FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Belmont 8, SIUE 6
@Eastern Kentucky 3, UT Martin 2
@Southeast Missouri 5, Austin Peay 3
Jacksonville State 7, @Murray State 5 (11 innings)
@Tennessee Tech 5, Eastern Illinois 3
@Morehead State 7, Massachusetts 6
BELMONT 8, SIUE 6
NASHVILLE - Belmont baseball never once succumbed to pressure in the opening game of the series against SIUE Friday evening, scoring all eight of its runs in the form of a two-out rally. The Bruins final two-out rally came in the the form of a two-run homer from senior Tyler Walsh to break up the deadlock and launch them past the Cougars, 8-6, at E.S. Rose Park.
Four different Bruins (11-13, 6-4) registered multiple hits on the outing to help outlast a tightly contested matchup against the Cougars (14-11, 4-6). In addition to Walsh's two-run long ball, senior Nick Egli drove in a couple of runs to help outlast SIUE.
The Cougars used a trio of base knocks in the third to put them on the board first in the third frame. In nearly identical fashion, SIUE laced three consecutive singles thru the left side with the third bringing in the first run to take the 1-0 advantage.
Belmont followed up with a three-hit stanza of their own to temporarily take the lead - doing so with the assistance of a Cougar. After collecting a leadoff walk, senior Clay Payne stole his first base of the year to put a Bruin in scoring position before an out was ever registered. Junior infielder Kyle Conger delivered an infield single to shortstop and allowed Bruins to reside on first and second with two down before they could tack on any runs. Sophomore Chas Hadden then sent a pop fly to the SIUE shortstop, Mario Tursi, who attempted to make the double play by throwing to second, but threw low and allowed Payne to stay put and keep the inning alive. From then on redshirt-freshman Matt Cogen and Egli paired up for consecutive singles – both resulting in a RBI - and givng BU a 2-1 lead.
The back-and-forth battle continued as SIUE tied it all up, 2-2, with one swing of the bat on a solo shot over the right-centerfield fence from the team's home run leader, Brock Weimer, to leadoff the fourth. The Cougars added another run later in the inning on a RBI base shot to left field and reclaimed the lead, 3-2.
For the second time in the contest, the Bruins converted multiple runs with two outs weighing on them. A leadoff single from Conger got the fifth going for BU, but a pair of consecutive outs put pressure on the Bruin offense. As they've done multiple times this season, the squad thrived under pressure and collected three consecutive RBI hits from Egli, junior Rafael Bournigal and junior Ben Kocher to separate themselves from SIUE, 5-3.
Just as they'd done all afternoon, the Cougars took back the lead for the third time in the top of the sixth. After Belmont's starting hurler Tyler Vaughn issued a walk to load the bases with two down, SIUE's Alec Skender raked in three RBIs after dropping a double into shallow right field. The Cougars led, 6-5.
The Bruins once again had an answer for the Cougars. With senior duo Payne and Brennan Washington reaching base on a couple of free rides, Conger laid down the perfect sacrifice bunt to move runners to second and third. Hadden sent a sacrifice fly to right and tied the game for the third time, 6-6, after six.
The two-out magic struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Walsh became the sixth Bruins to register a hit as he blasted his second home run in the last two games – this one over the right-centerfield fence. A base shot up the middle from Bournigal earlier in the frame allowed Walsh to tack on a pair of runs with his dinger to put the Bruins up, 8-6, and secure BU the opening game of the series against SIUE.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 3, UT MARTIN 2
RICHMOND, Ky. - Junior southpaw Jack Piekos surrendered only one earned run over seven innings to lead the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team to a 3-2 victory over visiting UT Martin on Friday night at Earle Combs Stadium.
Piekos (3-3) – who came into the weekend ranked seventh in the OVC with a 3.67 ERA – scattered six hits, walked only one batter and struck out six.
Senior right-hander Caleb Johnson came on with two on and no outs in the top of the eighth and retired the next six batters he faced to earn his fifth save of the season. That number currently ranks second in the OVC.
The Colonels did all of their damage at the plate in the first inning. With one out in the frame, junior Cornell Nixon beat out an infield single and then stole second. After seniors Ben Fisher and Shea Sullivan walked to load the bases, sophomore Alex Holderbach also drew four balls and walked in Nixon. Freshman Nick Howie then delivered a two run single through the left side that made it 3-0.
