FRIDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 10, @Murray State 9 (13 innings)
@Belmont 5, UT Martin 1
Morehead State 4, @Eastern Kentucky 3
@Southeast Missouri 8, SIUE 7 (10 innings)
Austin Peay 7, @Tennessee Tech 4
@New Mexico 5,
Jacksonville State 3
EASTERN ILLINOIS 10, MURRAY STATE 9 (13)
MURRAY, Ky. - Eastern Illinois baseball player Demetre Taylor hit for the cycle in the Panthers 10-9, 13-inning win at Murray State on Friday night at Reagan Field. The Panthers improve to 8-21 on the year and 3-7 in conference play.
Taylor is the second Ohio Valley Conference player in as many weeks to hit for the cycle as Tennessee Tech’s Brandon Thomasson also completed the rare feat in a 13-5 win over Miami (OH) on March 26.
Taylor was walked in his first at bat before recording his triple in the third inning. He collected his single in the fifth inning and his double in the sixth inning. The outfielder hit a solo home run in the 10th inning to complete the cycle.
In the top of the 13th inning, the Panthers scored two runs on two hits and one error to make the score 10-8. Dane Sauer hit a RBI single to right field for the first run before Caleb Howell hit a sacrifice fly to left field for the final run.
Matthew Johnson hit a two-out, RBI single to center field in the bottom of the 13th inning to get the Thoroughbreds (13-14, 7-6 OVC) within one before Jaden Widdersheim got Kollin Dowdy to ground out to second base to end the game.
Widdersheim (2-0) earned the win for EIU, allowing one run and three hits in the final two innings of play. Matt Borens started the game and surrendered seven hits and five runs through six innings of action. EIU used four pitchers who combined to issue eight walks and throw six strikeouts.
Cody Maerz (1-5) was tagged with the loss for Murray State as the sophomore pitcher allowed six hits and three runs in 5.2 innings of relief. Cameron Finch made the start and went 6.2 innings, allowing 14 hits and seven runs (six earned).
EIU had six more hits (21-15) than Murray State and left four more runners on base (16-12). Both teams committed three errors.
Taylor finished the game going 4-for-6 with one RBI and three runs. Brant Valach added four hits, three runs and two RBI. All told, the Panthers had six extra-base hits in the win.
Dowdy led the Murray State offense, going 3-for-7 at the plate with four RBI, three doubles and a run. Ty Stetson added three hits and two RBI.
BELMONT 5, UT MARTIN 1
NASHVILLE - Behind four runs in the second and a masterful job on the mound from Patrick McGrath, Belmont downed UT Martin, 5-1 Friday night.
The victory marks the 60th win at Rose Park.
Jamie Ritchie's infield hit to start the second sparked four runs for the Bruins. RBI singles from William Dodd and Drake Byrd plated the first two runs of the day. A sacrifice fly from Drew Ferguson and an RBI single from Alec Diamond capped the inning.
UT Martin got its first hit of the day in the sixth behind a single to right from Max Balter.
Ferguson led off the seventh with a solo shot over the right field fence to put the Bruins ahead 5-0.
The Skyhawks scored one run in the top of the ninth.
McGrath was perfect through five innings. He scattered five hits, struck out a career-high seven and did not allow a walk during his complete game outing.
MOREHEAD STATE 4, EASTERN KENTUCKY 3
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Morehead State baseball team held Eastern Kentucky to just four hits Friday night, and the Eagles clubbed a pair of home runs as MSU halted a nine-game losing streak to its Ohio Valley Conference rival in a 4-3 victory at a blustery Turkey Hughes Field.
The Eagles, who had been swept three straight years by EKU, improved to 14-15 overall and to 6-7 in the league. The hosts fell to 13-16 overall and 4-6 in the conference. It was the first night game in the EKU facility's history.
Freshman pitcher Luke Humphreys (2-1) won his second straight OVC game, recording a career-high eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings. He only surrendered three hits, allowing just two runs. Senior designated hitter Bobby Burns lifted a solo home run, his first of the season, over the right field fence in the fourth inning, and junior first baseman Kane Sweeney crushed his fourth long ball of the year to deep center field in the fifth.
Humphreys gave way to senior reliever Noah Smallwood and sophomores Matt Ellenbest and Craig Pearcy to finish the game. The trio allowed only one hit in the final 3.2. Pearcy got the final four outs for his team-best fourth save.
EKU starting pitcher Tanner Perkins (2-5) was charged with the setback, giving up 13 hits and all four runs in 6.1 innings.
