FRIDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 15, @Alabama A&M 2
@Morehead State 7-14, James Madison 2-5
Belmont 2-8, @UAB 1-9
@Murray State 6, Illinois State 2
Eastern Kentucky 7,
@Austin Peay 5
@Southeastern Louisiana 2,
Tennessee Tech 1 (10 innings)
UT Martin 3, @Central Arkansas 0
EASTERN ILLINOIS 15, ALABAMA A&M 2
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Eastern Illinois (8-3) started off their road trip at Toyota Field with a win against the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M (1-9) by a score of 15-2 in seven innings. Winning pitcher Trevor Nicholson pitched in five innings for the Panthers, allowing two unearned runs, two hits, and collected seven strikeouts. Lucas DiLuca and Ryan Ignoffo both earned three RBIs in game one of the three game series against A&M.
EIU would jump out to the early lead in Friday's afternoon game and never look back. The Panthers scored four runs in the first inning off of A&M's starting pitcher. Ignoffo earned his first RBI on the day with a fielder's choice to score Riley from third. Aide was able to score another run after he singled to left field and brought home DiLuca. Chris Worcester would get in on the action as he roped a double to right field to bring home Aide and Ignoffo. The Bulldogs would go three up and three down against Nicholson in the bottom of the first.
After Nicholas Rucker, Riley, and DiLuca all reached safely in the second, the Panthers would strand three runners. Nicholson went back to work on the mound for EIU striking out three to end the second.
The bats came back out in the third inning starting with an RBI single for Ben Gallaher who brought home Worcester from third after he singled to lead-off the inning. With bases loaded, DiLuca was walked to score another run. Eickhoff would score the final run of the inning with a sac fly to center field that brought home Gallaher, and put EIU 7-0. The Bulldogs would get on the board in the third after Nicholson put two runners on the leadoff the inning. Alabama A&M would score two on a fielding error by DiLuca at second to cut the lead to 7-2.
After a scoreless fourth, the Panther would go on to score four more in the top of the fifth. After Rucker was walked to leadoff the fifth, Lincoln Riley hit a shot to left field for a homerun, his second of the season. DiLuca would follow that up with a walk, and Eickhoff would double to put runners at second and third. Ignoffo would then ground out, but not before DiLuca scored another run. Aide would also hit a sac fly to center field to score another one, and put the Panthers up 11-2. Nicholson would end his afternoon by striking out one more in the bottom of the fifth.
Alabama A&M would start the top of the sixth with loaded bases for EIU. Bryce Hayman would single to left center to score Dalton Doyle. DiLuca would earn his final two RBI after a fielder's choice scored Rucker and Gallaher. Ignoffo would also earn his third RBI with a single to center field to give EIU 15 runs in Friday's game. Neither team would score in the seventh to end the game on a Wainscott ground out.
EIU would score 15 runs on 15 hits and had one error. The Bulldogs would score two runs on four hits and had three errors.
MOREHEAD STATE 7-14, JAMES MADISON 2-5
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Designated hitter Roman Kuntz collected seven hits, second baseman Ashton Roy drove in seven runs, while Roy and center-fielder Ryley Preece homered in each game as the Morehead State baseball team took both ends of a doubleheader with James Madison at Allen Field Friday, 7-2 in seven innings and 14-5.
The Eagles (7-8) hammered seven home runs, while a combo of seven MSU pitchers held a powerful Duke (8-8) batting order to just nine total hits on the day. The teams were scheduled to play the third game in the series Sunday but due to impending winter weather, that game was canceled.
While JMU lit the run column first with a tally in the first inning, crooked numbers by the Eagles in the second and fifth frames proved to be enough as starter Luke Helton (1-1) combined with relievers Jarrett Miller (1.1 IP, 0 R, 1 K) and Joe Rotkis (1.0 IP, 0 R, 1 K) to shut down the Duke hitters.
MSU took a 3-1 lead in the second as right-fielder Chase Vinson singled to lead off, stole second base and later scored when Colton Becker's grounder to third was misplayed. Preece then cleared the bases with his first long ball of the day - and fourth of the year - a smash to center field.
The Dukes crept to within 3-2 in the fifth, but Roy's three-run circuit clout gave his team some distance in the bottom of the inning. Becker later scored on back-to-back wild pitches from JMU's Hunter Entsminger.