Ryan Helgren blasted a solo home run in the top of the fourth to cut into EKU’s lead, but Piekos recovered and got out of the inning.
He ran into trouble again in the eighth, surrendering a leadoff double to Josh Hauser. The next batter, Connor Aube, reached on a fielding error, putting two men on with still no outs.
Piekos then gave way to Johnson, who promptly induced a groundout, flyout and groundout to get out of the jam with just one run allowed.
Johnson retired the side in order in the ninth to lock up the win.
The win snaps a five-game conference losing streak for EKU (15-12, 2-5 OVC).
Nixon finished 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored, while Howie went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI.
UTM right-hander Winston Cannon (2-1) went seven innings and allowed only three runs on six hits, but lost the pitchers’ duel to Piekos.
Hauser paced the Skyhawks at the dish, going 3-for-3 with three doubles and a run scored.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5, AUSTIN PEAY 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri baseball (13-10, 5-5) defeated Austin Peay (11-14, 4-6) Friday evening in the series opener, 5-3.
Justin Murphy picked up the win and improved to 3-2 on the season. He worked a season-long eight innings on the mound, allowing three runs, only one of which was earned. He struck out two and walked none. He faced the minimum in five of his eight innings and threw a very efficient 78 pitches, 59 of which were for strikes.
Carlos Vega slammed the shut in the ninth inning en route to his second save. He struck out the side after allowing a leadoff base hit.
APSU starter Alex Robles (3-4) recorded the loss. It was the first time in his career Southeast has defeated him in a start on the mound. Robles worked six innings, allowed all five SEMO runs on eight hits, struck out five, and walked two.
The Redhawk offense outhit the Govs, 9-6. Four Redhawks each had a pair of hits in the game. Tristen Gagan was one of the Redhawks with two hits and drove in three of SEMO's runs. Brian Lees also had two hits, one a double, drove in one, and stole a base.
Southeast opened the bottom of the first inning by using back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases with no out. Gagan flew out to deep center, allowing Clayton Evans to tag up and score on the sacrifice fly, putting SEMO on the board first for the sixth-straight game. Chris Osborne, who tagged up and went to third on the sac fly, scored on a groundout to second by Danny Wright. With two out, Lees grounded a base hit up the middle. Aggressive base running by Dan Holst on the slow base hit up the middle allowed him to score from second, widening the Redhawks' early lead to 3-0 in the first.
Austin Peay responded with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. With runners on the corners and two out, Max Remy doubled sharply down the left field line to plate both runners and cut the SEMO lead to one, 3-2.
For the second time in the game, Gagan made a plate appearance with bases loaded, this time in the fifth inning. He singled to left field, plating a couple to put SEMO on top by three, 5-2.
Chase Hamilton knocked a one-out double and moved to third on a groundout in the seventh inning. He scored on a base hit through the right side by Remy, his third RBI of the game, narrowing the Redhawk lead to 5-3.
Murphy and Vega teamed up to retire six of the last seven Gov batters of the game.
Dre Gleason and Remy were the only Govs with multiple hits, finishing with two each as Remy drove in all three runs for Austin Peay.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, MURRAY STATE 5 (11)
MURRAY, Ky. - Junior Dalton Etheridge picked a perfect time to hit his first career home run as he delivered a two-run home run in the 11th to lift Jacksonville State past Murray State, 7-5, on Friday evening at Reagan Field in the opening game of the Ohio Valley Conference weekend series.
The win moved the Gamecocks to 13-10 overall and their third consecutive conference win (3-4). The Racers dropped to 14-11 on the season and 5-5 in league play.
Etheridge, from Jonesboro, Georgia, was inserted in to the centerfield spot after JSU rallied from a 3-0 deficit to equalize with a three-run top of the seventh. In his second at bat, he connected on a 3-2 pitch that sent over the left field wall and break up a 5-5 extra-inning deadlock. It was his second extra base hit of the night as he recorded a double in the ninth.
The contest was sent to extra frames after the Racers erased a 5-3 deficit in the final half of the ninth. MSU scored the game-tying run on Brandon Gutzler's RBI single off of JSU closer Justin Hoyt. Hoyt's services were called upon in the Racer eighth as they threatened after putting the first two batters on base, but the redshirt-junior thwarted the attempt. Hoyt would finish the contest on the mound for JSU as he would match his career high in innings pitched with the final four innings. He tossed the final four innings in JSU's win over Eastern Illinois earlier this season. Hoyt finished with four strike outs on the night. He earned his third win of the season and the fifth of his career.
Hoyt took over for junior Grant Chandler, who was in line for the win before MSU's two-run ninth. Chandler was the first pitcher out of the bullpen for Jax State as starter Derrick Adams went 5.2 innings. After the Racers touched Adams for a pair of runs in the first inning, the Decatur, Alabama left hander settled in over the next five-plus innings. He finished with five strike outs in the outing. He left the contest after allowing the first three runs of the contest.
For the second consecutive Friday, the Gamecock offense started clicking in the seventh inning. Last Friday at Southern Illinois, JSU erupted for seven runs to overcome a deficit. Against the Racers, JSU started to solve MSU starter, Ryan Dills. Dills was solid for the second consecutive year against JSU. He was the winning pitcher in MSU's Sunday win last year in Jacksonville. He looked like he might get another win in his start. He limited JSU to four hits in 6.1 innings of work and posted six strike outs.
JSU's three-run seventh started with a one-out double by junior Trent Simpson and moved to third on a Racer passed ball. Following a walk by Hayden White, freshman Andrew Naismith drove in his first of two runs on the night with a single through the right side of the diamond. Senior Joe McGuire, one of JSU's top-go-to-guy in a pinch hitting role, walked to load the bases. After Dills was relieved from the mound, Chase Robinson was greeted by Chance Carner with a hit by pitch RBI. Freshman Payton Young lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to plate the third run of the frame.
With momentum, the Gamecocks took the lead on White's RBI ground out in the eighth. Naismith pushed the lead to 5-3 with a single to left field. Etheridge, Naismith and Clayton Daniel were the two Gamecocks with multiple hits in the contest.
TENNESSEE TECH 5, EASTERN ILLINOIS 3
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Recap coming soon.
MOREHEAD STATE 7, MASSACHUSETTS 6
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Sophomores Niko Hulsizer and Hunter Fain played hero Friday night for the Morehead State baseball team. Trailing 6-2 and down to their last three outs, Hulsizer delivered a bases-clearing double and Fain cranked a two-out, two-run walk-off homer to propel the Eagles to a 7-6 victory over Massachusetts at Allen Field.
The win pushed the Eagles' overall record to 20-6 as MSU has now won seven straight and 15 of the last 16.
It was a mighty battle all night as the Eagle bullpen kept its team within striking distance with five shutout innings, but the offense could not capitalize on it opportunities until the last at-bat.
UMass starter Justin Lasko surrendered nine hits but just two runs in eight innings. The Minutemen decided to go with closer Christian Rosati for the ninth.
Rosati opened the ninth with a strikeout, but then senior centerfielder Ryan Kent singled through the left side to kickstart the rally. Sophomore shortstop Reid Leonard coaxed a six-pitch walk, and then senior DH Michael Patrick was plunked with a pitch on an 0-2 count.
Hulsizer, who had six home runs in the last three games, nearly tied the game as he crushed a three-run double to deep left center field to make it 6-5. After another strikeout, Fain lifted a 2-1 Rosati offering over the high wall in right field to set off the victory celebration at the plate.
The Eagles found themselves behind 5-0 in the second after the Minutemen sprayed three short singles into the outfield and took advantage of rough, wet fielding conditions in the outfield to garner a few more bases.
A double-play ground out and RBI single by Kent got it to 5-2 following the bottom of the second.
Junior righty Seth Boyle tossed 2.1 innings, allowing only two hits, before giving way to senior lefty Cable Wright for his 99th career appearance. Wright got the next four outs without allowing a hit, and freshman righthander Alex Garbrick tossed a perfect ninth frame to be credited with the win to improve to 3-0.
Starter Aaron Leasher collected seven strikeouts but issued five walks - his total of the entire year in his first six starts.
Hulsizer finished with a 3-for-4 night, part of a 12-hit effort for the offense. MSU has now tallied double-digit hits in seven straight games. Fain was 2-for-5, while Kent's two singles moved him to second place on the program's career singles list with 172.