WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 4, Marshall 1
@Belmont 12, Evansville 7
@Morehead State 9, St. Catharine 3
@Southern Illinois 10,
Murray State 9
@Indiana State 3,
Austin Peay 0
Jacksonville State 11, @Alabama State 5
EASTERN KENTUCKY 4, MARSHALL 1
RICHMOND, Ky. - Sophomore Kenny Hostrander went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs, and freshman Brian Mroz turned in another strong start as Eastern Kentucky beat Marshall 4-1 on Wednesday at Turkey Hughes Field.
The Colonels (13-15) broke the scoreless tie with three runs in the fifth. Taylor Blair scored on a single by Doug Teegarden. Hostrander’s triple to left made it 2-0. An RBI ground out by Shea Sullivan capped the inning.
Brian Mroz (3-0) allowed just four hits over five shutout innings. He did not walk or strike out any batters.
The Thundering Herd (9-17) got one back in the sixth on an RBI ground out by Chase Vogelbach. Hostrander drove in another run with a single through the left side in the bottom of the seventh.
Chase Boster (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on four hits in four and one-third innings. He walked two and struck out two. Sergio Leon went 2-for-3 with a run scored for Marshall.
BELMONT 12, EVANSVILLE 7
NASHVILLE - Behind four home runs, Belmont pushed past Evansville, 12-7 Wednesday afternoon at Rose Park.
Evansville struck first behind a two-run homer from Max Foley in the second, but that would be the only lead the Aces would see.
Back-to-back home runs from Matthew Kinney and Tyler Walsh in the bottom of the third tied the game. Jamie Ritchie hit a double down the left field line and crossed the plate on an RBI single from Greg Brody, putting the Bruins on top 3-2. Brody proceeded to steal second and scored off a Nick Egli RBI single.
With two outs, the Bruins added four runs in the bottom half of the fourth. A single from Walsh and a double from Alec Diamond put runners in scoring position for Matt Beaty who singled to center allowing both runners to score. Ritchie hit a two-run shot over the center field fence to extend Belmont's lead to 8-2.
Belmont plated four more runs in the fifth extending its lead to 12-2. Brennan Washington scored the first run of the inning after a balk by Evansville. Diamond's sacrifice fly plated Kinney before Beaty hit a two-run shot to left.
Evansville got a run across in the sixth. The Aces threatened by loading the bases, but the Belmont staff pitched out of the jam. In the eighth, the Aces pushed across four runs to cut Belmont's lead to five, 12-7.
The Belmont pitching staff scattered eight hits and struck out nine.
MOREHEAD STATE 9, ST. CATHARINE 3
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Junior first baseman Kane Sweeney crushed a fourth-inning grand slam and collected six RBI to help the Morehead State baseball team post a 9-3 victory over NAIA opponent St. Catharine (Ky.) on Wednesday evening at Allen Field.
Sweeney's third long ball of the campaign capped a six-run inning. Senior designated hitter Bobby Burns and senior third baseman Jeff Birkofer opened the frame with back-to-back doubles. Junior shortstop Robby Spencer lifted a sacrifice fly moments later to plate Birkofer.
Sweeney, who finished 3-for-4, became the first Eagle to bring home six runs since April 3, 2012. Spencer finished 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while Burns and Birkofer notched two hits each.
The Eagles, who play in the Ohio Valley Conference, improve to 13-15 overall and 5-6 at home. The Patriots, who compete in the Mid-South Conference, slip to 18-15 overall and 7-8 on the road.
Morehead State used five pitchers in the contest. Junior left-hander Luke Schneider allowed just one unearned run and three hits in four innings for the win. Junior right-hander Ryan Vansaghi added two scoreless innings, while sophomore right-hander Matt Ellenbest contributed one.
The Eagle hurlers, who faced 36 batters, recorded seven strikeouts while walking just two.
In addition to the six-run bottom of the fourth, Morehead State pushed across scores in the first, third and seventh innings. St. Catharine plated runs in the fourth, seventh and ninth frames.
Junior third baseman Ty Broady paced SCC by going 3-for-4 with two runs. Senior right-hander Bruce Tolliver, who allowed five runs and seven hits in three innings, suffered the loss.
Morehead State opens a seven-game road swing on Friday at Ohio Valley Conference opponent Eastern Kentucky. The Eagles and Colonels continue the series on Saturday and wrap it up on Sunday.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 10, MURRAY STATE 9
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Murray State scored five runs in the first inning, but it was a Matt Jones pinch-hit, RBI double in the seventh inning to give Southern Illinois a come-from-behind 10-9 victory Wednesday evening at a soggy Itchy Jones Stadium. The two teams have now split the season series for the fifth-straight year.
