TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 15, Benedictine University at Springfield 3
@Morehead State 7, West Virginia Tech 4
Jacksonville State 9, @Kennesaw State 5
Memphis 10,
@Austin Peay 5
@Lipscomb 6,
Murray State 3
@Evansville 13,
SIUE 3
Belmont 3, @#4 Vanderbilt 2
@Southeast Missouri 7, Southern Illinois 4
EASTERN ILLINOIS 15, BENEDICTINE UNIVERSITY SPRINGFIELD 3
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois baseball built an early lead and pulled away with six runs in the sixth inning as the Panthers won a 15-3 non-conference game over Benedictine University of Springfield at Coaches Stadium. EIU caps its season long seven-game home stand on Wednesday with a 3 p.m. game against Illinois College.
EIU scored two runs in the first with a sacrifice fly by Caleb Howell and RBI double by Brant Valach as the heart of the Panthers line-up drove in eight of the 15 runs for EIU.
Benedictine, a school that will discontinue its athletic program after this season, tied the game in the top of the second as Nolan Aherin hit a two-run single to left with the bases loaded. EIU starter Andrew Grahn (1-0) struck out Drew Johnson to leave the bases loaded. Grahn would work five innings to pick up his first win of the season. Benedictine scored its other run in the third inning as a Edwin Covas sacrifice fly scored Blake Gand.
The Panthers moved back in front in the bottom of the second as Bobby Wenthe led off the inning with a homer. Marshawn Taylor would drive home the second run with a single to right. EIU added three runs in the fourth with Wenthe scoring on a balk before Joseph Duncan and Howell drove in runs.
Howell’s RBI double in the sixth tied the senior for the school hits record with 260. Howell was hit by a pitch in his final at-bat of the game as he finished 2-for-3.
Demetre Taylor provided the big blast in the sixth with a grand slam as he was 2-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to ten games. Wenthe finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and Dane Sauer was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Chase Thurston and Matt Doherty each pitched two shutout innings to close the game for EIU. Cody Bolen (2-5) pitched two innings allowing three earned runs as he was tagged with the loss for Benedictine.
MOREHEAD STATE 7, WEST VIRGINIA TECH 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Junior pitcher Matt Anderson shut out West Virginia Tech in the final four innings for his first career save, and four Morehead State batters had multi-hit outings as the Eagle baseball team knocked off the Golden Bears 7-4 Tuesday at Allen Field for a nation-leading 11th straight victory.
Morehead State, which is tied with Big 10 member Illinois for the nation's longest current winning streak, improved to an Ohio Valley Conference-best 22-13. WVU-Tech, an independent NAIA team, fell to 22-19.
Anderson came on in relief of freshman starter Aaron Leasher, who worked the first five innings, and recorded five strikeouts while allowing just three hits. Leasher surrendered all four WVU-Tech runs but was still credited with the win to improve to 2-2.
Senior right-fielder Brandon Rawe led the team by going 3-for-5 to increase hit hitting streak to 16 games. Sophomore centerfielder Ryan Kent, senior leftfielder Nick Newell and senior shortstop Robby Spencer had two hits each. All three upped their hitting streaks to 14 games, and Spencer led off the bottom of the fourth with his team-best seventh home run to record his team-high 42nd RBI of the season.
Senior first baseman Kane Sweeney had one hit to extend his hitting string to 11 games. His RBI double off the wall in left field scored the initial run in the first inning.
The Golden Bears strung together three doubles in the fourth to tie the contest 2-2 and got a sacrifice fly and an RBI single in the fifth to grab a 4-3 advantage.
The Eagles took the lead for good with a trio of tallies in the fifth. Senior catcher Chris Robinson clubbed a two-run double to right centerfield.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 9, KENNESAW STATE 5
KENNESAW, Ga. - Jacksonville State sophomore Josh Bobo collected four hits and senior Ryan Sebra belted a three-run home run to lift the Gamecocks to a 9-5 win over Kennesaw State on Tuesday at KSU's Stillwell Stadium.
Bobo was a perfect 4-for-4 in the midweek contest and drove in the go-ahead run in seventh. The Attalla, Alabama-shortstop turned in a career high with his four hits and the third Gamecock this season to produce four hits in a contest. The key hit came on his fourth at bat as he laced a two-out RBI single to right field to score Tyler Gamble. It was his second RBI of the game as he plated Gamble for the first time in the third to extend JSU's lead to 4-1. Bobo reached base five times in the contest after a walk.
Sebra broke open the 6-5 contest in the eighth to complete the four runs that was accumulated by Jax State in the final four innings. A pair of walks by KSU's Mason Ward came back to haunt him as Sebra drilled his fourth home run of the season over the right center field wall, scoring Gavin Golsan and Gamble.
The win evened the four-game season series between JSU (19-15) and KSU (19-17). After the Owls claimed the first two games between the clubs, the Gamecocks won 11-4 in the final game at Rudy Abbott Field on February 21.
