FRIDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Kentucky 11, @Morehead State 10 (10 innings)
@Austin Peay 9, Tennessee Tech 3
@UT Martin 7, Belmont 4
@SIUE 8, Southeast Missouri 4
@Jacksonville State 6, Air Force 0
EASTERN KENTUCKY 11, MOREHEAD STATE 10 (10)
MOREHEAD, Ky. - A solo home run by Mandy Alvarez in the top of the 10th inning, his second of the game, sent the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team to an 11-10 win at Morehead State on Friday.
With a 2-0 count, Alvarez blasted a shot over the wall in left center, the deepest part of the park for his fourth home run of the season. He doubled his season total in one game. Alvarez finished 3-for-5 with a walk, three runs scored and two RBIs.
Cameron Langfels (3-1) retired the side in order in the ninth with the game tied and then allowed just one base runner in the 10th with EKU leading by one. He struck out the final batter of the game with the tying run at second base.
The two teams combined for 33 hits.
The Colonels (7-14, 2-4 OVC) had a 10-5 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, but the Eagles platted five to tie it. Alex Stephens cut the deficit to two with an RBI double down the left field line. Braxton Morris followed with a 2-run single to center to tie the score.
Back-to-back home runs by TJ Alas and Alvarez led to a five-run sixth inning for the Colonels. The game was tied 3-3 when Alas blasted a two-run home run over the wall in center field. It was his sixth homer of the season. The junior entered the season with just six home runs in his first two seasons combined. After a pitching change, Alvarez sent a ball to center that just barely cleared the net. It was his third of the season.
Consecutive two-out doubles later in the inning by Luke Wurzelbacher and Doug Teegarden brought home two more runs for an 8-3 lead.
The Eagles (11-13, 3-7 OVC) put two on in the bottom of the sixth in an attempt to answer Eastern’s big inning, but Logan Hershenow’s second strike out of the frame ended the rally before it could get started. Coming into the game, EKU had allowed 32 runs in the sixth inning this season, 11 more than any other inning.
Morehead State cut the deficit to three with two runs in the seventh. The Eagles had the bases loaded, but reliever Hunter Dunn struck out Ryan Kent to end the inning.
Luke Wurzelbacher’s two-run home run over the wall in right center in the eighth inning gave Eastern its 10-5 lead. The junior went 3-for-4 with a walk, four RBIs and two runs scored. He entered the day with just three RBIs all season.
Alas finished 2-for-5 with a run and two driven in. Ben Fisher had two hits in five at bats, scored once and drove in a pair.
Kent and Brandon Rawe led Morehead State with four hits each.
AUSTIN PEAY 9, TENNESSEE TECH 3
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Starting pitcher Alex Robles five hitless innings and Austin Peay State University’s baseball team scored five runs in the first inning en route to a 9-3 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Tennessee Tech, Friday night at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Robles (1-2) held Tennessee Tech without a hit until he surrendered a two-out double in the sixth inning. That hit also ended a streak of 12 consecutive batters retired by the Govs right-hander. Robles would ultimately get touched up for three runs in the seventh, but picked up his season’s first victory after allowing three hits and striking out seven batters in 7.1 innings.
Austin Peay (12-10, 6-4 OVC) took advantage of a pair of Tennessee Tech errors in its five-run first inning. Third baseman Logan Gray started the scoring with a RBI double to drive in left fielder Cayce Bredlau who singled with one out.
Tennessee Tech’s defense then committed back-to-back infield errors to help the Govs cause. Right fielder Josh Wilson reached on an error that drove in the second run and allowed a third run to score. Robles followed with a RBI single and first baseman Dre Gleason chipped in a sacrifice fly to give APSU a 5-0 advantage.
Austin Peay would add solo runs in the second, third and sixth innings to extend its lead to 8-0. Gray had a RBI single in the second and then a monstrous solo home run in the sixth that cleared the center field wall. Wilson would add a run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth to set the final score.
Tennessee Tech (10-14, 4-6 OVC) broke up the shutout bid in the seventh. Designated hitter Ryan Flick led off the frame with a home run. Two batters later left fielder Tyler Brazelton added a two-run double.
Golden Eagles starter Chris Chism (4-1) suffered his season’s first loss after allowing seven runs (two earned) on eight hits in four innings.
Gray paced the Govs 13-hit attack with a 3-for-3, three RBI performance. Robles went 2-for-3 with one RBI while Wilson finished with two RBI.
Brazelton’s 2-for-3, two RBI effort led Tennessee Tech which had just four hits in the contest.
UT MARTIN 7, BELMONT 4
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team grabbed an early lead against Ohio Valley Conference leader Belmont and never trailed in a complete 7-4 victory on a chilly Friday night at Skyhawk Field.
The Skyhawks (7-16, 3-7 OVC), who won their third straight game this evening, were lifted by a pair of underclassmen this evening. Freshman left-hander Matt Poteete made his first career start and was mostly dominant, allowing just one hit through the first five innings before ending his evening with three runs allowed on five hits in a career-best 5.2 innings. He improved to 1-1 on the season after fanning four batters and only walking one.
Meanwhile, sophomore Fletcher Johnson made a huge impact on the game with his bat, speed and arm. He compiled career-highs with three hits and three RBI’s while swiping a pair of stolen bases out of the No. 9 hole. Defensively, he fired a strike from center field to the plate to throw out Belmont’s would-be tying run in the seventh inning to keep UT Martin’s lead at one run before the Skyhawks tacked on more insurance runs later on in the contest.
