FRIDAY'S SCORES
Belmont 11, @Austin Peay 3
@Jacksonville State 5, Tennessee Tech 3
@UT Martin 5, Morehead State 4
Eastern Kentucky 12, @SIUE 9
BELMONT 11, AUSTIN PEAY 3
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont University Baseball remains atop the Ohio Valley Conference with a 11-3 victory over Austin Peay State University Friday night.
The Bruins wasted no time getting going when senior Zach Ehrhart (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) swung on the second pitch of the night for a standup double. After advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt, he was batted in by junior Chandler Adkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) who blasted the second double of the night after working a full count. The Bruins scored its second run of the inning when senior Devon Gardner (Maryville, Tenn.) knocked a hit to center field that was deep enough to play Adkins. Belmont would take an early 2-0 lead after the top half of the first.
Senior Casey Queener started on the bump for the seventh time this season for the Bruins on Friday night. The pitcher, who pitched a complete game shutout of the Governors last season, had APSU's number early in this one retiring them in order.
The Governors cut the Belmont lead in half in the bottom of the third on a solo home run. Both teams dug in defensively, holding each other scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, keeping the score 2-1 after five complete.
The Bruins extended its lead with two more runs in the top of the sixth. Adkins worked what would be his first walk of the night, giving Belmont a base runner. With two outs and a runner on, senior Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) delivered a double to shallow left field, plating Adkins for a 3-1 lead. With some impressive base running, Holland stole second and scored on an error for a 4-1 Belmont lead.
Austin Peay responded immediately in the bottom of the sixth, earning back both runs given up in the sixth, closing in on Belmont 4-3.
Belmont, never phased, blew open the game in the top of the seventh, scoring five runs on just two hits. Sophomore Logan Jarvis (Franklin, Tenn.) started off the big inning working a walk. Junior Jackson Campbell (Russellville, Ky.) then got aboard on a fielder's choice. Consecutive base hits by senior's Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) and Ehrhart scored Campbell for a 5-3 lead. A hit-batsmen then loaded the bases giving Austin Peay nowhere to put anyone. Adkins and Gardner then plated two more on consecutive bases-loaded walks to give Belmont an 8-3 lead. BU scored its final run of the night with the help of an RBI groundout from Holland to take a 9-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Queener's night would be over in the bottom of the seventh, but not before an impressive 11 strikeouts and just three hits. Sophomore Stone Selby (Hohenwald, Tenn.) headed to the mound. Selby pitched two innings, keeping the Govs off the board, preserving the 9-3 lead heading into the final inning.
Belmont plated what would be its final two runs in the top of the ninth. Adkins worked his third walk of the ninth to lead things off and advanced to third on a Hunter Holland base hit. Adkins manufactured the 10thrun of the night, scoring on a wild pitch. After another walk, Belmont had runners on the corners with just one out. Jarvis then delivered a sacrifice fly giving Belmont an 11-3 lead.
With three outs left to secure the win, senior Kyle Klotz (Fairview, Tenn.) took the mound to try and close out the victory. He had an impressive outing, retiring Austin Peay in order to secure the 11-3 win.
With the win, Queener improved to 3-0 on the season and Belmont improved to 8-2 in OVC Play.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 5, TENNESSEE TECH 3
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Junior Chase Robinson's two-run blast in the eighth inning was the difference in Jacksonville State's 5-3 series-opening win over Tennessee Tech on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium on Friday night.
Robinson delivered the game-winning two-run home run after the Golden Eagles rallied to even the contest that JSU was in control of until that inning. Junior Isaac Alexander reached with a one-out single before Robinson pelted a 2-1 pitch from Tech's Daniel Holley 365 feet over the left field fence. It was the Pell City, Alabama native's second of the season after posting his first home run of the season back on March 9 against Eastern Illinois. Robinson finished the day 2-for-4 with a double in hist first at bat.
The drama was not quite done after Robinson handed his club a two-run lead going to the final frame. Tech's first two hitters reached with base hits and a a two-out walk loaded the bases with the OVC's reigning Player of the Year and preseason Player of the Year in Kevin Strohschein coming to the plate. Senior Austin Brewster, who recorded back-to-back strikeouts, induced a ground ball to Alexander for the final out of the contest. It was the first time on Friday that Strohschein was retired on the night after three hits in his first four plate appearances. Brewster was credited with his first career save and Tavel tuned in a win and moved to 3-1 on the season.
The Friday night win moved JSU to 12-14 overall and 4-3 in OVC play, while the loss dropped TTU to 11-13 on the season and 2-8 against league opponents.
Redshirt junior Garrett Farmer was the main reason why Jax State was in control of the contest until the eighth. The right hander from Huntsville, Alabama turned in 7.1 innings of work and collected nine strikeouts in the outing. Farmer was touched for six hits and two of the three runs in TTU's three-run eighth inning. Sophomore Christian Edwards recorded a strikeout for the second out of the eighth before Tech's John Dyer connected on a two-out, two-run single to tie the game.
