WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 9, West Virginia 6
@Eastern Kentucky 9, Kentucky State 3
@Southern Illinois 4,
Southeast Missouri 1
Illinois State 16,
@SIUE 9
@Lipscomb 4,
Tennessee Tech 1
Eastern Illinois 15, @Alabama State 6
@Jacksonville State 9, Troy 5 (11 innings)
MOREHEAD STATE 9, WEST VIRGINIA 6
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Morehead State's baseball team rebounded from a setback Tuesday to rally and defeat West Virginia 9-6 at Allen Field Wednesday.
It's the third consecutive season Morehead State has recorded a victory ovr a Power Five Conference team.
After falling behind 3-0 in the first inning for the second straight game, MSU then rallied from a 4-0 deficit with a five-run second frame and a three-run third inning.
Pitchers Zack Smith, Josh Baumgart, David Looney and Dom Masullo combined to hold the Mountaineers to just two earned runs in the final seven innings. Baumgart, who had only seen 1.1 innings of action in 2019, was credited with the win after tossing 2.2 and scattering just four hits. Looney worked 1.2 innings with just one hit allowed, and Masullo sat down the visitors in order in the ninth for his first save of the season.
At the plate, the six through nine hitters in the Eagles' order crossed the plate seven times. Freshman Zach Boyd, who entered the game with just one hit, made his second one count, a two-run single in the second-inning scoring outburst. He also drew a bases-loaded walk in the third to push the Eagle lead to 6-4.
Connor Pauly and Stephen Hill led the offense with two hits each. Both of Pauly's singles resulted in runs scored as well. Hunter Fain, who leads the nation in on-base percentage, was hit by two pitches and also cranked a run-producing double too.
The Eagles tagged WVU starter Brock Helverson (0-1) for eight runs (six earned) in just 2.1 innings.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 9, KENTUCKY STATE 3
RICHMOND, Ky. - Junior right fielder Nick Howie hit three home runs to fuel Eastern Kentucky University’s 9-3 win over visiting Kentucky State University on Wednesday at Earle Combs Stadium.
Howie’s first dinger of the game came in the bottom of the third with A.J. Lewis on base. He sent the second pitch he saw over the wall in left center for a 3-0 Eastern advantage. With two outs and two on in the bottom of the fifth, Howie sent a 3-0 pitch over the wall in left to double the EKU (11-5) advantage to 6-0.
Russell Sims got the Thoroughbreds (10-4-1) on the board with an RBI double to center in the sixth inning.
Howie’s third of the game, and fifth of the season, came in the bottom of the seventh with Ryland Kerr and Lewis on base. This time it was a 3-2 pitch that the Oakville, Ontario native deposited over the left field wall. The home run hat trick put Eastern Kentucky in front 9-1.
Howie finished 3-for-4 with three runs and eight RBIs. Kerr and Lewis each scored twice.
Freshman Jacob Ferris (2-1) earned the win after pitching two scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit, did not walk a batter and struck out three.
Sims finished 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI for Kentucky State.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 4, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southeast Missouri (10-7) fell 4-1 to Southern Illinois (10-5) Wednesday in a very windy day at Abe Martin Field in Carbondale, Illinois.
Tyler Wilber rounded the day with hits in the first and ninth innings. Wilber went 2-for-4 on the day with a RBI.
The Redhawks record two hits on the day to SIU's six. The first hit for SEMO came by a two-out Wilber single to center field in the top of the first.
Austin Sachse retired the first six batters he faced to power through the first two innings. Sachse threw five complete innings, allowing just one earned run and no walks. The Salukis got their first hit in the bottom of the third when there were back-to-back doubles along the foul lines. SIU took a 1-0 lead in bottom of the third on the second double.
Southern Illinois would score two more runs in the next inning, but only one would go down as earned. Another leadoff double could work his way around the bases, eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly by Ian Waters. The next batter would reach base safely on an error by the Sachse. This runner would also come in to score, making it 3-0 SIU.
