SATURDAY'S SCORES
Presbyterian 12-3,
@Eastern Kentucky 9-5
Murray State 5-3, Purdue Fort Wayne 4-2
@Kent State 6-17,
Tennessee Tech 1-5
Army 5,
Austin Peay 2 (Cary, N.C.)
@Little Rock 6,
Eastern Illinois 5
@#2 Arkansas 9,
Southeast Missouri 3
@Belmont 3-3, Creighton 2-9
@Jacksonville State 10-13, Valparaiso 2-3
UT Martin 21-8, @Arkansas State 5-5
SIUE 9, @Wichita State 7
PRESBYTERIAN 12-3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 9-5
RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky University’s baseball team won game two 5-3 to split a doubleheader against Presbyterian College on Saturday at Earle Combs Stadium.
The Blue Hose won game one by a score of 12-9.
The two teams are scheduled to conclude the series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
After PC (1-5) grabbed an early lead in the top of the third inning of game two, EKU (2-4) answered in the bottom of the frame. With one out and two on, Logan Thomason singled through the right side to tie the score. A ground ball from Daniel Harris IV was enough to bring home the second run and give the Colonels the 2-1 advantage.
The Blue Hose tied it up in the top of the fifth, but Eastern Kentucky had the answer again. With two outs and runners at the corners, Caleb Upshaw brought home both with a double to right field to make it 4-2. A sacrifice fly by Upshaw in the bottom of the seventh tacked on an insurance run.
Louis Davenport III (1-0) started for Eastern and provided a quality start, going six innings and allowing three runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out five. Freshman, and Richmond native, Bryce Travis tossed a perfect seventh inning. Will Brian earned his second save of the season after pitching the final two, allowing one hit and striking out four batters.
Newcomer Cam Ridley went 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Max Williams also scored twice. Upshaw finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs.
Chris Veach had three hits in four at bats, scored a run and drove in one for PC.
It took the Colonels a little while to get going in the first game but Presbyterian had no trouble early, scoring 10 runs in the first three innings. However, over the final six EKU allowed just two runs.
A three-run home run by Harris, his first of the season, got Eastern within one, 5-4, in the bottom of the second. That is as close as the Colonels would get. PC plated five in the third to go up 10-4. Sean Klein drove in a pair with a single up the middle in the big inning.
Eastern Kentucky scored four runs combined in the eighth and ninth to get back into the game. Kendal Ewell had an RBI single and Ryan Nelson drew a bases loaded walk as part of a three-run eighth inning to make it 12-8.
After the first two batters were retired in the bottom of the ninth, the Colonels tried to keep the rally going. A walk, a single and another walk loaded the bases. Freshman catcher Will King followed with a single through the left side to score one and get the home team within three, 12-9. However, with the tying run at first, a ground ball ended the comeback bid and the game.
Harris was 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs in game one. King finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Veach led Presbyterian with a 3-for-5 game, four runs and an RBI.
Freshman Garret Simpson kept the Blue Hose scoreless over the final three innings. He allowed just two hits and struck out two.
MURRAY STATE 5-3, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 4-2
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State baseball team (4-3) fell behind in each of the games to Purdue Fort Wayne (1-3) but battled back and came away with two comeback victories including a walk-off in game one.
Eight Racers collected hits on the day with Jordan Cozart once again leading the Racers going 3-5 with two RBIs, three runs scored and one walk.
Both teams jumped on the board early in game one. Purdue Fort Wayne put up a single tally in the top half and Jordan Cozart hit a two-run shot to left field for his team-leading, third home run of the season.
After two scoreless innings, the Mastoodons put a three-spot on the board in the top of the fourth.
