WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Saint Louis 13,
Eastern Illinois 12 (10 innings)
Northern Illinois 6-4,
Murray State 4-12 (Carbondale, Ill.)
@Belmont 5, Evansville 1
Morehead State 11, @Tennessee 8
@Austin Peay 5, UT Martin 2
@Jacksonville State 18, Troy 4
@Tennessee Tech 12, Lipscomb 8
@Missouri 9,
SIUE 4
SAINT LOUIS 13, EASTERN ILLINOIS 12 (10)
ST. LOUIS - Eastern Illinois made a late rally forcing extra innings on Wednesday but a Saint Louis sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th won the game for the Billikens, 13-12.
EIU dropped to 0-10 on the season and will head to Memphis for a three game series this weekend. Saint Louis improved to 9-7 overall.
EIU fell behind early allowing ten runs in the first three innings. Christian Slazinik was able to settle the pitching staff down in the middle portion of the game working 2.2 innings allowing just one hit with a strikeout.
The Panthers began to rally in the seventh scoring six runs to force extra frames. In the seventh Brant Valach hit a solo home run to close the gap to 11-7. Valach finished the day 3-of-5 with three RBI.
Freshman Cale Hennermann delivered the heroics in the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth Hennermann had an RBI double that scored Mitch Gasbarro. He would single to right center with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth driving home two runs as Gasbarro tied the game at 12-12 scoring on a fielding error on the hit. Hennermann was 2-for-5 with three RBI.
In the tenth Saint Louis had one-out, back-to-back singles before loading the bases with a walk. Jeremy Phillips had a sacrifice fly to win the game. Isaac Sampen (0-1) suffered the loss for EIU working 2.2 innings allowing two hits in the tenth and one run. Brett Shimanovsky (1-1) picked up the win for SLU working the final three innings.
Early in the game SLU scored three runs in the first inning taking advantage of an EIU error. Jake Henson drove home a run with a sacrifice fly while Braxton Martinez drove home another run. Henson added an RBI in the second as he was 2-for-5. Colton Franbasilio had an RBI double in the second and Josh Bunselmeyer connected for a three-run home run in the third. Franbasilio was 3-for-4 with two doubles.
The Panthers offense tried to keep pace with the early Billikens offense. Jason Scholl had an RBI double in the first. Valach had an RBI double in the third and RBI single in the fourth. Caleb Howell finished 2-for-5 with two RBI while Gasbarro was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 6-4, MURRAY STATE 4-12
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Murray State scored a season-high 12 runs and pounded-out 10 hits in a 12-4 come-from-behind victory over Northern Illinois Wednesday in game two of a doubleheader. The Racers scored four runs in the fourth and five in the seventh to blow the game wide open. MSU lost game one 6-4.
After Northern Illinois (8-7) scored one run in the second and fourth innings and got two in the third, the Racers (6-11) found themselves trailing in game two, 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth. That’s when the Murray State bats came alive as the first four batters of the inning reached base safely. Tyler Lawrence led off the inning with a double to left, three batters later Derek Yoder singled to score Lawrence to make it 4-1. After a Matt McGowan sacrifice fly that scored Dalton West, Rick Linton cut the Huskies’ lead to 4-3 with a RBI single through the left side to bring home Kipp Moore. Pokey Harris capped the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice bunt that scored Yoder to tie the game at 4-4.
A West double down the left field line in the fifth proved to be the game-winning RBI as Lawrence came around to score to give the Racers their first lead of the day at 5-4. In MSU’s five-run seventh, Moore provided the fireworks as he hit a grand slam to left field for his first career home run that pushed the Racer lead to 10-4. A Matthew Johnson RBI double earlier in the inning scored Anthony Bayus.
Murray added two more insurance runs in the eighth when Clay Kelly was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Harris and a Jake Fuller sac fly RBI scoring Bayus again capped-off the scoring for the Racers.
Cody Maerz picked up his second win in relief in the game. Maerz pitched a perfect fifth inning for the Racers and struck-out a pair of batters. Paul Miller made the start in game two and took a no decision. Miller pitched four innings and gave up four runs, one earned, on three hits. Brandon Hicks, John Rafferty and Cameron Wallace all pitched hitless relief for the Racers in the win as well.
Linton was the only Racer with multiple hits in the game as he went 2-for-4. Lawrence led the way with a career-best three runs scored while Bayus and Moore each scored two. MSU recorded five extra-base hits in the win. In all, nine Racers collected an RBI in the contest.
In game one, the Racers’ rally fell short as they also fell behind 4-0 in the opener. In the fifth, a Bayus triple to right center brought around Kelly to make it 4-1, while Yoder drove-in Bayus later in the inning with a sacrifice fly. After the two teams traded runs in the sixth, Yoder collected his second RBI of the game with a single through the left side to score Kelly, making the score 5-4, however, the Huskies would add an insurance run in the eighth and Andrew Frankenreider pitched 1.1 innings of relief to pick-up his third save of the season.