SEMO would be retired in 21 straight at bats, ending on a walk drawn by Alex Canty in the top of the eighth.
In the top of the ninth, Connor Basler would draw a base on balls, finally scoring when Tyler Wilber ripped his second base hit into center field. SEMO finished the day with a 1-4 loss to the Salukis.
ILLINOIS STATE 16, SIUE 9
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Illinois State scored five times in the first inning Wednesday and never looked back, defeating SIUE 16-9 at Simmons Baseball Complex. The game was called after eight innings due to heavy rain.
The Cougars fell to 4-9 and have lost four straight games. Illinois State improved to 10-5.
Jack Butler capped the five-run ISU first inning with a grand slam to put the Redbirds up 5-0 against SIUE starter Ryan Byrd. Byrd settled in and did not allow a run over the next two innings. He struck out five for the game and fell to 0-1 with the loss. The Cougars used five pitchers total in the game.
SIUE got a two-run home run from Brock Weimer in the bottom of the first inning and a bases loaded walk to Jack Rigoni in the second to trim the lead to 5-3, but Illinois State scored another five runs in the fourth to open the game up.
SIUE scored twice in the fifth and Illinois State added a run in the fifth for an 11-5 lead. The Redbirds scored twice more in the sixth and added three more in the seventh to lead 16-5. Illinois State homered four times in the game.
Justin Perkins picked up an RBI-hit and Dustin Woodcock added a two-run double in the eighth as SIUE score four times to cut the lead down to 16-9.
Woodcock finished the game 3-5 with three doubles, two RBIs, two runs scored and picked up an outfield assist when he threw ISU's Tyson Hays out at third from right field in the fourth inning.
LIPSCOMB 4, TENNESSEE TECH 1
NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Tech baseball team came up short in its in-state match-up with Lipscomb Wednesday afternoon, falling to the Bisons at Dugan Field in Nashville, 4-1.
A relatively hot Golden Eagle offense struggled to get much going on the road, as the Lipscomb pitching staff held the Tech bats to three hits in the ball game. The Tech pitching staff was able to hold the Bisons to just four runs on 13 hits.
Lipscomb was the first team on the board, plating a pair in the second with an RBI single and RBI ground out. The Bisons added another marker in the third on an RBI single, taking a 3-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles cut into the lead in the fifth, beginning with a leadoff double by sophomore slugger Jason Hinchman. Three batters later, Zell Walker brought Hinchman home, sending a 1-1 offering to left field for a sacrifice fly.
The Bisons responded with a run in the sixth, providing the final score of the night.
Three Golden Eagle hurlers enjoyed scoreless performances, with junior Jacob Cole completing three frames with just a single hit allowed. Senior right-hander Zack Wilcox finished the seventh without allowing a score while sophomore Tyler Sylvester rounded out the eighth with no base runners and one punch out.
Joining Hinchman with hits for the Golden Eagles were freshman Jason Hogan, who singled in the eighth, and senior Kevin Strohschein, who singled in the ninth.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 15, ALABAMA STATE 6
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team closed out their midweek series at Alabama State on Wednesday. The Panthers were able to defeat the Hornets 15-6 to secure the series sweep.
Jesse Wainscott got the call on the mound for the Panthers to close out the series. Wainscott tossed 5.0 innings with five hits, two runs, and two strikeouts.
Jimmy Govern hit for the cycle in today's game. The last time a Panther has hit for the cycle was on april, 4 2014 by Demetre Taylor. Govern finished the game 4-for-6 with three RBIs, three runs, a single, double, triple, and homerun.
Similar to yesterday's game the Panthers got on the board early, scoring three runs in the first. Jimmy Govern hit his third lead off homerun of the season to start the game. The Panthers would score their second run of the game on a wild pitch. Jimmy Huber would drive in the final run of the inning with a single through the right side.
The Panthers extended their lead to five runs in the top of the second. Trey Sweeney scored on a Dane Toppel grounder to short. Ryan Knernschield would five the Panthers their fifth run of the game with an RBI double to left center.
EIU extended their lead to seven runs which all came unanswered in the top of the third inning.
