SATURDAY'S SCORES
Southeast Missouri 13-9, @Eastern Kentucky 11-4
@Morehead State 9-8, Tennessee Tech 8-17
Jacksonville State 5-8, @SIUE 2-9
@Austin Peay 14-10, Eastern Illinois 10-6
Murray State 7-5, @UT Martin 2-6
@Oklahoma 6,
Belmont 5 (11 innings)
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 13-9, EASTERN KENTUCKY 11-4
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Southeast Missouri baseball team extended its winning streak to seven games and remain unbeaten in Ohio Valley Conference play in 2014 with a three-game series sweep of Eastern Kentucky (7-12,1-5 OVC). The Redhawks won both ends of a doubleheader Saturday, 13-11 and 9-4. The Redhawks improve to 13-6 overall, and a perfect 6-0 in OVC play.
Southeast outscored EKU 37-23 on the weekend and outhit the Colonels 50-32 in the sweep.
Game one began with EKU striking first. Kyle Nowlin led off the bottom of the first with a double to left field and advanced to third on a groundout. Sean Hagen, who hit two home runs in game one of the series, hit a high, fly ball to right that fell just short of Dalton Hewitt's glove to allow Nowlin to score. Hagen then scored on a single through the left side to put the Colonels up 2-0. With runners on first and second, Luke Wurzelbacher hit a low line drive to right that Hewitt made a fantastic diving catch on. Hewitt came up firing to first base to double up the runner on first, getting Southeast out of the inning.
The Redhawk offense joined the party by invitation of Branden Boggetto in the top of the fourth inning. With bases loaded, Boggetto singled through the left side. The left fielder couldn't field the ball properly, allowing all three runners to score and the Redhawks to take the lead, 3-2.
EKU answered in the bottom of the inning with a four-spot. EKU first scored on an RBI single then added a bunch with a three-run shot off the bat of Taylor Blair to put EKU back out in front 6-3.
Just like that, the Redhawks retied the game in the top of the fifth inning. Cole Bieser led off the inning with his second triple of the weekend. Derek Gibson recorded his third hit of the game on an RBI double to score Bieser from third. Matt Tellor stepped in and hit a big two-run home run to even up the score at six runs apiece.
With two out and bases empty to start the sixth inning, the Redhawks began a two-run rally that all started with Jason Blum being hit by a pitch. Bieser hit a single that Blum took third on; Bieser also advanced to second on the throw to third. Cole Ferguson hit a dribbler up the middle to score both Blum and Bieser, putting Southeast back out in front 8-6.
With Hewitt and Andy Lennington on first and third, the patented Redhawk double steal was on. Hewitt took off for second, was caught, and Lennington snuck in the back door and scored, extending the Redhawk lead to 9-6 in the seventh.
The Redhawk offense was not going to quiet down in the eighth inning. With bases loaded and one out for Gibson, he hit a ball just fair down the right field line to drive in two more runs. After EKU intentionally walked Tellor to load the bases again, Hewitt hit a blooper to right to score another two runs. The Redhawks led 13-6 after the top of the eighth.
EKU wasn't going down without a fight in the bottom of the ninth. Down seven runs, EKU scored two runs on a strange play back to pitcher Greg Mosel, who picked up the ball and fell down trying to get the force out at home. Two more runs scored on a Wurzelbacher triple. Brady Wright was brought in to the game for a struggling Mosel. Wurzelbacher scored on a groundout to Tellor at first. Wright was able to get Kenny Hostrander to groundout to third to secure the 13-11 victory for Southeast.
Southeast outhit EKU 18-12 in the opening game of the doubleheader. Both Gibson and Hewitt went 4-for-5 in the contest. Gibson and Boggetto each finished with three RBI while Ferguson, Tellor, and Hewitt each had two.
Redhawk starter Ryan Lenaburg (2-1) went 7.0 innings, giving up six runs, four earned, on nine hits. Wright earned his first save for Southeast as he pitched two thirds of an inning to close the game.
Three Colonel batters each had two hits apiece in the opening game. Wurzelbacher and TJ Alas each had two RBI while Blaire had three of his own to lead the team.
Tanner Perkins (1-3) recorded the loss for EKU. Perkins worked 6.0 innings, allowing eight runs on 13 hits to the Redhawks.
Once again, the Colonels struck first in the game. Nowlin, who hit a leadoff double in game one then scored, hit a leadoff triple in game two. Nowlin scored on a groundout to first base. 1-0 EKU after one inning.