Two innings later in the sixth, the Racers tied the game at four apiece. Cozart and Brock Anderson were in scoring position for Murray State. Alex Crump reached on an error by Aaron Chapman at second base. Both Cozart and Anderson came home on the play.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Trey Woosley sparked the Racers with a pinch hit single through the right side. Next batter David Hudleson walked to put two runners on to set things up for Jake Slunder. With an 0-1 count, Slunder delivered, singling to right center. The Mastodons right fielder, Justin Greene, fumbled the ball allowing Woosley to take advantage and race home for the Racers' first walk-off victory of the season.
The finale proved to be a pitching duel with both teams scoring their runs in just one inning.
Again, the Mastodons started the scoring, using the small ball to advance their runners into scoring position. The runs came across in the top of the second thanks to an RBI single from Andrew Arteaga and a wild pitch.
Even with Purdue Fort Wayne pitching around him, Cozart ignited the Racers rally by drawing a lead-off walk. One batter later, Woosley singled to right field to put two runners on. Brennan McCullough stepped up with two outs to knock an RBI single to left, scoring Cozart. Hudleson smashed a double to right center, bringing home both Woosley and McCullough which proved to be the game-winning RBIs.
Alec Whaley shut the door on the Mastodons and Connor Holden earned his first save of the season, getting Purdue Fort Wayne to go 1-2-3 in the final inning.
The Racers feature five pitchers over the two games. In game one, Shane Burns started going 3.2 innings, striking out three, and allowed eight hits and four earned runs. Jacob Pennington came in in relief to throw 5.1 innings, also striking out three and gave up no runs.
In game two, Ryan Fender started, throwing 1.1 innings and allowed to earned runs. Whaley came in and went 4.2 innings, allowed two hits, no runs and struck out two. Holden picked up the save.
KENT STATE 6-17, TENNESSEE TECH 1-5
KENT, Ohio - Forced on the road for the second-straight weekend due to inclement weather and poor field conditions, the Tennessee Tech baseball team fell in a pair of contests at Kent State Saturday, played at Schoonover Stadium.
The Golden Flashes (2-2) claimed a 6-1 victory in game one, played to a predetermined seven innings prior to the day. The home squad followed it up with a 17-5, game two win over the Golden Eagles (2-3).
Kent State hurler Luke Albright led the way for his team in the first game, tossing five innings with 10 strikeouts. The Major League Baseball prospect earned the win, surrendering the lone run in the contest.
In the bottom of the second, the Golden Flashes jumped out to a 3-0 lead, using an RBI double to start the scoring. A two-out, bloop single to shallow right field plated two more in the frame, with both baserunners taking off on contact.
Tech answered immediately in the top of the third, thanks to the bat of right fielder Theo Bryant IV. On the first pitch he saw, the Conley, Ga. native blasted a solo bomb to left field, his first long ball of the season.
It would turn out to be the only run surrendered by Kent State in the contest. The Golden Flashes produced single runs in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to win 6-1.
In game two, it was another quick start for the home team, as the Golden Flashes used the home run ball to do the damage early. A two-run shot in the first and solo dinger in the second put Kent State up 3-0, but the Golden Eagles once again had an answer to the opening salvo.
With two outs in the fourth, Tech took advantage of an error by the defense, setting up true freshman Hayden Gilliland up for a clutch moment. The designated hitter came through, lacing a double down the left-field line to drive in a pair of runs, his first collegiate RBI. Just like that, the purple and gold had the deficit down to one.
The Kent State offense turned it on from that point on, exploding for seven runs in the bottom half of the frame. The Golden Flashes would go on to plate one in the fifth, three more in the sixth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth.
Tech collected a single run in the sixth off the bat of catcher Will Long, who crushed his first round-tripper of the season down the left-field line. The Golden Eagles also dented the plate twice more in the seventh, scoring twice on throwing errors by the home team.
Third baseman Gavin Johns led the purple and gold with three hits in four at-bats in game two.
ARMY 5, AUSTIN PEAY 2
CARY, N.C. - Right fielder Skyler Luna and designated hitter Jack Alexander each drove in a run but Austin Peay State University’s baseball team could not overcome an early deficit in a 5-2 loss to Army, Saturday night at the USA Baseball National Training Center’s Coleman Field.
