SUNDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Kentucky 5, Southern Illinois 2 (Emerson, Ga.)
Austin Peay 17, @Samford 8
IPFW 12-20,
Murray State 11-3 (Emerson, Ga.)
Tennessee Tech 12, Davidson 5 (Savannah, Ga.)
Morehead State 2, Dayton 1 (Emerson, Ga.)
Valparaiso,
@Belmont (cancelled)
EASTERN KENTUCKY 5, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 2
EMERSON, Ga. - A three-run home run by sophomore Shea Sullivan in the bottom of the ninth gave Eastern Kentucky a 5-2 win over Southern Illinois in the series finale at the LakePoint Sports complex in Emerson, Georgia.
The Colonels (3-3) won the four-game series 3-1.
Solo home runs by TJ Alas and Taylor Blair in the third and fourth innings put EKU on top 2-0. It was the fourth home run of the season for Alas.
The Salukis (1-6) cut the deficit in half on Chase Slone’s solo home run in the fifth. SIU tied the score in the top of the eighth when Greg Lambert drove in Slone with a two-out RBI single to center field.
Cameron Langfels (2-0) retired Southern Illinois in order in the top of the ninth to set up Eastern’s final-inning win. Logan Starnes led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to left center. With two on, Doug Teegarden’s sacrifice moved the runners to second and third. Sullivan followed with his game-winning shot.
Sullivan finished the day 3-for-5 with a run and three RBIs. Langfels earned his second win in as many days by pitching a scoreless inning of relief. He struck out one and did not walk a batter. Senior Matt Lynch started and allowed just one run on six hits in five innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out five.
Lambert went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Southern Illinois.
AUSTIN PEAY 17, SAMFORD 8
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Left fielder Cayce Bredlau’s second-inning grand slam catapulted Austin Peay State University’s baseball team to a 17-8 victory, Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
After having difficulty pushing in runs during the series’ first two games, Austin Peay (3-2) broke through quickly in Sunday’s series finale. Austin Peay struck for six runs in the second inning to break the game open. Center fielder Chase Hamilton began the scoring with a RBI single and shortstop Clayton Smithson followed with a bases-loaded RBI single two batters later. That set the stage for Bredlau who hit the Govs first home run of 2015, a grand slam to left center that put APSU ahead 6-0.
Govs starter Caleb Powell (1-0) benefited from the quick start and held Samford to one run through the first four innings. He would allow two runs on a home run in the fifth following an inning-extending error and would surrender two more runs in the sixth before departing the game. Powell, who made his first 2015 start, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out four in his 5.2 innings of work.
Meanwhile, Austin Peay’s offense chugged along, adding two runs in the third, a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth – Bredlau added sacrifice flies in both the third and fifth innings. The Govs went down in order for the first time in the sixth inning, but by then they had built an 11-3 lead.
Samford (3-3) saw any chance of a comeback thwarted by its own defense in the seventh as a pair of miscues resulted in four Austin Peay runs – two of those unearned – and a 15-5 lead.
Bredlau finished the game going 1-for-3 at the plate with six RBI as he was lifted after the seventh inning. Third baseman Logan Gray and catcher Ridge Smith each went 4-for-6. Gray had three extra base hits (two doubles and a triple) and a RBI as part of his outing. Smith had two doubles and a RBI in his tally.
In addition, designated hitter Alex Robles had three RBI – two courtesy a double in the eighth – and Smithson had two RBI to join Bredlau as multi-RBI performers in Sunday’s finale.
Samford starter Cole Limbaugh (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing eight runs on 10 hits in the first three innings. Left fielder Jared Watson paced the Bulldogs offense with a 2-for-3, three RBI outing.
IPFW 12-20, MURRAY STATE 11-3
EMERSON, Ga. - The Murray State baseball team dropped a pair of games to IPFW Sunday in Emerson, Ga., the Racers lost a wild game one, 12-11 and lost the second game 20-3.
In the first game, IPFW (5-1) jumped out to an early lead by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning, however, the Racers would respond with a seven-run second inning, capped by Tyler Lawrence’s grand slam that pushed MSU (1-5) in front 7-4. The home run is Lawrence’s second bomb of the season. Matt McGowan, Brock Downey and Anthony Bayus also had RBIs in the inning.
After a Derek Yoder double to center scored Matthew Johnson and a Bayus RBI single plated Yoder, the Racers appeared to be in control up 9-4 in the third inning. The Mastodons would slowly chip away at the deficit, scoring a run in the third and the fifth inning to make it 9-6 Murray State. A two-run homer in the seventh made it 9-8 and then IPFW added two runs in the eighth to take a 10-9 lead.
Murray again responded, this time in the top of the ninth as a Reed Thompson RBI single up the middle scored Kipp Moore and tied the game at 10-10. The next batter, Downey was hit by a pitch on the elbow which allowed Taylor Mathews to score to give the Racers an 11-10 edge.
But, the Racers were unable to close the game out as a Brandon Soat two RBI double down the left field line gave the Mastodons a walkoff victory.
Tyler Anderson took the loss in the game, allowing two runs on three hits in an inning of work. Anderson also struck-out two and walked a batter. Brad Boegel got the start on the mound and the no decision in the game. Boegel allowed six runs over five innings of work and gave up 12 hits to go along with three walks and five strikeouts.
In game two, the only highlights for the Racers was a solo home run that hit the left field foul pole by Thompson in the fourth and a Pokey Harris RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. IPFW collected 21 hits in the game.
TENNESSEE TECH 12, DAVIDSON 5
SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Tennessee Tech baseball team (4-2) finished off its wild, but rewarding three-game weekend in style Sunday afternoon, defeating the Davidson Wildcats (4-2) behind an offensive barrage, 12-5.
Redshirt freshman Ryan Flick led the way offensively for the Golden Eagles, finishing with four RBI on the power of a 3-for-4 day at the plate. The designated hitter clubbed two doubles and scored twice while leading Tech to its fourth win of the season.
All-American Dylan Bosheers paved the way for several of Flick's RBI on the day, scoring three runs while collecting a 2-for-4 performance at the dish. He also garnered a walk and laced his own double while driving in run.
Freshman right-hander Travis Moths took the bump to start for the Golden Eagles, tossing four and a third innings in the game. He allowed four runs while striking out five batters. Chris Chism relieved the freshman hurler, covering the next two and two thirds innings brilliantly. The senior scattered three hits and walked none while claiming his second victory of the year.
MOREHEAD STATE 2, DAYTON 1
EMERSON, Ga. - After completing Saturday's suspended game (which lasted 14 innings), Morehead State came back to top Dayton 2-1 in game two of a three-game series at the Perfect Game Fields at LakePointe Sports Complex.
MSU is now 4-2, and UD fell to 1-4.
Sophomore right-hander Luke Humphreys (1-0) struck out a career-best nine in seven innings and allowed only four hits while picking up the win. Freshman Seth Boyle and Wright added a strikeout each, and Wright collected his first career save.
Senior shortstop Robby Spencer knocked in MSU's two runs, as a third-inning singled pushed home senior catcher Chris Robinson and senior first baseman Kane Sweeney. He was 2-for-3 on the day.
Dayton struck first, getting a second-inning sacrifice fly by Cale Dineen. The Flyers had runners in scoring position in the seventh, eighth and ninth frames but failed to capitalize.
Charlie Dant (0-2), who recorded seven strikeouts and gave up six hits in seven innings, was pinned with the loss. First baseman A.J. Ryan notched two of Dayton's four hits.