SATURDAY'S SCORES
Austin Peay 9, @Morehead State 8
Eastern Illinois 15, @Eastern Kentucky 3
@Southeast Missouri 8, Murray State 6
@UT Martin 3, SIUE 2
Jacksonville State 6, @Belmont 5
@Lipscomb 8,
Tennessee Tech 4
AUSTIN PEAY 9, MOREHEAD STATE 8
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Catcher P.J. Torres’ ninth-inning squeeze bunt provided the go-ahead run and Austin Peay State University’s baseball team held on for a 9-8 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Morehead State, Saturday afternoon at Allen Field.
Austin Peay (19-29, 11-12 OVC) could not break the game open as Morehead State responded to each Govs score to force four ties through six innings. After Morehead State tied the game 7-7 in the sixth, neither team scored in the seventh or eighth innings.
The Govs started the ninth with third baseman Alex Robles’ single through the left side. One out later, left fielder Ridge Smith singled through the left side moving pinch runner Chase Hamilton to second. Both runners advanced thanks to a passed ball that proved crucial.
Morehead State (24-22, 12-11 OVC) went to Craig Percy, its closer, after the passed ball and to face catcher P.J. Torres. The tie would not survive Percy’s first pitch which Torres bunted down the third base line, allowing Hamilton to score on the squeeze as Torres reached first safely.
With runners on the corners, Austin Peay turned to its basepath trickery to pad its lead. The Govs executed a delayed double steal, with Torres safe at second and Smith scoring thanks to a throw in the dirt at second by the Eagles catcher. The Govs would not add to their 9-7 lead as the next two batters struck out.
Morehead State threatened to tie the game in its half of the ninth. Austin Peay relief pitcher A.J. Gaura hit third baseman Jeff Birkofer to start the frame then allowed a one-out walk to shortstop Blaine Tanner. Gaura would get the second out before allowing a RBI single to second baseman Tyler Bigler, ending Gaura’s outing.
Austin Peay turned to left-hander Alex Belew to faced Eagles left-handed hitting first baseman Kane Sweeney. Belew ended the game by striking out Sweeney for the first time in the game.
Gaura (3-1) picked up the win after allowing one run in 1.2 innings. Belew notched his first save. The Govs used seven pitchers in the contest after starter Jared Carkuff started but could not finish the third inning.
Third baseman Alex Robles went 3-for-5 with one RBI to lead the Govs 13-hit offense. Right fielder Rolando Gautier, Gleason and Smith each had two hits. Gautier and Gleason also had two RBI each.
Morehead State reliever Matt Ellenbest (1-1) was tagged for the loss after allowing two hits to the three batters he faced in the ninth, ultimately allowing two runs. The Eagles used six pitchers in the contest as starter Matt Anderson started but could not finish the fourth inning.
Bigler led the Eagles 12-hit offense with a 3-for-6, one RBI effort. Sweeney and Birkofer each had two hits.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 15, EASTERN KENTUCKY 3
RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Illinois had nine different players record a hit on Saturday afternoon as the Panther baseball team took game two of the weekend Ohio Valley Conference series at Eastern Kentucky, 15-3.
The Colonels (21-25, 10-13) scored three runs on three solo home runs in the second inning to take an early 3-0 advantage. The Panthers (16-29-1, 10-12-1) got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning on a Caleb Howell RBI single to left field to get within two (3-1).
The Panthers scored four runs on four hits and one error in the sixth inning to take their first lead, 5-3, before adding 10 runs over the final three innings to seal the victory.
Ben Kennedy (2-1) posted the win for EIU as the senior pitcher only allowed two hits in 3.1 scoreless innings of relief. Christian Slazinik surrendered four hits in three innings of scoreless relief. Jake Johansmeier started the game and allowed three runs and five hits in 1.2 innings of action.
Brent Cobb (3-5) took the loss for EKU, allowing nine hits and six runs (four earned) with four strikeouts.
EIU had eight more hits (19-11) than EKU and left three more runners on base (10-7). The Colonels had three errors in the contest while the Panthers did not have any miscues for the second consecutive game.
Tyler Schweigert paced the balanced offense as the senior finished the day going 4-for-6 with five RBI and three runs. Caleb Howell went 3-for-6 with three RBI while Demetre Taylor finished the day going 2-for-6 with two runs and two RBI.
