SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Jacksonville State 9, Belmont 2
@SIUE 6, UT Martin 3
Morehead State 10, @Austin Peay 5
Southeast Missouri 17, @Murray State 12
Tennessee Tech 7, @#5 Arizona State 4
Eastern Kentucky, @Eastern Illinois (postponed)
JACKSONVILLE STATE 9, BELMONT 2
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - For the second consecutive game, Jacksonville State got superb starting pitching as the Gamecocks topped Belmont 9-2 to claim the Ohio Valley Conference series on Saturday afternoon at Rudy Abbott Field.
After a solid outing by senior Zach Fowler on Friday's 8-6 win, Jax State turned to freshman Jake Walsh on Saturday. Walsh was stellar in his start as he turned in a career performance against the Bruins. The Melbourne, Florida-native went a career-high seven innings and registered eight strike outs. Walsh scattered six Belmont hits and allowed just two runs. He allowed an early run in the first inning, but settled in to hold the Bruins scoreless until a solo home run by Drew Fullerton in the sixth.
JSU's offense spotted Walsh a comfortable lead after the first run in the top half of the inning as the Gamecocks would explode for five runs on four of their eight hits in the first inning. Junior Paschal Petrongolo, who has collected four hits off BU pitching in the first two games, drove in the run of the game with a single to right. After a Ryan Sebra walk and a single by Paul Angel to load the bases, freshman catcher Hayden White delivered a bases-clearing triple to the gap in right center to give the Red and White a 5-1 lead.
The win pushed JSU's (22-2) OVC mark to 9-11 on the season and it claimed its third conference series of the season. With the loss, the Bruins (21-20, 10-9 OVC) have now dropped their last three series and four of their last five league contests. JSU has now won back-to-back series versus Belmont after taking 2-of-3 last season in Nashville.
The Gamecocks expanded the lead in the middle innings with four more runs. Junior Gavin Golsan lifted a fly ball to left center to score White, who started the fourth inning with a hit by pitch. JSU plated two more runs in the fifth on Elliot McCumming's two-run blast over the left center fence, scoring Sebra, who reached on one of four Bruin errors in the contest.
JSU posted the ninth run of the contest in the sixth after Angel popped up a foul ball down the left field line to send Petrongolo home.
Freshman Justin Hoyt finished the final two innings for the Gamecocks as he fanned four in his two frames of work.
SIUE 6, UT MARTIN 3
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE baseball scored four times in the second inning Saturday and went on to a 6-3 win over UT Martin to earn a series win at Simmons Baseball Complex.
The Cougars are now 14-9 in Ohio Valley Conference and 14-21 overall and will play for the series sweep Sunday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. UT Martin is 12-28 overall and 5-16 in the OVC.
Jacob Stewart gave the Cougars a lead they would not relinquish in the second inning. Parker Guinn led off the inning with a single and Skyler Geissinger walked. Dustin Woodcock singled to load the bases, bringing Stewart to the plate. Stewart took a 2-2 pitch and drove it down the left field line for a three-run double. The Cougars would eventually load the bases again in the inning and Alec Saikal walked to force home a run to make it 4-0 after two innings.
UT Martin starter Dillon Symon lasted just 1 2/3 innings and fell to 0-2 with the loss. He allowed four runs on four hits and a walk.
The Skyhawks got on the board in the fourth when Nick Gavello led off the inning with his first home run to make it 4-1.
The Cougars extended their lead to 5-1 in the third inning when Geissinger scored on an infield single by Nick Lombardo.
In the fifth inning, UT Martin got RBI hits from Nick Pribble and Taylor Douglas to trim the SIUE lead to 6-3. With runners on first and second and just one out, Stewart helped the Cougars again, this time defensively. Skyhawks' first baseman Nico Zych hit a bounding ball towards third. Stewart was able to leap up, catch the ball, step on third, and then throw to first to complete the double play to end the inning.
Stewart finished the game 2 for 3 with the three RBIs and a run. He was on base four times.
Cougar starter Jarrett Bednar worked into the seventh inning allowed just the three runs on six hits. He struck out four and improved to 2-4 for the season.
The Cougars scored their final run in the sixth inning on a pair of hits. Chase Green singled to start the inning and then scored three batters later on a one-out hit by Guinn.
Guinn finished 2 for 4. Green was 2 for 3.
Zach Malach worked the final 2 2/3 scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out three.
MOREHEAD STATE 10, AUSTIN PEAY 5
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Junior pitcher Aaron Goe shut down the Austin Peay baseball team for the final three innings, and sophomore centerfielder Ryan Kent had four hits to help propel Morehead State to a 10-5 victory Saturday at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Goe, who is now 5-0 in 2015, entered in the seventh frame and got out of a bases-loaded situation. He coaxed a double play to end the Governors' eighth inning at-bat. Morehead State ended a 20-game losing streak at APSU's field dating back to 2002 as the Eagles improved to 26-17 overall and 12-8 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Govs slipped to 22-19 overall and 13-10 in the conference.
