SUNDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 5-10, @Alabama A&M 4-0
@SIUE 5-8, Oakland 2-4
@Austin Peay 13-5, Eastern Kentucky 1-8
Tennessee Tech 18, @Southeastern Louisiana 4
@Southeast Missouri 16-10, Valparaiso 6-8
@UAB 6,
Belmont 3
Creighton 15,
UT Martin 4 (Conway, Ark.)
@Central Arkansas 13,
UT Martin 10
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5-10, ALABAMA A&M 4-0
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Eastern Illinois (9-3) kick of Sunday's double header with a 5-4 win in eight innings against Alabama A&M (1-10). Starting pitcher Cameron Doherty threw six innings on the day giving up seven hits, three runs, and posting seven strikeouts. Ryan Ignoffo lead the Panthers at the plate after going 3-4 with two doubles and a homerun while also scoring two runs. Nathan Aide also collected two RBI in game one.
EIU could not get the offense going in the top of the first after going three-up and three-down. Doherty started game one with an impressive first inning which saw him give up a leadoff double but managed to get three outs including one strikeout without giving up a run.
Dalton Doyle manged to get the Panthers on the board after he singled through the right side of the infield, and manged to bring home Worcester home from second after he singled with two outs. Doherty struckout one in the bottom of the second while also producing two groundouts.
Lucas DiLuca hit a double down the left field line in the top of the third, but was left stranded. EIU managed to turn a double play with DiLuca and Ja'Lil Akbar to end the third.
Ignoffo hit his fourth homerun of the season in the fourth inning to extend the Panthers' lead to 2-0. The Bulldogs would battle back in the bottom of the inning after Jared Tribett managed to double off of Doherty to bring in a run to bring the lead to one for EIU.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Logan Eickhoff singled to leadoff the inning and advanced to third after Ignoffo doubled to left field. Aide then singled through the right side to score two and put EIU up three. A&M came back in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homerun by Janmikell Bastardo to bring the lead back to one.
EIU manged to get Ignoffo and Lincoln Riley in scoring position in the seventh but were left scoreless. The Bulldogs tied the game at four a piece after Tim Dixon tripled off of Zane Robbins and brought home CJ Mervilus.
In the final inning, Worcester was walked to leadoff and advanced to second after a sac bunt by Doyle. Pinch hitter Bryce Hayman hit the game-winning RBI after he doubled to right center field to bring home to go-ahead run. Robbins collected three straight outs to earn his first victory of the season.
Eastern Illinois (10-3) earn their second series sweep on the season after beating Alabama A&M (1-11) in game two of Sunday's double header by a score of 10-0.
Starting pitcher Blake Malatestinic threw five scoreless innings, allowed one hit, and struck out five. As a team EIU allowed one hit the entire game. Ryan Ignoffo continued his hot day at the plate with a 3-5 game two including a double, two runs scored, and four RBI. He also threw the final inning of the game while striking out three.
The Panthers bat did not cool off in game two of Sunday's double header. Lincoln Riley and Lucas DiLuca were both walked to start off the game. Eickhoff was able to reach first on a fielding error to load the bases for Ignoffo who would then go on to hit a double down the left field line to score two. Worcester then hit his first of two sac flies in the game to bring home Eickhoff. Doyle also added a single to left field which would brig Ignoffo home and bring the Panthers' lead to 4-0 in the first. Malatestinic would strike out two in the bottom half.
After a walk and a stolen base by Riley, Ignoffo singled up the middle to center field to bring home Riley from second base to give the Panthers a five run lead in the second. Malatestinic gave up the only hit for the Bulldogs on the day in the second, but was able to get him out at third base after he was caught stealing by Ben Gallaher behind the plate.
Doyle picked up his second hit of the afternoon in the third, but was left stranded to end the top of the third. Alabama A&M would then go three-up and three-down in the third after Blake threw another strikeout to end the inning.
Riley started the fourth with a hit-by-pitch, his tenth of the season which is tied for the NCAA lead. DiLuca would then single up the middle to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Eickhoff would be safe at first on a fielder's choice which also moved Riley to third. Ignoffo earned his fourth RBI after a single through the right side which brought Riley home. EIU would score again thanks to Worcester and his second sac fly. Doyle would cap of the inning with a double to score Ignoffo and Nathan Aide to bring the Panthers lead to nine.
Ja'Lil Akbar, Sean Lynch, and Travis Reaves all reached safely to lead off the fifth. Eickhoff would bring home EIU's final run of the afternoon after a fielder's choice to shortstop which brought the lead to 10-0. Malatestinic would throw his final two strikeouts in the fifth, and end his day with ive shutout innings.
