WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 11, Alabama A&M 8
@Northern Kentucky 5,
Eastern Kentucky 2
@Eastern Illinois 5, Indiana State 4
Lindenwood-Belleville 8,
@Murray State 2
@Austin Peay 14, Middle Tennessee 12
@UT Martin 12, Bethel 9
@UAB 7,
Jacksonville State 6
MOREHEAD STATE 11, ALABAMA A&M 8
MOREHEAD, Ky. - For the second consecutive night, the Morehead State baseball team won a rain-shortened contest against Alabama A&M. On Wednesday, MSU scored six times in the first inning and then hung on for an 11-8 victory in a game halted in the bottom of the sixth at Allen Field.
MSU, which defeated AAMU 15-4 Tuesday in the exact same scenario, won its seventh straight game to improve to 18-13. The seven-game success streak is the best in Head Coach Mike McGuire's three-year tenure. The Eagles also extended their school-record streak of scoring double-digit runs to eight games. The Bulldogs fell to 19-17.
The Eagles took advantage of control issues for AAMU starting pitcher Allen Belue. Belue, a senior right-hander, had not seen action in 2015 and walked the first batter before hitting the next three and making a quick exit. Senior leftfielder Nick Newell added a two-run double, and senior shortstop Robby Spencer drove in his team-high 40th run in the six-run barrage.
Senior rightfielder Brandon Rawe, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games, crushed his fourth home run of the season and 18th of his career to plate three more runs in the second. Rawe collected his fourth RBI of the evening in the third, and senior designated hitter Chris Robinson contributed an RBI single for an 11-2 lead.
The Bulldogs tagged MSU starter Patrick McGuff for four runs in the fourth and plated two more off reliever Matt Anderson to creep to within 11-8. Shortstop Jordan Friend connected on a three-run homer.
Morehead State had eight hits. Sophomore catcher Jimmy Wright and Robinson notched two each. Robinson now leads the squad with 15 multi-hit games and upped his batting average to .412.
Newell, Spencer and sophomore centerfielder Ryan Kent also lengthened their current hitting streaks to 10 contests.
Anderson was credited with the victory to improve to 2-1. He tossed the final 2.2 innings and struck out five. McGuff left with the lead intact but did not complete the required four innings to earn a win in a game of less than eight innings.
Belue only faced the first four batters and was pinned with the loss.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 5, EASTERN KENTUCKY 2
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky lost, 5-2, at Northern Kentucky on Wednesday.
Sacrifice flies by Logan Starnes in the second and Ben Fisher in the third staked the Colonels (10-18) to an early 2-0 lead but the Norse (10-18) scored five unanswered.
Cole Bauml tied it for NKU with a two-run home run in the third and then put the home team on top for good when he scored on an Eastern error in the bottom of the fifth.
Kyle Nowlin went 2-for-5 for EKU and has now reached base in 22 straight games. Quint Heady finished 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI for Northern Kentucky. Jake Shaw (1-3) earned the win after holding the Colonels to two runs on nine hits in eight innings of work.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, INDIANA STATE 4
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois freshman catcher Hunter Morris scored pinch runner Mitch Gasbarro with a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh as the Panthers picked up a 5-4 win over Indiana State at Coaches Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
EIU improved to 2-24 overall while ISU fell to 13-17. The game was called after eight innings due to darkness as the teams waited out an hour and a half rain delay in the top of the second inning.
Indiana State opened the game with two runs in the first as Jacob Hayes connected for a two run homer to left center scoring Derek Hannahs.
EIU was able to take advantage of a wild start by Sycamores pitcher David Stagg who walked the first three batters he faced before being lifted. Greg Kuhlman pitched out of the jam as EIU scored one run on a wild pitch and then left the bases loaded. With two outs in the top of the second the two teams waited out a rain delay. Kuhlman and EIU starter Andrew Grahn both returned to the mound. Kuhlman got out of a bases loaded jam in the second but allowed two EIU runs in the third as Morris had a two-run single up the middle. The Paris, Ill., native was 1-for-2 with three RBI.
The Sycamores scored one run in the third on an RBI by Brian Romero. They broke a 3-3 tie in the fourth as Hannahs had a sacrifice fly which scored Tony Rosselli. Rosselli opened the inning with a double. Garrison Stenger (1-6) closed out the fourth for EIU and worked four innings of one-hit baseball with six strikeouts to pick up his first win of the season.
EIU tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth inning on a Joseph Duncan double down the right field line. Duncan was 2-for-3 as EIU had seven hits in the game. Demetre Taylor was 2-for-3.
In the seventh inning EIU opened the inning with a single by Bobby Wenthe. A sacrifice bunt by Marshawn Taylor and infield error set up the Panthers with runners at first and third for Morris to lay down the squeeze. Chase Thurston closed out the eighth inning to pick up his first career save.