The Redhawks got on the board and took the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Gibson got the ball rolling by singling to center, extending his hitting streak to 12 and his on-base streak to 15. Scott Mitchell singled and Lennington walked to load the bases. Gibson scored on a sacrifice fly from Boggetto to tie the game. Clayton Evans drove a double to left center field, scoring Mitchell and Lennington, putting Southeast ahead 3-1 in the fourth.
The Redhawks extended the lead by a run in the fifth. With Hewitt on second, Mitchell hit a mile-high pop up. The shortstop, who was battling the sun, dropped the ball, allowing Hewitt to score. Mitchell was out on the play on a 6-3-4 putout between first and second.
Redhawk relief pitcher Alex Winkelman found himself in trouble in the seventh inning. After giving up a leadoff double then walking the next batter, Shea Sullivan doubled to drive in EKU's third run of the game. With runners on second and third, Lennington picked up a ground ball then dove at the runner on third to get the lead runner. After giving up a walk to load the bases, Winkelman was taken out for Alex Siddle. Nowlin hit a single to right to tie the game. The Redhawks got out of the inning on a double play.
In the top of the eighth, Hewitt drove in Blum on a single through the left side to regain the lead. Southeast proceeded to load the bases but came up empty in an attempt to widen the lead.
Southeast Missouri added some huge insurance runs in the ninth inning. Lennington and Evans both singled to get runners on. Blum singled to right to score Lennington. After Bieser walked, Hewitt doubled down the right field line to score both Evans and Blum. Gibson recorded his ninth RBI of the series with a sac fly to left, scoring Bieser, and giving Southeast a 9-4 lead.
EKU got runners on first and third in the bottom of the ninth but Mosel shut the door on any possible EKU scoring to secure the victory for the Redhawks.
Mitchell finished the game 4-for-5 with one RBI while Evans was 3-for-4 with two RBI of his own.
Gibson finished the doubleheader 5-for-9 with four RBI. Hewitt was 6-for-10 with five RBI on the day.
Bieser added: "It was another outstanding weekend for Derek. He takes an aggressive approach every time he steps up to the plate. He is really understanding the game of baseball right now and looks great for us lately."
Starter Travis Hayes looked great in his second start but got a no-decision after EKU tied the game in the seventh. Alex Siddle (2-1) recorded the victory when he pitched one inning while giving up only a hit. Mosel earned his second save of the season after one and two thirds innings on the mound in game two, giving up only a hit, and striking out three of the seven batters he faced.
Nowlin and Sullivan were the only two Colonel batters to record a multiple-hit game with two apiece.
Relieve Cody Creamer (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up the go-ahead run in the eighth.
MOREHEAD STATE 9-8, TENNESSEE TECH 8-17
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Junior catcher Chris Robinson's RBI single in the 10th inning scored pinch runner Cyrus Strahm as the Morehead State baseball team rallied for a 9-8 win in game one of a doubleheader against Tennessee Tech Saturday. The Golden Eagles salvaged a split with a 17-8 victory in the nightcap.
Morehead State sits at 8-10 overall and 2-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while TTU is now 17-4 overall and 4-2 in the league.
In the opener, MSU sophomore pitcher Craig Pearcy (2-1) tossed the final five innings, struck out eight, and recorded the victory. Tech closer Seth Lucio (1-1), who entered the game having allowed no runs in 9.2 innings this year, gave up three in 2.1 innings to be tagged with his first loss.
Robinson was one of three MSU batters with five hits in the twinbill. He went 5-of-9 with four RBI. Freshman centerfielder Ryan Kent was also 5-for-9 with four RBI. Senior third baseman Jeff Birkofer was 5-for-8 on the day, including a trio of base knocks in the opener.
Tech's Daniel Miles was 7-for-12 with a pair of home runs and four RBI on the day. Jordan Hopkins totaled six hits and seven RBI, including five in the second contest. Tech drilled five home runs in the games.
In the first game, Tech pulled ahead 7-4 after seven innings and led 8-7 heading into the bottom of the 10th following a solo home run by Miles in the top of the inning. The Golden Eagles nearly got the go-ahead run across in the ninth, but Newell and Spencer teamed up to throw out Hopkins at the plate.
Kent led off the 10th with a single to center and moved to third on junior left fielder Nick Newell's double down the left field line. Kent scored the tying run via junior first baseman Kane Sweeney's sacrifice fly. After an intentional walk, Robinson lined a single to right field, and Strahm raced around third for the game-winning tally.
The hosts held a 4-1 cushion after three frames, using five straight hits to score three in the bottom of the third. Tech rallied with four runs in the fifth and notched two more in the seventh.
