TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Ohio 6,
Eastern Kentucky 0
@Memphis 11,
Belmont 6
@Ohio State 6,
Morehead State 3
Lipscomb 12,
@Austin Peay 6 (11 innings)
@Jacksonville State 3, South Alabama 0
@#8 Illinois 10,
Eastern Illinois 1
@Arkansas State 11,
Murray State 5
@Southern Illinois 6,
Southeast Missouri 2
OHIO 6, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0
ATHENS, Ohio - Eastern Kentucky lost 6-0 at Ohio on Tuesday. Mandy Alvarez recorded two of EKU’s five hits, finishing 2-for-4 on the night.
An RBI double by Manny DeJesus in the bottom of the third gave the Bobcats (23-15) all they would need. Mitch Longo added a run-scoring ground out later in the inning for a 2-0 lead. Jake Madsen’s three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth put the game away.
MEMPHIS 11, BELMONT 6
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - After evening the series 1-1 last week, the Tigers took back the series with their 11-6 win over the Bruins at FedExPark on Tuesday.
Senior, William Dodd picked up three RBIs in Tuesday's game going one for three at the plate with a home run to left and a sacrifice fly.
The Bruins entered the game ready to take the series win from the Tigers. Tyler Fullerton plated the first run in the top of the first with a single through the left side scoring Alec Diamond who had reached on an error.
The Bruins were then held to two scoreless innings while the Tigers took an eight run lead plating four in the third off a Darien Tubbs grand slam.
After the Tigers four run inning, the Bruins returned with four of their own top of the fourth. Nick Egli started off the hitting with a solo home run to left field. Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) followed with a single up the middle. With one out and runner on, William Dodd hit a homer of his own to left field recording two RBIs. Brennan Washington drew a walk at the plate and advanced to second off a single by Diamond to left field. With three runs already plated, Drew Ferguson hit a single up the middle to plate Washington.
Christopher Carroll, Chase Cunningham and Connor Etheridge were all able to hold the Tigers scoreless through an inning.
Despite multiple opportunities, the Bruins were only able to plate one more run in the top of the eighth with a sacrifice fly by Dodd, plating Walsh who had reached earlier by way of a single.
OHIO STATE 6, MOREHEAD STATE 3
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State baseball team held Morehead State scoreless for the final seven innings as the Eagles dropped a 6-3 decision to the Buckeyes at Bill Davis Stadium Tuesday evening.
OSU improved to 27-10 overall and 16-4 on its home turf. Morehead State, which has still won 14 of its last 16 games, slipped to 25-15.
Morehead State led 3-1 heading to the bottom of the second thanks to a two-run, first-inning homer by senior first baseman Kane Sweeney. The blast to center field, which scored sophomore centerfielder Ryan Kent, was Sweeney's seventh this year and 22nd of his MSU tenure.
Freshman second baseman Braxton Morris tacked on the Eagles' third run with a single in the second to score fellow freshman catcher Tyler Niemann. MSU, boasting the nation's leading offense, was held to just two hits in the final seven frames though.
Catcher Connor Sabanosh laced an RBI single in the second and added an RBI double in the fourth. Centerfielder Troy Montgomery nailed a run-scoring single in the sixth.
Southpaw Michael Horejsi entered in the fifth for the hosts and was credited with the victory, his first of 2015. He struck three in two innings of work. Righty Trace Dempsey struck out the side in the ninth for his team-best sixth save.
Montgomery, Sabanosh, leftfielder Ronnie Dawson and second baseman Jalen Washington had two hits apiece for OSU, which totaled 10 hits off four MSU pitchers.
Morris and senior shortstop Robby Spencer tallied two hits each for the Eagles. Spencer extended his hitting streak to a team-best 19 games. Senior rightfielder Brandon Rawe (20), senior leftfielder Nick Newell (18) and Kent (18) all saw their lengthy hitting streaks halted.
MSU freshman lefty Aaron Leasher surrendered eight hits and four runs, all earned, in the first four frames and slipped to 2-3.
LIPSCOMB 12, AUSTIN PEAY 6 (11)
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Two big innings proved Austin Peay State University’s downfall as it dropped a 12-6 nonconference contest to Lipscomb, Tuesday night at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay (21-17) jumped out early thanks to the long ball. Second baseman Logan Gray hit leadoff home runs in both the second and fourth innings. In the fourth, his home run was followed by right fielder Josh Wilson’s first collegiate home run to give the Govs a 3-0 lead.
