FRIDAY'S SCORES
Southeast Missouri 7, @Eastern Illinois 3
@UT Martin 1, Morehead State 0
Belmont 9, @Austin Peay 5
@Jacksonville State 7, Tennessee Tech 2
@SIUE 11, Eastern Kentucky 2
@#3 TCU 9,
Murray State 2
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, EASTERN ILLINOIS 3
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Southeast Missouri baseball (16-12, 7-6) opened its three-game Ohio Valley Conference series against Eastern Illinois (5-24, 2-8) with a 7-3 victory Friday.
The Redhawk offense scattered 11 hits in the contest. Dan Holst finished the day 3-for-5 while three others had two hits each. Four of SEMO's 11 hits were for extra bases including two doubles and two homers.
Clay Chandler (6-2) pitched six innings in his start, allowing only one run. He gave up seven hits and walked only one with eight strikeouts, one short of tying a season high.
Carlos Vega recorded a save for the second-straight game. It was his fourth of the season. Vega entered in the bottom of the ninth and induced a game-ending double play.
EIU starter Jake Haberer (0-2) pitched four innings and was hit for six Redhawk runs on eight hits. He struck out four but walked a trio of Redhawk hitters and gave up a costly wild pitch that allowed a run to score.
The Redhawks touched home first in the top of the third. With runners on the corners and one out, Tristen Gagan grounded to first. The first baseman threw to second trying for a double play, but the pitcher's foot was not on the bag for the play at first, keeping the inning alive and allowing SEMO to take a 1-0 lead.
Southeast found itself with runners in scoring position and two out in the top of the fourth. A wild pitch by Haberer allowed Danny Wright to score and widen the lead to 2-0.
Chris Osborne led off the fifth inning with a solo shot to right center. Holst and Gagan followed with back-to-back base hits. Brian Lees stepped in and blasted his fourth home run of the season over the wall in dead center to lengthen the lead to 6-0.
Back-to-back doubles by Dougie Parks and Matt Albert scored the first run of the game for the Panthers in the bottom of the sixth.
Wright used a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to plate Gagan and widen the lead back to six, 7-1.
With Panthers on second and third with one out, Nicholas McCormick grounded out to second to plate EIU's second run in the bottom of the eighth, 7-2.
The final Panther run came on a leadoff solo home run by Justin Smith, 7-3. Matthew Wade proceeded to load the bases with one out. Vega entered and got Parks to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game and the ninth inning scoring threat.
Eastern Illinois finished with nine hits. Jimmy Govern and Albert each had two to their name.
UT MARTIN 1, MOREHEAD STATE 0
MARTIN, Tenn. - Freshman Winston Cannon tossed a nearly flawless seven innings on Friday night as the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team shutout Ohio Valley Conference rival Morehead State 1-0 to take game one of the weekend series.
The Skyhawk offense pushed across the game’s lone run in the fourth inning and that is all the Cookeville, Tenn. native needed as he mixed in timely breaking balls to keep the prominent Eagle offense off the scoreboard for the first time in OVC play.
Cannon shut down the Eagles through the first two innings before pitching into a jam in the third. With runners on first and second with just one out, the right-hander forced a ground ball off the bat of Eagle outfielder Michael Patrick as the Skyhawk defense turned the 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
UT Martin (10-16, 2-11 OVC) pushed across the only run of the contest as centerfielder Creighton Eldridge laced a triple into deep left-center field to score Tyler Albright from second base and put the Skyhawks on top 1-0.
Cannon proceeded to shut down the next seven hitters he faced pitching strong all the way into the eighth inning. After surrendering a walk to Morehead State third baseman Eli Boggess to lead off the eighth, Robinson called on senior Alex Evans to come in and shut the door and that is exactly what the Mulvane, Kan. native did. Evans recorded the final six outs for UT Martin as the home team took game one 1-0.
Cannon (3-1) picked up his first collegiate OVC victory, finishing the night with 7.0 innings pitched, allowing just two hits and striking out five batters. Evans (3) picked up the save, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings and punching out three.
Eldridge (3-4, one double, one triple, one RBI) finished the game just one home run shy of hitting for the cycle. Connor Aube (2-2, one walk) also reached base three times for the UT Martin offense.
