FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 9, SIUE 8
Austin Peay 3, @Belmont 2
@Morehead State 14, UT Martin 6
@Southeast Missouri 11, Eastern Illinois 7
@Tennessee Tech 15, Jacksonville State 4
@Ohio State 3,
Murray State 1
EASTERN KENTUCKY 9, SIUE 8
RICHMOND, Ky. - The lead changed hands four times, and each team came back to tie the game on four occasions, but Eastern Kentucky held on for a 9-8 victory over Southern Illinois Edwardsville to tie the Ohio Valley Conference series 1-1.
Eastern (18-21, 8-9 OVC) broke the final tie in the bottom half of the eighth. Bryan Soloman led off the inning with a single to left. Justin Cessna came in to run and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Freshman Ben Fisher’s single up the middle pushed in what proved to be the game-winning run.
Anthony Bazzani came in to close it out in the ninth and struck out the first batter he faced. SIUE’s Chase Green then singled up the middle and Alex Saikal followed with an infield single to get the go-ahead run on base. However, Bazzani induced Skyler Geissinger to ground into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.
Fisher finished 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Soloman also went 4-for-5, scored twice and drove in one.
Much like they did during Thursday’s series opener, the Colonels jumped out in front early. With the bases loaded and one out in the first, Fisher singled through the right side to plate a pair of runners.
The Cougars (13-23, 10-10 OVC) answered in the top of the third. Nick Lombardo drove in the team’s first run on a ground ball to the shortstop. Denton Reed followed with a single through the right side that brought home the tying run. SIUE grabbed a 3-2 lead on an RBI double to left by Devin Caldwell in the fourth. Another run scored on a double play ball.
EKU tied it in the bottom of the fifth. Sean Hagen got the rally started with a one-out single up the middle. Fisher followed with an infield single. After a ground out moved the runners to scoring position, freshman Taylor Blair drove a ball through the left side to bring in both runners and knot the game at 4-4.
The advantage swung to SIU Edwardsville in the top of the seventh when a run scored on a sacrifice fly by Green and another came home on a wild pitch. The Colonels came right back and answered in the bottom half of the inning. Soloman led off the inning with his team-leading eighth home run of the season. Hagen followed with a single to left and then scored the tying run on Fisher’s double to center. TJ Alas made it back-to-back doubles and gave Eastern the lead with a two-bagger to right center. Luke Wurzelbacher drove in the final run with a sacrifice bunt, giving the home squad an 8-6 lead.
The Cougars didn’t fold and tied it for the fourth and final time in the eighth. A ground out by Brian Sipe scored one. Austin Verschoore’s single to right tied it 8-8.
Five players had two hits each for SIU Edwardsville, including a 2-for-4 game from Verschoore. He scored twice and drove in one.
AUSTIN PEAY 3, BELMONT 2
NASHVILLE - Catcher P.J. Torres’ two-run home run in the seventh inning helped seal an impressive start by Jared Carkuff as Austin Peay State University’s baseball team posted a 3-2 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Belmont, Friday afternoon at Rose Park.
Carkuff would allow a run in the first inning as Belmont third baseman Matt Beaty doubled with two out and scored on catcher Jamie Ritchie’s single. But Carkuff settled in and allowed just one base runner over the next four innings, including a stretch where he retired nine consecutive batters after allowing a third-inning leadoff single.
However, Belmont (16-22, 7-10 OVC) starter James Buckelew more than matched his counterpart. He would hold the Govs without a hit through six innings. The Govs scored a run in the second after first baseman Dre Gleason walked to start the inning then moved around the bases with a passed ball and a groundout before scoring on a wild pitch.
Austin Peay’s (16-23, 8-9 OVC) offense would break the 1-1 tie in the seventh. Second baseman Garrett Copeland would earn the Govs fifth walk from Buckelew. Austin Peay used a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Logan Gray to move Copeland into scoring position with two out. Torres rendered the sacrifice a moot point as he blasted a home run against the wind to right field, giving the Govs a 3-1 lead.
Reliever A.J. Gaura entered the game in the seventh and retired the first five batters he faced and held the Govs 3-1 advantage through eight innings. He then returned to start the ninth and walked the first two batters he faced and Belmont moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, ending Gaura’s outing.
Ryan Quick then took over and surrendered a run on a sacrifice fly by pinch hitter Nick Egli. That would be the Bruins’ lone run as Quick struck out pinch hitter Spencer Petett to end the game.
Carkuff (2-2), making his second start this season, picked up the win after allowing one run on four hits in six innings, striking out three. Quick picked up his season’s second save.
Austin Peay mustered just two hits in the contest, Torres leading that effort with a 1-for-4, two RBI performance. The Govs did earn six walks from Belmont pitchers, Copeland and right fielder Rolando Gautier each walking twice.
Buckelew (4-4) was the hard-luck loser after limiting Austin Peay to three runs (two earned) on one hit in seven innings. He struck out seven batters but allowed five walks in the outing.
Belmont recorded four hits in the contest, Ritchie going 1-for-3 with a RBI to lead the effort.
