TUESDAY'S SCORES
Morehead State 5, @Marshall 4
@Eastern Illinois 13, Robert Morris-Peoria 2
SIUE 15, @Western Illinois 2
#13 N.C. State 10,
Tennessee Tech 6
@Middle Tennessee 7,
Austin Peay 1
Belmont 10, @Lipscomb 1
#19 Auburn 14,
@Jacksonville State 2
@Southeast Missouri 4, McKendree 1
MOREHEAD STATE 5, MARSHALL 4
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - In typical Morehead State-Marshall fashion, it was a barnburner, but the Eagle baseball team fended off the 'Herd 5-4 Tuesday at the Kennedy Center YMCA.
MSU improved to 27-15 overall, while Marshall fell to 22-18.
The Eagles vaulted ahead 3-0 in the top of the third as senior shortstop Reid Leonard plated freshman right-fielder Zach with an RBI double down the right-field line. With the bases loaded, senior left-fielder Jake Hammon reached on a catcher's interference to push across Leonard. Junior third baseman Dom Peroni then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score senior center-fielder Connor Pauly.
After Marshall scored twice in the fourth, junior second baseman Ryan Layne generated the fourth run with a ground out to his position.
The 'Herd tied the contest with two home runs in the fifth.
The Eagles' patience in the top of the eighth resulted in a run to take the 5-4 lead, and it held. Pauly drew a bases loaded free pass.
Leonard led the offense with three hits.
Sophomore righty Alex Garbrick got the starting nod and left with the game tied 4-4. Senior lefty David Looney (1-1) held the 'Herd off the board for 2.1 innings, while sophomore lefty Cory Conway collected his first save of the season and fifth career by nailing down the final six outs.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 13, ROBERT MORRIS-PEORIA 2
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team played host to Robert Morris (Peoria) Tuesday afternoon. The Panthers were able to defeat the Eagles 13-2 in seven innings due to a run rule.
With the win, EIU improves to 20-21 on the season.
The Panthers kicked off the bottom of the first inning with four runs Christian Pena was able to drive in the first run for the Panthers with a bases loaded sacrifice fly to score Jimmy Govern. Ryan Knernschield would drive a two run double to left center. Keith Kerrigan would bring in the fourth run of the inning with a one run single up the middle.
Carson Haws was able to get himself out of a bases loaded jam with no outs in the top of the second inning strikeout out three straight batters to leave the bases juiced.
The Panthers extended their lead by two runs in the top of the second inning. Pena drove in the first run of the inning with a one-run single through the right side. Knernschield extended the EIU lead to six runs with a ground out to third to drive in Morris.
EIU would continue the offensive pressure scoring in their third straight inning. The Panthers would score seven runs in the top of the third inning.
Robert Morris was able to break into the scoring column in the top of the fourth when Caden Hessler hit a one-run single to left center. The Eagles would score another run in the top of the fifth on a Jordan Hursey single up the middle.
Haws improved to 2-0 on the season tossing 3.0 innings with seven strikeouts.
SIUE 15, WESTERN ILLINOIS 2
MACOMB, Ill. - SIUE Senior catcher Brock Weimer matched the school's career record with his 33rd home run, a fifth-inning grand slam, as SIUE routed Western Illinois 15-2 in eight innings.
Weimer tied former SIUE outfielder Devin Caldwell with his 33rd home run. Caldwell hit 33 homers for the Cougars from 2011-2014.
It was the second time in a week that the Cougars have won via the run rule over the Leathernecks. The 15 runs are the second most SIUE has scored in a game this year.
Offensively, things are moving in the right direction. The Guys are approaching their at-bats with a lot of confidence right now.
The Cougars have won seven of their last eight games and improved to 16-22 overall. Western Illinois fell to 15-23.
Weimer's grand slam, his second this season and the fourth of his career, accounted for all four runs in a four-run fifth inning which gave the Cougars a 6-1.
The grand slam helped separate us and get things going in the right direction.
SIUE then scored a single run in the sixth, three in the seventh and then added five runs in the eighth.
The Cougars scored the 15 runs on just seven hits. SIUE took advantage of 12 Western Illinois walks and three errors. Weimer was the only Cougar to have more than a single hit. He finished 2-4. Justin Perkins was 1-3 with three RBIs. Perkins currently has a nine-game hitting streak, which is the second longest this year by a Cougar. Raul Elguezabal was 1-4 with a pair of RBIs.
Cameron Prayer started and worked three innings. He allowed a run, struck out five and did not walk a batter.
Ryan Byrd followed and worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He struck out four and walked one to earn his third win of the year. Western Illinois loaded the bases with nobody out thanks to a walk and a pair of hits in the fifth before Byrd struck out the next three hitters in order.
#13 N.C. STATE 10, TENNESSEE TECH 6
RALEIGH, N.C. - With one swing of the bat, history was made twice in Raleigh, N.C. Tuesday night, as All-American Kevin Strohschein cemented his place among the best to ever play in the Ohio Valley Conference.
