TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Marshall 4,
Morehead State 3
@Eastern Illinois 18, Illinois-Springfield 11
@Southern Illinois 4,
Southeast Missouri 2
@Middle Tennessee 10,
Belmont 4
Bradley 10,
@SIUE 7
@Murray State 9, Harris-Stowe 1
Tennessee Tech 5, @#19 Vanderbilt 2
MARSHALL 4, MOREHEAD STATE 3
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Freshman righthander Jake Ziegelmeyer tossed six strong innings in his first career start, but the Morehead State baseball team was on the short end of a 4-3 decision at Marshall Tuesday afternoon as the Thundering Herd won on a walk-off home run in the ninth inning.
The Eagles saw their record slip to 22-11 overall with their fifth consecutive defeat.
Ziegelmeyer tossed six innings, allowing seven hits and just two earned runs while only walking one. Freshman righty Alex Garbrick (3-1) was saddled with the loss after giving up a two-out homer to Tyler Ratliff to win it for the 'Herd.
The hosts jumped on top 2-0 in the first, via an RBI double and a throwing error on a bunt single that allowed a runner to race all the way around from first to the plate.
Morehead State answered in the third when sophomore leftfielder Niko Hulsizer plated freshman catcher Brody Shoupe with his team-best 41st RBI. Hulsizer later got picked off first base but was able to get in a run down, and junior second baseman Braxton Morris stole home on the play to make it 2-2.
Shoupe drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth for a 3-2 Eagle cushion, but Marshall answered in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single.
Hulsizer and junior third baseman Eli Boggess were each 2-for-5 as Hulsizer extended his team-best reached-base streak to 17 games. Morris' reached-base streak now sits at 11 games.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 18, ILLINOIS-SPRINGFIELD 11
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois baseball knocked seven home runs compared to Illinois-Springfield’s three and earned an 18-11 victory over the Prairie Stars on Tuesday at Coaches Stadium.
The seven home runs marks the most in the game this season for the Panthers as Joseph Duncan and Jimmy Govern hit two home runs each, while Matt Albert, Nicholas McCormick and Frankie Perrone belted one each.
Eastern Illinois improved to 7-25 after the win, while Illinois-Springfield fell to 19-13.
UIS started the first inning with runners on the corners and just one out in the inning. A wild pitch brought home the first run of the game for the Prairie Stars. Trey Hannam followed the wild pitch with an RBI double and gave UIS a 2-0 advantage.
Duncan cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first with a lead-off solo home run. McCormick tied the game at two in the second with a solo home run of his own.
Michael Rothmund gave the Prairie Stars the lead once again as he led off the third inning with a solo shot over the wall in left-center field. UIS followed the home run with a pair of walks and a base hit to load the bases against the Panthers. Drew Harper brought home another run after getting hit by a pitch. Chris Mathieu put UIS ahead, 5-2, on an RBI fielder’s choice.
Govern cut the deficit to two at 5-3 with a solo home run in the bottom-half of the third inning.
After UIS extended their lead to 7-3 with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, Eastern Illinois answered back in the bottom of the frame. Perrone belted a solo home run to start the inning for the Panthers. Andrew Curran got hit by a pitch to keep the inning going for EIU. Duncan followed the Curran hit-by-pitch with his second home run of the game to cut the UIS lead to 7-6.
After the EIU defense held UIS scoreless in the top of the fifth, the Panthers carried their momentum into the bottom of the inning. The Panthers belted a home run for the fifth-straight inning as Albert got the inning going with a lead-off solo shot over the wall in left. McCormick reached base on a UIS error and Perrone followed with a walk to put runners at first and second for EIU. After a groundout moved the runners up to second and third, Curran produced a sacrifice fly to plate McCormick and gave the Panthers their first lead of the game at 8-7.
Rothmund tied the score at eight as he homered for the second time in the game to lead off the sixth for UIS. UIS took advantage of a pair of walks and moved the runners up to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. A passed ball put the Prairie Stars ahead once again by a score of 9-8. UIS added an insurance run later in the inning on an RBI double from Harper.
Eastern Illinois broke the game open with five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. After a pair of Panthers got hit by a pitch, Ryan Knernschield cut the UIS lead to one with an RBI single. Eastern Illinois worked the bases loaded against the UIS pitching staff and overtook the lead, 13-10, on a grand slam off the bat of Govern.