MOREHEAD STATE 14, UT MARTIN 6
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State baseball team erupted for 11 runs and 11 hits over its final two at-bats en route to a 14-6 thumping of Ohio Valley Conference opponent UT Martin on Friday evening at Allen Field.
The Eagles improve to 20-18 overall, 9-8 in league play and 8-6 at home. The Skyhawks slip to 4-32 overall, 3-17 in conference action and 1-21 on the road. The win was MSU's fourth straight and eighth in a row over UTM.
UT Martin held a 5-3 advantage at stretch time, but Morehead State exploded for five runs on six hits in the seventh and six runs on five base knocks in the eighth. The Eagles matched a season high with 18 hits in the contest.
MSU junior right fielder Brandon Rawe finished 4-for-5 with three runs and one RBI, while junior first baseman Kane Sweeney closed out 4-for-5 with a pair of scores. Senior designated hitter Bobby Burns added a 3-for-5 effort with one run and two knocked in.
Rawe has now collected a team-high 22 multi-hit efforts, while Sweeney owns 12 and Burns has nine.
Eight of Morehead State's starting position players registered at least one hit. Nine Eagles plated at least one run, while nine others drove home at least one teammate. MSU's No. 2, 3, 4 and 5 hitters combined to go 12-for-20 with eight runs and four RBI.
Senior third baseman Jeff Birkofer extended his season-best hitting streak to 11 games, while Rawe has now hit safely in six straight affairs.
MSU sophomore right-hander Matt Anderson improved to 2-5 this year with the win. He allowed five earned runs and six hits while fanning six in seven innings.
Sophomore right-hander Craig Pearcy retired three of the four batters he faced, while senior right-hander Dan Hyatt worked one perfect frame for the Eagles.
UT Martin's bullpen yielded 11 earned runs and 12 hits in three innings. Junior left-hander Carter Smith, who started the seventh, dropped to 1-2 with the loss.
Junior center fielder Taylor Douglas crushed two home runs for the Skyhawks, while freshman designated hitter Ben Upton launched one roundtripper. Douglas finished 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI, while Upton drove home three runs and scored once.
UT Martin held a 5-0 advantage in the third, but Morehead State stormed back to plate 14 of the game's last 15 runs. The Eagles notched their third straight errorless tilt, while UT Martin was charged with two miscues and has now committed five in the series.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 11, EASTERN ILLINOIS 7
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - It was a team affair Friday evening in Southeast Missouri's 11-7 victory over Eastern Illinois (11-27, 5-12 OVC). This is the Redhawks' sixth Ohio Valley Conference series win of the season as they continue to climb to 27-11 and 17-3 in league play.
A total of seven Redhawks had hits in the game with the top three of the lineup combining for 11 hits, nine runs, and seven RBI. Jason Blum was 4-for-4 with four runs scored; Dalton Hewitt was 5-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored; Matt Tellor was 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs scored, and two sacrifice flies.
With Tennessee Tech's win over Jacksonville State Friday, Southeast tightens their grip on first place in the OVC, taking a four and a half game lead on Jacksonville State.
For the 25th time this season, the Redhawks touched home first in the game. Blum hit a leadoff infield single. He advanced to third on a single to center by Hewitt. A throw off the mark prompted Hewitt to try and take second but was out by a hair on the 7-1-6 putout. Tellor flew out to the center fielder, allowing Blum to tag up and score on the play. The Redhawks led 1-0 after one inning.
Three consecutive singles by EIU in the third loaded the bases with no out. A single by Mitch Gasbarro singled to right to tie the game. The fifth Panther single in a row scored the go-ahead run. Brant Valach flew out to center for the first out of the inning but it was deep enough to score another run, giving EIU a 3-1 lead in the third.
The Redhawks wasted no time taking back runs in the bottom of the inning. A one out walk and a single put runners on the corners. Hewitt stole second to put runners in scoring position for Tellor. Tellor flew out to center for his second sacrifice fly of the game to make the score 3-2. Derek Gibson climbed into the box and drilled the first pitch he saw to right field, scoring Hewitt and tying the game.
With two out in the fourth inning, Ryan Lenaburg hit Caleb Howell to put runners on the corners. Lenaburg's day was done after three and two thirds innings. Skylar Cobb was brought in to pitch. An infield bunt single by Gasbarro plated Jason Scholl to take a 4-3 lead. Cobb took a hard fall on the mound on the third out of the inning and needed to be helped off the field.
After the injury to Cobb, Brady Wright was brought in to pitch in the top of the fifth. Wright sent the Panthers down in order on a whole four pitches in the inning.
Tellor recorded his third RBI of the day with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, once again tying the game, 4-4.
Southeast regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. After Blum wore a pitch and Hewitt singled on a hit and run, Tellor singled to score Blum and retake the lead. Hewitt took third on the play then scored on a Gibson sacrifice fly to right field, putting Southeast out in front 6-4.
With two out in the top of the seventh inning, Demetre Taylor doubled to right field. The speedy Taylor went to swipe third and a throw off the mark from catcher Scott Mitchell dribbled in to left field, allowing Taylor to score, unearned. EIU was within one run, 6-5, going to the bottom of the seventh.