Hayes and Romero led ISU with two hits each. Ethan Larrison (1-2) suffered the loss allowing one earned run in four innings of relief work.
LINDENWOOD-BELLEVILLE 8, MURRAY STATE 2
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State baseball team opened its OVC bye week with an 8-2 midweek loss to Lindenwood-Belleville Wednesday at Johnny Reagan Field. The loss drops the Racers to 14-19 on the season.
The Lynx (14-21) got off to a good start in the contest, scoring two runs in the first inning and following that up with a three-run third to take a 5-0 lead early. A Pokey Harris groundout brought home Kipp Moore in the bottom of the inning as the Racers cut the deficit to 5-1.
That was as close as MSU would get the rest of the game however, as a two-run homer in the fourth put LU up 7-1. A Nick Moore RBI was the only other damage the Racers would do in the contest. LU-Belleville pounded-out 14 hits in the game while the Racers had just five.
Anthony Bayus, Matthew Johnson, Rick Linton, Taylor Mathews and Matt McGowan collected the hits in the loss for the Racers. LU starter Dylan Skinner pitched a complete game for the Lynx in his first start of the season.
Andrew Bramley took the loss for MSU in the contest. The Racers used six pitchers total as Tanner Edge pitched three innings, Sheldon Baxter worked two, Tyler Anderson pitched an inning and struck-out three batters and Paul Miller and Cameron Wallace worked the final two on the mound.
AUSTIN PEAY 14, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 12
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Second baseman Garrett Copeland had a program record-tying six hits to lead Austin Peay State Univeristy’s baseball team to a 14-12 nonconference victory against Middle Tennessee, Wednesday night at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Copeland tied the Austin Peay record with six hits in a game, equaling the mark set by Chad Cunningham during the 2008 season, while also posting the program’s first 6-for-6 outing. Copeland had four singles, a double and a solo home run on the day with three RBI, including the game-winning RBI with two-run single in the seventh inning.
Austin Peay (16-13) batted through the order twice in the contest. The Govs scored three runs and sent nine batters to the plate in the fifth inning as they built a 6-3 lead. After surrendering the lead in the top of the seventh, Austin Peay sent 11 men to the plate in the bottom of the frame scoring seven runs to build a 14-9 lead they would not relinquish.
The pivotal seventh inning saw the Govs record four hits while receiving three walks and a hit batsman. Copeland’s two-run single came on a 0-2 count with the bases loaded and gave APSU a 10-9 lead. Third baseman Logan Gray added a RBI single then first baseman Dre Gleason pushed in the 12th run with a two-out bases loaded walk. Catcher Ridge Smith pushed the Govs lead to 14-9 with a two-run single.
Middle Tennessee (17-15) led 3-0 after its half of the third inning only to surrender the lead and trailed 7-3 after six innings. However, the Blue Raiders rallied for six runs in the seventh inning as they sent nine batters to the plate. Designated hitter Austin Norrell hit a two-run single to tie the game, 9-9. He would score on shortstop Austin Bryant’s single to give MTSU a 10-9 lead that would only last until the bottom of the inning.
Austin Peay reliever John Sparks (2-0) was credited with the win after allowing three runs on four hits in 1.2 innings. Starting pitcher Jared Carkuff went four innings, along three runs on six hits while striking out four batters.
Copeland’s 6-for-6, three RBI outing dominated a 14-hit outing by the Govs offense. Gray had the Govs only other multihit outing, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a RBI. Smith went 1-for-2 with two RBI for APSU’s only other multi-RBI performance.
Middle Tennessee reliever Heath Slatton (1-7) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on two hits and two walks while recording only one out. He was the fifth of seven Middle Tennessee pitchers to take the mound.
Right fielder Brad Jarreau went 4-for-5 with a RBI to lead Middle Tennessee’s 14-hit attack. Left fielder Jared Allen was 1-for-3 with four RBI, including a three-run home run in the eighth to tighten the score.
UT MARTIN 12, BETHEL 9
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin erased an eight-run deficit by scoring all of its runs in the final four innings in a 12-9 victory over Bethel this evening at Skyhawk Field.
Luis Paublini’s three-run homer with one away in the bottom of the ninth concluded the hectic Skyhawk rally. With the victory, UT Martin (10-20) passes its win total from last season while posting its third walk-off win in the last three weeks.
Both Paublini and Taylor Douglas homered while driving in four runs tonight to lead the Skyhawks at the dish. Andrew Castillo tied a school record with three doubles while scoring twice and driving in a pair of runs for UT Martin, who overcame an 8-0 deficit after five innings of play.
The Skyhawk bullpen burned through a pair of hurlers in the first inning but the final five UT Martin relievers combined to allow just one earned run with nine strikeouts in nine innings. Junior righty Cole Schaenzer (1-2) earned his first win after tossing two innings while Patrick Bernard (two scoreless innings), Jackson Zarubin (zero earned runs in one inning), Matt Poteete (three shutout frames) and Dillon Symon (one scoreless inning) contributed to the Skyhawk win this evening.
