SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Southeast Missouri 13, UT Martin 4
@Belmont 4, Morehead State 2
@Murray State 17, Austin Peay 12
@Jacksonville State 7, Eastern Illinois 6 (11 innings)
@Tennessee Tech 3, SIUE 2
@Eastern Kentucky 10, Chicago State 3
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 13, UT MARTIN 4
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri baseball (10-7, 3-3) secured a series sweep of UT Martin (7-10, 0-6) Sunday with a 13-4 victory at Capaha Field.
With the win, SEMO evens its Ohio Valley Conference record at 3-3 on the season. Southeast also extended its winning streak against UT Martin to 17 games. The Redhawks finish the week 4-0.
Southeast put up a series-high 15 hits against the Skyhawks. Chris Osborne and Dan Holst each scattered a trio of hits while three others had two hits. Tristen Gagan joined Osborne and Holst in driving in three runs each.
Robert Beltran (1-2) earned his first win of the season on the mound Sunday. Beltran pitched six complete innings, allowed two runs on six hits. He fanned five hitters and walked two.
Chase Hagerty and Ryan Losman combined for the final three innings of the game.
For the first time in the series, the Skyhawks pushed a run across first. Connor Aube led off the game with a double down the left field line. He stole third base then tagged up and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tanner Wessling.
Before long, the Redhawks were on top. The bottom of the first began with a line drive base hit into right by Clayton Evans. Osborne drove Evans in on a triple that one-hopped the wall in left center, tying the game. Osborne immediately scored on an RBI base hit by Holst. Gagan stepped in and blasted a two-run homer to dead center field, off the hitter's eye, to go up 4-1 on the Skyhawks.
Holst singled to lead off the bottom of the third. With Holst on the move, the Skyhawks' pickoff attempt went awry, allowing the Redhawk centerfielder to reach third. Gagan recorded his third RBI of the game on a sac fly to left that scored Holst and widened the Redhawk lead to 5-1.
The Skyhawks cut into the SEMO lead in the fourth inning with an RBI single by Ryan Helgren to pull within three, 5-2.
With Connor Basler and Danny Wright in scoring position and two out in the bottom of the fourth, Osborne drilled a bounding single through the right side to plate both runners and extend the lead to 7-2.
The Redhawks sent 10 men to the plate, scored five runs, and scattered five hits in the fifth inning. Four of SEMO's five hits in the frame were for extra bases. Gagan led off the inning with a double to left. Brian Lees traded places with Gagan on a double of his own then scored on a two-run jack off the bat of Kylar Robertson to left field. With bases loaded, Holst picked up two more RBI with a single threaded through the right side, widening the lead by 10, 12-2.
Wright contributed to the lead when he drove Lees in on a single through the right side in the bottom of the sixth inning, 13-2 SEMO.
The Skyhawks added a couple runs off Hagerty in the eighth inning, cutting the lead to 13-4.
Losman pitched a one-hit ninth inning to close the game on the mound for the Redhawks.
BELMONT 4, MOREHEAD STATE 2
NASHVILLE - Nick Egli provided three runs on two doubles, while Connor Etheridge dazzled on the mound as Belmont baseball handed Morehead State its first Ohio Valley Conference defeat, 4-2, Sunday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park.
The Egli, Etheridge duo were clicking early as the Bruins (8-10, 3-3 OVC) jumped all over the Eagles (13-6, 5-1 OVC) in the first inning, 3-0, after the first four Bruins to the plate reached safely. Matt Cogen kicked off the scoring as the third batter, scoring Kyle Conger on a single to left field. Right on cue, Egli pounded his first double to right center, bringing Alex Ward and Cogen around the bases.
With a comfortable lead early in the series finale, Etheridge threw free and easy, extending his scoreless streak to 14-straight innings until exiting in the seventh after a 92-pitch, seven strikeout day in which he allowed just four hits.
Morehead State threatened in the top of the third with a leadoff single straight up the middle, but the ensuing three hitters connected on at-em balls to the outfield right at the Bruins' defense, subduing any chance of cutting into the 3-0 Belmont advantage.
Egli brought home his third RBI of the afternoon in the third inning after his second double of the day, this time down the left field line, catapulting Belmont to a 4-0 lead after Cogen walked to begin the frame.