Army (2-3) got on the board in the bottom of the first by taking advantage of back-to-back walks to start the frame. An error, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly would be enough for the Black Knights to turn those two walks into a 2-0 lead.
Austin Peay (0-5) would get the game’s first hit in the fourth inning – left fielder TJ Foreman leading off with a single. Center fielder Garrett Spain followed with a single of his own and Luna delivered the Govs first run with a sacrifice fly. But the Govs could not extend the rally further as Army starting pitcher Patrick Melampy struck out the next two batters to end the inning, Army leading 2-1.
The Black Knights responded quickly to the Govs run, scoring twice in the bottom of the fourth. Left fielder Jeremiah Adams singled to start the inning and two outs later first baseman Sam Ruta homered to straightaway center field, giving Army a 4-1 lead.
Army would tack on an insurance run in the sixth before the Govs would muster another threat in the seventh. First baseman John McDonald doubled and Alexander followed with a single that was misplayed by the Black Knights defense. McDonald would score and Alexander would reach second base. The Govs would bring the tying run to the plate in the inning but an Army double play ended the Govs last threat.
APSU starter Peyton Jula (0-2) surrendered four runs (three earned) on two hits and four walks over his four-inning outing. Reliever Greg Norman tossed 2.2 hitless innings to close the game, striking out three.
Melampy (1-1) struck out 11 batters and limited Austin Peay to one run on two hits in six innings. Closer Ray Bartoli picked up his season’s first save with three strikeouts over the final two innings. Ruta paced the Army offense with a 2-for-3, three RBI effort.
LITTLE ROCK 6, EASTERN ILLINOIS 5
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Eastern Illinois baseball (4-3) fell 6-5 to the Arkansas Little Rock Trojans (2-4) early Saturday afternoon. The Panthers racked up nine hits in the game, including two from Trey Sweeney and Ryan Knernschield. Foster Anshutz started in Saturday's game. Nick Laxner and Alex Stevenson both entered in relief for EIU.
Eastern Illinois was able to strike first in the final game of the weekend series. Eickhoff belted a lead-off double into the right-field gap, and Knernshield drove him home to put the Panthers on the board early. Kerrigan followed with a single of his own to score Pena. The Panthers gained a 2-0 lead at the start of the game.
The Trojans were able to get on the board early as well. The Trojans were able to take the tie the game in the second inning and take the lead at the end of the third.
The Panthers were able to strike back in the fifth and sixth innings to regain the lead. In the fifth, Sweeney was able to drive DiLuca home with a single into right-filed to tie the game up.
In the sixth, Eastern Illinois started to move the lineup. Kerrigan scored a run for the Panthers coming from a Toppel single. DiLuca entered and layed down a sac bunt to score Doyle. The Panthers had regained the lead, 5-4.
Stevenson allowed one run scored in the sixth to tie the game. In the seventh, the Trojans hit a homer to take the lead back and ultimately win the game.
#2 ARKANSAS 9, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Peyton Pallette struck out eight in five scoreless innings and Christian Franklin added four hits and three RBI to lead #2 Arkansas (6-0) to a 9-3 victory over Southeast Missouri (2-4) Saturday.
Arkansas scored early and often to give Pallette a big lead to work with. The Razorbacks scored four runs in the first, two in each of the second and third and another in the fourth inning to take a 9-0 advantage.
Franklin and Matt Goodheart both delivered RBI-singles. Goodheart later scored on a groundout and Cullen Smith, who walked, touched home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first.
A two-run home run by Franklin in the second was followed by a single by Robert Moore and a wild pitch that led to two more runs in the third giving the Razorbacks an 8-0 lead.
Smith, who doubled with one out in the bottom of the fourth, scored again with the help of an error to stretch Arkansas' lead to 9-0 in the fourth.
SEMO scored its first run of the game in the top of the sixth inning. Tyler Wilber walked, went to second on a single by Austin Blazevic and scored when Lincoln Andrews reached on a one-out error.