Golsan continued his hot offensive numbers with a pair of hits and scored twice in the game. The Trussville, Alabama-native was on base four times and swiped a stolen base. Without getting a hit, Gamble scored a trio of runs after reaching base twice on walks and a fielders choice.
The Owls mounted a comeback with two runs each in the third and the fifth. The two runs in the fifth came off of Sebra, who moved from the designated hitters spot to the mound. A leadoff infield single and a walk by given up by the Ormond Beach, Florida-product opened the door for KSU as Brennan Morgan and Chris McGowan had an RBI in the frame.
After the fifth, the Jax State bullpen kept the Owls off the scoreboard. Freshman Grant Chandler tossed a solid two innings to post his fourth win of the season and his second in his last three outings on the bump. Joe McGuire pitched a quick eighth inning before handing over pitching duties to Travis Stout in the ninth.
Joining Golsan and Bobo, three other Gamecocks had multiple hits. Freshman Clayton Daniel had a pair of hits and two runs driven in. Junior Paschal Petrongolo turned in two hits and an RBI.
MEMPHIS 10, AUSTIN PEAY 5
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s baseball team could not overcome an early Memphis home run barrage in a 10-5 nonconference loss, Tuesday night at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay (19-14) surrendered three home runs in the first five innings, accounting for all of Memphis’ early runs in a 7-2 lead after five innings.
Tigers’ right fielder Chris Carrier hit a three-run home run in the first to open the scoring. Memphis first baseman Tucker Tubbs added a solo shot in the third and designated hitter Corey Chafin hit a three-run home run in the fifth.
Austin Peay’s scored one run in both the first and fourth innings off Memphis starter Alex Gunn. Left fielder Cayce Bredlau hit a solo home run in the first to get the Govs on the board. Right fielder Josh Wilson tacked on a second run with a RBI double in the fourth.
Gunn (4-0) scattered five hits in his seven-inning winning effort, allowing two runs while striking out five. After allowing the RBI double to Wilson he would retire 10 of the next 11 batters he faced to end his outing.
The Govs would rally for three runs in the ninth inning off the Memphis bullpen. Wilson was hit by a pitch to start the frame and scored on designated hitter Wesley Purcell’s double. Purcell then scored on catcher T.J. Marik’s one-out RBI double. Bredlau then batted in the game’s final run with a two-out single.
Austin Peay starter Michael Costanzo suffered the loss in his first career start. He surrendered four runs on six hits in 3.1 innings. The Govs used six pitchers in the contest, only their final pitcher on the mound, Shane Lantigua, was able to escape without allowing a run.
Marik paced the Govs offense with a 2-for-3, one RBI outing. Gray and Bredlau also had two hits each with Bredlau also posting two RBI.
Carrie and Chafin each went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead Memphis at the plate.
LIPSCOMB 6, MURRAY STATE 3
NASHVILLE - A Tyson Ashcraft three-run home run in the fourth inning proved to be the difference as the Murray State baseball team was defeated on the road Tuesday evening, 6-3 by Lipscomb. The Racers are now 0-4 on their current nine-game road swing.
The Bisons (21-13) jumped out to a 4-0 lead on MSU (14-23) with a solo blast in the third inning to get the scoring started in the contest. Ashcraft’s homer in the fourth opened the game up to a 4-0 Lipscomb lead.
The Racers were able to battle back, as Brock Downey collected one of his career-high four hits in the fifth inning with an RBI single to right that scored Kipp Moore. However, the Bisons responded with two more runs in the bottom half of the inning to make it a 6-1 margin. A Tyler Lawrence solo homer to left center led-off the sixth for the Racers and made it 6-2. The shot was Lawrence’s team-leading sixth long ball of the year. An Anthony Bayus triple to left center in the seventh scored Rick Linton to make it 6-3 but that was all the damage that the Racers could manage.
On Bayus’ triple, Downey was thrown out at home plate trying to score from first on the play. MSU was snake bitten a couple other times in the contest as Nick Moore was robbed of extra bases in the sixth on a spectacular catch by the Lipscomb center fielder, a diving grab against the wall. Later that inning, Mathews just missed what would have been an RBI double down the right field line that just hit foul. Mathews would later ground out in the at-bat to end the Racer threat in the sixth.
Along with Downey, Lawrence also had a multi-hit game in the loss for MSU. Lawrence went 2-for-5 in the contest. Mathews and Nick and Kipp Moore also had a hit each for the Racers as Murray State out-hit the Bisons 10-to-8.
Sheldon Baxter dropped to 0-2 on the season as he was tagged with the loss. Baxter started the game and pitched three solid innings, allowing one earned run off of three hits. Brandon Hicks and Cameron Wallace pitched five innings of relief in the game with Wallace pitching two scoreless innings. Hicks allowed five runs on five hits over three innings of work.
