FRIDAY'S SCORES
UT Martin 9-5, @Eastern Illinois 4-16
Belmont 11, @Tennessee Tech 7
@Murray State 6, Eastern Kentucky 5
@Austin Peay 6, SIUE 1
Morehead State 5, @Jacksonville State 0
@Purdue 8,
Southeast Missouri 3
UT MARTIN 9-5, EASTERN ILLINOIS 4-16
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team played host to UT Martin in a doubleheader to open their conference series on Friday. The two teams would split the doubleheader with UT Martin taking the first game and EIU taking the second.
In game one, the Skyhawks were able to get on the board in the top of the third inning when Ethan Whitley hit a solo homerun to center field.
The Panthers would answer back in the bottom of the third inning when Tyler Tesmond drove in Trey Sweeney with a sacrifice fly.
UT Martin would rally in the top of the sixth inning, jumping out to a 4-1 lead.
Jimmy Govern would hit one of his two homeruns in the game during the bottom of the sixth to cut the UT Martin lead to two runs.
Blake Davis would hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning to extend the Skyhawks lead to 8-2.
Govern would hit his second homerun of the game belting a solo homerun to left field for the Panthers third run of the game. The Panthers were able to score one in the bottom of the ninth but came up short to the Skyhawks.
Michael YaSenka got the start on the mound for the Panthers in the first game of the doubleheader. YaSenka tossed 6.2 innings with nine strikeouts. YaSenka suffered the loss on the mound, dropping to 3-5 on the season.
The Skyhawks kicked off the second game of the doubleheader with a two-run first inning.
The Panthers would grab the lead in the bottom of the first with a five run inning. Hunter Morris drove in the first run for the Panthers drawing a bases-loaded walk. Ryan Knernschield would follow-up with a two-run single to left center. Dane Toppel kept the rally alive with a one run single through the left side. The Panthers would score their fifth run of the inning when Tesmond would score on a throwing error by Davis.
The Panthers kept the offensive pressure in the bottom of the second inning adding three runs. Govern drove in the first run for the Panthers with a sacrifice fly to right field. Morris would hit his eighth homerun of the season belting a two-run homer to left center.
The Skyhawks were able to score one run in the top of the third inning to cut the score to 8-3.
Billy Edwards would give UT Martin their fourth run of the game in the top of the fourth with a solo homerun to center.
Pena would kickoff the bottom of the fourth inning with a leadoff homerun to centerfield. The Panthers would rally to score four runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The Panthers would score three in the bottom of the sixth to take a 15-5 lead.
EIU would score their 16th run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a Keith Kerrigan sacrifice fly.
Blake Malatestinic earned his first start of the season for the Panthers in game two of the doubleheader. Malatestinic tossed 5.0 innings with eight strikeouts. Malatestinic picked up his second win of the season.
BELMONT 11, TENNESSEE TECH 7
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - An offensive powered Friday night extended Belmont University Baseball's winning streak to five games after defeating Tennessee Tech 11-7. The night was highlighted by three-hit performances by seniors Devon Gardner (Maryville, Tenn.) and Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) to back up another stellar outing from starting pitcher Casey Queener (Brentwood, Tenn.)
Belmont got hot early, scoring two quick runs in the top of the first. A walk and a hit batsman gave BU two early base runners. Holland then delivered his first of three extra-base hits of the night with a triple that gave Belmont a 2-0 lead.
Queener settled in early, holding TTU's high octane offense to no hits and no runs in the first inning.
Belmont continued to tack on to its lead in the top of the second. Junior Hagan Severance (Brentwood, Tenn.) fought back from down in the count and worked a leadoff walk and stole second. The leadoff walk came around and scored for a 3-0 BU lead when sophomore Jackson Campbell (Russellville, Ky.) singled to right field.
After a scoreless third, the Golden Eagles cut into Belmont's lead, scoring a run after a wild pitch got away from the Belmont catcher and allowed a score to run.
With a 2-1 lead heading into the sixth, the Bruins blew open its lead. A leadoff single from Gardner and a double from Holland put BU runners on second and third. Freshman Grayson Taylor (Cullman, Ala.) then delivered a double that plated both runs for a 5-1 lead. Taylor scored later in the inning on an RBI groundout, giving Belmont a 6-1 lead after the visitor's half of the sixth.
