FRIDAY'S SCORES
@#5 South Carolina 4,
Eastern Kentucky 0
Bowling Green 5,
@Murray State 3
@#25 Arkansas 6,
Eastern Illinois 2
@Jacksonville State 10, Valparaiso 0
@Southeast Missouri 18, IPFW 0
@Tennessee Tech 11, NYIT 2
@Belmont 9, Miami (Ohio) 8
@Grambling 5,
Morehead State 2
@Baylor 5,
Austin Peay 2
SIUE 4, @New Mexico State 3 (12 innings)
Eastern Michigan 17,
UT Martin 3 (Nashville, Tenn.)
#5 SOUTH CAROLINA 4, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Eastern Kentucky stayed close to No. 5 South Carolina, but lost 4-0 on Friday in the opener of the three-game series.
The Gamecocks have now held their opponents scoreless for 33 consecutive innings.
Kyle Nowlin had a hit in each of his first three trips to the plate and finished 3-for-3 with a walk for Eastern Kentucky (1-4). Joey Pankake went 2-for-4 with a run scored for South Carolina (5-0).
Nowlin took the first pitch of the game and drove it into right field for a single, but it was the Gamecocks that got on the board first. Kyle Martin led off the second with a home run over the right field wall. Max Schrock made it 2-0 in favor of South Carolina with a solo shot in the third inning.
Sean Hagen led off the fourth inning with a single to left center. He stole second and advanced to third on a fly ball. However, Jordan Montgomery retired the next two batters to end the threat.
A lead-off double by Pankake in the sixth led to another run for South Carolina. Pankake moved to third on a ground ball and then scored on a fielder’s choice. Brison Celek made it 4-0 with an RBI single to center field.
Brent Cobb (1-1) started for the Colonels. He allowed four runs on seven hits in five and two-thirds innings. Freshman Caleb Johnson came on with two outs in the fifth and retired all seven batters he faced. He pitched two and one third hitless innings and struck out one.
Montgomery (2-0) scattered five hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out four.
BOWLING GREEN 5, MURRAY STATE 3
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State overcame a slow start and nearly erased a four-run deficit before falling, 5-3, to Bowling Green in the series opener Friday afternoon at Reagan Field.
The Falcons (2-2) struck quickly in the first inning as Jeremy Shay delivered an RBI double to right field and scored on a Logan Walker single to right field.
BGSU added two more runs in the second inning as Brian Bien hit a sacrifice fly to left field and Shay plated a run with a triple to right center.
Sheldon Baxter restored order for the Breds as he entered the game with two outs in the second and proceeded to retire the first 15 hitters he faced.
While Baxter was keeping the Falcons off the board, the Breds offense began to chip away. Michael Hargrove helped get MSU on the board in the fourth by drawing a leadoff walk. A base hit from Luke Daugherty and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third. Rick Linton plated a run with a groundout to the right side.
The Breds (2-2) bats came calling again in the fifth as Ty Stetson and Matt McGowan walked. Anthony Bayus put down a sacrifice bunt before Kollin Dowdy drove in both runners with a double off the fence in left center
BGSU added an insurance run in the eighth as Jesse Rait delivered an RBI single to right field.
MSU had chances to score throughout the game, but stranded 11 runners.
Baxter did not factor in the decision, but threw a career-best 7.1 innings, allowing just one run on three hits and four strikeouts. Andrew Bramley (1-1) took the loss after surrendering four runs on six hits in 1.2 innings.
Jason Link (2-0) picked the victory in relief for BGSU. He allowed three hits in shutout innings. Ethan McKenney (1) picked up the save after walking one over the final 2.1 innings.
Daugherty was the only Bred to collect two hits as he went 2-for-3 with a walk. Stetson went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and was hit by a pitch.
#25 ARKANSAS 6, EASTERN ILLINOIS 2
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Panther baseball team dropped its series opener at No. 25 Arkansas, 6-2, on Friday afternoon at Baum Stadium in front of 6,921 spectators. EIU falls to 1-4 on the season.
