleb Wilkerson worked 1 1/3 innings allowing two runs on four hits.
J.D. Williams and P.J. Schuster combined for three scoreless innings. Williams allowed just a hit and struck out two in 1 2/3 innings. Schuster struck out one and allowed two hits in 1 1/3 innings.
The Cougars managed just three hits against six Shockers pitchers, scoring single runs in the third and ninth innings.
Austin Verschoore doubled with one out in the third and scored the Cougars first run of the on a Shockers' error. Devin Caldwell doubled to open the SIUE ninth inning. Brian Sipe drove in Caldwell with a two-out single.
Wichita State State starter Garrett Brummett earned the win allowing a run on one hit and striking out two.
Cody Bobbit was 4 for 5 with three RBIs and three runs for Wichita State. Parker Zimmerman was 4 for 5 with two RBIs. Casey Gillaspie and Micah Green each had two hits and four RBIs for the Shockers.
ALABAMA STATE 11, EASTERN KENTUCKY 3
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Two big innings doomed Eastern Kentucky in an 11-3 loss to Alabama State on Sunday. ASU won the three game series 2-1.
Alabama State (2-1) took control with nine runs combined in the third and fourth innings. Back-to-back RBI doubles in the second inning by TJ Alas and Kyle Nowlin staked the Colonels (1-2) to a 2-1 lead. A one-out RBI ground out in the third by freshman Ben Fisher extended the Eastern advantage to 3-1.
ASU tied the score on an RBI single by Emmanuel Marrero in the third. Dillon Cooper’s two-run double gave the Hornets the lead for good. Marrero and Branden Castro had run scoring singles for Alabama State in a four-run third inning that put the home team in front 10-3.
Alas finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI for EKU. No other Colonel had multiple hits, but as a group drew seven walks.
Marrero had three hits in four at bats for ASU. He also scored twice and drove in two. Cooper was 1-for-2 with a run and three RBIs.
Myles Scott (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing six runs, five of which were earned, on six hits in three innings on the mound. He walked three and struck out three. Matt Lynch gave up four runs on four hits in one-third of an inning. Tyler Howe picked up the win after tossing four innings of scoreless relief. He walked one and struck out two.
#36 TENNESSEE TECH 5, SOUTH ALABAMA 4
MOBILE, Ala. - A big fourth inning proved to be just enough for the No. 36 ranked Tennessee Tech baseball team Sunday morning, as the Golden Eagles (2-1) defeated South Alabama (1-2) in a 5-4 rubber match.
The Jaguars opened play with a lone run in the bottom of the first inning, taking a quick 1-0 advantage. But the Tech bats struck with force in the top of the fourth and the Golden Eagle pitching staff held on the rest of the way to give the Golden Eagles a big season-opening series win.
Third baseman Daniel Miles started things for Tech in the fourth, singling through the left side with one of his two hits on the day. Two batters later, shortstop Dylan Bosheers drew a walk on a full count. Freshman Andrew Contreras mimicked Bosheers with a walk of his own to load the bases for catcher Jordan Hopkins.
In his first start of the season, Hopkins came through in the clutch, drilling a double down the right field line to nab a 2-1 lead for the Golden Eagles. Junior left fielder David Allen followed suit, ripping his own double to left center field to clear the bases and double the Tech advantage to 4-1. It marked the first career RBI for Allen, who saw limited action last season and sat out his first two seasons at Tech as a redshirt freshman and then with an injury.
Senior second baseman Zach Zarzour drove in Allen on the next pitch, singling through the left side to give the Golden Eagles a 5-1 lead they would not relinquish.
South Alabama tried to answer in the bottom half of the inning, scraping across two runs, but junior starter John Gora closed the door on a full comeback, striking out the final batter to end the Jaguar threat.
The Jaguars tallied one more run in the bottom of the seventh and had several chances down the stretch to tie things up, but a combination of timely pitching and strong defense helped Tech to strand 11 batters throughout the contest.
Junior closer Seth Lucio entered the game with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, putting the hammer down for his second close of the year and 14th of his career.
