FRIDAY'S SCORES
Austin Peay 10, @Belmont 6
@Morehead State 25-18, UT Martin 2-7
@Eastern Kentucky 15-10, SIUE 3-7
Eastern Illinois 5, @Southeast Missouri 3
@Tennessee Tech 9, Jacksonville State 8
@Murray State 8, Harris-Stowe 5
AUSTIN PEAY 10, BELMONT 6
NASHVILLE - Designated hitter Brett Newberg hit three home runs and Austin Peay State University’s baseball team launched five homers in a 10-5 Ohio Valley Conference series-opening win against Belmont, Friday, at E.S. Rose Park.
Newberg’s three home runs came in his first three at-bats and each proved pivotal. His first to right center in the second gave the Govs their first run of the contest. Newberg then hit his second to left of center field in the fourth to give Austin Peay its first lead, 3-1. His final home run was to straightaway center field and provided the Govs a 6-5 lead they would not relinquish.
Austin Peay (17-13, 8-5 OVC) also got home runs from right fielder Nick Walker and catcher Alex Sala in a three home run fourth inning. After grabbing the lead for good on Newberg’s final home run, the Govs secured the lead with a three-run seventh inning that saw Nick Walker and left fielder Kyle Wilson each supply RBI.
Belmont (12-17, 7-6 OVC) scored the game’s first two runs, striking in the first inning. Shortstop Kyle Conger walked to start the game and later scored on a wild pitch. Third baseman Ben Kocher followed with a run-scoring double to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead.
Austin Peay starting pitcher Michael Costanzo (5-1) overcame the rocky start with some help from his defense. The Governors turned double plays in the second and third innings to keep the Bruins off the scoreboard. Belmont would score twice in the fourth and add a run in the fifth, but each burst only served to tie the game.
Costanzo would retire eight straight late in his outing, including a fly out to start the eighth. But he would allow a solo home run and a single in the eighth to end his outing. Newberg would then take the mound and recorded the final five outs to end the game.
Newberg became the first Govs batter to hit three home runs in a game since Logan Gray in 2015 and finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBI and a walk. Nick Walker, making his first start in right field since March 00, went 3-for-5 with two RBI.
Belmont starter Tyler Vaughn (3-3) suffered the loss after surrendering six runs on seven hits, including five home runs, while striking out seven in six innings of work. Conger and first baseman Chas Hadden each went 2-for-3 to pace the Bruins offense.
MOREHEAD STATE 25-18, UT MARTIN 2-7
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Morehead State's baseball team blasted 14 home runs and scored 43 runs en route to a doubleheader sweep over UT Martin Friday. The Eagles nailed a school record-tying eight round-trippers in a 25-2 win in the opener and nearly equaled that with six more long balls in an 18-7 nightcap victory.
The Eagles (20-13/8-4 OVC) swept the series from the Skyhawks (5-23/2-13), the second OVC series sweep this season. Every starting field player collected at least one home run, and juniors Niko Hulsizer, Adam Rapp, Trevor Snyder and Jake Hammon all homered twice in the doubleheader scoring onslaught.
Meanwhile the Eagle pitching staff (seven pitchers saw action) combined to strike out 22 UTM batters.
In game one, a nine-run first inning set the stage for a prolific offensive outburst, one in which the Eagles scored at least a run in every inning but the eighth. MSU plated multiple runs in the first five frames and then tacked on five more in the seventh for its highest run total since scoring 28 against SIU Edwardsville last year.
Six Eagles recorded multi-hit games, including four-hit contests from Snyder and juniors Reid Leonard and Connor Pauly. Snyder homered twice and had three RBI, and Rapp notched four RBI. Leonard, senior Braxton Morris, freshman Bryce Hensor and sophomore Sam Sustersic all had a pair of RBI as Morris and Sustersic also nailed home runs - Sustersic's first career four-bagger.
Hensor and junior Hunter Fain tallied homers as well.
On the mound, a trio of hurlers pitched three innings each and combined for 10 Ks. The second man up, senior righty Kyle Cantu (3-0), was credited with the win. Reliever Garrett Rogers had his best career outing with only two hits allowed and two punchouts in the final three UTM at-bats. Rogers was credited with his first career save.
In game two, Hulsizer, who just returned from a month-long stint on the injured list, sent mammoth home runs over the left field wall on his first two at-bats, while Leonard, Rapp and Hammon also played long ball.
Rapp finished with three hits and five more RBI, giving him nine runs knocked in for the day. Morris led the way with a 4-for-5 day, while Hulsizer was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Leonard notched two hits and four RBI.