All nine position players registered a hit for MSU, which finished with 14. Junior right fielder Brandon Rawe, who ranks second in the OVC in total hits, went 3-for-5 with his league-best 14th double. He now has 52 hits in 2014. Sweeney had a pair of hits along with junior catcher Chris Robinson and junior outfielder Blaine Tanner.
Junior shortstop Robby Spencer had a leadoff single to extend his reached-base streak to a team-high 17 games. He also has a five-game hitting streak now to share team-high honors with Burns in that category. Freshman center fielder Ryan Kent pushed his streak of reaching base safely to 15 games, and Robinson upped his to 13 contests.
Leadoff hitter Kyle Nowlin had three of the Colonels' four hits, while Doug Teegarden, who batted second in the lineup, had the other. EKU's 3-9 hitters in the order were 0-for-23 with 10 strikeouts.
Eastern Kentucky tied the contest 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth, but the Eagles tacked on runs in the next two frames.
Kent collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly, which scored senior third baseman Jeff Birkofer, in the sixth inning. Robinson tattooed a triple to left center field that scored Rawe in the seventh. The Colonels pushed across an unearned run in the eighth inning to creep to within one.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8, SIUE 7 (10)
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Cole Ferguson knocked in Andy Lennington in the bottom of the tenth inning Friday evening to walk off against the SIUE (10-17, 8-5 OVC) Cougars, 8-7. This was Ferguson's first collegiate walk-off hit. With the walk off, Southeast improves to 19-10 overall and holds sole possession of first-place in the Ohio Valley Conference with an 11-2 record.
A combination of excellent base running by Lennington and a clutch late-inning pinch hit from Ferguson won the game for the Redhawks.
With runners on the corners in the first inning for the Cougars, SIUE took an early lead on a wild pitch. SIUE then scored again in the inning on a double down the right field line by Alec Saikal to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead.
With two out in the bottom of the inning, Matt Tellor drew a walk followed by a single through the right side by Derek Gibson. Both Tellor and Gibson scored on a double to left center by Lennington to score both runners, tying the game.
Jake Michalak scored the Cougar's go-ahead run on an RBI groundout in the second inning, 3-2 SIUE.
With Jason Blum sitting on second base, Tellor singled to deep short that the shortstop threw away, allowing Blum to score the tying run in the third inning.
The Redhawks took their first lead of the game in the fifth inning. Scott Mitchell hit a one out single to reach base. Mitchell then took third on a failed pickoff attempt that rolled deep into foul territory. Tellor flew out to center field, allowing Mitchell to tag up and score. Southeast led 4-3 after five innings.
The bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh saw 18 batters, nine each, come to the plate.
In Southeast Missouri's half of the sixth, the Redhawks plated three runs to take a 7-3 lead. Dalton Hewitt and Cole Bieser each had one-out singles to put runners on. Ryan Barnes, the designated hitter, singled to right center to score Hewitt. Barnes was pinch ran for by John Logan Zink. Southeast executed the delayed double steal as Zink swiped second and Bieser took home. With runners on second and third, Mitchell singled to left to drive in Zink and put Southeast ahead 7-3 after six innings.
SIUE's half of the seventh inning tied the game for the Cougars and saw three Redhawk pitchers out of the pen. Brian Sipe and Nick Lombardo each singled to start the inning. Denton Reed followed with a single of his own to plate Sipe. It was at this point, starter Tyler Iago was pulled from the game, replaced by Skylar Cobb. Cobb proceeded to retire the the first two batters he faced. With a 3-2 count on Skyler Geissinger, Cobb was relieved by Greg Mosel. Mosel threw ball four to Geissinger, loading the bases. Saikal singled up the middle to score two runs, pulling within one run of Southeast. Keaton Wright made it a whole new ballgame with an RBI single up the middle, tying the game at 7-7. Alex Siddle was brought in to relieve Mosel and struck out the ninth batter of the inning.
In the top of the ninth inning, Hewitt made, arguably, the play of the game when he threw the potential go ahead run out at the plate from right field for the third out to preserve the tie ballgame.
Christian Hull came in to the game in the top of the tenth inning. Other than giving up a one out walk, Hull was lights out in the inning.
Lennington hit a leadoff single to begin the Redhawks' tenth inning. Lennington stole second to put the winning run in to scoring position. With one out and Bieser at the plate, Lennington advanced to third on a wild pitch. Bieser drew a walk to put runners on the corners, then stole second. With pinch hitter Ferguson on deck, SIUE went to their bullpen for P.J. Schuster. Ferguson worked the count to 2-2 then ripped a walk-off single through the left side to plate Lennington for the winning run.
