SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 8, Murray State 7
Austin Peay 8, @Belmont 7
Eastern Illinois 9, @UT Martin 4
@Southeast Missouri 2, SIUE 1
@
Tennessee Tech 12, Bradley 8
MOREHEAD STATE 8, MURRAY STATE 7
MOREHEAD, Ky. - After a rough start and five early errors, the Morehead State baseball team overcame a six-run deficit to beat Murray State 8-7 on Saturday at Allen Field. The Eagles (8-14) claimed their first win of the series over the Racers (14-7) in the second game of the series to set up a rubber match at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Murray State threatened early in the game, but starter Alex Kafka struck out two Racers and stranded two to end the first. The Racers then put up a five-spot in the second inning, thanks in part to three errors in the field from Morehead State, and a solo homer from Bryson Bloomer.
Morehead State threatened that lead in the third and fifth, but an inning-ending double-play and a line-out left two Eagles stranded in each frame. Murray State tacked on another run in the fifth, but Matt Bettio came on in the sixth and shut down the visitors over two and a third.
In the bottom of the seventh, Morehead State loaded the bases with one out thanks to singles from Nick Gooden, Chase Vinson, and Ashton Roy, before Mik Aoki called on pinch-hitter Bryce Ray, who smacked a grand slam to right-center field (his first hit of the season) that cut the Murray State lead to two, 6-4.
Ryley Preece then doubled as the lineup turned over before Jackson Feltner hit a two-run shot to the deepest part of the yard to tie the game at six. That homer was Feltner's fifth of the season, tying him with Preece for the team lead.
Murray State pushed a run across in the the top of the eighth, but Jarrett Miller stopped the scoring there. In the bottom half, a two-out single from Roman Kuntz tied the game at seven before Alex Jacobs hit a line-drive to shortstop that Murray State was unable to fully handle, resulting in a failed fielder's choice that scored Feltner from third to give the Eagles an 8-7 lead they wouldn't lose.
Closer John Bakke came on in the ninth to record his fourth save of the season, striking out the first batter of the inning, getting the second to fly out to center, before catching a rocket line drive hit right back at him by Drew Vogel to end the game. Bakke's save gave him sole possession of third place in saves in the OVC.
Feltner and Kuntz totaled three hits apiece as the Eagles finished with 14 hits, including seven in the six-run outburst in the seventh. Jacobs had a hit to move his reached-base streak to 20 games and hit string to 12 in a row.
AUSTIN PEAY 8, BELMONT 7
NASHVILLE - Right fielder Gino Avros delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning and Austin Peay State University's baseball team held on for an 8-7 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Belmont, Saturday, at E.S. Rose Park.
With the win, Austin Peay (8-16, 1-1 OVC) ended a seven-game losing streak and posted its first road win of 2022. The Govs and Bruins split the first two games of the OVC series, forcing a decisive Game 3 at 1 p.m., Sunday at Rose Park.
In a back-and-forth game, Belmont (15-9, 1-1 OVC) took a 6-5 lead in the seventh inning with three consecutive singles. Designated hitter Tommy Crider provided the last of those base hits and drove in the go-ahead run.
Austin Peay battled back in the eighth against the Belmont bullpen. Designated hitter Harrison Brown and second baseman Jonah Beamon earned back-to-back walks. After left fielder Jeremy Wagner's sacrifice bunt, shortstop John Bolton earned the inning's third walk to load the bases. With Avros at the plate, a wild pitch allowed the game-tying run to score and then the Govs right fielder took the next pitch and rifled it down the right-field line, allowing two more runs to score for an 8-6 lead.
The Bruins would get the game's final run on consecutive two-out doubles from reserve left fielder Austin Ehren and right fielder John Behrends. But Austin Peay reliever Luke Brown retired the next batter to end the eighth and then all three batters in the ninth to close the game.
Brown (1-1) notched his first win of the year with three innings of relief, allowing two runs on five hits. Starter Harley Gollert went six innings allowing five runs on six hits while striking out seven.
Avros, who had a two-run single in the second inning, finished the day 2-for-4 with four RBI. Catcher Jack Alexander also went 2-for-4 and had two RBI, including a run-scoring double in the seventh to tie the game, 5-5. Harrison Brown was 1-for-2 with a solo home run in the fourth and two runs scored.
Belmont reliever Kyle Brennan (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on three walks and a base hit in the eighth inning. Starter Andy Bean held Austin Peay to four runs on eight hits over the opening six innings.
