THURSDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 9, Murray State 4
Southeast Missouri 12, @Belmont 0
@Eastern Kentucky 5, Tennessee Tech 4 (12 innings)
@SIUE 6, Eastern Illinois 2
Jacksonville State 14, @UT Martin 2
@Evansville 6,
Austin Peay 5
MOREHEAD STATE 9, MURRAY STATE 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Sophomore center fielder Ryan Kent was 3-for-4 to lead five Morehead State baseball players in double-figure hits and pitchers Luke Humphreys and Matt Anderson combined to strike out 11 as the Eagles opened their final regular-season series with a 9-4 win over Murray State Thursday at Allen Field.
Morehead State, which can lock up the second seed in the upcoming Ohio Valley Conference Tournament with one more victory, improved to 34-19 overall and 19-9 in the league. The Racers slid to 15-39 overall and 10-18 in the conference.
Morehead State chased Murray State starter Cashtyn DeLeeuw after just four batters and plated four runs in the opening frame. Senior designated hitter Clayton Meyer knocked in two runs with a double off the wall in right field.
Following solo Racer runs in the second and third, Morehead State scored three times in the third for a 7-2 advantage. The Eagles scored on a wild pitch and passed ball in the frame.
Murray State held the Eagles off the scoreboard until the eighth, but Humphreys and Anderson kept the Racer bats at bay.
Humphreys improved to 7-2 this season and 12-4 in his two-year career by fanning six over the first six frames. Anderson collected his second save of the year with five punchouts in the final three frames. Morehead State continues to add to its single-season program record with 18 saves.
Kent led the way at the plate with his 25th multi-hit game. Senior right fielder Brandon Rawe, senior catcher Chris Robinson, senior left fielder Nick Newell and freshman second baseman Braxton Morris contributed to the home team's 14-hit total with two each. Meyer and senior shortstop Robby Spencer led with two RBI each.
Senior first baseman Kane Sweeney was held hitless but walked twice. He now has an OVC-best 48 free passes this year to extend his team-high reached-base streak to 30.
Murray State totaled seven hits, led by shortstop Matt McGowan's two. DeLeeuw, who had only pitched 0.2 innings this year before today, suffered the loss to fall to 0-1.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 12, BELMONT 0
NASHVILLE - The Southeast Missouri baseball team shutout Belmont University Thursday evening, 12-0. With the win, Southeast Missouri clinches at least of share of its second-straight Ohio Valley Conference regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the OVC Tournament.
One more win will clinch the title outright for the Redhawks. This is Southeast's third OVC regular season crown (2002, 2014, 2015). Friday's shutout of Belmont was the first time the Bruins have been held scoreless all season.
Southeast Missouri climbs to 32-20 on the season and 21-7 in OVC play. Belmont is 26-26, 14-13 OVC.
Joey Lucchesi picked up his seventh win of the season, improving to 7-1 on the season, after pitching eight scoreless innings Thursday. Lucchesi allowed six hits, struck out seven Bruin hitters, and walked four.
Southeast Missouri captured a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Dalton Hewitt hit an RBI base hit through the left side to score Jason Blum from second base with two out. The Redhawks proceeded to load the bases but couldn't capitalize on the early opportunity but led 1-0 after a half inning.
Ryan Rippee led off the second with a base hit to left followed by Scott Mitchell drawing a walk. Trevor Ezell sacrifice bunted both runners over for the first out of the inning. Blum reached and Rippee scored on a strikeout/passed ball. Branden Boggetto immediately doubled to deep centerfield to score both runners and widen the lead to 4-0. Hewitt followed it up with a two-out triple to right center to plate Southeast's fifth run of the game; 5-0 Southeast in the second inning.
Rippee blasted a three-run home run to left center in the seventh inning, extending the lead to 8-0.
Hunter Leeper stepped in and launched a grand slam, widening the Southeast Missouri lead to 12-0 in the eighth inning.
Southeast outhit the Bruins, 14-6. Belmont committed three errors in the game.
Rippee went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. Four other Redhawks (Blum, Boggetto, Hewitt, Leeper) all had two hits each.
Lucchesi picked up the win. Brady Wright pitched the ninth inning. Wright fanned two of the final three outs.
Belmont's Tyler Walsh was the only Bruin hitter with more than one hit, going 2-for-4.