BELMONT 9, AUSTIN PEAY 5
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont baseball fired on all cylinders early, using a five-run second stanza to push past Austin Peay, 9-5, in the opening game of the series Friday night at Raymond C. Hand Park. BU used an even killed hitting effort with eight different Bruins recording at least one hit in their ninth conference victory this season.
In addition to heating up at the plate, Belmont (14-14, 9-4) enjoyed a stellar performance from starting hurler, Tyler Vaughn (Jonesboro, Ill.), on the hill. He tossed 6.2 frames only allowing three runs while striking out nine Governors.
Belmont's bats exploded in the second frame, accounting for five runs to put the Bruins up, 5-0, early on. The hitting frenzy started with senior Nick Egli (Brentwood, Tenn.), who blasted a standup double to left field and put BU in scoring position right off the bat. From then on, five Bruins collected a RBI single, highlighted by a two-run shot from sophomore Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.). It was Hadden's second hit of the night as he also delivered single in his first at bat in the opening inning.
While BU's offense was lighting up, Vaughn shut down the Governors (13-16, 5-8) through the first 4.2 stanzas. The righty struck out six and only allowed a pair of hits – keeping Austin Peay scoreless in that span.
Redshirt-freshman Matt Cogen (Franklin, Tenn.) added to Belmont's advantage in the fourth after capitalizing on a free ride dealt to junior Kyle Conger (Brentwood, Tenn.). Cogen made it 6-0 with a base shot up the middle that allowed Conger to make his way home.
BU continued to dominate at the plate as senior Clay Payne (Powell, Tenn.) became the eighth Bruin to register a hit, launching a two-run double to deep left field. The veteran's fifth extra-base hit of the year increased the squad's lead to 8-0 after five.
After holding the Govs to just two hits in 4.2 innings of work, Vaughn gave up a pair of doubles that allowed Austin Peay to plate two runs and bring them within six, 8-2. APSU's Garrett Giovannelli tallied the first RBI and claimed the Governors first three hits against Vaughn until Imani Willis drilled a two-bagger of his own. The righty settled back in on the hill and got his seventh batter to strike out and end the frame.
He then up three free rides to load the bases in the bottom of the seventh, to end his day as Head Coach Dave Jarvis dipped into the bullpen and pulled sophomore Kyle Klotz (Fairview, Tenn.) out to take the rubber. Kotz, who inherited runners on all three bases, gave up a RBI walk to bring in Austin Peay's third run cutting into Belmont's lead, 8-3.
With the help of a pair of walks and a single driven by Egli, the Bruins loaded the bases with just one away. Senior Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) got on by the way of a fielder's choice that allowed another Bruin to score and put BU up, 9-3, and claim game one of the series against Austin Peay.
Austin Peay registered three singles in the home half of the ninth, contributing to a pair of runs and bringing the Governors within four, 9-5, but that's as close as they'd get.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 7, TENNESSEE TECH 2
OXFORD, Ala. - Jacksonville State sophomore left hander Derrick Adams silenced a prolific Tennessee Tech offense on Friday night for eight innings and matched his career best in strikeouts to lead JSU to a 7-2 series-opening victory over Tech.
The win pushed Jax State's overall record to 16-11 and moved to the .500 mark (5-5) in OVC play. The win also handed the Golden Eagles (24-8) their first setback of the season as strung together 12 consecutive wins entering the weekend at Choccolocco Park.
Adams was sensational on the mound as he lasted in to the ninth, vying for a complete game performance, but was lifted in the final frame after TTU had a leadoff infield single. The Decatur, Alabama native was touched for just two runs in the outing and one earned run against Tech, who started the weekend hitting .336 against OVC pitching. Adams scattered eight hits in the outing and did not give up a walk. His Friday night mirrored his outing against Western Kentucky on February 26 as he went seven innings and fanned 10 Hilltoppers. He established new career standards against Tech with his eight innings and 10 strikeouts.
Redshirt junior Justin Hoyt relieved Adams in the ninth and struck out the side to combine for 13 strikeouts by JSU pitching on the night. The 13 strikeouts by Tech matched a season high for the Purple and Gold.
