TUESDAY'S SCORES
UT Martin 3, @Arkansas-Pine Bluff 2
Tennessee Tech 7, @Belmont 6 (10)
@Southern Illinois 5,
Murray State 4
@Illinois State 12,
SIUE 0
@Kentucky 7,
Eastern Kentucky 6
@Troy 2,
Jacksonville State 0
@Austin Peay 16, North Alabama 15
UT MARTIN 3, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 2
PINE BLUFF, Ark. - For the fourth time in the last five games, the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team came out on top as the Skyhawks edged out Arkansas-Pine Bluff by a 3-2 margin at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex.
UT Martin (15-20) scored all three runs in the top of the seventh inning as five Skyhawk hurlers limited the Golden Lions to five hits for the contest.
Christian Hall (run scored, RBI) and Noah Thigpen (second multi-hit game of the season, RBI) guided UT Martin offensively while Blake Davis (RBI), Wil LaFollette (run scored) and Ethan Whitley (run scored) also contributed to the Skyhawk scoring.
On the hill, Winston Cannon was credited with the victory as he improved to 6-4 on the season after a perfect inning of relief. David Hussey tossed the final two innings and notched his fourth save of the 2021 season in the process. Freshman righty Tucker Reed made his first career start and threw a pair of no-hit innings as part of a pitch-count outing. Seth Petry (scoreless appearance) and Eric Steensma (one run allowed) also each fired two frames out of the UT Martin bullpen.
The Skyhawks did not concede a base hit until the fourth inning as Reed was on point in the first two innings before Steensma shut down Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the third. A two-out RBI triple in the fourth was the Golden Lions’ first hit of the game and made the score 1-0.
Petry stranded a pair of runners in scoring position during the fifth, registering a strikeout and a groundout after Arkansas-Pine Bluff used a double steal to put men on second and third with one away.
Davis erased a big baserunner in the sixth, firing a strike down to third base for a caught stealing after the Golden Lions hit a one-out double.
UT Martin went ahead for good in the seventh, compiling five hits in the inning. Casey Harford and LaFollette each singled before Whitley reached on a fielder’s choice. Hall tied the game at 1-1 with an opposite-field RBI single. Davis then dropped down a perfect bunt single that scored Whitley for the go-ahead run. A big insurance run was added after Thigpen lined a single to center that plated Hall and increased the Skyhawk advantage out to 3-1.
Cannon mowed down Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the seventh before giving way to Hussey. The Golden Lions connected for a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the eighth but Hussey recovered nicely for a clean ninth frame as he nailed down his third save in the last six days.
TENNESSEE TECH 7, BELMONT 6 (10)
NASHVILLE - Sometimes the third time really is the charm. Such was the case for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Tuesday evening, as the Golden Eagles (14-19) rallied from a two-run deficit in the top of the ninth inning to defeat Ohio Valley Conference and in-state rival Belmont 7-6 in 10 innings.
After the Bruins (19-19) held off two, final-frame comebacks from the purple and gold in Cookeville during the teams' doubleheader in league play this past Sunday, the Tech squad put together an effort to remember at E.S. Rose Park.
With two outs in top of the ninth, first baseman Golston Gillespie hammered a 1-0 offering to left field for a game-tying, two-run home run. The long ball marked the slugger's sixth of the season and knotted the contest at 6-6.
Freshman southpaw Jackson Berry (3-2), who came on for Tech out of the bullpen in the seventh inning, tossed a perfect ninth to take his team into the 10th. Junior left fielder Jason Hinchman reached base on an error and moved over to second on a wild pitch to start the inning.
A sacrifice bunt from Will Long moved Hinchman to third, but Belmont answered with a strikeout to force the focus of the pressure back to the Tech offense. Right fielder Theo Bryant IV stepped right into the box delivered, slapping a searing single to right-center field to drive in Hinchman and give Tech a 7-6 lead.
Having given up just a single run through four, Berry returned to the hill for the purple and gold in the bottom of the 10th, setting the tempo with an immediate strikeout on three pitches to reigning OVC Player of the Week John Behrends. He followed it up by forcing the previous week's OVC Player of the Week, Logan Jarvis, into a ground out to Brett Roberts at second base.
