TUESDAY'S SCORES
Lipscomb 10,
@Austin Peay 6
@Southern Illinois 18,
SIUE 13
@Kentucky 9,
Murray State 1
Eastern Illinois 4, @Illinois 2
Illinois State 6,
@UT Martin 1
Southeast Missouri 14, @Arkansas State 6
LIPSCOMB 10, AUSTIN PEAY 6
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Center fielder Skyler Luna had two RBI and third baseman Michael Robinson reached base in four of his five plate appearances but Austin Peay State University’s baseball team dropped a 10-6 decision to Lipscomb, Tuesday, on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Lipscomb (8-4) struck first courtesy left fielder Rudy Maxwell’s two-run home run in the second inning. From there, the Bisons were able to respond every time the Governors mustered a challenge.
Austin Peay (6-7) scored in the fourth to halve the deficit but saw Lipscomb score twice in the fifth and add a run in the sixth to build a 5-1 advantage. The Govs then struck for two runs in the sixth – one run on Luna’s sacrifice fly and another on catcher Tyler Cotto’s ground out – only to see Lipscomb score the next four runs to extend the lead to 9-3 after the top of the eighth.
The Governors put together the game’s largest inning in its half of the eighth, scoring three runs. Pinch hitter Ty DeLancey drove in the first run with his bases-loaded fielder’s choice. Pinch hitter Harrison Brown added another run with his double one batter later. Right fielder Gino Avros chipped in the third run on a ground out, but the Govs couldn’t keep the inning going and trailed 9-6.
Lipscomb would tack on an insurance run in the ninth, securing the win for starting pitcher Michael Dunkelberger (1-0), who held APSU to one run on five hits over his five innings. Reliever John Cheatwood notched his first save by recording the game’s final five outs without allowing a run.
Austin Peay starter Sebastian Martinez (1-1) lost his first start of 2022 after allowing two runs on a hit and two walks over two innings.
Luna drove in two runs with a ground out and a sacrifice fly before recording a hit in his final at-bat to finish 1-for-3 at the plate. Robinson scored twice in his 2-for-3, two walk outing. Second baseman Jonah Beamon also had two hits and scored twice.
First baseman Malik Williams went 4-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored to pace Lipscomb’s offense. Maxwell finished the day 3-for-5 with three RBI. Lipscomb posted 18 hits against seven Austin Peay pitchers.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 18, SIUE 13
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Avery Owusu-Asiedu hit a pair of home runs and knocked in seven runs Tuesday, but it wasn't enough for the Cougars as SIUE dropped an 18-13 contest at SIU Carbondale.
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Cougars (6-5). SIUC improved to 10-2.
Josh Ohl opened the game with his fifth home run of the year to put SIUE up 1-0. It is the second time this season Ohl has homered to start the game. But the Salukis quickly answered. Four walks, two hit batters and two wild pitches led to three runs in the first for Carbondale, which then scored six times in the second inning on six hits to lead 9-1.
It was the Cougars turn to answer, scoring six times in the third inning which included Owusu-Asiedu's first home run. Brady Bunten drove in two and Ole Arntson added an RBI. Owusu-Asiedu's second home run, in the fifth inning, put SIUE on top at 10-9.
Good to see our guys continue to fight and get back to a lead," Lyons said.
SIUC scored regained the lead with a three-run bottom of the fifth and the Salukis tacked on three more in the sixth lead 15-10. Bunten, Owusu-Asiedu and Brennan Orf each collected RBIs in a three-run SIUE seventh to trim the lead to 15-13.
The Salukis also scored three times in the seventh for the 18-13 final.
Six SIUE pitchers worked in the game with only former Saluki Kyle Dixon working two innings. He allowed a run on a hit and struck out three.
Alex Scherer (0-2) suffered the loss in relief. He allowed four runs in an inning of work. Taylor Bruninga pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, without allowing a run. He struck out two.
Owusu-Asiedu finished 3-5 with the two home runs and seven RBIs. Bunten also had three hits. He drove in three runs and scored three times.
