TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Northern Kentucky 8,
Morehead State 3
Arkansas State 14,
@Murray State 6
@UNC Asheville 7,
Tennessee Tech 5
@Lipscomb 10,
Belmont 9
Jacksonville State 8, @Troy 1
@UT Martin 10, Christian Brothers 4
@Southeast Missouri 13, Saint Louis 1
Indiana State,
@SIUE (cancelled)
Southern Illinois,
@Eastern Illinois (cancelled)
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 8, MOREHEAD STATE 3
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Northern Kentucky scored four times, including a pair on throwing errors, in the seventh inning to hand the Morehead State baseball team an 8-3 defeat at Bill Akers Complex Tuesday.
NKU, which has won three straight against MSU, improved to 6-13. Morehead State, which has now lost seven of its last nine games, saw its 2015 marked evened at 11-11.
MSU trailed 3-2 during the middle innings before senior leftfielder Nick Newell singled to drive in fellow senior outfielder Brandon Rawe in the seventh. The Norse, however, got a two-run homer from first baseman Trey Ganns and two more via Eagle throwing errors to go up 7-3 in the bottom of the frame. An additional throwing error let the final run come across in the ninth.
The Eagles fell behind 3-0 before Newell and senior shortstop Robby Spencer collected RBI hits in the third.
The hosts recorded 13 hits off six Morehead State pitchers. Ganns, Cole Bauml, Caleb Lonkard and former MSU outfielder Taylor Sears notched two hits each. Bauml led off the first with his nation-leading 18th double.
NKU reliever Alex Bolia picked up the win, allowing the tying run to score but benefitting from his team's rally, to improve to 2-0. Junior Jared Holloman was slapped with the loss to fall to 0-1. He served up the go-ahead home run.
Newell recorded his team-best ninth multi-hit game, going 3-for-4. Rawe and sophomore centerfielder Ryan Kent got two hits apiece. Senior catcher Chris Robinson extended his reached-base streak to 29 games, but senior first baseman Kane Sweeney went 0-for-5 to halt his reached-base string at 28 contests.
ARKANSAS STATE 14, MURRAY STATE 6
MURRAY, Ky. - Arkansas State was able to score 14 runs and registered 15 hits as the Red Wolves defeated Murray State 14-6 Tuesday afternoon at Johnny Reagan Field. The Racers’ pitching staff struck-out a season-high 15 batters in the loss.
After the Red Wolves (10-11) opened the game with a run in the first, Pokey Harris knotted things up in the bottom half of the inning as he led-off for the Racers with his first career home run to make the score 1-1. ASU was able to regain the lead with a pair of two-out runs in the second inning to go up 3-1.
Murray State took its first lead of the game with a three-run bottom of the third as Dalton West, Tyler Lawrence and Anthony Bayus all recorded RBIs in the inning to give the Racers a 4-3 edge. A Matt McGowan RBI single in the fourth pushed the MSU lead to 5-3.
However, a four-run fifth inning propelled Arkansas State to a 7-5 lead and the Red Wolves wouldn’t look back, adding two runs in the seventh and five more in the ninth. Lawrence recorded his second RBI of the loss in the bottom of the ninth inning to score Jake Fuller. It was Lawrence’s fourth multi-RBI game of the season.
The Racers collected 10 hits of their own in the game, five of which came in the final two innings when ASU was well in control. Taylor Mathews was the only Racer with more than one hit in the game as he went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Harris scored a pair of runs the loss.
John Lollar got the start and no decision in the game for MSU. Lollar allowed four earned runs off seven hits in four innings of work while walking four batters and striking-out a career-best six. Tanner Edge was saddled with the loss moving him to 0-2 on the year. Edge allowed two runs, both unearned in an inning of work. Tyler Anderson, Sheldon Baxter, Paul Miller and Cameron Wallace all pitched relief as well for Murray State Tuesday.
UNC ASHEVILLE 7, TENNESSEE TECH 5
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - A late rally proved to be too little too late for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Tuesday evening, as the Bulldogs of UNC Asheville took advantage of an early 7-0 lead to hold on and down the Golden Eagles, 7-5.
The Bulldogs wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first to collect a 3-0 advantage. UNC Asheville tallied another marker in the bottom of the third and three more in the fourth to jump out to a 7-0 lead.
In the sixth, the Golden Eagles mounted a furious comeback bid with one out, kicking things off with senior Jordan Hopkins. The catcher was awarded first base after being hit by a pitch and freshman Ryan Flick followed by drawing a walk.
The next batter, Anthony El Chibani, took advantage of the runners on base, crushing a triple to right center field and driving in Tech's first two runs of the game. Another freshman, Johnny Carpenter, collected a walk to put runners on the corner before yet another freshman, Adam Reed, singled through the right side for another Golden Eagle RBI.
A quick pitching change would seem to help things for the Bulldogs, but Reed and Carpenter each advanced a base on a balk to start the at bat for Trevor Putzig. A wild pitch allowed Carpenter to score and add another run for Tech. Putzig followed the wild pitch by working a walk to bring up Jake Farr.
