FRIDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 14, @Morehead State 7
Murray State 16, @Belmont 4
Jacksonville State 3, @Eastern Kentucky 1
Tennessee Tech 8, @Southeast Missouri 4
Austin Peay 19, @UT Martin 4
EASTERN ILLINOIS 14, MOREHEAD 7
MOREHEAD, Ky. - After Morehead State took an early lead against Eastern Illinois, the Panthers battled back all game long and used an eight-run ninth-inning rally to defeat the Eagles, 14-7, on Friday. Eastern Illinois improved to 15-28 (8-11 OVC) following the win, while Morehead State dropped to 27-15 (12-6 OVC).
Dougie Parks gave the Panthers an early 2-0 lead on a two-run home run in the top of the first inning to open the game, but Morehead State responded in a big way in the bottom-half of the inning. Reid Leonard doubled to start the inning and came around to score following a groundout and a wild pitch. After the next two Eagles reached base, Braxton Morris tied the score at 2-2 with an RBI double. Tyler Niemann followed with a three-run home run to put the Eagles ahead, 5-2.
Josh Turnock added a run for EIU with a lead-off home run in the top of the second, but the Eagles extended their lead to 7-3 after Niemann homered for the second time in the game, this time a two-run home run, in the bottom of the third.
Eastern Illinois began to chip away in the top of the fourth. Andrew Curran worked a lead-off walk and moved up to third on a double by Frankie Perrone. Nicholas McCormick plated Curran with an RBI groundout and Joseph Duncan followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to cut the EIU deficit to two at 7-5.
After Morehead State took an early lead against EIU starter Brendon Allen, the redshirt senior settled in and held the Eagles scoreless during the fourth through seventh innings.
The bats came alive again late for the Panthers as Govern got things going for Eastern Illinois with a one-out double in the top of the eighth. Logan Beaman singled to score Govern and brought the Panthers within a single run.
The Panthers carried their momentum from the eighth inning into the ninth as Matt Albert started the inning with a lead-off single. Curran brought home Albert as the game-tying run with an RBI triple down the right-field line. Perrone singled home Curran to give the Panthers an 8-7 advantage. Eastern Illinois poured it on from there with six more runs in the inning, capped off by a grand slam from Parks, as the Panthers earned a 14-7 decision over Morehead State.
Jake Haberer earned the win on the mound for the Panthers as the right-handed pitcher tossed two scoreless innings of relief.
Parks had a big game at the plate for the Panthers as the junior transfer finished the contest with four hits in five at-bats and six runs driven in. Duncan, Beaman, Albert, Curran and Perrone all added two hits for the EIU offense as the Panthers outhit the Eagles, 17-9, in the game.
MURRAY STATE 16, BELMONT 4
NASHVILLE - All nine Murray State starters recorded a hit Friday night as the Racer offense exploded for 16 runs and 21 hits in a 16-4 victory in Nashville over Belmont to begin the three-game set with the Bruins.
Jaron Robinson had a career night for MSU (21-21, 9-10 OVC) as he went 5-for-5 in the win with two doubles, a pair of runs and two RBIs as well on the night. Brandon Gutzler also had a monster night, as he was 4-of-6 with a double and five RBIs. Tyler Lawrence and Davis Sims added to the multi-hit barrage as they both went 2-for-5 respectively in the win. Sims had two ribbies while Lawrence also had an RBI.
Kipp Moore also had multiple hits in the win as he went 3-of-5 at the dish. Ryan Perkins meanwhile went 2-for-6, scored two runs and had a solo home run.
MSU scored multiple runs in four of the five innings that it scored in, including a huge six-run fifth to break the game open and a four-run eighth. On the night, the Racers also added six extra-base hits, including three home runs, with one each from Lawrence, Perkins and Sims.
Ryan Dills earned his third win on the season as he tied a season-high with seven innings pitched in his start. Dills allowed three earned runs off eight hits in the outing and struck-out five. Caleb Arbeiter and Justin Perkins made relief appearances in the series opener.
The Bruins (20-20, 13-9 OVC) struck first on the night with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second, a run which would be unearned due to an MSU fielding error earlier in the inning. MSU was able to take its first lead of the game in the top of the third thanks to three runs in the inning. A single from Adam Bauer brought home Robinson for the first run, followed later in the inning by an RBI single from Jack Hranec and a Gutzler run to make it 3-1 thanks to a Bruin error.