The Eagles started fast again, tagging UTM starting pitcher Sam Folks for 11 runs in the first two innings. The hosts built a 15-4 cushion after the fourth inning.
Senior righty JC Hatcher allowed just two hits in 2.1 innings of relief to grab the victory. Sophomore Dom Masullo and freshman Will Lozinak each struck out the side in their inning of work as the Eagle staff sat down 12 Skyhawks on strikeouts.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 15-10, SIUE 3-7
RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky University’s baseball team ran its Ohio Valley Conference winning streak to six straight with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Friday at Earle Combs Stadium. The Colonels won by scores of 15-3 and 10-7.
Because of poor weather conditions forecasted for Saturday, game three of the series will now be played on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
Eastern (14-17, 7-4 OVC) clinched the series and has now won three straight conference series. The Colonels have won seven of their last eight OVC games.
With game two tied 7-7, Daniel Harris IV led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a double down the left field line. With two outs, Ryland Kerr brought Harris home, and gave Eastern an 8-7 lead, with a single to left center.
After Alex Holderbach was hit by a pitch, Tyler Romanik drove in a run with a single down the right field line. Nick Howie extended the EKU lead to 10-7 with a single to right.
Romanik finished 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Kerr was 3-for-5 with two runs and two driven in. Howie had a 2-for-4 day with three RBIs.
The Colonels scored three times in the third inning to build a 4-1 lead. Romanik’s RBI double got it started. Howie and Will Johnson followed with back-to-back RBI ground outs.
The Cougars tied the game, 5-5, on Jared McCunn’s two-run home run in the top of the fifth.
Howie’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the fifth broke the tie and put Eastern in front 6-5. Will Johnson drove in a run with a single down the left field line in the bottom of the seventh.
SIU Edwardsville scored twice in the top of the eighth to tie it. Steven Pattan’s single to right scored Bret Fehr to make it 7-7.
The Colonels wasted little time putting game one away, scoring 14 runs in the first two innings. Alex Holderbach had a two-run double to get it started. Harris capped a six-run first inning with a two-run, inside the park home run.
Kerr started the scoring in the second inning with a solo home run, his first of the season. Harris had a two-run single later in the inning to make it 11-0 and giving him four RBIs in two innings. Twelve batters would come to the plate in the eight-run second inning. Kerr finished it off with a sacrifice fly to give the home squad a 14-0 lead.
Lead-off hitter Cornell Nixon started the game 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Harris had a 3-for-5 game with two runs and four RBIs. Kerr went 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs.
SIUE avoided the shutout, and made it 15-1, with Pattan’s sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth.
All nine EKU starters had at least one hit. Seven Colonels had two or more hits. Six players scored two or more runs.
Logan Teague (3-3) started and turned in his second quality start of the season. He allowed just one run on five hits, walked one and struck out four over six innings.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team took on Southeast Missouri in the first game of their OVC series on Friday afternoon. The Panthers offense belted two home runs to help lift them over SEMO 5-3.
With the win Eastern Illinois improves to 10-17 (2-7 OVC), while SEMO drops to 12-8 (8-5 OVC).
The Panthers struck the scoring column first in top of the third inning. Joseph Duncan got the rally started with a two-out double to right center. Jimmy Govern would draw a walk in the following at-bat to give the panthers two runners on base. The Panthers would take a 3-0 lead when Jimmy Huber drove his second home run of the season to right field.
SEMO would answer back in the bottom of the third inning tying the game on a Peyton Faulkner sacrifice.
In the top of the sixth inning the Panthers would pull away from SEMO taking a 5-3 lead. Huber led off the inning with a leadoff single to center. Dougie Parks would clear the bases, hitting his seventh home run of the season.
The Eastern Illinois pitching staff was lights out after the third inning shutting down the SEMO offense. Tyler Jones found his composure after the third inning picking up his third win of the season. Jones advanced to 3-2 on the season tossing 6.0 innings, with two hits, two strikeouts, four walks, and three runs (one earned).
Michael Starcevich picked up his fifth save of the season pitching 3.0 innings, with one hit, and five strikeouts.
Duncan finished 1-for-3 with a double, and a run. Huber finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs, and a home run. Josh Turnock finished 1-for-4 with a double. Parks went 1-for-3 on the afternoon with two RBIs, a run, and a home run.
TENNESSEE TECH 9, JACKSONVILLE STATE 8
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Win number 14 of the nation's longest winning streak turned out to be perhaps the most thrilling thus far for the Tennessee Tech baseball team.
The Golden Eagles (23-5, 12-1) tied the longest streak in program history in style Friday afternoon, rallying for a 9-8, walk-off victory over Jacksonville State (16-11, 6-4) to claim game one of the Ohio Valley Conference series.
