WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 17, Illinois State 13
#21 Tennessee Tech 12, @Alabama A&M 8
@Morehead State 18, West Virginia Tech 1
@Southern Illinois 11,
Murray State 9
@SIUE 7, Saint Louis 6
EASTERN ILLINOIS 17, ILLINOIS STATE 13
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Jimmy Huber homered twice in the first inning as Eastern Illinois jumped out to a 9-0 lead on a windy Wednesday afternoon at Coaches Stadium. Just under three and a half hours and ten combined home runs later, EIU held on for a 17-13 win over Illinois State.
The Panthers improved to 13-22 overall while the Redbirds fell to 14-19.
Huber led off the game with a home run to center field. He would homer again in the first inning, this time driving in Tyler Tesmond as the Panthers batted around. In the inning Jimmy Govern drove home two runs with a single, Tesmond drove home a pair with a single and Ryan Knernschield added a solo homer.
Carson Haws was effective enough on the mound for EIU as he allowed six earned runs in 6.2 innings of work to improve to 2-4 on the season. Jack Spicer recorded just one out for ISU as he fell to 1-1 with the loss.
After ISU scored a run in the top of the second, Matt Albert drove home a run for the Panthers in the bottom of the frame. Albert added a two-run homer in the fourth as he finished the day with three RBI, one of five Panthers with multiple RBI in the game.
The Redbirds chipped away at the lead with three runs in the third and three runs in the fifth. Owen Miller had an RBI double in the third while Joe Aeilts belted a two run homer. Joe Butler had a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the sixth that cut the EIU lead to 12-9.
Hunter Morris gave the Panthers a little breathing room in the bottom of the sixth with the first of his two home runs in the game, a two-run shot to center. Morris added a three-run home run in the eighth as he was 4-of-5 with six RBI in the game. Morris three run shot in the eighth came after ISU had made it 14-12 with three runs in the top of the eighth. John Rave had a three-run home run for the Redbirds to cut the lead to two.
In the ninth, ISU scored one run on a wild pitch with based loaded and Michael Starcevich struck out the final batter with runners at second and third.
Huber was 3-for-6 while Albert went 3-for-3 for the Panthers.
#21 TENNESSEE TECH 12, ALABAMA A&M 8
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - A seesaw battle for much of the day, the No. 21 ranked Tennessee Tech baseball team rallied and held on late to defeat Alabama A&M Wednesday afternoon, extending the nation's longest winning streak to 22 games with a 12-8 victory in Huntsville, Ala.
With the win over the Bulldogs (7-32), the Golden Eagles (31-5) tied the 1975 Murray State squad for the longest winning streak in Ohio Valley Conference history.
Early in the contest, things were clicking for the home team, as the Bulldogs raced ahead to a 2-0 lead, the first deficit faced by the Golden Eagles since scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for an 8-7, walk-off victory against Jacksonville on Apr. 7.
Tech answered in the third, gathering its first hit of the contest with a single by center field Alex Junior. Putzig followed after a throwing error allowed Junior to advance to third, singling to left field for an RBI.
Alabama A&M took the run back in the bottom of the third, but the Golden Eagles once again had an answer. Senior Chase Chambers led off the top of the fourth with the first of six long balls by the Tech lineup, a solo shot to left field. It marked his 10th home run of the year, making him the fourth member of the Golden Eagles to hit the double-digit mark in dingers.
Another leadoff long ball in the fifth by senior Collin Harris, squared the contest at 3-3. Junior doubled to right center two batters later and dented the plate for the first TTU lead of the game on an RBI single up the middle by Putzig.
Refusing to go down without a fight, the Bulldogs retaliated with a four-spot in the bottom half, jumping back on top, 7-4. Keeping with the theme of the contest, however, the Golden Eagles again answered in kind.
For the third time in as many inning, a Tech batter led off with a moon shot. This time it was senior shortstop David Garza who unleashed the power, blasting his third wall-jumper in two days to left center field to open the sixth. Junior Nick Osborne made it back-to-back jacks with his sixth bomb of the year, also to left center field.
Following a pitching change, Collin Harris single on the second pitch he saw, keeping the momentum alive for catcher John Elford. The sophomore didn't disappoint, crushing a two-run line drive down the left field line and over the fence to make it an 8-7 game in favor of the visitors.
One last time, Alabama A&M mounted an offensive attack, loading the bases and scoring the tying, unearned run in the sixth. Tech hurler Seth Noel got out of the jam without further damage, gathering a strikeout with the bases juiced to end the frame. He would go on to pick up his first win of the season.
After a quick out in the seventh, Garza played hero for the Golden Eagles, crushing his fourth home run in two days to left center field for the eventual game-winning run. It marked the senior's 11th long ball of the year while his first dinger of the day made him the fifth Tech player to hit double figures in home runs on the year.
In need of a way to quiet a relatively potent offensive attack from the Bulldogs, head coach Matt Bragga turned to closer Ethan Roberts to start the bottom of the seventh. The right-hander dropped the hammer, striking out the side on just 12 pitches.
Roberts would need just 44 total offerings to close out the contest, finishing the final three innings while allowing just two hits. The Sparta, Tenn. native struck out seven batters in the contest while securing his eighth save of the season. More impressively, it also represented his 23rd career save, officially breaking the Tech program record set by Seth Lucio in 2014.
Tech plated three more runs in the contest to give Roberts some insurance, leading to the 12-8 victory. With 12 runs scored, the potent Tech lineup recorded its 19th game of the year scoring in double figures. In the contest, the Golden Eagles also lifted its staggering home run total on the year to a whopping 90 in just 36 games.
