SATURDAY'S SCORES
Austin Peay 29, @Eastern Illinois 5
@Jacksonville State 3, SIUE 2
Eastern Kentucky 7, @Southeast Missouri 5
@Tennessee Tech 8, Morehead State 7
@Belmont 10, Mercer 4
AUSTIN PEAY 29, EASTERN ILLINOIS 5
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Austin Peay State University’s baseball team used a program-record 34-hit outing to roll past Eastern Illinois, 29-4, Saturday in Ohio Valley Conference action at Coaches Stadium.
Austin Peay’s (28-20, 18-8 OVC) 34-hit day broke the program record of 33 hits set in 2007 and they came one run shy of tying the program’s scoring mark set in 1998. Sixteen different Governors recorded a hit in the contest, 11 of those posting multi-hit outings.
Included in the day’s hit tally were six home runs – two shy of tying the program record. In fact, it was a grand slam by left fielder Aaron Campbell that opened the scoring in the first inning. Right fielder Parker Phillips added a three-run homer in the third to help extend the lead to 14-0.
Two innings later catcher David Martinez joined the home run parade with a solo shot. His brother, Sebastian, made his first collegiate hit a memorable one with a three-run home run in the eighth inning. The duo became the first brothers known to post home runs in the same game in program history.
But the Govs home run barrage wasn’t done. Two batters after Sebastian Martinez’ home run, catcher Alex Sala powered his second home run in seven days to right field. Shortstop Bobby Head capped the day with a two-run home run to left.
Austin Peay starting pitcher Jacques Pucheu (7-3) backed up the offensive outburst with five scoreless innings of work for his seventh win. He struck out five batters while scattering two hits and two walks before seeing his day end early for extra rest before next week’s outing.
Eastern Illinois (24-26, 13-16) would break up the shutout bid against the Governors bullpen in the sixth when an error assisted in a run scoring single. The Panthers would tack on four runs in the ninth, designated hitter Jimmy Huber hitting a solo home run to right, but it was too little too late.
Campbell, who left Game 1 of the series early due to injury, returned with an impressive 4-for-6 outing that included Govs season-high tying seven RBI. Phillips went 3-for-4 with four RBI and scored four times. First baseman John McDonald went 4-for-6 with a RBI.
Huber came off the bench to lead Eastern Illinois’ nine-hit outing with a 2-for-2 performance. Third baseman Christian Pena and first baseman Hunter Morris each had two hits.
EIU starter Foster Anshutz (6-2) suffered the loss after allowing 13 runs on 13 hits in two-plus innings of work.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, SIUE 2
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Senior Nic Gaddis capped off Senior Day with Jacksonville State's third consecutive walk-off win with a one-out solo home run in the ninth to give the Gamecocks a 3-2 win over SIU Edwardsville to clinch the series on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Gaddis, who was honored prior to the contest along with senior pitchers Austin Brewster and Cody Willingham, turned on a 1-2 offering from SIUE's Kenny Serwa over the left field fence for the game winner. It was the third consecutive walk-off win for JSU after delivering a walk-off win in 11 innings to knock off eighth-ranked Georgia on Wednesday, followed by Friday's walk-off grand slam on Friday by Alex Webb. The Trenton, Georgia native posted his 26th career home run and the 11th of the season. Gaddis moved into a share of 16th place on JSU's career home run list. Gaddis finished the day with his 20th multi-hit contest this season after an infield single to start Jax State's two-run second inning.
JSU needed its third straight dramatic ending after the Cougars tied the game in the top half of the last inning with a two-out RBI double by Dustin Woodcock.
The Gamecocks strung together three hits in the second inning off Serwa, who tossed a complete game. After Gaddis' infield hit, junior Andrew Naismith and sophomore Alex Strachan turned in back-to-back hits with Strachan's single resulting in an RBI. Junior Chase Robinson tallied a productive out with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Naismith.
SIUE's first run came in the fourth as an unearned run crossed the plate with an RBI single by Brendan Ryan.
JSU starter Isaiah Magwood went five complete innings, scattering six Cougar hits and striking out three on the day. The bullpen nursed the one-run lead until SIUE capitalized on a lead off single off of sophomore Christian Edwards. Junior Corley Woods pitched 1.1 innings, followed by redshirt junior Tyler Wilburn closing out the seventh inning. Edwards notched the win and moved to 5-5 on the season. Serwa, the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week, suffered a tough setback.
The win by the Gamecocks kept them equal with Austin Peay atop the OVC standings with four games left in the regular season. APSU downed Eastern Illinois on Saturday, 29-4. Both JSU and APSU will head in to Sunday's action at 17-8 in the conference. JSU collected its 29th win of the season, one win shy of another 30-win season under head coach Jim Case. The Gamecocks have won 30 or more games under Case in 15 of the 18 seasons he has been in charge of the program.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 7, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Eastern Kentucky overcame a 5-run deficit to beat Southeast Missouri, 7-5, on Saturday and even the Ohio Valley Conference series 1-1.
When Danny Wright scored on an error and Tyler Wilber came home on a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the third inning, the Redhawks had a 5-0 advantage early. However, that lead evaporated as the Colonels (27-23, 13-13 OVC) scored in each of the next four innings.
Back-to-back solo home runs by A.J. Lewis and Daniel Harris IV got Eastern on the board in the fourth. It was the seventh of the season for Lewis and the sixth for Harris.