Morehead State never trailed, building a 3-0 first-inning cushion and pushing that to 5-1 after five frames. The hosts crept back to within 5-4 before Kent smashed a solo homer in the sixth. Austin Peay trailed only 6-5 when Goe entered the game, and MSU put a four-spot on the scoreboard in the ninth.
Senior shortstop Robby Spencer had three hits, including two doubles, and extended his hitting streak to 21 games. That marks the longest streak in McGuire's three-year tenure. He also upped his reached-base string to 24 games. Senior leftfielder Nick Newell, senior catcher Chris Robinson and senior first baseman Kane Sweeney had two hits apiece, part of a 14-hit attack for the Eagles.
Newell (24), Kent (22) and Sweeney (20) now also all have 20+ game reached-base streaks.
Shortstop Garrett Copeland smashed four hits for the Govs, including two doubles, and Ridge Smith, Dre Gleason and Imani Willis contributed two hits each. APSU totaled 12 hits.
Zach Hall (1-6) was pinned with the loss, surrendering six runs in 5.1 innings. Sophomore southpaw Cable Wright and junior righty Tyler Keele also contributed on the mound for MSU.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 17, MURRAY STATE 12
MURRAY, Ky. - The Southeast Missouri State baseball team defeated Murray State Saturday in game two of the three-game series, 17-12. With the win, Southeast won their eighth Ohio Valley Conference series of the season.
The Redhawks climb to 17-15 on the season and 18-5 in OVC play. Murray falls to 14-30, 9-11 OVC. Murray extended their losing streak to 12 games.
The game featured the 2014 OVC Co-Pitchers of the Year, Travis Hayes and Brock Downey, as the starting pitchers.
The Redhawks jumped on Murray State pitching for 10 runs in the first inning. The inning was highlighted by home runs by Ryan Rippee and Garrett Gandolfo and three-run triple by Trevor Ezell. Every member of the Redhawk lineup scored at least one run in the frame and 13 men went to the plate in the inning. Downey recorded only one out before being taken out of the game. Downey was responsible for six of the 10 first-inning runs.
The Racers scored an unearned run on an error by Branden Boggetto in the bottom of the third inning; 10-1 Southeast Missouri.
Back-to-back doubles by Jason Blum and Gandolfo began the fourth inning and extended the lead to 11-1. Dalton Hewitt singled up the middle to plate Gandolfo and go up 12-1 in the fourth.
Pokey Harris reached on a dropped third strike that Hunter Leeper couldn't handle with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. The following batter, Matt McGowen, homered to left field to make it 12-3. Another run scored on an RBI double by Tyler Lawrence to bring the score to 12-4 after four innings.
The Redhawks got some two-out production in the sixth inning. It started with Leeper driving a triple to right-center field. Leeper scored on a single by Brendon Neel, who advanced to second on a fielding error by the left fielder. Neel then touched home on a double by Ezell, extending the lead to 14-6.
The Racers plated five runs, four unearned, in the bottom of the sixth inning. Murray sent 10 batters to the plate and knocked Hayes out of the game early in the frame. Murray State narrowed the Redhawk lead to 14-9 heading to the seventh.
Rippee blasted a mammoth, 2-run home run over the scoreboard in left field in the seventh inning. Later in the inning, Boggetto scored on an RBI double by Neel, widening the lead to 17-9.
Four walks and an error aided the Racers to scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Alex Siddle, the third Southeast pitcher of the inning, came in and slammed the door shut on the Racers and secured the series victory for Southeast.
Southeast outhit Murray, 21-9. Every Southeast starter has at least one hit and one run scored in the game while all but two had RBI. Ezell finished 4-for-7 with four RBI and two runs. He fell a home run short of hitting for the cycle. Rippee also had four RBI while Gandolfo and Hewitt had three hits each.
Hayes picked up his seventh win of the season and improves to 7-4. Hayes worked five and a third innings, allowing eight runs (only two earned) on six hits. Hayes struck out six but walked five. In total, Southeast pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts but walked 12.
The Southeast defense committed a season-high five errors on Saturday. Of Murray's 12 runs, only four were earned.
Four separate Racer hitters had two hits apiece.
Downey (4-5) recorded the loss. Downey recorded only one out and allowed six earned runs.
TENNESSEE TECH 7, #5 ARIZONA STATE 4
TEMPE, Ariz. - For the eighth time this season, the Tennessee Tech baseball team rallied for victory after trailing in the fifth inning or later. But Saturday night's comeback was something special and definitely one for the ages, as the Golden Eagles (20-20) scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the No. 5 ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (27-12) in their home stadium, 7-4.
One night prior, the Tennessee Tech squad watched as the Sun Devils took a quick 5-0 lead and just staved off a late rally to capture a 6-3 victory. The Golden Eagles weren't about to let that happen Saturday night, striking right away for a 2-0 advantage and catching the home team a little off guard.
Sophomore Tyler Brazelton, who finished the game 4-for-4 with a walk and two runs, set the tone early with a leadoff single off the outstretched glove of a leaping Colby Woodmansee. Following two quick outs by All-American hurler Ryan Kellogg, freshman Chase Chambers took quick advantage of a fastball left in the zone. The first baseman crushed a two-run shot to right field, giving the Golden Eagles the early 2-0 lead.