Tennessee Tech was determined to keep the pressure on the Bruins and scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead 6-4.
BU's offense continued to be steady, scoring again in the top of the seventh. A leadoff walk by senior Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) and junior Chandler Adkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) double set up a sacrifice fly situation. Holland then delivered the fly ball for a 7-4 lead.
After six innings and just three earned runs, Queener gave way to sophomore Kyle Brennan (Franklin, Tenn.) on the mound. Brennan came into the game with the opportunity to notch his fourth save in as many outings. Inheriting two base runners, Brennan pitched out of the mini jam in the bottom of the seventh, striking out two Golden Eagles.
Belmont put the game out of reach in the top of the eighth, scoring four runs on four hits. The inning was highlighted by a Campbell solo home run to right center field. Gardner, Holland and defensive replacement sophomore Logan Jarvis (Franklin, Tenn.) all notched hits in the inning, giving Belmont an 11-4 lead.
The Golden Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the eighth and two in the bottom of the ninth, but they weren't enough to top Belmont.
With tonight's victory, the Bruins improved to 15-7 in OVC play and take sole possession of first place.
MURRAY STATE 6, EASTERN KENTUCKY 5
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State baseball team snapped a four-game losing streak, Friday evening, as Jordan Cozart laced a walk-off single over the center fielder's head in the ninth to give the Racers a 6-5 win over Eastern Kentucky at Reagan Field.
Cozart was one three Racers with multiple hits along with Jaron Robinson, who hit his first home run of the season, and Jordan Holly.
The Murray State bullpen rebounded from a tough weekend at Belmont with one of their best performances of the season as they allowed just one run in six innings, led by Peyton Hayes who threw 3.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Braydon Cook earned the win by pitching the final 1.2 innings with four strikeouts.
Eastern Kentucky jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the first, but the Racers answered in the home half as Jake Slunder singled, stole second, advanced to third on a fly ball, and came into score on a wild pitch.
The Racers took the lead in the second on Robinson's opposite-field home run, but EKU responded in the third with three runs to take a 4-2 lead. MSU was able to get one run back in the bottom of the inning as Cozart drew a bases-loaded walk.
After Hayes pitched kept the Colonels off the board the next two innings, Murray State tied the game in the fifth on a single by Sean Darmafall, scoring Wes Schad who had walked earlier in the inning.
Hayes pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the sixth allowing the Racers to take the lead in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly to center field by Jake Slunder to drive in Cole Womack.
EKU threatened to tie the game in the seventh but Connor Holden came out of the pen to get out of a bases-loaded jam.
However, the Racers were unable to keep Eastern Kentucky from tying the game in the eighth as they scored a run without a hit, drawing three walks and scoring on a wild pitch. They had a chance to take the lead with a runner on third and less than two outs, but Cook struck out the next two hitters.
In the bottom of the ninth, facing a pitcher who had given up just one run in 35 innings pitched this season, the Racers were able to mount a rally. Brock Anderson singled to lead off the inning before advancing all the way to third on a wild pitch that bounced high against the net behind home plate. Needing just a fly ball to win the game, Cozart did just that, nearly hitting a home run to dead center to win the game for the Racers.
AUSTIN PEAY 6, SIUE 1
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Shortstop Garrett Kueber hit a home run as part of a three-hit, three-RBI day and led Austin Peay State University’s baseball team to a 6-1 Ohio Valley Conference series-opening victory against SIUE, Friday night, on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
After four scoreless frames, Kueber used a one-out infield single to start a quick rally. Right fielder Aaron Campbell doubled into the right center gap and the Govs had a 1-0 lead.
Austin Peay (22-18, 14-8 OVC) saw its lead doubled with one swing of Kueber’s bat in the seventh. His solo home run to left center field – his second of 2019 – giving the Govs a 2-0 lead.
The Govs broke the game open in the eighth, sending eight men to the plate in a four-run frame. Catcher David Martinez hit a two-run single and Kueber drove in two more with a double to the wall in left center, putting APSU ahead 6-0.
Starter Josh Rye (6-3) got off to a strong start, facing one over the minimum through three innings thanks to a second-inning double play and a runner caught stealing in the third. SIUE would get a runner in scoring position in both the fourth and fifth innings, but could not get the base hit they needed and remained scoreless.
