TUESDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 2, @Butler 0
@Morehead State 9, Alabama State 2
@Southern Illinois 7,
SIUE 6
#4 Louisville 12,
@Eastern Kentucky 8
Austin Peay 5, @Western Kentucky 3
Tennessee Tech 7, @North Alabama 6
@UT Martin 8, Alabama A&M 3
@Southeast Missouri 7, Memphis 6
@Missouri 2,
Murray State 1
#5 Vanderbilt 3,
Belmont 0 (First Tennessee Park)
EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, BUTLER 0
INDIANAPOLIS - The Eastern Illinois baseball team took on Butler in a midweek showdown Tuesday afternoon. The Panthers defeated the Bulldogs 2-0.
With the win EIU advances to 8-11 on the season, while Butler falls to 11-8.
Foster Anshutz got the start on the hill for the Panthers this afternoon. Anshutz tossed 6.2 innings with three walks, two strikeouts, and two hits. Anshutz picked up his third win of the season improving to 3-0 on the season.
The Panthers got on the board early in the top of the third inning. Dane Toppel got the inning started drawing a leadoff walk. Trey Sweeney would reach on a fielders choice following Toppels walk. Tyler Tesmond would move Sweeney into scoring position with a single through the left side. Jimmy Govern who leads the Panthers in RBIs on the season added another RBI to his total with a sacrifice fly to right field to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
Christian Pena would extend the Panthers lead in the top of the fourth with a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Hunter Morris for the 2-0 lead.
Josh Cooper picked up his first save of the season and his career at EIU. Cooper tossed 2.1 innings with two strikeouts, and two hits.
MOREHEAD STATE 9, ALABAMA STATE 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Senior pitchers Garret Rogers and David Looney combined for 14 strikeouts, and Morehead State had eight hitters each garner an RBI as the Eagles defeated Alabama State 9-2 Tuesday for the team's fifth straight win.
Rogers, the starter, fanned a career-best eight in the first six innings to improve to 2-1. Looney entered in the seventh and sat down six more Hornet batters via strikeouts for his first save of the year and second of his career.
While the offense did leave 14 runners on base, it did feature the two through six batters all recording multiple-hit days.
Senior left-fielder Jake Hammon led the way with a 3-for-5 day, while senior center-fielder Connor Pauly, senior first baseman Trevor Snyder, senior DH Hunter Fain and sophomore third baseman Stephen Hill all registered two hits apiece. Snyder got around on his second home run of the season too, a solo shot in the fourth inning.
Hammon's first-inning single to right field got the scoring going before the home team plated three more in the third. Leading just 5-1 in the late innings, the Eagles also scratched across a pair of runs each in the seventh and eighth frames.
Fain extended his OVC-best reached-base streak to 23 games, while senior shortstop Reid Leonard moved his to 17 games.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 7, SIUE 6
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Single runs in the sixth and the seventh innings led SIU Carbondale to a 7-6 come-from-behind win over SIUE baseball Tuesday at Itchy Jones Stadium.
The Cougars who had won two straight, dropped to 6-11 overall. SIU Carbondale snapped a three-game losing streak in improving to 11-8 overall.
Dustin Woodcock got the Cougars on the board with his first home run of the year, a two-out solo shot to right field. The Salukis answered with two runs in the first and another in the second inning to lead 3-1.
Chandler, making just his second start, last just 2 2/3 innings. He allowed three runs on three hits and walked four.
The Cougars added two-out runs in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game at 3-3. Raul Elguezabal was hit by a pitch with one out in the fourth and scored when Aaron Goecks lined a two-out triple down the right field line. Eric Giltz reached on an error and then advanced all the way to third on the play with two outs in the fifth before Woodcock doubled to drive him home.
The Salukis answered again in the bottom of the fifth. J.T. Weber picked up an RBI-double to give the Salukis the 4-3 lead. Weber advanced to third on a groundout. He scored on a bunt single to make it 5-3.