The Bruins tried once more to keep hope alive, gathering a double to right-center field to bring the winning run to the plate. Berry locked in and forced a foul out to Gillespie at first base to secure the win. The Tech hurler finished five innings of relief on the night, allowing just one run on five hits and a pair of walks while striking out five.
Bryant and Gillespie each finished with a pair of hits and two RBI in the contest to lead the Tech offense. Shortstop Ed Johnson also gathered a pair of base knocks while third baseman Gavin Johns crushed his second home run of the year during the fourth inning. Eight different Golden Eagles posted at least one hit.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 5, MURRAY STATE 4
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Salukis (27-12, 6-10 MVC) snapped the Murray State Racers (21-16, 11-7 OVC) five-game winning streak, using two eighth inning home runs to come from behind and win 5-4.
Quinton Kujawa was solid for six innings, a new career long, striking out four and only allowing one earned run on four hits.
Riley Hawthorne, playing in his second game, picked up his first career hit as a Racer with a leadoff single to right center in the fifth.
Murray State had a lot of traffic on the base paths in the early part of the game, even loading the bases with nobody out but it was Southern Illinois who cracked the scoreboard first with a run in the bottom half of the fourth.
The Racers immediately answered with three runs of their own in the next half inning. With two runners on, three straight Racers, Jordan Cozart, Brennan McCullough and Bryson Bloomer all delivered RBIs.
Southern Illinois closed the gap to one, scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth.
In the eighth, Jordan Holly hustled down to the first base line to beat out an infield single to plate the Racers fourth run of the game.
After one scoreless relief inning, Jordyn Naranjo gave up a solo home run to bring it to a 4-3 game and was replaced by Jake Jones. A diving Brennan McCullough couldn't come up with a ball in right that put a SIU runner on third with only one out. The next batter then launched an 0-2, two-run home run to give the Salukis a 5-4 advantage.
Murray State made a bid to tie the game in the ninth. SIU's pitching staff had been throwing carefully to the red-hot Bryson Bloomer all game, walked him on four pitches with two outs. Jake Slunder came on to pinch run for Bloomer and immediately stole second but a ground out ended the game.
ILLINOIS STATE 12, SIUE 0
NORMAL, Ill. - IUE baseball dropped a 12-0 decision in seven innings Tuesday at Illinois State.
The Cougars dropped to 19-17 with the loss. Illinois State improved to 17-22.
Illinois State junior Jack Anderson tossed a one-hit shutout striking out four SIUE hitters.
The Redbirds scored three times in the third thanks in part to a two-run home run by Aidan Huggins. Illinois State then capitalized on five SIUE walks in the fourth to plate another three runs. Another five walks in the sixth inning, coupled with three ISU hits allowed the Redbirds to cap of the day with a six-run frame.
SIUE starter Brian Chandler (0-2) allowed three runs on four hits over three innings and took the loss. Five other pitchers appeared for SIUE.
Brady Bunten had the only hit for SIUE, a one-out single in the second inning.
The Redbirds were led by Jordan Libman who went 2-3 with three RBIs. Huggins, Joe Butler and Jeremy Gaines all had two RBIs for Illinois State.
KENTUCKY 7, EASTERN KENTUCKY 6
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Kendal Ewell’s RBI single to left field in the top of the sixth inning broke a 5-5 tie but the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team couldn’t hold off an eighth inning rally and fell to the University of Kentucky, 7-6, on Tuesday at Kentucky Proud Park.
With one out in the sixth, Logan Thomason singled to right. Cam Ridley was hit by a pitch before Ewell sent a 1-2 pitch into left to score Thomason.
Louis Davenport III came on to pitch for the Colonels in the bottom of the sixth and struck out the side in order. He also retired the side in order in the seventh.
Bryce Travis took the mound to start the bottom of the eighth and retired the first batter he faced before the next two batters reached on a hit by pitch and a walk. Closer Will Brian came on to try and get out of the jam, but Ryan Ritter took a 1-2 pitch into right field for a two-run double that gave UK the lead for good.
