TUESDAY'S SCORES
Western Kentucky 12,
@Eastern Kentucky 9
Robert Morris (Ill.) 14,
@Eastern Illinois 10
@Southern Illinois 10,
Belmont 4
@Kentucky 7,
Morehead State 0
@Austin Peay 10, Middle Tennessee 3
@SIUE 2, Saint Louis 0
Arkansas State 11,
@Southeast Missouri 2
WESTERN KENTUCKY 12, EASTERN KENTUCKY 9
RICHMOND, Ky. - Despite building a three-run lead on three occasions, the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team lost to Western Kentucky University, 12-9, on Tuesday at Earle Combs Stadium.
Corey Conklin’s three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning staked the home team to an early 3-0 lead. It was Conklin’s second of the season. Ryland Kerr’s two-out, two-run single to left field in the bottom of the fourth gave Eastern another three-run lead, 5-2. When Chris Botsoe scored in the bottom of the fifth on a ground ball, the Colonels led 6-3.
A five-run sixth inning for the Hilltoppers (12-11) changed the trajectory of the game. After two runs had scored, Jake Sanford hit a three-run home run to turn a one-run deficit into a two-run advantage, 8-6.
Sanford stretched the margin to six, 12-6, with a grand slam in the top of the seventh. It was his third home run over a stretch of three innings.
EKU (14-11) attempted to rally in the ninth. A triple from A.J. Lewis brought in two runs. Charles Ludwick plated Lewis with a single to center field to make it 12-9. Eastern brought the tying run to the plate with two outs, but couldn’t push across any more.
Conklin finished 1-for-4 with a walk, a run and three RBIs. Lewis was 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs.
Sanford went 3-for-6 with four runs scored and eight RBIs for Western Kentucky.
ROBERT MORRIS (ILL.) 14, EASTERN ILLNOIS 10
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team held their home opener against Robert Morris (Ill.) Tuesday afternoon. The Panthers fell short to the Eagles 14-10.
With the loss EIU falls to 11-12 on the season.
Jack Wolfe suffered his first loss of the season on the hill for the Panthers. Wolfe tossed 2.2 innings with nine runs (two earned) and five strikeouts.
Robert Morris came out aggressive to start the game with a two run lead in the top of the first inning. EIU was able to even out the game at two in the bottom of the second inning.
Both teams traded runs until mid-way through the game when the Eagles were able to pull away in the top of the fourth and fifth innings, combining for nine runs.
Keith Kerrigan drove a two run single to center field in the bottom of the eighth inning to cut the lead down to 12-7. Robert Morris would add two runs to their lead in the top of the ninth inning to lead 14-7.
Hunter Morris would kick off the ninth inning rally for the Panthers when he would reach on a throwing error to drive in Grant Emme. Christian Pena would keep the rally alive with an RBI single through the left side scoring Jimmy Govern. Trey Sweeney would drive in the third run of the inning reaching on a fielders choice to score Morris. The Panthers would combine for five runs through the eighth and ninth innings but would fall short in their comeback 14-10.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 10, BELMONT 4
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Belmont University Baseball dropped a 10-4 decision in a midweek matchup against Southern Illinois University Tuesday evening.
Belmont got is a hole early, going down 8-0 after the first six innings. The Bruins were plagued by defensive errors with all eight of those runs being unearned.
Belmont finally cracked the scoreboard in the top of the seventh. Freshman Jack Capobianco (London, Ky.) became the first base runner of the inning when he worked a one-out walk. A senior Zach Ehrhart (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) single notched a hit to right field in his first at-bat of the night, putting runners on the corners for the Bruins with one out. Belmont then took advantage of SIU's first error of the night, scoring an unearned run to cut the lead 8-1 after seven complete innings.
Junior Justin Fowlkes (Collierville, Tenn.) pitched a nice bottom of the second, giving up just one hit and striking out two to keep SIU off the board in the seventh.
The Bruins cut further into the Salukis' lead in the top of the eighth. Junior Hagan Severance (Brentwood, Tenn.) put the leadoff man aboard, working a walk. Severance then advanced to third base on two consecutive wild pitches. Freshman Tommy Crider (Madison, Ala.) kept the momentum going with a double to shallow left field to plate Severance. Belmont continued to chip away at the lead when sophomore Logan Jarvis (Franklin, Tenn.) pounded a home run to straight center field to cut the lead 8-4 after eight complete innings.
SIU earned two runs back in the bottom of the eighth. Belmont's season-high sixth error led to one of the runs and Belmont headed into the ninth inning with a 10-4 deficit.
KENTUCKY 7, MOREHEAD STATE 0
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Facing an in-state powerhouse for the second time in a month, the Morehead State baseball Eagles (17-8) suffered a setback at the hands of Kentucky (15-10), 7-0 Tuesday night at Kentucky Proud Park.
The Eagles relinquished their only earned runs of the game off of a fielding error that scored one runner and advanced another to second in the first inning, and a fielder's choice in the eighth. The two aforementioned plays book ended five runs that were all unearned.
Landon Weins inherited an infield with bases loaded, where the host Cats took a 2-0 lead off of a bases-loaded groundout to second in the opening frame.
Fast-forward to the fifth, and another Eagles reliever comes into an unenviable scenario. With the bases loaded, a fielding miscue allowed another run to cross the plate.
Later in the frame, with two away, Jaren Shelby hit a ground ball to short, which when fielded and thrown by Reid Leonard, caused first baseman Trevor Snyder to come off his intended line. The ball was jarred out of his glove by the runner and rolled away from him, allowing two more runners to score.
On a sac bunt attempt by the hosts in the sixth, pitcher Alex Garbrick mishandled the throw to first, allowing a runner on Conway's book to score from third.