Tennessee Tech scored 10 times via seven hits in the first inning of the second game. The Golden Eagles registered 20 hits in the contest and added two more runs in the fourth and three in the fifth.
Birkofer, Kent and Robinson each went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI for MSU. Hopkins, Dylan Bosheers and Jake Rowland hammered four hits apiece for TTU.
Kyle Keatts (1-0) pitched 2.2 scoreless innings and was credited with the win. MSU starter Luke Schneider (0-2) only recorded two outs in the first before exiting. Sophomore Tyler Keele, the fifth of seven Eagle hurlers, tossed two innings of scoreless ball in relief.
MSU tallied multiple-run innings in the third, fourth and seventh frames.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 5-8, SIUE 2-9
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The top three in the SIUE order combined for 9 hits and seven RBIs Saturday as the Cougars got past Jacksonville State 9-8 in the second game of a doubleheader. The Gamecocks earned a 5-2 win in the early game at Simmons Baseball Complex.
The Cougars improved to 4-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference with the 2-1 series win over the Gamecocks. SIUE is 6-10 overall. Jacksonville State also is 4-2 in OVC play. The Gamecocks are 11-8 overall.
Nick Lombardo, Chase Green, and Devin Caldwell who batted one, two, and three respectively, paced the Cougar attack that finished with 13 hits in the final game. Caldwell was 3 for 4 with four RBIs. After being held hitless in the first game, and through his first two plate appearances in the second game, Caldwell picked up an RBI single in the fourth inning, a two-run home run in the sixth inning, and a solo homer in the eighth inning.
Caldwell's home run in the sixth opened up an 8-4 lead for SIUE, but JSU closed the gap with a solo home run by Stephen Bartlett in the seventh and an RBI single from Bartlett in the eighth inning to make it 8-6. Bartlett finished the game 3 for 4 with two RBIs.
Caldwell's eighth inning home run pushed the Cougars lead to 9-6, but the Gamecocks got a two-run home run from Ryan Sebra to cut the lead to 9-8. Caldwell now has a team-best five home runs this season and 28 for his SIUE career, which is second all-time at SIUE.
Green was 3 for 4 with two doubles, a single, a walk, and three RBIs. Lombardo was 3 for 5 with three runs scored.
Evan Martens (1-2) earned his first collegiate win in the start. He allowed five runs over six innings. He struck out two and walked one. Jarrrett Bednar tossed 2 2/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs. P.J. Schuster earned his third save of the year facing a single hitter to end the game.
Jacksonville State got a leadoff home run from Michael Bishop in the first inning of game one and never trailed in the game. The Gamecocks scored three times in the third against Cougar starter Jake Stauffenberg to lead 4-0. Michael Bishop was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs in the game.
Stauffenberg settled in to throw a career-high eight innings, allowing just the four runs, three earned, on five hits. He struck out five hitters, one shy of his career high.
The Cougars scored their only two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. SIUE got RBIs from Zach Little and Austin Verschoore in the losing effort.
AUSTIN PEAY 14-10, EASTERN ILLINOIS 10-6
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - One day after dropping its Ohio Valley Conference opener, Austin Peay State University’s baseball team bounced back to sweep Saturday’s doubleheader at Raymond C. Hand Park. The Govs won the opener 14-10 before cruising to a 10-6 victory in the nightcap.
The day’s first game was a wild affair with five lead changes. Austin Peay trailed 10-9 entering the seventh inning. Catcher P.J. Torres started the rally when he reached base on a wild pitch after striking out. After Torres reached second base on an error, second baseman Kevin Corey promptly tied the game with a RBI double.
The tie would not last more than one batter as pinch hitter Logan Gray followed with a two-run home run to right field, giving APSU the lead for good, 12-10. First baseman Dre Gleason added a pair of insurance runs with a single, giving the Govs a 14-10 advantage.
Austin Peay (8-10, 2-1 OVC) scored the opener’s first runs when it sent nine batters to the plate in a five-run first inning, keyed by Corey’s two-run double. Eastern Illinois responded in the third when it sent nine batters to the plate, scoring six times. Third baseman Tyler Schweigert hit a three-run home run to cap the rally with EIU leading 6-5.
The Govs regain the lead with a three-run third inning sparked by a RBI double by catcher P.J. Torres, a RBI single by Corey and a RBI triple by right fielder Rolando Gautier. Austin Peay held an 8-6 lead after three frames.
Eastern Illinois (4-15, 2-4) kept plugging away, scoring a run in the fourth before taking the lead again with a three-run sixth inning. Designated hitter Jason Scholl had a two-run single and Schweigert followed with a RBI single to give the Panthers a 10-9 lead.
