SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Belmont 7, Eastern Illinois 6
@#15 Missouri State 5,
UT Martin 4
BELMONT 7, EASTERN ILLINOIS 6
NASHVILLE - After an hour rain delay, the Bruins returned to the field for three quick outs and game three win. The Bruins picked up the 7-6 win in game three against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Rose Park on Sunday.
Tyler Vaughn received the start on the mound and pitched six innings for the bruins with four strikeouts. Matthew Kinney (Alpharetta, Ga.)was the saving grace with the save after a one hour lighting delay. Kinney picked up his fourth save of the season and retired the three batters he faced.
The Bruins took their first lead of the series in the third inning with two out hitting. Alec Diamond with a full count dealt a single ip the middle to score Drake Byrd who had reached on a double to left field. Drew Ferguson stepped up to the plate and doubled to left center to advance Diamond to third. With the threat of Matt Beaty at the plate, the Panthers intentionally walked him to load the bases. Still with two outs and bases loaded Tyler Fullerton hit an infield single to plate Diamond for the Bruins 2-0 lead.
Vaughn started off the game retiring 9 straight batters. It wasn't until the fifth inning where the Panthers were able to tie the game with a two run home run by Wenthe, his third of the series, to left field.
Drew Ferguson returned with a home run of his own in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead on the Panthers.
Both teams fought hard for the win and each scored four runs in the rainy eighth inning. It was Ferguson solo shot that pushed the Bruins over the Panthers.
In the eighth inning Fullerton led off the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch. William Dodd drew a walk to place two runners on base. Byrd delivered with a two out single to center field for the first run of the game. Egli came in to the game to pinch hit and drew a walk to place runners on the corners. With all base runners running, Diamond advanced to first on an infield error plating Dodd and bringing the game within one run 5-6. Ferguson delivered a hit through the hole on the right side plating two runners for the 7-6 lead over the Panthers.
Before Kinney could take the mound mother nature stepped in and gave both teams an hours rest before returning to the field. The Bruins and Panthers entered a hour long lightning delay before returning to the field.
After the delay Kinney retired the side and the Bruins took the win in game three. With this win the Bruins improve their record to 21-17 and 10-7 in Conference.
#15 MISSOURI STATE 5, UT MARTIN 4
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team held a pair of leads today against No. 15 Missouri State but the Bears made two runs in the bottom of the fifth hold up in a 5-4 win at Hammons Field.
The Skyhawks (11-26) got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the third before Missouri State saw three runs cross the plate in the bottom half of the inning. UT Martin then put up a three-spot in the top of the fifth to go ahead 4-3 but the Bears answered right back with two runs in the bottom of the inning. That would conclude the scoring for the game.
Nick Pribble (one run, one RBI), Nico Zych (RBI) and Matt Hirsch (two runs) each had two hits to lead the Skyhawk offense, who also saw Andrew Castillo score a run while Taylor Douglas and Austin Taylor contributed RBI’s today.
A trio of Skyhawks saw time on the mound today. Jackson Zarubin made the start and allowed three runs in three innings, followed by Carter Smith (2-6) – who received the loss despite conceding only one earned run over three frames. Patrick Bernard tossed the final two innings and did not allow a hit or a run for UT Martin, who played the No. 15 team in the nation evenly in the runs department (13-all) in the three-game set.
Zarubin sat down the Bears (27-9) in order in the first inning and pitched around a two-out hit by pitch to put up another zero in the second.
Hirsch lined a one-out single in the third to jumpstart the Skyhawk offense. Pribble followed with a double before Castillo was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Douglas, who took four consecutive balls to bring in Hirsch and give UT Martin the 1-0 lead.
Missouri State then turned five hits into three runs in the third but Smith held the Bears scoreless in the fourth, tallying a pair of strikeouts in the frame.
UT Martin used five hits in the fifth to reclaim the lead. Hirsch led off with a single and he advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Fletcher Johnson. Pribble shot a single into left center to plate Hirsch while Castillo and Douglas followed with singles to load the bases for Zych. As he had done all series, Zych came up with a clutch single to RBI to even the score at 3-all. Taylor then reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Castillo in the process, giving the Skyhawks a 4-3 advantage.
However, the Bears scored two runs in the fifth – the last of which was unearned – to go back ahead by a 5-4 margin. Smith did a good job of limiting the damage, as he stranded the bases loaded by getting a popup and a strikeout to end the inning.
Smith induced an inning-ending double play in the sixth to keep the score at 5-4. Bernard entered in the seventh and worked his way out of a bases loaded jam. He then retired the side in order on only nine pitches in the eighth.
The Skyhawks had their chances to reclaim the lead but ultimately UT Martin did not have a hit over the final four innings after its final scoring frame.