SIUE then struck for three runs in the sixth. After Elguezabal was hit by a pitch to open the inning, Justin Perkins hammered a two-run homer to center to tie the game 5-5. A squeeze bunt by Jordan Ross brought home Goecks to give SIUE a 6-5 lead.
Jack Rigoni, Woodcock and Goetz all finished with two hits for the Cougars. Woodcock was 2 for 5 with the home run, two RBIs and a run. Goecks was 2-4 with the RBI-triple and a run.
Adam Drewry allowed the late runs from Carbondale and fell to 1-2 with the loss.
Weber and Nikola Vasic each had two hits in the win for the Salukis. SIU Carbondale's bullpen trio of Justin Yeager, Sam Grace and Trey McDaniel combined for four shutout innings. Yeagerr worked two innings, striking out two, for the win. McDaniel worked the ninth and allowed a pair of hits before retiring the side to earn his sixth save of the year.
#4 LOUISVILLE 12, EASTERN KENTUCKY 8
RICHMOND, Ky. - A.J. Lewis’ leadoff home run in the bottom of the first tied the game, 1-1, but No. 4 ranked University of Louisville escaped with a 12-8 win on Tuesday at Earle Combs Stadium.
Lewis sent the fifth pitch of the inning over the wall in left field for his third home run of the season to tie the game.
The Cardinals (17-4) took the lead for good in the top of the third on a two-run double by Jared Poland. Louisville pulled away with four runs in the fourth inning. Danny Oriente had a two-run single in that inning.
Eastern (11-9) closed a 12-3 deficit to four with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Nick Howie capped the big inning with a three-run home run over the wall in right field. It was his sixth homer of the season.
Lewis finished 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Howie was 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs and three RBIs. Chris Botsoe had a 2-for-3 day with a run and an RBI.
Oriente finished 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs. Tyler Fitzgerald scored three runs while going 2-for-4 with two walks.
AUSTIN PEAY 5, WESTERN KENTUCKY 3
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Third baseman Gino Avros beat out a potential double play, driving in the go-ahead run and igniting a four-run frame as Austin Peay State University’s baseball team won its fourth consecutive game, 5-3, against Western Kentucky, Tuesday at Nick Denes Field.
Trailing 1-0 after four innings, Austin Peay (9-9) opened the fifth frame with four consecutive hits. Catcher Alex Sala’s single capped that rally and drove in the game-tying run. Two batters later, Avros stepped the plate and hit a ground ball to shortstop but hustled down the line to beat out the relay throw from second, allowing a run to score and extending the inning.
Shortstop Garrett Kueber followed with a walk to reload the bases with two out. Western Kentucky couldn’t escape the jam as both right fielder Parker Phillips and center fielder Garrett Spain were hit by consecutive pitches to drive in runs and the Govs led 4-1.
Austin Peay would add a fifth run in the eighth inning, McDonald again delivering a key base hit with a runner in scoring position as catcher David Martinez scored from second with an insurance run.
Western Kentucky (9-10) would chip into the lead in its half of the eighth. Third baseman Sam McElreath doubled to start the inning and scored on center fielder Jackson Swiney’s fly out. Two batters later, right fielder Jake Sanford hit a home run to right center field, cutting the Govs lead to 5-3.
But the Govs bullpen would close the game by retiring the Hilltoppers final four batters. Closer Brett Newberg recorded the final three outs for his season’s second save.
The Govs' midgame outburst provided the timely run support needed for starter Tyler Thompson (1-0) to record his season’s first win after holding WKU to a run on four hits over five innings.
Martinez, second baseman Malcolm Tipler, and McDonald each had two hits to lead the Govs 10-hit offensive attack.
WKU starter Hunter Crosby (1-3) suffered the loss after allowing two runs on five hits over four-plus innings. McElreath’s 2-for-3 day led the Hilltoppers who finished with seven hits.
