SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 11, Murray State 6
Arkansas State 9,
@Austin Peay 4
MOREHEAD STATE 11, MURRAY STATE 6
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Morehead State baseball launched four home runs, including two from senior catcher Jon Burghardt, as the Eagles topped Murray State 11-6 at Allen Field Sunday in a non-Ohio Valley Conference game.
The Eagles (23-16) won three of four from the Racers (22-20) this weekend and have now topped Murray in seven of the previous eight meetings.
The Eagles scored all their runs in the second and fourth innings. Burghardt hammered a three-run blast and a solo shot and tied his career high by going 4-for-4. Senior right-fielder Ryan Layne and freshman left-fielder Jacob Ferry also belted home runs.
The Racers grabbed the early lead 1-0 in the first as Brock Anderson drilled a long RBI single off the short wall in right field.
The Eagles plated five runs in the bottom of the second. Burghardt led off the flurry with his three-run homer. Ferry cranked the seventh long ball of his initial collegiate season two batters later after Colton Becker walked and moved to second on a failed pick-off attempt.
Morehead State plated six more in the fourth to lead 11-2. Senior third baseman Stephen Hill had an RBI double to plate senior second Bryce Hensor with his OVC-best 46th run of the season.
With runners on second and third, freshman first Jackson Feltner nailed a Baltimore chop hit over the third baseman to drive in two more runs.
Layne then skyrocketed his fifth home run of the year high over the net in right field to score Feltner too.
Burghardt closed the scoring outburst with his solo round-tripper.
Murray State scored on a wild pitch and RBI single in the eighth, while Anderson sent a two-run homer over the wall in right in the top of the ninth.
Sophomore Joe Rotkis (1-0) worked the middle 2.2 innings to be credited with his first career pitching win. He allowed just one hit and had two strikeouts.
ARKANSAS STATE 9, AUSTIN PEAY 4
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Starting pitcher Drew McIllwain provided seven quality innings but Austin Peay State University’s bullpen surrendered the lead in a 9-4 loss to Arkansas State, Sunday afternoon on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
McIllwain provided a much-needed seven innings on the bump holding Arkansas State to three runs on four hits. After surrendering a solo home run to ASU catcher Liam Hicks in the first, he retired 15 of the next 16. The next Red Wolves base hit was center fielder Drew Tipton’s solo home run in the sixth.
The Govs’ starter would later surrender a two-out double and run-scoring single in the sixth to give up the lead, 3-2. But after Austin Peay regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth, he would retire the Red Wolves in order in the seventh to back up the runs.
Austin Peay (15-27) would respond to Arkansas State’s first-inning run by manufacturing a run of its own in both the first and second innings. Center fielder Garrett Spain got a two-out single, stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Second baseman Malcolm Tipler would drive him in with a single to tie the game. One inning later, designated hitter Matt Joslin reached on an error and later scored on third baseman Gino Avros’ single, giving the Govs a 2-1 lead.
After Arkansas State (14-22) took the lead in the top of the sixth, Austin Peay again worked to produce a pair of runs to regain the lead. Spain provided a 418-foot leadoff home to right center run to start the bottom of the sixth, tying the game. Then the Govs strung together three straight singles with one out, Joslin providing the go-ahead run.
But Arkansas State broke the game open with six runs over the final two innings. Hicks would hit a two-run home run in the eighth to give ASU a 5-4 lead. The Red Wolves used three walks and an error to add four in the ninth to secure their victory
Spain finished the day 2-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored. Avros and Tipler also had two hits each in the Govs eight-hit outing. Reliever Nolan O’Shoney (1-4) took the loss after allowing two runs on three hits in the eighth.
Hicks went 2-for-4 with four RBI and Tipton was 2-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored to lead Arkansas State’s offense. ASU reliever Brandon Anderson (1-4) was credited with the win after providing three scoreless innings, scattering three hits while striking out three.