SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Murray State 14, Eastern Illinois 6
@Morehead State 15, Eastern Kentucky 4
@Austin Peay 8, Tennessee Tech 1
Belmont 6, @UT Martin 5
@SIUE 3, Southeast Missouri 2
@Jacksonville State 3, Purdue 0
MURRAY STATE 14, EASTERN ILLINOIS 6
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State baseball team got its second straight OVC series win, Sunday afternoon, by defeating Eastern Illinois, 14-6, at Reagan Field.
MSU improves to 8-10 on the year and 4-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference while the Panthers fall to 7-11 and 2-4 in conference play.
The Racers pounded out a season-high 19 hits led by Brock Anderson, Jake Slunder, and Sean Darmafall with three apiece. Anderson continued his power surge by hitting two home runs to give him seven this season and five in the last six games. Slunder scored a game-high four runs an Jordan Holly also chipped in with two hits and two RBI.
With the Racers as the road team, the scoring started early as Anderson hit a two-run home run off the batter's eye in center field to take a 2-0 lead.
Eastern Illinois answered with a run in the home half, but the Racers responded in the second with two runs on an error and a passed ball.
In the fourth, Anderson hit his second two-run home run of the day, this time hitting a ball to right field that easily cleared the fence with a little help from the wind.
The Racers tacked on a run in in the fifth when Holly came around to score on a triple by Tyler Duke. Duke tried for an inside-the-park home run on the play, but was thrown out at the plate.
Murray State blew the game open in the sixth, scoring four runs on just three hits. Darmafall knocked in the first run with a single before a hit-by-pitch, passed ball, and groundout forced in the other three runs in the inning to give the Racers an 11-2 lead.
The Panthers got a run back in the seventh, but the Racers responded with two more runs in the eighth when Dylan Letellier opened the inning with a triple which was followed by back-to-back doubles by Bryan Chilton and Holly.
EIU scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth and threatened for more but a strikeout by Hunter Orr to end the inning stunted the Panthers rally.
Just for good measure, the Racers added another run in the ninth as Jaron Robinson laced an RBI single to drive in CJ Bush, who had tripled to lead off the inning.
MOREHEAD STATE 15, EASTERN KENTUCKY 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - After spotting Eastern Kentucky a run in the first inning, Morehead State's baseball team erupted for 13 runs over the next three frames and rolled to a 15-4 victory over the Colonels Sunday at Allen Field to secure a series sweep.
MSU (14-5/4-2 OVC) has now swept the Colonels two straight times when the regular season series is held in Morehead. EKU slipped to 11-8 and 0-3 in the OVC.
The Colonels scored on a wild pitch in the first inning, but MSU exploded to eight runs in the second, two more in the third and three in the third to push ahead 13-1. The second inning featured five walks issued by EKU starting pitcher Brennan Kelly (2-2), and the Eagles took advantage, sending 13 hitters to the plate. MSU scored runs on six singles and a bases-loaded walk.
A two-run homer by senior center-fielder Connor Pauly, who nailed home runs in all three games of the series, highlighted the third inning. Junior right-fielder Arthur Sells then cranked his first Eagle home run, a three-run bomb, in the fourth inning.
In between, Eagle starter Will Lozinak (3-0) only allowed five hits through seven innings and three runs. He also sat down five EKU hitters via strikeouts in tossing a career-best 105 pitches.
A sac fly by senior first baseman Trevor Snyder and RBI ground out from junior Dom Peroni closed the Eagle scoring in the sixth and eighth innings, respectively, while EKU got three more runs via home runs in the fifth and ninth stanzas.
MSU finished with 13 hits, including a 3-for-3 day from senior left-fielder Jake Hammon. Pauly, senior shortstop Reid Leonard, Sells and sophomore catcher Brody Shoupe contributed two hits apiece. Shortstop Daniel Harris had two of the Colonels' seven hits.
AUSTIN PEAY 8, TENNESSEE TECH 1
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - For the third-straight game, Austin Peay State University’s baseball team got another quality outing from a starting pitcher – this time Brandon Vial supplying six scoreless frames in an 8-1 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Tennessee Tech, Sunday afternoon.
With the win, Austin Peay (8-9, 4-2 OVC) swept the three-game OVC set against Tennessee Tech (10-9, 2-4 OVC). The Governors end the week tied for second in the league race.
Tennessee Tech had an opportunity to grab its first lead of the series in the top of the first, loading the bases with two out against Vial. But the Governors starter shut the door quickly, striking out the next batter he faced to end the threat.
Austin Peay put the Golden Eagles behind on the scoreboard in their half of the first. Third baseman Gino Avros doubled to start the frame, advanced on a ground out and scored on first baseman Parker Phillips’ sacrifice fly.
Vial (1-2) would back up that run by retiring the next seven batters he faced as he held Tennessee Tech scoreless through the fourth. The Golden Eagles would try to produce a run in the fifth but saw a runner cut down at home on a perfect relay play from left to deny the run.
The Govs would add to their lead in the fourth as the first five batters of the frame reached base safely. Catcher David Martinez and left fielder Malcolm Tipler drove in runs with a single and a bases-loaded walk, respectively, to extend the lead to 3-0.
Austin Peay doubled that advantage with a three-run fifth – two runs coming on center fielder Garrett Spain’s single – and tacked on single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to build an 8-0 advantage.
Vial’s outing was his longest scoreless-inning effort since his first appearance as a Governor last season. He struck out a career-high nine batters while scattering six hits and allowing only two walks. Closer Brett Newberg would allow a run in the ninth inning but picked up the three-inning save.
The Govs posted 10 hits in the win with shortstop Garrett Kueber’s 2-for-4, one RBI outing the only multi-hit effort. Tipler finished the day 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Tennessee Tech starter Jacob Cole (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on three hits and three walks in three-plus innings. Shortstop Zell Walker’s ninth-inning single provided the Golden Eagles their only run of the day.
