FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 13, Jacksonville State 8
@Eastern Kentucky 7, Murray State 5
#21 Tennessee Tech 13, @Belmont 10
Austin Peay 7, @SIUE 0
Eastern Illinois 16, @UT Martin 6
@Lipscomb 7, Southeast Missouri 6
MOREHEAD STATE 13, JACKSONVILLE STATE 8
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Seniors Braxton Morris and Eli Boggess and juniors Connor Pauly and Trevor Snyder combined for 11 hits, 10 runs scored and nine RBI, and sophomore pitcher Jake Ziegelmeyer tossed the final 5.2 innings for the win as the Morehead State baseball team shook off an early disadvantage to beat Jacksonville State 13-8 Friday at Allen Field.
The series-opening win upped the Eagles' mark to 29-18 overall and 15-7 in the OVC. Four-year seniors Tyler Niemann, Morris and pitcher David Calderon have now tied the school record for the most wins (135) by a four-year senior class, equaling last year's four-year members.
Morehead State trailed 3-0 after a pair of first-inning home runs by Gamecocks Nic Gaddis and Taylor Hawthorne and fell behind 4-2 in the third after Chase Robinson homered as well, but the Eagles took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth and outscored the visitors 5-1 in the final four frames to pull away.
Ziegelmeyer, who is now 5-0 this year and 10-1 in his two-year career, struck out six and allowed only four hits and three runs in relief of starter TJ Satterly.
Snyder opened the ultimate go-ahead fourth inning with an RBI single. Boggess collected an RBI on a ground out and Morris scored on a wild pitch off JSU starter Garrett Farmer (5-2).
Leading 10-7 heading to the seventh, junior Reid Leonard extended his reached-base streak to 39 games with a single up the middle. Boggess scored from second on the play, and the relay throw was misplayed by the catcher, allowing junior Jake Hammon to score as well.
Boggess hammered his third homer of the season, a two-run clout to left field, in the eighth for the final runs.
Morris, Snyder and Pauly had three hits, while Boggess had two. Morris crossed the plate four times, while Snyder touched the final bag on three occasions.
Gaddis went deep twice for the Gamecocks, and Hawthorne, Robinson and Hayden White all connected on long balls too. JSU scored seven of its eight runs via the home run balls.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 7, MURRAY STATE 5
RICHMOND, Ky. - With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth, Tyler Romanik hit a two-run home run to propel the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team to a 7-5 win over Murray State University in the opener of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Earle Combs Stadium on Friday. It is the Colonels’ 10th win in their last 11 games.
With the game tied 5-5, one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, and facing a 3-2 count, Alex Holderbach drew a walk. Romanik then stepped to the plate. He fouled off the first pitched, watched the second for a strike and fouled off the third pitch before taking two balls to even the count. He sent the pitch over the wall in right field for his fifth home run of the season and gave EKU a two-run lead.
Aaron Ochsenbein allowed a lead-off single in the top of the ninth before retiring the next three batters, two of them on strike outs, to save his ninth game of the season.
Romanik finished 2-for-4 with a walk, a run and two RBIs. Will Johnson had a 3-for-5 day with an RBI. Seven different Colonels scored one run each. Holderbach was 1-for-2 with a run, an RBI and two walks.
The Colonels (26-21, 15-7 OVC) entered the bottom of the seventh inning down 5-3. The first four batters reached base to fuel the Eastern Kentucky rally. Nick Howie led off the inning with a single to left. Chris Botsoe reached on an error. Daniel McFarland platted Howie with a single to right. Daniel Harris IV tied the game with an RBI double to right center.
Back-to-back, two-out, two-run hits in the third gave Murray State the lead. Caleb Hicks drove in two with a single up the middle. Ryan Perkins followed with a double down the right field line to bring home two more and put the visitors on top 4-0.
Eastern scored three times in the fifth and sixth innings to get back in the game. Harris started the fifth with his fourth home run of the season. The solo shot cleared the wall in left field. Holderbach drove in his 66th RBI of the season later in the inning with a single to center field. Johnson’s RBI single through the left side in the sixth made it a 4-3 game in favor of the Racers.
Brandon Gutzler was 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI for the Racers (20-25, 7-15 OVC). Hicks finished 2-for-5 with a run.
#21 TENNESSEE TECH 13, BELMONT 10
NASHVILLE - The power was on full display for the No. 21 Tennessee Tech baseball team Friday evening, as the Golden Eagles (38-6, 20-2) blasted five home runs on their way to a 13-10 victory over in-state and Ohio Valley Conference rival Belmont (16-29, 10-15) at E.S. Rose Park.