KENTUCKY 9, MURRAY STATE 1
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Murray State (8-4) baseball fell to Kentucky 9-1 on Tuesday afternoon at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The Racers and Wildcats went toe-to-toe for the first six innings of the game before Kentucky put up a five-spot in the bottom of the seventh to pull away from MSU.
The Racer bats were able to scratch across a run in the first inning after a two-out Bryson Bloomer walk and a deep single off to the right-field wall by Brennan McCullough for the lone RBI of the day. Jacob Pennington collected the only other Racer hit of the evening.
Alex Jarrell started on the mound for MSU going two scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. Allen Roulette went four very solid innings allowing just two hits and two runs while striking out four. Jordyn Naranjo was effective out of the bullpen for Murray State going 1.1 innings while not allowing an earned run.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 4, ILLINOIS 2
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Eastern Illinois traveled (7-3) to Champaign, Ill. on Tuesday afternoon and defeat the Fighting Illini of Illinois (3-7) by a score of 4-2. Ryan Ignoffo extended his three game hitting streak with an RBI double in the third inning. Starting pitcher Jackson Nichols threw 3.0 innings while giving up one earned run and striking out three. Zane Robbins lead EIU with five Ks and earned his third save in the last four games.
EIU and Illinois both started off the game scoreless. The Fighting Illini's starting pitcher Ty Rybarczyk was able to strikeout one, while Jackson Nichols for the Panthers had two strikeouts to start the game.
Ryan Ignoffo led off the second with a single which extends his hitting streak to three games. After a double play by Illinois, Lincoln Riley was hit by a pitch. Riley leads the OVC in hit by pitches with nine and is 2nd in the NCAA. EIU left two on base in the second. Nichols went three-up three-down in the bottom of the inning.
After a flyout to shallow right field by Ja'Lil Akbar, Diluca doubled through the gap in right-center field to extend his hitting streak to seven. Eickhoff became the second Panther to be hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Nathan Aide got the Panthers on the board with a single to right field, and an error by the right fielder scored DiLuca. Ignoffo picked up his second hit of the afternoon which scored Eickhoff from third. It was his seventh double of the season.
Illinois answered in the bottom of the third with an RBI single by Danny Doligale to left field. Nichols answered back with a strikeout, and a groundout to shortstop to end the inning.
After going scoreless in the top of the fourth, Tyler Conklin came in relief of Nichols for the Panthers. Illinois went scoreless as well with their final out coming from a Grant Lashure throw behind the plate to catch the runner at second.
Cam McDonald led off the bottom of the fifth for Illinois and tied the ballgame at 2-2 with a homerun to right field off of Conklin. EIU would end the inning without any more damage.
Riley managed to lead-off the sixth with a double, and Doyle hit a single to third to put runners on the corners for EIU. Pitcher Izaak Siefken for Illinois threw a pass ball to home which scored Riley from third, and moved Doyle to second. EIU would leave a runner stranded, but went up 3-2. Illinois left the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, after Chaney Trout was able to get out of the jam.
Illinois was able to get three straight outs in the seventh to hold off the Panthers. Zane Robbins came in for relief for Trout with two outs and threw one pitch to get a groundout two second. Panthers were held scoreless in the eighth, but Robbins comes back in for the Panthers and struck out three in the bottom half of the inning.
Lashure was able to get Eastern's seventh hit of the night in the top of the ninth to leadoff for EIU. Ja'Lil Akbar laid down a sac bunt to first base to move Lashure over to second. Eickhoff was able to fight off a pitch down the third baseline to score Lashure from third to put EIU up 4-2. After loading the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Zane Robbins struck out the final batter to get EIU its seventh win of the season.
The Panther posted four runs on eight hits and no errors. Illinois had two runs on five hits and two errors.
ILLINOIS STATE 6, UT MARTIN 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team – hosting their first bout since opening weekend in February and a seven-game layout across the state of Alabama – couldn't get by the Illinois State Redbirds in the programs' first encounter since 1994 on Tuesday night, dropping a 6-1 decision after striking first in the opening inning.