MOREHEAD STATE 18, WEST VIRGINIA TECH 1
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Senior infielder Braxton Morris finished 4-for-4 with two home runs and scored a school-record six times, and the Morehead State pitching staff combined to only allow two hits as the Eagles hammered West Virginia Tech 18-1 at Allen Field Wednesday.
Morehead State, which has now scored 90 (18.0) runs at home in the last five at Allen Field, improved to 24-14 with its eighth win against just one loss in April. The Golden Bears fell to 14-28.
Morris pounded a two-run homer to right field in the first inning to get the scoring show going and added another two-run bomb to left field in the third. After that he nearly had the cycle, lacing a triple to left center field and a double to left field and crossing the plate six times to break the school record held by five former players and one current one (Jake Hammon).
Morehead State hitters drew 13 walks from eight WVU-Tech hurlers and also were hit twice and moved up on five wild pitches while only striking out once (in the eighth inning). Meanwhile, the Eagle pitchers whiffed 10 Golden Bear batters.
WVU-Tech's only hits were both for extra bases, but both were down the right-field line where Hammon nearly came up with diving catches.
Morehead State belted four home runs. In addition to Morris' pair, juniors Trevor Snyder and Connor Pauly also lifted balls out of the yard. Snyder's team-best 10th was a solo shot in the third frame, and Pauly crushed a homer off the light pole in right field for a three-run job in the fourth.
The Eagles were efficient as they had 14 hits with 10 different batters getting at least one. Snyder was 2-for-3. Junior shortstop Reid Leonard drew a walk and had a hit to extend his now team-best reached-base streak to 30 games. He is the second Eagle this year with at least a 30-game reached-base streak, joining Morris (who had a 34-gamer).
Sophomore Jake Ziegelmeyer, who just returned last weekend from an extended injury break, started and was credited with the win to move to 3-0. Dom Masullo, Will Lozinak, Jeff Purnell, John Sherman, Garret Rogers and Grant Crosby also contributed to the winning effort.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 11, MURRAY STATE 9
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois got a two-out, three-run home run to left field in the bottom of the eighth to help defeat Murray State Wednesday night in Carbondale, 11-9.
MSU (17-19) led for much of the contest after falling behind 2-0. The Racers got a four-run top of the third and then a three-run fourth to move in front of the Salukis (20-17). For much of the contest, each time the Salukis would score to cut into the MSU lead, the Racers would respond in the next half inning to maintain it’s advantage. SIU would score in all but one inning on the night.
In the third, Gavin Wehby got MSU on the board for the first time with an RBI single to right field. Two batters later, Davis Sims produced his 20th double of the season, this one down the line that scored two and the Racers led 3-2. Brandon Gutzler round-out the scoring in the next at-bat with a ribbie of his own and it was 4-2.
After the Salukis scored in the bottom half of the inning, the Racers pushed the lead up to 7-3 in the fourth. Grant Wood drew a bases-loaded walk in the inning and after Sims brought a run home by grounding into a double play, Gutzler ripped a base hit up to gut to score Wehby.
SIU would score two runs in their half of the fourth to make it 7-5. Kyle Stevens smoked his first career home run over the left field wall in the fifth to put MSU up 8-5 and then when SIU got another two-run inning, Wood singled to right field to make it 9-7 prior to Southern Illinois scoring in the bottom of the sixth to make it 9-8 Racers. SIU went scoreless in the seventh before the homer in the eighth.
Wehby led the Racers going 2-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored. Jaron Robinson was 1-of-3 with a pair of runs while Stevens also went 1-for-3 at the dish with the homer.
The Racers used six pitchers in the contest. Tyler Horsley got the start and went 2.1 innings, allowing three runs, one of which was earned on three hits. Luke Brown, Chance Carner, Caleb Hicks, Connor Holden and Alec Whaley all appeared in relief. Hicks took the loss as he pitched the eighth.
SIUE 7, SAINT LOUIS 6
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE baseball erased a 6-0 deficit Wednesday to grab a come-from-behind 7-6 win over Saint Louis at Simmons Baseball Complex.
SIUE has won two straight and improved to 9-26. Saint Louis dropped to 25-11.
In the third meeting of the season between the two teams, the Billikens built a lead on the strength of two three-run home runs. Kyle Fletcher's three-run homer in the fourth made it 3-0. Parker Sniatynski's shot made it 6-0 Saint Louis in the fifth inning.
The Cougars scored six times in the sixth inning. Aaron Jackson led off the inning with his first career home run. With one out, SIUE loaded the bases thanks to two walks a hit batter. Brock Weimer drove home two with a double to the gap in right field to cut the lead to 6-3.
With two outs in the inning Garret Carmichael hit a bouncing ball towards third. SLU third baseman Zach Frieling threw wildly of first base allowing two runs to score and Carmichael to get to third base. Bret Fehr then roped a double to left field to tie the game, 6-6.
Saint Louis pitcher Sean Frontzak hit Jordan Ross and Eric Giltz with a pitch to start the seventh inning before Peyton Cordova-Smith sacrificed them to second and third. Weimer then hit a slow rolling ball to the left side of the infield. Frontzak was able to field the ball and throw out Weimer, but Ross scored from third to put SIUE on top.
Weimer finished 1 for 3 with three RBIs. Jackson was 2 for 4 with the home run for the Cougars, who were outhit by Saint Louis 8-7.
Braydon Bone, Chris Robinson and Mason McReaken finished the game with three scoreless frames. Each right-hander threw an inning. Bone (1-1) earned the win. He struck out three. Robinson fanned two in the eighth. McReaken earned his fourth save of the year with a 1-2-3 ninth. He struck out two.
Brock Fulkerson threw two scoreless innings in the start for SIUE. He struck out four.