After Belmont tied things with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third, the Racers were able to take the lead for good with two runs of their own in the top of the fourth. Perkins’ solo homer led off the inning and now ties him with Gutzler for the team lead with 10 long balls on the year. Bauer would then record his first of two sacrifice flies on the night, scoring Robinson and the Racers took a 5-3 advantage.
In the fifth, the Racers were able to bust the game open as Lawrence’s seventh homer of the season led off the inning and made it 6-3. Then in the inning, Robinson singled to left field to plate two. Two batters later, Bauer’s second sac fly made it 9-3 and in the next at-bat, Gutzler brought home two more with a single to left.
After the two teams exchanged runs in the seventh and made the score 12-4, Sims’ solo shot began the scoring in the eighth for MSU. The Racers would add another run later in the inning thanks to an error and would close the scoring on a two-run double by Gutzler.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
RICHMOND, Ky. - Sophomore pitcher Derrick Adams pitched seven scoreless innings and sophomore Nic Gaddis had a two-run home run in the third inning to lead Jacksonville State to a 3-1 Friday night win over Eastern Kentucky at Turkey Hughes Field.
The win moves JSU to 21-18 overall and moved to 9-10 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while the Colonels dropped to 21-21 on the season and 7-12 in the league.
Adams was effective for seven innings as the Decatur, Alabama left hander allowed the only two hits in the first inning and was not touched for the next six frames. Adams fanned three and issued three walks in the outing. Junior Grant Chandler pitched a clean eighth inning before handing the ball over to redshirt junior close Justin Hoyt in the ninth. Hoyt had to face one of the top hitter in NCAA Division I baseball in EKU's Ben Fisher. Fisher broke up the shutout attempt with a leadoff home run. After having the tying runs on the corners, Hoyt induced a ground ball double play to seal the game for Jax State and add his fourth save of the season.
Nic Gaddis handed Adams a two-run lead to work with in the third after collecting his second home run of the season with a shot over the left field wall. The home run scored Chase Robinson, who walked to start the third inning. JSU threatened to add to the lead in the sixth but could not extend the lead off of EKU starter Casey Collins. Collins limited the Gamecocks to three hits, but walked five and posted five strike outs.
JSU added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI sacrifice fly by Josh Bobo, scoring Joe McGuire, who started the inning with a double.
TENNESSEE TECH 8, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The bats were singing for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Friday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles (31-13, 17-2) snapped its season-long four-game losing streak with an 8-4 decision at Southeast Missouri (21-19, 11-11) in the Ohio Valley Conference series opener.
The Golden Eagles put in work on offense, to the tune of 17 hits. The team did the brunt of its damage on the scoreboard in the sixth, however, plating five of its eight runs to rally back from a 4-1 deficit. Pitching was also a key to the day, as the Tech staff fanned 10 and held the Redhawks to nine hits and three walks.
Tech got off to an early 1-0 lead in the first thank to sophomore Trevor Putzig, who swung a particularly hot bat on the day. The TTU third baseman blasted his third long ball of the season to left center field as the second batter of the game.
Redhawk starter Clay Chandler, backed by some strong defensive play, held the Golden Eagles at bay over the next four innings while the home team's offense got its own break in the third. Southeast Missouri plated four in the frame, taking three on the power of a home run from Tristen Gagan.
Junior shortstop David Garza quickly answered for Tech, shaving the 4-1 lead to 4-2 with an RBI single through the left side following a double by Matt Jones. It wasn't until the sixth, though, that the Golden Eagles truly went to work on the offensive end.
Jones led off the frame with his second double of the game and Garza quickly followed with his own double, putting runners in scoring position for freshman left fielder Anthony Carrera. The rookie came through, cutting the SEMO lead by another run with an RBI single through the left side.
Junior catcher Brennon Kaleiwahea earned his own clutch hit as the next batter in the lineup, tying the game with an RBI single to center field. Leadoff man Alex Junior kept the streak of hits alive, laying down a bunt to advance the runners and beating out the throw for a single to load the bases.
Putzig then continued his hot night, plating two with a single through the right side. His second and third RBI of the game provided Tech with a 6-4 lead; and the team still wasn't done. On the next pitch, sophomore right fielder Kevin Strohschein ripped a single to left field, driving in another run and chasing Chandler from the game.