Andrew Castillo scored twice and drove in a pair of runs while Nico Zych also had two RBI’s. Austin Taylor had two hits and an RBI while Mikey Nantze came into score for the Skyhawks, who also received multi-hit outings out of Nick Pribble and Douglas.
Patrick Bernard notched his fifth save tonight, as he only conceded one unearned run with three strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
Belmont (12-10, 5-1 OVC) began the game with a leadoff double but Poteete stayed calm, ending the inning unscathed after striking out the Bruins’ No. 3 and No. 4 hitters. He then recorded his first two outs of the second inning via strikeout on his way to another scoreless frame.
Poteete got a little help from his defense in the third, as Douglas tracked down a fly ball in the gap in right center before unleashing a one-hop strike to first base to double-up a Belmont baserunner to end the inning.
UT Martin then generated three hits in the third to strike first on the scoreboard. Johnson singled up the middle with one away and later stole second. After Pribble singled through the right side to put men on the corners, Castillo lifted a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field to make the score 1-0.
Poteete breezed through the Bruin lineup in both the fourth and fifth innings before the Skyhawks used a little small ball to extend their advantage. The first four batters in the bottom of the fifth all bunted, setting the tone for a three-run inning. Nantze reached on a throwing error to lead off the inning before Johnson legged out a bunt single to first base. Pribble then sacrificed both runners into scoring position before Nantze came in to score on a wild pitch. Castillo then squeezed in Johnson with a perfect bunt back to the pitcher to make the score 3-0. The Skyhawks then took advantage of a passed ball and another fielding error by Belmont to lead 4-0 after five innings of play.
The Bruins were able to put a pair of runners aboard the basepaths before Poteete got his second out of the inning. However, Tyler Fullerton hit a three-run homer on a full count to pull Belmont within a single run before Bernard entered the game and got out of the inning.
Belmont was able to get two hits in the seventh but was not able to tie the game thanks to Johnson, who threw a runner out at the plate with one away.
The Skyhawks then padded their lead in the bottom of the seventh. Johnson singled to lead off the inning and followed with a stolen base. Castillo doubled and two batters later, Zych lined a two-run double down the left field line to make the score 6-3. Taylor added an RBI single that would score Zych and push UT Martin’s lead out to 7-3.
Bernard dialed up a pair of big strikeouts to end the eighth inning and strand a pair of Bruin baserunners in the process. Belmont scored once and brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth but Bernard induced a flyout to center field to conclude the game.
SIUE 8, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE overcame a 4-1 deficit Friday to defeat Southeast Missouri 8-4 in the opener of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Simmons Baseball Complex.
The teams will continue the series with a 2 p.m. game Saturday. The start time was pushed back from 1 p.m. due to forecasted colder temperatures.
The Cougars improved to 9-1 in OVC play with the win. They are 9-11 overall. Southeast drops to 15-10 overall and 7-3 in the OVC.
Nick Lombardo and Alec Saikal each had three hits for the Cougars. Chase Green picked up two hits and two RBIs.
Ryan Daniels (2-3) earned the win. He allowed four runs, one earned, on six hits over five innings. Ryan Agnitsch tossed four scoreless innings in relief. He allowed just two hits and struck out two to earn his first save of the year.
Travis Hayes started for Southeast and fell to 4-3 with the loss. He allowed seven runs, four earned, on 11 hits over 5 2/3 innings.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 6, AIR FORCE 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Jacksonville State baseball team grounded Air Force 6-0 to claim its sixth consecutive win on Friday evening in the weekend series opener at Rudy Abbott Field.
The win pushes the Gamecocks' overall mark to 15-8 on the season and they have now won nine of their last 11 games dating back to the SIU Edwardsville weekend series. The Falcons dropped their season's overall mark to 9-15 and have now lost five in a row. The shutout was the first of the season for Jax State and the first shutout for the Red and White since March 1, 2014 against Kennesaw State.
The highlight of the night was the stellar outing by senior right hander Zachary Fowler. Fowler tossed seven complete innings, which matches his season high and established a new career high in strike outs with eight in the outing and allowed just two walks. The Daphne, Alabama-native worked out trouble in the opening frame as the AFA loaded the bases with two down and got a ground ball to end the threat. After a second inning single by Shaun Mize, Fowler would retire the next 15 batters and shut down the Falcons' bats. The AFA finished with just three hits in the contest and the third came in the eighth off of JSU's Graham Officer. Fowler moved to 4-2 on the season with the win.
The Gamecocks' offensive attack came in the second and the third as they plated the first two runs in the second and three in the fourth. Junior Paul Angel, who led Jax State with three hits on the night, started a trio of doubles for the Gamecocks with one to left center. Junior Elliot McCummings had the second double down the right field line to score Angel. McCummings scored on Hayden White's smash to center. The double in the fourth was the first of two multiple bases hits for the freshman from Prattville, Alabama. The catcher connected on his second home run of the second in his second straight game with a solo blast to right center in the sixth to close out the scoring for JSU.
JSU turned in a three spot in the fourth as it recorded three hits and took advantage of two Falcon miscues. Angel sparked the inning with his second double of the night, followed by an RBI sacrifice fly by White. After back-to-back singles by Josh Bobo and Gavin Golsan to load the bases, Clayton Daniel received an RBI via a walk. Golsan finished with a pair of hits in the Friday win.