Bayus and Kelly each went 2-for-4 in the loss and Brock Downey also drove-in a run for the Racers in game one. Tanner Edge picked up the loss in the game in his first career start. Edge allowed five runs and 10 hits over six innings of work. Sheldon Baxter pitched three innings of relief in the loss.
BELMONT 5, EVANSVILLE 1
NASHVILLE - The Belmont Bruins defeated the Evansville Purple Aces 5-1 on Wednesday at Rose Park.
Dom Veltri started on the mound for the Bruins against the Aces. He pitched three innings striking out three and holding the Aces scoreless.
Tyler Walsh was the standout at the plate going 3 for 4 against a team from his own hometown. Walsh hit two doubles and a homerun during his at bats.
Instead of tacking on multiple runs, the Bruins slowly built their lead on the Aces. The Bruins gained their first run in the bottom of the second inning with a hard hit double down the left field line by Tyler Walsh. Walsh advanced to third on a wild pitch and was ready and in scoring postion for Nick Egli who hit an RBI double to right field plating Walsh.
Bottom of the third the Bruins tacked on another run. Alec Diamond led off with a single to center field. Diamond was agressive on the bases and stole second. Diamond advanced to third off a ground out to secong base and scored off a passed ball.
Walsh led off the bottom of the fourth inning with another double to left field. Walsh advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dom Veltri. Drake Byrd came up to the plate and hit a double to right center plating Walsh.
Only run scored in the bottom of the 6th was by Walsh with a solo homerun over the Bruins bullpen in left field. The Bruins added one more hit in the 7th to Push the Bruins to a 5-0 lead over the Purple Aces.
The Aces didn't go down without a fight. Top of the 9th, the Aces tried for a rally plating one run off 3 hits, but ultimatley lost the battle to the Bruins.
The Bruins are now 6-8 on the season and Dom Veltri received the win on the mound. His record is now 1-2.
MOREHEAD STATE 11, TENNESSEE 8
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Senior utility player Chris Robinson and senior right-fielder Brandon Rawe collected three RBI apiece, and the Morehead State baseball team used a pair of four-run outbursts to defeat the Tennessee Vols 11-8 Wednesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Morehead State (9-4), which improved to 6-2 on the road this year, knocked off Tennessee (7-6) for just the third time since 1987 and first time since 2008. UT leads the series 32-3. Eleven of MSU’s 13 contests have been decided by three runs or less.
Robinson went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles. His first two-bagger plated a pair in the Eagles’ four-run fourth frame. His second sent home a run in a four-run eighth. Rawe’s lone hit was a bases-loaded double in the eighth, and he started the scoring with an RBI ground out in the first.
Morehead State built a 6-1 advantage after six at-bats before the hosts put a four-spot on the board in the sixth to tie it 6-6.
Sophomore left-hander Cable Wright got out of the sixth and allowed two hits and two runs later but was still credited with his first career win.
Jacob Westphal surrendered the go-ahead run in the seventh and was stuck with the loss to fall to 1-1.
Each squad finished with 11 hits. Sophomore third baseman Alex Stephens was also 3-for-5 and scored twice. Sophomore centerfielder Ryan Kent crossed the plate three times and drove in a pair of runs.
Senior first baseman Kane Sweeney clubbed his 18th career home run and team-best third of the year with two outs in the third inning. He has reached base in all 13 games and now has an eight-game hitting streak. Senior left-fielder Nick Newell extended his hitting streak to six.
Right-fielder Vincent Jackson, shortstop A.J. Simcox, second baseman Nick Senzel and designated hitter Andrew Lee collected two hits each for Tennessee.
Morehead State utilized six pitchers. Junior righty Patrick McGuff made his first Division I start. Junior right-hander Craig Pearcy closed out the contest, but it was not a save situation. Tennessee sent five pitchers to the mound.
AUSTIN PEAY 5, UT MARTIN 2
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Shortstop Clayton Smithson and left fielder Patrick Massoni proved to be a lethal combination once again as they drove in three runs in a pivotal fourth inning to help Austin Peay State University’s baseball team down UT Martin, 5-2, in a nonconference game, Wednesday night, at Raymond C Hand Park.
Austin Peay (9-4) had just seen UT Martin tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth. First baseman Dre Gleason began the Govs rally with a one-out double to right center. Smithson capitalized with a two-out RBI double to give APSU a 2-1 lead. Massoni followed with a two-run home run to give the Govs a 4-1 lead they would not relinquish.
