THURSDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 12, Belmont 7
@Murray State 5, UT Martin 3
@Tennessee Tech 10, Southeast Missouri 3
Eastern Illinois 9, @Austin Peay 7
MOREHEAD STATE 12, BELMONT 7
MOREHEAD, Ky. - After three and a half innings of what looked to be a pitchers' duel, runs came in bunches for both Belmont and the Morehead State baseball team, but the Eagles (15-17, 5-2 OVC) prevailed and took the series opener 12-7.
Starter Luke Helton (W, 2-4) took the ball for the Eagles and shut down the Bruins (21-12, 7-3 OVC) for the first four innings, holding the opposition scoreless through four. Helton was roughed up a bit in the fifth and sixth, giving up six runs over those two frames, but his solid start to the contest earned him his second win of 2022, and allowed MSU to take the lead early and hold it until the very end.
In the second inning, Nick Gooden led off with a single to set the stage for Chase Vinson, who blasted a two-run home run over the right field fence to give Morehead State a 2-0 lead early on.
Five runs crossed in the bottom of the fourth for Morehead State, including one on a shift-beating single by Brody Shoupe to start the offensive barrage. Ryley Preece then stepped in and tripled down the right field line, clearing the bases in the process. He then scored on an RBI groundout from Jackson Feltner that gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
Belmont didn't go away quietly though, cutting the score to 7-4 in the fifth on a two-run double and a two-run homer. Morehead State erased their work in the bottom half; however, as Isaias Guzman smacked a two-run single before Chase Vinson went deep again for his second two-run home run of the day and fifth of the season to make it 11-4.
Tommy Crider chased Luke Helton in the sixth with a two-run homer, but Jarrett Miller came on for him and struck out the side to end the inning with the score standing at 11-6. Following a scoreless two halves, Chase Vinson (3-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI) kept his career day going with an RBI double down the right field line.The three-hit performance was VInson's second three-hit game of the season, his first coming against Eastern Michigan on March 5th.
One more run crossed for Belmont, but it was too little, too late as John Bakke took the ball from Miller and slammed the door on the Bruins' comeback hopes in an inning and two-thirds of work. Bakke notched a couple of strikeouts in the non-save situation, bringing his K total to 41 on the year.
MURRAY STATE 5, UT MARTIN 3
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State (16-16) baseball took down UT Martin 5-3 on Thursday evening at Johnny Reagan Field in Murray, Kentucky. The win moves the Racers to 14-6 at home on the season while the win gives MSU their second OVC win of the season.
The Racers used a five-run fifth inning to propel them to the win as Murray State starting pitcher, Shane Burns was lights out from the mound. Burns tossed 7.0 innings allowing just three hits and giving up no earned runs in the outing. The outing was the longest for a Murray State pitcher on the season and brings Burns to 26.0 innings pitched on the season.
The Murray State bats did their scoring in the fourth inning of the contest, plating all five of their runs in the inning. Jake Slunder hit his sixth triple of the season to tie him for the national lead in three-baggers this season and ties him for second in MSU single-season history. Brennan McCullough picked up his eighth double of the season in the game, good for second-most on the team. Jacob Pennington picked up two knocks to bring his batting average to .325 on the year.
TENNESSEE TECH 10, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Timely pitching and a total team effort at the plate propelled the Tennessee Tech baseball team to a 10-3 victory over visiting Southeast Missouri in the two teams' Ohio Valley Conference opener Thursday evening.
Competing at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex, the Golden Eagles (19-12, 3-4) used a solid start from Matt Gelorme to give the offense time to provide an early lead. The right-handed hurler used his strong defense throughout the contest, starting with a double play immediately after allowing a lead-off single to start the game.
Both sides traded zeroes in the opening two frames, with Gelorme bending, but never breaking. He stranded four runners over the first three innings and was rewarded in the third for his early efforts.
After reaching on a fielder's choice in the third, center fielder Austin Turner stole second, his second swipe of the season. Shortstop Ed Johnson followed with a single through the right side, driving in Turner for the first run of the game.
Two batters later, left fielder Jason Hinchman sent a towering fly ball to right field for what appeared to be a routine out to end the frame. An error by the Redhawk outfielder allowed the Tech slugger to reach second and Johnson to race around third and score the second Tech run of the inning.
With a 2-0 lead, Gelorme picked up a pair of strikeouts to end the fourth and strand two more SEMO batters on the bases paths. He induced the team's second double play of the game in the fifth, taking Tech to its big offensive explosion for the game.
A pair of Redhawk errors to open the bottom half of the frame put Tech second baseman Noah Hattier at second base. A fly ball out allowed him to reach third before third baseman Gabe Lacy was hit by a pitch and Hinchman drew a walk. Hattier finally dented the dish on a wild pitch, making it a 3-0 lead.