Bethel jumped out to a 6-0 run after the top of the first before Symon came on board to record all three outs without allowing an inherited runner to score, stranding the bases loaded.
Symon and Poteete stymied the Wildcats in the second inning while Poteete put up a zero on the scoreboard following an unusual inning-ending double play that saw Bethel runners being thrown out at third base and home plate on the same play. After the Wildcats placed runners on first and second with one out, a single occurred but Castillo took a good route to the ball in left field and delivered a cutoff strike to Deason, who tossed the ball to third base to cut down the runner from first base. Mike Murphy was then aware of the runner previously at second base and fired a perfect throw to Paublini to get the runner trying to score by 15 feet.
Poteete pitched effectively in the fourth, shutting out Bethel in his final inning of work. However, the Wildcats took advantage of a Skyhawk error and extended their lead to 8-0 after the fifth inning.
Bernard took over in the sixth and did not throw a ball in the entire inning, striking out the side after a leadoff single.
UT Martin then got on the scoreboard for the first time in the bottom half of the sixth. Castillo led off with a double and following a Douglas walk, Zych reached on a fielder’s choice to put men on the corners with one out. Austin Taylor was issued a free pass to load the bases and Murphy then lined a single up the middle to make the score 8-1. Paublini then grounded into an RBI fielder’s choice to make the score 8-2.
Bernard added another strikeout to his tally while tallying another scoreless frame going into the seventh inning stretch.
The Skyhawks then put up four runs offensively in the seventh to get back within striking distance. Andrew Massey pinch hit and singled with no outs, later coming around to score after Pribble singled and Castillo doubled down the left field line. Douglas then pulverized a no-doubter to straightaway center field for a three-run homer, slicing UT Martin’s deficit to 8-6.
Bethel was able to add a run in the eighth but the Skyhawks wasted no time tying the game in the bottom half of the frame. Paublini and Matt Hirsch walked to lead off the inning before Massey singled to load the bases. Pribble lifted a sacrifice fly to deep left to plate Paublini and Castillo followed with a sacrifice fly to the wall in center to make the score 9-8. Douglas then lined a single into left field to bring the tying run in at 9-all.
Schaenzer made short work of the Wildcats in the ninth, retiring the middle of the Bethel lineup in order.
Zych led off the ninth with a single to left center and was pushed up to second base when Mikey Nantze pinch hit to drop down a perfect sacrifice bunt. Murphy then reached on a fielding error before Paublini jumped on the first pitch he saw for a shot out to right center that was his second home run of the season.
UAB 7, JACKSONVILLE STATE 6
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Jacksonville State's struggles continued on Wednesday in Birmingham as it dropped its fifth straight game in a 7-6 loss to the Blazers of UAB at Young Memorial Field.
After dropping the final two games at Murray State last weekend and being limited to four hits and a run at Alabama State on Tuesday, it was fielding miscues and ineffective pitching that aided in the Blazers win over Jax State. The loss dropped the JSU to 17-13 overall, while the Blazers improved to 19-12 in the season.
The Blazers took advantage of three JSU fielding errors in the first four innings that led to three of the seven UAB runs. UAB also manufactured runs with six stolen bases along with eight walks given up by JSU pitching. Combined, both teams tallied 17 walks and the two clubs left 26 on base combined.
After jumping out to a 5-1 lead, the Gamecocks began to chip away at the deficit after the Blazers' pitching staff started to be ineffective. Senior Ryan Sebra had the lone hit in the sixth with his third home run of the season with a solo blast to left center. JSU would add two more runs after a Tyler Gamble walk and an infield error that allowed Josh Bob to reach base. The misplayed ball allowed Gamble to get to third and would score on a wild pitch. Bobo would also score on a wild pitch in the frame to get the Gamecocks to a 5-4 deficit.
The Blazers responded in the home half of the sixth on a pair of sacrifice fly balls.
JSU added two more runs and had chances to equalize and take the lead in the eighth inning. Peyton Williams started the frame with a double down the left field line and scored on Gavin Golsan's third hit of the night. Golsan finished the night 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Elliot McCummings had the other RBI in the inning after lifting a deep fly ball in foul territory to score Golsan.
Gamble was the only other Gamecock with multiple hits in the lineup. UAB's Tyler Mims matched Golsan's hit total with three in the contest, while Nathan Vincent and Griffin Gum had two hits each. UAB's Esteban Tresgallo had the Blazers lone home run in the contest.
Freshman Jack Pierce, one of five JSU pitchers used in the affair, suffered his first loss of the season. UAB emptied its pitching staff by tossing seven pitchers in the win. Ryan Ruggles pitched two solid innings to earn his fourth win of the season, while Adam Lau came on to close out the game and earn his sixth save.