Eastern Kentucky took a four-run lead with four runs in the top of the fourth. With one out and a runner at second, Charlie Ludwick singled to center to score a run and break the 1-1 tie. After a walk by Santiago Peralta, Max Williams drove in two runs with a double to right field. Will King followed with a run scoring single to right to make it 5-1 in favor of the visitors.
Coltyn Kessler hit a two-run home run to cap a four-run fifth for Kentucky that tied the game 5-5.
Ewell finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Ludwick was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Williams had two hits in four at bats, scored a run and drove in two. King also had two hits, scored a run and had a RBI.
Kessler had a 2-for-4 game with a run and three RBIs for Kentucky (25-13).
TROY 2, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
TROY, Ala. - Troy scored a pair of runs in the eighth inning to break up a scoreless contest to down Jacksonville State, 2-0, on Tuesday night at Riddle-Pace Field.
Th two in-state clubs split the home-and-home set with JSU claiming a 6-1 win on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium last week, while the Trojans bounced back to post the two-run win.
Troy's Logan Cerny slapped two-out, two-run double in the eighth for the difference in the contest. A one-out walk and a single started the run-scoring opportunity before Cerny delivered the key hit.
Both squads used a combined 10 pitchers in the pitchers duel as freshman Jake Peppers was tagged with the tough loss, while Marquez Oates picked up the wins after tossing the final two innings. Both teams also had scoring chances early in the contest as JSU left 11 on the base paths and the Trojans had a runner tagged out at the plate and at second base by putouts from the Gamecocks' outfield. JSU left the bases loaded twice in the game and had runners on the corners a couple of times but could not push a run across the plate.
Senior Alex Webb and sophomore Carson Crowe combined for four of JSU's six hits on the night. Webb and Crowe each had a pair of singles. Junior Nash Adams and junior Alex Strachan had the other two hits.
Freshman Camden Lovrich got the start and pitched 3.1 innings, scattering five hits and posting a pair of strikeouts. Junior Jackson Tavel and Trey Fortner combined for 2.2 innings of clean work and fanned two Trojans. Junior Dylan Hathcock pitched an inning ahead of Peppers.
AUSTIN PEAY 16, NORTH ALABAMA 15
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - First baseman John McDonald’s ninth inning single delivered Austin Peay State University’s baseball team its second walk-off victory of the homestand, a 16-15 victory against North Alabama, Tuesday night on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay (15-23) trailed 15-14 entering the bottom of the ninth in a game that featured seven lead changes. Third baseman Gino Avros singled to start the inning and second baseman Malcolm Tipler walked, putting the tying and game-winning runs on base.
After a fly out, pinch hitter Harrison Brown singled to right field, tying the game as Avros bolted home. But an errant throw from the outfield allowed both Tipler and Brown to advance another base, putting the game-winning run at third base as McDonald stepped to the plate. The Govs first baseman drove the second pitch he saw through the right side of the infield to provide the game-winning run.
North Alabama (5-33), seeking its first road win of the season, was left wondering what could have been after it rallied from deficits of 12-7 and 14-13. The Lions scored six runs in the seventh to overcome the 12-7 deficit, taking advantage of three consecutive bases-loaded walks to tie the game, 12-12. First baseman Harris Kain gave UNA the lead with a sacrifice fly.
After the Govs regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, North Alabama battled back with two outs in the top of the ninth. Pinch hitter Peyton Thomas earned a walk and pinch hitter Garrett Smith followed with a two-run home run to give UNA a 15-14 lead, setting the stage for the Govs late-game heroics.
The walk-off single capped a 4-for-5, four RBI outing by McDonald which included RBI singles in the first and fourth innings and a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Avros also went 4-for-6 and scored four times. Designated hitter Reid Brown hit his first home run – a two-run shot in the third inning – as part of a 2-for-5, three RBI effort.
Reliever Tucker Weaver (2-0) benefitted from the ninth-inning rally, getting the win after allowing a run in one-third of an inning in the top of the ninth. Austin Peay’s bullpen had a rough night with five of the seven baserunners inherited by relievers ultimately scoring.
Designated hitter Kylan Barnett went 3-for-5 with four RBI, including a two-run second-inning home run, to lead the North Alabama offense. Reliever Keegan Foge (0-1) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in an inning of work and was saddled with the loss.