Rye would hit a batter with one out in the sixth and the Govs went to their bullpen with the 1-0 lead. Reliever Greg Leban dominated the Cougars in his 1.2-inning outing, striking out four of the six batters he faced. Brett Newberg took over on the hill in the eighth and struck out the side, working around a one-out double, before the Govs broke the game open.
Rye picked up the win – his career-high tying sixth victory – scattering four hits and two walks over his 5.1 scoreless innings. He struck out six batters with Leban (four), Newberg (three) and Thompson (one) all combining to strike out 14 Cougars batters.
Kueber posted his third three-hit outing of the season, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Martinez went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Campbell was 1-for-4 with a RBI. Center fielder Garrett Spain extended his reached safely streak to 40 games – tied for third longest in APSU history – with an eighth-inning walk.
SIUE (16-23, 8-11 OVC) was held to eight hits, third baseman Raul Elguezabal and left fielder Eric Giltz each posting two hits. The Cougars lone run scored on a bases-loaded passed ball in the ninth inning. Starter Collin Baumgartner (1-5) suffered the loss despite holding Austin Peay to one run on five hits over his six innings of work.
MOREHEAD STATE 5, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - To say Morehead State junior pitcher Dalton Stambaugh was good Friday night would be an understatement. Dominating is more of the fitting term.
Stambaugh only allowed two hits (both in the first inning) and struck out eight as the Eagles defeated Jacksonville State 5-0 at Jim Case Stadium to improve to 28-15 overall and 12-6 in the OVC.
Stambaugh, who improved to 5-2, also tossed a complete-game shutout at Alabama A&M last season. The home team had runners on second and third with two outs in the first after Nic Gaddis' double to left field and an infield single, but a ground out to end the inning started a run of 17 consecutive outs for Stambaugh and the Eagle defense. Stambaugh's only blemish the remainder of the game was a five-pitch walk in the seventh inning, but then he coaxed an inning-ending double play two pitches later.
Meanwhile the offense pecked away at JSU (21-20/12-7 OVC) starter Garrett Farmer (4-1), who entered as the OVC ERA leader. The Eagles scored single runs in the second, third and fifth frames off Farmer before taking advantage of fielding miscues to add two more in the eighth off relief pitchers.
Junior second baseman Ryan Layne's RBI single to right field plated the first run in the second, scoring senior left-fielder Jake Hammon, who had doubled. Of MSU's 11 hits, five were doubles.
In the third, sophomore first baseman Stephen Hill crushed a double to deep left field that ended up going off the wall to score senior shortstop Reid Leonard. MSU made it 3-0 in the fifth when senior center-fielder Connor Pauly singled home freshman right-fielder Zach Boyd.
And in the eighth, with two outs, junior third baseman Dom Peroni's grounder to third was thrown away at first to score senior DH Trevor Snyder, who had doubled off the wall in left field. Peroni then scored on an error when Boyd's bunt single got away from first base.
Hill, Snyder and Leonard each totaled two hits.
PURDUE 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Big Ten Conference member Purdue (15-25) scored four runs in the fifth inning to key a 6-3 win over Southeast Missouri (19-24) Friday nightin the opening game of a three-game series.
Down, 1-0, Milo Beam walked to start the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Howe and Skyler Hunter followed with singles and Beam scored on Hunter's hit. With one out, Bryce Bonner launched a three-run home run to right field putting the Boilermakers ahead, 4-1.
SEMO pulled to within a run (4-3) in the top of the sixth inning thanks to back-to-back two-out RBI-singles by Tyler Wilber and Austin Blazevic.
Purdue, however, answered to score two runs with the help of three-straight two-out hits in the bottom of the seventh to take a 6-3 advantage.
Beam homered and Zac Fascia singled home a run to cap the Boilermakers' win an inning later.
Trent Johnson picked up the win. Johnson struck out four, walked three and gave up three runs on four hits in 5.2 innings.
Dylan Dodd suffered the loss. Dodd walked three, struck out six and allowed four runs on six hits in five innings of work.
SEMO finished with five hits, one each from Connor Basler, Wilber, Blazevic, Andrew Keck and Hunter Southerland.
Purdue collected 13 hits and had five players with two.