Miles, Hopkins, and Allen all led the Golden Eagle offense against South Alabama, recording two hits each with both Allen and Hopkins raking in two runs apiece.
Reliever Austin Tolle collected his first win as a Golden Eagle, tossing 2.2 innings of relief while striking out two and allowing just one earned run.
UAB 5, UT MARTIN 3
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team scored three runs in the sixth inning this afternoon but ultimately it wasn’t enough as the Skyhawks fell 5-3 to UAB at Regions Field.
Freshman Fletcher Johnson led the Skyhawks with his second straight multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored out of the leadoff slot. Taylor Douglas scored a run and tallied an RBI, while Jake Deason (run scored) and Nico Zych (RBI) also helped pace UT Martin offensively.
The Skyhawks (0-3) received quality pitching performances for the third time in as many games. Starting pitcher Alex Martin allowed only two earned runs over five frames while Carter Smith (one unearned run in 2.2 innings) and Chris Ross (0.1 perfect inning) also saw time on the hill this afternoon.
Jeff Schalk’s two RBI’s led UAB (3-0) while Alex Luna was credited with the victory after going five scoreless innings. Thomas Lowery earned his second save in the series with 1.1 shutout frames.
Martin needed just nine pitches to get through the first inning, pitching around a single to get an inning-ending ground ball double play. He once again made short work of the Blazers in the second, using only nine pitches to put up another zero on the scoreboard.
UAB took advantage of a pair of errors in the bottom of the third, as the Blazers accounted for two hits to go ahead by a 2-0 margin. Martin did a good job of minimizing the damage, getting out of the inning after UAB had already scored two runs and had two baserunners on with no outs.
Martin did another tremendous job working his way out of trouble in the fourth, as he stranded the bases loaded to keep the score at 2-0. The Blazers would add to their lead with a two-run home run in the fifth.
UT Martin answered right back with a big inning in the top of the sixth. After Luna was removed from the game, Fletcher’s one-out walk ignited the rally. Deason then drove a 1-0 pitch down the left field line for a double, putting a pair of runners in scoring position. Both runners would come around to score after Douglas reached on an error to cut the Skyhawk deficit in half. Douglas then stole second base and advanced to third on a grounder to the right side by Kenny King. Following a walk to Phil Sorensen with two outs, Zych delivered a clutch single that brought in Douglas and make the score 4-3.
UAB added an unearned run in the sixth but Smith kept the Blazers off the scoreboard in the seventh, turning an unusual double play when Smith threw a runner out at the plate on a comeback grounder and catcher Drew Erie fired a strike to second base to mow down the batter, who had elected to go for the extra base.
The Skyhawks had a chance to trim their deficit in the eighth but couldn’t push a run across. Sorensen ripped a two-out double to right center and Zych reached on an error to put men on the corners and bring the go-ahead runner to the dish. However, UAB was able to escape the jam.
After the Blazers put two baserunners on in the bottom of the eighth, Ross came in an needed just two pitches to get out of the inning and give the Skyhawks a chance in the ninth.
Erie drew a leadoff walk to start off a potential UT Martin rally in the final inning but the Skyhawks ultimately couldn’t get a man in scoring position.
#14 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 9, EASTERN ILLINOIS 8
LAFAYETTE, La. - The Panther baseball team dropped its series finale at No. 14 Louisiana-Lafayette, 9-8, on Sunday afternoon at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. EIU falls to 1-3 on the season.
With two outs in the top of the ninth inning with two runners in scoring position, Montana Timmons lined out to centerfield to end the Panther comeback. Timmons finished the day going 4-for-5 at the plate with an RBI.
Mitch Gasbarro gave the Panthers an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when he crossed home plate on an RBI ground out by Caleb Howell. Louisiana-Lafayette responded by scoring four runs on three hits and one error in the bottom of the inning to make the score 4-1.
Jacob Reese hit a two-out, RBI single in the fourth inning to get EIU within two (4-2) before the Panthers took their first lead of the game in the next inning by scoring five runs on four hits and one error, making the score 7-4. The Ragin’ Cajuns responded again by adding five runs in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead, 9-7.