The Tech squad rebounded nicely after falling for the first time in over a month in its last time on the diamond, a 10-6 loss to Southeast Missouri that broke the team's NCAA-leading 28-game winning streak. It took a few innings to regain the offensive rhythm that has the Golden Eagles ranked first nationally in multiple statistical categories, but once it did, there was no turning back.
Senior catcher Brennon Kaleiwahea kicked off the rally for the visiting squad, singling to center field to lead off the top of the third inning. Fellow senior Collin Harris followed with a single to left field, setting up center fielder Alex Junior for a sacrifice bunt situation.
Junior did one better, laying down a perfect bunt and beating out the throw to first for an infield single that loaded the bases. Senior third baseman Trevor Putzig put the Golden Eagles on the scoreboard first, sending a fly ball to right field for a sacrifice fly and RBI.
Slugging junior Kevin Strohschein followed it up by clearing the bases with a three-run blast to right center field, his 13th of the year. The 4-0 lead changed to 5-0 in the blink of an eye, as senior first baseman Chase Chambers rocketed the first pitch he saw over the fence in right field for back-to-back jacks. It marked his 12th long ball of the year.
Chambers' shot to right field also represented the team's 100th home run of the season, breaking the program single-season record of 99 set last season. Additionally, it made the Golden Eagles just the second team to reach triple digits in long balls in a single year since the adoption of the BBCOR bat in 2011. Wake Forest totaled 106 last season to lead the nation and rank just ahead of Tech.
Belmont answered with a pair of runs in the third, but Putzig would go on to make it a 6-2 lead in the fifth, blasting his 13th dinger of the season to left center field to lead off the top of the fifth.
Once again, the Bruins would plate a pair of runs following Tech's output, but the Golden Eagles made sure to put things away for good late in the contest.
Harris led off the seventh inning with another Tech round-tripper, his sixth of the year. Putzig would score in the frame on a passed ball and senior shortstop David Garza would drive in two more for the Golden Eagle effort with a single.
In the eighth, Strohschein showed off his strength again, hammering his second, three-run shot of the ball game to left field for a 13-4 advantage.
Senior hurler Travis Moths picked up his league-leading 10th victory of the year, tying Doug Vincent (2002) for the second most in a single season in program history. It also represented his 22nd career win, moving him into a tie for second place in school history. He needs just one win to tie Tristan Archer (2010-13) for most in the program's history.
Moths tossed five inning with five strikeouts and four earned runs allowed. Junior closer Ethan Roberts took over in the sixth inning with a two-run lead and tossed a couple of frames, fanning four before being lifted in the eighth after Tech took a nine-run lead.
Belmont scored six in the ninth before Tyler Sylvester closed the book on its comeback bid, securing Tech's 20th league win of the season.
Strohschein led Tech with six RBI as part of a 2-for-5 day with three runs scored. Junior, Harris and Kaleiwahea also recorded multiple hits in the contest.
AUSTIN PEAY 7, SIUE 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - For a second straight game, Austin Peay State University saw a trio of pitchers combine to post a shutout in a 7-0 Ohio Valley Conference victory against SIUE, Friday night at the Simmons Baseball Complex.
Starter Michael Costanzo (8-1) had to work his way through the first three innings, facing 13 batters. His biggest trouble came in the opening frame as he allowed a leadoff walk then hit a batter with one out. However, Costanzo induced a double play to end the threat.
Costanzo settled down over the next two innings, but again had to work out of trouble in the sixth. SIUE designated hitter Brock Weimer doubled with one out and left fielder Brock Hammit followed with a single, moving Weimer to third. But Costanzo again buckled down, striking out a batter before getting an inning-ending ground out.
Reliever Josh Rye, who threw six scoreless innings in a Tuesday shutout of Western Kentucky, tossed a scoreless seventh. He was followed by Ethan Clark who struck out four of the eight batters he faced to wrap up the shutout.
Austin Peay (27-19, 16-9 OVC) broke a scoreless tie in the third inning when first baseman Parker Phillips drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. The Govs doubled the lead one batter later when right fielder Nick Walker his a home run to right field.
The lead would be doubled again on one swing in the fifth when Phillips hit a line drive home run to left for two runs and a 4-0 lead. Austin Peay would add another three runs in the sixth with a pair of sac flies and a balk, setting the final score.
