SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 9, UT Martin 8
@Jacksonville State 8, Morehead State 1
Eastern Kentucky 10, @Murray State 4
SIUE 14, @Austin Peay 4
@Tennessee Tech 4, Belmont 1
@Western Michigan 8,
Southeast Missouri 6
EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, UT MARTIN 8
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Looking to keep their Ohio Valley Conference Tournament hopes alive, the Eastern Illinois baseball team needed to pick up a win against UT Martin on Sunday. After battling back-and-forth all game, Eastern Illinois held off a UT Martin ninth-inning comeback attempt and picked up a 9-8 victory.
Eastern Illinois (17-31) and UT Martin (23-24) now share an identical 10-14 record in the OVC following Sunday's result.
UT Martin jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a run in the first inning and two more in the second, but the Panthers responded to tie the game at three in the bottom-half of the second. After Josh Turnock got hit by a pitch to start the inning, Andrew Curran drew a walk to put to runners on for Frankie Perrone. Perrone belted a home run to center field and knotted the score at three.
The Panthers used a two-out rally to take the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Matt Albert started the rally with a walk and moved up to third on a single by Turnock. Andrew Curran gave the Panthers a 5-3 lead with a two-run double into the gap in right-center field.
An error by the Panthers gave the Skyhawks some life in the bottom of the fifth. With a runner on second, Tanner Wessling brought UT Martin within one on an RBI single. A walk to Keylen Steen moved Wessling into scoring position. Josh Hauser tied the game at five with an RBI single to right.
UT Martin regained the lead with a run in the top of the sixth, but the Panthers answered right back in the bottom-half of the inning to tie the game at six.
Jimmy Govern put the Panthers in business in the bottom of the seventh with a lead-off double. Logan Beaman drove in Govern on the next at-bat with an RBI single. Albert followed the Beaman RBI base hit with a two-run home run to give the Panthers a 9-6 advantage heading into the final innings.
After both teams were held scoreless in the eighth inning, the UT Martin bats came alive again in the top of the ninth. Wessling started the inning with a lead-off home run to left field. The Skyhawks followed the home run with a back-to-back singles. With runners on the corners, Ben Aslett drove a ball into deep center field that drove EIU's center field Duncan to the wall. Duncan saved the Panthers by robbing a would-be home run, but the Skyhawks still put a run across on the play on a sacrifice fly. After robbing the home run, Duncan was once again chased near the wall on the next play, but the junior was able to haul in the final putout of the game sealed the EIU victory.
Michael Starcevich earned the win on the mound, allowing just three runs in four innings of relief. Devin Rose had a solid outing in his second start of the season, as he allowed just two earned runs in five innings pitched.
Turnock was the lone Panther with a multi-hit game as he finished with two hits.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 8, MOREHEAD STATE 1
OXFORD, Ala. - Jacksonville State has now claimed weekend series over the top-two teams in the Ohio Valley Conference after taking the series over Morehead State, 8-1, on Sunday afternoon at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.
The Eagles, who entered the weekend in second place, will remain in that spot but fell to 30-18 on the season and 14-9 in OVC play. Jax State, who has a series win over league-leading Tennessee Tech earlier this season, improved to 25-21 overall and level in the OVC at 12-12. With two weekends left in the regular season, JSU will travel to UT Martin next weekend before hosting SIU Edwardsville on the final weekend of the season.
It was a dominating performance on the mound by senior Joe McGuire and the Gamecocks' offense pounded out 11 total hits, including four extra base hits on the day. Junior Clayton Daniel continues to produce for the Gamecocks with a 3-for-5 day at the plate. His leadoff triple in the fourth ignited JSU to a three-run inning to erase a 1-0 deficit. Daniel scored on a Taylor Hawthorne's misplayed fly ball in left field. Sophomore Nic Gaddis, who had the best weekend of any Gamecock at the plate, had one of his six hits on the weekend with an RBI single.
The lead was all McGuire needed as he silenced the Eagles, who are one of the top-hitting teams in NCAA Division I Baseball. In seven innings of work, McGuire held MSU to four hits, with two of them coming from Niko Hulsizer. The Oxford, Alabama right hander fanned six Eagles and allowed one free pass. He moved to 7-1 on the season and notched his fourth win against OVC competition. Junior Trent Simpson and redshirt junior Justin Hoyt worked clean innings in the eighth and ninth respectively.
JSU expanded the lead in the fifth with Hawthorne's second RBI of the day and an RBI by senior A.J. Reynolds. The Gamecocks continued to add runs with two more in the seventh. Back-to-back doubles by Reynolds and Simpson pushed the two runs across the plate. JSU's final run of the day was a solo home run off the bat of senior Josh Bobo. The home run over the right center wall was his third of the season.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 10, MURRAY STATE 4
MURRAY, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team used an eight-run first inning to establish a lead it would not surrender, beating the Murray State University Racers, 10-4, at Reagan Field on Sunday.