Nick Howie's two-run double in the top of the fifth made it a one run game, 5-4. After Harris led off the sixth with a triple, Charles Ludwick tied the game with a single to left center.
EKU took the lead in the seventh. With one out and one on, Ryland Kerr doubled to left center to put Eastern Kentucky in front by one. Howie followed with a single to right to make it a two-run lead, 7-5.
The Redhawks got the tying run on base in the seventh, brought the tying run to the plate in the eighth and go the tying run on base in the ninth, but failed to score each time. With runners at second and third in the ninth, Darren Williams got Wright looking to end the game.
Howie finished the night 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs. Harris went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Freshman Jacob Ferris (5-4) started for the Colonels. He allowed five runs, but only three of which were earned, on four hits. He walked two and struck out three.
Four different players had one hit each for Southeast Missouri (23-28, 10-16 OVC).
TENNESSEE TECH 8, MOREHEAD STATE 7
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Tech baseball team closed out its final contest at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex in dramatic fashion Saturday afternoon, earning a series win thanks to a thrilling, 8-7, walk-off victory over Morehead State.
A contest featuring rain, tough defensive spots and six lead changes, it was the Golden Eagles (22-28, 9-18) who stayed resilient in the toughest of times. After carrying a 4-3 lead into the eighth, the visiting Eagles (33-19, 16-11) mounted a furious comeback to plate four, including a three-run home run, and take a 7-4 lead.
Morehead hurler Landon Weins, who entered in relief with no outs and a runner on in the seventh, shut down the Golden Eagles in order in the eighth, leaving Tech with just three outs to make a stand. Senior Zach Wilcox, who had surrendered the three-run dinger in the eighth, gave his team a chance by sitting down the Eagles in order in the top of the ninth.
His teammates showed their appreciation, turning in one of the more dramatic victories at the Quill in recent memory. It all started with junior Anthony Carrera, who worked the count full before singling through the right side to lead things off.
The Eagles recorded their first out of the inning, seemingly lowering Tech's chances even further, but it took two pitches to change all of that.
On the first offering following the out, freshman John Dyer uncorked a no-doubt, two-run blast down the left field line to pull the purple and gold within a single run. It marked his 11th dinger of the season and fourth of the contest. Not a single other player from either side recorded multiple hits in the game.
And if that wasn't enough, sophomore Jason Hinchman saved the best time of the game for his first hit of the contest. On the very next pitch from Weins, the Tech first baseman hammered his third long ball of the week to left center field, a no-doubter to tie the game at 7-7. The round tripper marked the youngster's 23 of the year, breaking a tie for the second most in a single season in program history.
Junior Gavin Johns took advantage of a quick, spot up rain shower and mistake by the Eagle defense in the next at bat, sending a fly ball towards the right field line on a 1-2 count. The Morehead right fielder dropped the ball, allowing Johns to reach third safely and put the winning run just 90 feet away.
Weins forced a hard ground ball to shortstop on his next offering, allowing the Eagles to collect the second out and keep the Tech runner on third. That brought freshman JD Funk to the plate.
The right fielder also saved his first hit of the game for the perfect situation. After looking at strike one, Funk blistered a single up the middle and just past the outstretched gloves of the Morehead middle infield, driving in the winning run for Tech's third walk-off victory of the year.
BELMONT 10, MERCER 4
NASHVILLE - Belmont University Baseball defeated Mercer 10-4 on Saturday at E.S. Rose Park.
The action got started early with Mercer taking a 1-0 lead after the top half of the second, but Belmont responded immediately. Senior Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) sent a leadoff double to deep center field in the bottom of the second. Holland then tagged up to third on a fly out and scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman John Behrends (Chattanooga, Tenn.) to tie things up 1-1.
Mercer kept the scoring theme going with a two-run homer in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead. The Bears' momentum was stifled when sophomore Jackson Campbell (Russellville, Ky.) caught a runner stealing to end the inning.
Campbell kept his momentum going in the bottom of the third with a leadoff home run that cut the Mercer lead 3-2 after three complete innings. The long ball action continued in the top of the fourth when Holland hammered a ball past the left field fence to tie the game 3-3.
The game wasn't tied for long as a leadoff single by Mercer eventually came around to score for a 4-3 lead. With the Bears threatening to blow the game open, freshman Joshua South (Cookeville, Tenn.) forced a fly ball to get out of the fourth inning with little damage.
After two scoreless innings, the momentum of the game completely changed to the Bruins' favor. Relief pitcher, junior Justin Fowlkes (Collierville, Tenn.), retired Mercer in order in the top of the seventh, putting BU in a good position for a rally.
Belmont used a big seventh inning to blow the game open. Leadoff man, junior Hagan Severance (Brentwood, Tenn.) started the rally when he reached base after being hit by a pitch. A walk and an error would load the bases for the Bruins with no outs. Campbell then drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to tie the game 4-4. Belmont's offensive assault continued with consecutive base hits from junior Chandler Adkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) senior Zach Ehrhart (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) that scored two more runs. A double from senior Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) scored the final two runs of the inning to give BU an 8-4 lead after seven complete innings.
BU scored two more runs in the bottom of the eighth with a two-out rally. Campbell was hit by a pitch and freshman Grayson Taylor (Cullman, Ala.) hammered another home run for a 10-4 lead.
Sophomore Kyle Brennan (Franklin, Tenn.) finished out the game on the mound for the Bruins, shutting down Mercer in the final two innings to preserve the 10-4 victory.