Lipscomb (25-13) struck for six runs in the fifth inning, assisted largely by Austin Peay’s pitching. Starter Caleb Powell walked the four of the first five batters he faced to force in a run and left with the bases loaded.
Later in the inning, reliever Levi Primasing – the third pitcher of the frame – surrendered a two-run single to designated hitter Tyson Ashcraft then a two-run double to right fielder Allan Hooker, pushing the Lipscomb lead to 6-3.
Austin Peay would respond with two runs in its half of the fifth with Wilson again supplying a two-run single to narrow the deficit to 6-5. One inning later, Wilson’s sacrifice bunt helped the Govs manufacture the tying run on designated hitter Alex Robles’ single.
That would be the final run Austin Peay would score as Lipscomb relievers Nick Andros and Jason Ziegler held it hitless over the final four innings. Ziegler would pick up the win after striking out the side in the 11th.
Lipscomb’s offense again exploded for six runs in the 11th inning, assisted by a pair of Austin Peay errors. Shortstop Grant Massey broke the tie with a two-run double and Ashcraft supplied two insurance runs with another double.
Austin Peay reliever Michael Costanzo (0-2) allowed two runs and did not record an out to start the 11th and was tagged for the loss.
Gray finished the day 2-for-3 with two RBI and two walks at the plate. Wilson went 2-for-3 with three RBI to pace the Govs offense.
Massey and left fielder Jonathan Allison each went 3-for-6 to lead the Lipscomb offense, Massey finishing with three RBI.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, SOUTH ALABAMA 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Five Jacksonville State pitchers combined for a shutout of in-state rival South Alabama on Tuesday night as JSU blanked the Jaguars 3-0 at Rudy Abbott Field.
Graham Officer, Grant Chandler, Justin Hoyt, Joe McGuire and Travis Stout baffled USA hitters for nine innings and allowed just two hits in the first of a two-game midweek set with the visitors from Mobile. The Jaguars, who did not get a hit in the final five innings, entered the contest as the top hitting team in the Sun Belt Conference with a mark of .289. Officer made his second career start and got things started with a quick three innings of work. Officer allowed just one hit in his stint on the hill and registered a pair of strike outs. Chandler issued the final Jaguar hit as Ben Gann posted a two-out double in the fourth. USA would have just two base runners the rest of the way. Matt Bolger had a walk in the fifth and a leadoff walk off McGuire in the eighth.
Stout,who was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Stopper of the Year midseason watch list earlier in the day, collected his ninth save of the season and the 41st of his career. Officer picked up the win after his superb start on the hill and moved to 3-1 on the season.
JSU, who moved to 20-19 on the season and snapped a four-game losing streak in the process, posted its second shutout of the season and the third time this season holding the opposition to just two hits. The Jaguars dropped to 25-16 overall and their third straight defeat. The win was JSU's first over USA since a 10-9 win in 2005 and the first blanking of the Jaguars since the first meeting between the two in-state programs in 1996.
The Gamecock bats aided the pitching staff in the third with the first run of the night. Peyton Williams belted a double to left field and after two were down in the frame, Paschal Petrongolo looped a ball down the right field line to plate Williams. Petrongolo was the only Gamecock to have multiple hits in the decision.
With the stellar outings on the mound that run would be all Jax State would need, but it added insurance runs in the sixth. The Gamecocks finished with seven hits but four were for extra bases. JSU strung together three of the four doubles in the sixth as Tyler Gamble started the inning with a double and scored on Elliot McCummings two-bagger down the third base line. Josh Bobo drove in McCummings with the third double of the inning.
#8 ILLINOIS 10, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois had two four run innings late in the game to break open a close game as No. 8 Illinois beat Eastern Illinois, 10-1, on Tuesday night.
EIU fell to 7-28 on the year while Illinois improved to 33-6-1.
EIU scored in the first inning as Joseph Duncan drew a walk to open the game and stole second. After reaching third on a sacrifice bunt, Duncan scored on a ground out by Caleb Howell.
That would be the only run Illinois starter Rob McDonnell (5-1) would allow as he scattered four hits in six innings of work.