Trailing 6-0 in the top of the ninth inning, Trey Russell delivered a one-out, two-RBI double to left field to get the Panthers on the scoreboard. Jacob Reese grounded out to second base on the next play before Dane Sauer popped up to second base to end the EIU rally.
The Razorbacks (4-0) took a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the third inning, scoring two runs on two hits. Arkansas added four runs over the next two innings to pull ahead of the Panthers, 6-0.
All told, the Panthers hit three Arkansas batters in the game and issued two walks. EIU has hit 12 opposing batters this season through five games.
EIU had two more hits than Arkansas (6-4) in the loss and committed one less error (2-1). The Panthers also left three more runners on base (7-4).
Russell and Frankie Perrone led the Panther offense as they both went 2-for-3 at the plate. Jason Scholl and Brant Valach both added one hit.
Jake Johansmeier (1-1) took the loss for EIU, surrendering six runs (five earned) and five hits in 4.1 innings of work. Ben Kennedy pitched two innings in relief of Johansmeier and threw one strikeout in two scoreless innings of work. Kennendy, Jake Haberer and Chase Thurston combined to throw 3.2 innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen without allowing a hit.
Jalen Beeks (2-0) earned the win for Arkansas as the junior pitcher threw five strikeouts in 5.2 scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and issued two walks. Andrew Benintendi led the Razorbacks at the plate as he went 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 10, VALPARAISO 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Senior Taylor Shields scattered three hits in seven solid innings on the mound to lead Jacksonville State to a 10-0 shutout over Valparaiso in the first game of a three-game series on Friday at Rudy Abbott Field.
Shields (2-0) threw just 76 pitches and had a pair of strikeouts while allowing only three singles to earn his second win of the season. Casey Antley had three strikeouts and did not allow a hit in three innings of relief to pick up his first save of the year. Cole Webb (0-1) gave up six runs and walked four to get stuck with the loss for Valpo.
The Gamecocks jumped out to the early lead after Griff Gordon and Paschal Petrongolo each drove in a run in the first inning to give JSU a 2-0 lead.
Jax State extended the lead in the sixth inning after scoring four runs on three hits, highlighted by a two-RBI single by Michael Bishop, while Andrew Bishop and Tyler Gamble each drove in a run as JSU took a 6-0 lead.
Jacksonville State extended the lead with a pair of runs in the seventh when Ty Pierce and Cal Lambert each scored for an 8-0 lead, before JSU tacked on two more runs in the eighth inning. Gavin Golsan and Patrick Fedorko each scored an unearned run for the final margin.
Andrew Bishop, Paschal Petrongolo, Ryan Sebra and Lambert each had two hits as the Gamecocks finished with 12 in the game, while Michael Bishop and Andrew Bishop each finished the game with a pair of RBI. Andy Burns had two of the three hits to lead Valpo.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 18, IPFW 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Southeast Missouri baseball team posted runs in every inning expect for one in an 18-0 shutout over the Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (2-3) Friday evening. Southeast Missouri improves to 4-2 on the season.
This is the first shutout Southeast has posted since March 18, 2013 in a 1-0 victory at Belmont last season.
Southeast Missouri scored a run each in the first two innings. Cole Bieser scored the first run in the first inning and then drove in the Redhawks' second run on a sacrifice fly out to center the next inning, putting Southeast up 2-0.
The Redhawk bats exploded in the third inning as Southeast put up a seven-spot on the board. The Redhawks batted around in the inning as 10 batters saw a plate appearance and combined for six hits in the inning. Andy Lennington led off the inning with a double and then immediately came around to score on an RBI single from Dalton Hewitt. After Derek Gibson singled, IPFW made a call to the bullpen to pull their starting pitcher, Brandon Pease. With bases full of Redhawks, Hewitt scored on a wild pitch. A walk, two hits, three runs, and an error later, Southeast found themselves up 7-0 on the Mastodons. With a runner on, Cole Ferguson blasted his first home run as a Redhawk to extend the lead to 9-0 after three innings.
Southeast nearly batted around again in the fourth inning as they put up two more runs in the inning to lead 11-0 after four.
IPFW was able to keep the Redhawks from scoring in the fifth inning; the only inning the Redhawks did not score a run.