TENNESSEE TECH 7, NORTH ALABAMA 6
FLORENCE, Ala. - The Tennessee Tech baseball team snapped a four-game skid Tuesday afternoon, wrapping up its five-game road swing with a grueling, 7-6 victory at North Alabama.
The Golden Eagles (11-9) jumped out to an early advantage on the night, loading the bases in the first with back-to-back singles from Jay Meuse and Kevin Strohschein, and a walk to Jason Hinchman. Freshman John Dyer then delivered the heavy swing, ripping the first pitch he saw for a bases-clearing double and 3-0 Tech lead.
In the second, Tech got right back to its scoring ways, plating a pair to move up 5-0. Gavin Johnsreached base on a passed ball on a strikeout and Zell Walker followed with a double. Up next, Nathan McMeans singled home a run and Walker came around to score as well on an error by the Lions.
North Alabama (3-16) answered in the third, plating four runs, including two unearned. The home team then tied the game up in the fourth at 5-5, scoring on a double.
Tech jumped back out on top in the fifth, with Anthony Carrera reaching on a Lions miscue. With two outs, freshman Jason Hogan pinch hit and promptly came up with an RBI single to make it a 6-5 ball game in favor of the Golden Eagles.
Once again, the Lions responded, tying the contest at 6-6 with an RBI ground out in the fifth. Both sides traded zeros on the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh before the Golden Eagles took the lead for the good.
In the eighth, Hogan led things off with a double. Johns laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Hogan to third, but the Lions made another miscue, allowing Hogan to round third and score the eventual winning run on the error.
Junior Mark Leonard took the victory on the night, tossing five and one third innings of relief while allowing just one run on three hits. The right-hander moved to 2-1 on the year while striking out nine Lion batters.
Seth Noel turned in a decent start, covering the first two innings of the contest without allowing a baserunner and striking out three. Andrew O'Dwyer did not allow a run with one inning out the bullpen as well.
Dyer and Hogan each recorded two-hit days, with the pair of rookies combining for four of the team's five RBI.
UT MARTIN 8, ALABAMA A&M 3
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team claimed an 8-3 victory over Southwestern Athletic Conference foe Alabama A&M this evening.
UT Martin (8-12) was led by Blake Davis' four RBIs as they all came with one swing of the bat when he cranked a grand slam. Jordan Stoner paced the squad in hits as he notched a 3-for-3 day with a pair of runs driven in. The trio of Sean Dixson, Blake Daniels and Ethan Whitely all tallied a base knock in the contest. Casey Harford drew a pair of free bases while Billy Edwards, Tyson Cox, Whitley, Daniels and Stoner all earned one walk apiece.
Freshman righty Seth Petry drew the starting nod in the midweek showdown and logged five complete innings of two-hit baseball. The Murfreesboro, Tenn. native was tagged for just one earned run and issued only one walk while he fanned four bulldogs in his time on the bump.
Winston Cannon (2-4) tallied the victory as he tossed two innings of no-hit baseball out of the bullpen. He did not allow a run to cross the plate and allowed only two walks while sitting down three batters on strikes. Marcus Eusebio clocked in for an inning of work and was touched up for a pair earned runs in that span. Nick Wohlbold finished things out for the Skyhawks as he pitched the final inning of the contest. He chewed through the lineup as he picked up two strikeouts in his frame of work.
Petry retired the side in order to open the contest as he worked a friendly groundball, recorded a whiff and forced a flyout, respectively, to breeze through the inning.
Alabama A&M would break into the scoring column first as it put up one run in the second inning to take a 1-0 advantage but not before Petry would begin and end the frame with a strikeout.
Another quick inning came for Petry in the third as he kept the ball on the ground for the first and last out with a popout sandwiched in between. His time in the fourth was close to the preceding inning as he fanned the leadoff batter before forcing a couple of popouts to get through the frame.
UT Martin matched the Bulldogs' run in the fourth as Stoner belted a leadoff jack to left field to knot things up at 1-1.
