SATURDAY'S SCORES
Siena 8-3,
@Murray State 3-11
@Bethune-Cookman 5,
Tennessee Tech 4
Bowling Green 6,
@Morehead State 5 (11 innings)
@Eastern Kentucky 8, Youngstown State 3
@Austin Peay 14, Mercer 4
@SIUE 5-9, Northern Illinois 3-7
@#17 Georgia Tech 10,
Belmont 2
Purdue 13,
@Southeast Missouri 5
@#23 Dallas Baptist 10,
Jacksonville State 6
@Kansas State 12,
Eastern Illinois 11
@Furman 11,
UT Martin 3
SIENA 8-3, MURRAY STATE 3-11
MURRAY, Ky. - Tyler Lawrence and Kipp Moore each drove in three for Murray State in its 11-3 victory over Siena in the second game of a doubleheader with the Saints played at Reagan Field. The Racers dropped the first game of the day, 8-3.
After the Siena (1-9) opened game two with a run in the top of the first, Moore delivered his second leadoff home run of the season to tie the game at 1-1. The Racers (7-3) would later take their first lead of the game in the second when Caleb Hicks scored on a wild pitch.
In the top of the third, the Saints would tie the game at 2-2 with a solo homer to left. However, MSU would respond in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead for good on a Lawrence sacrifice fly to deep center field. Two batters later, Davis Sims hit an RBI single up the middle to make it 4-2 Racers. After a Brandon Gutzler RBI single in the fourth, Siena cut the Racer lead to 5-3 in the sixth, but that was as close as the Saints would get the rest of the contest.
Lawrence made it 6-3 with a single down the left field line in the bottom of the sixth and in the seventh, the Racers poured it on with a five-run inning. Moore’s two-run double down the line did the biggest damage for MSU in the inning. Lawrence also had an RBI double and Gutzler got a sac fly in the inning as well.
Both Moore and Lawrence had a pair of hits in the win but Adam Bauer, Gutzler and Hicks all tallied three hits each and scored multiple runs in the game. Gutzler also had two ribbies in the nightcap.
Austin Dubsky picked up his second win of the season as he got the start in game two. Dubsky pitched 5.2 innings and allowed three runs, two of which were earned while striking out a career-high eight batters and allowing just five hits. John Lollar and Justin Perkins were great out of the bullpen as the duo combined to keep the Saints hitless the final 3.1 innings of the game. Lollar pitched 2.1 of those and struck-out a season-best five.
In the first game of the day, Bauer and Lawrence both went 2-for-4 in the loss and were the only two Racers with multiple hits as MSU was out-hit 14-8 in the loss. The Racers took a 1-0 lead after an RBI double from Bauer in the third and also took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Davis Sims scored on an error.
However, Siena would respond to tie in the sixth and would eventually take control with two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings before tacking on an insurance run in the ninth. The Saints collected five extra-base hits in the first game.
Ryan Dills got the start and a no decision in game one as he pitched 5.1 innings and allowed two runs off six hits and struck-out nine batters. Luke Brown was saddled with the loss as he allowed three earned runs in 1.2 innings of relief.
BETHUNE-COOKMAN 5, TENNESSEE TECH 4
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A late rally fell just short for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles (8-3) were edged at Jackie Robinson Ballpark by Bethune-Cookman, 5-4.
The Wildcats (7-3) snagged the initial lead in the contest, gathering a run in the bottom of the first inning following an RBI double down the left field line.
Tech quickly answered in kind in the top half of the second, crossing the plate three times. Junior Ryan Flick led off the frame with a first-pitch single ripped to third base. Fellow junior Chase Chambers took a slightly longer approach with his at bat, coaxing out five pitches before walloping a single through the right side.
Senior catcher Chris Brown worked a full count prior to a bases-loading single, giving Tech a chance at some runs. Tech snagged its first run of the frame on a double play ground ball that the Wildcats traded for the two outs. Junior Trevor Putzig came through in his at bat, however, singling up the middle for an RBI and 2-1 lead. The third baseman then scored on an error in the outfield to send Tech to a 3-1 advantage.
