WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 20, Northern Kentucky 4
@Western Illinois 14,
SIUE 10
Eastern Kentucky 6, @Miami (Ohio) 5 (11 innings)
Western Kentucky 10,
Austin Peay 6
Middle Tennessee 7,
Tennessee Tech 5 (10 innings)
MOREHEAD STATE 20, NORTHERN KENTUCKY 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Senior leftfielder Nick Newell set the school single-season record for doubles, and senior designated hitter Clayton Meyer clubbed his first career grand slam as the Morehead State baseball team put 20 hits on the scoreboard en route to a 20-4 win over Northern Kentucky at Allen Field Wednesday.
Newell, who now has 23 two-baggers this year, eclipsed Brad Allison's former mark of 22 set in 1996. Morehead State, which leads the nation in doubles, also tied the program's single-game record, originally established in 1973 and equaled in 2009, with seven. The Eagles evened the season series with NKU and improved to 28-17 overall.
Morehead State is now only one win shy of tying the 2014 win total and just three wins short of tying the program single-season record for victories, set in 1993. The Norse slipped to 16-25.
Meyer, who increased his batting average to .300, smashed his first career home run to clear the bases during an eight-run, fourth-inning scoring barrage. He finished 4-for-6 with four runs scored.
The Eagles produced a double-digit hit amount for the 27th time in 2015 and got to the 20-hit milestone for the fourth game.
Four others - senior shortstop Robby Spencer, senior catcher Chris Robinson, Newell and sophomore centerfielder Ryan Kent - had three-hit outings. Kent, senior rightfielder Brandon Rawe and freshman infielder Braxton Morris all crossed the plate three times. Rawe got ahold of his team-best eighth home run, a two-run job, in the fifth, and Morris cranked his first career round-tripper to score a pair in the seventh.
Robinson and Spencer nailed two doubles. Robinson, along with Rawe, has 19 doubles this year. Kent (24 games) and senior first baseman Kane Sweeney (22) extended their lengthy reached-base streaks.
Junior right-hander Matt Anderson was credited with the victory to improve to 3-1. He tossed the fifth and sixth frames following starter Patrick McGuff's exit after four innings. Anderson recorded a trio of strikeouts. McGuff was in line for a win (left with his team ahead 12-3), but did not toss the required five frames. Freshman lefty Aaron Leasher and junior right Tyler Keele held NKU to two hits in the final three, and the MSU quartet combined for 11 punchouts.
Northern Kentucky had eight hits with no player recording double-digit totals. Starter Trey Ganns took the loss to fall to 1-2. One of six Norse hurlers, he allowed four runs in 2.2 innings.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 14, SIUE 10
MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois scored six runs over its final over its final two at-bats Wednesday to defeat SIUE baseball 14-10 at Boyer Stadium.
The Cougars (15-22) lost leads of 4-0 and 8-0 in the back-and-forth contest before falling to the Leathernecks.
Denton Reed had a two-run double in the second inning and Parker Guinn drove in a run with a double in the third inning and another run scored on an error and SIUE lead 4-0 after 2 ½ innings.
Western Illinois (14-26) scored four times in the third inning against Cougar starter Brendan Miller. The Leathernecks used three hits, a hit batter, and a walk.
SIUE got RBIs from Nick Lombardo and Chase Green in the third inning to extend its lead to 6-4. WIU pulled within a run at 6-5 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Miller pitched into the fourth, allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits
Reed walked with the bases loaded and Lombardo reached on a fielder's choice to drive in a run in the fifth and the Cougars' lead was 8-5.
Western Illinois tied the game with three unearned runs in the fifth inning against Cougar reliever Ryan Agnitsch. Agnitsch worked three innings allowing six runs, but just one earned. He suffered the loss and dropped to 2-1.
SIUE regained the lead, 9-8, with a run in the seventh thanks to an infield hit by Keaton Wright. Lombardo scored on the play after reaching with a two-out infield hit to WIU shortstop Chris Tschida.
Lombardo finished the game 3 for 6 with two RBIs, two runs, and a stolen base.
The Leathernecks took the lead for good with three runs in the seventh. They were helped by a catcher's interference call on what would have been a pop out. The Cougars again got within a run, at 11-10, when Jacob Stewart grounded into a fielder's choice scoring Parker Guinn in the eighth. Western Illinois tacked on the final three runs in the bottom of the eighth. All three runs were charged to reliever Zach Malach.
The Leatherneck used nine pitchers against the Cougars. Preston Church threw two innings, allowing a run, and was credited with the win. Adam McGinnis was 4 for 4 with four RBIs to lead Western Illinois at the plate.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 6, MIAMI (OHIO) 5 (11)
OXFORD, Ohio - Eastern Kentucky jumped out to a quick lead and then scored in the 11th inning to beat Miami 6-5 on Wednesday.