Kyle Klotz (Fairview, Tenn.) took Etheridge's place on the bump in the seventh inning after allowing a single and a walk for runners on first and second, endangering the 4-0 lead. Etheridge's day ended after 92 pitches over six innings, four hits, two walks and seven strikeouts.
Klotz plunked the first two batters he faced, simultaneously loading the bases, while bringing in Morehead State's first run of the contest, 4-1, in the seventh. A ground ball to third base plated another Eagle and cut the Belmont advantage to two, 4-2, with two outs. Etheridge, although not pitching when the runs were allowed, was charged with the scores, ending his 14-inning scoreless streak.
The Eagles made it interesting down to their last at bat in the top of the ninth. Closer Dom Veltri allowed a double and then the tying run reached on a bunt single, putting runners on the corners. The Bruins held tough and a hard-hit ball to Conger at shortstop ended the contest in favor of the Bruins, 4-2.
MURRAY STATE 17, AUSTIN PEAY 12
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State had three players collect three hits and the Racers pounded out 17 hits and scored 17 runs on their way to a 17-12, come-from-behind victory in a slugfest Sunday at Reagan Field against Austin Peay. With the win, MSU wins the three-game series.
Brandon Gutzler, Ryan Perkins and Davis Sims all collected three hits in the win as Gutzler was 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs, Perkins went 3-for-4 with a career-high four runs and five ribbies while Sims was also 3-of-5, scored two runs and drove in four.
Things started off shaky in the contest for MSU (11-8, 3-3 OVC) as the Governors (10-9, 4-2) scored four runs in the top of the first. The Racers got two runs back in the bottom of the second, first on a Sims double down the left field line that scored Perkins and then Jaron Robinson had an RBI single up the middle to make it 4-2.
Austin Peay would respond however with two more runs in the third and looked to be in control early. However, a three-run bottom of the inning made it 6-5 as Gutzler hit a solo homer to left, his sixth of the year and Perkins and Sims each got RBI knocks in the inning.
After the Governors scored an unearned run in the fourth, the Racer offense came alive and exploded with a six-run bottom of the fourth. After RBIs from Adam Bauer and Gutzler, Perkins’ three-run shot to right field broke the 7-7 tie and put the Racers up for the first time all day at 10-7. With the very next pitch, Sims hit a laser to left for his second long ball of the year and the Racers were up 11-7.
MSU was also able to get a five-run bottom of the seventh to bust the game wide open Aaron Bence, Tyler Lawrence and Sims all collected ribbies in the inning. Perkins also racked up his fifth RBI has he drew a bases-loaded walk. It was a good thing the Racers got all those insurance runs to make the score 17-8 as APSU scored four runs in the eighth to cut the lead down to 17-12.
Chance Carner got the win on the afternoon as he pitched well in relief of start Jack Hranec. Carner went a career-long 3.2 innings and struck-out a career-high five batters on his way to the win. Carner allowed four hits and three unearned runs in the outing. Luke Brown, John Lollar, Derrik Watson and Alec Whaley also pitched in relief in the win.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, EASTERN ILLINOIS 6 (11)
OXFORD, Ala. - Jacksonville State claimed its first Ohio Valley Conference weekend series with a thrilling 7-6 win in 11 innings over Eastern Illinois on Sunday at Choccolocco Park.
Junior Trent Simpson drove in the game-winning run through a five-man infield with a hit through the left side of the diamond for the walk off win. The extra inning Sunday affair was JSU's second in a row after falling in extra innings last Sunday at Austin Peay. After falling 7-5 on Friday night to the Panthers, the Gamecocks bounded back to win 6-3 on Saturday to go along with Sunday's victory to improve to 10-9 overall and 2-4 in OVC play. EIU drops to 2-16 overall and 1-2 in the league.
JSU's Nolan Greckel started the final inning with a leadoff walk, followed by a clutch base hit by junior Clayton Daniel that moved Greckel to third base. EIU brought in its centerfielder for an extra infielder and Michael Starcevich struck out Hayden White before facing Simpson. Simpson, from Oxford, Alabama, was in the same situation in the ninth, but EIU escaped to send the game to extra innings. Simpson came through in the second situation to end the game with his first hit of the day.
Both clubs used the long ball on Sunday with JSU scoring five of its seven runs off balls that left Choccolocco Park. JSU opened with a four-run first inning that was highlighted by senior Josh Bobo's three-run home run to left field. The home run was Bobo's first of the season and 13th of his career. Freshman Andrew Naismith delivered a two-run blast in the third to extend Jax State's lead to 6-1.
