TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Western Carolina 6,
Morehead State 2
@Alabama A&M 4,
Murray State 1
@Western Kentucky 4,
Belmont 1
Southern Illinois 16,
@Austin Peay 7
@#13 Louisville 4,
Eastern Kentucky 2
@Samford 9,
Jacksonville State 3
@Arkansas State 7,
Southeast Missouri 6
WESTERN CAROLINA 6, MOREHEAD STATE 2
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Despite hitting a number of pitches deep into the outfield, the Morehead State baseball team could not get many to drop in at Western Carolina Tuesday and fell 6-2 to the Catamounts.
The Eagles slipped to 2-3 on the season.
The Catamounts recorded 16 hits off eight Eagle pitchers. Starter Kyle Cantu did not allow a run in the first four frames before the bullpen took over. Sophomore Grant Crosby (0-1) was tagged the loss, allowing the third WCU tally after the Eagles tied the game 2-2 in the top of the seventh. WCU plated three runs in the bottom of the frame before tacking on the final one with a homer in the eighth.
Conway worked two innings, struck out one and allowed just one hit in the fifth and sixth innings.
The Eagles struck first in the third when senior third baseman Eli Boggess singled past the shortstop, and junior left-fielder Niko Hulsizer came around to score when the WCU left-fielder booted the ball.
MSU plated its second run in the seventh on a Braxton Morris sacrifice fly which scored junior shortstop Reid Leonard.
Leonard and Boggess each totaled two hits apiece as MSU had six hits on the day.
ALABAMA A&M 4, MURRAY STATE 1
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Murray State offense struggled to get going Tuesday afternoon as the Racers lost on the road at Alabama A&M, 4-1 at Bulldog Field.
The Racers (1-3) collected just seven hits in the loss but left 12 runners stranded on base. AAMU (3-1) had nine hits and left nine stranded.
For the first time in 2018, MSU scored first as a Ramsey Scott RBI single to right field brought home Jaron Robinson, who opened the game by getting on base via error. That would be the extent of the Racer scoring however.
AAMU was able to tie the game at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third. The Bulldogs took the lead for good on a groundout in the fifth. In the seventh, the Bulldogs pushed their lead up to 4-1 with a pair of runs.
Scott accounted for three of the MSU hits in the loss while Grant Wood and Gavin Wehby both went 1-for-3 at the plate.
Jake Jones got the start and the no-decision in the game as he pitched 3.2 innings and allowed one run on five hits. Chance Carner took the loss, pitching 2.1 innings and allowing a pair of hits and struck-out two batters. Tyler Anderson and Alec Whaley also appeared in relief in the loss.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 4, BELMONT 1
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Belmont baseball dropped a 4-1 decision to Western Kentucky on Tuesday afternoon.
After two quick outs to start the contest, the Bruins heated up when sophomore Matt Cogen sent a ball to center field for Belmont's first hit of the afternoon. After making it to first base, Cogen advanced to second on a wild pitch. Next at bat was junior Chas Hadden who rocketed a RBI single to send Cogen across home plate. After taking the early 1-0 lead, Kocher grounded out to end the inning.
Western Kentucky would strike back in the bottom of the first with sophomore on the bump. After their first batter was hit by a pitch. They would knock a couple base hits later in the inning to send the lead-off batter home. The first inning ended all knotted up 1-1.
The Hilltoppers would strike again in the bottom of the third after a walk and a base hit put a runner in scoring position for a sacrifice RBI to take the lead at 2-1.
Belmont's greatest threat came in the top of the fourth. After two quick outs to start the inning, senior Austin Reynolds blasted a base hit to left field. Senior Cully Day followed that up with a shallow hit to right field that advanced Reynolds to second. Freshman Jordan Henshaw had a nice at-bat that resulted in a walk to load the bases and force a Hilltopper pitching change. Although Belmont was knocking on the door, the next batter struck out and the Bruins continued to trail 2-1.
