FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 5, Murray State 4
Tennessee Tech 13, @Eastern Kentucky 8
@Belmont 8, Southeast Missouri 7
Eastern Illinois 4, @SIUE 3
@Austin Peay 12, Jacksonville 1
MOREHEAD STATE 5, MURRAY STATE 4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State baseball team's offense was stymied by Murray State pitching for eight innings Friday night, but fortunately the Eagles had one great inning up their sleeves.
Senior center-fielder Connor Pauly's two-run bouncing single right past the pitcher's mound and into center-field proved to be the game-winning hit as the Eagles rallied to defeat the Racers 5-4 at Allen Field. Morehead State (30-17) secured its fifth consecutive 30-win season and moved to 13-9 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
The ninth inning rally started with a 4-1 deficit, but junior second baseman Ryan Layne drew an 11-pitch walk off Racer (19-23/13-9 OVC) closer Braydon Cook. After a foul out, junior designated hitter Jon Burghardt clobbered a mammoth two-run home deep into the night over the right-field fence to make it 4-3, his second long ball in the last two games and his ony two this year.
Freshman right-fielder Zach Boyd and senior shortstop Reid Leonard were plunked with pitches from Cook and moved up a base each into scoring position with a wild pitch. Pauly, whose single was his team-best 71st hit of 2019, fought off several foul balls before punching the game-clincher back up the box to easily score Boyd and Leonard (from second).
Murray State gained the 4-1 advantage thanks to two solo homers by shortstop Jaron Robinson (in the fifth and seventh frames) and a two-run homer by Jordan Cozart in the top of the ninth.
Eagle junior lefty Dalton Stambaugh (6-2) registered his second complete-game effort in as many weeks, tossing the full nine and allowing seven hits and the four runs but striking out nine.
Pauly, Leonard and junior third baseman Dom Peroni each totaled two hits as the Eagles finished with 10 on the day. Sophomore first baseman Stephen Hill clubbed an RBI double off the wall to make it a 2-1 game in the eighth inning.
TENNESSEE TECH 13, EASTERN KENTUCKY 8
RICHMOND, Ky. - A magical inning was all the Tennessee Tech baseball team needed to take its Ohio Valley Conference series opener at Eastern Kentucky Friday evening, cruising to a 13-8 victory in Richmond, Ky.
The Golden Eagles (19-25, 7-15) exploded in the third inning, scoring a whopping 12 runs on 10 hits to come back from a 2-0 deficit to all but put the game away early.
Redshirt freshman Nathan McMeans led off the frame with a single to center field and was followed by a base hit to right field off the bat of junior Anthony Carrera. All-American Kevin Strohschein took another swing towards history while providing the go-ahead run, blasting a three-run bomb to right center field.
The long ball marked his 12th of the year and 59th of his career while providing the purple and gold with a 3-2 lead. With the dinger, Strohschein now sits just four away from breaking the OVC's all-time career record currently held by former Golden Eagle Zach Stephens (62).
Freshman John Dyer drew a walk to keep the inning running and sophomore Jason Hinchman followed with a single to left field. After junior Gavin Johnsreached on a fielding error, freshman JD Funk ripped a double down the left field line to drive in a pair.
EKU (24-22, 10-12) was finally able to record its first out of the frame, but shortstop Hunter Higdon got the Golden Eagles back on track with an RBI single to right field to make it a 6-2 game. McMeans then singled to third base to set up Carrera for an RBI single to right field.
Strohschein drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to center field, but it was Dyer who then delivered the whopping blow to the scoreboard. The rookie slugger crushed his ninth round tripper of the season to left field, a 3-run shot that turn it into an 11-2 advantage.
To cap off the frame, Johns slipped a double down the left field line to drive in one more run and complete a 12-run inning. The Colonels would go on to score four more times prior to the ninth, closing to within 12-6.
In their final go around with the sticks, the Golden Eagles got one more ticker on the board, courtesy of freshman backstop Will Long. The rookie catcher uncorked a monster, solo jack to left center field, his first collegiate home run.
The Colonels scored twice more in the ninth, but it was too little, too late.
In the contest, Strohschein paced the Golden Eagle offense with a 3-for-4 showing and four RBI. Dyer was 1-for-2 with two runs scored, three RBI and three walks while McMeans, Carrera, Hinchman, Johns and Funk each tallied multiple hits.
Senior southpaw Andrew O'Dwyer picked up his second victory of the season after completing six innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. He surrendered six runs on nine hits while helping save the Tech bullpen. Right-hander Grant Phillips earned his first save of the year after completing the final three innings with just two runs allowed and two punch outs.
BELMONT 8, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7
NASHVILLE - Late inning heroics once again sealed a Belmont University Baseball victory with an 8-7 decision over Ohio Valley Conference foe, Southeast Missouri State University. With the Friday night win, BU improves to 17-8 in OVC play.
Belmont got off to a slow start when the Redbirds scored four runs in the first two innings to take an early 4-0 lead and the Bruins' offense struggled.