Bethune-Cookman got one back in the third with a two-out RBI single, but did the necessary damage to take the lead in the fifth. Despite a blistering wind blowing 20 miles per hour straight in, BCU lined a two-run shot just over the fence in left field to take the lead.
The home team then mustered a highly important insurance run in the seventh to go up 5-3. Tech worked the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, driving in one on an RBI single to left field from Putzig. The relief pitching held up for the Wildcats, however, sneaking out of the frame with no more harm done and setting up the team for a 1-2-3 ninth inning to even the series.
Flick, Brown and Putzig were the leading forces on offense for Tech, with Flick boasting a 3-for-5 day with two runs scored. Brown also snagged three hits in four trips to the plate while Chambers and Putzig each tallied two hits apiece. Putzig posted both Golden Eagle RBI on Saturday.
On the mound, Jake Usher took the tough loss, tossing six innings while allowing seven hits and four earned runs. Kit Fowler finished the final two frames for Tech, allowing just two hits and an earned run.
BOWLING GREEN 6, MOREHEAD STATE 5 (11)
MOREHEAD, Ky. - A four-run, go-ahead rally went all for naught for the Morehead State baseball team Saturday as Bowling Green rallied itself in a 6-5, 11-inning victory over the Eagles in the 2017 home opener.
Morehead State, which had only one hit through five innings, fell to 5-5.
After Morehead State scored four times in the bottom of the eighth, the Falcons (1-6) clubbed a game-tying two-run home run off reliever Cable Wright in the top of the ninth and then got a sacrifice fly and a solo homer in the 11th to seal their first win of the year.
Sophomore catcher Hunter Fain tied the game in the eighth on a one-out, two-run single to left field. Sophomore leftfielder Niko Hulsizer then got the go-ahead runs across the plate on a two-run double to deep center field.
Morehead State finished with 10 hits, led by two each from Hulsizer and junior second baseman Braxton Morris. Freshman Jake Ziegelmeyer (0-1) was tagged with the loss. Starter Aaron Leasher got a no decision while striking out nine in a seven-inning outing.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 8, YOUNGSTOWN STATE 3
RICHMOND, Ky. - In the first game at Eastern Kentucky University’s new Earle Combs Stadium, the Colonel baseball team clinched its second straight series victory with an 8-3 win over Youngstown State on Saturday.
EKU opened the series with an 11-0 win on Friday at Whitaker Bank Ballpark in Lexington.
The new Earle Combs Stadium features a new grandstand with a brick façade and more than 900 seats, including 429 chair back seats, along with handicap-accessible seating and a new concession area equipped with restrooms. Also being added is an entry plaza for pregame gatherings.
Two home runs in the top of the first allowed the Penguins to take an early 3-0 lead, but the visitors wouldn’t score again the rest of the game.
Eastern tied it up in the bottom of the third. After Cornell Nixon stole second base, Shea Sullivan brought him home with a single to left field. Daniel McFarland’s two-out, two-run single knotted the score 3-3.
A sacrifice fly from Ben Fisher in the fourth put the Colonels in front for good. EKU doubled up Youngstown State in the fifth on a RBI double by Nick Howie and a run scoring single from Ryland Kerr for a 6-3 lead.
Alex Hamilton (2-0) did not allow a run while pitching the final five innings of the game. He gave up just four hits, walked one and struck out two. McFarland had a four hit day, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs. Sullivan finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two driven in.
Youngstown State’s Alex Larivee finished 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. He hit a two-run home run in the first inning.
AUSTIN PEAY 14, MERCER 4
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Designated hitter Cayce Bredlau hit a home run and had three RBI to pace Austin Peay State University’s baseball team to a 14-4 victory against Mercer, Saturday afternoon, at Raymond C. Hand Park. .