Western Kentucky would seal its fate in the bottom of the sixth. The first two batters reached on a walk and a single. The third batter blasted another single to put WKU in scoring position. After a sacrifice fly and another hit, two Hilltoppers would make their way home to take the 4-1 lead at the bottom of the sixth.
Belmont was unable to get anything going on the offensive end for the remainder of the matchup, but the defense stepped up to keep Western Kentucky from striking again.
Freshman Chandler Schultz made an appearance on the mound while freshman Stone Selby, junior Brandon Liskey and freshman Kyle Brennan all pitched an inning for the Bruins.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 16, AUSTIN PEAY 7
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Center fielder Nick Walker hit a pair of home runs but it wasn’t enough as Austin Peay State University’s baseball team dropped a 16-7 home-opening decision to Southern Illinois, Tuesday night at Raymond C. Hand Park.
On a blustry day, Austin Peay (3-1) posted its first three home runs of the season. Walker hit solo home runs on consecutive at-bats, leading off the fourth with a homer before adding a one-out shot in the sixth. Second baseman Garrett Giovannelli also had a two-run home run in the third.
Southern Illinois (1-3) hit two home runs in the contest, including left fielder Alex Lyon’s fourth-inning grand slam, to take a 5-0 lead after three innings. However, it was the Salukis patience in a pivotal seventh inning that proved decisive as they waited out six walks as part of a six-run frame that broke the game open.
Austin Peay starting pitcher Tyler Thompson (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing five runs on five hits and three walks in three innings.
Walker, Giovannelli and shortstop Garrett Kueber each had two hits and two RBI for the Govs offense, Kueber tacking on a two-run double in the seventh inning.
SIU starter Bradley Harrison (1-0) picked up the win after holding the Govs to three runs on four hits over five innings.
Lyon went 4-for-4 with five RBI to pace the Southern Illinois offense, which saw the top four hitters in the lineup combine for 13 RBI.
#13 LOUISVILLE 4, EASTERN KENTUCKY 2
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky baseball team jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but 13th ranked Louisville used a big inning to edge the Colonels in a close ball game, 4-2.
Tyler Romanik got things started for EKU (0-4) in the first with a single to center field and Alex Holderbach reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners for Nick Howie. The sophomore tripled down the right field line to clear the bases and put Eastern ahead early.
The Cardinals (4-0) found an answer in the bottom of the second, stringing together three hits to push four runs across and take the lead.
In his collegiate debut, Darren Williams dealt four scoreless relief innings from the hill. The Maysville, Kentucky native faced 14 batters, allowing just two hits and one walk.
The Eastern Kentucky bullpen combined for six scoreless innings.
Romanik led the Colonels with a pair of hits on the night and collected a run.
SAMFORD 9, JACKSONVILLE STATE 3
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Jacksonville State baseball team dropped its first contest of the season with a 9-3 setback to Samford on Tuesday night at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
The Gamecocks dropped to 3-1 on the season after opening the season with three straight wins over Southern Illinois on the opening weekend of the campaign. Samford, who knocked off nationally-ranked Central Florida on Sunday, carried over the momentum from the big win to push its overall mark to 2-2.
The Bulldogs' offense was sparked by that momentum as they scored all nine runs in the first four frames, including a six-run third inning to break open a 1-0 contest. Samford accumulated 13 of its 14 hits off the first three Gamecock hurlers, including seven hits off of starter Cody Willingham. Willingham lasted two-plus innings and was touched for five runs on seven Samford hits. SU put together six hits in the frame, including a two-run home run by Anthony Mulrine. Troy Dixon plated a pair of runs on a single.
SU expanded the lead in the fourth with a leadoff home run by Jordan Fucci and Dixon registered another RBI in the inning. Fucci and Dixon had multiple hits in the win, while Dixon and Mulrine drove in three runs each.