The Colonels (23-25, 9-15 OVC) came out swinging in the first inning when Cornell Nixon led the game off with a single. Nick Howie sent a double into right field in the next at-bat, putting runners on second and third. Ben Fisher used a double to right center to bring both Nixon and Howie home and give EKU a 2-0 lead. After Alex Holderbach drew a walk and Shea Sullivan singled with a bunt to load the bases, Matt Olive launched his fourth home run of the season over the wall in left center for a bases clearing grand slam. Finally, Ryland Kerr singled and scored in the next at-bat thanks to a Logan Starnes double, putting the Colonels in front 7-0 heading to the bottom of the first.
The Racers (24-24, 12-12 OVC) got a run back in the bottom of the second on a Jack Hranec single, making it 7-1 EKU after the second.
A scoreless third gave way to the fourth where Eastern would extend its lead. Fisher started the inning off getting hit by a pitch and advancing to second on a wild pitch. A Holderbach single sent Fisher to third, and a Sullivan sacrifice fly brought him home. After a passed ball allowed Holderbach to advance to second, Olive doubled down the left field line to score Holderbach, giving EKU a 9-1 lead after the top of the fourth.
Murray State tried to chip away at the EKU lead in the bottom of the fifth, but only managed to score one run on a Brandon Gutzler double, and the Colonels took a 9-2 advantage into the sixth.
In the sixth the Racers continued to claw away at the Eastern lead, this time with a two-run homer from Hranec. EKU still held the lead, 9-4, going into the seventh.
Eastern cracked double digits in the top of the eighth when Brenden Overton, who came on as a pinch runner for Holderbach, scored from third on a wild pitch, extending Eastern's lead to six, 10-4. EKU would shut the Racers down over the next two innings, securing the 10-4 victory.
Olive's five RBIs on three hits led the way for Eastern. Fisher picked up two RBIs, while Nixon, Holderbach and Sullivan finished with two hits each. Bryan Quillens (3-2) earned the win with six innings on the mound, striking out three. Caleb Johnson notched his seventh save of the year with his three innings of scoreless relief.
SIUE 14, AUSTIN PEAY 4
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - – Dustin Woodcock and Jordan Stading combined for three home runs and 10 RBIs Sunday as SIUE completed a three-game series sweep with a 14-4 win at Austin Peay Sunday.
The sweep marks the first OVC road sweep for SIUE since March of 2015 when the Cougars swept a series at Jacksonville State.
SIUE outscored Austin Peay 31-11 over the three games.
The Cougars improved to 21-24 overall and 9-15 in Ohio Valley Conference play. SIUE is now just one game back of UT Martin and Eastern Illinois in the OVC Standings with six conference games to play. The Skyhawks and Panthers are tied for the eighth in the league. The top eight teams make the OVC Championship field. SIUE plays host to Eastern Illinois in the final home series next weekend at Simmons Complex.
Austin Peay fell to 20-25 overall and 11-15 in the OVC.
Woodcock got the Cougars on the board in the first inning with the first of four SIUE home runs. His three-run shot to right put SIUE up 3-0.
Chase Hamilton answered for APSU with a two-run homer in the second to cut the lead to 3-2. It was as close as Austin Peay would get the rest of the way.
Jordan Stading connected on a three-run home run in third inning to extend SIUE's lead to 6-2.
SIUE scored five times in the fourth inning. Woodcock hit his second three-run blast of the game before Eric Giltz added a two-run single to left to give the Cougars an 11-2 lead. Stading added an RBI-single and Marty Brunk hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to make it 14-2 Cougars.
Austin Peay scored twice on three hits in the seventh inning to make it 14-4.
Cougar starter Danny Ehrsam (4-2) turned in his longest out of the year, working into the seventh inning. He allowed four runs on seven hits. He struck out two.
Woodcock finished 4 for 5 with the two homers and six RBIs. He also made a running catch against the brick side wall in right field to end the fourth inning.
The Cougars finished with 16 hits. Stading was 3 for 4 with the home run and four RBIs. Giltz was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and Alec Skender was 3 for 6 with two runs scored.
TENNESSEE TECH 4, BELMONT 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The magic number is now one for the Tennessee Tech baseball team following its 4-1 victory over in-state rival Belmont Sunday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles (34-14, 20-3) will look to claim their ninth Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship in program history Monday afternoon, facing off against the Bruins (22-23, 14-12) in the series finale at 1 p.m. CT.
Tech's victory over Belmont on Sunday clinched the team's seventh OVC series win of the season, and it came on the power of a mighty swing, not to mention a couple of stellar pitching performances.
Starter Jake Usher was brilliant on the day, tossing six and one third innings while holding the visitor bats to just five hits and one earned run. Junior reliever Travis Moths finished things up, clearing the final two and two thirds innings with just two hits surrendered and four strikeouts.
For the second straight game, the Tech offense jumped on the scoreboard first, going to work in the bottom of the third. Senior second baseman Matt Jones led the way, ripping a double off the right field wall on the first pitch of the frame. Two batters later, junior left fielder Collin Harris singled through the right side to drive in Jones and give TTU a 1-0 lead.
