THURSDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 13, Oakland 12
Bradley 5,
@Austin Peay 3 (12 innings)
@Belmont 2, Western Michigan 1
MOREHEAD STATE 13, OAKLAND 12
MOREHEAD, Ky. - After leading 10-0 and seeing their advantage eventually vanish in the eighth inning, the Morehead State baseball team won in walk-off fashion, 13-12, over Oakland in the 2019 home opener Thursday when the Golden Grizzlies' shortstop misfired on a throw to first to allow the winning run to trot home from third base in the bottom of the ninth.
MSU improved to 3-1, while the Grizzlies remained without a triumph in 2019 at 0-4.
Tied 12-12 in the bottom of the final frame, sophomore catcher Brody Shoupe - who hadn't had an at-bat since March 10 of last season - laced a one-out single to right field and advanced to second when the ball got past the fielder. Senior shortstop Reid Leonard then nearly beat out a close play at first but was called out, allowing Shoupe to move to third. A ground ball to short by senior centerfielder Connor Pauly was fielded cleanly but the low throw skipped past the first baseman and sent Shoupe across the plate for the walk-off win.
Leonard, who set the Morehead State career for singles (197 currently), helped the Eagles get going with a six-spot on the scoreboard in the first inning. Sophomore second baseman Bryce Hensor cranked a two-run double in the frame.
Another single by Leonard, this time of the RBI variety, pushed the Eagles to a 7-0 lead in the third. And then senior first baseman Trevor Snyder smashed his first home run of the year - a three-run clout deep to left field - to make it 10-0.
Following a three-run inning by Oakland in the fifth, senior catcher Hunter Fain hit a mammoth blast into the night and over the left field fence in the Eagles' half of the fifth for an 11-3 lead. Freshman Zach Boyd scored in the seventh on a passed ball to up the Eagle lead to 12-4 before Oakland made a monster rally.
Six runs in the top of the eighth, including a three-run homer by Mario Camilletti, brought it back to within 12-10. The visitors tied the game in the top of the ninth on a two-run single off Eagle reliever Alex Garbrick.
Garbrick issued three walks and was touched for the two runs but still was credited with the win to improve to 1-0. The MSU pitching staff had nine strikeouts, including four from starter Garret Rogers and three by senior righty TJ Satterly.
At the plate, Pauly and senior outfielder Jake Hammon each totaled three of the Eagles' 15 hits. Pauly (33) and Hammon (26) also kept their lengthy reached-base streaks alive dating back to the 2018 season.Snyder and Leonard has two hits apiece.
BRADLEY 5, AUSTIN PEAY 3 (12)
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s baseball team twice rallied from a one-run deficit and forced extra innings but fell 5-3 in a 10-inning affair to Bradley, Thursday, in the opening game of the SAF Dirt Classic on Joe and Cathi Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay (0-4) took its only lead of the game in the fifth inning. Catcher David Martinez extended the frame when he earned a two-out walk. Shortstop Bobby Head followed with his first hit of 2019, a home run that curled around the foul pole in left to give the Govs a 2-1 lead.
Bradley (3-1) battled back with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. The Braves got a runner in scoring position with help from the Govs defense and second baseman Nick McMurray drove in the tying run with a squeeze bunt. One inning later it was designated hitter Eli Rawlinson who used the long ball to give Bradley a 3-2 lead.
The Govs would need an inning to piece together their game-tying rally and again it started with David Martinez who doubled to start the eighth. After a sac bunt and a walk, center fielder Garrett Spain used an infield single to drive in the run and tie the game.
Bradley would see a golden opportunity to take the lead in the ninth pass it by as it loaded the bases with a single, walk and a hit batsman but Govs reliever Brett Newberg would strikeout the next batter to end the threat.
The Braves would not miss on their next scoring chance in the 10th. A single, intentional walk and groundout put runners at second and third with one out. Center fielder Andy Shadid provided the tie-breaking hit with a single into shallow center field that drove in two runs for a 5-3 Bradley lead.
Austin Peay would have a chance to respond in its half of the 10th, using two infield singles and a walk all with two out to load the bases. But Bradley closer Allan Beer struck out the Govs pinch hitter to end the game.
Andy Shadid’s two RBI paced the Braves offense which saw seven batters record a hit – shortstop Luke Shadid and McMurray each posting two hits.
Second baseman Garrett Kueber, Spain and third baseman Malcolm Tipler each had three hits for the Govs.
Newberg (0-2) suffered the loss in his two-inning relief outing, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four. Govs starter Brandon Vial went four innings and struck out a career-high seven batters, including four straight in the third and fourth innings.
Bradley reliever Cole Cook (2-0) picked up the win after allowing a run on four hits and a walk in three innings. Beer picked up his second save after striking out three of the six batters he faced in the 10th.
BELMONT 2, WESTERN MICHIGAN 1
NASHVILLE - Things started off on a good note on Thursday night with a quick three up, three down inning thanks to impressive pitching by senior Casey Queener (Brentwood, Tenn.). In the bottom of the first, Belmont got its offense going early with senior Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) sending a one-out single to center field giving Belmont a base runner. Hadden, after a hit batsman and fielders choice, found himself 90-feet from home plate, but was stranded.
After a scoreless second inning, Belmont broke the deadlock in the bottom of the third. After a quick out, senior Zach Ehrhart (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) and Hadden reached on consecutive Western Michigan errors putting runners on first and third. Freshman Tommy Crider (Madison, Ala.) was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Senior Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) delivered an RBI single through the left side plating Ehrhart for the first fun of the game. A double play would end the inning but not before Belmont took a 1-0 lead.
Western Michigan kept Belmont hitless through the next four innings, but Belmont was up to the challenge defensively. Queener continued his impressive outing, keeping the Broncos off the board through seven innings while only walking one before the Bruins would go to the bullpen.
The Broncos knocked on the door in the eighth inning after consecutive walks to start the inning put the tying and go-ahead runs on base. A bunt single then loaded the bases, but heads-up defense kept WMU off the board. Sophomore Logan Bowen (Bowling Green, Ky.) made a smart play on a fielder's choice to make the play at home plate and get a force out on the lead runner. With the bases loaded yet again, junior Chandler Adkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) made another smart play, receiving a ground ball and making the force out at third base before throwing the ball to catcher sophomore Jackson Campbell (Russellville, Ky.) who tagged the lead runner at home plate to complete the double play. That ended the inning and preserved the 1-0 Belmont lead.
Belmont was looking for the insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Senior Zach Ehrhart (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) leadoff the inning with a double to deep right center field that Hadden followed with a hit up the middle. Belmont found itself with runners on the corners and no outs but was unable to get anything else going stranding the base runners.
Western Michigan tied the game 1-1 in the top of the ninth after a walk and an RBI single to force Belmont's hand in the bottom of the inning.
Belmont showed great patience in the bottom of the inning to secure its first victory of the season. Adkins worked a four-pitch walk with one out to put the go-ahead run aboard. An intentional walk of freshman Jack Capobianco (London, Ky.) and another walk by Ehrhart loaded the bases with two outs. Sophomore Logan Jarvis (Franklin, Tenn.) became the hero of the night as he worked a bases-loaded walk to plate Adkins and secure the 2-1 victory.
All told, Queener pitched seven innings scattering just four hits and one walk on the soggy Thursday afternoon. Relief pitcher Bowen notched his first win of the season after throwing two innings with just two hits.