That lead was enough for Govs starter Zach Hall (1-2), who won for the first time since May 23, 2013. He allowed two runs on six hits in 5.2 innings – surrendering a leadoff home run in the fourth and a RBI single in the sixth.
Reliever Zach Walton replaced Hall and induced a fielder’s choice to end the sixth inning with the tying run on base. Walton would get an out from all four batters he faced before turning the ball over to A.J. Gaura. He benefited from the Govs second double play to face the minimum over the final two innings for his second save.
Gleason led the Govs with a 3-for-3 outing that included a walk as he reached base in all four plate appearances. Second baseman Garrett Copeland went 2-for-3 with a RBI double in the third. Massoni and Smithson each went 1-for-4.
Reliever Michael Fidler (1-1) allowed three runs on three hits in the second inning and was tagged for the loss. The Skyhawks used five pitchers in the contest.
First baseman Nico Zych hit a solo home run to tie the game in the fourth and was 1-for-4 at the plate. Catcher Mikey Nantze was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 18, TROY 4
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Juniors Paschal Petrongolo and Elliott McCummings combined for six hits and seven RBIs in Jacksonville State's 18-4 rout of in-state rival Troy on Wednesday evening at Rudy Abbott Field.
The win pushed the Gamecocks' overall mark to 7-6 overall and snapped a modest three-game losing skid as they enter their first Ohio Valley Conference road test this weekend at Austin Peay. The Trojans suffered their eighth consecutive loss and fell to 7-10 on the season. The win also marked the third straight over Troy, which matches the longest winning streak by JSU since taking three consecutive games from the Trojans in 1991.
The Gamecocks started the scoring onslaught early with four early runs off of Troy starter, Cody Hughes. Hughes couldn't get out of the first as he was touched for three hits and four earned runs in the frame. Petrongolo was the last batter he faced as he laced a two-run double to right center. McCummings also had a double in the frame, plating Tyler Gamble, who reached on a single to left.
Troy posted its first of two runs off of Jax State left hander Jack Pierce in the third. Pierce, making his collegiate debut was sharp on the hill in his four innings of work. The Pelham, Alabama freshman allowed just two Trojan runs, only one earned run and posted three strike outs. He picked up his first win in a Gamecock uniform. JSU pitching was solid throughout the midweek contest as Michael McCreeless, Jesse Fry and Michael Barber combined to allow just three Troy hits the rest of the way.
JSU broke open the contest as it would plate eight runs in the third and six in the fourth. The eight-run third was highlighted by six hits by the Red and White, including RBI singles from Gavin Golsan, Clayton Daniel. Petrongolo had the big hit in the inning with a bases clearing triple and then scored an errant throw from the right fielder.
In the Jax State fourth, it was another McCummings hit that ignited the inning. He would score on Taylor Hawthorne's two-run blast to right. It was Hawthorne's second home run of the season as he finished the night 2-for-5 and three runs driven in. Hayden White and Petrongolo also had extra base hits in the inning as White doubled down the right field line and scored on Petrongolo's double to left. The Blackwood, New Jersey-product drove in four runs and reached base four times.
Troy added two runs in the sixth on a home run off the bat of David Hall.
TENNESSEE TECH 12, LIPSCOMB 8
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Recap coming soon.
MISSOURI 9, SIUE 4
COLUMBIA, Mo. - SIUE dropped a 9-4 decision to Missouri Wednesday in nonconference baseball at Taylor Stadium.
Missouri (12-4) opened the scoring with three unearned runs in the second inning against SIUE starter Brendan Miller. An errant pickoff and an a throwing error on a groundball extended allowed a run to score and extended the inning to leadoff hitter Brett Peel. Peel lined a double to left to make it 3-0 Missouri.
The Cougars (3-9) got a run back in the fourth inning on an infield hit from Nick Lombardo.
Mizzou's Chris Akmon and Josh Lester each had two-run hits in the bottom of the inning to extend the Tigers' lead to 7-1. Miller (0-1) pitched 3 1/3 innings allowing seven run, four earned, on six hits. He walked three and struck out two.
Caleb Wilkerson relieved Miller in the fourth. He tossed 4 2/3 innings allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits. He struck out one and did not walk a batter.
Dustin Woodcock drove home two runs with a single in the fifth inning to make it 7-3. Lombardo was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 7-4.
Mizzou added two runs in the fifth for the final.
The Tigers used four pitchers to limit the Cougars to seven hits. Alec Rash started and pitched four innings. He allowed two runs on six hits. He struck out two.
Woodcock led the Cougars at the plate. He was 3 for 4 with the two RBIs. Lombardo was 1 for 4 with the two RBIs. Keaton Wright was 2 for 4. The Cougars stranded 16 runners on base.
Peel and Brent Bond each had two hits for the Tigers.