SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 7, SIUE 6
@Southeast Missouri 9, Belmont 8
Morehead State 10, @Murray State 0
@#19 Tennessee Tech 5, Eastern Kentucky 4
@Jacksonville State 6, UT Martin 5
@#5 Clemson 10,
Austin Peay 1
EASTERN ILLINOIS 7, SIUE 6
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois bench came up big late in game two of their series against SIUE. Eastern Illinois was able to hold off SIUE defeating the Cougars 7-6.
With the win Eastern Illinois advances to 20-29 (9-17 OVC), while SIUE drops to 14-34 (5-21 OVC).
Alex Stevenson earned the start of game two against SIUE this afternoon. Stevenson tossed six innings, with eight hits, four runs, two walks, and a strikeout. Stevenson picked up his third win of the season advancing to 3-7.
Peyton Cordova-Smith got SIUE on the board first in the top of the fourth inning blasting a solo home run to left field.
The Panthers would answer back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Matt Albert would even up the game with runners at the corners hitting a single through the left side, scoring Hunter Morris.
SIUE would hit back-to-back singles to lead off the top of the sixth inning. Cordova-Smith would advance the Cougar base runners into scoring position grounding out to Morris. Brock Hammit would drive in the two runs with a three-run homer to left field to give SIUE a 4-1 lead.
EIU would fight back in the bottom of the sixth taking the lead back from SIUE. Jimmy Govern lead off the inning with a leadoff double down the left field line. Albert would move Govern to third with a single to short. Ryan Knernschield would drive in the Panthers first run of the inning with a double to right center. The Panthers would send Hunter Beetley into the game to pinch hit for Andrew Curran with two runners on. Beetley would make use of the pinch-hit opportunity blasting a go-ahead three-run homer to center.
After Morris led off the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff walk. Govern would extend the Panther lead with a triple down to right field line. Jimmy Huber would follow up with a single through the right side to give EIU a 7-4 lead.
Michael Starcevich would come into the game in the top of the seventh inning for Stevenson. Starcevich would toss three innings of relief, with three hits, three strikeouts, and two runs (one earned).
Govern finished 2-for-2 with two runs, RBI, double, triple, and a walk. Beetley finished 1-for-1 with three RBIs, run, home run, and a walk.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 9, BELMONT 8
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Devon Wilson scored the game-winning run when Alex Nielsen reached on an error in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Southeast Missouri (23-26, 17-9) a 9-8 win over Belmont (16-34, 10-19) Saturday night at Capaha Field.
SEMO again came from behind to beat the Bruins in walk-off fashion. With the win, the Redhawks claimed their sixth Ohio Valley Conference series win.
Down, 5-1, entering the bottom of the third inning, the Redhawks scored four two-out runs to tie the game.
Trevor Ezell reached on an infield single with one out and moved to third on a two-out double by Justin Dirden. Ezell scored on an ensuing bunt single by Devon Wilson. Dirden later touched home on an error before Wade Stauss hit a two-run home run, his first since Mar. 18.
SEMO took the lead an inning later when it scored twice in the bottom of fourth. Ezell had a RBI-single and Tristen Gagan scored Peyton Faulkner on a sacrifice fly to give the Redhawks a 7-5 advantage.
Belmont answered with two runs of its own in the fifth and regained an 8-7 edge with an unearned run in the top of the sixth.
However, SEMO quickly responded with an unearned run of its own to bring the game to an 8-8 deadlock in the bottom of the seventh.
Aaron Stretch (1-2) picked up his first career win in relief. Stretch struck out two and walked one, while allowing two hits in two scoreless innings.
Kyle Klotz suffered the loss. Klotz allowed one run, walked one and struck out one in 1.2 innings.
Offensively, both teams pounded out 12 hits.
Ezell paved the way for SEMO, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and one RBI. Dirden, Wilson and Nielsen followed with two hits apiece.
MOREHEAD STATE 10, MURRAY STATE 0
MURRAY, Ky. - Behind a career-high 11-strikeout effort from starting left-handed pitcher Dalton Stambaugh and two more home runs from junior first baseman Trevor Snyder, Morehead State baseball shut out Murray State 10-0 at Reagan Field Saturday.
