SATURDAY'S SCORES
Jacksonville State 4, @Murray State 2
@Eastern Kentucky 14, UT Martin 4
SIUE 3, @Belmont 1
@Southeast Missouri 7, Austin Peay 4
Eastern Illinois 13, @Tennessee Tech 12
Morehead State 7, @Southern Illinois 0
JACKSONVILLE STATE 4, MURRAY STATE 2
MURRAY, Ky. - For the third consecutive weekend, Jacksonville State will have a rubber game of a weekend series after bouncing back from a tough loss on Friday at Murray State to even the series with a 4-2 win over the Racers on Saturday at Reagan Field.
JSU entered the final game of the Eastern Illinois and Purdue series needing a win to secure the series. The Gamecocks improved to 11-12 on the season and 3-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while MSU dropped to 9-13 overall and 5-3 in the conference.
After Murray State posted a come-from-behind win on Friday, Jax State thwarted a late-innings rally by the Racers. The Racers erased a 2-0 deficit with a two-out double that plated the pair of runs to even the contest. Just like Friday, the Gamecocks answered with the go-ahead run in the ninth inning. Sophomore Cole Frederick scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the frame. Frederick, who had two hits on the day, started the inning with his second double of the day. His first double in the fifth inning helped JSU break a scoreless contest. Junior Alex Webb posted his fifth RBI of the weekend with a sacrifice fly that scored junior Chase Robinson.
Jax State starter Trey Fortner turned in another quality start on the mound, scattering three Racer hits in his 5.2 innings of work, which was his second-longest stint of his career. The redshirt freshman right hander recorded three strikeouts and worked out of jams early in the contest. The Racers stranded 11 on the contest, mostly while Fortner was on the bump.
JSU extended the lead to 2-0 in the seventh with an unearned run. Sophomore Isaac Alexander scored on junior Devin Brown's fielder's choice. Alexander turned in a game-high three hits in the affair.
The JSU bullpen was solid as Corley Woods, Tyler Wilburn, Austin Brewster and Jackson Tavel finished the contest. Wilburn picked up his first win of the season after pitching an inning, while Tavel collected his first save as a Gamecock. Brewster and Tavel combined to strike out the side in the MSU ninth. MSU's Jase Carvel was saddled with the loss.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 14, UT MARTIN 4
RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky University’s baseball team cruised to a series clinching win over visiting University of Tennessee at Martin on Saturday, posting a 14-4 victory at Earle Combs Stadium.
EKU (13-10, 2-3 OVC) won the series-opener on Friday, 21-6.
Senior second baseman Ryland Kerr went 4-for-4 with two runs and eight RBIs in Saturday’s contest. Freshman third baseman Logan Thomason went 3-for-4 with four runs scored in the win.
Kaven Brown (5-1) picked up his fifth victory in 2019. The senior right-hander surrendered four runs, only two of which were earned, on seven hits in seven innings of work. He walked one and struck out seven.
Just as they did in the series opener on Friday, the Skyhawks scored a run in the first inning to take an early lead. Blake Davis drove home Sean Dixson on a sacrifice fly to right field.
The Colonels scored four times in the bottom of the second and never trailed again. Daniel Harris IV tied it with a one-out, solo home run over the wall in left center. It was his second of the season. With two outs and two on later in the inning, Kerr launched his first homer of the season over the wall in right center to put EKU in front 4-1.
Charles Ludwick’s second home run of the season, a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth, made it a 7-2 game in favor of the home team. Ethan Whitley answered for UT Martin (8-14, 2-6 OVC) in the top of the sixth with a two-run dinger to cut the deficit to three.
Kerr’s bases clearing double in the bottom of the sixth put the game out of reach at 10-4. It was his fifth, sixth and seventh RBI of the game.
Blake Daniels went 2-for-5 for UTM.
SIUE 3, BELMONT 1
NASHVILLE - Brock Weimer finished with three hits and two RBIs and David Llorens allowed a single run over 6 2/3 innings Saturday as SIUE defeated Belmont 3-1 in the second game of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference baseball series.
SIUE improved to 4-4 in OVC play and 7-12 overall. First-place Belmont slipped to 6-2 in the OVC and 11-11 overall.
Llorens gave up only six hits, walked three and struck out eight in the longest start of his career. He won for the second weekend in a row to improve to 2-2.
The Bruins took advantage of a walk to take a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Chas Hadden walked then scored when Hunter Holland flied a ball into the outfield which fell in for a triple. Holland was 2-4 and had the only RBI of the game for Belmont.
SIUE answered with two runs in the third to seize the lead for good. Jordan Ross singled to start the inning and Jack Rigoni doubled. Eric Giltz hit a sacrifice fly to tie the score and Weimer added an RBI-hit to put SIUE up 2-1. Weimer singled with one out in the fifth to score Dustin Woodcock to give SIUE the 3-1 edge. He finished 3-4 with the two RBIs to lead The Cougars at the plate.
Woodcock was 2-4 with a pair of doubles. Justin Perkins and Garrett Carmichael also were 2-4 for the Cougars, who outhit Belmont 12-7.
Belmont starter Joshua South fell to 2-2 with the loss. He worked five innings and allowed all three runs on 10 hits. He struck out four.