Jason DeCicco would toss a no-hit sixth inning, and Ignoffo would finish the game in the seventh while striking out three straight Bulldogs. EIU would complete the sweep of Alabama A&M by a final score of 10-0.
EIU would score 10 runs on 10 hits and no errors. A&M would post one hit and have four errors.
SIUE 5-8, OAKLAND 2-4
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - On an unusual Sunday doubleheader to start a weekend series, SIUE baseball earned a pair of convincing home victories over the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. The Cougars notched a 5-2 win in the opening contest before closing out the evening with an 8-4 win to clinch the weekend series.
The opening game of the day did not start on the right foot, as the Oakland lead-off batter slammed the ball to left field to give the Golden Grizzlies the early 1-0 lead; however, the home half of the second inning gave the lead right back to the Cougars. Following a lead-off walk for Brady Bunten and a single through the right side for Ole Arntson, Avery Owusu-Asiedu notched his first hit of the ballgame to reach first and bring Bunten home to tie the game up at one each. A similar situation repeated itself just three batters later, as Steven Pattan singled to the middle of the infield and sent Arntson home to give the Cougars a one-run lead. Shortly after, Brett Pierson doubled into left field to bring home Pattan and close out the inning with a 3-1 lead.
The pitchers had their way from then through to the bottom of the seventh inning, as Brett Johnson powered a two-run shot to deep right field that sailed over the fence and gave SIUE a three-run lead. That gave the Cougars the breathing room they needed and resulted in the final margin.
Brant Glidewell earned the win, giving him his first of the season, while Jake Bockenstedt notched his second save of the season.
The second game of the day began in identical fashion to the first, as the Golden Grizzlies lead-off batter notched his second lead-off home run of the day to give OU the 1-0 lead. However, Oakland would not stop there as the visitors put up two more runs in the visitors' half of the first to start the game with a 3-0 advantage. The Cougars would quickly pull one back, as Brett Johnson notched his second home run of the day with a solo shot to right field to cut the OU lead to two.
The home half of the third inning saw SIUE retake the lead, as Johnson again sent the ball past the outfield fence to score himself and Josh Ohl and tie the ballgame at three. Arntson's two-run blast to left center gave the Cougars a lead they would not relinquish, scoring Connor Kiffer and closing out the inning with a 5-3 Cougar lead.
The SIUE scoring continued into the fourth, started by a hit by pitch for Kiffer that scored John Stallcup. Brady Bunten's single to shortstop to score Ohl, while Johnson continued his impressive outing by stealing home to give the Red & White an 8-3 lead. The Golden Grizzlies would pull one back in the top of the seventh, but SIUE held off the OU comeback effort to claim a 8-4 win and clinch the series.
Dixon earns his first win of the season, while Quinn Waterhouse notches his second save of the 2022 campaign in the contest.
AUSTIN PEAY 13-5, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1-8
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Right fielder Gino Avros had a six-hit day, leading Austin Peay State University’s baseball team to a split of Sunday’s doubleheader against Eastern Kentucky on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park. Austin Peay won the opener, 13-1, before Eastern Kentucky claimed the nightcap, 8-5.
Austin Peay (7-10) jumped out early in the day’s first game, scoring the game’s first eight runs. Eastern Kentucky would score its lone run in the fifth on Kendal Ewell’s solo home run, making it 8-1. But Austin Peay responded with five in the bottom of the fifth, Avros smashing a two-run home run to right as the Govs won in wire-to-wire fashion.
Avros reached safely in each of his first four plate appearances, ending the game 3-for-4 with two RBI and four runs scored. Catcher Jack Alexander went 2-for-2 with three RBI and two walks and had a two-run double in the third.
Governors’ starter Drew McIllwain (2-1) struck out eight while allowing one run over six innings to pick up the win. Reliever Austin Loeb followed with three scoreless innings without allowing a hit while striking out four to notch his first save.
Ewell went 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI to lead a Colonels offense that was held to four hits. EKU starter Rese Brown (1-2) allowed four runs on three hits and a walk over the opening 2.1 innings and suffered the loss.
Austin Peay scored Game 2’s first runs thanks to a double steal that saw shortstop John Bolton score before Alexander scored on a wild pitch after an error.
Eastern Kentucky (11-6) responded with four runs in the third inning. Catcher Will King supplied three runs with a bases-clearing double and a 4-2 lead. The Colonels tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth innings before a three-run sixth inning – aided by King’s run-scoring double – extended the lead to 8-3.
