FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 3, Morehead State 2 (10 innings)
Belmont 13, @Murray State 2
Southeast Missouri 12, @Tennessee Tech 8
@Northwestern 8
, SIUE 6
Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State (postponed)
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, MOREHEAD STATE 2 (10)
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Brant Valach delivered a two-out, RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Panther baseball team a 3-2 walk-off win over Morehead State on Friday afternoon at Coaches Stadium.
The Panthers improve to 17-30-1 on the year and 11-13-1 in Ohio Valley Conference action while the Eagles fall to 25-23 overall and 13-12 in conference play. EIU has posted a 6-1-1 record in its last eight conference games.
The Panthers broke open a scoreless game in the fifth inning, scoring two runs on four hits. A bunt RBI single by Dane Sauer scored the first run before Caleb Howell hit a RBI double to left field on the next play for the final run.
The Eagles added one run in the sixth inning and one run in the seventh inning to tie the game at two.
Troy Barton (1-1) earned the win for EIU, striking out three batters while only allowing two hits in three scoreless innings of relief. Jake Johansmeier made the start and went seven innings with two strikeouts.
Valach went 2-for-5 with a RBI to pace the Panther offense while Mitch Gasbarro added two hits and one run.
Matt Ellenbest (1-2) took the loss for Morehead State, allowing one hit and one unearned run in 2.1 innings of relief. All told, the Eagles used six pitchers who combined to throw five strikeouts and issue one walk.
Bobby Burns led the Eagles offense as the senior infielder went 3-for-4 with a run while Jeff Birkofer added two hits.
BELMONT 13, MURRAY STATE 2
MURRAY, Ky. - Belmont's bats were hot Friday at Johnny Reagan Field as the Bruins powered past Murray State, 13-2.
The Bruins jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first. Matt Beaty's RBI single drove in Alec Diamond and Drew Ferguson to put BU ahead 2-0. Beaty and Nick Egli scored off a groundout and a Drake Byrd single.
A pair of home runs from Jamie Ritchie and William Dodd in the fifth, extended the Bruins lead to 7-0.
Belmont added four runs off two hits in the sixth, stretching the lead to 11-0. Tyler Walsh led off the inning after reaching on a Murray State error. A hit batman and walk loaded the bases and Ritchie's sacrifice fly plated the first Belmont run of the inning. Dodd was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, allowing Ferguson to cross the plate before Drake Byrd delivered a two-run single.
Murray State loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and behind a pair of sacrifice flies, the Breds got on the board with two runs.
Ferguson blasted a two-run homer in the ninth to put the Bruins ahead 13-2. That was his tenth home run of the season.
James Buckelew went seven strong innings on the mound for his 52nd career start, putting him second all-time. The left-hander allowed just three hits and struck out six during his outing.
Christopher Carroll and Ben Lovell combined for a perfect two innings of relief for the Bruins. Carroll struck out two and Lovell struck out one.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 12, TENNESSEE TECH 8
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri baseball won the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship Friday with a 12-8 win over Tennessee Tech (36-14, 16-9 OVC).
The Redhawks, who improve to 32-16, 22-6 OVC, also clinched the No. 1 seed in the 2014 OVC Tournament, May 21-25 in Jackson, Tennessee.
This is Southeast's second OVC Championship and their first since 2002. The 2002 team went on the win the OVC Tournament.
Scott Mitchell crushed his first Redhawk home run to right field in the third inning to give Southeast a 1-0 lead. Tennessee Tech starter David Hess had only allowed two home runs all season prior to Mitchell's long ball.
Brandon Boggetto and Jason Blum began the fifth inning with back-to-back singles. Cole Bieser laid down a great sacrifice bunt and reached safely when the covering second baseman dropped the ball on the throw. Boggetto scored on the play and Blum went to third. Matt Tellor then flew out to shallow left field. Blum, a great base runner, tagged on the play and snuck a hand around the catcher to extend the Redhawk lead to 3-0.