The Redhawks began pulling men off the bench in the sixth inning, including Alex Burridge, Nolan Fisher, John Logan Zink, and Ryan Barnes. The quartet each had a hit, and combined for two runs, and three RBI in the game.
Redhawk starter Tyler Iago's night was finished after the sixth inning. Iago completed the evening with 6.0 scoreless innings pitched while only giving up three hits to the Mastodons. Iago also struck out nine batters and only gave up one walk, the only walk given up by a Redhawk pitcher Friday evening.
Southeast used two, two-RBI doubles from Bieser and Burridge in the seventh inning to widen the lead to 16-0.
Jason Blum and Bieser each added an RBI single in the eighth.
Bieser finished the game with five RBI to his name in a 2-for-3 performance while also scoring two runs. Gibson went 3-for-4, also with two runs scored.
Every batter in the Redhawk lineup contributed at least a hit Friday with five contributing multiple hits. Seven Redhawks also tallied RBI. Southeast outhit IPFW 19-4.
Iago (2-0) earned his second victory of the young season Friday.
Perry Middleton pitched 2.0 innings in his Redhawks debut, giving up only one hit and fanning three batters. Alex Siddle came in to close the game for Southeast and struck out the side in the ninth.
IPFW used five pitchers in the contest. Pease (1-1) recorded his first loss of the season.
TENNESSEE TECH 11, NYIT 2
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - It didn't take long for the Tennessee Tech baseball team to claim victory in Cookeville as the Golden Eagles (4-1) won their home opener in style Friday afternoon, disposing the NYIT Bears (0-1), 11-2, at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
The Golden Eagles used two huge innings to grab victory over the Bears, striking for four runs in the bottom of the fifth and six more in the eighth.
Providing the spark at the plate was senior Brandon Thomasson, who fell just a single shy of completing the cycle. The right fielder went off with a 3-for-4 day at the dish, garnering a walk while driving in six runs.
NYIT started things off, scoring a run in the top of the second inning off a wild pitch by Tech starter Chris Chism. The junior settled down after the inning allowing just one more run (unearned) the rest of the way while striking out three batters and scattering four hits across six innings.
Tech answered in the bottom half as shortstop Dylan Bosheers squeezed an RBI single through the right side to even things up at 1-1.
The Bears tallied one more run in the contest, retaking the lead in the fourth. With the bases loaded and just one, first baseman Nick Dellasperanza recorded the team's lone RBI, hammering a ball to shortstop that forced Bosheers into a fielder's choice at second base. The run gave NYIT a 2-1 lead heading to the fifth inning.
The deficit would not last long for the Tech squad, however, as the Golden Eagles quickly turned things around in the bottom of the fifth. Leadoff man Zach Zarzour kicked things off by reaching base after being plunked by a pitch. Bosheers followed, drawing a five-pitch walk to bring up Tech slugger Zach Stephens. The senior worked a full count before getting hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Thomasson.
Arguably the hottest hitter in the Golden Eagle lineup, Thomasson took a 2-1 pitch deep to right field, crushing a grand slam to give his team the lead for good. At the end of the fifth, Tech led 5-2.
Both teams cruised over the next two and half innings before the Golden Eagles lit up the scoreboard again, giving the Bears trouble with a bunt drill.
After designated hitter Tyler Brazelton led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch, junior David Allen laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the redshirt freshman over. NYIT struggled to field the ball, allowing Allen to reach first safely and Brazelton to advance to third base. Jordan Parris copied Allen, dropping a sac bunt of his own that created problems for the Bears once again. Parris reached on another error while Brazelton scored and Allen advanced to second base.
With still no outs in the inning, Zarzour also attempted a sac bunt, forcing a third error in the inning by NYIT and allowing Parris to advance to third and Allen to score another run for the Golden Eagles.
The Bears recorded an out on the next batter, but walked Stephens to load the bases for third baseman Daniel Miles. The senior drilled a single through the left side, driving in two runs and advancing to second on the throw home. Thomasson continued his hot day in the next at-bat, narrowly missing his second home run of the game with a triple off the top of the right center field wall. He drove in two runs on the play, extending Tech's lead to 11-2.