First baseman Brodey Heaton went 2-for-4 with three RBI, including a first-inning two-run home run. Crider was 2-for-5 with two RBI, including a run-scoring double in the fifth.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, UT MARTIN 4
MARTING, Tenn. - Eastern Illinois (15-4, 2-0 OVC) wins game two of the three-game series against UT Martin (7-13, 0-2 OVC) by a final score of 9-4. First baseman Ryan Ignoffo led the EIU offense Saturday afternoon with a 4-4 performance with two doubles, a homerun, and four RBIs. Winning pitcher Cameron Doherty (3-2) went 5.0 innings while giving up seven hits, one run, and had two strikeouts. Lucas DiLuca also continued his 16-game hitting streak with a single.
After a scoreless first inning for both teams, the Skyhawks of UT Martin got on the board first with an RBI single from Nate Self to put UT up one going into the third. The Panthers would strike back with a run of their own after a double from Riley scored Bryce Hayman after he walked to leadoff the inning. EIU would leave two men on to end the inning.
A scoreless fourth inning from EIU and UT Martin would set up a three run inning by the Panthers in the fifth. After a league leading 12th hit-by-pitch from Riley, DiLuca reached on first on an error and moved Riley to third. Eickhoff bunted down the third base line and reached safely, but Riley was tagged out on the play. Ignoffo stepped to the plate to hit his team leading seventh homerun of the season, and put EIU up 4-1 in the fifth. Doherty would leave the bases loaded in the bottom half of the inning.
UT Martin's pitcher Seth Petry (0-5) and Wainscott would leave both teams without a run in the sixth.
EIU would add three more runs on the day in the seventh. DiLuca extended his hitting streaks with two outs to get the Panthers going. After a stolen base by DiLuca, Eickhoff singled to pick up an RBI. Ignoffo would then double down the left field line to bring home Eickhoff. After a wild pitch, Nathan Aide would single through second base to score Ignoffo and extend the lead to 7-1.
Travis Reaves and Grant Lashure both reached on errors to start the eighth. After a bunt single by Hayman to have the bases loaded, Riley earned his second RBI of the day with an single through the left side of the inning to score one. UT Martin would turn a double play to end the inning. The Skyhawks would also score one in the eighth after an RBI single by Cameron Brady.
Ignoffo would leadoff the final inning with his second double, and would advance to third on a fly out from Aide. He then would score on a balk by pitcher Noah Walters to give EIU their final run. The Skyhawks would threaten in the ninth with two runs scored off of Tyler Conklin, but Chris Worcester got the final out thanks to a groundout to shortstop.
EIU would score nine runs on 13 hits and have one error. UT Marin would score four runs on 10 hits and have four errors.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2, SIUE 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - - Tyler Wilber's two-out, two-RBI double lifted Southeast Missouri (16-5, 2-0) to a 2-1 victory over SIU Edwardsville (10-10, 0-2) Saturday afternoon at Capaha Field.
Wilber's clutch hit gave SEMO its Ohio Valley Conference best 16th win of the season. The Redhawks also clinched their seventh-straight series win in league play dating back to 2021.
For the second-straight game, the Redhawks beat the Cougars with a big two-out double in the middle innings.
Wilber, who singled in the bottom of the fourth, came up again in the sixth with runners on first and second and two outs. Ahead 2-0 in the count, Wilber crushed SIUE reliever Jake Bockenstedt's third offering off the wall in right scoring both Jevon Mason and Ty Stauss to give the Redhawks the lead.
Like it has done several times this year, SEMO came back to win after falling behind in the first inning. Connor Kiffer's RBI-double gave the Cougars a 1-0 edge in the game's opening frame.
The Cougars had the tying run on first with no outs in the ninth when Austin Williams retired the next three hitters to nail down his second save of the season. Left fielder Jevon Mason made an outstanding catch on a hard hit line drive by Richie Well to end the game.
Hunter Ralls (3-1) was strong out of the bullpen tossing 2.1 scoreless innings of no-hit baseball before Williams came on to blank the Cougars in the final two frames.
Bockenstedt fell to 2-2. Collin Baumgartner struck out four and allowed three hits in 5.1 innings before Bocknstedt entered the game.
Wilber went 2-for-3 to claim his seventh multi-hit game for the season.