JSU put its first run on the board with an RBI double off the bat of junior Alex Webb. Webb's double scored sophomore Cole Frederick from first base. Webb led all Gamecocks with three hits in the affair, including a second double to start the sixth inning. Junior Andrew Naismith had a pinch hit RBI single in the same inning.
Jax State manufactured the third run of the game in the seventh. Redshirt freshman Nash Adams started the frame with a single and swiping second. Junior Devin Brown moved Adams t third ahead of Frederick's RBI sacrifice fly.
UT MARTIN 5, MOREHEAD STATE 4
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team saw both sides of the ball pull through as the Skyhawks took the series opener against Ohio Valley Conference foe Morehead State 5-4.
UT Martin (10-15, 3-7 OVC) was led by Jordan Stoner (two hits and two RBIs) and Creighton Eldridge (one home run and two RBIs) while Sean Dixson also provided a pair of knocks (including a homer) and an RBI. Rounding out the Skyhawks in the hit column was Casey Harford and Blake Davis.
Austen Bullington drew the starting nod and logged five complete innings tonight. He issued six hits but allowed only one earned run while sitting down four Eagles on strikes. David Hussey (2-2) was credited with the victory as he came on for two innings of relief. The Minter, Ala. native conceded just two hits and one walk but fanned three batters in his time on the bump. Nick Wohlbold notched his fifth save of the year which ranks tied for fourth for most in a season and ranks seventh for the career mark in the category. He closed the door with a pair of scoreless innings and three strikeouts.
UT Martin jumped out to an early lead in the home half of the first inning when Dixson led things off with a long ball to left field to put the Skyhawks up by a 1-0 margin.
Morehead State answered with a run of its own in the second to knot things up at 1-1.
The Skyhawks added on a run in the second when Davis opened the frame with a triple to left center and was later driven in on an Eldridge groundout to reclaim the lead 2-1.
Bullington made fairly quick work of the Eagles in the third as he worked around a one-out error to force a flyout and rung up the next batter on strikes.
UT Martin put up another run in the third inning as Dixson led off the frame with a seven-pitch free base. Blake Daniels would move Dixson over via a groundout before a Stoner single through the left side plated Dixson and moved the Skyhawks out to a 3-1 lead.
Bullington worked a groundout to open the fourth before hitting the next batter. He induced a 5-4-3 double play to wipe things clean and end the inning.
Eldridge issued a solo shot to right field to lead off the fourth while pushing UT Martin's lead out to 4-1.
Morehead State would tie things up again as the Eagles tallied a trio of runs in the fifth to make the score 4-4.
Hussey came on in the sixth and worked around a one-out infield single as he got some help from Davis on an Eagle caught trying to steal second and then fanned the next batter to get through the inning. He kept up the solid showing in the seventh as he forced the first batter of the frame to groundout but walked the next batter on four pitches. Keeping a cool head, Hussey struck out the next batter on three tosses before conceding a single that snuck through the right side. He finished his day with a swinging strikeout.
UT Martin pulled ahead in the seventh as Dixson led off the inning with a triple to right center. A Stoner single would plate Dixson and put the Skyhawks up by a 5-4 margin – the eventual final score.
Wohlbold entered the contest in the eighth and fanned the first batter he faced. He then forced a flout before plunking an Eagle and giving up an infield single. He maintained his composure though to force a whiff to close out the frame. Wohlbold closed the door in the ninth when he worked around a leadoff walk to find a friendly flyball and groundball out with a strikeout of the swinging variety to cement the victory.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 12, SIUE 9
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Four home runs and a four-run sixth inning sent the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team to a 12-9 victory over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the series opener on Friday.
Three of the Colonels’ (15-12, 4-3 OVC) home runs came in the big sixth inning. Trailing by one, 8-7, with one out, Will Johnson sent the ball over the left field wall for a solo shot. It was his seventh of the season. Two batters later, and with two outs, Nick Howie sent his eighth home run of the season over the wall in left center. Chris Botsoe followed with a double and then A.J. Lewis deposited the ball over the left center field wall for a two run shot. His fifth round tripper of the season put Eastern in front by three.
The first home run of the day came in the top of the first inning when Charles Ludwick hit a three-run dinger to give EKU an early 4-0 lead. It was his third of the season.
The Cougars (8-15, 4-6 OVC) strung together a five-run second inning to take a 6-4 lead. Garrett Carmichael led off the inning with a home run and Brock Weimer capped it with a grand slam.
The two teams combined for eight home runs. Eastern entered the game sixth in the nation with 60 stolen bases and added five more to that total.
Ludwick finished the game 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs and four RBIs. Seven other Colonels recorded one hit each. Botsoe scored three times and drove in a run.
Weimer had a 3-for-5 day with two runs and six RBIs for SIU Edwardsville.