SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Austin Peay 9, Illinois State 4
@Jackson State 10,
Morehead State 5
Jacksonville 6,
Morehead State 0 (Jackson, Miss.)
@Tennessee Tech 10-10, Toledo 2-0
Murray State 2, #13 Louisiana 0 (Hammond, La.)
Kent State 3,
@Belmont 0
@UT Martin 14, Buffalo 0 (Union City, Tenn.)
@South Alabama 8-32,
Eastern Illinois 2-0
UT Arlington 5,
Southeast Missouri 3 (Nacogdoches, Texas)
SIUE 6, @Seattle 0
Jacksonville State 6, @FIU 5
@#7 Arizona 16,
Eastern Kentucky 13
AUSTIN PEAY 9, ILLINOIS STATE 4
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Third baseman Parker Phillips’ two-run home run supplied the eventual game winning runs as Austin Peay State University’s baseball team downed Illinois State, 9-4, in Saturday action at the Riverview Inn Governors Challenge.
For the second straight day, Austin Peay’s offense scored in the opening frame, launching out to a three-run lead. Right fielder Chase Hamilton supplied the game’s first run with a RBI double. Two batters later, first baseman Dre Gleason jumped on a pitch for a two-run double high off the batter’s eye in center field.
That early run support was a boon to Governors starting pitcher Michael Costanzo, who kept Illinois State off the scoreboard until the third inning when he saw a single and a defensive miscue put a runner in scoring position. ISU third baseman Ryan Hutchinson drove in the run with a single.
The Govs responded to that run with one of their own in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of a series of defensive mistakes by the Redbirds. Hamilton singled to start the inning and, with Phillips at the plate, stole second base. But he advanced to third as the throw to second sailed into center field and then scored as the throw from center sailed to the APSU dugout, giving the Govs a 4-1 lead.
After Illinois State scratched out another run in the fifth, the Govs again responded immediately but more forcefully. Left fielder Cayce Bredlau walked to start the frame and two batters later Phillips hit his game-securing home run to left center field. Another two batters later designated hitter Alex Robles chipped in an insurance run for a 7-4 lead.
Costanzo was left with no decision after he could not complete the fifth inning. Still he held Illinois State to two runs (one earned) on five hits in 4.2 innings of work. Reliever John Sparks (1-0) picked up the win with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. Left-hander Levi Primasing, making his first appearance since the 2015 season, tossed the final two innings.
Hamilton, Phillips and Gleason – the Govs 4-5-6 hitters -- each went 2-for-4 to pace a 10-hit attack. Phillips and Gleason each had two RBI and four other Govs had an RBI.
Illinois State starter David Meade (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in four-plus innings of work. Hutchinson went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and a double to pace the Redbirds offense.
JACKSON STATE 10, MOREHEAD STATE 5
JACKSON, Miss. - Despite a home run by sophomore outfielder Niko Hulsizer in his second straight outing to start 2017, the Morehead State baseball team fell behind 7-0 after two innings and ultimately dropped a 10-5 decision to Jackson State Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles slipped to 1-1, while JSU won its season opener.
Hulsizer, who went 2-for-4, cranked a mammoth homer to left field in the eighth inning to set the final at 10-5.
The Eagles got a rough outing from starting pitcher JC Hatcher, a junior college transfer making his first start. He only lasted 1.2 innings and gave up just four hits but walked four and hit two batters to absorb the loss.
Freshman righty Jake Ziegelmeyer tossed the middle 4.1 frames, allowing three runs with two strikeouts. Fellow freshman righty Alex Garbrick pitched the final two scoreless innings and only allowed a ground-ball single.
The Tigers put a five-spot on the scoreboard in the first inning after three walks and added two more in the second. Morehead State generated four runs in the sixth after it trailed 9-0. Four straight hits, highlighted by senior right-fielder Will Schneider's two-run double, were the benchmark of that frame.
JSU starter Johnathan Aponte surrendered just three earned runs in five innings for the win.
Sophomore shortstop Reid Leonard also had a multi-hit effort with a pair of singles.
JACKSONVILLE 6, MOREHEAD STATE 0
JACKSON, Miss. - Despite striking out nine and only allowing seven hits all night, the Morehead State Baseball team's offense was stymied by Jacksonville Saturday in a 6-0 Eagle setback to the Dolphins at Bob Braddy Field.
MSU, which had opened the year with a 5-2 triumph against JU Friday, fell to 1-2. Jacksonville finished the Jackson State Tournament 2-1.