A solo home run by Andrew Keck with one out in the eighth completed the Redhawks scoring. For Keck, the home run was his second of the season and sixth of his career.
Arkansas registered 14 hits with six coming from the top of its lineup. Moore went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI out of the leadoff spot and Franklin finished at 4-of-5 with two runs, a home run and three RBI.
Pallette earned his first win of the season on the hill.
Austin Blazevic accounted for two of SEMO's six hits. Wilber, Keck, Jevon Mason and Braxton Zivic combined for the other four. Mason made his first career Division I start in right field. Zivic and Mason each picked up their first career hit.
Ryan Vogt (0-1) took the loss for the Redhawks. Freshman left-hander Joey Kossina, in his first career relief appearance, tossed three scorless innings with three strikeouts.
BELMONT 3-3, CREIGHTON 2-9
NASHVILLE - The Belmont University baseball team split Saturday's doubleheader against Creighton at Rose Park, winning the first game 3-2 and dropping the second game 9-3.
Junior Logan Jarvis recorded a season-high three hits in game one to go with two RBIs, collecting his first career triple in the process. Sophomore Joshua South picked up his first win of the season, pitching five innings and recording five strikeouts without giving up an earned run. Freshman Andy Bean collected his first career save in the game one win.
In game one, Creighton looked to jump to an early lead in the top of the third inning with runners on second and third base with one out, but South collected a strikeout and forced a groundout to retire the side and keep things scoreless. A single from Jack Rando and two drawn walks loaded the bases for Belmont a half-inning later before Jarvis drove in the game's first two runs with a single to right field.
Junior Jackson Campbell followed up with a single to first base to score Crider from second base, giving the Bruins a 3-0 lead. Creighton cut the deficit in the top of the fifth inning by capitalizing off a Belmont throwing error after a strikeout to make it a two-run game. Jarvis answered back with his first career triple with two outs in the next-half inning, but Belmont was forced into a strikeout the following at-bat.
Belmont, who did not record a triple during the 2020 season, had a triple in each of its first four games in 2021. It is the first time since the 2015 season where at least three different players record a triple in the first four games of a Belmont season.
Following a Creighton double and a single to advance runners at the corners, the Bluejays collected a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one run in the top of the sixth inning. Bean struck out three of the final five batters he faced, sealing the win for Belmont and giving him his first career save.
In game two, sophomore John Behrends got the bottom of the first inning for the Bruins with a one-out double and later scored off an RBI double from Tommy Crider to give the game's first run to Belmont. A single up the middle by Jarvis scored Crider from second base, giving Belmont a 2-0 lead.
Freshman Drew Lowry hit his first collegiate home run in the bottom of the second inning, giving Belmont a three-run cushion. Creighton quickly got two runners on-base in the next half-inning and later scored off a two-RBI triple, with a Belmont fielding error allowing the tying run to score.
Loading the bases in the top of the sixth inning, Creighton opened the gap by drawing three bases-loaded walks to take a 6-3 lead. A Belmont fielding error in the outfield allowed three more runs to score to give the Bluejays a 9-3 lead. The Bruins were forced out in six of its final seven batters to end the second, seven-inning game.
Belmont (3-2) hits the road for the first time in the 2021 season, facing Ole Miss on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Oxford, Miss. Ole Miss is currently ranked No. 1 in the country.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 10-13, VALPARAISO 2-3
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Jacksonville State combined for 23 runs in a Saturday twinbill to complete a weekend sweep of Valparaiso on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
The Gamecocks started the day with a 10-2 win and continued to feast on Valpo pitching in the nightcap with a 13-3 victory. Jax State (4-3) opened the weekend with a walk-off, 5-4, win on Friday. JSU turned in 26 hits in two twinbill and put together one big offensive inning in each of the two games. The Gamecocks broke open the first game of the day with a four-run eighth inning and erased a one-run deficit in the second game with a seven-run third inning.