Dan Ludwig (4-5) recorded the loss. Ludwig pitched seven innings, allowing eight runs on 10 hits to Southeast.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 5, TENNESSEE TECH 4 (12)
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky baseball team won an extra-innings thriller in game one against Tennessee Tech on Thursday night, as a pinch-hit, walk-off home run by sophomore Taylor Blair in the bottom of the 12th propelled the Colonels to a 5-4 victory at Turkey Hughes Field.
Blair made the most of the one pitch he saw all night, crushing the first offering he got from Tech reliever Trevor Maloney over the wall in left field to ignite the Colonel dugout into a dog pile at home plate. Blair’s home run was the first run scored by either team since the fourth inning.
Freshman right-hander Hunter Dunn (2-1) picked up the win for EKU (20-28, 11-16 OVC), becoming the pitcher of record by tossing a scoreless top of the 12th. Starting pitcher Alex Hamilton, a sophomore lefty, pitched seven innings, only giving up eight hits and four runs, all of witch were earned. Hamilton struck out five of the 35 batters he faced. Senior Ben Gullo added four innings of strong relief, giving up zero runs and two hits, while striking out three batters along the way.
Maloney (3-2) received the loss for TTU.
Junior TJ Alas got things started for Eastern with a two run home run to right center field in the top of the first to give the Colonels the early lead.
After Tech took the lead with three runs in the second and another in the third, junior Mandy Alvarez tied things up in the bottom of the fourth with a double to right center field that scored junior Kenny Hostrander. After the RBI double by Alvarez, seven scoreless innings followed.
Tennessee Tech (24-26, 15-13 OVC) attempted late game heroics when shortstop Dylan Bosheers hit a blooper to shallow center field. After a passed ball, Bosheers advanced to second base to put a runner in scoring position in the top of the eleventh. But no runs were scored. A sliding catch by TJ Alas halted the Golden Eagles’ charge. Bosheers finished 2-for-5.
Alvarez had the hot bat for the Colonels. The Miami, Florida native went 4-for-6 with two RBI’s. Three Colonels ended the day with two hits. Junior Logan Starnes finished 2-for-4, junior Luke Wurzelbacher went 2-for-6, and Hostrander also finished 2-for-6
SIUE 6, EASTERN ILLINOIS 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE hit five home runs Thursday and P. J. Schuster won his fourth consecutive start as the Cougars downed Eastern Illinois 6-2 in the opener of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Simmons Baseball Complex.
The Cougars improved to 18-10 in OVC pay and 19-27 overall. Eastern Illinois fell to 12-35 overall and 8-20 in the OVC. The Cougars are guaranteed to finish no worse than third in the OVC and the 18 wins continue to build on a program-best for OVC wins.
The five home runs hit by the Cougars tied a Division I era record. SIUE also hit five home runs in a game earlier this season against Murray State.
Schuster improved to 8-3 with the win. He tossed 7 1/3 innings allowing just two runs on seven hits. He tied his career high with nine strikeouts and did not walk a batter. Schuster left the game without allowing a run, but with two runners on base. Both runners ended up scoring.
In eight starts this season, Schuster has worked less than six innings only once and has thrown at least seven innings in each of his last four starts. His eight wins lead the OVC and are the most for a Cougar pitcher since Spencer Patton went 9-3 in 2011. Patton is now pitching for the Texas Rangers.
Keaton Wright got the Cougars on the board early, connecting for an opposite-field solo home run to left field in the bottom of the first inning against EIU starter Jake Johansmeier.
Wright made it 2-0 in the sixth inning when he led off with a home run to right field. Alec Saikal followed with a single to left. Two batters later Dustin Woodcock launched his sixth home run of the year, a two-run shot to right field, to make it 4-0 SIUE.
Chase Green led off the seventh inning with his fifth home run which cleared the grass berm behind the left field wall. Green's homer was enough to chase Johansmeier. He fell to 2-6 with the loss. He allowed five runs on 10 hits over six innings.
The Panthers scored twice in the top of the eighth inning on four hits against Schuster and SIUE reliever Zach Malach. Malach finished the game with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed two hits and struck out one.
Senior catcher Drew Johnson got in on the act to start the bottom of the eighth inning. Panthers reliever Garrison Stenger left a pitch up in the zone and Johnson hammered it to left for his second career home run. Johnson's blast cleared the scoreboard with room to spare.
Woodcock and Wright each finished with two hits for the Cougars.
Demetre Taylor was 3 for 4 and drove in a run for EIU. Joe Duncan and Caleb Howell each had two hits for the Panthers.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 14, UT MARTIN 2
MARTIN, Tenn. - Jacksonville State began the crucial Ohio Valley Conference series with UT Martin with a solid 14-2 win on Thursday evening at Skyhawk Field.