EVANSVILLE 13, SIUE 3
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - SIUE baseball dropped a 13-3 decision to Evansville in nonconference action at Braun Stadium.
Evansville improved to 17-15 with the win. The Cougars dropped to 12-17.
The Purple Aces took an early lead, scoring twice in the first inning. The Cougars answered with three runs on four hits in the second inning to take a 3-2 lead. Drew Johnson and Denton Reed each had RBI hits in the inning and Austin Verschoore added a sacrifice fly.
The lead was short-lived for SIUE. Evansville scored two runs in the second, two runs in the third and two runs in the fourth to build its lead to 8-3.
Cougar starter Brendan Miller (0-2) surrendered eight runs on eight hits and three walks in four innings. He also hit two batters. Caleb Wilkerson pitched four innings in relief. Wilkerson allowed five runs on five hits. He walked one and hit three batters.
SIUE finished with just seven hits. Mario Tursi was the only Cougar player with more than a single hit. He finished 2 for 3.
Evansville starter Ryan Billo (4-1) tossed eight innings for the win. Billo allowed three runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out five.
BELMONT 3, #4 VANDERBILT 2
NASHVILLE - The Belmont baseball team defeated No. 4 ranked and defending national champion Vanderbilt, 3-2, Tuesday night at Vanderbilt's Hawkins Field. This is the highest ranked opponent Belmont has defeated in any sport since going Division I.
The Bruins held the game close with the Commodores as both teams headed into the eighth inning. Senior Matt Beaty's solo home run in the top of the eighth inning was the difference for the Bruins in the victory. Patrick McGrath made his ninth appearance on the mound and gave the Bruins a solid start against the Commodores. In seven innings of work, McGrath struck out 6 batters and intentionally walked one. He was jsut one strikeout shy of tying his season record in strikeouts.
Although the Bruins had many attempts at runners on base, it was not until the fourth inning that the Bruins tacked a run on the board. In the top of the fourth, William Dodd reached base first due to a hit by pitch, he picked up his second stolen base of the season when he stole second. With two outs, freshman Kyle Conger stepped to the plate and delivered with an RBI double to plate Dodd and tie the game at 1-1 heading into the bottom half of the inning.
Vandy plates a run in the fourth off a sacrifice fly to regain the lead on the Bruins.
The Bruins once again tied the game up in the sixth with Tyler Walsh hitting a solo home run over the left field wall, his third home run of the season.
It wasn't until the eighth when Matt Beaty delivered with a lead off home run over the left field wall to take the first Bruins lead against Vanderbilt.
Belmont sent out Matthew Kinney to close on the mound. Kinney struck out four and held the Commodores to two scoreless innings picking up the save.
Patrick McGrath earned the win in his seven inning outing and improves his record to 4-2.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 4
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Southeast Missouri baseball team defeated the Southern Illinois Salukis Tuesday evening, 7-4. Tuesday's game is the first of the annual home-and-home series.
The Redhawks climb to 22-14 on the season while the Salukis fall to 7-29.
For the fourth game in a row, Southeast plated runners in the first inning. Garrett Gandolfo plated Trevor Ezell with a base hit up the middle. With Gandolfo on first and Jason Blum on third, Andy Lennington grounded into a 5-4-3 double play that Blum scored on. Southeast led 2-0 after the opening frame.
Southeast widened the lead to 4-0 in the second inning. Clayton Evans drew a leadoff walk and scored on an RBI groundout by Blum. Ezell, who doubled after Evans' walk, scored on a double by Gandolfo.
Southern Illinois plated a trio of runs in the fourth inning to narrow the Redhawk lead to 4-3.
Scott Mitchell scored from first base on a Branden Boggetto double that split the right center gap. Boggetto crossed home plate on a single by Evans to widen the lead to 6-3.
Tyler Roland drove in another Saluki run in the fifth inning to make the score 6-4, still in Southeast's favor.
Blum drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk to add an insurance run in the eighth inning, widening the Southeast Missouri lead to 7-4.
The Redhawks outhit SIU 12-7.
Boggetto finished the evening going 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Blum and Gandolfo each contributed a pair of RBI in the game.
Garret Stockton pitched an out short of qualifying for the win as he pitched four and two-thirds innings Tuesday. Stockton allowed four runs on five hits and struck out six batters. Ryan Lenaburg (3-2) picked up the win in relief. Lenaburg pitched two scoreless innings and struck out four batters. Matthew Wade earned his team-leading fourth save of the season. Wade pitched two and a third scoreless innings. Wade retired seven of the nine batters he faced to slam the door shut on the Salukis.
Will Farmer was the only Saluki batter to have more than one hit after going 2-for-4.
Austin McPheron (0-3) recorded the loss. McPheron allowed six runs on eight hits. Michael Baird pitched four relief innings. Baird struck out seven Redhawk hitters in his relief appearance Tuesday.