SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 7, Belmont 5
Southeast Missouri 1, @Jacksonville State 0
@SIUE 11-7, Morehead State 4-8
@Murray State 6-5, Tennessee Tech 3-10
@Austin Peay 13, Eastern Kentucky 9
Missouri State 7,
@UT Martin 5
EASTERN ILLINOIS 7, BELMONT 5
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Panther baseball team got on the scoreboard early for the second consecutive game as they held on for a 7-5 win over Belmont on Saturday afternoon at Coaches Stadium.
Prior to the start of the game, head coach Jim Schmitz was recognized for his 500th win as the EIU head coach – capturing the win earlier this season. The recognition was a part of a pregame ceremony celebrating his 20th season as the head coach.
The Panthers (14-28, 8-12 OVC) have now scored 17 runs in two games against the Bruins (18-24, 8-12 OVC) this weekend with 16 of those runs coming in the first three innings of play.
Tyler Walsh gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning with an infield RBI single before the Panthers tied the game in the bottom of the frame when Tyler Schweigert crossed home plate on a Bruins’ throwing error.
The Panthers took a 7-1 advantage in the third inning, scoring six runs on eight hits and one error. Demetre Taylor drove in the first two runs with a double to left center before Cameron Berra drove in the third run with a single to right field. A two-RBI triple by Frankie Perrone scored the next two runs before he scored the final run of the inning on the next at bat on a Jacob Reese RBI single.
Belmont added one run in the fourth inning and three runs in the sixth inning to get within two (7-5) before Troy Barton entered the game to close the door on a potential comeback. The senior closer threw five strikeouts in three scoreless innings of relief while only allowing one hit as he earned his fifth save of the year.
Jake Johansmeier (3-3) earned the win for EIU, striking out four with five walks in 5.2 innings of action. The sophomore pitcher allowed seven hits and four runs.
James Buckelew (4-5) was tagged with the loss, surrendering eight hits and seven runs (five earned) in 2.1 innings of action. Chase Cunningham posted three strikeouts with one walk in 5.2 scoreless innings of relief while only allowing two hits.
Belmont had one more hit (11-10) than EIU and committed three more errors (4-1). The Bruins also left five more runners on base (12-7).
Taylor led the Panther offense as he went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Berra added two hits, a run and a RBI while Caleb Howell went 2-for-5 with a run.
Matt Beaty paced the Bruins offense as the junior infielder went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Jamie Ritchie added three hits while Walsh finished the day going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Travis Hayes was stupendous on the mound Saturday as he pitched a complete game shutout for the Redhawks at Jacksonville State. Southeast defeated Jacksonville (22-19, 11-9 OVC) 1-0 in a game where offense was near impossible to come by on both sides. Southeast improves to 29-13, 19-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play. This is the Redhawks' seventh OVC series win this season.
For the 11th-consecutive game, the Redhawks scored first, and in Saturday's case, were the only team to score. With one out in the fourth, Matt Tellor singled for the first Redhawk base runner since the first inning. Derek Gibson nearly beheaded the pitcher when he singled right up the middle. Tellor took third on a wild pitch. The Redhawks, who lead the nation in sacrifice flies, scored the only run of the game on an Andy Lennington sac fly to center, scoring Tellor, and taking a 1-0 lead.
This would be the only scoring for either team in a game that lasted only two hours and ten minutes.
Hayes (6-1) allowed only three hits, all of which were singles. In fact, neither team had an extra base hit in the contest. Hayes fanned six batters on 120 pitches, a season-high in pitch count. Hayes only allowed one base on balls Saturday. This is Hayes' second complete game of the season.
Gibson led the offense as he went 2-for-4. Gibson now has 200 hits in his career, good enough to tie him for 10th all-time on the career hits list in the Southeast record book. Jason Blum, Cole Bieser, and Tellor all added a hit each.
JSU starter Zachary Fowler (4-5) worked seven innings on the mound. Fowler also looked sharp except for allowing the Redhawks' sac fly in the fourth. He allowed only three hits, fanning four batters, and walking two. Bradley Raulston saw two innings in relief, allowing only two hits.
For the Gamecock offense, Eddie Mora-Loera was 2-for-4 while Paschal Pretrongolo was the only other JSU batter to have a hit.