Austin Peay would threaten in the sixth as third baseman Michael Robinson and designated hitter Harrison Brown each walked to start the inning. After a couple of strikeouts, Avros singled to drive in a run and a wild pitch allowed Brown to score. But Eastern Kentucky reliever Garrett Langrell struck out his third batter to end the threat.
Avros added another 3-for-4 performance in Game 2, with an RBI and run scored.
King paced Eastern Kentucky with his 2-for-4, four-RBI outing. The top four in the Colonels order, capped by King in the No. 4 spot, combined for eight hits and eight RBI.
EKU reliever Anthony Vargas (1-0) was credited with the win with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief behind starter Rian Yates. Closer Will Brian notched his second save of the weekend with a scoreless seventh inning of work.
Austin Peay starter Sebastian Martinez (1-2) surrendered four runs on five hits in 2.1 innings and suffered the loss.
TENNESSEE TECH 18, SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 4
HAMMOND, La. - A massive burst of offense in the first inning was plenty to help the Tennessee Tech baseball team salvage a victory in its series finale at Southeastern Louisiana Sunday afternoon. The Golden Eagles cruised to an 18-4 victory over the Lions at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Frustrated by a lack of production over the first two games of the weekend, the purple and gold made the bats sing early and often as part of a mammoth, 11-run first inning. It marked the first time Tech dropped double-digit runs in a first inning since scoring 10 to open a 17-8 victory at Morehead State on Mar. 15,2014 and the most runs in an opening frame in the Matt Bragga era (first or second).
Much like Friday night, shortstop Ed Johnson provided an instant spark, smoking a line drive over the wall in left field for a lead-off home run. It marked his fifth of the year, but there was plenty more to follow.
Four batters later, right fielder Ryan Guardino lit into a 1-0 offering, pulverizing a double off the wall in center field to drive in a run and make it 2-0. Designated hitter John Dyer doubled the lead as the next Tech batter to take his place in the box, ripping a two-run single up the middle.
After a walk to catcher Will Long and base hit by second baseman Nick Spardone, center fielder Austin Turner drew his own free pass to drive in a run with the bases loaded. The Lions finally secured their second out of the frame, but Tech was far from finished.
Up 5-0, second baseman Gabe Lacy blew the game wide open, cranking a blast to left field for a grand slam and his third round-tripper of the year. Still not satisfied, left fielder Jason Hinchman reached on a throwing error and first baseman Golston Gillespie followed with a base knock through the right side.
Guardino provided one more scoring play for good measure, blistering his second double of the inning to left-center field for two more RBI and an incredible, 11-0 lead.
The lead gave Golden Eagle starter Connor Adams more than enough room to operate and the southpaw delivered. The junior took a no-hitter into the fifth, allowing just a single knock in five innings of work with two strikeouts to pick up his first win of the season.
Jackson Berry covered three innings in relief while Travis Odom finished off the final frame without allowing a base runner and striking out one.
Tech scored twice in the fourth inning, plating both courtesy of a double down the left-field line from Lacy. The junior added one more RBI in the sixth, peppering a run-scoring single through the left side. Hinchman followed with an RBI double down the left-field line.
For good measure, Tech answered SLU's three-inning eighth with three more markers in the ninth. Gillespie led off the frame with a solo tank to right field, his third dinger of the year. Later in the frame, pinch-hitter Zach Bondurant drilled a double down the right-field line.
Another pinch-hitter, Jackson Green delivered with a two-run double to left field, giving the Golden Eagles a season-high 18 runs.
Lacy led the day with three hits and a career-high seven RBI. Johnson and Guardino each chipped in three hits with Guardino driving in three. All 12 of Tech's batters on the day reached base at least once while 11 secured at least one hit. Six tallied multiple knocks while 11 scored at least one run.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 16-10, VALPARAISO 6-8
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Peyton Leeper and Tyler Wilber each hit three home runs and Leeper delivered the game-winning two-run blast in the nightcap to lead Southeast Missouri (13-1) to a 16-6, 10-8, doubleheader sweep of Valparaiso (5-6) Sunday at Capaha Field.
SEMO polished off its third series sweep of the season, extended its winning streak to 11 games and improved to a perfect 10-0 at home. The Redhawks are on their longest winning streak since it won 11-straight (Mar. 18-Apr. 5) during the 2016 campaign.
The Redhawks closed out their fourth series victory of the season by scoring 26 runs on 30 hits in the twin bill. For the series, SEMO hit 10 home runs, its most in series in 2022.
SEMO scored the final 13 runs of the game en route to a ferocious come-from-behind game one win. A six-run fourth inning jumpstarted the comeback and the Redhawks never looked back.
Trailing, 6-3, SEMO sent 10 hitters to the plate and hit three home runs on the way to getting its first lead.