A trio of Gamecocks had three or more hits in the doubleheader, led by senior Alex Webb's five hits in eight at bats on the day. Webb posted three RBI and scored four times. Junior Isaac Alexander finished with a three-hit day and a pair of RBI, while junior Cole Frederick added three hits, including a triple that sparked JSU's seven-run third inning. JSU had nine different hitters have multiple hits on the day.
Junior catcher Alex Carignan highlighted the nightcap with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, including a bases-clearing double in the big third inning. Carignan had a single to right fied for his fourth RBI of the game. Senior Tre Kirklin extended his hitting streak to 15 games dating back to the last eight games of 2020 with a double just inside the third base bag in the first game and collected his second home run of the season and fifth within the 15-game hitting streak to lead off the fifth inning for JSU.
Junior Javier Ramirez also had a solid weekend with a pair of RBI hits and reached base five times via a walk.
Jax State didn't need that amount of offensive firepower as the pitching staff turned in two solid outings, led by the pair of starters in junior Dylan Hathcock in the opener and junior Colin Casey in the series finale. Both turned in career performances as Hathcock fanned a career high seven Valpo hitters in six innings of work and did not issue a walk. Hathcock (1-0) scattered three hits and did not give up a run. Casey tossed a solid five innings, striking out five and four hits and an unearned run in the second inning. His five innings of work was a career high and his strikeout total matched her first start of the season last Sunday against Tennessee Tech. As a staff, Jax State pitchers posted 17 strikeouts and limited Valpo to a .228 batting average on the weekend.
UT MARTIN 21-8, ARKANSAS STATE 5-5
JONESBORO, Ark. - A historic Game 1 performance out of the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team set the tone for a pair of wins today against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Tomlinson Stadium.
The Skyhawk offense erupted in the opener, winning by a 21-5 margin – plating the most runs since April 25, 2009 against Tennessee Tech. UT Martin pushed across 11 runs in the top of the ninth inning alone – tying the school record for most runs in a single inning set against Chicago State on Feb. 28, 1997. Christian Hall also joined three others in Skyhawk history with a record-tying eight runs batted in – becoming the first to accomplish that feat since Wes Patterson (against Cleveland State on March 20, 2010).
Game 2 was a shortened affair as UT Martin collected an 8-5 victory in a contest that was called after five complete innings because of rain.
Houston Wright (two homers as part of a three extra-base hit performance in Game 2) and Blake Davis each hit .600 on the day while Hall tacked on another RBI in the nightcap to finish his day with a team-high nine runs driven in. Sean Dixson hit .500 with a team-best four runs to pace the Skyhawks (3-3) offensively. UT Martin took advantage of 17 walks and seven hit-by-pitch plate appearances in Game 1.
On the pitching side, Winston Cannon (six innings, two runs on four hits) and Nick Wohlbold (one inning, two strikeouts) earned the wins in Game 1 and Game 2, respectively, for the Skyhawks. For his efforts, Cannon moved into the top-10 in school history with his 13th career victory – tying him for eighth place with Alec Mills (2010-12), Randy Coffman (1988-89) and Mike McSwain (1987-90). Matthew Shunk, Jefferey O’Doherty, Seth Petry and Trey Ricko were each responsible for scoreless appearances out of the UT Martin bullpen (all in Game 1).
UT Martin got on the scoreboard early and often in the first contest, starting with two runs in the top of the first. Dixson crushed the second pitch of the game for an opposite field double before Will Smith reached on an error. Both runners came in to score after Hall smoked a double into the gap in left center to make the score 2-0.
The Red Wolves (0-3) got one run back in the first inning but Cannon silenced the Arkansas State lineup over the next two frames. The 6-3 senior out of Cookeville, Tenn. avoided trouble thanks to his battery mate in the second, as Davis mowed down a runner trying to steal third for the final out of the inning. Cannon breezed through the third, needing just 11 pitches to retire the side in order.