Ryan Casillas began the seventh inning by drawing a walk. Jones fell behind 0-2, but ripped the next pitch into the left-field corner for the game-winning run.
The Breds (13-13) jumped out to the early advantage as they sent 10 hitters to the plate in the first inning, pushing across five runs. Ty Stetson and Matt McGowan walked to start the game, and Anthony Bayus drove in a run with a single to center field. A fielder’s choice from Tyler Lawrence drove in the second run. Clay Kelly had an RBI bunt single, just ahead of a Matthew Johnson RBI single to right field. The fifth run came in to score on a wild pitch.
MSU added a run in the second as McGowan doubled into the right-field corner and scored on Bayus’ single to left field. The seventh run crossed the plate in the fourth on a double-play groundout.
SIU (16-12) began their comeback in the third by pushing across four runs on three hits. Jake Hand drove in the first run with a base hit off the glove of the pitcher. After a bases-loaded walk to Tyler Rolland, Dyllin Mucha drove in two runs with a single to center field.
The Salukis pushed across two more runs in the fourth on a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk to Donny Duschinsky. Ryan Rosthenhausler tied the game in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to right field.
The top of the order came through again for the Breds in the sixth as Stetson walked and McGowan singled to left center. With two outs, Lawrence drove in both runners with a single up the middle.
The lead didn’t last long as the Salukis came back in the home-half of the inning and tied the game after Will Farmer hit a sacrifice fly to right field and Rosthenhausler walked with the bases loaded.
Cameron Wallace (1-2) was saddled with the loss after giving up one run on one hit and two walks over one third of an inning. Kyle Pruemer (2-3) picked up the victory after allowing one hit and striking out four over 1.2 innings.
McGowan led the offense by going 3-for-3 with a double, two walks and four runs scored. Lawrence went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, while Bayus went 2-for-4 with two driven in. Mathews added two hits.
INDIANA STATE 3, AUSTIN PEAY 0
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Austin Peay State University’s baseball team was held to three hits in a 3-0 loss to Indiana State, in a rain-shortened Wednesday night affair at Bob Warn Field.
Austin Peay (10-19) had six base runners in the seven-inning contest, but saw a pair of double plays and a pickoff short-circuit any potential scoring opportunities.
Indiana State (18-7) scored each of its three runs with two outs. The Sycamores first run came courtesy back-to-back doubles, first baseman Jeff Zahn driving in the run, in the second inning. A third-inning run started with the leadoff batter being hit by a pitch and scoring on designated hitter Brian Romero’s RBI single. A final run scored on a sacrifice fly by Zahn in the sixth inning.
Austin Peay starter Mark Hendrick (0-1) was tagged for the loss after allowing two runs on four hits in 2.2 innings.
Catcher Ridge Smith, third baseman Alex Robles and first baseman Garrett Copeland each had a hit for the Govs.
Indiana State’s Nick Kolarik picked up the win as the first man out of the bullpen, holding the Govs scoreless for 1.2 innings.
Zahn finished the game 1-for-2 with 2 RBI while second baseman Derek Hannahs was 3-for-3.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 11, ALABAMA STATE 5
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Joe McGuire had three hits and Cal Lambert hit a home run to lead Jacksonville State to an 11-5 win over Alabama State as the Gamecocks won their fourth straight game.
Adam Polk (2-1) had a pair of strikeouts and scattered four hits over two innings to earn th win, while Jose Valdez (0-1) gave up five runs and did not record an out to suffer the loss for Alabama State (24-10).
The Gamecocks (18-10) jumped on Valdez in the first inning and scored five runs on three hits, taking advantage of a walk and two hit-by-pitch to build the early lead.
Michael Bishop led off with a double, then back-to-back hit by pitches loaded the bases for Paschal Petrongolo, who drove in a pair of runs with a single up the middle. McGuire followed with a single to drive in another run and chase Valdez from the game.
Petrongolo then scored on Andrew Bishop's infield grounder, before Tyler Gamble then scored on Chase Silvani's sacrifice fly as the Gamecocks built a 5-0 lead after sending 10 batters to the plate.
Jax State extended the lead in the second inning after scoring four more runs as Petrongolo, Gamble McGuire and Silvani each drove in another run to give JSU a 9-0 lead.
Alabama State scored two runs in the second and third innings to cut the lead to 9-4, and the Hornets added a run in the fifth, before the Gamecocks pushed across two in the sixth inning.
Andrew Bishop reached on a one-out walk and Lambert followed with a two-run home run to left field for the final margin.
McGuire had three hits, while McGuire, Lambert and Silvani each had two hits to lead Gamecocks' 11-hit attack. Estrada and Castro each had two hits for Alabama State.