Ben Palmer and Jevon Mason each walked with one out and Leeper slammed a three-run home run. On the next play, Wilber greeted VALPO reliever Grant Jablonski with a solo shot to right. Two hitters later, Lincoln Andrews launched a home run to right. A RBI-single by Joel Vaske finished off the big inning which put SEMO ahead, 9-6. Leeper homered in his third-straight game and second time in the series.
SEMO extended its lead with two more runs in the fifth, another in the sixth and four more in the eighth.
Wilber and Andrews each had two-out RBI-singles in the fifth before another two-out hit, this time by Mason, scored Palmer in the sixth. In the eighth, SEMO loaded the bases before Palmer knocked in three runs on the first triple of his career. Palmer crossed home plate on Mason's ensuing groundout to grab the Redhawks a 10-run advantage.
Before the SEMO took control, VALPO had scored in three of its first four at-bats.
The Beacons took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Angel Difederico led off with a walk and touched home on an ensuing solo home run by Kaleb Hannahs.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, SEMO tied things up with the help of back-to-back singles and an error. Danny Sperling singled to left and Palmer followed with a base hit to right. Brett Graber touched home and Sperling scored an unearned run on the Beacons' miscue to make it a 2-2 ballgame.
Three-straight extra base hits, including back-to-back doubles by Hannahs and Kyle Schmack followed by a two-run home run by Brady Renfro, put VALPO up, 5-2, in the top half of the third.
Leeper, who started the bottom of the third with a single, went to second on a walk by Wilber and scored courtesy of a wild pitch and an error to trim the Beacons lead to 5-3.
Austin Williams (2-1) put together his best relief outing recording a career-high seven strikeouts in a career-best five innings. Williams allowed only one run on three hits and retired seven-straight VALPO hitters before giving way to Jeb Callaghan in the ninth.
Right-hander Colin Fields started strong for the Beacons. Each of Fields' first seven outs were strikeouts. He ended up allowing six runs on five hits, striking out eight and walking five in 3.1 innings. Fields threw 90 pitches.
Jablonski (0-1) suffered the loss for the Beacons. Jablonski gave up three runs on three hts in two-thirds of an inning.
SEMO matched a season-high in hits and runs during game one. Wilber went 3-for-4 with two runs, a home run and two RBI as one of five Redhawks with multiple hits. He also posted the 200th hit of his career with a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Leeper, Joel Vaske, Andrews and Palmer followed close behind with two hits apiece. Palmer added three runs and a game-high four RBI, as well, while Mason (2), Leeper (2) and Graber (3) combined for seven runs.
SEMO again fell behind (3-0) in the top of the first inning of game two, but used a second three home run, six-run inning of the day to take its first lead.
In the bottom of the third, Wyatt Grant led off with his first collegiate hit, a single to left field. With one out and a runner on after a fielder's choice, Mason belted a home run to right. After that, Leeper walked and advanced to second on a passed ball. Wilber came up next and hit his second homer of the day over the right field wall. Graber then hit a line drive home run into the wind to left scoring two more runs giving the Redhawks a 6-3 lead.
Aided by a run-scoring triple by Ryan Maka and a run-scoring single by Alex Thurston, VALPO narrowed SEMO's lead to 6-5 in the top of the fourth.
An inning later, the Beacons tied the game on a two-out RBI-single by Matt Olive. Hannahs, who led off the inning with a walk, scored the tying run.
Wilber homered for the third time in the twin bill and second in the nightcap to quickly reclaim a 7-6 edge for the Redhawks in the bottom of the fifth. He pushed his season total to seven round-trippers through 14 games this year.
The see-saw battle continued with VALPO getting back the lead on an infield hit by Hannahs. A throwing error on the same play allowed the go-ahead run to score as VALPO went up 8-7.
Wilber came up with yet another big hit to bring the game to an 8-8 deadlock in the bottom of the sixth. Wilber's two-out hit, one of four singles in the inning, drove in Palmer.
A clutch defensive play cut down what could have been a go-ahead run for VALPO in the top of the eighth. Thurston reached on a leadoff double and attempted to go to third on a wild pitch. But, Andrew Keck threw to Leeper who tagged out Thurston.
With Mason on after he doubled ahead of Leeper in the bottom of the eighth, Leeper hit the decisive home run to right field.
Kyle Miller (3-1) earned the win in relief. Miller struck out five, walked none and gave up two runs and five hits in four innings.
Bobby Nowak (0-1) suffered the loss.
Leeper finished the series by going 5-for-14 with six runs, three homers, nine RBI and a walk, while Wilber went 6-for-12 with four runs, three round-trippers, seven RBI, three walks and a 1.250 slugging percentage in three games against the Beacons.