The senior was one of a few bright spots on the day as the Tennessee Tech baseball team took an early lead, but fell late on the road to No. 13 nationally ranked NC State, 10-6 at Doak Field.
Shortstop Hunter Higdon led off the game by drawing a four-pitch walk, setting up Strohschein for his latest date with destiny. The center fielder worked a full count before blasting a two-run shot to left field and clearing the wall for his 10th home run of the season.
The round-tripper helped Strohschein break not one, but two OVC career records. It represented his 331st career base hit, breaking the previous record held by Jacksonville State's Clayton Daniel. He also passed former Tennessee Tech All-American Zach Stephens for the most career RBI by an OVC player, recording his 229th and 230th with the bomb.
Strohschein joined Stephens as the Golden Eagles ever to post four double-digit home run campaigns on the night as well. He currently trails the former Tech first baseman by just five long balls for the all-time conference lead.
The Wolfpack scored once in the bottom of the second, cutting the Tech lead in half, but another veteran slugger took his turn with the bat in the third. Following a four-pitch free pass to freshman John Dyer, junior Anthony Carrera smashed a laser to right field for his 11th dinger of the season and a 4-1 TTU lead.
NC State tied things up in the third, but Tech had one more answer for one of the best teams in the nation. In the top of the fifth, Dyer led things off with a single up the middle and was followed by a double down the right field line by Carrera.
Two batters later, junior Gavin Johns delivered the clutch swing, lacing a single to left center field to drive in two and retake the lead for the Golden Eagles at 6-4.
Three-run innings in the seventh and eighth flipped the script and put the home team back in control late in the contest. The Wolfpack then held on the rest of the way, earning a 10-6 victory in the first ever match-up between the two programs.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 7, AUSTIN PEAY 1
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Shortstop Bobby Head hit a solo home run but Austin Peay State University’s baseball team could not keep pace with Middle Tennessee in a 7-1 nonconference contest at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
Austin Peay (21-18) saw its leadoff batter reach base in each of the first three innings but could not take advantage. The Blue Raiders used a double play to end the first-inning threat and MTSU starter Josh Young struck out two batters to deny the Govs in the second.
The Governors had their best opportunity to break through in the third when catcher Alex Sala led off with a single and third baseman Malcolm Tipler hit a one-out double. But Young got a pair of fly outs to again deny Austin Peay a run.
Meanwhile, Middle Tennessee (16-25) took advantage when its lead off batters reached base in the second and fourth innings. Shortstop Myles Christian was hit by a pitch to start the second inning, MTSU first baseman Brycen Thomas followed with a double into the gap to score the game’s first run.
Two innings later, right fielder Blake Benefield was hit by a pitch and Thomas walked to start a two-run rally. Third baseman Nick Carnevale executed a squeeze bunt to perfection and designated hitter Brett Stratinsky followed with a RBI single to give the Blue Raiders a 3-0 lead.
Head would break up the Blue Raiders shutout bid in the fifth inning. His line drive home run to left field with two out supplying the Govs their lone run.
Austin Peay starter Nolan Monaghan (1-2) surrendered three runs on two hits, two walks and two hit batsmen and suffered the loss.
Head led the Govs with a 2-for-3 outing at the plate, including his season’s sixth home run. Center fielder Garrett Spain reached base for the 39th consecutive game with a 2-for-4 outing that included a double.
Middle Tennessee reliever Carter Bair (1-0) picked up the win with five innings of work, striking out six while allowing one run on two hits in his first action since March 16. Christian and Thomas each had two RBI to lead the Blue Raider offense.
BELMONT 10, LIPSCOMB 1
NASHVILLE - Part two of this year's Battle of the Boulevard belonged to Belmont University Baseball with a 10-1 route of Lipscomb Tuesday night. BU outhit the Bisons 11-8 with three Bruins notching multi-hit performances.
The Bruins came out of the gate blazing, taking the lead in the top of the first. Senior Zach Ehrhart (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) started off the night on a good note, working a nine pitch walk to put the leadoff man aboard. A base hit from senior Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) and another walk by junior Chandler Adkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) loaded the bases with no outs. The Bruins took advantage, when senior Devon Gardner (Maryville, Tenn.) delivered a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. Belmont was unable to plate any more in the inning but had the lead after the top of the first.
Starting pitcher, sophomore Korey Bell (Brentwood, Tenn.) set the tone for Belmont's defense in the bottom of the inning. Bell worked around a two-out base hit, notching a strikeout to end the Bisons' half of the inning scoreless.
Belmont continued its hot start in the top of the second. Freshman John Behrends (Chattanooga, Tenn.) put another runner in scoring position for Belmont with a one-out standup double. In danger of stranding a runner in scoring position, Ehrhart delivered a blooper to left center field just over the mitt of the shortstop that scored Belmont's second run of the night. Hadden increased Belmont's lead 3-0 with the second double of the inning, this time to the right center field gap to plate the final run of the inning.