Senior lefty Curtis Wilson struck out a career-high seven, while freshman Dom Masullo came on in relief and fanned two. The Eagles also got an inning each from redshirt freshman Dalton Stambaugh and freshman John Hurayt III making their debuts. Wilson (0-1) was tagged with the loss.
Sophomore Reid Leonard and Hunter Fain were the lone Eagles to record hits, each knocking a single.
Jacksonville plated two runs each in the second, fourth and seventh stanzas. Freshman Mark Potter (1-0) made his collegiate debut and went six innings while surrendering just the two hits.
TENNESSEE TECH 10-10, TOLEDO 2-0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Recap coming soon.
MURRAY STATE 2, #13 LOUISIANA 0
HAMMOND, La. - Ryan Dills tied a career-high with 10 strikeouts and Tyler Lawrence blasted his 22nd career home run and first of the young season on Saturday afternoon as Murray State knocked off No. 13 Louisiana, 2-0 at the Tangi Tourism Baseball Classic held in Hammond, La.
Lawrence’s homer to left center came in the Racers’ (2-0) two-run fourth inning and proved to be all the offense MSU would need as Dills helped shut down the potent Ragin’ Cajun offense, holding Louisiana to just four hits in seven innings of work. John Lollar came on to pitch a scoreless eighth and Chad Gendron registered his first career save with a perfect ninth.
Jaron Robinson was able to produce the Racers’ other run in the win as he drew a bases-loaded walk later in the fourth inning that scored Ramsey Scott. Scott reached base after Lawrence with a single through the right side.
Caleb Hicks was the only Racer with multiple hits in the win as he went 2-for-4 with a double. MSU had just five hits as a team as Robinson had the other on the day. The Ragin’ Cajuns mustered just four hits in the contest, none of which went for extra bases. Both teams left six baserunners stranded in the game.
Louisiana’s (0-1) best shot to score in the contest came in the bottom of the seventh when the first two batters of the inning reached base. However, after a sacrifice bunt moved the runners over the second and third, Dills induced a harmless fly out in the infield and then recorded his 10th and final strikeout against the next batter.
The win was the first for MSU over a ranked team since the Racers defeated Kentucky 4-3 in extra innings back in 2014.
KENT STATE 3, BELMONT 0
NASHVILLE - Belmont baseball battled through a pitchers dual for the first eight innings, only allowing one run before Kent State was able to take advantage of a some big hits down the stretch to claim a 3-0 victory Saturday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park.
After the Golden Flashes (2-0) bats exploded in the opening game of the series, the Bruins (0-2) bounced back with an impressive defensive outing this afternoon. Sophomore right handed hurler Dylan King showed resilience right out the gates, finding himself in a jam with runners on second and third with only one out. He quickly settled in and tossed back-to-back strikeouts, robbing the Flashes chance of getting on the board early.
It was clear the Bruins were going to make KSU earn everything they got, only allowing one run for the majority of the game. King tossed four scoreless frames with help from the field in a monumental third inning. KSU led off with a single to centerfield, notching its fourth hit of the day. Moments later Kent State's Mason Mamarella ripped a foul ball towards Belmont's dugout where third baseman Ben Kocher closely watch the ball as it began to soar what seemed to be out of reach. Determined to trigger the second out of the inning, Kocher flopped over the fence near the dugout and snagged the ball just before it hit the ground. On the ensuing play centerfielder Matt Cogen displayed his cannon as he threw out a Kent State runner at home plate to keep the game scoreless.
Both Kocher and Cogen carried the momentum into the bottom of the third. Cogen caught the end of the ball to collect the Bruins first hit with a single that bounced down the third base line. Kocher followed up with a single of his own to put runners in scoring position. Two plays later sophomore first baseman Chas Hadden registered the squad's third hit of the day after he sent a line drive that ricocheted off the KSU pitcher and into centerfield to load the bases for veteran Brennan Washington. Unfortunately, Washington was unable to convert, striking out and stranding three on base to keep the game tied, 0-0.
The Golden Flashes broke up the draw in the fifth when Luke Burch blasted one off the centerfield wall to send in Mamarella and give them a 1-0 lead.
BU kept composure as King delivered the team's first 1-2-3 inning of the year in the top of the sixth. He did so by way of two strikeouts as well as inducing a fly out to leftfield. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee product would finish the night with six innings of work, retiring eight batters and only allowing one run on seven hits.
Belmont then called on Kyle Klotz to open the seventh stanza. Klotz picked up right where King left off, retiring the side for the next two innings. It wasn't until the final frame that the sophomore hurler would relinquish two more runs after a pair of doubles from Kent State to help them secure the 3-0 victory. Senior Dom Veltri finished the day on the mound, logging the final two outs of the game.