Miller entered with the bases loaded in the fifth but coaxed a fly out to end the threat. He got three straight outs in the sixth to lower his season ERA to 0.75. Rotkis slammed the door with a fly out, strike out and ground out to seal the win.
Kuntz was 3-for-4, while Becker, first baseman Jackson Feltner and left-fielder Alex Jacobs all had two hits.
Five home runs and multi-run innings in five of the Eagles' at-bats spelled success in the nightcap. Preece, Feltner, Roy, Jacobs and third baseman Nick Gooden all took JMU pitchers out of the park.
On the mound, Rotkis (1-1) - who was scheduled to start one of the games this weekend - actually picked up the win in relief. Starter Alex Kafka went 4.0 innings before running into trouble. Rotkis came in and tossed 1.1 innings with two punchouts. Closer John Bakke shut down the Dukes in the final two innings. While not a save situation, Bakke struck out three. Grant Herron also worked a scoreless frame.
Roy cranked his second three-run bomb in the second, Jacobs had a two-run homer in the fourth, Preece drove in a pair on a homer in the fifth and Feltner and Gooden hit mammoth solo home runs in the fourth and sixth, respectively.
Roy and Gooden also added RBI singles as the Eagles roughed up six JMU pitchers for 17 hits, the second highest total in 2022.
Kuntz went 4-for-4, while Feltner, Gooden and Roy collected three hits apiece.
BELMONT 2-8, UAB 1-9
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Belmont University baseball team split a doubleheader with the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Friday, winning the first game, 2-1, before falling in the second contest, 9-8 at Young Memorial Field in Birmingham.
Belmont (12-4) has now played in seven games this season decided by two runs or less, and are 4-3 in those games.
Behind a dominant start from Joshua South (W, 2-0) and yet another save from Kyle Brennan (SV, 8), the Bruins eked out a 2-1 win in the first game of the doubleheader.
South went six strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits while collecting four strikeouts.
Brennan came on to pitch the seventh inning and shut the door by retiring three straight Blazers for the win. The save is Brennan's eighth of the season in nine attempts, which leads the country. The senior closer from Franklin, Tenn., is now one save shy of tying Jon Ivie (2008-11) for the most in program history (26).
South got the run support he needed when Belmont scratched across both of their runs in the second inning, first when Tommy Crider grounded out to the shortstop, allowing Carson Shacklett to score from third, and next when Jack Capobianco singled to bring in Grayson Taylor.
The Bruins got six hits in the game from six different players, then relied on South and Brennan to bring them home.
The game marked the eighth time this season when Belmont has held an opponent to one run or fewer.
The second game of the doubleheader featured a handful of lead changes and late-game drama, but UAB held off Belmont for a 9-8 win in the nine-inning affair.
Trailing 9-8 in the ninth inning, the Bruins got their first two hitters aboard with back-to-back walks before Grayson Taylor bunted them over to second and third base.
With the go-ahead run in scoring position, UAB was able to retire two straight Bruins to secure the win.
Carson Shacklett finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored, Tommy Crider went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored, and John Behrends went 2-for-3 with two walks.
Belmont out-hit UAB 9-6, and did not commit an error while the Blazers had three, but the Bruins walked a season-high ten batters to allow the home team to hang in the game.
The Bruins jumped ahead 2-0 with a bases-loaded two-RBI single from Jack Capobianco in the second inning, and led 6-2 after plating four runs with two outs in the fourth inning on a two-RBI double from Shacklett and a two-RBI single from Crider.
UAB stormed back with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, getting a bases-loaded walk and a grand slam to take the lead, 7-6.
Belmont rallied in a big way in the sixth inning, with Guy Lipscomb getting on base after being hit by a pitch before stealing both second and third base. Lipscomb now has 15 stolen bases this season, the second-most in the country.
Shacklett singled through the right side to score Lipscomb and tie the game, before the Bruins took the lead on a failed pickoff that turned into an error, allowing Shacklett to come home and give Belmont an 8-7 advantage.
UAB took the lead for good in the seventh inning, getting a two-RBI single from Darryl Buggs, who hit the grand slam earlier in the game.
Belmont used five pitchers in the game, while UAB featured six different arms. Dusty Baird (L, 0-1) took the loss in relief.
Chandler Schultz and Will Jenkins recorded four outs each in relief without giving up a run.