Sean Hagen went 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI to pace the Colonels offense while Kenny Hostrander went 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8, MURRAY STATE 6
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Southeast Missouri baseball team picked up their eighth Ohio Valley Conference series win with an 8-6 victory over Murray State (18-16, 10-13 OVC) Saturday in front of a crowd of 1,816.
Southeast improves to 31-15 overall, 21-5 in OVC play and the magic number to clinch the OVC regular season title outright is now two. If the Redhawks sweep the Thoroughbreds Sunday, they will ensure at least a portion of the OVC title.
The Redhawks touched home in the first inning. Jason Blum led off the inning with a single to center. Cole Bieser bunted him over in to scoring position. Matt Tellor threaded one just under a diving third baseman to score a speedy Blum, giving Southeast a 1-0 lead after the first.
Southeast extended their lead the best way they know how, on a sacrifice fly by Cole Ferguson, in the second to take a 2-0 lead.
The Thoroughbreds tied the game in the third inning. After a leadoff infield single by Taylor Mathews, Anthony Bayus tripled to right center field to score Mathews. Bayus immediately came around to score on a double by Kollin Dowdy.
Tellor put Southeast back on top in the bottom of the inning with a mammoth two-run home run to left center field; 4-2 Redhawks. Southeast went ahead a little more with an RBI single by Blum; 5-2 Redhawks after the fifth.
Murray narrowed the lead just a touch with an RBI groundout by Clay Kelly in the sixth.
Ferguson continued the Redhawk scoring with another two-out, two-run home run for Southeast. The Redhawks led 7-3 going to the seventh. Bayus homered to right in the top of the seventh. After the home run, Bayus was only a single away from hitting for the cycle; 7-4.
Tellor blasted his second home run of the game in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 8-4.
Christian Hull came in to pitch the ninth inning. Hull struck out the first batter he faced then proceeded to give up a single and a walk. He struck out another batter for two out. Matt McGowan then ripped a double down the left field line to score both runners. After giving up another walk, Brady Wright was called in from the pen. Wright threw Dalton West a chair to end the game and pick up a save.
Tellor finished 3-for-4 with four RBI on two home runs. Blum was the only other Redhawk with a multi-hit game after going 2-for-3. The Redhawks were outhit 13-10 in the game.
Travis Hayes picked up his seventh win as he improves to 7-1 this season. He worked eight complete innings, allowing four runs on 11 hits. Wright earned his third save of the season after pitching only a third of an inning to close the game.
Bayus finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored after falling a single shy of hitting for the cycle.
Brock Downey (8-2) suffered the loss. Downey worked six innings, allowing seven runs.
UT MARTIN 3, SIUE 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - Numerous clutch defensive plays backed a quality outing by the University of Tennessee at Martin pitching staff in a 3-2 triumph over Ohio Valley Conference rival SIU Edwardsville today at Skyhawk Field.
A trio of Skyhawk pitchers held SIU Edwardsville to just six hits on the afternoon. Starting pitcher Dalton Potts (1-7) earned the victory after allowing just two runs on two hits while fanning five over five frames. Making his second appearance in as many days, Alex Boshers threw a pair of shutout innings to bridge the gap to closer John Houston, who allowed just one hit over two scoreless frames to notch his fourth save of the season.
Taylor Cox led UT Martin (7-35, 4-19 OVC) at the plate and in the field today, as his two hits and two RBI’s lifted the offense. Defensively, he made several nifty scoops and had a leaping grab to save a run in the fourth inning. All in all, the Skyhawk defense turned three double plays today to stave off the Cougar offense.
After SIU Edwardsville (17-27, 13-13 OVC) took the lead with a solo homer in the first inning, the Skyhawks came back to even the score in the bottom half. Taylor Douglas walked and later stole second, setting up an RBI single up the middle by Cox to make the score 1-1.
The Cougars added another run with two away in the top of the second but the Skyhawks pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to reclaim the lead. Drew Erie was issued a leadoff walk and Max Balter reached on an error to put a pair of runners aboard with no outs. Erie would move up to third on a wild pitch and come around to score on an RBI groundout by Chase Young. Cox then lined a single up the middle with two outs to score Balter and give UT Martin a 3-2 win.
What looked like an offensive showcase early then suddenly turned into a pitching duel. Potts retired the side in order in the third, then stranded the bases loaded with a called strikeout in the fourth to keep UT Martin’s one run lead intact.
Potts then needed only seven pitches to get through a perfect fifth, his last inning of work.
