THURSDAY'S SCORES
#16 Tennessee Tech 10, @Morehead State 7
Southeast Missouri 7, @Eastern Kentucky 2 (10 innings)
Jacksonville State 8, @SIUE 3 (12 innings)
Murray State 12, @UT Martin 5
Eastern Illinois 13, @Austin Peay 11
@Northwestern 13,
Belmont 4
#16 TENNESSEE TECH 10, MOREHEAD STATE 7
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The weather played havoc with a game that was supposed to start at 2 p.m. CT, got under way at 3:30 p.m. and didn't end until about 10 p.m., but in the end, the No. 16 Tennessee Tech baseball team came away with another victory, defeating Morehead State (31-22, 17-11) on the road, 10-7.
The Golden Eagles (45-6, 26-2) received a stellar pitching performance from senior starter Travis Moths, who tossed a total of five innings on his way to his record-breaking and tying 12th win of the season. The right-hander used just nine pitches to get through the first frame, but the skies opened up and lightning threatened the area, forcing a nearly three-hour delay.
Despite sitting for that long after going through the pregame process and a half inning, Moths returned to the hill when the action commenced, working three more scoreless frames before surrendering his only run of the contest, an RBI on a sacrifice fly. All-in-all, he scattered four hits and a walk while punching out two.
With the win, Moths officially became Tech's all-time wins leader, earning his 24th career victory. He also tied the program's single-season wins record, matching the legendary season put forth by Mark Maberry in 1997. That season, Maberry became the only player in Ohio Valley Conference history to earn both Player and Pitcher of the Year honors, finishing 12-2 overall.
The offense had to wait until after the delay before it would see the scoreboard light up in its favor, but it was well worth the wait. With two outs in the top of the second, and runners on second and third, the delay occurred before Collin Harris could take his turn in the box.
The senior was patient, waiting through the delay and returning to fight off two pitches on a 2-1 count. He then ripped a single to right field, driving in both runs for a 2-0 lead. Two innings later, Tech would blow the game wide open.
Patience was a theme on the day, as Tech actually earned more walks than hits. The Golden Eagles drew eight free passes while managing just six hits to score 10 runs. Harris' two RBI drove in runners that reached on walks.
In the fourth, it was more of the same. Senior Chase Chambers led off the inning getting plunked by a pitch. Shortstop David Garza walked and, with two outs, Harris also drew a walk, loading the bases for third baseman Cody Littlejohn. The sophomore delivered, blasting his second grand slam of the season to right center field for a 6-0 lead. It was just the second hit of the game for Tech.
Tech put things away for good in the fifth, thanks to more timely hitting. Senior Brennon Kaleiwahea led off the frame with a single to right center field. Then, junior Kevin Strohschein showed off his power, crushing a two-run bomb to center field, his team-leading 16th round-tripper of the season. Chambers would score another Tech run in the inning with a bases-loaded balk, making it 9-0.
Morehead State made an attempt at a comeback, scoring solo runs in the fifth and sixth innings before pouring in four in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs and the lead cut to just three, head coach Matt Bragga turned to closer Ethan Roberts to finish off the contest.
The junior earned a punch out to end the seventh, and Strohschein offered some insurance in the eighth, lacing an RBI double to right field for a 10-6 advantage. Roberts tossed a scoreless eighth and was effective again in the ninth after surrendering a leadoff solo shot.
Following the long ball, the Sparta, Tenn. native dug deep to record a pop up, strikeout and induce a game-ending ground ball. He made some history with the final out, recording his 13th save of the year to tie the program's single-season record set by himself just last season.
Roberts finished with two and third innings of work while striking out three and allowing just one run. Strohschein led the offense with a 2-for-5 showing and three RBI while Littlejohn drove in four with his third long ball of the year. Chambers reached base four times, posting a hit, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He also scored three runs.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, EASTERN KENTUCKY 2 (10)
RICHMOND, Ky. - A late rally pushed Southeast Missouri (24-28, 18-10) above Eastern Kentucky (27-27, 15-13) on Thursday. The Redhawks had an explosive tenth inning to give them a 7-2 lead over the Colonels.