The Eagles moved to 31-20 overall and 17-9 in the OVC to remain in second place. Stambaugh, whose previous career high for punchouts was eight, pitched 7.2 innings and did not issue a walk in improving to 5-3 on the season. Reliever JC Hatcher came on and also struck out three in not allowing a hit in the final four outs.
Meanwhile Snyder, who now is tied for the OVC lead with 17 home runs, got the scoring going early with a two-out, two-run blast over the left-field wall in the top of the first inning. He came back with a three-run homer in the sixth that just eluded the glove of a leaping Ryan Perkins in left field. Snyder added a sac fly for his six RBI after having a seven-RBI last weekend against Austin Peay. He moved his season RBI total to 63 and has now hit 11 Ruthian blasts against league pitching.
In between his long balls, the Eagles got an RBI double by junior right-fielder Jake Hammon and an RBI one-bagger by senior second baseman Braxton Morris. Morris upped his team-best season hit total to 84 with a 3-for-4 day. All three of his hits came on opposite field pokes against an infield shift that saw three Murray State defenders to the left of second base.
Niemann also added a sac fly in the ninth frame.
Eight of the nine Eagle starters had at least one hit and all nine reached base. Hammon, Snyder and Morris nailed three hits apiece. Junior shortstop Reid Leonard had a hit and drew his team-leading 46th walk, third highest single-season total in program history. That allowed him to extend his school-record reached-base streak to 43 games.
Luke Brown surrendered five runs in just 3.1 innings and was tagged with the loss to dip to 2-5.
#19 TENNESSEE TECH 5, EASTERN KENTUCKY 4
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The No. 19 Tennessee Tech baseball team made history yet again Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles (43-6, 24-2) defeated Eastern Kentucky (26-25, 15-11) at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Not only did the victory extend the program record for wins to 43, it also represented the team's 24thOhio Valley Conference victory of the year, tying the league record established by the 2013 Tech squad.
Just like Friday night, the Golden Eagles jumped on the scoreboard first. Center fielder Alex Junior led off the bottom half by drawing a walk. On the next pitch, senior catcher Brennon Kaleiwahea rifled a line drive off the center field wall for an RBI triple.
In the top of the third, Eastern Kentucky took advantage of a pair of Tech miscues, plating two, unearned runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Golden Eagle defense recovered in the inning making two strong defensive plays, including Kaleiwahea throwing out a would-be base stealer.
The veteran backstop then provided another boost for the Golden Eagle offense, leading off the top of the third with a solo blast to right center field to tie the game. Junior Kevin Strohschein drew a walk before the first out of the inning could be recorded, setting up junior John Ham for some fireworks.
Ham turned on the first pitch he saw and hammered a two-run no-doubter to left field, his 13th long ball of the season. The shot provided Tech a 4-2 lead in the third.
Eastern Kentucky cut the lead to one with a solo home run in the fifth and then tied the game again in the seventh with a suicide squeeze bunt. Once again, the Golden Eagles answered, gathering a hit from Kaleiwahea and massive, two-out walk by senior Chase Chambers.
After a pitching change, Ham delivered the winning hit, singling through the left side to drive in Kaleiwahea for the go-ahead run.
Junior Ethan Roberts closed down the final two frames after surrendering the run in the seventh, earning his fourth victory of the season. The Sparta native tossed three innings in total, scattering three hits while striking out three.
Senior hurler Marcus Evey received a no decision on the day, completing the first six innings of action while allowing three runs, just one earned, and only six hits. He struck out eight Colonels without a walk.
Kaleiwahea finished 3-for-4 on the day with two RBI, two runs scored and just a double shy of the cycle. Ham and senior Collin Harris each also finished with a pair of hits in the contest, with Ham tallying a game-high three RBI.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 6, UT MARTIN 5
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - It was Senior Day for Jacksonville State and a pair of seniors helped lead JSU past UT Martin, 6-5, on Saturday at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.
