SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Belmont 10, Morehead State 3
@Jacksonville State 5-4, Eastern Illinois 4-2
SIUE 7, @Tennessee Tech 2
Austin Peay 2, @Murray State 1
@Southeast Missouri 13, UT Martin 0
@Illinois State 16,
Eastern Kentucky 4
BELMONT 10, MOREHEAD STATE 3
NASHVILLE - Matt Beaty led at the plate with home runs in back-to-back at-bats driving in 5 of the 10 runs scored by Belmont. The Bruins took game two of the series against Morehead State 10-3 on Saturday at Rose Park.
The Bruins were able to score all 10 of their runs before Morehead State was able to get any runs on the board. The Bruins took an early lead in the bottom of the first with Beaty's first home run of the game driving in two runs followed by a solo home run by junior Tyler Fullerton.
Five more runs were plated in the bottom of the second off a ground-ruled double from Drew Ferguson that plated two and Beaty's second home run of the game which plated three.
In the bottom of the fourth, Alec Diamond led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Ferguson drew a walk and was awarded two stolen bases in the inning. A sacrifice fly and a single plated the two runs scored.
In the bottom of the fifth Diamond led off the inning with a double down the left field line.
Quillen improved to 3-1 on the mound after today's win. Quillen pitched 6 innings and gave up zero runs on four hits, striking out six.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 5-4, EASTERN ILLINOIS 4-2
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Senior Travis Stout became the Ohio Valley Conference's all-time career saves holder after shutting down Eastern Illinois in the opener and recorded 37th career save in the night cap as the Gamecocks swept EIU on Saturday at Rudy Abbott Field.
The Gamecocks jumped on the Panthers early and held on for a 5-4 win in game one of the twinbill and came from behind late to post a 4-2 victory over EIU. With the twinbill sweep, JSU swept the three-game series and improved to 12-8 overall and 5-4 in OVC play. The Panthers fell to 0-17 on the season and 0-6 against the OVC.
Stout, who tied the league's career saves mark on Friday night, surpassed former Austin Peay pitcher, Tyler Rogers with his one inning of work in the opener. The Smyrna, Georgia-native worked around a pair of JSU miscues in the final frame to earn the save. He tossed a 1-2-3 ninth in the second game for his fifth save of the season and second in as many days.
In the opener, the Gamecocks plated two runs in their first at bat after a key two-double by senior Ryan Sebra. Sebra was a tough out for the Panthers as he finished the weekend, 6-for-12, including a pair of doubles, a triple and a key solo home run late in the second game to lift JSU to the win. In the first game, Sebra, the reigning OVC Player of the Week, collected a pair of hits in four plate appearances. In the second game, the Ormond Beach, Florida-third baseman also had a pair of hits – both for extra bases.
After falling behind 2-1 in the sixth inning of the night cap, Sebra belted his second home run of the season over the left center field wall. He was instrumental in giving the Gamecocks the lead in the home half of the eighth with another lead off hit. Sebra sent a ball to the right center gap for a triple. He scored the eventual winning run on a double from Elliot McCummings. After hitting for the cycle last Monday at Austin Peay, Sebra collected all four cycle hits in the two games combined.
Sophomore Josh Bobo gave the Jax State offense a spark in both games after being inserted in to the line up due for freshman Taylor Hawthorne. The Attalla, Alabama-product singled in his first plate appearance and followed that with his first home run of the season in the eighth to give JSU an insurance run at 5-2 heading in to the final inning.
Senior Tony Urban recorded the win in the opener after 6.1 innings of work and limited the Panthers to just three hits and one earned run. Urban finished with three strikeouts and just one free pass. EIU's Garrison Stenger took the loss.
Both teams scratched a run on the board in the first inning of the final game of the series and then both pitchers tossed a duel. JSU freshman Jake Walsh limited the first inning damage to just a run and then settled in to finish the next five innings of scoreless baseball. Walsh posted four strike outs in the outing and touched for both of EIU's runs. Junior Graham Officer was credited with the win after two innings of work before handing things over to Stout.
Freshman catcher Hayden White turned in a pair of hits in game two along with Bobo and Sebra.
SIUE 7, TENNESSEE TECH 2
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - SIUE baseball scored seven runs over the first two innings Saturday and went on to a 7-2 win over Tennessee Tech in game two of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Bush Stadium.
SIUE improved to 7-1 in the OVC with the win and 7-10 overall. Tennessee Tech is now 10-10 overall and 4-4 in the OVC.
The Cougars scored four times on five hits in the first inning. Parker Guinn, Skyler Geissinger, and Austin Verschoore each had RBI hits in the inning. Alec Saikal added a sacrifice fly as well. SIUE then tacked on three runs on a hit in the second inning. The Cougars were helped out by a pair of Tennessee Tech errors. Dustin Woodcock singled to drive in two in the second while Saikal added his second sacrifice fly of the game.
The Cougar runs came against TTU starter Evan Fraliex (2-1). Fraliex settled in to toss seven innings. He gave up nine hits.
P.J. Schuster (3-0) tossed six shutout innings in his first start of the year. Schuster allowed only four hits, he walked one, and he struck out six.
Brett Thomas threw the final three innings allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits. He struck out four. Tech scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings against the Cougar reliever.
AUSTIN PEAY 2, MURRAY STATE 1
MURRAY, Ky. - For the second straight day Austin Peay State University pitchers held Murray State to five hits. However, the Govs held on for a 2-1 Ohio Valley Conference victory, Saturday, to level the three-game series, 1-1, at Reagan Field.