A two-hit, one-RBI performance from senior first-baseman Ethan Whitley at the cleanup spot allowed the Skyhawks to record the game's opening score in the bottom of the 1st, slapping a double to left center that brought home Will Smith, who walked previously that same inning. In fact, UTM managed five walks as a team next to their five hits.
Smith, catcher Chance Merithew, and shortstop Alec Beaman made up the rest of UT Martin's bat connections on Tuesday, where the latter added the second double of the outing in the bottom of the 2nd stanza.
The defense for head coach Ryan Jenkins' club prevented the Redbirds from scoring often near the beginning and end of the contest, forcing Illinois State to strand nine runners from six different UTM pitchers.
Redshirt-sophomore Warren Lee was granted the starting job in the OVC vs. MVC duel, tossing four full innings before seeing relief from Matt Dickey, Baylor Jones, Trey Ricko, Noah Walters, and J. Henry Hobson.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 14, ARKANSAS STATE 6
JONESBORO, Ark. - - Andrew Keck went 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles, a run scored and three RBI to lead Southeast Missouri (10-1) to its eighth-straight win, a 14-6 victory over Arkansas State (4-6) Tuesday night at Tomlinson Stadium.
SEMO, which leads the Ohio Valley Conference and ranks eighth in the nation in walks, walked a season-high 13 times. The Redhawks also had seven extra base hits against the Red Wolves.
Rain caused the game to start 50 minutes later than its originally scheduled 6 p.m. first pitch.
SEMO became the third team in the OVC to win 10 games this season joining Tennessee Tech (10-0) and Belmont (10-3). The Redhawks are on their longest winning streak since the 2016 club won 11 in a row from Mar. 18-Apr. 5. Additionally, SEMO scored double-digit runs for the seventh-straight contest.
SEMO trailed, 3-0, before it got its bats going in the top of the third.
Jevon Mason and Peyton Leeper slugged back-to-back home runs to ignite a four-run five-hit inning. Mason drove a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall for his fourth of the season and Leeper sent his second round-tripper of the year down the right field line.
Following a Tyler Wilber strikeout, three-straight two-out doubles led to two more runs. Andrew Keck doubled to right center and scored on Lincoln Andrews' double down the right field line. Andrews scored the go-ahead run to give the Redhawks a 4-3 edge on Brett Graber's double to left center.
ASU answered to regain a one-run lead in the bottom of the third. Will French singled to left, went to second on a base hit by Ben Klutts, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout Mickey Coyne. On the next play, Jaylon Deshazier singled home Klutts to put the Red Wolves ahead, 5-4.
SEMO, which leads the Ohio Valley Conference in walks, used four bases on balls and a two-out, two-RBI single by Keck to grab a 6-5 advantage in the top half of the fourth inning. Ben Palmer, Leeper, Wilber and Andrews all walked in the inning.
An inning later, SEMO blew the game open.
Vaske reached on a leadoff walk and moved to second on a nice bunt single by Danny Sperling. With one out, Mason Walked and Vaske scored on a wild pitch after that. Wilber then delivered a two-RBI single with Mason and Sperling both scoring on the play. Leeper later scored on an error to widen SEMO's lead to 10-5.
The Redhawks capitalized on a second error by ASU when they came to the plate in the top of the seventh. Mason reached on a fielding error by second baseman Daedrick Call. Mason moved into scoring position on a walk by Wilber and scored on an ensuing double by Keck. Andrews grounded out and Wilber scored to make it 12-5 in favor of SEMO.
Palmer accounted for SEMO's fifth double to bring home Spencer Parker who singled before him in the eighth inning. A third ASU error allowed Parker to score giving the Redhawks a 14-6 lead.
Austin Williams (1-1) picked up the win in relief. Williams retired seven in a row and 10 of the 11 hitters he faced. Williams struck out four and allowed only one hit in 3.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Kyle Miller recorded three fly ball outs to close out the victory strong.
Offensively, SEMO outhit ASU, 11-9.
Ten Redhawks had at least one hit. Mason (4) and Leeper (3) scored half of SEMO's runs.
SEMO has homered in 10-straight games and registered double-digit hits in eight of 11 games this season.
The Redhawks claimed their 10th win of the season, 12 days earlier than they did a year ago.