SATURDAY'S SCORES
Tennessee Tech 10, @Eastern Kentucky 2
Southeast Missouri 13, @Belmont 7
@SIUE 8, Eastern Illinois 7 (10)
Jacksonville State, @UT Martin (cancelled)
Evansville,
@Austin Peay (cancelled)
TENNESSEE TECH 10, EASTERN KENTUCKY 2
RICHMOND, Ky. - With its back against the ropes in a win-or-go-home-for-good situation Saturday afternoon, the Tennessee Tech baseball team answered the call, defeating Eastern Kentucky in Richmond, 10-2, to clinch a spot in next week's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
The Golden Eagles (25-27, 16-14) came into the regular-season finale with the simplest of scenarios staring them in the face; win or the season was over. And the Cookeville bunch did just that, using a gutsy pitching performance from senior Jacob Honea to down the Colonels (21-29, 12-17) and keep its 2015 campaign alive with its third consecutive post season berth.
While the Tech offense did more than its fair share of work on the day, pounding 16 hits to a tune of 10 runs, it was the Golden Eagle pitching staff that really provided the spark needed to capture the team's 16th league victory. Just two hurlers were needed on the day for TTU, with Honea taking the bump to start the game before giving way to freshman reliever Travis Moths in the top of the seventh inning.
Honea captured his first win of the season in arguably the biggest game of career, tossing six crucial innings for a battle-tested pitching staff while holding the Colonel offense to just two earned runs. A native of Tullahoma, Tenn., the right-hander scattered five hits and two walks in what could mark the final start of his career, fanning three EKU batters along the way.
With a pitch count over 100 entering the bottom of the seventh frame, Honea exited the contest in favor of Moths, who made his 18th appearance of his first season in the purple and gold count. The right-handed throwing freshman wrapped up the final three innings for the Golden Eagles, retiring all nine batters he faced, including three via strikeout, while picking up his first save of the season.
As for the offense, Tech wasted no time warming up the bats, leading off the contest with double to right center field by senior David Allen and a single through the left side by sophomore Anthony El Chibani. A ground ball by left fielder Tyler Brazelton provided the first run of the game, as Allen crossed for a 1-0 Tech lead.
Eastern Kentucky quickly answered with a two spot in the bottom of the frame, taking advantage of a leadoff walk and two base hits to take over the lead in the contest at 2-1. Unfortunately for the home team, the Golden Eagle pitching staff dominated the rest of the way, holding the hot offense scoreless over the final eight innings of the contest.
Both sides traded zeroes on the scoreboard in the second and third before a fourth-inning run by the visitors knotted the contest at 2-2. The tying score came courtesy of freshman third baseman Trevor Putzig, who missed the first two games of the series due to injury. Putzig singled to right field with a runner on third, collecting one of his two RBI on the day.
The Golden Eagle offense was far from done after tying the contest, denting home plate eight more times across the final five innings. The eight-run barrage started in the fifth with El Chibani ripping a double down the first base line to kick off the frame. Brazelton followed with a seven-pitch walk, setting up All-American Dylan Bosheers for some heroics.
The shortstop laced a single through the right side on the second pitch he saw, plating the first run of the inning and what would turn out to be the game-winning marker. Fellow senior Jordan Hopkins approached the plate next, sending a single to center field for two RBI and a 5-2 Golden Eagles lead. Freshman first baseman Chase Chambers rounded out the scoring in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Three quick outs in the bottom half allowed the Tech squad to attack the Colonels again in the sixth inning, beginning with another leadoff double from El Chibani. Brazelton went back-to-back with his fellow outfielder, smacking his own double to right center field for the RBI and 7-2 Tech lead. Two batters later, junior Jake Farr added to the Golden Eagle run total with an RBI single up the middle. Putzig then put a capper on the frame, ripping his own single up the middle for another Tech run.
For good measure, the Golden Eagles added one more to the scoreboard in the top of the ninth, as El Chibani drove in Putzig, who had led off the frame with his own double down the left field line.
All in all, the Tech offense, clubbed six doubles in the contest, nearly half of the 16 base knocks the team put together in the regular season finale.
El Chibani was the offensive leader, going 4-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI while batting in the two-hole for the Golden Eagles. Putzig collected three hits in four at bats in his return to the lineup, driving in two runs, joining Hopkins and Brazelton with multiple RBI on the day. Allen, Brazelton, Bosheers, and Farr each recorded two hits on the day as well.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 13, BELMONT 7
NASHVILLE - The Southeast Missouri baseball team defeated Belmont University (27-27, 15-14 OVC) Saturday afternoon in the regular season finale, 13-7. Southeast finishes the regular season 33-21 overall and 22-8 in Ohio Valley Conference play.