After a disappointing outing in Friday’s series opener, Austin Peay’s (6-4) offense wasted no time getting started in Saturday’s contest. Designated hitter Cayce Bredlau got APSU on the board first with his leadoff home run in the bottom of the first. The Govs used an error later in the first to add to their lead, first baseman Dre Gleason tacking on a sacrifice fly for the early 2-0 lead.
Mercer (8-3) fought back in the second with catcher Charlie Madden and right fielder Trey Truitt combining for back-to-back solo home runs to tie the game.
That was the only blip by Austin Peay starter Caleb Powell early. He opened the day by retiring the Bears in order in the first before the two-run second. Powell then allowed solitary singles in the third and fourth inning, working around each to post zeroes on the scoreboard.
Meanwhile, the Govs offense found its rhythm in the third inning, striking for five runs. The Govs opened the frame with three straight hits, including third baseman Parker Phillips’ RBI single that gave Austin Peay the lead for good. Right fielder Chase Hamilton and catcher David Martinez then added RBI singles. After Mercer intentionally walked Bredlau to load the bases, second baseman Garrett Giovannelli broke the game open with a two-run double.
Austin Peay wasn’t finished offensively, tacking on another four runs in the fourth frame. Center fielder Imani Willis and Bredlau had back-to-back two-run base hits, pushing the Govs lead to 9-2. The Govs would add runs in the sixth and eighth innings while cruising to the win.
Powell (1-0), who had to wait through the long third and fourth innings, would surrender a pair of runs after a Govs defensive miscue in the fifth. However, he picked up his first victory since April 12 of last season after holding Mercer to four runs on six hits over five innings.
Reliever Zach Neff picked up the string after Powell and rolled through the final four innings without allowing a run. He would strike out five batters in that final stretch to pick up the first save by the Govs bullpen this season.
Bredlau, who was in the Govs lineup after missing three games due to injury, went 2-for-3 with his home run and double. Phillips would add a 4-for-5, one RBI outing that included a pair of doubles. Eight different Governors ended the day with a RBI.
Mercer starter Austin Cox (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits in 2.1 innings. He was one of eight Bears pitchers to see action in the contest.
Truitt led Mercer with a 2-for-4, one RBI outing as the Bears saw their nine-hit effort scattered by the Govs pitching staff.
SIUE 5-9, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 3-7
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Recap coming soon.
#17 GEORGIA TECH 10, BELMONT 2
ATLANTA - Belmont baseball claimed an early lead, but No. 17 Georgia Tech's power proved to be too much for the Bruins in game two as they dropped a 10-2 decision Saturday afternoon inside Russ Chandler Stadium.
The Bruins (4-6) wasted little time making up for a quiet first game against the Yellow Jackets, registering three consecutive hits – totaling their hit total from yesterday - to lead off the first frame. Junior infielder Kyle Conger kicked off the hitting frenzy with a double that met the left field wall allowing Belmont to threaten right away. After failing to register a hit yesterday, redshirt-freshman Matt Cogen got back to his ways in his first at bat with a two bagger of his own, this time the ball ripped down the right field corner to bring in Belmont's first run. Sophomore infielder Chas Hadden then headed to the plate and laid down a beautiful bunt that painted the left line, advancing Cogen to third and allowing him to reach first safely. The play set senior outfielder Brennan Washington up to deliver a sacrifice fly to left-center. His second RBI of the series put the Bruins up, 2-0, in the top half of the frame for their first advantage against the Ramblin' Wreck.
The Yellow Jackets (9-1) immediately responded to tie up the game with a two-run first frame of their own, and never looked back. A leadoff single put a runner on for Joey Bart to send one over the centerfield fence two pitches in, knotting the game up, 2-2. Georgia Tech tacked on two more hits in the second, including a RBI single to take the lead, 3-2, after two. With runners still on first and second and just two down, senior catcher Clay Payne collected the pitch and deposited it to senior third baseman Drake Byrd who caught a Yellow Jacket attempting to steal – it was the first time in 13 attempts that GT has been robbed of stealing a base this year.