MURRAY STATE 6, ILLINOIS STATE 2
MURRAY, Ky. - After playing the longest game in Division 1 baseball last night (March 10) Murray State (10-4) and Illinois State matched up again on Friday with the Racers coming out with a 6-2 win at Johnny Reagan Field in Murray, Kentucky. The game sat at 3-2 into the eighth inning before a timely hit from Riley Hawthorne and a pinch-hit two-RBI single from Seth Gardner provided the insurance MSU needed to secure the win.
Cade Vernon started on the hill for the Racers and provided a very solid outing, going 4.1 innings while allowing just one earned run. Reliever Alex Jarrell picked up his first win of the season after going 2.2 scoreless innings. The redshirt junior stacked up three strikeouts in the outing while not allowing a Redbird hit.
Illinois State scratched a run across in the first inning, but the Racers were able to strike back with a three-run second inning highlighted by an RBI ground out from Drew Vogel and an RBI single for Blake Hale's first career hit and RBI. Following the second inning, the Racers and Redbirds traded zeroes until the sixth inning when the Illinois State bats plated another run to cut the Racer lead to one.
The Murray State eighth inning provided more than enough insurance to take the win. Murray State moves to 10-0 at Johnny Reagan Field on the season. Freshman catcher Blake Hale led the Racers with three hits on the day while Seth Gardner continues to stack RBIs with his 18th and 19th of the year today.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 7, AUSTIN PEAY 5
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Starting pitcher Harley Gollert threw seven shutout innings, but Austin Peay State University’s baseball team could not fend off Eastern Kentucky’s ninth-inning charge in a 7-5 loss, Friday, on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Battling deteriorating weather conditions throughout his start, Gollert stymied Eastern Kentucky through seven innings. He faced a runner in scoring position just once when EKU put two runners aboard in the third inning. But he retired back-to-back batters to end the threat.
After allowing a leadoff walk in the fourth, Gollert would retire 11 consecutive batters before allowing a two-out single in the seventh. He ended the inning and his outing with his eighth strikeout of the day.
Meanwhile, Eastern Kentucky starter Michael Schuler kept Austin Peay at bay through five shutout innings. In his final inning on the mound, the Govs threatened, putting a runner on second twice in the inning. However, EKU cut down one of the runners and Schuler stranded the second with a pair of fly outs.
Austin Peay (6-9) took advantage of the first three pitchers out of the Eastern Kentucky bullpen. First baseman Ty DeLancey singled to start the sixth against EKU reliever Jordan Fox. But the EKU reliever would battle back by recording the next two outs before allowing a single to third baseman Michael Robinson.
Eastern Kentucky (10-5) would return to its bullpen but with little immediate effect. APSU designated hitter Harrison Brown singled to drive in the game’s first run. Center fielder Skyler Luna then hit a ground ball to third base, but the throw to first sailed high, allowing two runs to score for a 3-0 lead.
The Governors extended their lead with two runs in the seventh. With the third Eastern Kentucky reliever starting the inning, right fielder Gino Avros doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on an error. Shortstop John Bolton brought Avros home with a single. The fourth EKU reliever would allow a walk and then throw a wild pitch, allowing Bolton to score a 5-0 lead.
Eastern Kentucky loaded the bases in the eighth inning against the first Govs reliever but could not drive in a run. But they found much more success in a snowy ninth inning against Austin Peay’s second and third relievers as the first seven EKU batters reached base safely.
Center fielder Ron Franklin doubled to drive in the Colonels’ first two runs, who each reached safely to start the inning. The next two batters reached against Govs’ reliever Zach Wyatt to load the bases before left fielder Kendal Ewell walked to push home the third run. Shortstop Logan Thomason then tied the game, 5-5, with his two-run single.
Austin Peay would get an out on a sharp lineout to second baseman Jonah Beamon. But Eastern Kentucky got back-to-back walks – Sebastian Greico earning a walk to drive in the go-ahead run. Third baseman Conner Davis tacked on an insurance run with his sacrifice fly before the Govs could end the inning.
Eastern Kentucky closer Will Brian worked a scoreless ninth, with the Colonels defense supplying three impressive infield outs, to record his fifth save. The comeback effort made a winner of reliever Bryce Travis (1-1) – the fifth EKU reliever – who struck out two batters in 1.1 innings of work.
Wyatt (1-1) – the Govs’ third reliever – suffered the loss after allowing three runs while recording the three ninth-inning outs.
Franklin went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI to pace Eastern Kentucky’s offense. Thomason added a 1-for-4, two-RBI effort.
