SATURDAY'S SCORES
Jacksonville State 8, @Morehead State 4
#21 Tennessee Tech 9, @Belmont 6 (12 innings)
Austin Peay 4, @SIUE 0
JACKSONVILLE STATE 8, MOREHEAD STATE 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Jacksonville State erased an early deficit with a five-run sixth inning to down Morehead State, 8-4, to even the Ohio Valley Conference weekend series on Saturday at Allen Field.
For the second consecutive week, the Gamecocks bounced back after a tough setback on Friday night to set up a rubber game in the series on Sunday. First pitch for the final contest of the weekend is set for 1 p.m. EST/12 p.m. CST. JSU improved to 24-19 on the season and 13-10 in OVC play. The Eagles dropped to 29-29 overall and 15-8 in league action.
JSU's five-run sixth inning was highlighted by the go-ahead RBI off the bat of freshman Cole Frederick. After the Gamecocks matched MSU, 4-4, on Alex Strachan's ground ball out, the Tuscaloosa, Alabama native turned in the second of three JSU home runs on the day to give Jax State its first lead of the day and a lead that it would not relinquish after shutting down the Eagles' offense in the final five innings. Freshman Alex Alexander plated two runs on an infield single and JSU added another run on the play by an errant throw on the infield by the Eagles. The big inning started with a leadoff double by Clayton Daniel - the first of two more doubles by the senior infielder in the game. His first double moved him in to a third place tie all-time in the OVC for career hits, matching former Eastern Kentucky standout Richie Rodriguez with 303 career hits.
Daniel's second double of the day in the seventh was another milestone in his illustrious career at JSU. The Guntersville, Alabama native tied JSU's career doubles record with former Gamecock San Eberle. Eberle and Daniel share the top spot with 62 career doubles. Daniel is three two-baggers shy of tying the OVC record for doubles in a career.
Once JSU took the lead, Jax State starter Derrick Adams turned in a quick inning in the home half of the inning before leaving the contest in the seventh. Adams turned in another solid outing for JSU on the mound with just four runs allowed, three earned and touched for seven hits. He picked up the win and moved to 4-2 on the season. Freshman Christian Edwards tossed the final 3.0 in relief for his first career save. Edwards fanned three in the outing and scattered three hits.
Alexander gave JSU some breathing room in the eighth with the fourth home run of the day by JSU. He extended the lead to 8-4 with a two-run home run to right center. Junior Nic Gaddis delivered his third home run in two days with a solo home run in the fourth inning.
#21 TENNESSEE TECH 9, BELMONT 6 (12)
NASHVILLE - For the third straight year, a match-up between baseball teams of Tennessee Tech and Belmont went to extra innings. And for the second time in that span, the Golden Eagles (39-6, 21-2) came out on top, earning a 9-6 victory over the Bruins (16-30, 10-16) at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville Saturday evening.
Belmont plate two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie things at 5-5 and both teams had their chances in extras to take control. It was the Golden Eagles who capitalized, plating four in the top of the 12thinning to make it 30 wins it their last 30 games.
Senior Brennon Kaleiwahea led off the frame with single to right field. Fellow senior Collin Harris laid down a sacrifice bunt, but would reach anyway on a fielder's choice. A Belmont error not only allowed Kaleiwahea to reach second safely, but also round and make it to third with no outs.
After a quick out, another Tech senior took his turn at the dish, Trevor Putzig. Harris stole second to prevent the double play opportunity and Putzig came through on a 2-2 offering, sending a sacrifice fly ball to right field for the go-ahead RBI.
Having subbed into the game in the 11th, sophomore Anthony Carrera turned in some huge insurance, ripping an RBI double to center field to drive in what would turn out to be the game-winning run. After an intentional walk to senior Chase Chambers, who had already recorded three hits on the day, junior second baseman John Ham poured on the gravy, lacing a two-run double to left field for a 9-5 lead.
Belmont snagged back a run in the bottom half after a lead-off triple and eventual RBI ground out, but junior right fielder-turned-pitcher Nick Osborne finished the Bruins off with a strikeout for the Golden Eagle win.
The Tech defense and pitching was paramount to the victory, particularly in the extra frames. Despite surrendering the game-tying runs in the ninth, the Golden Eagles worked out of a bases-loaded jam with just a single out. Ethan Roberts forced a ground ball to Putzig at third base, who smartly tossed it home for the force out. Roberts then induced an inning-ending grounder to shortstop.
In the 11th, Belmont gathered a one-out triple to put the winning run just 90 feet away. After a walk to the next batter, Osborne came in from right field to take over on the hill. On just his second pitch, the right-hander induced a ground ball to Garza at shortstop. Garza flipped it to Ham at second who turned the huge inning-ending double play with a rifle throw to Chambers at first base.
Osborne earned his first win of the season with one and two thirds innings of work. Putzig finished with three RBI on the day, including a two-run home run in the first inning, his 14th of the year. Garza also finished with three RBI, hammering a three-run bomb in the sixth for his 13th long ball of the season.
AUSTIN PEAY 4, SIUE 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Starter Jacques Pucheu and reliever Bret Newberg combined for a four-hit shutout as Austin Peay State University’s baseball team secured its Ohio Valley Conference three-game series with a 4-0 victory against SIUE, Saturday afternoon at the Simmons Baseball Complex.
It is the third consecutive shutout pieced together by the Governors pitching staff, tying a program record set by the 1970 Governors baseball team. Austin Peay began the shutout streak Tuesday against Western Kentucky before winning the first two games of its series against SIUE with shutouts.
Pucheu (7-1) worked efficiently throughout his seven-plus innings of work, needing just 90 pitched while facing 28 batters. He would face a runner on third base just twice in the game and only three runners reached scoring position. He would strike out six while allowing four hits and three walks in recording his third straight win.
SIUE (13-31, 4-19 OVC) saw an early scoring opportunity arose in the second when a walk, wild pitch and passed ball put left fielder Brock Hammit on third base with no outs. However, Pucheu got three outs without the ball getting past the pitcher’s mound to end the threat.
The next great SIUE scoring opportunity came in the seventh with runners on the corners and two out. But Pucheu got a simple ground out to shortstop to put the chance to rest.
Before Pucheu even stepped on the mound, Austin Peay (28-19, 17-9 OVC) provided all the run support he would need. After a pair of walks, left fielder Kyle Wilson drove in the game’s first two runs with a two-out double to right field. Third baseman Garrett Kueber, making his first start since April 15, followed with a single to drive in Wilson for a 3-0 lead.
That early outburst proved fortuitous as SIUE starter Kenny Serwa (3-5) found his stride after the rough first inning. He would retire nine consecutive batters after Kueber’s single. He would allow just one more run in his eight-inning outing – Govs first baseman Parker Phillips hitting his 17th home run of the season with two out in the fifth. Serwa suffered the loss after allowing four runs on six hits while striking out six.
Wilson led the offense with a 2-for-4, two RBI outing as Austin Peay needed just seven hits in the win. Center fielder Imani Willis also had two hits, including a double.
SIUE first baseman Jared McCunn had two of SIUE’s four hits, finishing the day 2-for-3 with a walk.
UT MARTIN, EASTERN ILLINOIS
MARTIN, Tenn. - x
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI, LIPSCOMB
NASHVILLE - X