SIUE outhit Southeast 14-12 in the game.
Mitchell, Lennington, and Bieser all had two hits in the game with Lennington driving in two runs.
Hull (3-1) picked up the win as he was the pitcher of record in the walk-off. Iago worked a complete six innings but got a no decision in the game. Iago gave up six runs, five earned, on 10 hits. Siddle looked good in two and a third innings, allowing only two hits and striking out four batters.
Offensively for the Cougars, Saikal was a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI. Lombardo was 3-for-5 on the night with two runs scored and an RBI.
Starter and reigning OVC Pitcher of the Week Ryan Daniels saw five and two third innings Friday allowing seven runs on nine hits. Jarrett Bednar (0-3) saw three and two thirds out of the pen. The winning run was charged to Bednar as he allowed Lennington to reach in the tenth.
AUSTIN PEAY 7, TENNESSEE TECH 4
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Starting pitcher Alex Robles nearly went the distance, leading Austin Peay State University’s baseball team to a 7-4 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Tennessee Tech, Friday night, at Bush Stadium.
Austin Peay (11-19, 4-6 OVC) saw its offense set the tone early on, with a four-run second inning. The Govs began the inning with Robles’ single and first baseman Dre Gleason’s walk. After, the runners were moved one base courtesy a sacrifice bunt, Robles scored the game’s first run courtesy a passed ball. Later, second baseman Garrett Copeland had a two-run single and right fielder Rolando Gautier added a RBI triple.
The Govs would tack on a run in the fourth, converting a leadoff walk on Gautier’s RBI single. A two-run fifth was highlighted by a Robles RBI single and left fielder Tommy Hager’s RBI fielder’s choice.
The seven runs were enough for Robles (3-2) who went a season-best eight-plus innings to record the win. He held Tennessee Tech to four runs on nine hits while striking out a season-best six batters. After allowing the first three batters in the fourth to reach base, Robles induced a double play to end the inning. He struck out the side in order in the fifth and retired the side in order in the sixth to help solidify the APSU lead.
Tennessee Tech (24-7, 8-5 OVC) would threaten in the seventh. The Golden Eagles scored a run after Austin Peay’s lone error of the contest helped TTU load the bases. Designated hitter Jordan Hopkins would drive in a run on a single and kept the bases loaded. However, the Govs defense turned its third double play of the contest to end the inning and the Golden Eagles best scoring chance.
APSU reliever A.J. Gaura notched his first career save, relieving Robles in the ninth with no outs and two runners on base. He would permit one of those runners to score, but recorded two strikeouts and retired all three batters he faced.
Robles was one of four Govs to record two hits in the contest. Gautier was 2-for-5 with two RBI to pace APSU while Robles was 2-for-5 with a RBI and two runs scored.
Tennessee Tech starter David Hess (5-2) allowed seven runs on seven hits and three walks in 4.1 innings and suffered the loss. Center fielder Jake Rowland was 3-for-4 with two runs scored to pace the Golden Eagles offense.
NEW MEXICO 5, JACKSONVILLE STATE 3
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Dan Collier had two hits and drove in three runs to lead New Mexico to a 5-3 win over Jacksonville State in the first of a three-game series on Friday night.
Taylor Dupree (1-0) scattered three hits in 1 2/3 innings to earn the win for the Lobos, while Jake Cole recorded the final six outs to pick up his third save of the season. JSU's Taylor Shields (3-3) gave up four runs and 10 hits to suffer the loss for the Gamecocks.
Jacksonville State (18-11) took the early lead after Michael Bishop was walked to lead off the game and stole second, before scoring on Paschal Petrongolo's grounder to give the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead. New Mexico tied the game in the home half of the first inning after Chase Harris drove in a run to tie the game at 1-1.
Jax State retook the lead in the fifth inning after Michael Bishop scored on Griff Gordon's RBI single to give the Gamecocks a 2-1 lead, but the Lobos answered after Chase Harris scored on John Pustay's RBI double to tie the game at 2-2.
New Mexico (21-10-1) took the lead for good in the sixth inning after loading the bases and Collier drove in a pair of runs with a single up the middle to take a 4-2 lead.
The Lobos added a run in the eighth inning after Jared Holley scored on Collier's RBI single to left field for a 5-2 advantage.
Jax State scored a run in the top of the ninth inning after Bishop scored on a Ryan Sebra's sacrifice fly for the final margin.
Gordon finished with three hits, while Bishop had two hits to lead the Gamecocks' 12-hit attack. Collier, Harris, Sam Haggerty and Jered Meek each had two hits for New Mexico.