TENNESSEE TECH 12, BRADLEY 8
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - It was an improbable comeback for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles plated a whopping 11 runs in the eighth inning to earn a 12-8 victory over visiting Bradley at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Much like the opening game of the series Friday night, Tech was early to strike, scoring the first run of the ball game in the second inning thanks to an RBI groundout by center fielder Austin Turner. From that point on, however, purple and gold had a tough time getting anything going against Bradley reliever Nick King.
The Braves' hurler held the Tech bats at bay through the seventh inning, limiting the Golden Eagles to just one hit, a two-out single in the seventh. The dominance on the mound allowed his hitters to go to work, which they did beginning in the fourth.
After Tech starter Matt Gelorme struck out the side in the third, the Bradley offense flipped the script in the fourth, loading the bases with a pair of outs to chase the Golden Eagle hurler from the game. Braves' second baseman Cal McGinnis laced the first pitch he saw from newly inserted purple and gold pitcher, Brock Myers, just inside the right-field line, clearing the bases for a 3-1 lead.
Bradley picked up a pair of unearned runs in seventh and two more markers in the eighth to increase the lead to 7-1 and force Tech's second pitching change of the game. Myers turned in a solid showing, completing four innings with two earned runs allowed and seven strikeouts. Southpaw Daniel Holley closed out the eighth for the Golden Eagles, using three pitches to secure the final out and take his team a make-or-break frame.
Like a flip of a switch, the Cookeville crew started to show a patient approach at the dish in the bottom half of the eighth, one that would pay dividends numerous times down the stretch. Shortstop Ed Johnson kicked off the comeback by getting plunked on a 2-2 count. Third baseman Ed Lacy followed with a single up the middle, just the team's third hit of the game and second off King.
Left fielder Jason Hinchman jumped on the first pitch he saw, smashing a ball that on any other day would have left the ballpark for a three-run bomb. But with the wind whipping in from center field all day, the ball hung up for an out at the warning track, allowing Johnson to advance.
Tech finally got to King on the scoreboard, with right fielder Ryan Guardino working a full count before blistering an RBI single through the left side, making it a 7-2 contest and ending the Bradley right-hander's day. Catcher Hayden Gilliland drew a five-pitch walk off of newly entered hurler Troy Hickey to load the bases and Golston Gillespie made the Braves pay.
The first baseman ripped an RBI single through the left side on the fourth pitch of his at-bat, cutting the deficit to four. Designated hitter Luke Jones continued to offensive train, working a 2-2 count before lifting a flare to shallow, left-center field to plate another Tech runner and turn it into a 7-4 affair.
The RBI single prompted another change on the hill for the Braves, with the visitors turning to John Day for some relief after Hickey started Tech second baseman Zach Bondurant with a 2-0 count. Day missed on his first two offerings, walking Bondurant to bring home yet another Golden Eagle and watch his team's lead shrink to 7-5.
The purple and gold continued to challenge the visitors to throw strikes, with Turner drawing his own four-pitch free pass to drive in another Tech run. Johnson followed by watching four more attempts from Day avoid the zone, with the 12th miss providing yet another bases-loaded walk and RBI for the Golden Eagles. Just like that, the game was tied.
Tech stepped on the gas from there, as Lacy watched the Bradley reliever toss his first strike and then promptly lace the third pitch of the at-bat down the right-field line for a two-run single and 9-7 lead. Hinchman fouled off the first pitch of his second turn in the box in the frame and then peppered a ball through the left side to plate another run for a 10-7 advantage.
Guardino worked the count full before drawing his third walk of the season, loading the bases back up for Gilliland. The Golden Eagle backstop responded with two-run single drilled through the right side, finally forcing another pitching change by the Braves. Jacob Campbell came on from the pen and collected the final two outs of the inning, but the damage was done as Tech took a 12-7 lead into the ninth.
Holley worked the final frame to pick up his second win of the season, allowing one run on a double to right-center field and striking out a batter.
Each of Tech's nine batters scored at least once in the ball game, with Johnson, Lacy, and Jones all denting the dish twice. Bondurant and Lacy each turned in multi-hit efforts while seven different Golden Eagles secured at least one.
With the amazing comeback, the purple and gold recorded double-digits in the runs column for the 12th time this season. Tech set a program record on the day as well, recording the most runs in an eighth inning by a Golden Eagle club. It broke the previous mark of 10 posted in a 21-10 victory over Southeast Missouri on May 11, 2014.