SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Belmont 4, SIUE 3
@Eastern Kentucky 11, UT Martin 3
@Southeast Missouri 10, Austin Peay 0
@Murray State 6, Jacksonville State 4
@Tennessee Tech 11, Eastern Illinois 4
@Morehead State 6, Massachusetts 5 (10 innings)
BELMONT 4, SIUE 3
NASHVILLE - Belmont baseball waited until the very end to seal its series against SIUE Saturday afternoon, claiming game two, 4-3, on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth. The Bruins were aided by a 2-for-3 day at the plate from junior Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) who contributed a pair of extra-base knocks including his first home run of the season.
Starting hurler Dylan King (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) was locked in from the very first pitch, fanning the side – getting each of the first three Cougars he faced to go down swinging. The righty only relinquished two hits while striking out eight batters in five innings of work before giving up his first runs in the sixth.
The Bruins (12-13, 7-4) got on the board in the home half of the third after a walk dealt to senior catcher Clay Payne (Powell, Tenn.) put a runner on for junior Kyler Conger (Brentwood, Tenn.) to collect a RBI with a triple to the right corner of the field. They doubled their advantage in the next at bat from sophomore Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) who registered a RBI of his own on a groundout to second putting BU up, 2-0.
Ward then got to work by adding to Belmont's advantage in the fifth with his long ball launched over the right field fence to make it 3-0. SIUE (14-12, 4-7) matched BU's home run in the next frame to bring the Cougars within one after Keaton Wright followed suit and sent one of his own over right field to bring in a pair of runs, 3-2.
Payne continued to shine behind the plate, catching his league-best ninth runner attempting to steal. The veteran did so in the fifth after SIUE laced a leadoff base knock to put a Cougar on first before he'd come up short in his efforts to rob a base as Payne threw him out. The play gave King renewed energy and he got the next two Cougars to pounce on a pitch prematurely and go down swinging to end the inning.
In his next plate appearance, Ward once again found favor in right field - this time drilling a double that allowed runners to reside on second and third. Previously in the frame senior Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) extended his hitting streak to four games with a base knock to left-centerfield. Belmont was unable to add to its lead, stranding both Ward and Walsh as SIUE right-handed pitcher Nelson Martz got out of the jam.
King headed out to the hill for the eighth frame and lasted 7.2 innings before head coach Dave Jarvis called on senior Brennan Washington (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) to take over. Despite relinquishing the tying run on three consecutive singles in the eighth, King tossed 10 strikeouts – just one short of his career high and his third double digit outing this year.
For the next 1.1 frames Washington was locked in, striking out three batters and only gave up one hit to hold the Cougars to three runs while the Bruins worked to take the lead in the bottom of the final inning.
A leadoff base shot from Rafael Bournigal (Mulberry, Fla.) got the Bruins rolling in search of their first walk-off victory of the season. Kocher then reached on a fielder's choice in which SIUE failed to tag Bournigal out at third to put runner on the corners. Walsh was then intentionally walked to load the bases and bring sophomore Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) up with no outs. Belmont didn't need the cushion as SIUE reliever Mason McReaken dealt Hollander the game-winning walk to edge the Cougars, 4-3.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 11, UT MARTIN 3
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team locked up their first Ohio Valley Conference series win of the season with a 11-3 win over the University of Tennessee Martin Skyhawks on Saturday afternoon at Earle Combs Stadium.
Ben Fisher put the Colonels (16-12, 3-5 OVC) on the board with a solo shot home run over the right field wall in the first inning. Coming into the game UTM’s starting pitcher Dalton Westfall had not allowed a home run through his 37.1 innings pitched this season.
Eastern added to its lead in the second when Brenden Overton grounded out to second, but scored Alex Holderbach from third on the play.
After UT Martin rallied to tie the score 2-2 in the top of the third, EKU would take control of the matchup. Nick Howie singled with two outs, and Fisher followed him at the plate with another single. A Shea Sullivan walk loaded to bases for Holderbach to notch two RBI’s by singling to right center. The next batter, Cole Warrenfeltz delivered a one run single to the right side. Moments later, a wild pitch advanced Warrenfeltz and Holderbach to second and third. Then, Overton singled to shortstop, scoring Holderbach, and giving EKU a 6-2 lead.
UTM (9-14, 1-10 OVC) scored a run in the top of the fourth, but would not be able to claw away at the EKU lead any more.
Overton would score a run in the sixth as he advanced from third to home on a wild pitch, but that was not the end of the EKU offensive output.
The Colonels scored four more runs in the eighth. Overton scored again from a fly out to right field. Howie doubled to score Rylan Kerr and Logan Starnes. Finally, Sullivan delivered a RBI double to right center, bringing Howie home.
Holderbach, Howie and Overton all picked up three hits and two RBIs each. In all, seven Colonels recorded at least one RBI.
Nick Laster came in on relief effort for Eastern, pitching three innings, giving up three hits and no runs, enough to secure his first win on the year.
UT Martin was led by Tyler Albright, who went 2-for-4 and recorded an RBI.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 10, AUSTIN PEAY 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri baseball (14-10, 6-5) shut out Austin Peay (11-15, 4-7) Saturday, 10-0. The win secures the series victory for the Redhawks.
The Redhawk pitching staff held the Govs to only two hits in contest while the offense scattered 15. It's the first shutout over Austin Peay by Southeast since May 22, 2003.
Starter Clay Chandler (5-2) pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing both Governor hits. He struck out five and walked none. Joey Burris and Josh Haggerty each pitched a hitless inning in relief to combine for the shutout.
Chandler finishes the week pitching eight and two-thirds scoreless innings in two appearances and finishing with a win and a save. He allowed only three hits in his two appearances, struck out eight, and walked only one.
Caleb Powell (2-3) recorded the loss. He worked only three innings, allowed six runs on six hits. APSU used four total pitchers in the game.
Chris Osborne and Kylar Robertson each recorded three hits on Saturday while three others had two hits. Danny Wright and Brian Lees joined Osborne with two RBI apiece. Southeast knocked four doubles while Clayton Evans blasted a home run.
For the seventh-straight game, the Redhawks scored before their opponents. Evans jumpstarted the third inning with a home run to left center, his second jack of the week. Southeast proceeded to load the bases. Wright drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-0. Lees flew out to center for a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 3-0 for Southeast.
Southeast pushed five runs across and sent nine men to the plate in the bottom of the eighth to take a commanding lead on the Govs. SEMO began the inning by bunting the bases loaded. Osborne drove in a couple with a base hit poked through the right side. With one out, Tristen Gagan grounded out to third, scoring Evans. Wright followed with a base hit deep in the hole at short to plate Osborne. Lees barreled up a double to left center and Wright scored all the way from first, extending the lead to 8-0.
With two out and runners on the corners, Kyle Bottger sent a bouncing ball over the first baseman's head and into right field to plate SEMO's ninth run in the sixth.
Robertson added to the lead in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single to left, plating Wright and making it 10-0.
MURRAY STATE 6, JACKSONVILLE STATE 4
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State baseball team was able to jump out to another early lead Saturday afternoon, but this time, the Racers were able to hang on to the lead and defeated Jacksonville State in game two of the two’s series, 6-4.
Kipp Moore got the offense going early as he led off the game with his fourth home run of the season to left field. All four of Moore’s homers in 2017 have been to lead off games. In the second, the Racers (15-11, 6-5 OVC) were able to push across their second run as Davis Sims scored from second on the first of two errors in the contest by the Gamecocks (13-11, 3-5 OVC).
Sims was able to capitalize again on an error, this time in the third inning as he reached on a throwing error by the JSU second baseman as Adam Bauer scored on the play. In the next at-bat, Jack Hranec singled through the right side of the infield and scored Tyler Lawrence to push MSU out front 4-0.
JSU was able to cut the MSU lead in half with a two-run fourth before Caleb Hicks was able to put the Racers back up by four, 6-2 in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out, two-RBI single to center field that brought home Hranec and Sims. In the top of the sixth, the Gamecocks again cut the lead to two, this time on a triple from Taylor Hawthrone brought home two.
The Racers were able to keep JSU off the board the final three innings thanks to some solid relief work by Chance Carner and Chad Gendron. Carner picked up his second win of the season on the day as he pitched 2.2 innings and allowed no runs on two hits while striking out three batters. Gendron was able to then come on and close the door in the ninth to pick up his fifth save of the season. The five saves this year for Gendron are tied for the sixth-most in a single season in program history. Luke Brown, who game on as a defensive replacement in center field in the ninth, made a couple of nice defensive plays in the inning.
Hranec led the way offensively for the Racers with a 2-for-4 day while Sims led MSU with two runs scored. Jaron Robinson was 1-for-3 at the plate and Adam Bauer was able to draw a season-best three walks in the win. JSU doubled up the Racers in hits on the day, 10-5 and stranded 13 runners while MSU left nine on base.
TENNESSEE TECH 11, EASTERN ILLINOIS 4
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - A late offensive explosion and dominant relief appearance helped keep the Tennessee Tech baseball team's unbeaten streak to start Ohio Valley Conference play in tact Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles (22-7, 11-0) took down Eastern Illinois (5-21, 2-6) at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex, 11-4.
Tech's 11-0 start to league play marks the best in program history and third best in OVC history, ranking just behind the 2016 Southeast Missouri squad's 12-0 mark and the 2001 Eastern Illinois squad's record of 17-0.
After back-to-back games with just four hits each and total of five runs scored, the Golden Eagle offense woke up to the tune of 11 runs on 13 hits on Saturday.
Eastern Illinois took an early 2-0 lead, using a two-out, two-run home run off the bat of Dougie Parks for the damage. Tech quickly answered in the bottom of the first, starting with a leadoff single up the middle by sophomore Alex Junior on the second pitch.
Trevor Putzig followed, lacing the first pitch he saw into right center field for an RBI double to cut the Panther lead in half. Next up for Tech, Kevin Strohschein worked nine-pitch walk before EIU finally managed its first out of the game. Junior Chase Chambers took his turn at the plate, patiently waiting for a pitch to turn on.
On the fourth offering of the bat, he found what he was looking for, hammering a three-run bomb to right center field to give the Golden Eagles a 4-2 lead.
The visitors chipped away at the Tech lead over the next four frames, plating single runs in the second and fifth to tie the game at 4-4. The Panthers had a good look at taking the lead in the fifth, putting runners at second and third with two outs. Golden Eagle head coach Matt Bragga went to the bullpen with the jam, turning to junior reliever Travis Moths for the final out of the frame. The right-hander delivered on one pitch, forcing a pop up to second base to end the inning.
Moths cruised from there on, completing the final four innings while allowing just two base runners with one hit and one walk. The junior struck out five over that span while requiring just 48 pitches to cover the final 13 outs of the game.
Shortly after Moths' entrance into the game, the Tech offense returned to its first-inning form, starting in the sixth inning. Junior David Garza and Junior each singled with one out in the frame, putting runners on the corners. Junior then forced EIU starter Michael McCormick into an error, dancing down the first base line and baiting the pitcher into making a quick pick-off attempt.
The throw sailed high and wide, allowing Garza to score the go-ahead run and Junior to reach third. Putzig then smacked a ball just deep enough to center field for a sacrifice fly that drove in Junior.
Tech continued to attack in the seventh, loading the bases with back-to-back walks to Ryan Flick and Chambers to start the frame and a hit-by-pitch issued to Collin Harris following the first out. Senior Matt Jones walked to the plate, working the count to an even 2-2 before pounding a double deep into the left center field gap that cleared the bases for three more TTU runs.
Adding some sprinkles to sundae, the Golden Eagles added two more runs in the eighth after Flick kept the inning alive with a two-out single up the middle. On a 1-0 count, Chambers unleashed a mighty swing to blast his second moon shot of the game to right center field. The two-run dinger marked the first baseman's team-leading ninth of the year.
After inducing a fly ball to left field, Moths fanned the final two batters of the game to earn his first victory of the season.
Chambers led the Golden Eagle offense, finishing 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored. Junior managed a 3-for-5 showing at the plate, scoring twice. Jones tallied two hits in four trips to the plate, driving in three.
MOREHEAD STATE 6, MASSACHUSETTS 5 (10)
MOREHEAD, Ky. - For the second straight day, the Morehead State baseball team won in walk-off fashion as sophomore shortstop Reid Leonard's two-out single through the left side drove home sophomore Jake Hammon with the winning run in the 10th inning Saturday to lift the Eagles to a 6-5 win over Massachusetts at Allen Field.
The Eagles trailed 5-0 for the second straight day, but scored three times in the eighth and once in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Morehead State won its eighth consecutive game and 16th in the last 17 games while also securing its 15th straight home series win since 2015. The Eagles are now 47-11 at Allen Field in the last three years.
Senior Jimmy Wright drew a pinch-hit walk to open the bottom of the 10th, and Hammon pinch ran for him. Following a line out and a ground out to move Hammon to second, he scooted to third on a wild pitch. Leonard pushed a 2-1 pitch through the hold on the left side to send Hammon home.
The Eagles trailed 5-1 in the eighth, but junior second Braxton scored senior leftfielder Michael Patrick on a sacrifice fly, and then sophomore DH Trevor Snyder's double plated sophomore rightfielder Niko Hulsizer. Junior third baseman Eli Boggess singled to right field to score senior first baseman Will Schneider, but the tying run (in the form of pinch runner Chase Teter) was ruled thrown out at the plate on a bang-bang slide.
Schneider tied the game 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth when his two-out single allowed junior pinch runner Tyler Niemann to slide in ahead of the tag.
For the second consecutive game, the Eagle bullpen allowed the offense the chance to rally. Freshman righty Jake Ziegelmeyer and junior righthander JC Hatcher kept the Minutemen offense at bay and with just one run for the final 5.1 innings. Hatcher (2-1) was credited the win, surrendering just one hit and striking out two. Starter Dalton Stambaugh cruised into the fifth with a career-high eight strikeouts but gave up an RBI double, two-run homer and two-run single before exiting trailing 5-0.
UMass reliever Casey Aubin allowed the game-winning hit, and Kevin Hassett (1-2) was charged with the loss.
Boggess was 3-for-4, while Patrick, Leonard and sophomore catcher Hunter Fain had two hits each as the Eagles collected 11 hits for their eighth straight double-digit hit performance.