The next three innings flew by rather quickly, although not without excitement on the defensive end of the game for the Tech squad.
In the first, Arizona State collected a one-out double to put itself in position to at the very least cut the Tech lead in half. Woodmansee nearly accomplished the feat, blasting a ball to center field. Senior David Allen covered an outrageous amount of ground and snatched it out of the air on the run for the second out, however, helping the Tech squad avoid crisis for the time being.
With two outs and runners on the corner in the second, sophomore starter Evan Fraliex and the Golden Eagles got more help from the defense, as Chambers corralled a screaming line drive down the first base line that reeked of at least a double if not more. Just like that, inning over.
It wasn't until the fifth frame that the home squad got its first taste of home plate, using an RBI double by Woodmansee to trim the Tech advantage in half and make it a 2-1 ball game. The Sun Devils then took over in the sixth.
David Greer started the run for ASU, dropping a leadoff, solo shot over the left field wall to knot the game at 2-2. Joey Bielek followed with a single and made it to third after a wild pitch and a tag up on a fly ball to right field.
True freshman Travis Moths took over in relief of Fraliex, but ran into some early trouble in the form of pinch-hitter RJ Ybarra. The junior catcher took a 2-1 offering the other way in a hurry, blasting a two-run home run to left center field to give the Sun Devils a 4-2 lead.
The Golden Eagles stayed resilient, getting back one of those runs in the very next inning thanks to David Allen. The center fielder delivered in a big way in the seventh, driving in Tyler Brazelton (who had singled in the previous at bat) with a double to left center field. The run chased Kellogg from the game as well as cut the ASU lead down to just 4-3.
Arizona State had a premium chance to add insurance runs in the seventh, but the arm of senior Jordan Hopkins kept that attempt at bay. The backstop tossed out Jake Peevyhouse trying to swipe second after drawing a leadoff walk. The next batter also walked, advancing to second on a wild pitch. But the Tech defense came up strong with ground outs to third base and the pitcher to end the frame and threat.
Tech saw a golden opportunity to tie the game come up short in the eighth, as redshirt freshman Ryan Flick delivered a beautiful piece of hitting in the form of an opposite field double down the left field line with two outs. With Johnny Carpenter on to pinch run, the opportunity was there, but a ground out quickly ended that hope and left the Golden Eagles just three more chances.
The Golden Eagles took advantage of every one of them too.
With closer Ryan Burr (named to both the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List and the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List) fresh on the hill, things looked bleak for the visiting team, especially after the right hander picked up an quick first out.
But the Tech squad showed a resolve that no team could overcome Saturday night, beginning with an incredible, nine-pitch at bat by outfielder Anthony El Chibani. The sophomore fouled off three straight pitches after working a 2-2 count and then watched diligently as two more offering missed their marks to draw a walk and give the Golden Eagles all the momentum they would need.
As he had done all night, Tyler Brazelton followed with a base hit, putting runners at first and second with just one out. Just after freshman Matt Cunningham came on as a pinch runner for Brazelton, both he and El Chibani advanced on a wild pitch, setting up David Allen to play hero yet again.
The senior worked a full count before spitting a fly ball to right field, providing just enough room for El Chibani to tie the game on a sacrifice fly and make it a brand new ball game. But Tech was just getting started.
All-American Dylan Bosheers didn't get an opportunity to give Tech the lead, watching as the Sun Devils elected to intentionally walk the shortstop to face the man who had already homered in the ball game. After fouling off two pitches, Chambers drilled a ball up the middle and right through the five hole of a shifted Woodmansee, driving in the go-ahead run and turning the Golden Eagle dugout into a frenzy.
And the Golden Eagles weren't finished. With a full count staring him in the face, Jordan Hopkins smashed a towering shot off the wall in right center field. When the dust settled, the senior was up at third with a two-run triple and the Golden Eagles were suddenly out in front with a relatively commanding 7-4 lead.
With just three outs standing in between the Tech squad and an unbelievable victory, closer Jeb Scoggins took to the hill, just in time for the skies to open up with a rare, but somewhat metaphorical rain shower. The rain was just light enough to really have no effect on play, but seemed to signify the rarity of what was about to play out.
Scoggins wasted no time attacking the Sun Devil hitters, pouring in two quick strikes to the first batter before eventually forcing a ground out to recently substituted third baseman, Trevor Putzig. The senior reliever go the next batter down on five pitches, sending Johnny Sewald back to the dugout after looking at a called third strike. He then forced Peevyhouse into a line drive to Bosheers to end the ball game and gather the Golden Eagles' first victory over a ranked opponent since knocking off No. 2 Vanderbilt in the 2013 season.
Scoggins picked up his fourth save of the year in the outing while Moths took his third victory of the 2015 campaign after two and two thirds innings of relief. Starter Evan Fraliex turned in a solid no decision on the day, tossing five and one third inning with three earned runs and four strikeouts.
Chambers led the Tech squad with three RBI and two runs while Allen and Hopkins each notched two RBI as well. Brazelton went a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish in the leadoff spot, scoring two runs while also drawing a walk. El Chibani managed a multi-hit game as well, going 2-for-3 with his huge walk in the ninth inning.