Austin Peay’s relievers threw three scoreless innings to give the offense an opportunity to charge back. Tommy Hager (2-0) pitched a scoreless sixth and picked up the win. Jake Corum added a scoreless seventh and retired one of the two batters he faced in the ninth. Alex Belew retired a batter in the ninth but left the bases loaded. Closer Jared Carkuff entered the game and induced a foul out to end the contest, picking up his season’s third save.
Eastern Illinois reliever Garrison Stenger (0-5) suffered the loss after allowing five runs in 2.1 innings.
Austin Peay starter Levi Primasing dominated the nightcap. The right-hander retired the first five batters he faced and did not allow a run until the fourth inning, when he surrendered a leadoff single that eventually scored on a double by EIU left fielder Demetre Taylor.
After that double, Primasing retired the next nine batters he faced before hitting a batter with one out in the seventh. Eastern Illinois would get that runner home with a sacrifice fly later in the inning and Primasing struck out the final batter he faced in the seventh, ending his outing.
Meanwhile, the Govs offense opened the nightcap’s scoring with two runs in the third inning as Gleason had a RBI ground out to give APSU the lead for good and left fielder Ridge Smith followed with a RBI single, giving APSU a 2-0 lead.
One inning later and leading 2-1 after Primasing gave up his first run, the Govs broke the game open with a six-run frame. Center fielder Cayce Bredlau hit his first collegiate home run – a two-run blast to left center – and Smith added his season’s second home run – a two-run blast to left center – to pace the rally. Austin Peay would tack on another run in the fifth and eighth innings.
Eastern Illinois had more success with the Govs bullpen as they struck for three runs in the eighth – two scoring on first baseman Cameron Berra’s single – and another run in the ninth – on center fielder Derek Page’s sacrifice fly – but they could not close the gap.
Primasing (2-0) picked up the win after allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out five Panthers hitters.
EIU starter Chase Thurston (0-3) suffered the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits in three-plus innings.
Offensively, the Govs posted 14 hits in each game of the doubleheader. Corey went 4-for-5 with four RBI – posting career highs for hits and RBI – in the opener and was 1-for-3 in the night cap. Shortstop Garrett Copeland was 5-for-10 on the day and led the Govs with a 3-for-5 outing in the nightcap.
Eastern Illinois rapped out 18 hits in the opener, 16 going for singles. Right fielder Caleb Howell was 4-for-5 with a double and third baseman Tyler Schweigert was 4-for-5 with four RBI, including his three-run home run. The Panthers were held to nine hits in the night cap, with designated hitter Montana Timmons’ 2-for-3 effort the only multi-hit outing of the affair.
MURRAY STATE 7-5, UT MARTIN 2-6
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team muscled up for a season-high five extra-base hits while a pair of pitchers combined to allow zero earned runs in a 6-5 Skyhawk victory in Game 2 of today’s doubleheader against Murray State. Earlier in the day, UT Martin led early but fell 7-2 to the Thoroughbreds at Skyhawk Field.
UT Martin (2-15, 1-5 Ohio Valley Conference) was led offensively today by Taylor Douglas, who hit .667 (4-for-6) on the day. That included a 3-for-4 effort in Game 2 alone, where he homered, doubled twice, scored three times and added a pair of RBI’s. Douglas became the first Skyhawk to accumulate three extra-base hits in a single game since Trey Karlen (two doubles, home run) accomplished the feat at Southeast Missouri on April 17, 2011.
Ben Upton also had a pair of hits and two RBI’s in the nightcap – including the go-ahead RBI that gave the Skyhawks the lead for good. Phil Sorensen also launched his first homer of the season to help give UT Martin an early lead in Game 2.
On the mound, Alex Martin was not credited with a decision although he racked up a career-high seven strikeouts while allowing zero earned runs on just three hits over 5.2 innings. John Houston (1-0) earned the win in Game 2 by tossing 3.1 shutout innings out of the bullpen. Houston has now had a hand in both Skyhawk wins this season (mound victory and a save).
That pitching performance backed a commendable effort out of the Skyhawk hurlers in Game 1. Starting pitcher Taylor Cox allowed only three earned runs in 5.2 innings of work but fell to 0-4 on the season. Stu Jones (2.1 scoreless innings) and John Skubina (one shutout inning) also pitched well in Game 1 for the Skyhawks.
UT Martin returns to the road for its next four contests, starting with a midweek matchup at Evansville on Tuesday, March 18. First pitch time is set for 6 p.m.
