SATURDAY'S SCORES
Tennessee Tech 8, @SIUE 5
Jacksonville State 23, @Eastern Illinois 15
Murray State 7, @Austin Peay 2
Southeast Missouri 9, @UT Martin 3
Belmont 8, @Morehead State 6
@Evansville 12,
Eastern Kentucky 1
TENNESSEE TECH 8, SIUE 5
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The Tennessee Tech baseball team got right back on track Saturday afternoon, using a big fourth inning and subsequent scoring to defeat the SIUE Cougars (10-14, 8-3), 8-5. The Golden Eagles (22-6, 7-4) evened up the series behind a strong showing on the offensive side of the ball as well as clutch pitching.
SIUE grabbed an early 1-0 lead, scoring on a ground out by first baseman Alec Saikal. But all things flipped in favor of Tech two innings later.
The Golden Eagles shifted all momentum to their side in the top of the fourth, even with an out on the first pitch. In the second at bat of the inning, shortstop Dylan Bosheers drew a four-pitch walk, quickly followed by a single to left field by redshirt sophomore Jake Rowland. A second out in the inning seemed to end the threat, but Tech just kept making things happen.
With two outs, catcher Jordan Parris ripped a single down the left field line, tying the contest at 1-1. Second baseman Zach Zarzour kept the scoring going, doubling down the left field line and driving in Tech's second run of the contest. Jordan Hopkins drew a walk to load the bases, setting up slugger Zach Stephens for a big at bat. He hung in the box for six pitches before garnering his own free pass to first, driving in the third run of the frame.
Senior Daniel Miles broke the game wide open in tough situation, taking a 0-2 pitch straight to center field and driving in two runs to give Tech a 5-1 lead heading to the bottom of the fourth.
A leadoff single from Bosheers to center field in the next inning gave Tech another opportunity. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, putting Rowland in position to advance him over to third base with a ground out. Freshman Anthony El Chibani delivered with a 2-0 count, sending a ball deep to right field for a sacrifice fly to drive in a run for a 6-1 lead.
The Cougars made a comeback bid that would fall just short in the sixth inning, scoring four runs on a few miscues by the Golden Eagle defense. At the end of the frame, Tech was left clinging to a 6-5 lead with three to play.
Tech received five and two thirds inning of strong pitching from starter Chris Chism, who earned his fourth victory of the season after allowing six hits and just one earned run while striking out four batters. Senior reliever Ross Spurgeon tossed two innings on the day, scattering three hits while setting down three.
Perhaps the most impressive performance of the day on the mound belonged to junior closer Seth Lucio who earned his sixth save of the season while completing the final four outs of the game. The right hander allowed just one hit in his appearance, striking out the side in the ninth to give the Golden Eagles their 22nd win of the season.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 23, EASTERN ILLINOIS 15
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Jacksonville State tied a school record by scoring 13 runs in the seventh inning as the Gamecocks rallied for a 23-15 win over Eastern Illinois to secure the Ohio Valley Conference series against the Panthers.
Jacksonville State improves to 16-10 overall and 8-3 in the OVC, while Eastern Illinois drops to 7-19 overall and 2-6 in the league.
The Gamecocks trailed 11-7 entering the seventh inning, but sent 17 batters to the plate and scored 13 runs on nine hits - all with two outs - to take a 20-7 lead over the Panthers in the record-tying inning. JSU also scored 13 runs against Alabama State in an inning in a 26-6 win in 2009. The 23 runs were also the most against an OVC opponent for the Gamecocks, passing the record of 22 set against Morehead State.
Michael Bishop, Eddie Mora-Loera, Griff Gordon and Daniel Gaither each had three hits as the Gamecocks pounded out a season-high 19 hits. Mora-Loera, Gordon and Paschal Petrongolo each drove in four runs, while Gordon and Stephen Bartlett each extended their hitting streaks to nine games.
Mora-Loera was a double away from hitting for the cycle after hitting a home run in the first, a triple in the seventh and a single in the ninth inning. Gordon also hit a home run in the fourth inning.
Graham Officer (1-0) pitched the final four innings to earn his first win of the season for the Gamecocks, while Lee Greenfield (3-2) got stuck with the loss for the Panthers.
EIU built a 7-2 lead entering the fifth inning, but the Gamecocks scored five runs to tie the game. Petrongolo drove in two runs, while Petrongolo and Michael Bishop each added another run to help the Gamecocks tie the game at 7-7.
The Panthers answered in the sixth inning with four runs, before the Gamecocks exploded for the record-setting inning in the top of the seventh inning.
EIU scored a run in the seventh, before JSU added three more runs in the ninth and EIU matched with three runs in the home half of the ninth for the final margin.
MURRAY STATE 7, AUSTIN PEAY 2
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Murray State right hander Cameron Finch kept Austin Peay off balance all evening, and the offense came through when it needed to as the Breds defeated the Govs, 7-2, in the series opener Saturday afternoon at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Finch (3-2) picked up his third victory of the season as he held the Govs to just two runs on four hits over 7.1 innings. He struck out six and walked four. Cody Maerz (2) picked up where Finch left off as the sophomore struck out four over the final 1.2 innings.
The Breds (11-12, 5-5 OVC) got on the board in the third inning as Taylor Mathews singled to center and was sacrificed to second by Ty Stetson. Matt McGowan delivered an RBI single through the left side. After an Anthony Bayus double to left field, Tyler Lawrence hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Govs (10-15, 3-4 OVC) answered back in the home-half of the inning on a Rolando Gautier RBI fielder’s choice. Cayce Bredlau then hit an RBI double to left field that was aided by the wet field conditions, scoring Gautier.
MSU gained the lead for good in the sixth inning as Kollin Dowdy singled up the middle to start the inning and came around to score on Clay Kelly’s single to right center.