Chism earned his first career victory after six innings of work. Jeb Scoggins, Ross Spurgeon, and Cain Sloan all pitched in for the final nine outs. Each Golden Eagle threw one inning apiece, combining for four strikeouts and just two hits allowed.
Thomasson finished the day with a double, a triple, and a home run while driving in six and scoring one run himself. Bosheers and Allen both recorded multi-hit games as well, each grabbing two hits in the contest. Zarzour, Stephens, and Allen scored two runs each on the day and Stephens recorded just on at-bat, drawing three walks.
BELMONT 9, MIAMI (OHIO) 8
NASHVILLE - A bases loaded balk pushed the winning run across the plate as Belmont (4-1) salvaged a 9-8 victory over Miami (Ohio) Friday night at Rose Park.
The win marks head coach Dave Jarvis' 800th career victory.
Miami got on the board first, but their lead was short-lived as an RBI single from Nick Egli tied the game at 1-1 in the first.
The Redhawks took a 2-1 lead with a solo home run from Gary Russo in the fourth. Belmont responded with a pair of home runs from Drew Ferguson and Jamie Ritchie, to put the Bruins up 3-2.
An RBI single and a sacrifice fly added two more runs for Miami in the sixth. Belmont capitalized on a pair of walks and a hit batsman in the bottom half of the inning, scoring five runs to take an 8-4 lead.
The Bruins gave up four unanswered runs to the Redhawks heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Miami relief pitcher Charlie Suich walked three consecutive batters to start the ninth. Jacob Banks came in from the bullpen to strike out a pair of Belmont batters before being called for a balk, allowing Zach Hald to score the winning run.
Greg Brody earned his first win of the season. He struck out two in his 1.1 innings of work.
GRAMBLING 5, MOREHEAD STATE 2
GRAMBLING, La. - The Morehead State baseball team dropped a 5-2 decision to Grambling State on Friday night in the opening contest of a three-game weekend series at Ellis Field.
The Tigers improve to 1-4 this season, while the Eagles fall to 2-4. Each team registered eight hits in the contest, but MSU stranded 11 base runners to GSU's seven.
GSU senior righty Edvaradas Matusevicius (1-1), who picked up the win, allowed eight hits and only two runs in 6.2 innings. MSU junior right-hander Matt Anderson (0-2) was saddled with the loss, despite allowing only six hits in 6.1 innings.
Grambling State struck first, plating one in the bottom of the second on an RBI from junior catcher Roger Diaz.
Morehead State junior shortstop Robby Spencer evened things in the top of the fifth when he drove in junior first baseman Kane Sweeney on an RBI single. The Tigers plated two in the bottom half of the inning, on two hits and an MSU error, to retake the lead, 3-1.
The teams traded runs in the sixth, MSU's coming on a sacrifice fly from junior center fielder Clayton Meyer, before another in the eighth for GSU to put away the victory.
Senior designated hitter Bobby Burns and junior right fielder Brandon Rawe both went 2-for-4, and were the only Eagles to register multiple hits in the contest.
BAYLOR 5, AUSTIN PEAY 2
WACO, Texas - Shortstop Logan Gray had two hits, including a two-run double, but it wasn’t enough as Austin Peay State University’s baseball team fell 5-2 to Baylor, Friday night, at Baylor Ballpark.
Austin Peay (1-4) again struggled to find offensive results, despite several well-hit balls throughout the night. Still, a trio of freshmen combined for the Govs five hits in the contest. Gray and third baseman Alex Robles had two hits each while first baseman Dre Gleason had the third hit.
Gray’s first hit helped the Govs recover from a rough first inning. His second-inning line drive eluded the left fielder and bounced off the wall for a double that scored Gleason and left fielder Tommy Hager and tied the game at 2-2.
However, after the second inning the Govs offense could not find its stride. Austin Peay would have just two baserunners over the next five innings. The Govs would see Baylor give it two baserunners in the eighth thanks to a walk and a hit batsman – but they could not capitalize as Baylor closer Josh Michalec needed just one pitch to end APSU’s final threat.
