SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 13, Marshall 10
@East Tennessee 3-7,
Eastern Kentucky 2-9
@#1 Arkansas 11,
Murray State 6
@Southeast Missouri 5-1, Illinois State 1-13
@Southern Illinois 8,
UT Martin 4
@SIUE 6, South Dakota State 1
Eastern Illinois 6, @Kansas State 5
Southern Miss 6,
@Jacksonville State 0
@#4 Ole Miss 4,
Belmont 3
@Northwestern State 4,
Austin Peay 0
MOREHEAD STATE 13, MARSHALL 10
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Recap coming soon.
EAST TENNESSEE 3-7, EASTERN KENTUCKY 2-9
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Before Eastern Kentucky University’s second game of Saturday’s doubleheader at East Tennessee State University, the Colonels had hit just two home runs in their first nine games of the season. EKU smacked three dingers in a 9-7 victory over the Buccaneers in the night cap.
ETSU won the first game 3-2 in 10 innings.
In a game that was added to the schedule this weekend, EKU will host Marshall University on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at Earle Combs Stadium. Season tickets holders will have their new game ticket sent digitally. Those with questions regarding their tickets can contact the ticket office at 859-622-2122.
In game two, Kendal Ewell got the home run parade started with a solo shot down the right field line in the top of the second inning to give Eastern (3-7) a 1-0 lead. With the Colonels on top 2-0, Caleb Upshaw hit one over the wall in left center to start the fourth inning.
With two outs in the bottom of the inning, East Tennessee (7-4) staged a rally with the help of two walks and two batters hit by a pitch. David Beam’s two-run single to left tied it 3-3. Eastern Kentucky answered in the top half of the fifth. Logan Thomas drove in a run with a single. Upshaw followed with a ground ball that allowed Cam Ridley to score for a 5-3 lead. The Colonels led the rest of the way.
Charlie Ludwick’s home run over the wall in right center with a runner on base in the top of the seventh extended the lead to 9-4.
Upshaw went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Ludwick was 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Ewell finished 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Starting pitcher Louis Davenport III struck out a career-best seven in three and two-thirds innings. He walked six and allowed three runs on one hit.
In game one, the Colonels struck first on an RBI single through the left side by Ludwick with two outs in the top of the first inning. A single by Chance Bodine in the top of the fourth scored Daniel Harris IV to make it 2-0.
EKU starter Jake Lewis was cruising until the bottom of the sixth inning. He retired the first two batters before issuing a walk to Bryce Hodge. On a 2-0 count, Ashton King drove the ball over the wall in left field to tie the game 2-2.
Lewis recorded a quality start, pitching six and one third innings with two runs allowed on four hits. He walked two and struck out a career-best six batters.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the 10th. Garret Simpson came in and retired the final two batters of the seventh, allowed one base runner in the eight, retired the side in order in the ninth, but ran into trouble after retiring the first two batters of the 10th. He walked a pair before giving way to John Farley who walked the one batter he faced. With two outs and the bases loaded, Hodge drew a walk to force in the game-winning run.
Simpson (0-2) did not give up a hit, allowed one run and struck out two but walked three in three and one-third innings of relief work. Ludwick finished 2-for-4 with a RBI. Bodine went 2-for-4 and drove in a run. Ridley and Thomason also recorded two hits each.
King’s two-run home run was his only hit in three at bats. Matthew Bollenbacher (1-0) earned the win after tossing four innings of scoreless relief. He gave up one hit, did not walk anyone and struck out two.
MURRAY STATE 11, #1 ARKANSAS 6
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Murray State Racers built a 4-0 lead against the top-ranked Arkansas, but came up short, falling 11-6.
Trey Woosley hit his second home run in as many days and Jake Slunder did it on both sides of the ball, driving in two runs and making highlight-worthy catches in the outfield.
The Racers chased the Razorbacks starting pitcher, Caleb Bolden, early in the game, putting up a four-spot in the second inning.Bryson Bloomer reached on an error by the second baseman and next batter, Woosley, scorched his second home run of the series, to almost the exact same spot as the previous day. Three extra base hits from Alex Crump, Jake Slunder and Ryan Perkins, each painting the foul lines had the Racers lead to four.
But, Arkansas always had an answer when the Racers scored, using three homeruns and a three-run double to plate their eleven runs.
In the fourth, Brennan McCullough reached on a leadoff single to left center and came around to score on a RBI single to right field by Slunder.
Murray State saw its lead evaporate in the bottom half of the inning as the Razorbacks struck for three runs. Christian Franklin's two-out RBI double with the bases loaded plated all three Razorbacks.