BELMONT 6, UT MARTIN 5
MARTIN, Tenn. - Belmont University Baseball completed a series sweep on Sunday with an exciting 6-5 win over UT Martin. Belmont improves to 5-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play with the victory.
After a scoreless opening inning, senior Devon Gardner (Maryville, Tenn.) started Belmont's offensive attach with a single up the middle, giving the Bruins a base runner. After a sacrifice bunt from junior Hagan Severance (Brentwood, Tenn.), Gardner found himself in scoring with just one out. He was driven in when senior Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) ripped an RBI single up the middle, giving Belmont a 1-0 lead. The excitement continued in the third when sophomore Logan Jarvis (Franklin, Tenn.) smoked a two-run home run past the right field fence for a 3-0 lead.
UT Martin immediately responded with a five-run bottom of the second after four hits and a couple of walks to retake the lead 5-3.
The next four innings remained scoreless with good defense on display from both squads. Several Belmont pitchers saw time on the mound Sunday. Sophomore Chandler Schultz (Nashville, Tenn.) and junior Michael Matter (Ft. Myers, Fla.) both threw a scoreless inning with sophomore Stone Selby (Hohenwald, Tenn.) throwing two scoreless.
Belmont scored its final three runs, taking the lead in the top of the seventh. Senior Zach Ehrhart (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) started off the inning by working a four-pitch walk. Freshman Grayson Taylor's (Madison, Ala.) got hot, ripping a double to left center, putting runners on the corners. After senior Devon Gardner (Maryville, Tenn.) was hit by a pitch, Severance had a big at-bat, singling through the right side, driving in a run. The Bruins used heads-up base running, scoring the tying and go-ahead runs on a passed ball and wild pitch respectively.
Belmont took a narrow 6-5 run, heading into the final two and a half innings. Sophomore Logan Bowen (Bowling Green, Ky.) was called from the bullpen to try and notch his second save in as many days. Bowen allowed just two base runners in the final three innings, striking out the final Skyhawk batter of the afternoon to secure the 6-5 victory and the series sweep.
SIUE 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE scored three times in the bottom of the first inning Sunday and held on for a 3-2 win to earn the Ohio Valley Conference series win over the Redhawks.
The Cougars improved to 3-3 in OVC play and 6-10 overall. SEMO fell to 11-9 overall and 2-4 in the OVC.
The Redhawks threatened right off the bat. SIUE starter Cameron Prayer loaded the bases with one out in the first inning on three walks. Prayer left with an injury and was replaced by Ryan Byrd who retired the next two hitters to keep SEMO off the board.
Jack Rigoni, Eric Giltz and Dustin Woodcock opened the bottom of the first inning with consecutive singles to load the bases for SIUE. Raul Elguezabal hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right to bring in Rigoni and Justin Perkins followed a with a two-run double to left field to put the Cougars up 3-0.
The Redhawks score their only two runs in the sixth with a pair of hits. Hunter Southerland and Garrett Stephens picked up RBIs in the inning.
Byrd allowed two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings of relief. He struck out two and improved to 1-1 with the win. Chris Robinson threw two scoreless innings, striking out three in relief. Braydon Bone worked the ninth inning, allowing a walk and a hit. He struck out one and earned his second save of the year.
SIUE outhit Southeast Missouri 8-6.
SEMO starter Daniel Bergtholdt fell to 2-2 with the loss. He allowed the three runs on six hits over three innings.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, PURDUE 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Jacksonville State baseball team picked up its second consecutive series win after blanking Big Ten foe Purdue for the second time during the three-game series with a 3-0 decision on Sunday on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
The Gamecocks (10-11) shutout the Boilermakers 4-0 on Friday behind the arm of Garrett Farmer and four extra base hits. On Sunday, it was the bullpen and a three-run second inning for Jax State. JSU will be idle during the midweek and returns to Ohio Valley Conference action next weekend with its first road test in the league at Murray State. The series with the Racers will get started on Friday, March 22 at 3 p.m. Purdue dropped to 4-14 on the season after the loss.
Junior Corley Woods continued to be solid in relief as he squashed Purdue's hopes of a run-producing sixth inning after loading the bases with no outs. Woods induced a pop up on the infield, recorded one of his two strikeouts and ended the threat with an inning-ending ground ball. Woods did not surrender a hit and worked around a leadoff walk in the seventh. After getting the first out of the ninth, JSU went to closer Christian Edwards to finish off the game. Edwards fanned both Boilermakers he faced to earn his second save of the series and fifth of the season.
For the series, the JSU pitchers posted 22 strikeouts and issued six walks and was touched for nine runs. Purdue's nine-run fifth inning on Saturday was the only inning in the 27-inning series that it scored on the Gamecocks. The Boilermakers were 0-7 with runners in scoring position.
The Gamecocks strung together four if their seven hits in the second inning. Senior Nic Gaddis and Alex Strachan opened the frame with back-to-back singles before sophomore Isaac Alexander doubled down the left field line for the first RBI of the contest. Junior Devin Brown laid down a perfect bunt to score Strachan for the second run. Back-to-back walks by Purdue starter Ryan Beard added the third run as Tanner Anderson was issued a bases loaded-walk.
Sunday starter Dylan Hathcock maintained the three-run cushion with a quality 4.1 innings of work. Hathcock scattered five hits and struck out one. Sophomore Colin Casey finished the fourth inning with the final two outs and tallied the first out of the fifth inning.
Gaddis was the lone Gamecock to have multiple hits on Sunday, pushing his seasons total to nine multi-hit games. The Trenton, Georgia native has reached base in 11 consecutive games.