EIU's Matt Albert connected on his first of two round trippers in the contest with a solo home run in the second and another home run in the sixth to cut the deficit to 6-5. Albert's home run followed Dougie Parks' three-run home run.
Both pitching staffs were solid throughout the weekend as EIU's staff did not allow another JSU run until the game winner in the 11th. The EIU staff posted seven consecutive scoreless frames until the 11th. JSU's arms were stellar on the weekend as they combined for 47 strikeouts. After fanning 13 Panthers on Friday and 16 on Saturday, JSU's five pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts, led by junior closer Justin Hoyt's career-high nine strikeouts. Gamecock starter Joe McGuire set the tone with 5.0 innings of work and tallying five strikeouts. Michael McCreless, Peyton Stracener and Cody Dodd all turned in a strikeout.
Hoyt was touched for one hit, a leadoff double in the EIU ninth that started the game-tying frame. The unearned run was sored with a two-out fielding miscue by JSU.
Greckel, who scored the game-winning run, joined Naismith with three hits in the contest, while Daniel and Bobo had a pair of hits in the game.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, SIUE 2
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - With offense serving as the dominant theme on Friday and Saturday, the tide turned to favor the Tennessee Tech pitching staff Sunday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles (15-6, 6-0) sealed a three-game series sweep over Ohio Valley Conference rival SIUE (10-9, 2-4) in a pitcher's duel, 3-2.
With the win, the Golden Eagles remained the only team in the OVC undefeated in league play, boasting a 6-0 mark thanks to series sweeps over UT Martin and now the Cougars. It marks the program's best start to conference play since the 1956 Tech squad started 9-0 and finished 10-1 in the OVC while winning the league and earning a trip to the NCAA District III Playoffs.
Sunday starter Chase Burkett provided the home squad with a very solid performance, holding a potent Cougar offense to just two earned runs over five and two thirds innings. He scattered six hits and one walk while striking out two and using the brilliant play of the Tech defense to subdue the visiting offense.
The Golden Eagles snagged an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, with junior Ryan Flick providing the charge. The team's designated hitter drove in Trevor Putzig with his league-leading 12th double of the season.
Tech added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, taking advantage of a couple of SIUE miscues in the process. After Flick opened the frame by reaching on a throwing error, and moved to second on a walk and third on a fly ball, Collin Harris drove him in, reaching on a fielder's choice that drove in Flick.
A throwing error on the play allowed Chase Chambers, who had previously walked, to move to third base, allowing Matt Jones to drive him in with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Burkett's mastery of the lineup met a couple of challenges in the sixth, as SIUE posted two solo home runs in the sixth. A double following the second long ball ended the night for Burkett, who earned his third victory of the season, as sophomore Ethan Roberts came on for his second save attempt of the weekend.
The right-hander was purely dominant, allowing just one walk in three and one third innings and holding the Cougars hitless for the remainder of the contest. Roberts fanned three while continuing the trend, set by Burkett, of allowing his stellar defense take care of business all around the diamond. He earned his fifth save of the year with the outing.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 10, CHICAGO STATE 3
RICHMOND, Ky. - Despite falling behind by a run early, the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team cruised to a 10-3 victory over Chicago State on Sunday at Earle Combs Stadium. EKU won the series 2-1.
The Colonels (12-9) have won three non-conference, three-game weekend series for the first time in program history. Eastern swept Oakland and Youngstown State earlier in the season.
With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the second, Nick Howie drove in a pair with a single up the middle and Eastern never trailed again. A two-run single by Logan Starnes in the bottom of the third made it 6-1. Alex Holderbach made it an 8-3 game with a single down the left field line in the fourth that brought home two runs.
Ben Fisher hit his fifth home run in the last five games and his eighth of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning. The solo shot gave EKU a 9-3 advantage. He finished the day 1-for-4 with a walk, two runs and two RBIs. Fisher hit four home runs and drove in 11 runs in the three game series against Chicago State.
Howie finished 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Holderbach had a 3-for-5 day with two runs and three RBIs. He hit his second home run of the season in the eighth inning.
Bryan Quillens (1-2) earned his first victory of the season after tossing four innings of relief. He allowed three hits, two runs, walked four and struck out three.
Cody Freund had two hits in three at bats for Chicago State (4-12).