After connecting on their first three at bats of the game, the Bruins failed to register a hit for the next three frames as Georgia Tech retired eight batters before issuing senior utility Nick Egli a five-pitch walk. Egli was the sole Bruin to reach base since the opening stanza.
Belmont then opened the home half of the fourth frame with a bases-clearing double play, 1-4-3, to trigger two quick outs. However, four walks and a single dealt by starting hurler Dylan King would plague the Bruins. The Ramblin' Wreck were able to plate a pair of free runs with help of two bases loaded walks to increase their advantage, 5-2.
A hit-by-pitch and Yellow Jacket miscue put BU in scoring position to begin the fifth, but the squad was unable to convert any runs. In the meantime, Georgia Tech capitalized on yet another two-out rally to tack on an insurance run in the bottom half to lead, 6-2, before head coach Dave Jarvis called on sophomore righty Kyle Klotz to take the hill.
Klotz continued to make the most of his appearance on the mound, after giving up a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth he documented Belmont's first 1-2-3 inning in the seventh. It would be the only stanza in which Georgia Tech wouldn't record at least one hit.
The Bruins fed off the momentum Klotz created on the hill with their first pair of hits in seven innings. Junior infielder Raphael Bournigal got things going with a two-out single down the left line. Washington followed suit with base knock of his own to shallow left field, allowing BU to reside on the corners. Belmont was unable to bring in any runs despite threatening, maintaining five-run deficit, 7-2.
Georgia Tech added three more runs in the eighth to top the Bruins, 10-2. Belmont would go on to load the bases in the final frame on a leadoff single from pinch hitter Ben Kocher and back-to-back walks but a fly out and double play would keep the Bruins from their hopes of putting a dent into the final score.
PURDUE 13, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri baseball (5-4) fell in game two of its series to Purdue University (5-4) Saturday afternoon, 13-5.
A hefty crowd of 2,216 were on hand at Capaha Field for the showdown as well as the first tailgate of the season. The tailgate was sponsored by Jimmy John's and River Eagle Distributing.
After being held to no runs and four hits in game one, the Redhawk offense showed a little more life on Saturday, scattering eight hits and plating five runs.
Clayton Evans, Tristen Gagan, and Chris Caffrey all had two hits in the game. Chris Osborne and Gagan each had a pair of RBI.
Redhawk starter Robert Beltran retired only two batters before leaving Saturday's start. He allowed four runs on five hits to Purdue before exiting in the first inning. Beltran would get a no decision in the game.
Southeast used a total of six pitchers. Ryan Losman (0-1) recorded the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the top of the fourth. Carlos Vega pitched a game-long four innings and struck out six hitters. As a whole, the pitching staff allowed just one walk.
Gareth Stroh (1-1) picked up the win on the mound for Purdue. He pitched six innings in the start, allowing all five runs on seven hits. Dalton Parker (2) entered to pitch a three-inning save. Parker gave up only one hit and fanned six Redhawk hitters.
Five-straight hits in the top of the first pushed four runs across the plate for the Boilermakers. Beltran exited with two out in the opening stanza. Jared Waldhoff entered and retired the lone batter he faced to end the inning. Purdue led 4-0 after the first half inning.
As quickly as Purdue jumped out to a lead, the Redhawk offense began chipping away at it. Dan Holst extended his on base streak by drawing a one-out walk in the bottom of the first. Gagan stepped in and blasted his third home run of the season over the wall in right to slice the lead in half, 4-2.
A fielding error committed by Caffrey opened the door for an unearned Purdue run in the top of the third to widen the lead to 5-2 on Southeast.
Southeast dialed up the two-out production in the bottom of the third. It started when Gagan drew a two-out walk followed by an infield hit on a chopper down the third base line by Caffrey. Kylar Robertson laced a double down the left field line to plate Gagan. Osborne poked a single through the right side to plate both runners, tying the game at five runs apiece.