Headed into the bottom of the ninth knotted at eight runs apiece, Tech used the heart of the order to earn its 14th consecutive win. Junior Kevin Strohschein led off the frame with a single to right field on the first pitch he saw.
Senior Chase Chambers took his spot at the dish next, and quickly fell behind in the count 0-2. He took a ball on the next offering and fouled off a strikeout attempt to keep his at bat alive. Then, the four-year starter delivered one of the biggest hits of the season, ripping a double just inside the first-base line that brought Strohschein all the way around from first for the winning run.
It marked the first walk-off hit of first baseman's career and second hit of the game as part of a 2-for-4 showing and two RBI performance.
Tech actually owned a 4-0 lead in the contest, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second thanks to an RBI single up the middle by senior catcher Brennon Kaleiwahea.
The power showed up in the third inning, with senior Collin Harris kicking off the fireworks by blasting the first pitch over the wall in right center field for his third home run of the season. Two batters later, senior third baseman Trevor Putzig went deep, hammering his ninth dinger of the year to left center field.
Strohschein made it back-to-back jacks with a solo blast so hard, it cleared the massive batter's eye in center field on the fly. His ninth long ball of the season made it a 4-0 lead.
Jacksonville State went on to take advantage of several miscues by the Golden Eagle defense in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring seven consecutive unearned runs off of a relatively effective Travis Moths. The senior hurler finished with a no-decision, striking out five and walking just one in four and two thirds innings.
Tech took back a run in the fifth on a Chambers RBI single and another in the sixth with a wacky play. With senior shortstop David Garza at second base, the Gamecocks attempted a pick off play that ricocheted off of Garza's leg and into no man's land in shallow right center field. The odd location of where the ball landed not only allowed Garza to advance to third, but also score on the play and cut the deficit to one.
JSU made it a two-run lead again in the seventh, but the Golden Eagle offense answered the bell again.
The Golden Eagles loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh behind a brilliant at bat by Chambers. The senior turned a 1-2 count into a seven-pitch free pass to provide junior John Ham with a chance for heroics. Ham delivered, lacing a two-run, game-tying single to left field on the first pitch he saw.
Redshirt freshman Tyler Sylvester picked up his third win of the season after tossing two huge innings of relief and finishing the game. The right-hander entered the contest in the top of the eighth with two runners and no outs. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position, Sylvester dug deep, gathering back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat and keep the game tied at 8-8. He finished the contest without allowing a hit and walking just one.
Strohschein finished 2-for-5 with three runs scored while Ham posted two RBI on a 2-for-4 day. Putzig, Kaleiwahea and Harris each posted multiple hits as well.
MURRAY STATE 8, HARRIS-STOWE 5
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State got a big four-run first inning and was able to hang on down the stretch as the Racers defeated Harris-Stowe State 8-5 Friday afternoon at Reagan Field.
The Racers (16-14) got out the gates on fire with the early 4-0 lead. A Ramsey Scott double down the right field line started the scoring on the day as he scored Brandon Gutzler. Gutzler reached two batters earlier on a double of his own. After Scott’s at-bat, Grant Wood hit a triple to right center and would later come in to score on a passed ball by the Hornets (25-13). Mike Farnell’s fourth home run of the season rounded-out the first inning barrage as he hit a shot to left center field.
In the third, Sims blasted his fourth homer of the season, this one was a no-doubter that went well over the fence in the left field and the Racers led 5-0. HSSU got on the board for the first time in the sixth inning on a solo shot of its own. The Hornets would go on to score in three consecutive innings as two runs in each the seventh and eighth, cut the Racer lead down to 6-5. MSU got its sixth run on a sacrifice fly by Gavin Wehby in the bottom half of the sixth.
In the eighth, the Racers got some breathing room as Gutzler delivered his second double of the day, this one to left center that brought home Jake Slunder and Wehby. In the ninth, Jake Jones was able to shut the door on the Hornets and pick up his first career save in the process.
Gutzler and Wood were the two Racers with more than one hit in the victory. Gutzler was 3-for-5 at the dish while Wood went 2-for-4. CJ Bush was 1-of-3 on the day offensively and Farnell went a perfect 1-for-1 as he drew a walk and was hit by a pitch twice.
Trevor McMurray got the start on the bump for the Racers and was solid in his fourth victory of the season. McMurray pitched six strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out a career-high seven batters. Jones pitched 1.1 innings of relief and allowed two hits with a strikeout in his save opportunity. Blake Clynes and Connor Holden also appeared out of the bullpen in the win.