The junior hit into a fielder's choice, but was able to drive in Reed from third base to cut the Bulldog lead down to 7-5. Another walk, drawn by senior David Allen, put the tying run on base, but UNC Asheville reliever Parker Swindell recovered just in time to record the final out of the inning and close down the rest of Tech's comeback attempt.
Both sides shut down offensively over the final three frames, with just two hits being allowed the rest of the way. Jordan Fulbright picked up the victory for the Bulldogs, moving to 4-0 on the year with five innings of shutout work. Nick Schavone earned his fifth save of the season after closing out the final inning.
LIPSCOMB 10, BELMONT 9
NASHVILLE - Despite scoring seven runs in the top of the eighth to tie the game 9-9, Belmont fell in the Battle of the Boulevard to Lipscomb 10-9 on Tuesday.
Sophomore Nick Egli went 2-5 at the plate with two solid outings; a single in the top of the first to plate a runner and a double in the top of the eighth to start a momentous rally.
The Bruins jumped on the bit early in the game when Alec Diamond led off the first inning with a single to center field. After a walk and hit-by-pitch. Tyler Walsh placed a sacrifice fly to center field to score the first run of the game. Nick Egli delivered at the plate with an RBI single to plate the second run.
Retaliating in the bottom of the first, the Bison's scored three runs to take the lead on the Bruins. Lipscomb then held the Bruins to 6 scoreless innings while tacking on an additional 6 runs.
Entering the top of the eighth Belmont trailed Lipscomb 9-2. The score did not stop the Bruins for attempting the unimaginable. In the top of the eighth, the real game action began.
Matt Beaty led off the inning with a 4 ball walk to reach base followed by a hit by pitch. With runners on first and second, Nick Egli hit a 2 run double down the left field line to ignite the Bruin bats. Desi Ammons came in to pinch hit and delivered with a blooper to right field. With runners on the corners, Drake Byrd came in to hit in the 9-hole and drew a walk to load the bases. Alec Diamond followed and drew a 6 pitch walk to plate a runner. With two outs and bases loaded, Drew Ferguson hit a single to the left side to chip away another run. Lipscomb tried to stop the momentum with a pitching change.
After leading off earlier in the inning, Beaty returned to the plate and delivered with a 2 run single to right center to bring the game within one run. With Runners then on the corners, Tyler Fullerton hit a single through the left side to plate the tying run. The Bruins were able to tie the game 9-9 in the top of the eighth. The Bruins pushed 7 runs across the plate on 6 hits to make up for the 6 inning deficit.
Although the goal in the bottom of the ninth was to hold Lipscomb scoreless, two errors in the bottom of the 9th allowed the Bisons to take the 10-9 walk off win over the Bruins.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 8, TROY 1
TROY, Ala. - Jacksonville State sophomore righthander Colton Campbell flirted with the program's first no-hitter since 2000, but a pinch hit in the ninth thwarted the attempt in an 8-1 win over in-state nemesis Troy on Tuesday night at Riddle-Pace Field.
The win kept JSU's winning streak intact at four consecutive after sweeping Eastern Illinois last weekend and moved to 13-8 overall. Troy fell to 11-13 on the season after winning a weekend series against Arkansas-Little Rock. The Gamecocks' first midweek road win also was the fourth consecutive over the Trojans as Jax State pounded out an 18-4 win earlier in the season at Rudy Abbott Field. The last time JSU won four in a row over the Trojans since the last meeting of 1975 and carried over to the three games in 1976.
JSU pounded out 17 hits in the first meeting back on March 11, posted double figure hit totals with 12 hits. The Gamecocks used the home run ball early as sophomore Joe McGuire re-acquainted himself with his former Oxford High School teammate, Tucker Simpson, with a two-run blast over the right field wall to stake Campbell with a two-run lead. McGuire finished the night 2-for-5 after his second hit off of Simpson in the third.
That is all the Rainsville, Alabama-native needed as he would silence the Trojans' bats for 8.1 innings. The transfer from Wallace State Community College retired every Trojan until a hit by a pitch in the sixth inning. Before the lone hit given up by Campbell, he issued a walk in the eighth. He stuck out four and faced 28 Trojan batters.
Troy plated its lone run with an RBI single from Logan Hill.
The Gamecocks extended the lead in the third with a three-run third after an RBI singles by Paschal Petrongolo and a key two-run single by Paul Angel. JSU plated its sixth run of the night in the fourth after a pair of doubles. Catcher Daniel Gaither drilled a two-bagger down the right field line and was plated by Daniel Clayton's double down the third base line.
Petrongolo belted his third home run of the season in the seventh with a two-run blast over the right field wall. He drove in three runs and finished with a pair of hits in the win. Gavin Golsan turned in a three-hit outing with three singles.
UT MARTIN 10, CHRISTIAN BROTHERS 4
MARTIN, Tenn. - All nine spots in the University of Tennessee at Martin batting order reached base safely and nine different players crossed the plate in a 10-4 victory over Christian Brothers at Skyhawk Field.