Cogen produced the only multi-hit game for the Bruins with his second hit coming in the sevent inning on a single to the second baseman.
King (0-1) collected the loss for Belmont, while Zach Willeman earned the win and Zach Spangler got the save for Kent State.
UT MARTIN 14, BUFFALO 0
UNION CITY, Tenn. - The combination of Dalton Westfall and Shane Seckinger combined for 19 strikeouts, just two shy of the program record, as the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team notched their first win of 2017 in its 14-0 win over Buffalo.
The Skyhawks scored six runs in both the bottom of the third inning and bottom of the seventh to earn their biggest margin of victory since their drubbing of Eastern Kentucky (20-6) on April 8, 2016. Westfall finished the contest with 15 strikeouts, the most since 2003 and top five in program history, in seven scoreless innings as UT Martin cruised to victory.
Westfall hit Bulls leadoff hitter Phillip Tomasulo to start the game. The Buffalo right-fielder reached third base later in the inning before being stranded. He was the only Bulls baserunner to touch third base on the day. The Buckhannon, W.Va., native struck out the side in the second inning and was virtually unhittable from there.
The UT Martin offense took over the game in the third. The Skyhawks used a five-hit inning to claim the early 6-0 lead. Four different UT Martin hitters drove in runs, while Josh Hauser, Tanner Wessling, Dan Kerwin and Anthony Adduci all singled for the Skyhawks. Creighton Eldridge then roped a two-RBI double into left-center as UT Martin batted around.
The Bulls continued to be stymied by Westfall as the redshirt-junior mowed through the Buffalo lineup in the fourth and fifth innings. Ryan Helgren drove in Eldridge in the fifth with a single through the left side and Keylen Steen joined the offensive outburst with a shot to center field that resulted in a triple and run scored on a Buffalo error in the sixth to give UT Martin the 8-0 lead.
The final blows came in the seventh when the Skyhawks tacked on six more runs to give them the decisive 14-0 lead. After an Albright double and Helgren walk, Wessling laced a rope over Buffalo centerfielder Alex Thrower to drive in two more runs. The Kent, Wash. native finished the day 4-5 with 3 RBI’s. Freshman Connor Aube drove in two more runs later in the inning to give him his first RBI’s in the orange and blue. In total, UT Martin scored six runs on three hits in the inning.
Reliever Shane Seckinger closed out the eighth and ninth innings for the Skyhawks in his 2017 debut. The right-hander struck out four hitters in two innings of relief. Albright, Helgren, Wessling, Adduci and Aube all recorded multiple hits on the day.
SOUTH ALABAMA 8-32, EASTERN ILLINOIS 2-0
MOBILE, Ala. - After having their season opener on Friday night postponed due to rain, Eastern Illinois and South Alabama opened up their 2017 baseball season with a doubleheader on Saturday. The host Jaguars swept the doubleheader, picking up a pair of victories by scores of 8-2 and 32-0.
Eastern Illinois dropped to 0-2 to begin the year, while South Alabama improved to 2-0 to open up the season.
The Eastern Illinois baseball team led the opening game of Saturday’s doubleheader for six innings, but South Alabama scored seven runs in the seventh inning to rally back and earned an 8-2 victory to begin the day.
Eastern Illinois picked up an early lead on South Alabama with two runs in the top of the second inning. After Hunter Beetley singled to left to collect his first hit as a Panther, Frankie Perrone followed up with a two-run blast over the wall in left-center to give EIU a 2-0 lead.
The Eastern Illinois pitching staff held South Alabama scoreless through the first six frames, but the Jaguars finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh inning. After South Alabama loaded the bases, a passed ball brought home the Jaguars first run of the game. A pair of walks sandwiched an RBI single by USA’s Carter Perkins gave the Jaguars their first lead of the game at 3-2. Wells Davis provided the big blow in the inning with a grand slam that hit off the foul pole in left to extend the USA lead to 7-2.
South Alabama added another run in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI triple by Travis Swaggerty.
Michael McCormick started on the mound for the Panthers and threw 5.1 scoreless innings and scattered just five hits. Brent Stephens (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound for the Panthers.
Joseph Duncan and Perrone both finished the game going 2-for-4. Perrone also hit a double to go along with his home run.
In game two South Alabama kept their momentum going from their first game as they took a big lead early and completed the doubleheader sweep after picking up a 32-0 win in the second game.
South Alabama scored nine runs between the first two innings to take an early lead over the Panthers. After a scoreless third inning, South Alabama scored in each inning from the fourth through the eighth.