EKU's Will Johnson started the game with a solo-homerun to put the Colonels on the board first. He was the only one to cross over home plate for EKU in game one. Johnson scored again in the bottom of the third after being walked.
The first hit for Southeast came in the top of the fourth when Trevor Ezell had a triple to left center. Ezell finished the day with two hits, two runs and a RBI.
The next hit came by Devon Wilson singled up the left side to start the fifth inning. Wade Stauss reached base safely on an error by EKU's shortstop. SEMO tied the ball game with back-to-back sacrifice bunts by Alex Nielsen and Peyton Faulkner.
The Redhawks did not get another hit or run until the top of the tenth inning.
Going into the tenth inning, the Redhawks had the bottom of the lineup due up to bat. Wade Stauss came in with a homerun to right field to put the Redhawks ahead for the first time of the night. This was followed by three consecutive hits by Danny Wright, Trevor Ezell and Tristen Gagan.
During this tenth inning rally, Wade Stauss, Trevor Ezell, Tristen Gagan and Justin Dirden all recorded RBI. The Redhawks batted through the lineup in this inning.
Southeast had five runs on four hits in the last inning.
Carlos Vega went seven innings with seven strikeouts and only one earned run. Dan Bergtholdt made a strong appearance in relief as he had three consecutive three-up three-down innings.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 8, SIUE 3 (12)
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Jacksonville State broke up a 12th inning deadlock with five runs to open the final Ohio Valley Conference weekend of the season with an 8-3 extra-inning win over SIU Edwardsville on Thursday night at the Simmons Baseball Complex.
Senior Clayton Daniel delivered the game-winning RBI in the inning on his 320th career hit, which brings him three shy of matching the program's all-time hits record and the OVC standard and four hits away from breaking Bert Smith's existing record of 323 career hits. Daniel started the game with a leadoff double to push his newly-established JSU and OVC career doubles record to 69.
With OVC Tournament seeding on the line during the final weekend of conference play, the win pushes JSU to 16-12 in the league and stands fifth, but two games out of second place. JSU moved closer to a 30-plus win season once again at 28-23 overall. SIUE fell to 15-35 on the season and 6-22 in OVC play. JSU improved to 5-2 in extra inning games this season.
Junior Nic Gaddis, who had three hits on the night, reached base for the fourth time on a misplayed ball by the Cougars' infield, adding two more runs in the 12th. Freshman Isaac Alexander added his third RBI of the contest with infield groundout. Senior Hayden White, who went 4-for-7 at the dish, scored on a passed ball for the final run of the inning.
The Jax State pitching staff set a new JSU standard in its NCAA Division I era for strikeouts in a single game. The five pitchers used on Thursday combined to strikeout 22 SIUE hitters in the four-plus hour affair. The previous mark for punch puts in a game during the program's Division I days was 21, set against Michigan on February 25, 2000. JSU starter Garrett Farmer posted another double digit strikeout total by fanning 11 in six innings. It marks the fourth time this season he has collected 10 or more strikeouts in an outing and had done that in four out of the last six starts. The Huntsville, Alabama native allowed a run on seven hits.
Farmer was staked to a 3-0 lead before SIUE plated the lone run off him in the fifth inning.
Junior transfer Austin Brewster followed Farmer's lead with three strikeouts in two innings of work. Freshman Christian Edwards ran in to trouble in the ninth as the Cougars pushed the tying runs across the plate to send it to extra frames. Edwards added a strikeout to the team total.
Senior Trent Simpson, who picked up his first win of the season worked out of jams in the 10th and 11th as SIUE had the inning run in scoring position in both innings. Simpson tallied five strikeouts in two innings. Senior Colton Pate worked a 1-2-3 12th inning, including a game-ending strikeout to set the new record for strikeouts in a game.
JSU jumped out to the 3-0 lead with an RBI single by senior Taylor Hawthorne in the first inning and Alexander's two RBI infield single.
MURRAY STATE 12, UT MARTIN 5
MARTIN, Tenn. - Mike Farnell hit a grand slam with two outs in the seventh inning to break a 4-4 tie and Murray State scored eight runs in the final three innings Thursday night on its way to a 12-5 series-opening victory at UT Martin.
The Racers (25-27, 12-16 OVC) out-hit the Skyhawks (11-39, 7-21 OVC) 15-10 in the victory, five of which went for extra bases and had five players with multi-hit nights. Davis Sims went 3-for-4 at the dish with four runs scored and three RBIs while Farnell was 3-of-5 with five driven in. Jaron Robinson also had a three-hit night as he went 3-of-4 with a pair of runs. Ramsey Scott and Grant Wood each added a pair of hits.
Sims’ 27th double of the season led off the scoring in the contest in the first inning as he scored Wood. In the next at-bat, Farnell made it 2-0 with a single through the left side. In the second, the Skyhawks knotted things up at 2-2. After Scott reclaimed the lead for the Racers in the fourth with a sacrifice fly, Martin took its only lead of the game with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning and led 4-3.
A Scott single in the sixth tied the score at 4-4 before Farnell’s blast in seventh broke the tie. It was MSU’s fourth grand slam of the season and first that came in a victory. UTM scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 8-5, but RBI singles from Robinson and Gavin Wehby in the eighth put the advantage at 10-5. Sims’ sixth homer of the season rounded-out the scoring for MSU in the ninth.
Connor Holden picked up his first career win as he pitched two hitless innings of relief and struck-out four. Trevor McMurray got the start and went four innings, allowing four runs, only one of which was earned. Chance Carner and Tyler Anderson also made relief appearances out of the bullpen with Anderson striking out five batters in a pair of innings.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 13, AUSTIN PEAY 11
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Due to inclement weather in the area, Eastern Illinois and Austin Peay pushed back their Thursday night game to a start time of 9:15 pm. Eastern Illinois was able to score seven runs in the top of the seventh game to pull off a come from behind win against Austin Peay. EIU defeated Austin Peay, 13-11.
With the win Eastern Illinois improves to 21-30 (10-18 OVC), while Austin Peay falls to 30-23 (17-11 OVC).
Austin Peay got on the board first bottom of the second inning. Kyle Wilson lead off the inning for the Governor's with a leadoff single down the left field line. Alex Sala followed up with a two-out walk. Willis would give Austin Peay the bases loaded reaching on a Dougie Parks error. Garret Giovannelli would follow up with a three-run double to right field to give the Governor's a 3-0 lead. Garrett Kueber would follow up reaching on an error by Andrew Curran. Parker Phillips would add three more runs to the Austin Peay lead with a three run homer to right center.
The Panthers got on the board in the top of the third inning. Ryan Knernschield led off the inning with a leadoff double to left center. Frankie Perrone followed up with a double to left center to score Knernschield. Jimmy Govern would hit the Panthers third double of the inning, doubling down the left field line to score Perrone.
Imani Willis would hit a three-run homer for Austin Peay in the bottom of the third inning to extend the Governor's lead to 9-3.
Govern would earn his fourth RBI of the night blasting a three-run homer to left center in the top of the fifth inning.
The Governor's offense once again answered in the bottom of the fifth inning adding two runs to lead EIU, 11-5.
Logan Beaman would score the Panthers sixth run of the game in the top of the seventh inning when he came into the game to pinch-hit for Matt Albert. Knernschiled would drive in two runs with a single to Harley Gollert. Josh Turnock would draw a walk with the bases loaded to keep the Panther rally alive in the top of the seventh scoring Jimmy Huber. Govern would make it a one-run game drawing another walk for the Panthers with the bases loaded. Hunter Morris would give the Panthers their first lead of the night with a single up the middle, scoring Tyler Tesmond and Perrone.
EIU would extend their lead in the top of the eighth inning when Tyler Tesmond would drive in Huber with a single to right field.
Hunter Clark earned the win on the mound for the Panthers improving to 1-0 on the season. Clark tossed one inning, with three strikeouts. Michael Starcevich earned his ninth save of the season tossing three innings, with six strikeouts, two hits, and a walk.
Govern finished 4-for-5 with five RBIs, two doubles, two runs, a homerun, and a walk. Knernschield finished 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBIs, and two doubles.
NORTHWESTERN 13, BELMONT 4
EVANSTON, Ill. - Recap coming soon.