Baylor (3-2) capitalized on an Austin Peay error for the game’s first runs. Govs starter Zach Hall induced a one-out pop out from Baylor left fielder Darryn Sheppard, but the Govs infield could not track down the ball and was charged an error. Hall then got a fly out for the second out. However, the next four Baylor batters reached base, third baseman Duncan Wendel’s two-run single giving Baylor a 2-0 advantage.
Neither team would score again until the fifth inning when Baylor struck again. Hall surrendered a leadoff walk. He would fall behind the count to designated hitter Grayson Porter and ultimately gave up a go-ahead two run home run. Baylor would tack on an insurance run off the Govs bullpen in the eighth to set the final score.
Hall (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on four hits and five walks in four-plus innings. Five Govs relievers combined to toss the final five innings.
Baylor starter Dillon Newman (1-0) picked up the win after holding the Govs to two runs on four hits while striking out nine in six innings. Reliever Doug Ashby tossed 1.2 scoreless innings before Michalec closed the door with the final four outs for his season’s third save.
Center fielder Logan Brown and Wendel each had two hits to pace the Baylor offense.
SIUE 4, NEW MEXICO STATE 3 (12)
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - – Nick Lombardo came in to score on a wild pitch in the top of the 12th inning giving SIUE baseball its first win of the season, 4-3 over New Mexico State in the first game of a four-game series.
The Cougars improved to 1-3 with the win, while New Mexico State dropped to 3-2.
Lombardo began the 12th inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Chase Green. Skyler Geissinger grounded out to short, moving Lombardo to third.
New Mexico State reliever Zach Freeman suffered the loss. He allowed only the run over six relief innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Ryan Daniels turned in a dominating performance in his second start of the year. The right hander struck out a career-best eight hitters over five shutout innings. He allowed just a single hit and walked one.
The Cougars took the lead in the top of the third inning against New Mexico State starter Christopher Bradley.
Jacob Stewart walked to start the inning and Brian Sipe followed with a single up the middle. Lombardo walked with one out to load the bases. Green then drew a walk bringing Stewart in for the first run of the game. Geissinger drove a single to left field bringing home Sipe and Lombardo to make it 3-0.
Bradley lasted six innings and allowing the three runs on five hits.
Geissinger finished the game 1 for 6 with the pair of RBIs. Green and Alec Saikal each had two hits for the SIUE, which finished with 10 hits as a team.
The Aggies scored their first two runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning against SIUE reliever J.D. Williams. Kent Blackstone drove home the first run with a one out double. Blackstone later scored on a fielder's choice. Mike Miller relieved Williams, finishing the sixth and pitching a scoreless seventh.
New Mexico State tied the game in the eighth inning against P.J. Schuster thanks to an RBI single by Michael Paulson. Schuster settled in to throw three innings striking out three. Brett Thomas tossed two scoreless innings to earn his first win as a Cougar.
Paulson was the only Aggie player to collect more than a single hit. He was 2 for 6 with the RBI. NMSU managed only seven hits as a team.
EASTERN MICHIGAN 17, UT MARTIN 3
NASHVILLE - UT Martin dropped its series opener with Eastern Michigan by a margin of 17-3.
The game was played at Belmont's Rose Park due to poor field conditions in Martin.
UT Martin was hampered by six errors in the field that led to six unearned runs. Taylor Cox earned the start on the mound for UT Martin, shutting down the Eagles over the first three frames before allowing four earned runs in 6.2 innings. He allowed six hits while striking out six batters. John Skubina came on in relief in the seventh and had conceded one earned run over two frames when the game was delayed.
At the plate, freshman Ben Upton drilled the Skyhawks’ first homer of the season, cranking a two-run opposite field shot as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh. Nico Zych drove in UT Martin’s first run of the game in the fourth inning while Phil Sorensen and Max Balter scored a run for the Skyhawks.
Eastern Michigan broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the top of the fourth before the Skyhawks got a run back in the bottom half of the inning. The Eagles added a pair of runs in the sixth and one more run in the seventh before Upton’s longball made the score 7-3 after seven complete innings.