After being retired in order the first two innings, the BU offense finally got going in the bottom of the third. Junior Hagan Severance (Brentwood, Tenn.) notched Belmont's first hit with a single through the left side that freshman John Behrends (Chattanooga, Tenn.) followed that up with a walk. Both runners then scored when sophomore Jackson Campbell (Russellville, Ky.) doubled to center field, cutting the SEMO lead in half. Campbell scored later in the inning on a groundout to put Belmont just behind the Redbirds 4-3.
Both teams scored a run in the top of the fourth by way of solo home runs for a 5-4 score after four complete. After SEMO increased its lead with a solo shot in the top of the inning, Severance kept his bat hot and hammered a long ball of his own to keep BU within a run.
After a scoreless fifth, SEMO continued to add to its run total with a run each in the top of the sixth and seventh to take a 7-4 lead.
The Bruins continued to find ways to score and keep the pressure on the Redbirds and a three-run bottom of the seventh tied things up. After two walks and a fly ball to center field that Campbell advanced to third on, the Bruins had runners on the corners with two outs. Senior Devon Gardner (Maryville, Tenn.) then delivered a clutch double that the center fielder bobbled allowing both runners to score and Gardner to make his way to third. With two outs, BU continued to rally, loading the bases after consecutive walks. Severance continued to be a tough at bat for the Redbirds, as he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the ballgame 7-7. A groundout ended the inning for BU, but the damage was done.
Sophomore Kyle Brennan (Franklin, Tenn.) was called on from the Belmont bullpen in the eighth. He inherited the go-ahead run on first base but forced three quick outs to keep the game tied.
BU worked a leadoff walk for the third-consecutive inning in the bottom of the eighth but was unable to drive the go-ahead run across the plate.
Brennan continued on the bump in the top of the ninth and kept SEMO off the board with the help of two strikeouts.
The Bruins headed to the bottom of the ninth, needing just one run to secure the victory and the Bruins' first walk off win of the season. Freshman Grayson Taylor (Cullman, Ala.) worked yet another leadoff walk to put the winning run aboard with no outs. Taylor used heads-up base running to advance to scoring position on a wild pitch. At the plate, Severance hammered a grounder straight at the first baseman, who bobbled the ball, and Taylor came around to score from second on the error to give BU the 8-7 victory.
Brennan earned his fourth win of the season on the hill.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 4, SIUE 3
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team competed in their series opener at SIUE Friday afternoon. Jimmy Govern would give the Panthers the lead in the top of the seventh with a two-run homer. The Panthers were able to defeat the Cougars 4-3 on Friday.
The Panthers were able to break into the scoring column in the top of the fourth inning. Govern led off the inning with a leadoff walk to give the Panthers their first base runner of the afternoon. Ryan Knernschield would drive in the first run of the game with a one-run single to right field.
Brock Weimer would tie the game for SIUE in the bottom of the fourth with a one-run single to left field.
SIUE was able to take in the bottom of the fifth when Eric Glitz singled to center to drive in the go-ahead run.
EIU would tie the game in the top of the sixth inning on a one-run single by Christian Pena.
Justin Perkins would give the Cougars the lead in the bottom of the sixth with a one-run single through the left side.
Jimmy Govern would give the Panthers the lead in the top of the seventh with a go-ahead two run homer to left field.
Michael YaSenka got the start on the hill for the Panthers tossing 6.0 innings with three strikeouts. YaSenka picked up his fourth win of the season after the Panthers win.
AUSTIN PEAY 12, JACKSONVILLE 1
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - First baseman Parker Phillips hit an early solo home run, and Austin Peay State University’s baseball team pulled away late in a dominant 12-1 nonconference victory against Jacksonville, Friday night on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay (24-21) got on the board in the first inning thanks to Phillips’ bat. He hammered a solo home run off the top of the scoreboard in left field to give the Govs an early 1-0 lead.
Phillips’ cousin, starting pitcher Josh Rye, made that run hold up as he held Jacksonville to one hit through the first four innings. He would allow a hit in both the fifth and sixth innings but did not surrender a run.
The Governors offense pulled away late, scoring in each of its final five innings. Catcher David Martinez and shortstop Garrett Kueber each drove had an RBI base hit in the fourth as the Austin Peay lead reached 3-1.
After the Dolphins defense aided single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, the Govs broke the game open with a four-run seventh. A balk, sac fly and a two-run single by designated hitter John McDonald provided the four runs to respond to the Dolphins lone tally in the top of the seventh.
Rye (7-3) set a career-high with his seventh victory this season, tossing six scoreless frames while striking out six of the 23 batters he faced. The Govs’ bullpen would allow a run on two hits but struck out six over the final three innings.
Phillips notched his 150th career RBI thanks to the solo shot in the first and went 2-for-2 with a double, homer and four runs scored. Center fielder Garrett Spain went 2-for-4 with three RBI, extending his reached safely streak to 42 games – tied for the second longest streak in program history. McDonald was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Jacksonville (24-21) broke up the Austin Peay shutout bid in the seventh inning on center fielder Ruben Someillian’s double that was part of a 1-for-3, one RBI outing.
Dolphins starter Tyler Santana suffered the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits over five innings.