Senior right hander Colton Pate, Jax State's Sunday starter throughout most of the season, came in relief and handcuffed a Skyhawk offense that was gaining confidence early in the game. Pate, who was making his 50th appearance in two-plus seasons as Gamecock, shut down a UTM two-run inning in the fifth. The Lincoln, Alabama native pitched the next 3.2 innings and scatter three hits and collected seven strikeouts in relief.
Hayden White, who is one seven Gamecocks that were honored prior to the start of Saturday's contest, delivered the game-winning RBI in the seventh to break up a 5-5 deadlock. The Prattville, Alabama catcher finished with a pair of RBI on two singles as he recorded the first RBI of the day in the second. White has now reached base in 31 straight games this season and registered his seventh multiple hit game of the season and his third multiple RBI contest of the campaign.
JSU (26-22, 15-11 OVC) took a 2-0 lead in the third on junior Nic Gaddis' ninth home run of the season with a one-out solo home run. Gaddis joined White as the two Gamecocks with multiple hits. The Trenton, Georgia native drove in the second of three runs in the sixth with a single to left field.
UTM (10-37, 6-20 OVC) erased the early deficit after back-to-back two-run innings in the fourth and fifth off of JSU starter Derrick Adams. Ben Aslett and Tyler Albright combined for half of UTM's 10 hits on Saturday.
Senior Taylor Hawthorne contributed with an RBI single to greet the first UTM reliever, Peyton Cain. Senior Trent Simpson capped off the three-run sixth with an RBI sacrifice fly.
Freshman Cole Frederick contributed a pair of hits in the winning outcome, while freshman Christian Edwards pitched a clean ninth inning to card his second save in as many Saturday outings. He notched a save last Saturday at Morehead State.
#5 CLEMSON 10, AUSTIN PEAY 1
CLEMSON, S.C. - Starting pitcher Jacques Pucheu struck out a career-high tying 10 batters, but Austin Peay State University’s baseball team saw nationally-ranked Clemson pull away late for a 10-1 nonconference victory, Saturday, at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Saturday’s contest started as a pitcher’s duel through six innings with Pucheu nearly matching Clemson starter Brooks Crawford stride for stride. Both starters would make it into the seventh inning with the host Tigers holding a 3-1 lead.
Clemson (38-13) struck first with shortstop Logan Davidson hitting a leadoff home run in the first inning. The Tigers would have an opportunity to extend the lead but Pucheu rallied to retire three consecutive batters with runners on the corners.
Austin Peay (30-21) waited until the third inning to level the score but did so with three consecutive singles. Catcher David Martinez, second baseman Garret Giovannelli and third baseman Garrett Kueber all hit safely, Kueber tying the game, 1-1.
The Tigers would break the tie in its half of the third, taking advantage of a leadoff walk, a Governors error and a wild pitch to plate a run. Clemson’s lead would grow by another run in the fifth as another leadoff walk was plated on Davidson’s double.
Austin Peay would twice get a runner in scoring position in the game’s middle stages. Left fielder Kyle Wilson was that man in scoring position both times, reaching second on a fly ball error in the fourth and on a double in the sixth. However, the Governors were stymied in trying to score him each time by Crawford.
Clemson broke the game open in the seventh as the Governors battled some uneasiness on the diamond. Five consecutive Clemson batters reached base with one out and a pair of Austin Peay miscues aided a four-run frame.
Pucheu (7-2) scattered three hits in his 6.1-inning outing, striking out 10 and walking five batters en route to four runs allowed. His career-high tying 10 strikeouts included a nearly immaculate inning in the second where he struck out the side on 11 pitches.
Crawford (7-2) also struck out 10 batters while scattering four hits and walking none in his 6.2-inning effort. Reliever Carson Spiers threw 2.1 scoreless, hitless innings to secure his season’s fourth save.
Davidson led the Clemson offense with a 3-for-3, four RBI, four-run scored outing that included a home run and a pair of doubles. Catcher Kyle Wilkie also went 2-for-3 with a RBI as the Tigers were held to six hits.
Martinez’ 1-for-3 outing saw him score the Govs lone run as Kueber was 1-for-3 with a walk and a RBI.