Eriq White got the Hornets on the board in the bottom of the third with a two run single to right field.
EIU answered back with three runs in the fourth. Huber would drive in the first run of the inning with an RBI double down the left field line. The Panthers would then score two runs on a throwing error by Christopher DeGuzman.
Tyler Tesmond belted his first homerun of the season in the top of the seventh. Tesmond drove a three run homer to left field.
Angel Jimenez drove a two run homer to left field to cut the lead to 13-4.
Tesmond and Govern gave the Panthers a 15-4 lead in the top of the eighth inning. Govern drove in Sweeney with an RBI triple, while Tesmond drove in Govern with a double down the right field line.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 9, TROY 5 (11)
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Jacksonville State baseball team swept the season series with in-state nemesis Troy on Wednesday night in grand fashion with a walk off grand slam by redshirt freshman Nash Adams in the 11th inning at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
Adams' blast broke a 5-5 deadlock and handed the Gamecocks a 9-5 win over the Trojans. Jax State topped Troy, 9-7, in late February at Troy's Riddle-Pace Field. It marks the first season sweep of Troy since 2015. JSU improved to 8-10 overall and will step put of Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend, hosting Big 10 opponent Purdue at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium. Friday's series opener is set for 6 p.m.
Senior Nic Gaddis opened the final frame with a hard single to third base, but after back-to-back fielders' choices, juniors Andrew Naismith and Chase Robinson walked to load the bases ahead of Adams, who stepped in as a pinch hitter. Adams, from Helena, Alabama, pelted Zach Moore's 0-1 pitch over the left field fence. Adams' game winner traveled 370 feet and came off the bat at 105 miles per hour. Jax State has now had walk off wins by way of the home run ball in two of the last four games and has won in the final at bat three times this season. The last time JSU had a walk off grand slam was back on April 10, 2010 against Murray State. Former Gamecock Jake Sharrock delivered the game-winning grand slam in the ninth inning. The last Jax State grand slam was last season by now-sophomore Isaac Alexander. Alexander's grand slam came in the OVC Baseball Tournament contest against Eastern Kentucky at Choccolocco Park.
The Gamecocks set up the extra inning affair with an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth. Junior Alex Webb reached on a fielding error by the Trojan infield with one out in the inning. After Tanner Anderson, who pinch ran for Webb took second on a wild pitch and a Gaddis walk, sophomore Cole Frederick came through with an RBI single.
JSU posted another come-from-behind win as it erased a 5-3 deficit in the final two innings of regulation. Naismith had a pinch hot double to the gap in left center field, plating Frederick. JSU threatened for more runs, but Troy averted the big innings all night.
Junior Tre Kirklin had one of this best outings in a Gamecock uniform as the Kennesaw, Georgia native led off the Jax State order with a solo home run in the first and mirrored his first at bat with his second solo home run of the evening in JSU's third inning. Kirklin scored three times and made a diving catch in the outfield late in the contest to preserve the tie. He scored on Webb's RBI single to left field in the fifth to slice Troy's lead to 4-3. Kirlin becomes the first Gamecock to lead off a game with a home run since Michael Bishop delivered a home run in the first at bat against SIU Edwardsville in 2014. Troy extended the lead to 5-3 with a sacrifice fly RBI by Chase Smartt.
Both clubs used many arms, but with a watchful eye as the Trojans open Sun Belt Conference action this weekend and the Boilermakers traveling to Jacksonville for weekend series. JSU senior Cody Willingham made second career start on Wednesday and turned in a pair of scoreless innings. The Rainsville, Alabama right hander posted a pair of strikeouts in the seven batters that he faced. Freshman Michael Gilliland, senior Austin Brewster both made appearances out of the bullpen. Jax State went with junior Alex London and freshman Isaiah Magwood in the middle innings before sophomore Jackson Tavel and sophomore Christian Edwards rounded out the arms used in the contest. Edwards picked up his first win of the season as he tossed the final two frames and fanned three Trojans. Troy's Moore suffered the loss.