Illinois-Springfield added a run to their total in the top of the eighth on a solo home run from Ben Schanding, but the Panthers answered back with their second-straight five-run inning. Dougie Parks started the frame with a hit-by-pitch and advanced to third on a double by Albert. McCormick drove in the first run of the inning on an RBI sacrifice fly. Following a walk from Curran, Duncan drew a bases-loaded walk to plate another run. Govern cleared the bases once again with a three-run single as the EIU pitching staff held the UIS offense scoreless in the ninth and gave the Panthers the 18-11 decision.
Govern led the EIU offense as he finished the game 3-for-6 at the dish and a career-high eight RBIs. The eight RBIs marked the first time a Panthers drove in six or more runs in a game since Brant Valach drove in seven runs during the 2015 season.
Duncan, Albert, Knernschield and Logan Beaman finished the game with two hits each.
Michael Starcevich earned the win on the mound for the Panthers as he allowed just one run in two innings pitched.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 4, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southeast Missouri baseball (17-14) fell to Southern Illinois (17-17) on the road Tuesday to open the annual home-and-home series, 4-2.
SEMO starter Nate Green (2-1) tied a season-long six innings of work in his sixth start. He allowed four SIU runs on seven hits, didn't strike out or walk any. Jared Waldhoff and Ryan Losman each threw a scoreless inning in relief.
Henry Boeckmann pitched three innings in his start. He gave up two unearned runs on three hits. Jamison Steege (1-1) earned the win in relief. He worked two scoreless innings, allowing only two hits. Ryan Netemeyer entered to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth and recorded his 11th save of the season.
Southeast's offense was held to six hits. Clayton Evans and Tristen Gagan picked up a pair of base knocks each. Southeast struck out only four times, the least in 11 games; however, SEMO hit into a season-high four double plays, three of which were inning-ending.
After going in order in the fist, SEMO got the offense going in the second with a pair of runs. With runners on the corners and nobody out, Danny Wright used a slow roller to short, too slow for a double play, to plate Gagan with an RBI fielder's choice. Wright stole second and advanced to third on a base hit by Kyle Bottger. He tagged up and scored to give SEMO a 2-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Josh Haggerty.
The Salukis began the bottom of the third with their first two hits of the game. Ryan Smith got a bloop single to fall down the right field line to plate a run and cut the Redhawk lead in half, 2-1. Green worked out of the inning with the lead, stranding runners on second and third.
Southern Illinois not only tied the game but found a two-run lead in the bottom of the fifth. With Saluki runners on the corners, Smith grounded out to short to plate the tying run. The runner on second, Connor Kopach, stole third and scored the would-be winning run on a throw off the mark to the bag by Brian Lees. Jake Hand immediately followed with a solo home run to widen the new Saluki lead to 4-2.
Both offenses combined for three hits in the final three and a half innings as Southern Illinois held on to secure the 4-2 win over Southeast.
Addison Fugitt and Smith each finished with two hits for the Salukis while Smith drove in two of the four runs.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 10, BELMONT 4
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Belmont baseball started out strong against Middle Tennessee on Tuesday evening but withered away as the game went on, dropping a 10-4 decision at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
The Bruins struggled to find a rhythm on the hill all night, using six different hurlers who collectively relinquished 15 hits and 10 runs. While they searched for answers on the hill, they also had a hard time getting runs on the board despite registering 13 hits of their own.
After allowing the first three Blue Raiders to get on base, freshman starter Justin Fowlkes (Collierville, Tenn.) got the next three batters to go down to get out of the jam and exit the first inning unscathed. Belmont then gave Fowlkes a one-run pad in the next frame with a leadoff double from senior Nick Egli (Brentwood, Tenn.) to put the Bruins in scoring position right off the bat. Junior Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) laced a single to right field and brought in Egli to give them the 1-0 lead.
Middle Tennessee knotted it up during its turn at the plate after Fowlkes dealt a pair of walks to start the stanza. With runners threatening the Blue Raiders used a groundout to second base to bring in the tying run.
Egli and Ward once again teamed up to score Belmont's second run in the fourth. In his second plate appearance, Egli laced a single through the left side for another leadoff hit. An additional base shot from Rafael Bournigal (Mulberry, Fla.) put the veteran on second for Ward to bring him in and give the Bruins a 2-1 advantage.
The Blue Raiders used four base knocks to take their first lead in the fifth after redshirt-junior Ben Lovell (St. Louis, Mo.) headed the mound as the Bruins fourth reliever. MTSU took advantage of BU's third error to allow runners to threaten early, a pair of singles and RBI ground out went on to plate three consecutive runs and take its first lead, 4-2. Middle Tennessee then added five more runs with six hits to extend its advantage, 9-2, in the sixth.