Arkansas added two runs in the sixth thanks to a solo shot to right and an RBI single from Franklin, his fourth RBI of the day.
The Racers' leadoff batter reached in six of nine innings including the seventh when a leadoff walk by Perkins came all the way around to score on an RBI single from Bloomer.
In the bottom half, Murray State got out of a bases loaded, nobody-out jam, with only one run coming across on a fielder's choice.
Courtesy of the long ball, the Razorbacks broke the game open with two more runs in the eighth to bring it to a final score of 11-6.
Sam Gardner (0-2) took the loss for the Racers going 3.1 innings, striking out four. Jake Jones came in in relief and pitched 2.1 innings. Jordyn Naranjo threw 1.1 innings, punching out one with Cade Vernon coming in to throw one complete.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5-1, ILLINOIS STATE 1-13
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri baseball (4-6) split its afternoon doubleheader against Illinois State (3-5) Saturday at Capaha Field. The Redhawks opened the doubleheader with a 5-1 victory before the Redbirds responded with a 13-1 win in the second contest of the day.
SEMO opened Saturday's doubleheader against Illinois State with a 5-1 victory. The Redhawks benefited from a four-run third inning keyed by back-to-back home runs to right center.
After a sacrifice fly from Tyler Wilber in the bottom of the first, SEMO widened its margin in the third frame.
Wilber and Austin Blazevic opened the inning with consecutive singles to set the stage for Wade Stauss. Stauss then blasted a three-run shot to right center to make the Redhawks edge, 4-0.
Designated hitter Lincoln Andrews capped the inning with a solo home run to more or less the exact same spot in right center over the party deck onto Parkview Street. The homer was Andrew's first in his career as a Redhawk.
Jeremy Gaines singled home Jake McCaw in the fourth for Illinois State's lone run of the game.
Noah Niznik pitched a complete-game with four strikeouts. He surrendered eight hits and one earned run for the win in seven innings of action.
Jordan Lussier was handed the loss, conceding all five SEMO runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts. He was relieved for Jack Anderson after three innings.
Wilber led the Redhawks in game one, going 2-for-2 with a RBI. Peyton Leeper, Blazevic, Stauss and Andrews each tallied hits.
ISU's Jordan Libman (2-4), Aidan Huggins (2-3) and McCaw (2-3) each chipped in a pair of hits as the Redbirds outhit SEMO, 8-6.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Illinois State offense exploded for 13 runs on 16 hits to defeat the Redhawks 13-1.
The Redbirds posted a crooked number of five on the scoreboard in the first inning. SEMO starter Joey Kossina was pulled during the frame for Bryce Grossius after allowing four runs on five hits.
ISU concluded the first inning with a home run by Tyson Hays.
SEMO got on the scoreboard in the fourth on a RBI groundout to second from Wilber.
With a 7-1 advantage, the Redbirds added six insurance runs in the fifth to finish the contest with a 13-1 victory.
Libman hit a three-run homer to right after a RBI basehit by Luke Cheng.
Jack Butler and Joe Butler who are not related then tallied consecutive hits to plate two more Redbirds.
Fischer Rausch then closed out the final two innings for SEMO in his Redhawks debut after Joseph Karall came on in relief. The 6-5, 235-lbs freshman from St. Louis, Missouri, finished the game with five strikeouts and allowed just one hit.
Sean Sinisko earned the win for ISU, with a 7.0 inning complete-game. He allowed just four hits and one earned run while fanning seven Redhawks.
Jack Butler finished 3-for-5 hitting and Hays was 3-for-4 with a long ball. Libman, Joe Butler, Ryan Cermak and Luke Cheng each collected two hits.
Peyton Leeper, Wilber and Andrew Keck each had hits for the Redhawks.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 8, UT MARTIN 4
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball squad found itself in an early hole and could not recover today at Southern Illinois, falling by an 8-4 margin to the host Salukis at Itchy Jones Stadium.
Eight different members of the Skyhawk lineup recorded at least one hit today while Benny DeTrude drew a pair of walks and scored a run in his first career start. Will Smith and Blake Daniels each went yard for their first home runs of the 2021 campaign while Casey Harford reached base safely on three different occasions (two hits and a walk) to pace UT Martin (3-5) offensively.
The Skyhawk bullpen combined for 3.1 no-hit innings today, led by Seth Petry’s three scoreless frames where he did not allow a runner past second base. Nick Wohlbold also recorded a strikeout in 0.1 innings in relief of starter Sam Folks (1-1), who fanned five batters over 4.2 frames but received the loss after allowing seven earned runs.