The South Alabama pitching staff had some of their best stuff on the mound as the Panthers recorded just one hit in the game on a Dane Toppel single in the seventh inning.
Brendon Allen started on the mound for the Panthers and suffered his first loss of the season.
UT ARLINGTON 5, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Southeast Missouri baseball (1-2) held a three-run lead through five and a half innings but UT Arlington (1-2) put up five unanswered runs to take down the Redhawks on Saturday, 5-3.
In his first game since the 2015 season, Clayton Evans recorded a pair of hits and was on base four times in his start in left. Brian Lees also scattered a pair of hits in the game, finishing 2-for-3.
Justin Murphy made his first career start on the mound for the Redhawks Saturday, pitching six complete innings and striking out five hitters, both career highs. Murphy threw a very efficient 86 pitches into the seventh. Unfortunately, he suffered a no decision in the contest after allowing the tying runs to reach in the seventh inning.
Reliever Adam Pennington (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up the go-ahead run in the seventh. In all, SEMO used six pitchers in Saturday's game.
The win went to Maverick reliever Jud Kinzy (1-0). Starter Jakob Hernandez exited the game after four and two-thirds innings of work.
The Redhawks struggled to get hits in key opportunities against UTA, stranding 14 runners on base. Southeast was issued 12 free bases on 10 walks and two hit batsmen.
After committing two errors in each game on opening day Friday, Southeast played a flawless defensive game Saturday.
The Redhawks' homerun leader from a season ago Chris Osborne recorded the first jack of the 2017 season with a two-run blast to left field in the top of the third to put SEMO ahead 2-0.
With bases loaded and no out, Tristen Gagan knocked a sacrifice fly out to left, his first Redhawk RBI, allowing Connor Basler to tag up and score from third. The Redhawks held a 3-0 shutout going to the bottom of the sixth.
Quintin Rohrbaugh sent a two-out solo homerun over the wall in left to put the Mavericks on the board in the sixth, cutting into the SEMO lead, 3-1.
Murphy allowed a pair of walks to begin the bottom of the seventh inning, prompting a call to the pen for Pennington. Following a sac bunt to move the runners into scoring position, a two-run double by Josh Minjarez tied the game at three runs apiece. After three pitching changes by the Redhawks, Brady Cox singled off the third base bag, allowing the go-ahead run to cross home and holding a 4-3 advantage over Southeast after seven innings.
UTA added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI single by Omar Salinas, widening the lead to 5-3.
Rohrbaugh finished the afternoon 2-for-3 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored while Salinas also had two hits with a run scored and an RBI.
SIUE 6, SEATTLE 0
BELLEVUE, Wash. - Danny Ehrsam, Tristan Walters and Mason McReaken combined for a three-hit shutout as SIUE baseball earned its first win of the year, knocking off Seattle 6-0 in the third game of a four-game series.
The Cougars improved to 1-2. The win is the first for first-year SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons. Seattle is now 2-1.
Ehrsam (1-0) allowed two hits and struck out four in the six-inning start.
Walters struck out two in a scoreless seventh. McReaken fanned three hitters in two scoreless innings for the save.
Sophomore Jackson Layton provided much of the Cougar punch on offense. Layton finished 3 for 5 with his first career grand slam and two runs scored.
Seattle's had a chance to take an early lead when Redhawks' outfielder Aaron Stroosma singled to lead off the second inning and then stole second. Jeffrey Morgan lifted a one-out fly ball to deep center. Cougars' centerfielder Eric Giltz not only tracked down the fly ball, but managed to fire it back into the infield to double off Stroosma to end the inning.
The Cougars first run of the game came in the fifth inning when Dustin Woodcock drove home Layton with a sacrifice fly after Layton had singled to start the inning. SIUE held the 1-0 lead until the ninth.
In the ninth inning, the Cougars loaded the bases on a hit by Alec Skender and walks to Keaton Wright and Brock Weimer. Jordan Stading walked to force home a run before Layton cleared the bases with a two-out shot to right field, just the second home run of his career.
Skender finished the day 2 for 4. Stading and Woodcock each had a single hit for the Cougars.
Stroosma was one of three separate Seattle players with hits.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 6, FIU 5
MIAMI, Fla. - Jacksonville State erased a three-run deficit with a four-run seventh to register its first win of the 2017 season with a 6-5 decision over Florida International on Saturday night at the FIU Baseball Stadium.
After falling to the Panthers in the season opener, the two clubs will meet in the rubber match on Sunday at 11 a.m. CST. The contest was moved up an hour to avoid potential rain in the area and due to JSU's travel schedule.