Ward continued to be effective at the plate, drilling a ground-rule double to centerfield after the ball bounced over the centerfield wall to start the frame. Senior Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) got a run back for the Bruins with a wind-aided RBI base shot to shallow left field to cut their deficit to, 9-3.
Trailing 10-3 in the top of the eight, senior Drake Byrd (Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) pinch hit and let one ride over the left field fence to get the inning started and make it a six-run game. It was the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee natives first long ball of the year. Egli and Ward both registered 3-for-4 outings at the plate, connecting on all three of the squad's doubles. Walsh also recorded a multi-hit night, going 2-for-3 with a RBI.
SIUE 10, BRADLEY 7
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Bradley handed SIUE baseball its second consecutive home loss Tuesday, winning 10-7 at Simmons Baseball Complex.
The Cougars dropped to 17-15, while Bradley improved to 13-16.
The Braves opened the second inning with four consecutive singles to take a 1-0 lead. Bradley right fielder Evan Gruener then connected on his first home run of the year, a grand slam, to put Bradley up 5-0.
SIUE answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run from Brock Weimer and an RBI single by Eric Giltz. Weimer followed back-to-back to walks in the third inning with his second home run of the game to tie the score 5-5. Jordan Stading then followed with his first SIUE home run to give the Cougars a 6-5 lead.
The Braves got back in front with a pair of runs in the fourth to lead 7-6.
SIUE starter Brendan Miller (1-2) took the loss. He allowed seven runs on nine hits in four innings.
Bradley then turned the game over to its bullpen, specifically Matthew Richey. Richey kept the SIUE bats subdued for 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He allowed only two base runners, coming on a walk and a single hit.
Bradley extended its lead with a run in the sixth and two more in the eighth to lead 10-6.
Devin Colley closed the door with two scoreless innings of work for the Cougars. He struck out two.
SIUE threatened in the ninth. Dustin Woodcock drove a one-out triple to wall in right center and then scored on a groundout by Keaton Wright. Jared McCunn singled with two outs, but was left on first.
Weimer was the only SIUE player with more than a single hit. He was 2 for 3 with the pair of homers and four RBIs.
Brendan Dougherty and Gruener each had two hits for Bradley.
MURRAY STATE 9, HARRIS-STOWE 1
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State got a five-run fifth inning after jumping out to an early lead Tuesday night at Johnny Reagan Field, as the Racers snapped their five-game skid with a 9-1 victory over Harris-Stowe State.
MSU (16-16) scored two first inning runs to take the quick lead and would cruise from there on out. Brandon Gutzler scored from second on a throwing error by the Hornets (25-15) to score the Racers’ first run of the game. Then in the next at-bat, Jack Hranec delivered an RBI double down the left field line to score Tyler Lawrence and put MSU up 2-0.
After a HSSU run in the top of the third cut the Racers’ lead in half, MSU responded by scoring in each of the next three innings. Adam Bauer hit his third home run of the season in the bottom half of the third to make the score 3-1 before a Jaron Robinson RBI single up the middle in the fourth pushed the lead to 4-1.
In the fifth, Gutzler scored again on a Hornet miscue, this time on a balk by the HSSU pitcher put MSU out front 5-1. Tyler Lawrence would score later in the inning on another error by the Hornets before Ryan Perkins belted his seventh homer of the season to make it 9-1. Perkins is now tied with Gutzler for the team lead with seven round-trippers this year.
Hranec, Lawrence and Robinson all led the Racers with two hits each as seven of the nine MSU starters recorded a hit on the night.
John Lollar picked up his second win of the season as he got the start on the mound. In a split-start decision, Lollar went four innings and allowed just the one run on three hits while striking out a career-high eight batters including the first five of the game.
Luke Brown, Blake Clynes, Chad Gendron, Tyler Horsley, Justin Perkins and even Caleb Hicks combined to pitch a scoreless final five innings in the victory.
TENNESSEE TECH 5, #19 VANDERBILT 2
NASHVILLE - Not only could rain not get in the way of the Tennessee Tech baseball team and its quest for an upset bid at No. 19 Vanderbilt Tuesday night, it almost appeared to help the Golden Eagles (26-9) on their way to a 5-2 victory over the Commodores (21-13) in a wet and wild contest at Hawkins Field.