Petry's last inning would be the fifth as he once again retired the side in order with a groundout, flyout and popout, respectively, to end his day.
Cannon came on in the sixth and got off to a hot start as he fanned the first batter he faced followed by a pair of friendly ground ball outs.
A four-run inning came for the Skyhawks in the sixth inning as Daniels led the frame off with a single up the middle before scooting over to second via a wild pitch. Stoner then tallied an infield knock to short before Harford worked the count to draw a walk that juiced the bases. Then Davis stepped into the batter's box and ripped a grand slam to give UT Martin a 5-1 lead.
Cannon opened the seventh with a whiff but would lose a batter to a free base. He then caught the runner stealing with a 1-3-1-6 move to erase the runner. Cannon let another Bulldog get to first via a walk but he kept his composure and struck out the next batsman to get out of the inning.
The Skyhawks added on a trio of runs in the seventh as Dixson got things going with a double to deep center followed by a Daniels walk. A Stoner single would be enough to bring in Dixson and shift Daniels to third. An Alabama A&M wild pitch allowed Daniels to cross home plate and for Stoner to move over to second. Stoner then swiped third base and was able to come home due to a throwing error by the Bulldog catcher to give UT Martin the 8-1 advantage.
Alabama A&M struck for a pair of runs in the eighth as they cut the Skyhawk lead to 8-3.
Wohlbold entered in the ninth and sat down the Bulldogs 1-2-3 with a lineout and a pair of strikeouts, respectively to end the contest.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, MEMPHIS 6
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Danny Wright delivered a two-out RBI-double in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Southeast Missouri (12-9) the lead as the Redhawks came from behind to beat Memphis (10-9), 7-6, Tuesday at Capaha Field.
Tied, 6-6, after six-and-a-half innings, Wright broke through with what ended up being the game-winning hit after SEMO went 0-for-5 with the bases loaded.
Connor Basler reached on a one-out double up the middle to give SEMO a jolt in the seventh inning. After Devon Wilson grounded out, Wright knocked in Basler for the go-ahead run on his sixth double of the season.
Starting pitchers Bryce Grossius and Bailey Wimberley were shaky from the start and neither lasted longer than an inning.
Grossius and Wimberley combined to give up seven runs on five hits, issue seven walks and hit two batters in a 44-minute first inning.
Memphis scored the game's first four runs. Nick Vaage reached on a one-out walk and went to third on a double by Hunter Goodman. Alec Trela flied out to left and Vaage scored. Cale Hennemann hit an infield single and Kyle Ouellette was hit by a pitch to load the bases. On the next play, Goodman scored on a passed ball. Payton Marshall and Keith Stepter each walked and Hennemann touched home on Stepter's bases on balls. An ensuing balk allowed Stepter to cross home plate giving the Tigers an early 4-0 advantage.
SEMO answered with three runs of its own to make it a one-run game in the bottom of the first.
Basler led off with a walk and advanced to second on an error. Basler went to third on a single by Wilson and scored when Wright hit into a fielder's choice. A two-RBI double by Tyler Wilber came after that as the Redhawks quickly closed Memphis' lead to 4-3.
The Tigers added another run in the top of the third, but SEMO tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
SEMO scored both of its runs without getting a hit capitalizing on five walks and a wild pitch. Wilson walked with the bases loaded to score Garrett Stephens. Andrew Keck then tied things up at 5-5 when he touched home on Wright's groundout to second.
Both teams scored one run in the sixth inning before SEMO prevailed in the seventh. Trela hit a solo home run for the Tigers with two outs in the top of the sixth and Wilber scored on a wild pitch for the Redhawks bringing the score to 6-6.
A total of seven pitchers took the mound for SEMO. Austin Sachse (2-2) was credited with the win out of the bullpen. Sachse tossed two scoreless one-hit innings with a strikeout.
Aaron Stretch struck out one and forced Marshall to groundout to short with a runner on third in the ninth. Stretch picked up his second save of the season.