Robinson reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. Harrison Brown and Bolton had the Govs two RBI.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 2, TENNESSEE TECH 1 (10)
HAMMOND, La. - It was a gut-wrenching loss for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Friday afternoon, as a dominant pitching performance and nearly instant lead could not hold up in a 2-1 loss at Southeastern Louisiana in 10 innings at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Golden Eagle shortstop Ed Johnson opened the contest with a bang, blasting the second pitch of the day over the wall in left field for his fourth home run of the year. The run would turn out to be Tech's lone marker on the scoreboard on the day, with a fierce, pitchers' duel dominating the day.
For the purple and gold, it was right-handed hurler Peyton Calitri turning in the outing of his career, holding the Lions without a base hit until the eighth inning. Tossing seven and one-third frames of no-hit ball, Caltitri turned to his defense to help keep the bases clear of activity, walking just one batter while the infield turned in numerous outstanding plays.
On the flip side, SLU starter Will Kinzeler turned in a great day on the mound, racking up nine strikeouts while scattering five more Golden Eagles after serving up the leadoff bomb to Johnson in the first. He completed nine innings on the hill, exiting after surrendering a leadoff base hit in the top of the 10th.
Calitri started the ninth inning for the Golden Eagles, eventually walking the pinch-hitting, leadoff batter for Southeastern Louisiana after a nine-pitch at-bat. Brock Myers entered from the bullpen to try and close things for the Tech squad.
The Lions alternated strikeouts and hit-by-pitches over the next four at-bats, loading the bags with two outs. Then, on an 0-1 offering, SLU used a gutsy play to tie the game, stealing home on a pitch that was up in the zone and swung at for the second strike. Myers initiated a fly ball for the final out to take things to extras.
With one out in the bottom of the 10th and a runner on first, the Golden Eagles made a miscue in the outfield that allowed the batter to reach on a single. Myers appeared to roll up an inning-ending double play on a 1-2 offering to SLU's Trey Harrington, with the umpires calling both runners out, including at first with a bang-bang play.
The Lions' Christian Garcia rounded third and slid into home, seemingly despite the end of the frame, but the umpires took to an official review of the play at first base. After a very lengthy review, the crew deemed Harrington just beat the throw to first and ruled Garica safe at the plate.
UT MARTIN 3, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 0
CONWAY, Ark. - Slicing his way through 32 batters en route to a complete game and shutout performance on Friday afternoon, sophomore pitcher Rhett Fetner's dynamite showing on the mound paved the way for a cruise control win by the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball squad to begin the weekend against Central Arkansas on the road.
Only letting a total of four hits sneak by while eclipsing the triple-digit mark at 101 tosses, Fetner and the rest of the Skyhawk defense was impenetrable against the Bears in a hostile environment, improving to 5-7 on the year while simultaneously ending a UCA seven-game winning streak throughout the all-time series.
Establishing the program's second-ever W at Bear Stadium in Conway, UT Martin was lifted to their first shutout win of the semester by only walking two players and not committing a single error all afternoon. In a contest that was bumped up in time to avoid impending inclement weather later on Friday, the Skyhawks boosted their season-total to 88 hits with eight more against Central Arkansas, proving more than enough to pull away.
Not wasting any time putting the scoreboard to work, UTM struck first in their very first turn at bat for the second consecutive meeting. With Will Smith and Jack Culumovic already occupying two bases thanks to a walk and a single up the middle, sophomore first-baseman Wil LaFollette punched in his fourth and fifth RBI of the year on a rightfield double that put the visitors ahead by a deuce.
Central Arkansas would only muster a couple of hits that ultimately gained no traction by the time the navy and orange increased their advantage to three, doing so on a base-hit from Nate Self in the top of the 4th to bring home second-baseman Alec Beaman. Beaman had been elsewhere in the infield over the past three games while regular starting shortstop Casey Harford recovered from injury, returning to the fold on Friday as the cleanup hitter.
Smith and catcher Chance Merithew accounted for the rest of the Skyhawks' hit count in the one-sided affair, while Beaman and Culumovic finished the afternoon at 4/6 combined with the bat in their hands. Additionally, Smith, Culumovic, Beaman, and leftfielder Benny DeTrude made life even tougher on the Bears by each stealing a base with no mishaps.
Fetner's lights-out execution gave the JUCO transfer his third straight individual win for a 3-1 total, going the distance for the first time in a Skyhawk uniform to aid UTM to their first victory in Conway since 2002.