Kenny Hostrander led off the top of the 11th inning with a double down the left field line and then moved to third on a ground out. Kyle Nowlin hit the first pitch he saw into center field to score the go-ahead run.
Caleb Johnson (1-0), who had come on to pitch in the 10th, retired all six batters he faced, including all three that came to the plate in the bottom of the 11th.
Nowlin went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI for EKU (17-24).
A two-out single by Cole Warrenfeltz in the second inning brought home Taylor Blair and Luke Wurzelbacher for a 2-0 lead. One inning later, Ben Fisher doubled the Colonel lead with one swing of the bat. His two-run home run over the wall in right-center was his third of the season and gave the visitors a 4-0 advantage. Fisher finished 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.
Junior Luke McGee cruised through five scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits, walked one and struck out three.
The RedHawks (9-33) got to the Colonel relievers in the sixth and cut the deficit in half. Ryan Elble’s two-run home run in the seventh tied the score. With runners at first and second, and the hit-and-run on, Wurzelbacher singled through the left side to put the Colonels back on top 5-4 in the eighth.
With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, Miami loaded the bases with one out, but Ben Gullo struck out two straight batters to end the inning.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 10, AUSTIN PEAY 6
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s baseball team rapped out 15 hits but it wasn’t enough in a 10-6 nonconference loss to Western Kentucky, Wednesday night at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay (22-21) strung together multiple hits just twice in the contest. A three-hit second inning resulted in two runs courtesy shortstop Imani Willis’ single, tying the game 2-2. In the fifth, the Govs had three straight base hits and designated hitter Alex Robles’ ended the streak with a RBI single to get the Govs within a run, 4-3.
Western Kentucky (23-20) eased its lead back to 5-3 in the seventh courtesy first baseman Ryan Church’s two-run home run. The Hilltoppers then added four runs in the eighth, extending its lead to 10-4, as the Govs bullpen issued five walks and hit two batters in the frame.
The Govs got two runs back in its half of the eighth when left fielder Cayce Bredlau hit a two-run double to set the final score.
Austin Peay starter Michael Costanzo (0-3) suffered the loss after allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits in three-plus innings. The Govs utilized six pitchers in the contest, Jake Corum and Kierce Kimbel each supplying scoreless innings in relief.
Robles led the Govs offense with a 3-for-4, two RBI outing which included a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Second baseman Garrett Copeland went 3-for-4 and scored twice, both with Robles swinging the bat.
Western Kentucky reliever Brandon Allen (1-0) picked up the win after allowing one run on eight hits in 3.2 innings, striking out four. Hilltoppers starter Logan Weins allowed two runs in 1.1 innings and did not factor into the decision.
Church finished the night 2-for-2 with three RBI, adding a first-inning sacrifice fly to his home run. The Hilltoppers finished with only seven hits in the contest but took advantage of nine hits and three hit batsmen in the contest.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 7, TENNESSEE TECH 5 (10)
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee exacted some revenge on the Tennessee Tech baseball team Wednesday evening, edging the Golden Eagle squad in extra innings at Bush Stadium, 7-5.
After taking down their in-state rival in Murfreesboro earlier in the month, taking a 6-5 decision that came down to the wire, the Golden Eagles couldn't quite complete the comeback against the Blue Raiders the second time around, falling in the 10th inning.
A back-and-forth affair all evening long, the visiting squad got off to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, but the Golden Eagles quickly rallied for a two spot in the bottom half.
Middle Tennessee knotted things up in the next frame, tying the contest at 2-2. Once again, the home team took the lead, collecting the go-ahead run in the bottom of the third with an RBI double off the bat of third baseman Josh Pankratz.
The Blue Raiders bounced back in the fourth, scratching two runs across to recapture the lead at 4-3. They then added an insurance run in the fifth to take a 5-3 advantage. Both sides traded three innings of scoreless pitching before the Golden Eagles made a move.
In the bottom of the eighth and with two outs, Pankratz got a small rally going by getting hit by a pitch and reaching base. After working a full count, sophomore Anthony El Chibani singled to left field, putting two runners on for leadoff man Tyler Brazelton.
The two base runners moved to second and third on passed ball, setting up Brazelton for a heroic, two-run single to left field on a 3-2 count. Just like that, the Golden Eagles had tied things up headed for the ninth.
Each side traded a scoreless frame before the Blue Raiders found a way to squeak two runs in in the top of the 10th, taking a two-run lead they would hold on to for victory.
Brazelton was the lead man for the Golden Eagles in the loss, collecting three hits in five trips to the plate as well as a game-high three RBI. Both Jake Farr and El Chibani each secured multiple-hit contests as well, picking up two base knocks each.