EIU starter Andrew Grahn (1-1) was also effective as he allowed only two runs in five innings of work. The two runs came in the bottom of the fifth on a David Kerian two-run homer.
Illinois broke open the game in the bottom of the sixth scoring four runs. The Fighting Illini drew five walks in the inning with two coming with bases loaded to score runs. Casey Fletcher added the big hit with a two-run single. Fletcher and Ryan Nagle each had two hits to lead Illinois.
Illinois added four runs in the eighth with Kelly Norris-Jones hitting a two-run triple as two of the four runs were unearned.
EIU was led at the plate by Demetre Taylor going 2-for-4.
ARKANSAS STATE 11, MURRAY STATE 5
JONESBORO, Ark. - The Murray State offense was held in check for most of the evening, and an eight-run eighth inning by Arkansas State led to an 11-5 defeat Tuesday for the Racers baseball team in Jonesboro, Ark.
ASU (16-22) got on the scoreboard first with a two-run second inning, both runs came with two outs in the inning for the Red Wolves. A Tyler Lawrence RBI in the top of the third shaved the MSU deficit down to 2-1, but it was mostly a squandered opportunity as the Racers had the bases loaded with one out in the inning.
The Red Wolves added another two runs in the third and one in the fourth inning to push its advantage to 5-1. The two teams stayed at the margin for the next three and a half innings until A-State exploded for six runs in the eighth inning to push the lead to 11-1.
The Racers (14-28) were able to cut into the gap with two down in the top of the ninth on a Pokey Harris bases-loaded walk and on a bases-clearing double to right field from Anthony Bayus that scored three. Bayus was thrown out at third on the play to end the game.
Bayus led the MSU offense going 1-for-2 with three RBIs and drew three walks in the loss. Kipp Moore and Harris each went 1-for-3. Jake Fuller had a pinch-hit walk and Tyler Hardin had a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning for the Racers and came around to score on Bayus’ hit. ASU out-hit the Racers 14-6 in the game. The Red Wolves totaled 29 hits in the two games this season against MSU.
John Lollar took the loss in the game, pitching three innings and allowing four runs on seven hits. Andrew Bramley was solid out of the bullpen for the Racers, pitching two hitless innings of relief.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southeast Missouri baseball fell to Southern Illinois University Tuesday evening, 6-2. With the loss, Southeast and Southern Illinois split the home-and-home series this season. Southeast won game one of the series at home a week ago, 7-4.
Southeast Missouri also snapped their five-game winning streak with Tuesday's loss.
The Redhawks are now 25-15 on the season while the Salukis improve to 10-31.
Southeast starter Garret Stockton struggled to find the strike zone in the first inning and it cost the Redhawks early in the game. The Salukis plated three runs in the inning as Stockton dished out three walks and loaded the bases three separate times. A wild pitch pushed the third run of the inning across the plate. Stockton would not make it out of the opening frame as Zach Moore came in in relief. Moore fanned the first batter he faced to end the inning. SIU sent all nine batters to the plate and led 3-0 after one inning.
Saluki starter Connor McFadden also struggled to find the zone early in the game. After a pair of walks in the first inning, he proceeded to walk two more in the second. Southeast pushed two runs across the plate, the first on a sacrifice fly by Trevor Ezell, and the second on a wild pitch. A two-base error by the right fielder extended the inning long enough put Southeast on the board, 3-2.
That would be the closest the Redhawks would get as they would be shut out the final seven innings. Will Farmer used a two-out RBI base hit up the middle in the bottom of the fourth inning to widen the Saluki lead to 4-2. Southern Illinois extended the lead to 6-2 in the seventh inning with three-straight base hits to lead off the inning.
Southeast scattered only four hits on the evening. Branden Boggetto, Garrett Gandolfo, Ryan Rippee, and Scott Mitchell all had a hit against the Salukis.
The Redhawks used seven total pitchers in Tuesday's game. Stockton (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing three runs in the first inning. Moore pitched three and a third innings in relief, allowing one run on three hits. It was the freshman's longest outing in a Redhawk uniform.
Logan Blackfan had three hits for the Salukis with three RBI. Will Farmer and Tyler Rolland each had a pair of hits in the contest.
Colin Holderman (1-0) picked up the win in relief for SIU. Holderman pitched five scoreless innings for the Salukis and only allowed one hit.