UT Martin (5-16) got off to a quick start with a 3-0 lead after the first inning but Christian Brothers, a Division-II school coached by UT Martin alum Phil Goodwin, answered with four runs over its next two innings to take a one-run lead. The Skyhawks then reclaimed the lead for good with a four-run sixth inning, followed by another run in the seventh and two more runs in the eighth.
Austin Taylor had a pair of hits and drove in three runs for the Skyhawks tonight while Mike Murphy collected three hits and an RBI. Andrew Castillo (two RBI’s) and Taylor Douglas (two runs scored) cranked back-to-back home runs in the first inning to help get the UT Martin offense going early.
A trio of Skyhawk relievers were near flawless this evening, as Dillon Symon (2.2 innings), Quinton Stevens (two innings while earning his first collegiate victory) and Patrick Bernard (three innings, fourth save of the season) combined to allow zero earned runs while fanning eight batters against zero walks in 7.2 innings of work.
Dalton Potts drew the starting assignment on the hill and got through the first inning unscathed, setting the tone for an offensive outburst in the bottom half of the frame.
After Nick Pribble led the frame off with a single, Castillo jumped all over a 2-2 pitch for a towering home run out to left field. Two pitches later, Douglas creamed a round tripper beyond the wall in left center to give the Skyhawks a 3-0 advantage just three batters into the contest.
The Buccaneers then scored on a sacrifice fly and two-out triple in the top of the second to even the contest at 3-all. Christian Brothers would add an unearned run in the next inning to take its first lead of the game at 4-3.
Symon, who entered the game in the second inning, pieced together a scoreless fourth inning in his final frame of work. Stevens then took over and pitched around a leadoff single to strike out the side in the top of the fifth. Stevens followed with another shutout inning in the sixth, ending a potential Buccaneer rally with a soft grounder back to the pitcher.
UT Martin rewarded Stevens for his shutout appearance by scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Douglas and Nico Zych each drew walks to lead off the inning and Taylor plated Douglas moments later with a single through the left side. Murphy displayed a good piece of hitting with an opposite field single to put runners on the corners with one away. Matt Hirsch gave the Skyhawks the lead with an RBI on a fielder’s choice but UT Martin wasn’t finished as Mikey Nantze and Fletcher Johnson accounted for back-to-back RBI doubles to make the score 7-4.
Bernard was then summoned out of the bullpen and he responded with one of his most efficient outings of the season. He retired the side on just six pitches in the seventh, firing each pitch for a strike.
The speed of Jake Deason led to the Skyhawks’ next run, as he turned a leadoff walk into his team-high seventh and eighth stolen bases of the season. After swiping second and third base, he easily scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Taylor to pad UT Martin’s lead out to four runs.
Bernard once again kept Christian Brothers off the scoreboard in the eighth and the Skyhawks added two runs in the bottom half of the frame. Johnson was walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Pribble. Pinch-hitter Nick Gavello followed with a single and Zych was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Taylor, who drew a walk to make the score 9-4. Murphy then lined the first pitch he saw for a single to right field to score Gavello and provide the final scoring margin of 10-4.
Bernard made sure the Buccaneers didn’t inch any closer in the top of the ninth, racking up a pair of strikeouts in a perfect inning to nail down the save.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 13, SAINT LOUIS 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri baseball won its fifth-straight game Tuesday evening with a 13-1 win over the Saint Louis University Billikens. With the win, Southeast swept the home-and-home series with the Billikens.
The Redhawks are now 14-9 on the season while Saint Louis is 15-9.
Southeast Missouri pegged the Billikens for eight runs in the second inning. Branden Boggetto belted a bases-loaded triple to clear the bases and put Southeast up 3-0. Clayton Evans plated Boggetto on a groundout to short to make it 4-0. Jason Blum blasted a two-run home run, his first of the season, to extend the lead to 6-0. SLU starter Connor Lehmann was knocked out of the game after only pitching one and a third innings. Garrett Gandolfo scored on a double by Dalton Hewitt. Hewitt then scored on an infield single to short by Boggetto to extend the lead to 8-0 after only two innings.
Saint Louis got on the board with an RBI single by Mike Vigliarolo in the top of the third. 8-1 Southeast.
The Redhawks plated another four runs in the bottom of the third inning. Ezell and Blum scored on a double by Gandolfo. Hewitt singled to drive Gandolfo in, followed by a single by Scott Mitchell to plate Hewitt. 12-1 Southeast Missouri after three innings.
The Redhawks scored one more run in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Blum to score Evans. 13-1 Southeast Missouri after four innings.
Both offenses would be held silent the rest of the contest.
Southeast scored their 13 runs on 13 hits while SLU committed three errors.
Blum went 3-for-4, reached base five times, drove in three runs and scored two. He was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Five other Redhawks each contributed a pair of hits with Boggetto finishing with four RBI.
Garret Stockton (1-0) pitched six innings, allowing only one run on eight hits. He struck out three and walked two. Zach Moore, Wesley Pyles, and Perry Middleton each pitched an inning in relief.
Jake Henson and Vigliarolo each had a pair of hits for the Billikens.
Lehmann (1-2) recorded the loss after giving up six runs in only one and a third innings. Saint Louis used six total pitchers in the game.