Starting pitcher Jared Carkuff and reliever A.J. Gaura combined to limit the Racers to five hits in the contest. Carkuff surrendered three hits in the first two innings then did not allow another hit over his next four frames. Gaura allowed one hit in each of his two innings of work.
Austin Peay (11-8, 5-3 OVC) didn’t have much better success against Murray State starter Brad Boegel. The Govs first run – and the only run of the first eight innings by either team – came in the third inning when third baseman Logan Gray’s two-out ground ball was mishandled by the Racers third baseman, allowing a run to score.
The Govs would load the bases with two out in the fourth inning against Boegel, but the Murray State right hander escaped the frame without allowing a run. That inning-ending out was the first of nine straight outs recorded by Boegel who stymied the Govs over the next five frames.
Austin Peay would finally find an insurance run in the ninth when it loaded the bases with one out. Left fielder Cayce Bredlau singled through the right side, scoring pinch runner Imani Willis, but Murray State right fielder Brock Downey’s throw home was just in time to catch center fielder Chase Hamilton out and the Govs would not add to their 2-0 lead.
Murray State (7-16, 3-5 OVC) broke up the Govs shutout bid in its half of the ninth. Gaura allowed a leadoff double and served up what appeared to be an inning-ending double-play ground ball. However, it eluded Govs shortstop Clayton Smithson, allowing the run to score. Gaura battled back to strike out the final two batters he faced to end the game.
Carkuff (3-3) picked up the win with seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out seven. Gaura struck out the side in the ninth as part of his two innings of work to record his third save.
Boegel (0-2) became the second straight Murray State pitcher to last more than eight innings, going 8.1 innings and allowing two runs on six hits in the loss.
Hamilton led the Govs offense with a pair of bunt singles as part of a 2-for-4 outing. Bredlau went 1-for-3 and had APSU’s lone RBI.
Five different Murray State hitters recorded a hit. Left fielder Derek Yoder hitting the ninth inning double.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 13, UT MARTIN 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - It was an old fashioned pitcher's duel through five and a half innings but the Redhawk offense erupted for eight runs in the six and five in the seventh to down UT Martin, 13-0, Saturday.
Southeast Missouri wins their third Ohio Valley Conference series with the win over the Skyhawks. The Redhawks improve to 12-9 on the season and 6-2 in OVC play. UT Martin is 4-15, 2-6 OVC.
After five and a half innings, Joey Lucchesi had held UT Martin to only two hits and UTM starter Carter Smith had only given up four to the Redhawks.
Jason Blum led off the sixth inning with a base hit to left. He immediately scored on a double by Andy Lennington to break the scoreless draught. Lennington was plated by Ryan Rippee with a single to right. Dalton Hewitt singled to center and advanced to second on the throw to third base. On the play, Rippee advanced to third and then scored when the third baseman couldn't field the ball. Hewitt scored on a double to left. After a Scott Mitchell base hit, UT Martin went to their bullpen for Patrick Bernard. Clayton Evans drove in his sixth RBI of the series with a hit up the middle, bringing the score to 5-0. The Redhawks batted around to bring Blum back to the plate. Blum then singled down the left field line to plate Mitchell. Evans scored the seventh run of the inning on a passed balled. The eighth and final run of the inning scored on an RBI single by Rippee.
Southeast used another offensive outburst in the seventh inning to extend the lead. Neel scored on a double by Mitchell. Pinch hitter Hunter Leeper flew out to center to allow Mitchell to score on the sac fly. Garrett Gandolfo had the only multi-RBI hit in the game when he doubled to right center. The 13th Redhawk run scored on a Hewitt single through the right side.
Southeast's 13 runs came on 13 hits in the sixth and seventh innings. Southeast tallied 17 total hits in the game.
Blum and Mitchell finished with identical lines of 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Four other Redhawks had two hits each.
Trevor Ezell's 20-game on base streak was snapped after failing to reach base in the game.
Lucchesi (3-0) worked seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. He struck out seven Skyhawk batters and walked only one. He retired ten-straight batters to end his outing. Brady Wright pitched two scoreless innings out of the pen. Lucchesi and Wright combined for the first shutout of the season.
Nick Pribble had a pair of hits for the Skyhawks. UT Martin had five hits in the game.
Smith (1-3) worked five and a third innings, throwing five scoreless before the sixth inning. UT Martin used four total pitchers in the game.
The Redhawks will go for the sweep of the Skyhawks Sunday at 1 p.m. Alex Winkelman and Alex Martin will face off on the mound.
ILLINOIS STATE 16, EASTERN KENTUCKY 4
NORMAL, Ill. - Eastern Kentucky lost to Illinois State, 16-4, on Saturday.
The highlight for EKU (6-13) came in the top of the ninth when freshman Brendan Cutting hit his first career home run, a three-run shot over the wall in right field. The Colonels’ first run came in the top of the sixth. With one out, TJ Alas tripled to left center. Mandy Alvarez followed with a sacrifice fly for his 14th RBI of the season.
Alas finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Cutting’s lone at bat of the game produced his first collegiate dinger.
Illinois State (10-10) went in front 7-0 after five innings. Joe Kelch drove in a pair with a double in a 4-run fourth inning for the Redbirds. ISU put the game out of reach with nine runs in the sixth inning. Paul DeJong had a bases clearing double in the big inning.
Jac Hendren (4-1) picked up the win for Illinois State after giving up just one run on three hits in seven innings. He walked three and struck out six. DeJong finished 3-for-5 with a run and four RBIs. Dennis Colon had four hits in five at bats, scored three times and drove in two.