Having already blanked Belmont over the first three frames, Usher ended all threats from the Bruins over the next three innings as well, highlighted by a bases-loaded, 3-6-1 double play to end the fifth, turned by junior first baseman Chase Chambers, junior shortstop David Garza and Usher himself.
Belmont finally managed to put a small dent in Usher's armor in the seventh, gathering a bunt single from Kyle Conger with one out. Conger then stole second and advanced to third soon after on a throwing miscue by the Golden Eagles. Tyler Walsh tied the game with a double down the third base line that drove in Conger.
Moths took over from that point on and helped work two quick outs to get out of the inning. It wasn't until Belmont went to its own bullpen that the Golden Eagles provided the damaging blow. The Bruins called upon Brennan Washington in the eighth to replace started Dylan King.
Harris opened the frame by rebounding from an 0-2 count to draw a six-pitch walk. Sophomore center fielder Alex Junior used his blazing speed to reach base on a bunt single while attempting to move Harris over to second base, giving the Golden Eagles two runners on base.
Washington rallied a bit to force two straight fly ball outs and move within three strikes of getting out of the inning with no damage. Junior designated hitter Ryan Flick had other ideas.
With a 1-1 count, the Tech slugger uncorked a laser shot to left center field that undercut the wind blowing in and cleared the wall for a three-run home run. The blast marked Flick's 13th of the season and his 36th extra base hit of the season. It also provided a 4-1 lead as the Golden Eagles headed to the top of the ninth, just three outs away from another victory.
After surrendering a leadoff double, Moths made quick work of the Belmont bats the rest of the inning, inducing a ground ball to second base before striking out the final two batters of the game. He earned his third victory of the year out of the bullpen.
Flick finished the game with a team-high two hits in four trips to the plate, driving in three runs. Five other Tech bats registered hits in the game as well.
WESTERN MICHIGAN 8, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Southeast Missouri (24-22) couldn't complete its series sweep of Western Michigan (19-22) on Sunday, falling in the finale, 8-6.
The teams nearly scored as many runs as there were hits in the game as each squad scattered eight base knocks. Danny Wright was the lone Redhawk with multiple hits, going 2-for-5. He may have only had one hit, but Dan Holst was on base four times after tying a career-best three walks.
Nate Green pitched six and a third innings in his ninth start. He allowed three runs in the first then settled in to pitch five straight scoreless, hitless innings. In the end, he was responsible for five runs on only four hits. He struck out a season-high four batters but walked three. He suffered a no decision after WMU tied the game in the seventh inning.
Reliever Chase Hagerty (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. Southeast used four pitchers in the final inning and two-thirds.
WMU starter Jimmy Townsend-Chase worked six complete innings and allowed four runs on five hits. He struck out two but issued two walks and hit two batters. After recording the loss in game one of the series, Nic Laio (3-1) earned the win on Sunday as he was the pitcher of record when WMU took the lead in the eighth. He pitched the final three scoreless innings, surrendering just three hits.
The Broncos hit Green for three runs in the bottom of the first to take an early lead. A leadoff walk and a base hit began the inning. Both runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Tanner Allison drove in the first run with a single into left. Nate Grys followed with a two-RBI double to go ahead 3-0 on Southeast.
In the top of the next inning, SEMO plated a pair of runs to cut the early lead to one. Chris Caffrey was hit by the first pitch of the inning and Wright followed with a base hit. After Aiden McMahan bunted both runners over, Josh Haggerty put the ball in play with a groundout to short, good enough to put the Redhawks on the board. Connor Basler drew a two-out walk then induced a rundown between first and second. On the play, Wright snuck home and scored before Basler was tagged out at second, 3-2.
Holst led off the top of the fifth with a bounding ball single through the right side. He advanced on a groundout then scored from second on a base hit to left by Tristen Gagan to tie the game at three all. The RBI was Gagan's 50th of the season.
Three runs in the top of the seventh gave the Redhawks a lead. Kyle Bottger led off the inning with a base hit. After a pitching change, Holst drew a walk and Chris Osborne reached on an error by the left fielder to load the bases. Following another pitching change, Gagan hit a slow roller in front of the plate for an RBI groundout to score Bottger, the go-ahead run. Caffrey immediately followed with a two-run double to make it a three-run, 6-3 lead for the Redhawks.
The Broncos immediately got all three runs back in the bottom of the inning to retie the game. Following a one-out walk, the first hit off Green since the first inning was an RBI double by Nick Vogelmeier. Jared Waldhoff entered, got the second out then hit the next batter he faced. SEMO brought Wesley Pyles in to face Allison who tied the game with a two-run double to right center, 6-6. Hagerty then took the mound and got the final out of the inning, preserving the tie.
Alex Goodwin led off the eighth with a double down the right field line. On a sac bunt attempt by Jesse Forestell, McMahan threw the ball wildly to first, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Connor Smith later drove in Forestell with an infield single to short, 8-6.
Smith and Allison each had two hits for WMU in the finale while Allison drove in three runs. Exactly half of the Broncos' hits were doubles.