Meanwhile, eight pitchers saw action for Memphis. Landon Kelly (1-2) was charged with the loss after giving up the go-ahead run on two hits.
Offensively, each of the first six hitters in SEMO's lineup had a hit. Wilber and Turner Fritts each went 2-for-4 to lead the way. Fritts played with a heavy heart in his return after missing several games because his father recently passed away. Basler, Wilson, Wright, Alex Nielsen and Gonzalez followed close behind with one hit each. Wright also led the Redhawks with three RBI.
SEMO hitters walked nine times in the game. It marked the fifth time this season where the Redhawks drew nine or more walks.
Hennemann and Marshall paced the Tigers with two hits apiece.
MISSOURI 2, MURRAY STATE 1
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Murray State baseball hit the road for the first time in three weeks, Tuesday to take on Missouri. The Racers battled with the SEC team but ultimately fell to the Tigers, 2-1.
Gray Dorsey started the game on the mound for the Racers and threw three innings, allowing just one run while striking out three. Justin Thomas followed him on the mound by throwing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts while allowing just two hits. Braydon Cook finished the game for MSU with two innings, allowing one run and striking out two.
The Racers (8-11) struggled against Missouri starter Art Joven, garnering just two hits, both bunt singles by Jordan Holly in 7.2 innings.
Mizzou (12-8) got on the board early as they hit a solo home run in the first inning. Murray State tied the game in the third as a walk, error, bunt single, and groundout by Tyler Duke produced a run.
The score remained the same until the eighth when the Tigers hit three singles to take the lead.
In the ninth, Brock Anderson singled with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but was stranded there as the next two batters struck out to end the game.
#5 VANDERBILT 3, BELMONT 0
NASHVILLE - Belmont University Baseball dropped a 3-0 decision to No. 8 Vanderbilt Tuesday night at First Tennessee Park in Nashville.
The game was a defensive battle from the start with starting pitcher freshman Aaron Hubbell retiring the Commodores in order in the top of the first with just five pitches. In the bottom of the first, senior Zach Ehrhart (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) started Belmont off on a positive note, working a walk. Freshman Grayson Taylor (Madison, Ala.) kept the momentum going with a single to center field that pushed Ehrhart into scoring position. With the Bruins knocking on the door, Vanderbilt notched a couple strikeouts to end the inning, stranding two Belmont runners.
The Commodores opened the night's scoring in the top of the second with a solo home run to take a 1-0 lead after two innings. Belmont's defense continued to be impressive, keeping Vanderbilt off the board for the next three innings.
Ehrhart was once again a spark in the Belmont offense in the bottom of the third when he notched a one-out infield single. He was stranded, however, and Belmont was held off through three complete.
Looking to get on the board in the bottom of the fifth, senior Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) had Belmont's third hit of the night and stole second, putting the tying run in scoring position. Vanderbilt's defense rose to the occasion again and left Holland at second. Belmont still trailed, but kept the game within striking distance, trailing 1-0 after five complete innings.
Vanderbilt took a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth, scoring one run on two hits in the inning. In the bottom of the inning, Chandler Adkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) gave Belmont another base runner, working a walk, but was unable to cross home plate.
After holding Vanderbilt off the board in the seventh, Belmont tried to manufacture a run in the bottom of the inning after senior Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) worked a walk. Belmont was held off in the inning when Hadden was thrown out on a fielder's choice.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Vanderbilt scored its final run of the game in the top of the ninth to take a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, freshman Tommy Crider (Cullman, Ala.) tried to start a late rally for the Bruins with a leadoff double down the left field line. Crider advanced to third on the next play, but a groundout would end the game and Belmont would ultimately drop a 3-0 victory.
Seven Belmont pitchers saw action in the midweek matchup. Hubbell and sophomore Stone Selby both threw two innings. Selby was effective on the mound for the Bruins, striking out four batters and allowing no runs in his two innings of work.