The Gamecocks, needing at least two wins on the final weekend of the regular season to earn their 12th trip to the league's postseason tournament next week down the road in Jackson, Tennessee, moved to 14-14 overall in OVC play and improved to 28-25 on the season. UTM fell to 17-34 overall and 9-19 against the OVC. JSU will look to clinch the series and a spot in the OVC Tournament on Friday as the two teams will finish the three-game series with a twinbill, beginning at 2 p.m. The altered schedule is due to the forecast for heavy rains in West Tennessee on Saturday.
JSU jumped on the scoreboard early with two runs off of UTM starter Taylor Douglas, who was making his first appearance in OVC play. Freshman Clayton Daniel singled through the right side to plate Gavin Golsan, who led off the game with Douglas' first of three walks in the frame. Golsan moved in to scoring position with his first of two steals on the night. The Trussville, Alabama-speedster swiped his 36th base of the season, which gives him the program's single season mark for stolen bases. Senior Ryan Sebra added the second RBI of the frame with a sacrifice fly to left field.
After UTM's Douglas touched senior right hander Zachary Fowler with a solo home run to right center, Fowler went on to throw a gem with seven innings of work and allowed just two runs in his night's work. The Daphne, Alabama-native turned in six strikeouts and walked just a pair. Fowler picked up his eighth win of the season, which is the most by any pitcher in the OVC. The win was his sixth against league competition this season.
The JSU offense aided Fowler in the second inning with another pair of runs. Daniel, who has been clutch driving in 27 runs with two outs this season, had his second of three hits of the contest to drive in Hayden White. He drove in his third run of the game on a double in the ninth. Junior Paschal Petrongolo had the second RBI of the inning.
White broke open the 4-1 contest in the fifth as a Skyhawk fielding error opened the door for Jax State to take advantage of the miscue as White delivered with a three-run blast over the right field wall. It was White's sixth home run of the season and his fourth off league pitching. White was one of four Gamecocks with multiple hits. Junior Paul Angel and Daniel led JSU's 15-hit barrage with three hits each, followed by Taylor Hawthorne's pair of hits.
JSU expanded the lead in the sixth on Angel's two-out double to the gap in left to plate Petrongolo and Tyler Gamble. Both reached base with singles up the middle. Gamble moved in to the program's record book with his pair of walks as he now is the single season leader for walks in a campaign. He broke former Gamecock John Thomas' mark of 48 during the 1995 season.
The Gamecocks plated five runs on four hits in their final at bat, which was highlighted by sophomore Peyton Williams first career home run.
EVANSVILLE 6, AUSTIN PEAY 5
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Austin Peay State University’s baseball team paid dearly for two late defensive miscues, surrendering unearned runs in the sixth and ninth innings in a 6-5 loss to Evansville, Thursday night at Braun Stadium.
Austin Peay (25-26) got out to a quick start offensively, scoring five runs in the first three innings. However, Evansville scored the game’s final six runs to rally past the Govs for the win.
Trailing 5-4 after five innings, Evansville (29-22) started its game-tying rally with an innocuous one-out walk by left fielder Korbin Williams. He would get to third on a Governors throwing error and scored on catcher Billy Lipari’s sacrifice fly.
The Purple Aces game-winning rally in the ninth with a one out single. The Governors traded that runner for an out on a fielder’s choice then appeared to get out of the inning when reliever Levi Primasing induced another ground ball. However, it eluded the Governors defense, extending the inning. After an intentional walk to load the bases, the Govs turned to reliever A.J. Gaura but he hit the only batter he faced to end the game.
Austin Peay struck for three runs in the first when first baseman Alex Robles drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and left fielder Patrick Massoni drove in two runs with a triple.
The Govs two-run third inning started when right fielder Josh Wilson and second baseman Garrett Copeland each reached base safely to start the inning. Massoni drove in a run with a sacrifice drive and designated hitter Dre Gleason followed with a RBI single for a 5-0 lead.
Primasing (2-2) was the hard-luck loser after allowing one unearned run on two hits and walk in 2.1 innings of relief. Starting pitcher Jared Carkuff allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and five walks in 6.1 innings.
Massoni paced the Govs offense with a 1-for-2, three RBI outing. Wilson went 3-for-5 and scored twice.
Evansville reliever Conor Gilligan (3-1) picked up the win after finishing the game with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Second baseman Tyler Sullivan and shortstop Stewart Nelson each had two hits to lead Evansville.