UT Martin threatened early as Harford smoked a double down the left field line and Christian Hall reached on an error to put men on the corners with only one out. However, Southern Illinois (10-0) managed to escape the jam.
Folks was crisp in the first inning, dialing up a pair of strikeouts as he retired the side in order. A Skyhawk fielding error extended the bottom of the second for the Salukis, who managed to take a 3-0 lead.
A pair of true freshmen helped UT Martin post a pair of runs in the top of the third. DeTrude worked the count for a six-pitch walk and Smith followed with an opposite-field round tripper for the first homer in the young career of the second baseman out of Prattville, Ala.
After Southern Illinois added four runs in the third inning, Daniels trimmed the Skyhawk deficit to 7-3. The junior from Marked Tree, Ark. jumped on the first pitch he saw in the top of the fourth, clearing the wall in centerfield for his fourth career homer in a UT Martin uniform.
Folks faced the minimum in the fourth and the Skyhawks seemed to take that momentum into the fifth. Harford (single through the left side) and Ethan Whitley (single up the middle) each tried to ignite a UT Martin rally but the Salukis ended the frame unscathed.
Southern Illinois scored one run in the fifth and had the bases loaded before Wohlbold was summoned out of the bullpen. The righty out of Columbia, Mo. registered his second scoreless appearance of the season after a five-pitch strikeout, keeping the score at 8-3.
Petry took over from there, retiring six consecutive Salukis and eight of the final nine batters he faced. That included a pair of strikeouts in the sixth, a perfect seventh inning on only 13 pitches and a 10-pitch eighth.
Petry’s strong work gave the Skyhawks a chance late. UT Martin made the score 8-4 in the eighth after Wil LaFollette and Noah Thigpen pieced together back-to-back one-out singles. LaFollette came around to score on a Blake Davis RBI double down the left field line but Southern Illinois was able to strand a pair of Skyhawk baserunners.
Harford fouled off four pitches before taking an eight-pitch walk in the top of the ninth but unfortunately UT Martin could not cut into its deficit.
SIUE 6, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE sophomore Jake Bockenstedt was masterful over seven no-hit innings Saturday, leading the Cougars to a 6-1 win over South Dakota State at Simmons Baseball Complex.
SIUE has won three straight and four of its last five games to improve to 4-4. South Dakota State fell to 5-4.
Bockenstedt struck out 13 hitters over seven innings, racking up the second-most strikeouts in a single game in SIUE's Division I era.
For the third game in a row, SIUE scored runs in the first inning. Connor Kiffer walked with two outs and Brady Bunten followed with an RBI-double and Raul Elguezabal followed with an RBI-single to extend
Richie Well made it 3-0 with a one-out solo home run sin the fourth. Kiffer doubled to lead off the fifth inning and scored on a two-out double by Ole Arntson. Josh Ohl reached with a one-out base hit in the sixth and Brett Johnson followed with a two-run shot to right field to extend SIUE's lead to 6-0.
After putting up 12 hits in Friday's opener, the Cougars collected 10 hits Saturday. Eight players in the Cougars' line up had at least a hit.
South Dakota State's only run came on its only hit of the day, a home run by Garrett Stout leading off the ninth inning against SIUE reliever Noah Matheny.
Matheny struck out one in his two innings of work.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 6, KANSAS STATE 5
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Eastern Illinois (6-5) defeated the Kansas State Wildcats (6-3), 6-5, for the first time in the program's history on Saturday afternoon. A pair of homers by Ben Snapp and Dalton Doyle thrust the Panthers ahead of the Wildcats and sealed a historic win. Trevor Nicholson was awarded the win after pitching five innings, allowing one hit, four walks, three earned runs, and seven strikeouts. Stevenson entered in relief, closing the door on the Wildcat's chances. The Panthers move to 6-5 on the season with the chance of taking the weekend series in Sunday's final game.
Trevor Nicholson came out dealing in the first few innings of play for the Panthers. In the first four innings, the lefty had allowed no hits and no runs to give the Panthers the perfect recipe for their potent offense to capture an early lead.
The offense was able to get the offense started at the top of the third, as Rademacher started the inning with a single past second base. Snapp entered the box and battled. Snapp hit the ball past the fences after a nine-pitch-at-bat. After Snapp had touched them all, the Panthers were up 2-0 with three outs remaining. Toppel reached on an error and promptly stole second base to put the Panthers in scoring position again. Sweeney pulled a shot to right-field to score Toppel. The Panthers ended the third with a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Doyle started the rally with a longshot to left-center to add to EIU's lead. With that homer, Doyle is now tied with Sweeney for the most (2) home runs this season for the Panthers.