Trailing 9-0, the Gamecocks put together a productive inning with just one hit in the fifth inning. JSU put the first of three runs on the board with an RBI by freshman Isaac Alexander, who reached base via a fielding error by the Bulldogs. Alexander drove in junior Nic Gaddis, who had the only hit in the inning, a double to left field. It was his fourth double in the first three games by the catcher from Trenton, Georgia. Junior Matthew Hammers was credited with an RBI on a fielder's choice, while senior Daniel Clayton's ground out pushed the third run across the dish. The Gamecocks threatened for more with the bases loaded, but the Bulldogs were able to thwart the Jax State comeback.
Gaddis added another hit in the eighth with a single through the left side.
SU starter Hamp Skinner tossed the first four innings and was touched for all three JSU runs. The Bulldogs used five pitchers with all six recording a strikeout. SU pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts.
Jax State sent six pitchers to the mound and saw some bright spots from the final three that saw action, Redshirt freshman Sean Rape pitched a pair of innings, while junior Faleniko Teofilo and freshman Colin Casey pitched the seventh and eighth.
ARKANSAS STATE 7, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6
JONESBORO, Ark. - Southeast Missouri (0-4) tied the game when it was down to its final out in the ninth inning, but Kyle MacDonald drew a leadoff walk and scored the winning run when Jacob Jablonski was hit by a pitch to give Arkansas State (2-2) a 7-6 victory Tuesday.
Trailing, 6-4, SEMO came to life in the top of the ninth when Alex Nielsen led off with a walk. Jesse Kutzke relieved Tanner Kirby and struck out Peyton Faulkner. On the next play, Connor Basler walked. A wild pitch followed allowing Nielsen to advance to third and Basler to go to second. On the next play, Danny Wright walked to load the bases. Shortly after Hunter Southerland struck out, Trevor Ezell stepped in and hit the first pitch of his at-bat for a two-RBI double to tie the game.
In his final at-bat, MacDonald walked on four pitches and moved to second on an ensuing sacrifice bunt by Casey Vaughan. A wild pitch followed and MacDonald went to third. Logan Andersen was then intentionally walked and pinch-hitter Caleb Squire was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ahead 3-2 in the count, Jablonski was plunked and MacDonald scored.
SEMO jumped out to a 3-0 lead, adding a run in each of the first three innings.
Wright led off the game with a walk, stole second and scored on a one-out sacrifice fly by Ezell in the top of the first.
Freshman Wade Stauss, up 2-0 in the count, belted a solo home run to right field off Nate Alberius in the second. Stauss became the first Redhawk to hit a home run this season.
Basler then began the third inning with a single and stole second. Basler later scored on an infield hit by Ezell giving SEMO a three-run cushion.
After the Red Wolves pulled to within one (3-2) in the bottom of the fourth, the Redhawks cashed in on two errors to score an unearned run and take a 4-2 advantage in the fifth.
Then, ASU tied things up during its at-bat in the fifth.
MacDonald reached on a one-out single. Following a Vaughn strikeout, Anderson delivered a triple. MacDonald scored and Andersen crossed home for the tying run on a throwing error to make it 4-4.
Tobias Johnson gave ASU its first lead of the game with a two-out RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth. Two innings later, Johnson ripped another two-out RBI-single to stretch the Red Wolves lead to 6-4.
Kutzke (1-0), one of four ASU pitchers who took the mound, was credited with the win. He struck out two and walked two while allowing one hit and one run in one inning.
Four pitchers also saw action for SEMO. Ryan Losman (0-1) took the loss giving up two runs on two hits and walking two in 1.1 innings.
Offensively, ASU outhit the Redhawks, 11-5.
Johnson paved the way for the Red Wolves going 3-for-4 with two RBI and a walk. Anderson added two hits, a run and two walks.
Ezell went 2-for-4 with a single, double, four RBI and two stolen bases. He has hit safely in all four of his starts this season.
As a team, the Redhawks were active on the basepaths finishing with five stolen bases.