In game one the Skyhawks held a lead through four innings but ultimately couldn’t muster enough offense against Murray State starting pitcher Brock Downey, who improved to 4-0 on the season after striking out 12 batters and allowing five hits in a complete game outing.
Drew Erie led the day off with a single up the middle in the bottom of the first and was moved up to second base thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Douglas. Two batters later, Nico Zych singled out to left field to score Erie and give UT Martin a 1-0 lead. The Skyhawks then took advantage of a Murray State error and tacked on another two-out run to go on top 2-0.
Cox was zoned in early, retiring 10 of the first 12 batters he faced while shutting out the ‘Breds through three frames. However, Murray State would score an unearned run in both the fourth and fifth innings to even up the score at 2-all.
The ‘Breds then opened the game up in the sixth, scoring five runs on five hits to go on top by a 7-2 margin.
While Jones and Skubina did a good job of holding Murray State scoreless the rest of the way, the Skyhawk batters could not solve Downey – as a Douglas single in the eighth was the only hit that UT Martin could record over the final five innings.
In game two the Skyhawks led for a good portion of the contest before they had to use some late comeback magic to earn their first OVC win of the season.
Murray State got on the scoreboard first with an unearned run in their first at-bat. Murray State’s lead did not last for long, as the Skyhawks pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Douglas lined a double down the left field line to start the rally and two batter later, Sorensen crushed an 0-1 pitch over the center field wall for his seventh career round-tripper.
At one point, Martin sat down 10 out of 11 ‘Breds batters, accumulating five strikeouts through his first four frames. Martin then retired the side in order on just seven pitches in the top of the fifth to allow the Skyhawks to pad their lead.
Douglas fought off an early 0-2 count to crank a one-out homer out to left field in the bottom of the fifth and make the score 3-1. It was the first homer of the season for the Holladay, Tenn. native.
Two walks and an error loaded the bases for Murray State in the top of the sixth but Martin recovered with two straight strikeouts. After the next batter walked, Martin was relieved by Houston. The ‘Breds added runs on a wild pitch, infield single and fielding error that resulted in a 5-3 Murray State lead.
Houston pitched around a one-out walk to induce a 6-4-3 double play to end the top of the seventh. Leading off the bottom of the seventh for UT Martin was Jake Deason, who singled to left field. After Mikey Nantze advanced Deason to second on a sacrifice bunt, Erie singled through the right side to put baserunners on the corners. Douglas then continued his breakout game by slamming an 0-2 pitch to the deepest part of the ballpark in straightaway center that brought home Deason. After Cox was issued a two-out walk that loaded the bases, it was Upton’s turn to play hero. The freshman out of Kingwood, Texas lined a single into left field that brought home both Erie and Douglas and gave UT Martin a 6-5 lead it would not relinquish the rest of the way.
Houston escaped a two-out double in the eighth and also worked around a leadoff error in the ninth when Nantze fired a strike to second base to catch the Murray State runner trying to steal. A double down the right field line then followed to put the tying run 180 feet away but Houston recovered with a popout to short and groundout to short to seal the victory.
OKLAHOMA 6, BELMONT 5 (11)
NORMAN, Okla. - Belmont fell to Oklahoma, 6-5 in 11 innings at L. Dale Mitchell Park Saturday afternoon.
Back-to-back doubles from Drew Ferguson and Alec Diamond to start the game allowed the Bruins to get on the board first. The Sooners responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.
A two-out rally allowed the Bruins to tie the game at 2-2 in the second. Tyler Walsh drew a two-out walk and a pair of singles from Ferguson and Diamond allowed the freshman to score.
Belmont put together another two-out rally in the fifth with a two-run homer from William Dodd to put the Bruins ahead, 4-2. Oklahoma answered with a run in the bottom half, cutting Belmont's lead to 4-3.
Dan Ludwig went five innings giving up seven hits and three runs. The left-hander struck out four and walked only one.
After the rain delay, James Buckelew came to the mound for his first relief appearance of the season. With the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the sixth, the Sooners got one across before Buckelew coaxed an inning-ending double play.
Behind a triple from OU's Hunter Haley, the Sooners added a run in the seventh to take a 5-4 lead.
Matthew Kinney came off the bench in the ninth and reached second after a strikeout and an error on the OU catcher. Rafael Bournigal also came off the bench and laid down a perfect bunt to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Ferguson laid down a safety squeeze allowing the tying run to cross the plate.
In the bottom of the eleventh, a Belmont error allowed the OU leadoff runner to reach second and scored the game-winning run behind a double from Anthony Heremelyn.
Christopher Carroll registered his career-best outing with four innings of work.