Leeper hit a home run in four-straight games and stands tied for second on the team with five this year.
UAB 6, BELMONT 3
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Belmont University baseball team dropped their series finale against the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Sunday, 6-3, at Young Memorial Field in Birmingham.
Belmont (12-5), has now lost four of their last six after a ten-game winning streak from Feb. 19 to March 5. John Behrends went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and two RBIs in the loss.
With the Bruins trailing 1-0, Behrends drove a ball way over the right field fence to lead off the third inning, his first home run of the season, to tie things at 1-1.
UAB (11-4) struck first in the opening inning, getting a leadoff double before the runner advanced to third base on an errant pickoff throw, leading to a sacrifice fly that scored the game's first run.
UAB threatened again in the second inning, loading the bases with zero outs. However, Jalen Borders got a strikeout and a groundball double play to escape unscathed.
After Behrends tied it up with his solo shot in the third inning, UAB again loaded the bases with zero out in the fourth frame. Again, Borders got three straight outs to retire the side without giving up a run.
Borders finished his outing after four innings, scattering four hits with a season-high four walks and three strikeouts, earning a no-decision.
Freshman lefty Ethan Harden (L, 0-1) got through the fifth inning and appeared to be out of the sixth inning when a playable fly ball was hit in the air to the gap in right-center field. However, miscommunication between the two Bruin outfielders allowed the ball to drop and the inning to continue, giving UAB the opportunity to plate two runs with two outs in the sixth and take a 3-1 lead.
Belmont cut the deficit in half when Behrends doubled to left-center in the seventh inning, driving in Logan Jarvis to make it 3-2.
UAB stretched the lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, then got an RBI single to give the Blazers a 6-2 advantage.
Belmont got back a run in the ninth inning when Carson Shacklett scored on a passed ball, but the Bruins would fall, 6-3.
Caleb Guisewite pitched a scoreless eighth inning for Belmont, recording one strikeout while retiring the side in order.
One game after issuing a season-high ten walks in the second game of Friday's doubleheader, Belmont handed out seven free passes in Sunday's loss. The Bruins had entered the series top-30 in the country in fewest walks per nine-innings.
CREIGHTON 15, UT MARTIN 4
CONWAY, Ark. - In a contest featuring four home runs from both sides together, both Harford and sophomore first-baseman Wil LaFollette took the ball past the outfield perimeter against Creighton, accounting for all four of UTM’s runs that also scored Will Smith and Jack Culumovic.
The bottom of the 5th and 7th innings marked the Skyhawks’ longshots – two of the team’s three homers on Sunday – while three separate UTM performers reached more than one hit. Smith, Harford, and catcher Chance Merithew added up for a 6/10 showing at the plate, powered by the team’s 12th and 13th HR’s of the semester.
Junior righty Seth Petry was granted the start in the teams’ first meeting in 14 years, pitching 4.1 innings on 80 tosses. Noah Walters, Warren Lee, Eli Martin, and J. Henry Hobson provided relief on the mound as UTM transitioned into a second matchup with Central Arkansas later on in the afternoon.
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 13, UT MARTIN 10
CONWAY, Ark. - Evolving into a shootout over the course of the Skyhawks’ final game in Conway, UT Martin embarked on a 7-0 scoring run that lasted four frames before ultimately falling shy of the win. Accounting for seven of the roster’s 12 hits, the trio of Harford, Smith, and second-baseman Alec Beaman administered the biggest highlights of the contest (including the first career homer from Beaman in the top of the 4th).
Scoring thrice in the 3rd period in the second half of Sunday’s DH, Merithew registered the game’s first run after previously getting on base with a single, sprinting to home on a ground-out to shortstop. A two-RBI double from Harford – bringing Smith and centerfielder Benny DeTrude around the bases – increased the visitors’ lead to 3-0.
Beaman’s first collegiate bomb – and the team’s 14th of the year from 10 different players – pushed the advantage to 4-1 in the top of the 4th. The next two runs of the contest came off the bat of Harford yet again (scoring Smith both times), while the avalanche continued in the 7th courtesy of a two-RBI laser from Beaman and a triple by designated hitter Houston Wright.
The 7-0 burst was topped off by a base-hit down the middle from third-baseman Hunter McLean that brought the lead to 10-1. By the time the Skyhawks’ turn at-bat concluded in the 7th, they had registered their third five-run inning of 2022.
UTM starter Matt Dickey ended his day by only letting three hits get by in four full innings of work, relieved by Baylor Jones, Trey Ricko, Blake Davis, and Tucker Reed following six strikeouts.