Cole Bieser wore a pitch with one out in the bottom of the inning. With the hit and run on, Blum singled through the right side, putting Bieser on third. Blum stole second. Both speedy runners scored on a single to left by Hewitt. After Tellor drew a walk and Gibson was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out, Lennington drilled one through the left side to score both Hewitt and Tellor, giving the Redhawks a 10-5 lead.
A single and a double to lead off the eighth inning put runners in scoring position for EIU. An RBI groundout made the score 10-6 in favor of Southeast.
After another hit and run put runners on the corners in the bottom of the eighth, Hewitt put one up the middle, scoring Bieser. 11-6 Redhawks.
Alex Siddle was brought in to pitch the ninth inning. EIU wasn't going down easy though. A leadoff walk followed by a one out double by Taylor scored EIU's seventh run. Taylor was awarded third on a balk by Siddle followed by another walk. But the Redhawks wrapped the game in true Redhawk fashion with a 1-6-3 double play, securing the 11-7 victory and Southeast's sixth conference series win.
Besides Blum, Hewitt, and Tellor, Lennington was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Gibson added a hit with two RBI while Cole Ferguson and Bieser also had hits.
Wright picked up his second win of the season, improving to 2-0. This was his first OVC victory. Wright worked a season-high four innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on three hits. Wright fanned a season-best four batters.
Gasbarro and Taylor each had three hits with two RBI each while John Devito had two hits for the Panthers.
Jaden Widdersheim (2-2) recorded the loss. Widdersheim pitched one inning, giving up the go-ahead run. Jake Johansmeier, the starter, went four innings, giving up four runs on eight hits.
TENNESSEE TECH 15, JACKSONVILLE STATE 4
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - David Allen had four hits to lead Tennessee Tech to a 15-4 win over Jacksonville State in the second game of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series on Friday evening.
Tennessee Tech improves to 31-10 overall and 13-7 in the OVC, while the Gamecocks drop to 21-16 and 11-6 in the league.
Kyle Keatts (3-0) allowed just two hits in three innings of relief to earn the win for the Golden Eagles, who used four pitchers to record 11 strikeouts. Zachary Fowler (4-4) gave up five runs in 2 1/3 innings to suffer the loss for the Gamecocks.
Jacksonville State took an early 1-0 lead after Michael Bishop led off the game with a single and moved to third after Eddie Mora-Loera doubled. Bishop then scored on Paschal Petrongolo's sacrifice fly to give the Gamecocks the early advantage, but Tech took the lead in the bottom of the first.
Tennessee Tech opened with five straight hits and scored four runs to build a 4-1 lead after Zach Stephens, Daniel Miles, Dylan Bosheers and David Allen each had a RBI in the inning.
Tech pushed the lead to 5-1 after Allen had a RBI single in the third inning, but the Gamecocks scored a run in the fourth after Griff Gordon led off with a triple and scored on Petrongolo's grounder to cut the lead to 5-2.
Jax State score two more runs in the fifth inning on a RBI double by Gavin Golsan and Daniel Gaither scored on Mora-Loera's sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 5-4, but the Golden Eagles answered with three runs in the home half of the fifth to push the lead to 8-4.
Tennessee Tech then scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, highlighted by a two-run home run by Thomasson for the final margin.
Allen had four hits, while Zach Zarzour had three to lead TTU's 19-hit attack. Golsan finished with three hits, while Stephen Bartlett and Mora-Loera each had two hits to lead the Gamecocks.
OHIO STATE 3, MURRAY STATE 1
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Murray State got a quality start of right hander Cameron Finch, but it was Ohio State who prevailed in the series opener, 3-1, Friday evening at Bill Davis Stadium.
Finch (3-5) allowed the first two batters to get hits, and then limited the Buckeyes to just five hits over the next six innings. He finished the day allowing three runs on seven hits and one strikeout over six innings. John Lollar continued what Finch started by allowing just one hit in two shutout innings.
The two Breds pitchers held the Buckeyes to just 1-of-7 with runners in scoring position, and just 2-of-10 with runners on base.
OSU starter Tanner Tully (4-2) was just as impressive as Finch by allowing just one run on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
The Buckeyes (22-17) were the first to get on the board in the first inning as the first two hitters reach on a single and a double. Troy Kuhn lined a ball to center that was caught by Taylor Mathews. The runner scored from third, but the runner from second took off on contact and was doubled up at second.
The third inning saw OSU push across another run as Pat Porter delivered a sacrifice fly to center field. Porter would later add his second sacrifice fly to center field in the sixth inning.
The Breds (16-19) got on the board in the sixth inning as Tyler Lawrence ripped a double deep into the left-field corner. With two outs, Michael Hargrove singled down the left-field line to score Lawrence.
MSU had its chances throughout the game as they only went down in order two times, and had the leadoff hitter on four times. All in all, the Breds stranded nine runners on base.
Seven of the nine hitters in the lineup recorded hits, with Hargrove leading the way with two.