EIU scored its final run of the game in the sixth inning on a Howell sacrifice fly to right field. Howell finished the day going 1-for-3 at the plate with three RBI and a run.
Brant Valach went 1-for-5 with three RBI, a run and a triple. Gasbarro scored a game-high three runs and added two doubles while Cameron Berra went 2-for-5 with a run.
EIU had one more hit (13-12) than Louisiana-Lafayette in the contest. Both teams committed one error and left seven runners on base.
Garrison Stenger (0-1) took the loss for EIU, allowing seven hits and five runs in 2.2 innings of relief. He also had four strikeouts with one walk. Troy Barton started the game and surrendered four runs and three hits in two innings of action.
Chris Charpentier (1-0) earned the win for the Ragin’ Cajuns, allowing one hit and one run in 1.2 innings of relief. Cody Boutte got the start and surrendered eight hits and six runs (five earned) in 4.1 innings of play. Reagan Bazar retired the final two EIU batters to earn his first save of the year.
OHIO 7-6, MURRAY STATE 6-7
COLUMBIA, Tenn. - Ohio got an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to score the game-winning run in a 7-6 victory over Murray State in the 2014 season opener at Dave Hall Field in Columbia, Tenn. In the second game of the day Tyler Lawrence delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Murray State the lead for good in a 7-6 victory.
With a runner on second and two outs, Mitch Longo delivered the RBI hit through the right side. Tyler Wells scored from second, after being hit by a pitch and advancing on a wild pitch.
The Bobcats got on the board in the second inning by putting runners on the corners with a hit by pitch and a bunt single. Mitch Longo drove in the first run with a single up the middle, before scoring on a Tyree Burch single to center.
The Breds answered right back with a four-run third inning. Ty Stetson started the inning by beating out an infield single. Matt McGowan singled to center and Anthony Bayus drew a walk. Kollin Dowdy drove in Stetson with a groundout to the right side before Hargrove hit the three-run shot to right field.
MSU added a pair of runs in the fifth as McGowan walked, Bayus singled to left center and Dowdy singled to right center to load the bases. Hargrove delivered an RBI single to right field and Luke Daugherty drew a walk to score the second run of the inning.
The Bobcats rallied in the sixth inning with four runs of their own to tie the game. They collected five hits in the inning and scored two more runs on sacrifice bunts.
Right hander Cameron Finch threw five strong innings, but did not figure into the decision. The senior allowed just two runs and struck out three over five innings. He also picked off four base runners.
Cody Maerz (0-1) took the loss after allowing five runs on five hits over 1.2 innings. Nick Nauracy (1-0) picked up the victory after allowing just one hit over three shutout innings. Cory Wells retired all four hitters he faced to earn the save.
Hargrove finished the day with two hits and four RBIs. Daugherty added two hits, while Bayus scored a pair of runs.
In game two, with the scored tied in the sixth, Kollin Dowdy beat out an infield single and went to second on a groundout. With two outs, Lawrence ripped the single to center to score the game winner.
Ohio got on the board in the top of the first as Tyree Burch delivered an RBI single up the middle and Mitch Longo plated two runs with a single to right field.
The Breds answered right back with two runs in the home-half of the inning. Ty Stetson drew a leadoff walk and Anthony Bayus was hit by a pitch. Both runners came in to score on Kollin Dowdy’s double to right field.
The Bobcats added a run in the fourth on a Tyler Wells single to center. MSU again had an answer in the bottom of the inning with four runs of their own. Lawrence and Taylor Mathews singled, and Stetson walked to load the bases. Matt McGowan drove in two runs with a double to right center. The third run scored on an error off the bat of Bayus. Luke Daugherty plated the final run by drawing a bases-loaded walk.
Ohio tied the sixth as a single and a hit batter came in to score on a Scott White double to straight-away center field.
Andrew Bramley (1-0) picked up the victory after allowing two runs on three hits and three strikeouts over four innings. Connor Sitz (0-1) took the loss after allowing one run on three hits over 1.2 innings.
McGowan led the way by going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Dowdy added two hits and two RBIs, while Stetson and Lawrence each adding two hits.