SIUE 11-7, MOREHEAD STATE 4-8
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE and Morehead State split a doubleheader Saturday wrapping up a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Simmons Baseball Complex. SIUE won the opener 11-4 before dropping the nightcap 8-7.
The Cougars won two of three in the series with the Eagles and are now 12-12 in OVC play and 15-26 overall. Morehead State is 11-10 in the OVC and 23-21 overall.
The Cougars scored 11 times on a season-high 19 hits in the opener. The potent offensive attack was fueled by the middle of the order. Skyler Geissinger led the way with three hits (3-5) and two home runs in the opener. He scored three times. Devin Caldwell was 2 for 4 with a home run and two runs scored. Caldwell and Geissinger went back-to-back in a three-run fifth inning for the Cougars. Keaton Wright added three hits and three RBIs. Alec Saikal also had three hits for SIUE.
Morehead State got a solo home run in the second inning and then tacked on three runs in the third inning against SIUE starter Jarrett Bednar (1-3).
Bednar pitched a career-high 8 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs on 12 hits. He tied his career high with five strikeouts.
The Cougars led 3-2 heading into the ninth inning of game two when Morehead State pushed six run across on four hits against Cougar reliever P.J. Schuster. Schuster suffered the loss to fall to 1-4.
J.D. Williams started for the Cougars and pitched seven innings allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out two.
The Cougars loaded the bases on a hit, a walk, and an error, before Geissinger connected on his first career grand slam to trim the lead to 8-7, but couldn't even the score.
Geissinger finished the weekend 6 for 13 (.462) with three home runs and eight RBIs.
MURRAY STATE 6-5, TENNESSEE TECH 3-10
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State and Tennessee Tech split a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Reagan Field.
In game one Murray State used a four-run fifth inning and another dominating effort from Brock Downey to even the series against Tennessee Tech with a 6-3 victory.
The Breds got on the board in the second inning after Luke Daugherty was hit by a pitch and came around to score on an Anthony Bayus single into the hole at short. Bayus doubled the lead in the fourth inning with an RBI single up the middle to score Rick Linton.
MSU broke the game open in the fifth inning as Tyler Lawrence single through the left side and went to third on Michael Hargrove’s double to left field. Daugherty walked to load the bases and Matt McGowan drove in two runs with a single just inside the bag at third. Ty Stetson then plated two runs of his own with a single into the corner in left field.
That would be more than enough for Downey as he improved to 8-1 on the season. The junior kept the nation’s high scoring team off the board until the eighth inning. Brandon Thomasson finally got to Downey with a three-run home run to left field.
That would be all Downey allowed as he went 8.1 innings, giving up the three runs on nine hits and seven strikeouts. Cody Maerz retired the only two hitters he faced to earn his third save.
Bayus led the offense by going 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Stetson added two hits and two RBIs, while McGowan drove in two runs.
In game two Tennessee Tech used a six-run third inning to pull away from Murray State and take the series finale, 10-5
The Breds (18-23, 10-11 OVC) got on the board first as Matt McGowan singled and came around to score on a Dalton West single to center field.
The Golden Eagles (34-12, 16-8 OVC) started their third-inning rally with a solo home run by Tyler Brazelton. A throwing error on a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch allowed two more runs to score. Daniel Miles drove in the fourth run with a single to left center, and Dylan Bosheers capped off the inning with a two-run single to right field.
MSU managed to get two runs back in the home-half of the inning after an attempted double play was thrown away at first, allowing Anthony Bayus to score. Michael Hargrove put runners on second and third with a double, and McGowan drove in a run with a groundout.
Brandon Thomasson helped to put the game away for TTU with a solo home run in the fifth, and a two-run shot in the seventh.
The Breds got a single run in the fifth as Kollin Dowdy tripled to right center and scored on a Tyler Lawrence groundout. In the seventh, Hargrove drove in Dowdy with a two-out single through the right side.
Sheldon Baxter (1-5) took the loss after giving up five runs, four earned, on four hits over 2.1 innings. Kyle Keatts (4-0) earned the victory in relief, allowing just two hits and striking out two over 1.2 shutout innings.
MSU collected 14 hits as a team. Bayus and Dowdy each collected three, while Hargrove, Clay Kelly and West each added two.