Phillips led the offense with a 2-for-3, three RBI night that included his season’s 16th home run. Walker hit his ninth homer of the season in a 1-for-5 outing.
SIUE starter Collin Baumgartner (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing six runs on four hits and four walks. Second baseman Aaron Jackson had the Cougars lone multi-hit outing with a 2-for-4 performance.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 16, UT MARTIN 6
MARTIN, Tenn. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team put on a slugfest Friday afternoon scoring 16 runs in their win over UT Martin. EIU defeated UT Martin, 16-6.
With the win Eastern Illinois improves to 17-17 (6-16 OVC), while UT Martin falls to 9-33 (5-17 OVC).
UT Martin got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when Ben Aslett hit a solo home run to right center.
Jimmy Govern would give the Panthers the lead in the top of the third inning hitting Eastern Illinois' fourth grand slam of the season.
Jimmy Huber would be the first Panther base runner in the top of the fourth inning after drawing a one-out walk. Hunter Morris would keep the rally alive hitting a two out single. Govern kept his hot streak going at the Plate this afternoon hitting a two run double in the top of the fourth inning. Matt Albert would extend the lead to 8-1 when he hit a two run homer to left field.
UT Martin was able to cut the Panther lead down to 8-6 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Aslett led off the inning with a leadoff single to right field. Collin Edwards would move Aslett into scoring position when he would reach on a Dougie Parks error. Ethan Whitley would single through the left side to score Aslett. Casey Harford would keep the rally alive hitting a two run single to left center. After a Billy Edwards walk Jordan Stoner and Carson Shrode would hit back-to-back singles to cut the EIU lead down to 8-6.
The Panthers would score eight unanswered runs throughout the top of the seventh and eighth innings to secure the game one victory. Andrew Curran drove in th Panthers first run in the top of the seventh hitting a sacrifice fly to right field to score Albert. Frankie Perrone belted his second home run of the season hitting a two run homer to center.
Albert added two more RBIs to his total on the afternoon in the top of the eighth when he drove a two run double to center field. Ryan Knernschield would keep the rally alive in the top of the eighth hitting a two run single to second. Perrone would extend the Panther lead to 16-8 when he hit into a six-three put out to score Knernschield.
Tyler Jones earned his fifth win of the season improving to 5-3 on the year. Jones tossed 5.0 innings, with eight hits, six runs (four earned), four strikeouts, and three walks.
Blake Malatestinic picked up his second save of the season tossing 4.0 innings, with six strikeouts, two hits, and a walk.
Govern finished 3-for-5 with six RBIs, three runs, a double, and a home run. Albert finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs, three runs, two walks, and a home run.
LIPSCOMB 7, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6
NASHVILLE - Chandler Chambers scored the game-winning run on a fielder's choice with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Lipscomb (19-24) a 7-6 walk-off win over Southeast Missouri (21-25) Friday night at Ken Dugan Field.
SEMO brought the game to a 6-6 deadlock on a two-out solo home run by Peyton Faulkner in the top of the seventh.
After the Redhawks left two runners on base in the top half of the ninth inning, Jeffrey Crisan drew a leadoff walk for the Bisons. Chambers pinch ran for Crisan and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Zeke Dodson. Moments after Chambers went to third on a passed ball, Jake Perry was intentionally walked. On the next play, Perry stole second taking SEMO out of a potential double play situation. Cade Sorrells then hit into a fielder's choice and Chambers scored to end the game.
SEMO scored twice in the first two innings to build a 4-0 lead as all of those runs came with two outs.
Tristen Gagan doubled down the left field line to score Trevor Ezell and Justin Dirden followed with a single to score Gagan in the top of the first inning.
The Redhawks added a pair of unearned runs in the second inning. Alex Canty reached on an error and Danny Wright walked before each touched home on Peyton Faulkner's single to right center.
Jake Perry's leadoff solo home run narrowed the Redhawks lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth.
Lipscomb pushed across three runs to take its first lead of the game in the fifth.
Perry delivered a two-RBI single down the right field line and pulled ahead, 6-5, on Cade Sorrells' RBI-bunt single.
Niko Ortega (3-1) was credited with the win. Ortega struck out one, walked one and gave up a hit in two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Aaron Stretch (0-2) took the loss. Stretch walked three, struck out two and allowed the decisive run in 1.1 relief innings.
SEMO outhit Lipscomb, 9-7. Faulkner paved the way going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. Gagan followed with two hits and two RBI.
Perry went 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI to lead Lipscomb.