Boshers then took over and erased a leadoff single in the sixth with a lineout double play and a strikeout. SIU Edwardsville would hit a one-out double in the seventh but yet another double play – this one of the 4-3 variety – kept UT Martin’s advantage at 3-2.
It was then Houston’s turn to mow down the Cougars. He needed seven pitches to work through the eighth inning, which featured a 6-3 double play after the first batter was hit by a pitch.
SIU Edwardsville would get the leadoff man aboard with a single in the top of the ninth but a defensive gem by Balter prevented the Cougars from putting a baserunner in scoring position. After the next SIU Edwardsville batter tried to sneak a base hit through the left side, Balter ranged far to his right to cut the ball off and fire a strike to second baseman Andrew Massey for the force out. Houston then dialed up a strikeout and a flyout to right field to end the contest.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 6, BELMONT 5
NASHVILLE - Paschal Petrongolo had a pair of hits and drove in two runs to lead Jacksonville State to a 6-5 win over Belmont as the Gamecocks clinched the Ohio Valley Conference series on Saturday afternoon.
Jacksonville State improves to 26-19 overall and 14-9 in the OVC, while Belmont falls to 18-27-1, 8-14-1 in the league.
Michael Mason (5-1) had three strikeouts and allowed two hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief, while Travis Stout recorded the final five outs to earn his 11th save of the season. Chase Cunningham (4-6) got stuck with the loss after giving up the go-ahead run in 3 2/3 innings of relief.
Jax State jumped out to an early lead after scoring three runs on four hits in the first inning as Petrongolo, Ryan Sebra and Andrew Bishop each drove in a run to give JSU a 3-0 lead.
The Bruins answered with two runs after Matt Beaty and Nick Egli each drove in a run to cut the lead to 3-2. Belmont tied the game in the third inning after Drew Ferguson hit a solo home run to right field to tie the game at 3-3.
Belmont took its first lead of the series in the fifth inning after Alec Diamond had a two-out double and came in to score on Beaty's single to right field to give BU a 4-3 lead.
Jax State answered in the sixth inning after Andrew Bishop scored on Gavin Golsan's single to left field, and pinch-runner Peyton Williams scored on Eddie Mora-Loera's infield grounder as the Gamecocks took a 5-4 lead.
The Bruins tied the game at 5-5 in the seventh on a RBI single by Ritchie to score Beaty, but the Gamecocks battled back to take the lead for good in the eighth inning.
Micheal Bishop reached second after the Bruins could not handle his infield pop-up and Griff Gordon was intentionally walked. Petrongolo then drilled a ball to the centerfield wall that was a ground rule double to score Bishop for the final margin.
Gordon, Petrongolo, Michael Bishop and Andrew Bishop each had two hits to lead the Gamecocks, while Beaty finished with three hits to lead Belmont.
LIPSCOMB 8, TENNESSEE TECH 4
NASHVILLE - A quick attack out of the gate by Lipscomb left the Tennessee Tech baseball team attempting to play catch-up most of the evening Saturday, a game that would ultimately belong to the Bisons (27-20) as the Golden Eagles (35-13) fell in Nashville, 8-4.
Despite two home runs for the second straight night, the Golden Eagles just couldn't match the hot hitting of the home team, as the Bisons outhit Tech 12-6.
Tech showed signs of a rally late, turning a 7-2 deficit to just 7-4 in the top of the seventh, but that was as close the Golden Eagles would get as Bisons reliever Nick Andros would tame the Tech bats for the remainder of the contest.
Senior slugger Brandon Thomasson continued his hot streak, hammering his second home run in as many games and fifth in the past four contests. The solo shot cut an initial two-run Lipscomb lead in half. But the Bisons struck three times in the third inning and twice more in the fourth to put an exclamation point on the night.
Barely 24 hours after sending his first career long ball over the center field wall at Ken Dugan Field, freshman outfielder Anthony El Chibani cranked out his second moon shot of the series, a two-run shot to right center field in the seventh.
Lipscomb second baseman Mike Korte led the offensive effort on the night for the Bisons, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI thanks to a three-run shot in the third.
Bisons starter Hunter Brothers claimed his third victory of the year, tossing six innings while allowing just two earned runs and three hits.
Golden Eagle outfielder Jake Rowland quietly collected his second multi-hit game of the series, going 2-for-3 on the night. Thomasson finished the game with a 1-for-3 performance, driving in one, scoring one, and walking once. El Chibani led Tech with two RBI on a 1-for-3 evening.