In addition to the defensive slip-ups, the Eagles' bats were stymied, only producing three hits and seven baserunners in all.
The Eagles saw an impressive performance out of the freshman Weins. The Frankton, Ind. native threw four innings, allowing four hits, two runs, fanning four, and only walking one. His day closed with his season ERA lowering from 2.13 to 1.84.
AUSTIN PEAY 10, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 3
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Right fielder Parker Phillips had three hits, pacing Austin Peay State University’s baseball team to a 10-3 nonconference victory against Middle Tennessee, Tuesday night on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay (12-10) opened with three-run salvos in both the first and second innings. The Govs first-inning scoring occurred without a base hit with three Middle Tennessee errors helping the cause. The second inning got off to a hot start with four consecutive base hits, Phillips providing a run-scoring double followed by center fielder Garrett Spain’s RBI single. Malcolm Tipler’s ground out supplied the final run as the Govs broke out to a 6-3 lead.
The early run support helped Austin Peay starter Tyler Thompson make it through four innings after a rough start. The Blue Raiders got back-to-back base hits to start the game, catcher Aaron Antonini driving in a run with a double. But Thompson worked out of the trouble without allowing another run.
Middle Tennessee (8-16) responded the Govs three-run first by rallying for two runs in its half of the second. MTSU opened the frame with four consecutive hits, Antonini driving in a run with a bases-loaded walk and designated hitter Drew Huff tied the game with a sacrifice fly.
The Governors battled back with their second three-run frame to take a 6-3 lead. Austin Peay tacked on another three runs in the sixth thanks to first baseman John McDonald’s three-run double to salt the game away.
Thompson went four innings, limiting Middle Tennessee to three runs but did not qualify for the win. Reliever Greg Leban (2-0) picked up the win after striking out four of the nine batters he faced in two scoreless frames.
Phillips’ 3-for-4 outing was the Govs lone multihit performance in a nine-hit night. Spain had two RBI in a 1-for-4 outing while McDonald had three RBI in his own 1-for-4 game.
Blue Raiders starter David Zoz (1-1) allowed six runs over one-plus inning of work. Antonini went 2-for-4 with two RBI to lead MTSU while JT Mabry went 3-for-5.
SIUE 2, SAINT LOUIS 0
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Four SIUE pitchers combined to shut out Saint Louis on just three hits Tuesday night and the Cougars defeated the Billikens 2-0 at Simmons Complex.
SIUE improve to 5-2 at home and 8-13 overall. Saint Louis fell to 11-13 overall.
Brian Chandler started and threw the first four innings for the Cougars. Mike Shereyk (1-0) worked two innings and struck out one and Adam Drewry added a scoreless inning.
Tyler Hutchinson came in with the Cougars up 1-0 in the eighth, two runners on for the Billikens and nobody out. Hutchinson got a ground ball fielder's choice, a pop up and a line out to get out of the inning without a run. He retired Saint Louis in order in the ninth for his first save of the year.
SIUE took the lead against SLU starter Luke Matheny in the fifth. Justin Perkins led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Garrett Carmichael. Bret Fehr hit a fly ball to left, which was caught in foul territory. Perkins tagged and raced for home as Billikens' outfielder Scott Youngbrandt made a strong throw to the plate. Perkins side-stepped the tag and scored to put the Cougars up 1-0.
The Cougars made it 2-0 in the eighth. After loading the bases with one out, Raul Elguezabal hit a ground ball to short. SLU picked up the force out at second, but Elguezabal beat the throw to first, allowing Jordan Ross to score.
Matheny (1-2) worked into the eighth inning, allowing two runs on six SIUE hits. He struck out three.
The Cougars outhit the Billikens 8-3. Saint Louis stranded 13 runners on base in the game.
ARKANSAS STATE 11, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (13-12) had only three hits in an 11-2 loss to Arkansas State (17-8) Tuesday night at Capaha Field.
ASU scored the game's first run on a solo home run to right center by Sky-Lar Culver in the top of the second inning.
The Redhawks answered during their at-bat in the second when Hunter Southerland smacked a home run down the left field line. Southerland's team-high third home run tied the game at 1-1.
ASU quickly regained the lead when it scored two runs with two outs in the third. Drew Tipton led off with a double to left field and went to third on Eli Davis' groundout to second. With two outs, Kyle MacDonald doubled to right center and Tipton scored. Culver followed with an infield hit to bring home MacDonald pushing the Red Wolves' lead to 3-1.
Two innings later, SEMO loaded the bases and scored four runs on three hits to blow the game open.
Alex Howard struck out but was safe at first due to a wild pitch. Culver delivered a one-out single to get Howard to third. Justin Felix was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Jaylon Deshazier walked allowing Howard to score. Tyler Duncan hit a RBI-single and Tipton ripped a two-RBI base hit to left widening ASU's lead to 7-1.
The Red Wolves added another run in the seventh inning thanks to a single by Felix, two wild pitches and an error.
Southerland scored SEMO's final run on a one-out triple by Alex Nielsen in the bottom of the seventh. For Nielsen, it was his second triple of the season.
ASU tacked on three more runs in the ninth to complete the win.
Ten SEMO pitchers took the mound with starter Bryan McNeely (0-1) striking out two, walking one and giving up a run on three hits in two innings. The other nine pitched less than two innings. In all, Redhawk pitchers issued seven walks, threw five wild pitches and hit two batters for the night.
SEMO was one-hit through five innings. Two of the Redhawks three hits went for extra bases by way of Southerland's home run and Nielsen's triple.
ASU pounded out 15 hits. Tipton and Culver each had three and teamed up for five RBI. Felix followed with two hits and chipped in three runs scored.
Tonight's game was SEMO's longest of the season lasting three hours and 42 minutes.