"Our guys came into tonight very focused with the mindset of beating the game of baseball and not worrying who was on the other side of the diamond," TTU head coach Matt Bragga said. "We have a really good team, so when we execute pitches and do the right things, we have a chance to win anytime we play. And that's what we did tonight."
A pitcher's duel through the first four frames, it seemed at one point that mother nature would intervene and never allow the game to reach the minimum of five innings need to determine an outcome.
Vanderbilt starter Chandler Day and Tech hurler Ty King traded zeroes in the first frame, with King striking out the side in the bottom of the first just before the skies opened up for the first time during game play. The heavy rain and threat of more forced a 50-minute delay before the second inning could even begin, seeming to threaten the effectiveness of both starters moving forward.
That thought could quickly be discarded as King covered two more frames while holding the Commodores to just one hit and four total base runners. He struck out five in the first three innings. Day took his performance a bit further into the contest, but unfortunately could not boast the same sort of success as King.
In the top of the fifth, the skies once again opened with a vengeance, but play continued unabated, apparently providing the Golden Eagles with new life and sense of urgency to put runs on the scoreboard. After a quick out to start the frame, junior shortstop David Garza got things started with a single to center field.
Making just his third career start and having momentum on his side after snagging his first collegiate hit in the top of the third, freshman Anthony Carrera took a mighty hack at a 1-0 offering, banging a double off the wall in left field that drove in Garza for the game's first run.
The left fielder came around to score just four pitches later, as sophomore center fielder Alex Junior laced an RBI single into right field for another RBI and a 2-0 Tech lead. An infield single to shortstop by junior third baseman Trevor Putzig proved to be frugal in the long run, as multiple wild pitches allowed both runners to advance and eventually dent home plate for a 4-0 advantage by the end of the inning.
"Our team is full of competitors," Bragga explained about the four-run production in the heavy rain. "It could have been snowing and I think it would have been much of the same thing. They love to play the game, they love each other, they play very hard and they are tough young men."
Tech snagged an insurance run in the seventh on multiple wild pitches that allowed Putzig, who had walked earlier in the frame, to cross the plate for a 5-0 lead.
Having entered in the fourth inning for King, freshman right hander Devin Lancaster absolutely shoved on the hill for four innings, scattering a hit and two walks while punching out two Vanderbilt batters and letting the defense make the routine out (albeit challenging when the on-and-off rain showers presented themselves) time and again.
In the top of the eighth, Lancaster induced a quick first out before a fielding error allowed a Commodore runner to reach safely and advance to second. A double down the left field line drove in the first run of the game for the home team, ending the rookie's night after four and one third innings of masterful work.
Nick Osborne came in to limit the damage, and proceeded to record two outs while allowing just one more to cross for Vanderbilt. Both runs were unearned and Tech moved just one inning away from history.
With a three-run advantage on the scoreboard, head coach Matt Bragga turned to the highly reliable Ethan Roberts for the final three outs and the sophomore delivered. The Sparta, Tenn. native forced a fly out to kick start the frame and induced a ground ball to the next batter.
The Commodores refused to give up without one final gasp at a comeback attempt, plating the next two batters on a 2-2 single up the middle and a six-pitch walk to set up their leadoff man and projected top-10 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, Jeren Kendall, with a chance to tie the game.
Roberts forced a swing and miss on the first offering and got Kendall to look at strike two on the next pitch. The Vandy center fielder fouled off three consecutive pitches, but Roberts finally fooled the veteran bat into hack that missed for strike three.
The four Tech hurlers combined to allow just four hits and two unearned runs to the nation's No. 19 ranked team.
"The guys just came out and executed pitches," Bragga remarked about his pitching staff. "I could go on and on about each of them. King provided such a good start for us. They're a very good team, so his pitch count got up there a little quicker than we would have liked, but he made a good start and competed so well. Lancaster was wonderful when he came in and Ozzy [Nick Osborne] handled a tight situation well. Roberts came in and did what he typically does for us, and that's close games."
The victory marked the second for the Golden Eagles over Vanderbilt since 2013, when the team upset the then-ranked No. 2 Commodore club. The upset over this year's No. 19 ranked squad marked the eighth win for an Ohio Valley Conference team over a ranked opponent. It also represented Vanderbilt's first midweek loss of the season.
Lancaster moved to a solid 4-1 on the season with his impressive relief performance, not allowing an earned run in four and one third innings of work. Roberts nailed down his ninth save of the season with the single frame of relief.
In addition to Carrera's multi-hit game, Garza and first baseman Chase Chambers also managed multiple hits in the contest.