Braydon Bone closed out the game with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He struck out three to earn his third save of the year.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7, AUSTIN PEAY 4
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (13-10, 3-5) scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull off a 7-4 comeback win over Austin Peay (10-10, 5-3) Saturday afternoon at Capaha Field.
SEMO, which evened its series against APSU, snapped the Governors five-game winning streak.
The Redhawks were down a run when they rallied late to take down APSU.
Connor Basler singled up the middle and Devon Wilson singled. Basler scored the tying run with the help of an error. Wilson scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Alex Nielsen. Andrew Keck singled home a run and Turner Fritts scored thanks to a second error by the Governors to put SEMO up, 7-4.
APSU starting pitcher Jacques Pucheu was strong early retiring the first 10 hitters he faced. Pucheu did not allow a baserunner until Wilson broke up his perfect game bid with a one-out double in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Pucheu, pitching with a 3-0 lead after APSU scored once in the third, fourth and fifth, gave up his first run of the game when Andrew Keck homered to left field in the bottom of the fifth. The solo shot was the first home run of Keck's career.
SEMO continued its momentum in the sixth inning and managed to tie the game with the help of three hits.
Connor Basler led off with a single, went to second on a base hit by Wilson and scored when Danny Wright singled to left. Wilson tied the game when he touched home after Alex Nielsen hit into a double play. Nielsen's double play would have ended the inning, however, Turner Fritts reached on an error prior to Nielsen's at-bat.
APSU quickly regained a one-run edge on a groundball out with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh. Sebastian Martinez grounded out to short and Garrett Kueber scored to put the Governors ahead, 4-3.
Aaron Stretch (1-1) earned the win in relief. Stretch struck out three and walked one in 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Tyler Thompson (1-1) took the loss. Thompson allowed four runs and two hits, walked two and struck out one in 1.1 innings.
Wilson went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a RBI to lead SEMO. Basler and Keck followed with two hits each. The Redhawks had eight hits for the day.
Seven of APSU's nine starters had a hit. The Governors also committed three errors in the game.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 13, TENNESSEE TECH 12
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team took on Tennessee Tech in the second game of their conference series Saturday afternoon. The Panthers were able to defeat the golden eagles 13-12 to secure the series.
With the win the Panthers improve to 10-11 (4-4 OVC), while Tennessee Tech drops to 11-11 (2-6 OVC).
The Panthers got on the board early in the top of the second with a 1-0 lead. Dane Toppel was able to drive in the first run of the game for the Panthers with a one run single through the right side.
Jason Hogan would give Tennessee Tech the lead in the bottom of the second inning with a three run homer to left field.
The Panthers were able to cut the lead down to one run in the top of the third thank to Hunter Morris' single up the middle to drive in Jimmy Govern.
EIU would take the lead in the top of the fifth when they scored five runs. Christian Pena led off the top of the fourth with a lead off walk to give the Panthers their first base runner of the inning. Keith Kerrigan would drive in Pena with a single to the pitcher. Trey Sweeney would bring in Kerrigan with a double to right field. Tyler Tesmond would with the Panthers runners on first and second with a walk. Govern would bring in Sweeney with a double to center. Grant Emme would keep the rally alive with the Panthers third double of the inning to clear the bases.
The Panthers would add six more runs in the top of the fifth inning. Emme would extend his RBIs to five on the game with a base clearing triple. The Panthers headed into the bottom of the fifth inning with a 13-3 lead of the Golden Eagles.
Tennessee Tech was able to score three unanswered runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to cut the EIU lead to 13-6.
John Dyer would drive a two run homer in the bottom of the eighth to left field to cut the lead to 13-8. Hogan would hit his second homerun of the day with a two run homer to right center.
The Golden Eagles kept the pressure on the EIU pitching staff when Jason Hinchman would blast a two run homer to left center to cut the lead to one run in the bottom of the ninth.
Spenser Dexter got the start on the hill for the Panthers in the second game of their conference series. Dexter improved to 2-1 on the season with the win. Dexter tossed 6.0 innings with nine strikeouts.
MOREHEAD STATE 7, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 0
CARBONDALE, Ill. - A trio of Morehead State pitchers combined to issue no walks and shut out Southern Illinois for nine frames Saturday as the Eagles evened their non-conference series with a 7-0 victory at Itchy Jones Park.
Starter Jason Goe (2-1) went the first six frames, allowed just four hits, and struck out three. Redshirt junior Cory Conway, who had been injured up until this weekend, fanned two in his first inning of work back active, and freshman Landon Weins preserved the shutout with a pair of whiffs in the final two innings.
The Eagle offense used a five-run third inning, helped by a bunt single, an error on a sac bunt attempt and a successful sac bunt attempt to pull ahead. MSU added two more in the seventh when it strung together four hits.
Seniors Trevor Snyder and Hunter Fain collected RBI singles in the third, while Fain and sophomore Stephen Hill added RBI one-baggers in the seventh.
Fain moved his team-leading reached-base streak to 25 games with a 2-for-4 day. Snyder and seniors Jake Hammon and Connor Pauly each added two hits apiece too, and senior Reid Leonard had a hit to move three hits away from tying the MSU career hits record of 277 held by Drew Lee.
Junior Arthur Sells didn't collect a hit but did have a back-side ground out that resulted in a run as well.