Lipscomb put runners on base again in the bottom of the second, but the BU defense was up to the challenge. An impressive double play and punchout from pitcher freshman Aaron Hubbell (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) put another zero on the board for the Belmont defense.
The leadoff walk once again paid off for the Bruins in the top of the fourth. Behrends reached base for the second time with a leadoff walk and advanced to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. An Ehrhart single through the right put Belmont runners on the corners with one out. A strikeout put two outs on the board for Belmont, but Behrends increased the BU lead 4-0 when he scored on a wild pitch.
With nothing doing in the fifth inning for either team, BU extended its lead in the top of the sixth. A one-out infield single by Behrends got the Belmont rally going. Sophomore Jackson Campbell (Russellville, Ky.) extended his hitting streak to six games with a base knock that put runners on first and second. Belmont would then load the bases by way of a walk. Lipscomb notched the second out of the inning with a strikeout, but the next batter, Adkins, wore a pitch with the bases loaded for a 5-0 lead. Gardner then recorded his second and third RBI of the night with a double to right center. With a 7-0 lead, Adkins scored from third on a wild pitch for the final run of the inning and an 8-0 BU lead.
Lipscomb was finally able to crack to scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. After a leadoff walk and a couple of hits loaded the bases, Lipscomb was able to plate a run. The Belmont defense did a good job of limiting the damage, highlighted by a Campbell pickoff from behind the plate to get out of the inning with little damage.
The Bruins tacked on two more in the top of the eighth for a 10-1 lead. With one out, Gardner hammered his second double of the night with a ball that was just fair in the left field corner. Senior Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) got in on the hitting action when he crushed a long ball over the left field fence that plated two more. A strikeout and fly ball would end the inning, but Belmont had done its damage.
Sophomore Logan Bowen (Bowling Green, Ky.) took over the mound in the bottom of the eighth as BU's eighth pitcher of the night. Bowen was arguably Belmont's best arm of the night. In his inning and two-thirds of work, Bowen struck out four of the five batters he faced. Freshman Joshua Archer (Berthoud, Colo.) took over the mound for the final out of the inning, forcing a lineout to cap off the 10-1 Belmont victory.
Bell improved to 2-3 with the victory and Belmont extended its season-long winning streak to four games.
#19 AUBURN 14, JACKSONVILLE STATE 2
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Auburn used a six-run seventh to break open a Tuesday evening contest with Jacksonville State to claim a 14-2 win on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
The highly anticipated intra-state battle packed the seats at the first-year facility as 1,182 established a new season-high attendance for the Gamecocks and the highest attended game on campus since Alabama visited Jacksonville in May, 2014. JSU dropped to 21-18 on the season, while the Tigers improved 27-14 overall. The two teams split the to-game season set as Jax State posted an 11-6 win at AU on April 9.
Auburn overcame an early one-run deficit and extended innings with two-out hits. The Tigers had eight RBI with two outs in an inning and had seven of their 16 hits with two outs in an inning.
Sophomore Cole Frederick, who had both of JSU's RBI on the night, started the scoring with a first inning home run to left field. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama native recorded the Gamecocks' 11th home run in the last four games with a solo blast that traveled 350 feet over the fence in left field. Frederick added an RBI ground out in the sixth to cut the deficit to 5-2.
AU erased the early disadvantage with three runs in the third and added two more in the fourth. AU turned in a two-out, two-run single by Connor Davis. Davis added two more RBI with another two-run single in the fourth. The Tigers scored six times with two outs in the six-run seventh. The Tigers plated three more runs in the eighth.
Both clubs combined to use 11 pitchers in the midweek duel with AU's pitchers able to avoid big innings by the Gamecocks. JSU tallied 10 hits off AU pitching but left 14 stranded on the base paths.
Junior Alex Webb, sophomore Alex Strachan and freshman Carson Crowe all had multiple hits in the setback.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, MCKENDREE 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (19-23) picked up its third-straight win with a 4-1 victory over McKendree (9-32) Tuesday night at Capaha Field.
Alex Nielsen gave SEMO a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when he ripped a two-out single up the middle to score both Austin Blazevic and Hunter Southerland.Garrett Stephens walked and came around to score on a base hit by Southerland widening SEMO's lead to 3-0 in the second.
Another RBI-single by Southerland knocked in Alex Canty to give the Redhawks a 4-0 advantage in the fourth inning.
McKendree broke up the shutout when it scored its only run of the contest in the top of the seventh.
Daniel Lloyd (1-2) was credited with his first win of the season. Lloyd pitched two scoreless innings with two hits allowed.
Jacob Reinkemeyer (0-1) took the loss. Reinkemeyer allowed four runs on four hits, struck out three and walked four in 3.2 frames.
Southerland went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI to lead SEMO. Nielsen, Andrew Keck, Stephens and Trent Pobst followed with one hit apiece.