Hall added to his big day at the dish in the top of the third, launching a two-run homer down the right field line to make the score 4-1 in favor of the Skyhawks. One inning later, Wil LaFollette connected on his second home run in as many games, pulverizing the first pitch he saw for a solo shot out to right field.
Back-to-back doubles by the Red Wolves opened the fourth and trimmed UT Martin’s advantage to 5-2. The Skyhawks immediately added a run in their next at-bat as Hall lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Dixson (who led off the inning by being hit by a pitch).
Cannon put up clean innings in each of his final two frames, striking out the last batter he faced on three pitches in the bottom of the sixth.
UT Martin put the game away with 15 runs on only four hits over the last three innings. Noah Thigpen (walk), Davis (two-run single) and Smith (walk) each had RBI’s in a four-run seventh.
The Skyhawks sent 17 batters to the plate in the top of the ninth as the first 13 members of the batting order reached base safely. Casey Harford (walk and a hit by pitch), Hall (two-run single, sacrifice fly), Benny DeTrude (walk), Noah Thigpen (walk), Blake Daniels (hit by pitch), Preston Jones (hit by pitch) and Alec Beaman (walk) each earned RBI’s during a marathon inning to cap off the victory.
A six-run top of the fourth wound up being the difference in the nightcap as the two teams endured an 84-minute rain delay before the game was called in favor of UT Martin.
The Red Wolves struck first with a run in the bottom of the first but Skyhawk starter Sam Folks bounced back nicely. He retired seven batters in a row at one point – including four consecutive strikeouts between the second and third innings.
UT Martin took its first lead of the contest in the top of the second as Wright snuck a 2-0 offering just inside the foul pole in right field to tie the game at 1-all. Moments later, Dixson laced a triple to left field to score Davis, who previously doubled.
The Skyhawks added another huge inning in the fourth. LaFollette tripled to lead off the inning and came around to score on a round tripper by Wright. Smith drew a bases loaded walk while Harford (single) and Hall (walk) contributed RBI’s. The sixth and final run of the frame came in on a double play as UT Martin claimed an 8-1 advantage.
Arkansas State managed three runs in the bottom of the fourth and tallied another run in the fifth before Wohlbold slammed the door on the Red Wolves. The Skyhawk closer retired the final two Red Wolves via strikeout and an unassisted groundout to first base before the sky opened up with steady rainfall – extending UT Martin’s winning streak to three games.
SIUE 9, WICHITA STATE 7
WICHITA, Kan. - Raul Elguezabal's three-run home run with one out in the ninth lifted SIUE baseball to its first win of the year Saturday, a 9-7 triumph over Wichita State in the second game of a three-game series.
The Cougars are now 1-3. Wichita State also is 1-3. The rubber game of the series is set for Sunday.
SIUE trailed 7-6 going into the ninth Connor Kiffer singled with one out and Brady Bunten followed with a double to left center. Elguezabal hit a 1-0 pitch from WSU's Aaron Haase (0-1) out to left center to put the Cougars on top.
Braydon Bone worked around a walk and a hit in the bottom of the ninth to save the win for the Cougars. It was his first save of the year. Freshman Noah Matheny (1-0) worked two perfect innings, striking out two for his first win.
Wichita State picked up two runs in the first for an early lead. John Stallcup tied the game for Cougars in the second, driving home two with a single to right field. Stallcup added an RBI in the fourth with a single and Brett Johnson picked up his first RBI on a groundout to put SIUE up 4-2.
The Shockers tied the game with a pair of solo home runs in the fifth before Johnson put SIUE up again with an RBI-double in the sixth.
Wichtita State scored three times in the sixth to take a 7-5 lead. Ole Arntson pulled the Cougars within a run with an RBI-groundout in the seventh inning, setting up the come back in the ninth.
SIUE finished with the nine runs on 12 hits.
Five players had multiple hits for the Cougars, while the 3-4-5 hitters (Kiffer, Bunten, Elguezabal) each had two hits.