JSU (1-1) entered the top of the seventh trailing 5-2 after FIU (1-1) erased a 2-1 Jax State lead after senior Peyton Williams drove in JSU's first two runs in the visitors half of the second with triple to deep center. It was Williams who started the four-run, four-hit inning for JSU. The Opelika, Alabama outfielder greeted FIU pitcher Gio Soto with a walk. Freshman Nolan Greckel came off the bench for a first pitch single. Senior Clayton Daniel drove in the first run of the frame with a bloop single to right field. Greckel was pushed across the dish on Taylor Hawthorne's ground ball out. After Hawthorne swiped second base, senior Josh Bobo laced a single to left to equalize at 5-all. It was another freshman in the lineup coming through for JSU as Payton Young smashed a single past third to give JSU a 6-5 lead.
The Gamecocks would nurse that lead the rest of the way after senior Joe McGuire, who entered in the sixth and shutdown FIU in the seventh with a clean frame. Redshirt junior Justin Hoyt, who led the Ohio Valley Conference in saves, was inserted in the eighth and sat the Panthers down in order. McGuire picked up the win for JSU, while Michael Agis was pegged with the loss for FIU.
FIU threatened in the ninth with a one-out double by Christian Khawam, but Hoyt doubled him up after snagging a line drive right back to him to end the game.
JSU aided FIU's scoring throughout the night with fielding miscues as JSU tallied five errors defensively. FIU jumped on the board with a run the first after a throwing error and took the lead in the second on another error. A trio of errors opened the door for FIU to add to the lead in the third and take a 5-2 advantage until the JSU half of the seventh.
After being limited to five hits in Friday's setback, the Gamecocks collected 12 hits, led by freshman Chase Robinson's 3-for-4 night at the plate, including a double. Daniel was the only other Gamecock with multiple hits.
Kenny Meimerstorf paced FIU at the plate with three hits.
#7 ARIZONA 16, EASTERN KENTUCKY 13
TUCSON, Ariz. - The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team scored 13 runs, but it would not be enough to overcome the No. 7 University of Arizona Wildcats as Eastern fell, 16-13, Saturday afternoon at Hi Corbett Field.
The Colonels (0-2) jumped out to an early lead in the first when senior Ben Fisher singled through the right side, scoring junior Cornell Nixon from second base.
Eastern added to its lead in the second when sophomore Ryland Kerr singled to center field, bringing freshman Nick Howie home and giving the Colonels a 2-0 lead.
The third inning, however, is where EKU did the most damage. Fisher led off with a double, followed by a walk from senior Logan Starnes. Freshman Miles Jones singled to left field in his first at-bat as a Colonel to load the bases. Howie and fellow freshman Jacob Abbott followed Jones up with singles of their own to right field, both of which scored runs, putting EKU up 4-0. Kerr, not to be outdone by his teammates, notched his second RBI of the night with a single to left field. After a pitching change for the Wildcats, junior Daniel McFarland picked up a RBI of his own when he brought Howie home on a fielder’s choice. Nixon came to the plate next and scored Abbott on a right field single. After a throwing error allowed senior Shea Sullivan to reach base and brought McFarland home, Fisher was walked in his second at-bat of the inning. Finally, a wild pitch advanced all the runners, allowing Nixon to cross the plate and cap off a seven-run inning for the Colonels and giving them a 9-0 lead halfway through the third inning.
The Wildcats (2-0) would claw back into the game in the bottom half of the inning, scoring five runs of their own as they chased off Max Ford in his first start as a Colonel. Ford finished with 2.1 innings pitched and gave up four earned runs.
EKU added some insurance runs in the top of the fourth as McFarland notched a two-out single to center field. After a Nixon single moved McFarland to third, Sullivan launched one to left field to bring McFarland home. Fisher followed Sullivan and doubled to right field, plating Nixon and Sullivan and giving EKU a 12-5 lead.
Arizona started cutting into the Eastern lead with a one-run bottom of the fifth, making it a 12-6 game. Eastern got the run back in the top of the sixth when Fisher picked up his team best fourth RBI of the day and gave EKU a 13-6 lead, but from there Arizona would take over.
The Wildcats got within one with a six-run sixth, and used a pair of two-run innings to pull away. The Eastern offense could not spark a rally in the ninth, falling by a score of 16-13.
Fisher led the way for EKU with three hits and four RBIs. Nixon made some noise as well, going 4-for-6 with a RBI and two stolen bases. Sullivan and Kerr both finished with three hits and two RBIs each.