The game was tied for only a short period as Harry Shipley led off the fourth with a solo home run to go back up on the Redhawks. After another Redhawk pitching change the Boilermakers scored on an RBI single by Logan Poisall. Purdue led Southeast 7-5 after three and a half.
A pair of two-run home runs by the Boilermakers in the top of the eighth widened the lead by a bunch to 11-5 on the Redhawks.
John LeGare blasted another Boilermaker two-run home run in the ninth inning to complete the scoring, 13-5.
Mike Medej, Alec Olund, and Poisall all had three hits for Purdue while Olund and Poisall drove in three runs each. The top five of the Boilermaker lineup all touched home at least twice on Saturday. Purdue out hit SEMO, 16-8.
#23 DALLAS BAPTIST 10, JACKSONVILLE STATE 6
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Baptist University used the home run ball on Saturday to even the series with Jacksonville State with a 10-6 decision at Horner Ballpark on the DBU campus.
After the Gamecocks (6-3) claimed the series opener on Friday, 7-3, against the No. 23 Patriots, Sunday's series finale will be the third rubber game of the season. JSU has claimed the first two series with wins on Sunday at Florida International and last weekend at Western Kentucky. Sunday's game is set for 1 p.m. and it will be available via live video and audio at JSUGamecockSports.com.
The Patriots (7-3) belted a trio of home runs, scoring six of the ten runs off of the long ball to propel them to the Saturday win. DBU had two of its three round trippers in a five-run fourth inning that erased a 6-4 Jax State lead. Camden Duzenack started the DBU fourth with a solo home run off of JSU starter Derrick Adams, who was saddled with the loss and moved to 1-1 on the season. After a walk by Adams, freshman Cody Dodd was greeted with an RBI double by Tim Millard to even the score at 6-6. DBU catcher Matt Duce had the big hit in the frame with a towering three-run blast over the left field wall.
JSU started the game just like it did on Friday night with three runs in the first inning off of DBU starter Trevor Conn. Conn allowed a one-out walk to Clayton Daniel and a single by Taylor Hawthorne before serving up a three-run home run to junior Trent Simpson down the left field line. The home run was the first as a Gamecock for the Oxford, Alabama native.
Hawthorne highlighted the JSU batting order with four of the club's 10 hits against DBU pitching. In his second at bat in the third, the Prattville, Alabama product laced a two-run home run over the left field wall to give the Gamecocks a 5-4 lead. He finished the day 4-for-5 at the dish. After a shutdown third inning by Adams, JSU pushed across its sixth run in the first four innings. Daniel singled to right field, driving in Peyton Williams, who started a two-out rally in the fourth.
KANSAS STATE 12, EASTERN ILLINOIS 11
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Eastern Illinois rallied back from a five-run deficit and took an 11-10 lead over Kansas State, but the Wildcats scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to earn a 12-11 victory over the Panthers on Saturday.
Eastern Illinois dropped to 1-8 on the season following the loss, while Kansas State improved to 8-2 overall.
Eastern Illinois took an early lead on the Wildcats with a run in their first at-bats of the game on Saturday. Matt Dunavant singled with two outs and made his way to third on a Dougie Parks double down the left-field line. A fielding error by the Wildcats allowed Dunavant to move up the final 90-feet and gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
Kansas State knotted the score up in the bottom of the second inning with a two-out rally of their own. Grant Ruben started the rally with a double to left and came around to score later in the inning on an RBI single by Connor Rule.
The Panthers regained their lead in the top of the third inning as Joseph Duncan hit a lead-off single and Logan Beaman drew a walk to put a pair of runners on for Eastern Illinois. The pair moved up an extra 90-feet on a sacrifice bunt by Dunavant. The bunt by Dunavant proved beneficial as Parks hit his second double of the game to plate both Duncan and Beaman and gave the Panthers a 3-1 advantage.