The Breds broke the game open in the top of the ninth as Taylor Mathews walked to start the inning. Another Stetson sacrifice bunt, and a McGowan bunt single put runners on the corners. With two outs, Lawrence deposited an RBI single into right center. On the next pitch, Michael Hargrove blasted a three-run shot over the wall in right field.
McGowan and Lawrence each had three hits, while Hargrove and Mathews each added two. Lawrence and Hargrove combined to drive in five of the seven runs.
Michael Robles (2-2) took the loss on the mound after allowing three runs on nine hits over six innings.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 9, UT MARTIN 3
MARTIN, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri won their Ohio Valley Conference series over the UT Martin Skyhawks (3-21, 2-9 OVC) Saturday evening with a 9-3 victory in game two of the series. A combination of power offense and stellar pitching allowed the Redhawks to once again power past the Skyhawks en route to the series win. Southeast improves to 16-10 overall, 9-2 in OVC play.
After SIUE lost to Tennessee Tech earlier in the day, the Redhawk win Saturday gives Southeast Missouri sole possession of first place in the league.
In the third inning with Jason Blum and Matt Tellor on with two out, Derek Gibson took a first pitch off his back to load the bases for Andy Lennington. Lennington then ripped a double down the left field line that rattled around in the corner, clearing the bases, and giving the Redhawks a 3-0 lead.
Costly errors by the Skyhawks in the fifth inning allowed the Redhawks to put up a four-spot in the frame. Cole BIeser led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch. Tellor then singled to put two runners on with no out. Gibson laid down a bunt for a hit to load the bases. UT Martin then went to the bullpen and brought in Alex Boshers to face Lennington with bases loaded and no out. Bieser was forced out at the plate on a slow-roller to first off the bat of Lennington. Scott Mitchell then reached on the first Skyhawk error of the inning, allowing Tellor to score on the play. Cole Ferguson then drew a bases-loaded walk to force Gibson across the plate. Dalton Hewitt struck out for the second out of the inning. Andy Lack then hit a ball to third that was bobbled a little by the third baseman, who then threw the ball away on the throw over to first. Two more Redhawks scored on the hit and error by Lack and led the Skyhawks 7-0 after the top of the fifth inning.
With Skyhawks on first and second in the bottom of the inning, an error by Lack, his second of the game, loaded the bases with two out. Taylor Douglas ripped a double to left center to clear the bases for the Skyhawks' first runs of the series and pull within four runs of Southeast, 7-3, going to the sixth inning.
The Redhawks extended the lead in the eighth inning with a two-out, two-RBI double off the wall by Tellor to put the Redhawks ahead 9-3.
Southeast outhit the Skyhawks 10-7 in the game. Blum, Tellor, Gibson, and Lack all recorded two hits in the contest. Lennington finished with three RBI while Tellor closed the game with two of his own.
Lenaburg (3-2) went seven innings, giving up three runs, all unearned, on five hits. Lenaburg struck out three batters and walked three. Christian Hull and Brady Wright each worked a scoreless inning Saturday.
For the Skyhawks, Douglas was the only hitter for UT Martin with a multiple hit performance after going 3-for-5 with three RBI.
UTM starter Dalton Potts (0-4) recorded the loss. Potts worked four innings, giving up six runs, five earned, on six hits. Potts did strike out five Redhawk batters and walked two.
Southeast Missouri will go for the sweep of the Skyhawks Sunday at 1 p.m. Alex Winkelman will have the ball to start the game for Southeast after Travis Hayes was scratched from the rotation due to a strain in his left side.
EVANSVILLE 12, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Eastern Kentucky fell to Evansville, 12-1, on Saturday after the Purple Aces scored six runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pull away.
An RBI ground out by Shain Showers and a run scoring single by Josh Jyawook in the fifth inning gave Evansville (15-8) a 6-0 lead. TJ Alas scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to get EKU on the board, but that is as close as the Colonels (11-15) would get.
Kyle Pollock’s two-run double in the bottom of the seventh and Kevin Kaczmarski’s grand slam in the eighth put the game away for UE. Kaczmarski finished 2-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Pollock drove in three while going 3-for-4 at the plate.
Bryan Soloman, Doug Teegarden and Kenny Hostrander had two hits each for Eastern Kentucky.
Connor Strain (1-2) started for Evansville and allowed just one unearned run on seven hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out seven. Brent Cobb (2-4) took the loss after giving up six runs on nine hits in four and one-third innings.
BELMONT 8, MOREHEAD STATE 6
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Belmont Baseball (8-18, 1-7) snapped a nine-game skid with an 8-6 win over Morehead State.
An RBI single from Matt Beaty drove in Alec Diamond to put the Bruins ahead 1-0 in the first.
After resuming Saturday's suspended game in the second inning, Belmont took a 5-0 lead behind doubles from Drew Ferguson and Beaty.
Morehead State got two across in the bottom of the third. The Bruins responded in the fourth as Brennan Washington hit a leadoff single and proceeded to steal second. The right fielder scored off Ferguson's second double of the day to give BU the 6-2 lead.
With RBIs from Drake Byrd and Matthew Kinney, the Bruins extended their lead to 8-2 in the fifth.
MSU's Brandon Rawe hit a three-run homer cut the Bruins' lead to three in the seventh, 8-5.
Eight Belmont players had at least one hit in Sunday's first game. Ferguson led the Bruins with three hits. Diamond, Beaty and Jamie Ritchie each had two hits.
The Eagles added one in the bottom of the ninth, but a Belmont double play ended the threat and preserved the win.
James Buckelew went five innings as he scattered seven hits and struck out four. With the outing, the left-hander is now tenth all-time with 248.2 innings pitched during his career.
Greg Brody picked up his fourth of the season.