Tech began the fifth with back-to-back singles followed by a hit batsman to load the bases. Starter Tyler Iago was pulled from the game, relieved by Christian Hull. Hull gave up a walk to the OVC's home run leader Brandon Thomasson to drive in TTU's first run of the game. Hull worked out of the bases-loaded jam to end the inning. 3-1 Redhawks after five complete innings.
Southeast blew their lead wide open in sixth inning. It all began with a leadoff double from Dalton Hewitt. Mitchell walked and Boggetto was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After Blum popped up to second for two out, Bieser drew a walk after a fantastic seven-pitch at bat after falling behind 0-2 in the count. Tennessee Tech then went to the bullpen for Austin Tolle. Tolle then dished out a four-pitch walk to Tellor, the first batter he faced. Gibson then broke the game wide open with a bases clearing, three-run double to left center field to give Southeast an 8-1 lead.
Just as the Redhawks put up five runs in the top of the sixth, TTU put up five of their own and then some. A leadoff walk preceded a home run by Jordan Parris. Another walk followed by a home run by Zach Stephens made it 8-5. Ryan Lenaburg was called in to pitch. Back-to-back doubles added another run followed by an RBI single by Dylan Bosheers brought the score within one run, 8-7.
Once again, Hewitt hit a leadoff single to begin the inning in the seventh. After Cole Ferguson drew a walk, a beautifully executed double steal put runners in scoring position with one out. Mitchell walked to load the bases followed by an RBI single by Blum. Bieser hit a sac fly to center to score Ferguson. Tellor then singled up the third base line that no one could come up with, scoring another run and putting the Redhawks up 11-7.
Southeast tacked on one run in the eighth on a Mitchell double to score pinch runner John Logan Zink; 12-7 Redhawks.
Tech added a single run in the eighth to make it 12-8 but that would be as close as they'd get to the Redhawks as Brady Wright shut down the Golden Eagles in the ninth inning, securing the 2014 OVC Championship for Southeast Missouri.
Southeast outhit the powerful offense of Tech 13-11 in the game.
Eight Redhawks recorded hits Friday evening with Blum, Gibson, Hewitt, Mitchell, and Boggetto all having two hits in the game.
Likewise, TTU had four hitters with two hits Friday.
On the mound, neither team hesitated using their bullpen as Southeast used five total pitchers and Tech used six.
After only working four and a third innings, Iago was not eligible for a win. Hull earned the win, as he was the next pitcher for Southeast. Hull improves to 4-2 on the season. Wright also earned his fourth save of the season Friday.
For TTU, Hess (8-3) suffered the loss. Hess worked five and two thirds innings, giving up five runs, striking out five, and walking five.
NORTHWESTERN 8, SIUE 6
EVANSTON, Ill. - SIUE scored six runs on 10 hits Friday but fell 8-6 to Northwestern in the opening game of a three-game nonconference baseball series at Rocky Miller Park.
The Cougars took a 3-0 lead thanks to a two-run home run by Alec Saikal, his third, in the first inning and an RBI double from Chase Green in the second inning.
Northwestern took a 4-3 lead with single runs in the first and second innings and two runs in the third inning. The Wildcats took a 5-3 lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
All five Wildcat runs came against SIUE starter Jarrett Bednar (1-5). Bednar tossed six innings allowing just four earned runs on 10 hits. He struck out two and walked one.
Austin Verschoore hit a sacrifice fly to center to cut the Northwestern lead to 5-4 in the sixth. Chase Green scored on the play after reaching on an error to start the inning.
Northwestern extended its lead to 6-4 with a run in the bottom of the seventh against SIUE reliever Brett Thomas. The Wildcats scored twice more in the eighth to make it 8-4.
Thomas pitched two innings allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits. He struck out two and walked one.
SIUE threatened in the ninth with a pair of runs. Denton Reed tripled with one out and then scored on a passed ball. Devin Caldwell connected for his 10th home run of the year for the final margin.
Reed led the Cougars at the plate. He was 3 for 5 with the run scored. Saikal was 2 for 5 with the homer and two RBIs. Green and Caldwell each had a hit and an RBI.