DiLuca managed a single in the fifth inning to put speed on the bags with one out. Eickhoff reached on a throwing error from Kansas State, and DiLuca raced to third. Sweeney reached on a fielder's choice that put Eickhoff out at second but scored DiLuca in the process. Sweeney stole second, followed by a Pena single into left field, which scored the Panthers shortstop. EIU led the Wildcats, 6-0.
Nicholson walked two Wildcats in the top of the fifth and allowed a blast to left-center. Nicholson walked one more but got out of the jam after a strikeout and foul out. The Panthers held the 6-3 lead going into the sixth.
Stevenson entered for Nicholson in the sixth inning. The veteran senior allowed two singles in his first two batters faced. He had runners at the corners, and a flyout to center field scored the runner at third. Stevenson locked in and got out of the jam to only allow the one run. Panthers still led, 6-4.
Another flyout after a pair of hits chipped away at the Panthers' lead in the seventh, but Stevenson continued to work and stayed focused as K-State threatened. In the eighth inning, Stevenson mowed the lineup down, striking out the side in 14 pitches. The ninth saw more of the same from the Panthers closer, as he allowed one hit, but followed by striking out three in a row and sealing his second save of the season.
SOUTHERN MISS 6, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Recap coming soon.
#4 OLE MISS 4, BELMONT 3
OXFORD, Ala. The Belmont University baseball team gave No. 4 Ole Miss all they could handle on Saturday at Swayze Field, but the Bruins came up short 4-3 in game two of the series.
Freshman Brodey Heaton recorded his first multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Sophomore Joshua South pitched six innings and only gave up six hits in his start on the mound, with sophomore Aaron Hubbell coming up with three strikeouts and junior Stone Selby not allowing a hit in his appearance.
Falling victim to two strikeouts in the first two at-bats of the game, sophomore Tommy Crider gave Belmont the early one-run lead thanks to his first home run of the season in the top of the first inning. The home run marks the second consecutive season where Crider has hit a home run against a Power 5 opponent, hitting a homer against Kansas in 2020.
Following a walk and a single with one out in the top of the third inning, a single down the right field line from John Behrends allowed Belmont to score its second run of the game. A sacrifice fly from Crider later in the inning gave the Bruins a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third.
After a one-out double to left center by Ole Miss, the Rebels collected an RBI single to cut the Belmont lead to two runs in the bottom of the third inning. A single and a walk loaded the bases later in the inning, with Ole Miss tying the game 3-3 off a fielder's choice and a Belmont error.
The Bruins were in a bases loaded jam with two outs when Ole Miss got on base from a fielding error, single and hit by pitch in the bottom of the sevening inning. Hubbell, however, forced a two-out flyout to center field to prevent any damage.
It was Ole Miss, however, that collected the game-winning run, hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to take the 4-3 lead. Belmont got the tying run on base in the top of the ninth inning with one out, but a pick off and a groundout to second base allowed the Rebels to close in on its second win of the series.
NORTHWESTERN STATE 4, AUSTIN PEAY 0
NATCHITOCHES, La. - Austin Peay State University’s baseball team could not solve Northwestern State starting pitcher Cal Carver in a 4-0 loss, Saturday at Brown-Stroud Field.
Carver (2-0) faced the minimum through five innings as Austin Peay (1-8) saw base runners cut down due to a pickoff in the first and double plays in both the second and fourth innings. Carver ran into some trouble in the seventh as third baseman Bobby Head led off with a single and right fielder Harrison Brown followed with a walk. However, Carver got a strikeout and another timely double play to end APSU’s biggest threat.
Northwestern State (5-4) used home runs in the first and second innings to build an early lead that proved enough to support Carver. Center fielder Kendall Foster hit a solo home run in the first for a 1-0 advantage. In the second, second baseman Daunte Stuart’s three-run shot extended the advantage to 4-0.
Austin Peay starter Peyton Jula (0-3) settled in after the second home run and ultimately made the longest start of his career – a 5.2-inning outing that saw him allow only the four early runs on seven hits and four walks. Kyle Nunn finished the game with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Carver would go seven scoreless innings, striking out seven batters while scattering three hits and two walks. Reliever Alex Makarewich picked up the save, striking out two over two hitless frames.
The Govs were held to three hits with Head, second baseman Malcolm Tipler and center fielder Garrett Spain each getting a base knock.
Stuart led NSU, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, a home run and two walks. Foster was 2-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks.