SATURDAY'S SCORES
@SIUE 8, Murray State 5
Jacksonville State 8, @Austin Peay 2
Tennessee Tech 2, @UT Martin 0
@Memphis 6,
Eastern Illinois 1
Belmont, @Eastern Kentucky (cancelled)
SIUE 8, MURRAY STATE 5
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - A five-run fourth inning vaulted SIUE to an 8-5 win over Murray State in game one of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Simmons Baseball Complex.
The Cougars improved to 4-0 in OVC play and 4-9 overall with the win. The Racers fell to 6-12 overall and 2-2 in the OVC.
After falling behind 1-0 in the first, the Cougars took the lead for good with two runs in the second inning on RBIs by Chase Green and Skyler Geissinger. Geissinger added an RBI-single and Dustin Woodcock had a two-run triple in the five-run fourth which made it 7-1 SIUE. Geissinger drove home a run in the fifth as well and finished the day 4 for 4 with three RBIs.
The Racers scored twice each in the fifth and sixth innings against SIUE starter Ryan Daniels. Daniels earned his first win of the year in his longest outing. He allowed the five runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out two.
Brett Thomas threw three scoreless innings in relief. He struck out two and did not allow a hit to earn his first career save.
The Cougars finished with 14 hits, 10 of which came against Murray State starter Brock Downey, the OVC preseason Pitcher of the Year. Downey fell to 2-3 with the loss. He allowed all eight runs, six earned. He walked one and did not strike out a batter.
Keaton Wright finished the day 3 for 4 with a walk and three runs scored. Mario Tursi finished 2 for 3.
Matthew Johnson led Murray State at the plate. Johnson was 3 for 5. Tyler Lawrence was 1 for 5 with a pair of RBIs.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 8, AUSTIN PEAY 2
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Jacksonville State scored five runs late to expand a lead en route to picking up its first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season with an 8-2 decision over Austin Peay on Saturday night at Raymond C. Hand Park.
The Gamecocks move to 8-6 on the season and have put together back-to-back wins as they head in to Sunday's second gamed of the three-game OVC series against the Govs. APSU dropped to 9-5 and suffered its first conference loss of the season (3-1).
The story if the contest was the stellar outing by Jax State senior right hander Zachary Fowler and the Gamecocks' clutch hitting with two outs late in the contest. Fowler tossed a season-high seven innings and silenced the league's top offense. The Daphne, Alabama-native allowed just four hits and did not run in to trouble until the Govs' half of the seventh. Fowler allowed just two hits until APSU put together back-to-back extra base hits to score its lone two runs. After a single to leadoff single to lead off the second by Garrett Copeland, Fowler retired the next 13 Govs. Copeland snapped that streak with a double in the seventh.
Fowler was handed a 1-0 lead after JSU plated the first run of the contest in the opening frame. Junior Gavin Golsan led off with an infield single and was at third base after his ninth stolen base of the year and a throwing error on the APSU catcher. After two were down, Ryan Sebra singled to the shortstop to score the run.
That was just the first of a few more times throughout the game where the Gamecocks sored with clutch hits. JSU pushed the lead out to 3-0 in the fifth after Clayton Daniel scored on a wild pitch and another RBI by Sebra in the inning after a sacrifice fly.
After the Govs gained momentum and trimmed the lead down to 3-2 in the seventh, the Gamecocks responded with three runs in the eighth and added a pair in the ninth to preserve the win. After two quick outs in the JSU half of the eighth, a misplayed ball by the APSU third baseman off the bat of Elliot McCummings started the run-scoring frame. A single by Gavin Golsan and a key two-run hit by Clayton Daniel highlighted the JSU eighth.
Sophomore Joe McGuire finished off the final two innings and allowed just one APSU hit. He entered with a 6-2 lead in the eighth and then that lead was padded by a pair of runs in the ninth. McCummings drove in the final two runs with a double to left center.
Sebra led JSU at the plate with a 3-for-4 putting along with driving in a pair. He was one of five Gamecocks to post multiple hits in the game.
TENNESSEE TECH 2, UT MARTIN 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - Just when the Tennessee Tech baseball team needed it most, senior Chris Chism delivered one of the most dominating pitching performances of not only his career, but in program history. The right-hander led the Golden Eagles to a 2-0 victory over Ohio Valley Conference rival UT Martin Saturday evening, fanning 17 batters in a one-hit shutout.
Making his first start of the year in place of the injured Tech southpaw, John Gora, Chism channeled his first career performance against the Skyhawks just one year ago. Last season, the Tampa, Fla. native tossed a one-hit shutout against UT Martin in Cookeville, striking out a then career-high 10 opponents.
But even with that spectacular outing on his resume, he managed to one-up himself in Martin Saturday night.
After Taylor Douglas to collect a lead-off single to open his night, Chism settled down significantly, retiring the next 23 batters he faced, amassing 13 strikeouts over that span. Austin Taylor managed to draw a two-out walk against the hurler in the bottom of the eighth, but he answered promptly with his 14th K of the game to end the inning.
And when the pressure of the game reached an all-time high, Chism was at his best. Clinging to a 2-0 lead headed into the bottom of the ninth, he could do nothing but watch as pinch-hitter Mike Murphy not reached base, but advanced on a Golden Eagle miscue. Head coach Matt Bragga never lost faith, however, sticking with his veteran arm the whole way.
Chism sat down the next two Skyhawks he faced, forcing each to strike out swinging and leave UT Martin with just one more chance. This gem would not be without its own breath-holding drama though. With one strike to go before ending an unbelievable performance on the hill, Chism lost control of his next offering, plunking three-hole hitter Nico Zych to put the tying run on base with the cleanup batter coming to the plate.
He proved that this was his night. Luis Paublini dug in and worked a 1-1 count before fouling off Chism's 122nd pitch of the game. It all came to this. Just one more strike and history would be his. He took the sign, reared back, and offered.
Swing. Thwap! Game.
With his 17th punch-out of the night, Chism had completed his second career, one-hit shutout to guide the Golden Eagles to a huge series-opening victory and cement his place in program history. With the victory, he moved to 3-0 on the year while UT Martin starter Carter Smith took the tough-luck loss despite tossing eight innings with just one run given up.
In his first game back from history, second baseman Jake Farr provided the biggest hit of the evening, breaking the scoreless tie in the top of the seventh frame with an RBI single to center field. The two-out hit drove in senior catcher Jordan Hopkins, who opened the inning with his own base knock to center field.
Freshman first baseman Chase Chambers provided a little insurance for Chism, doubling in All-American shortstop Dylan Bosheers to kick off the ninth inning. Bosheers reached to start the top half with his second hit of the game. Overall, Bosheers ended his night 2-for-3 with a run scored and walk. Leadoff man David Allen also collected two hits on the night in four trips to the plate.
Chism's 17 strikeouts marked the most by a Golden Eagle hurler in nearly 30 years, falling just behind the program record of 19 tossed by TTU Sports Hall of Famer, Todd Kemp. The OVC-record holder for both single-season and career strikeouts, Kempt accomplished his single-game mark for Tech back in 1988 against Tennessee State.
MEMPHIS 6, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
MEMPHIS - Eastern Illinois had a strong effort from starting pitcher Matt Wivinis but Memphis starter Caleb Wallingford was dealing on Saturday night during a 6-1 Tigers win.
Wallingford allowed just one EIU hit as the Panthers scored one run against the left-hander in the eighth inning. Wallingford (2-1) put Demetre Taylor on base with a hit by pitch in the eighth. Taylor came around to score on a RBI double by Mitch Gasbarro. Blake Myers allowed a hit to Caleb Howell in the ninth before closing out the game.
Memphis scored in the first inning against Wivinis as Darien Tubbs singled and came around to score on a ground out. Wivinis (0-3) worked 6.1 innings and was solid until getting in trouble in the seventh. Memphis scored five runs to open up the game. Wivinis allowed four hits and four runs in the loss.
Two of the Tigers runs in the seventh came on a steal of home and throwing error in the infield. Chris Carrier delivered the big hit with a two-run double to give Memphis a cushion.
EIU fell to 0-11. Memphis improved to 7-4.