Kansas State took advantage of three Eastern Illinois’ errors and scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take an 8-3 lead.
Eastern Illinois cut the deficit in the sixth on a two-run home run by Matt Albert. Kansas State quickly answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning on a Jake Scudder solo home run.
EIU produced a big inning of their own in the top of the seventh as Beaman laced a lead-off double down the left-field line to get the Panthers started. Dunavant followed with an RBI single to plate Beaman. The rally continued as Frankie Perrone doubled to put runners on second and third. Albert drove the pair home on a two-run triple down the line in right. Josh Turnock gave Eastern Illinois their first lead of the game since the third inning as his two-run home run put the Panthers ahead 10-9.
Steve Serratore knocked an RBI single for K-State in the bottom half of the seventh to tie the score at 10-10.
Duncan put EIU back out in front with a lead-off home run in the top of the eighth.
Trent McMaster came in as a pinch hitter and drew a lead-off walk to start the bottom of the ninth for K-State. Cameron Thompson followed with an RBI triple to tie the score at 11-11. Jake Wodtke hit the game-winning sacrifice fly to drive in Thompson and gave the Wildcats a 12-11 victory.
Michael Starcevich (0-1) took the loss for the Panthers allowing the final two runs of the game in 1.1 innings pitched. Alex Stevenson and Hunter Clark had solid relief appearances on the mound following starter Michael McCormick. Stevenson allowed just two runs in 3.2 innings with four strikeouts.
Turnock led the EIU offense as he finished the day 3-for-5 at the plate. Duncan, Dunavant, Parks, Perrone, and Albert all finished with two hits each. Albert also drove in four runs.
FURMAN 11, UT MARTIN 3
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team could not overcome early miscues as the Skyhawks suffered their second consecutive loss with an 11-3 setback to Furman on Saturday evening. UT Martin (5-3) surrendered five runs in the opening five innings to the Paladins and were never able to recover.
The Skyhawk ace Dalton Westfall took the mound for his third start of the season, as the 6-6 right-hander came into the contest ranked as the number one pitcher in all of Division-I baseball in strikeouts (27) and ERA (0.00). However, the Buckhannon, W.Va. native struggled in the early going with his command, walking four batters and throwing four wild pitches in two innings of work. Furman capitalized on the miscues and pushed across two runs in the first on an RBI-single from Landon Kay and a scored run on a wild pitch to put the Paladins in front 2-0. Furman tacked on another run in the second on an RBI-single from Jake Crawford.
Peyton Cain came on in relief of Westfall in the third and worked out of a bases loaded nobody-out jam. The junior from Hickory, Miss. fanned two straight Paladin hitters and forced a fly ball to centerfielder Creighton Eldridge to get the Skyhawks out of trouble.
Keylen Steen doubled to lead-off the fourth inning, before shortstop Josh Hauser singled him in to collect his third RBI on the year and trim the Paladin lead to 3-1. Tyler Albright extended his hitting streak to eight games on the very next at-bat, as the second baseman launched a double to deep right-center field to score Hauser. It was Albright’s team-leading seventh RBI of 2017.
However the Paladins responded with runs in three consecutive innings to separate them from the Skyhawks and put them out in front for good. Furman tallied two unearned runs in the fourth, along with a run in each the fifth and sixth innings to extend their lead to 7-2.
Furman used a big eighth inning to reach double-digits as the Paladins pushed across four runs on just one hit to extend the lead to 11-2. The Skyhawks responded with a run in the ninth, as JoJo Allen tallied his first career hit and then crossed the plate on a Jordan Lambert double. However, that was all the Skyhawk offense could manage as they fell to the Paladins 11-3.
Westfall (2-1) dropped his first decision of the season, while Furman starter Grant Schuermann improved to 3-0 on the year. Albright finished the game 2-4 with two doubles and also continued his streak of scoring or driving in a run in every contest this season.