AUSTIN PEAY 13, EASTERN KENTUCKY 9
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Shortstop Logan Gray’s two-run home run in the sixth inning put Austin Peay State University’s baseball team ahead for good in a 13-9 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Eastern Kentucky, Saturday, at Raymond C. Hand Park.
In a game that featured four lead changes and two ties, Austin Peay (18-25, 10-10 OVC) entered its half of the sixth inning trailing 7-6. Designated hitter Matt Wollenzin doubled into the right field corner to start the inning. Gray followed with a two-run home run – his sixth in 2014 – to give Austin Peay an 8-7 lead they would not relinquish. Later in the inning, left fielder Ridge Smith secured the win with a two-run single for a 10-7 APSU lead.
The Govs would tack on three more runs in the eighth – two courtesy third baseman Alex Robles’ double and the third on catcher P.J. Torres’ double – to provide breathing room. The win secured the OVC series for the Govs as they improved to .500 in conference play for the first time since March 23 when they were 3-3.
Eastern Kentucky (20-23, 9-11) scored the game’s first run on designated hitter Bryan Soloman’s RBI single in the first. Soloman would hit a two-run home run as part of the Colonels’ four-run fourth inning that gave them a 6-3 lead. The Colonels would use reserve left fielder Shea Sullivan’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly to gain an 7-6, their final lead of the contest.
Gray, who also had a two-run single in the second to give APSU its first lead of the contest, finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and enters Sunday’s series finale with six hits and six RBI in the first two games. Robles added a 1-for-3, three RBI effort while Smith chipped in a 1-for-2, two RBI performance. Designated hitter Matt Wollenzin was 2-for-4, including a solo home run in the fourth.
Reliever Jake Corum picked up the win after allowing one run – EKU’s sixth inning sacrifice fly – in one inning. Starter Jared Carkuff went five innings and allowed six runs on nine hits and five walks.
Soloman led the Colonels’ offense with a 4-for-5, four RBI effort. Right fielder TJ Alas was 1-for-5 with two RBI.
EKU reliever Myles Scott started the sixth inning and was tagged four four runs as he walked two and allowed three hits to the six batters he faced. Starter Brent Cobb allowed four runs on six hits through four innings.
MISSOURI STATE 7, UT MARTIN 5
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team battled back late in today’s game against Missouri State but ultimately could not complete its comeback attempt in a 7-5 loss at Skyhawk Field.
The game was tied after one inning of play before Missouri State (19-20) jumped out to a 7-1 advantage after five innings. The Skyhawks would put four runs on the scoreboard over the final two innings to put the tying run in the on-deck circle before the Bears halted UT Martin’s momentum.
Taylor Douglas pushed his hitting streak out to 12 games today, as he went 2-for-5 with two runs, two RBI’s and a homer in the ninth inning – his sixth round-tripper in the last five games. Taylor Cox (solo homer) and Nick Molina (two RBI’s) each tallied three hits apiece to lead the Skyhawks (6-34) offensively.
Alex Boshers pitched a gem in relief this afternoon, allowing just two runs on six hits and one walk while fanning four over 5.2 innings. Starting pitcher Dalton Potts (0-7) was charged with the loss after allowing five runs in 3.1 frames.
Missouri State took a 1-0 lead after the top of the first but UT Martin came back to even the score in the bottom half of the inning. Chase Young drew a four-pitch leadoff walk and Ben Upton followed with a walk to put a runner in scoring position. Molina then delivered a hard single up the middle to score Young and tie the game at 1-all.
The Bears then scored three runs in the top of the second before Potts retired the side in order in the third. Back-to-back Missouri State doubles led to another run in the fourth and the Bears compiled a pair of two-out runs in the fifth to go on top by a 7-1 margin.
Boshers could not be touched over the final four innings, as the redshirt senior righty allowed just three hits to give the Skyhawks a chance at the end of the game. He retired 11 of the final 13 batters he faced, including a quick seven-pitch eighth inning where he retired the side in order.
Douglas and Cox led off the bottom of the eighth with singles and both advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Molina then lifted a single into center to plate Douglas and make the score 7-2.
UT Martin then played longball in the ninth. Pinch hitter Isaac Carrel doubled into the gap in right center to lead off the inning before Douglas connected on his two-run blast to straightaway centerfield. Three pitches later, Cox roped a solo homer out to center for his second round-tripper of the season. However, a pitching change followed and Missouri State would get the final out of the game on the next batter.