The Redhawks, who clinched their second-straight and third overall OVC title this weekend, will carry the No. 1 seed into the OVC Tournament next week. Southeast is the first team to win back-to-back titles since Austin Peay did it in 2003 and 2004. Southeast will begin tournament play Thursday at 7 p.m. They will face the lower seed of the winners of games one and two. The Redhawks will be making their 21st-straight tournament appearance, a league record.
Southeast closes conference play with nine OVC series wins; the only series loss coming to Tennessee Tech.
The Redhawks put up three runs in each of the first four innings of Saturday's game.
Trevor Ezell started the game with a triple to right center. Ezell scored and Jason Blum reached on an error by the third baseman to go up 1-0 on Belmont. Garrett Gandolfo hit Southeast's first home run of the game to put the Redhawks on top 3-0 in the opening frame.
With Ezell and Blum on base and one out in the top of the second inning, Gandolfo ripped a double down the right field line to plate Ezell. Andy Lennington grounded out to third but Blum scored to make it 5-0. Dalton Hewitt drilled a base hit to right center to bring Gandolfo home and widen the lead to 6-0.
A two-run home run by William Dodd in the bottom half of the second cut into the Redhawk lead, 6-2.
The top of the third started with a base hit up the middle by Scott Mitchell. Mitchell touched home on a two-run home run by Ryan Rippee. The Redhawks proceeded to load the bases with one out in the inning. An RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Lennington made it 9-2 Southeast Missouri.
Belmont was able to match Southeast's three runs in the bottom of the inning when Matt Beaty blasted a three-run home run to right; 9-5 Redhawks after three innings.
Branden Boggetto hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning. After a base hit by Mitchell, Rippee stepped in and hit a line drive home run to left, his second homer of the day, extending the lead to 12-5.
An RBI groundout by Blum tacked on another run in the eighth inning to make it 13-5.
Tyler Walsh hit a two-run home run to left in the bottom of the eighth to bring the final tally to 13-7.
The Redhawks put up 16 hits to Belmont's 11. Belmont committed two errors in the contest.
Hewitt had three hits in the game while six other Redhawks had two hits apiece. Rippee had four RBI while Gandolfo had three of his own.
Travis Hayes started the game for Southeast but only went three and a third innings. Hayes allowed five runs on six hits. Ryan Lenaburg (4-3) picked up the win in relief. Lenaburg pitched four and two-thirds, allowing two runs on just two hits. Lenaburg retired the first 11 batters he faced.
Dodd had a three-hit performance Saturday while four other Bruin hitters had two hits each.
Aaron Quillen (5-5) suffered the loss. Quillen lasted only one inning before exiting the game. In all, Belmont used seven pitchers Saturday. Josh Tubbs was the only one to pitch more than one inning, going three complete.
SIUE 8, EASTERN ILLINOIS 7 (10)
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Alec Saikal's one out, RBI single in the bottom of the 10th lifted SIUE to an 8-7 walk off win over Eastern Illinois Sunday in the regular season finale at Simmons Baseball Complex.
SIUE finished the regular season 20-28 overall and 19-11 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Cougars will be the No. 3 seed in next week's OVC Tournament, which begins Wednesday. Eastern Illinois fell to 13-36 overall and 9-21 in the OVC.
The No. 3 seed is the best for SIUE since joining the OVC. The Cougars' 19 wins are the most OVC wins in program history.
Sunday's game also was senior day for the Cougars. SIUE honored seniors Chase Green, Nick Lombardo, Denton Reed, Drew Johnson, Alec Saikal, Brett Thomas, and Parker Guinn before the game.
The Cougars trailed 7-6 going into the ninth and tied the game with two outs in the inning to force extra innings.
Skyler Geissinger singled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against EIU closer Chase Thurston. Colin Book then tied the game with a double off the base of the left field wall to drive home Geissinger from first.
Lobardo walked with one out in the bottom of the 10th. Lombardo stole second base and Green walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Saikal lined a 2-2 pitch into right field to win it for SIUE.
Thurston took the loss for Eastern Illinois. He allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief. He walked three and struck out one. He fell to 2-3.
Ryan Agnitsch improved to 3-3 with the win. Agnitsch pitched a scoreless 10th inning allowing two hits. Thomas worked 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Cougars, striking out one.
Book led the way for the Cougars at the plate. Making just his 13th start of the season, Book was 3 for 4 with two doubles and four RBIs. He drove in the Cougars' first run with a single in the second inning. His fifth-inning double put SIUE in front 5-3.
Caleb Howell finished 4 for 6 with an RBI and run to lead the Panthers. EIU outhit SIUE 17-16. The Panthers left 16 on base while SIUE stranded 13 runners.