The Golden Eagles received an insurance run in the eighth, courtesy of junior slugger Ryan Flick. The designated hitter clobbered a single to right field after a leadoff single from Kaleiwahea and intentional walk to Strohschein.
Taking over on the hill in the seventh inning, sophomore closer Ethan Roberts turned in a usual lights-out performance, fanning seven over the final three frames to collect his league-leading 11th save of the year. The Sparta, Tenn. native struck out the side in the seventh before facing some trouble in the eighth.
SEMO quickly loaded the bases in the frame, gathering a single, a walk and a third base runner on a catcher's interference call. Never rattled, Roberts rebounded to punch out the next batter. He then threw out a runner at home on a fielder's choice, ensuring an out to move Tech one step closer to escaping the jam. The mission was accomplished following the next three pitches, as Roberts fanned the final batter of the frame.
The Redhawks tried to rally one last time in the eighth, gathering a leadoff single to kick off the ninth. Roberts made sure no other batter saw a base, however, fanning the next SEMO players before inducing a groundball to first base for the final out of the game.
With the save, Roberts moved to just one away from tying the program's single-season record set by Seth Lucio in the 2013 season.
Redshirt junior Evan Fraliex took home the victory after tossing two scoreless innings in relief to bridge between Wood and Roberts. He scattered two hits and recorded a strikeout. Wood finished the game with two punch outs over four innings of work.
On the offensive side of the game, Putzig led the way with a 3-for-5 showing and a team-high three RBI. He finished just a triple shy of the cycle. Jones and Garza each tallied three hits as well while Strohschein, and Kaleiwahea chipped in two hits apiece.
AUSTIN PEAY 19, UT MARTIN 4
MARTIN, Tenn. - Starting pitcher Josh Rye was given plenty of run support and went seven innings to lead Austin Peay State University’s baseball team to an impressive 19-4 victory in the opening game of its Ohio Valley Conference series against UT Martin, Friday afternoon at Skyhawk Field.
Austin Peay (19-20, 10-11 OVC) was at its most dangerous with two outs in the opener. The Governors scored their first nine runs – and 14 of their 19 – with two outs. The Governors finished the game batting 11-for-19 in two-out situations.
No Governor batter was more dangerous with two outs on the board than left fielder Malcolm Tipler, who went 3-for-3. He delivered a two-run, two-out double in the second inning that capped a four-run second inning that gave the Govs the lead for good.
Tipler would find another two-out hit in the fourth inning single that helped keep the inning alive and led to a five-run outburst behind him as the Govs extended their lead to 9-3. Finally, his run-scoring double in the seventh inning capped another four-run frame as APSU widened its lead further, 13-3.
Rye (6-1) benefitted from the Govs second offensive outburst in as many games, going a career-high tying seven innings while holding UT Martin to four runs on eight hits. He was helped mightily by an impressive effort by the APSU defense which turned a school record-tying four double plays.
That Govs defense kept UT Martin (18-22, 7-12 OVC) from stringing together any long rallies. The Skyhawks biggest threat came in the third frame when the first three batters reached base via a hit. Rye would get an out with a ground ball that turned into a run-scoring fielder’s choice then induced another ground ball that the Govs turned into an inning-ending double play, limiting the damage to two runs.
The Skyhawks would get another opportunity in the seventh against Rye when the first two batters reached base safely. Rye again got a ground ball the defense turned into a pair of outs. While the Skyhawks would get a run, the defensive effort foiled a larger opportunity.
Thirteen different Govs hitters ended the game with a base hit, including all nine starters. Tipler led the effort his 3-for-5, three RBI outing that included a pair of doubles. Right fielder Chase Hamilton and pinch hitter Alex Sala also had home runs in the win.
UTM starter Winston Cannon (4-3) began the day by striking out four of the first seven batters he faced, but could not consistently stymie the Govs offense en route to the loss. He was tagged for 10 runs on nine hits and six walks in his 6.1 innings.
Skyhawks center fielder Creighton Eldridge led the Skyhawks nine-hit outing with a 2-for-4, two RBI performance. His effort included a leadoff home run in the third and a RBI single in the seventh – the first and last Skyhawks runs, respectively.