Right fielder Eric Newsom followed by drawing a walk of his own on seven pitches, loading the bases once more. In stepped first Golston Gillespie, looking to break the game wide open. The switch hitter delivered, hammering the first pitch he saw clear over the scoreboard in right field for a grand slam, his seventh long ball of the season.
Gelorme gathered one out in the sixth before being lifted with a pair of runners on base. Reliever Colt Taylor entered and rebounded after walking the first batter he faced on four pitches, racking up back-to-back punch-outs to get out of the jam.
Hinchman made it an 8-0 Golden Eagle lead in the bottom of the sixth, peppering an RBI single up the middle.
Taylor ran into a bit of trouble in the seventh, loading the bases after totaling a pair of outs. Southpaw Jackson Berry took over, working a full count before gathering a critical swing and miss to escape another jam for the Golden Eagles.
Tech continued to add insurance in the seventh, with designated hitter Hayden Gilliland working a seven-pitch free pass. Catcher Will Long followed by depositing the sixth pitch he saw over the Quillen Field sign in left field. The home run represented his third of the season and gave the Golden Eagles an even 10 runs.
Berry worked through the final two frames for Tech, scattering three total runs, including two earned, over three hits to finish off the win. Gelorme picked up his second win of the year, tallying three strikeouts in total.
Seven of Tech's nine hitters secured at least one hit while all nine starters scored at least one run. Both Hinchman and Gillespie led the way with two knocks each. Gillespie paced the squad with four RBI. The Golden Eagle pitching staff stranded 14 SEMO runners in the contest, coming up clutch inning after inning.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, AUSTIN PEAY 7
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Eastern Illinois (23-8, 6-1 OVC) wins back and forth game versus Ohio Valley Conference opponent Austin Peay (13-21, 6-4 OVC) by a final score of 9-7. A game which saw four lead changes, EIU manages to win and collect their sixth OVC win of the season. Closer Zane Robbins picks up his 10th save of the season after striking out three Governors to end the ninth. He now ties the single season record for saves with 10. Logan Eickhoff went 3-4 at the plate with 2 RBIs including the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning. Chaney Trout also gets his first win of the season in relief.
The Panthers took the lead early in the first after Eickhoff picked up his first RBI of the game off a single to left field to score Lincoln Riley. Trevor Nicholson came in for a quick one two three inning in the bottom of the first to keep the Austin Peay off the board.
After a scoreless second inning, Ja'Lil Akbar picked up a double in the third but was left stranded for EIU. Reid Brown lead off the third for APSU with a solo homerun to tie the game. Nicholson would give up back-to-back singles following the homerun which lead to a sacrifice fly by Gino Avros to Riley in center to put the Governors up one.
Both offenses would stall in the fourth before a busy fifth inning. EIU kicked it off by scoring two runs of their own. Bryce Hayman lead off with a single and Ben Gallaher followed that with a hit by pitch. After a sac bunt by Akbar and another hit by pitch to Riley, Lucas DiLuca would hit a sac fly to center to score Hayman. Eickhoff would be walked to load the bases. Nathan Aide would pick up his team leading 31st RBI after he was walked to put EIU up 3-1.
Nicholson would give up two singles to lead off the bottom of the fifth, and would end his night. Ky Hampton entered the game for Nicholson. APSU would get a bunt single on its next at-bat. Hampton would give up one run off a wild pitch the next batter. Ty DeLancey would hit into a groundout to second, but managed to score another run to tie the game. The Governors would add one more to take the lead after Harrison Brown doubled to left field.
EIU loaded the bases in the sixth after Hayman, Gallaher, and Akbar all reached safely. Hayman and Gallaher would score after two throwing errors by Austin Peay in the infield to put the Panthers back on top. Riley was not done there as he singled up the middle to score Akbar. DiLuca would hit an infield single to put runners on first and second for Eickhoff. After a fielder's choice, Eickhoff would get in a run down but not before Riley scored from third to end the inning with a score of 7-5.
APSU would answer right back with two more runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth. Jonah Beamon would hit a two-run homerun for the Governors off of Hampton to tie the game at seven a piece.
Chaney Trout would enter the game in the seventh for Eastern and shutdown the Governors offense. The Panthers would take the lead in the top of the eighth after Eickhoff picked up his second RBI single to score Akbar for the go-ahead run. Hayden Birdsong would strikeout three to end the eighth. It is his second straight appearance with three strikeouts in one inning.
EIU would get an insurance run for closer Robbins as pinch hitter Grant Lashure delivered an RBI single to put Eastern up two. Robbins would enter the game and strikeout three to earn his single season record tying 10th save.