Tech's two runs came in the fourth inning as Chase Chambers singled through the left side, scoring the first run of the contest. TTU pushed the second run home on a passed ball.
JSU erased the two-run deficit in the fifth after a two-out fly ball to right field by freshman Chase Robinson was mishandled, scoring sophomore Nic Gaddis and Clayton Daniel, who put together back-to-back singles off of TTU starter Michael Wood.
The Gamecocks took a 4-2 lead in the sixth on senior A.J. Reynold's two RBI double to gap in right center. Reynolds finished the night 2-for-4 at the plate as he was credited with another double that started the eighth with a double. After posting eight runs in the eighth on Tuesday against UAB, JSU continued scoring in the late innings. JSU Head Coach Jim Case gave Gaddis the squeeze bunt play on and he perfected the play with the RBI bunt to push the lead to 5-2.
JSU put the contest out of reach after a two-run home run by Robinson to right field. It was the first career home run for the Pell City, Alabama product.
Daniel joined Reynolds with multiple hits in the contest as his first hit of the night was the 200th of his career. He became the 15th Gamecock all-time to reach the 200 career hits plateau.
Saturday's contest will be carried on the Gamecock Sports Network with air time at 12:40. JSU will send junior right hander Colton Pate to the mound, while Tech will counter with Jake Usher.
SIUE 11, EASTERN KENTUCKY 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE scored early and often Friday in an 11-2 win over Eastern Kentucky in the opener of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Simmons Complex.
SIUE improved to 16-13 overall and 5-8 in the OVC. EKU dropped to 18-13 and 4-6 in the OVC.
The Cougars scored three times on three hits in the first inning and then added three runs in the third to lead 6-0 after three innings.
Dustin Woodcock doubled to drive in two and Jordan Stading added an RBI-hit in the inning. Brock Weimer, Marty Brunk and Eric Giltz added RBIs in the third inning.
The Colonels only two runs came in the fourth with sacrifice flys from Ben Fisher and Dakota Graham to make it 6-2.
Dustin Woodcock grabbed a run back for the Cougars with a home run to lead off the bottom of the inning.
Jared McCunn made it 10-2 Cougars in the fifth with a bases-loaded double to drive home three. Weimer added a sacrifice fly in the seventh for the 11-2 final.
SIUE starter Nelson Martz did not allow a base runner through three innings and worked seven strong innings in the start. He gave up two runs on six hits and struck out four while improving to 4-2.
Mike Miller and Tyler Hutchinson each worked a scoreless inning in relief.
EKU starter Jack Piekos (3-4) allowed 10 runs over 4.2 innings. He walked five and struck out four.
Woodcock was 3 for 3 with two doubles, the home run and two walks. He drove in three.
Keaton Wright, McCunn, Stading and Brunk each had two hits.
Colonels' catcher Logan Starnes was the only EKU player with more than a single hit.
#3 TCU 9, MURRAY STATE 2
FORT WORTH, Texas - No. 3 ranked TCU got a pair of two-run home runs and the Horned Frogs’ pitching staff did the rest as Murray State lost its series opener in Fort Worth, Texas, 9-2 Friday night.
MSU (15-14) did grab the lead first in the contest as Ryan Perkins delivered a sacrifice fly RBI to center field in the second inning, scoring Tyler Lawrence who reached on a walk to lead off the inning. The Horned Frogs (24-5) wouldn’t stay down for long however as a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning put them up 2-1 and TCU wouldn’t relinquish the lead again.
After a three-run third made it 5-2, the Racers were able to push their second run across on a bases-loaded walk from Jaron Robinson, scoring Jack Hranec. MSU squandered an opportunity to do more damage in the inning as the Racers grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the threat.
The Horned Frogs were able to round-out the scoring with two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings. TCU out-hit the Racers 10-5 in the contest and had three extra-base hits while all of MSU’s hits were singles.
Caleb Hicks and Perkins both went 1-for-3 in the loss while Brandon Gutzler, Hranec and Kipp Moore also had base knocks on the night. Ryan Dills got the start and took his first loss of the season as he pitched five innings and allowed five runs while striking out three batters. John Lollar pitched the final three innings in relief on the night.