TUESDAY'S SCORES
Southern Illinois 8,
@Murray State 5
@Western Kentucky 9,
Belmont 8
@Eastern Illinois 11, Bellarmine 8 (Rantoul, Ill.)
SIUE 8, @Saint Louis 3
@#6 Vanderbilt 12,
Austin Peay 2
@Southeast Missouri 8, Arkansas State 5
@Mississippi State 13,
UT Martin 2
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 8, MURRAY STATE 5
MURRAY, Ky. - Murray State (15-12) baseball fell 8-5 in 11 innings to Southern Illinois on Tuesday night at Johnny Reagan Field in Murray, Kentucky. After trailing 5-1 after three innings, the Racers stormed back to take the game into extra innings where the Salukis would push across three runs to secure the victory.
Outfielders Brennan McCullough and Jake Slunder led the Murray State bats with two hits apiece in the contest. McCullough drove in the first run of the game with an RBI-double in the first inningto score Jacob Pennington. Second baseman Riley Hawthorne got a hit to go along with two runs scored and a walk out of the nine spot in the lineup. Eight different Murray State hitters were able to earn a hit in the game.
Malik Pogue put together a special performance out of the Racers bullpen. Coming into the game in the fourth inning, Pogue tossed six scoreless frames to hault the Saluki bats and allow the MSU bats to stake a potential comeback. The Martin, Tennessee native allowed just four hits while walking just one in the appearance.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 9, BELMONT 8
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The Belmont University baseball team lost a late lead on the road Tuesday night, dropping a nailbiter, 9-8, to Western Kentucky at Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green, Ky.
Belmont (19-10, 5-1 OVC) led 6-1 in the fifth inning and 8-5 in the eighth inning, but the Hilltoppers stormed back with four runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a one-run lead heading into the final frame.
The Bruins put the tying run at first base with nobody out, but were then retired in order to end the game.
John Behrends had a big night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and two RBIs. Jackson Campbell hit his first home run of the season in the fifth inning, a two-run shot over the left-center wall.
The Bruins used seven pitchers in the game, but it was the Hilltoppers executing a measure of revenge from March 15, when Belmont trailed 7-3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning before coming back to win a wild affair in extras.
Belmont jumped on the board first in the third inning when Jack Capobianco tripled to center field before scoring on a groundout from Grayson Taylor.
After WKU tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the third, Belmont exploded for five runs in the fifth inning.
Mason Landers led off the frame with a double off the base of the wall in left field before Campbell stepped in and blasted one over the fence to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead. Capobianco and Taylor were both walked and Carson Shacklett was hit by a pitch to load the bases and force a Hilltopper pitching change.
Behrends lined out and Lipscomb grounded out, scoring Capobianco from third base to make it 4-1 in favor of Belmont.
Brodey Heaton then dug in and drilled a single to right field, driving in both Taylor and Shacklett to give Belmont their largest lead at 6-1.
WKU responded immediately in the bottom of the fifth inning. Despite two quick outs recorded by Belmont reliever Lane Lamberth, the Hilltoppers then got three straight two-out singles before a grand slam cut the Belmont lead to 6-5.
Behrends led off the seventh with a mammoth solo home run to right field, a no-doubter that stretched the Belmont lead to 7-5.
The Bruins then tacked on another run facing former Belmont Bruin Logan Bowen in the eighth inning, getting a two-out single from Shacklett and a double down the left-field line that drove in Austin Ehren, who had replaced Shacklett as a pinch-runner.
Leading 8-5 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Bruins went to the bullpen again, but WKU quickly loaded the bases, forcing another Belmont pitching change.
The Bruins traded two outs for two runs and still led, 8-7, needing one more out to get to the ninth. Instead, back-to-back RBI doubles pushed WKU in front for good.
Jordan Zuger started on the mound for the Bruins and tossed two scoreless innings. Aaron Hubbell pitched well in relief, going 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts and no hits or runs allowed. Dusty Baird pitched a scoreless fourth inning, needing just seven pitches to record three outs.
Belmont struck out ten times on the night, just the sixth time this season ten or more Bruins have struck out in a single game.
The Bruins put the leadoff man aboard five times in nine innings, but went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 11, BELLARMINE 8
RANTOUL, Ill. - Eastern Illinois (18-7, 3-0 OVC) earns their first home victory of the season as they took down the Bellarmine Knights (3-25, 1-8 ASUN) at the Rantoul Family Sports Complex. The EIU pitching staff was lead by reliever Jason DeCicco as he pitched 3.0 innings, allowed two hits, one run, and had three strikeouts. Zane Robbins also picked up his ninth save of the season which is good for second in the OVC and puts him in second all-time in a single season for EIU. Nathan Aide and Lucas DiLuca were the hot bats on offense as each had a triple and three RBIs in the game.
The Panthers were able to strike first at home in the first inning when Riley scored after singling to leadoff the game, and was advanced to third after a DiLuca walk and a fielder's choice by Logan Eickhoff. Bellarmine's starting pitcher Matt Craven had a throwing error to first which scored Riley.
Bellarmine bounced back in the second inning with three runs scored on starting pitcher Hayden Birdsong. The Knights scored on a fielder's choice, then Matt Higgins stepped up and hit a two-run shot for Bellarmine to make the score 3-1.
EIU would fight back in the bottom of the second, and put up four more runs. Nicholas Rucker and Ben Gallaher started off the inning with a walk and a error by the second baseman. After a Ja'Lil Akbar hit by pitch, the bases were loaded for Riley who delivered an RBI single to center field. DiLuca would come up with a huge three-run triple for EIU to put the Panthers back up 5-3.
After a scoreless third and fourth inning, EIU was primed to score in the fifth with bases loaded. DiLuca singled to start the inning and was able to advance to third and a steal and a pass ball. Dalton Doyle and Rucker followed that up with two walks. With bases loaded, Bellarmine got out of the jam with a Gallaher flyout.
In the top of the sixth, Bellarmine's Peyton Back hit a solo shot to left field to bring the Knights to within one run. EIU would get out of the top without any more runs given up. Lynch would leadoff the bottom of the inning with a solo shot to left field, and give EIU a two run lead. Akbar would follow him with a double. Eickhoff would walk to bring up Aide who would triple down the right field line to bring two more runs home. Doyle would be walked the next at-bat and give enough time in a run-down at second base to score Aide from third to put EIU up 9-4.
The top of the eighth would bring trouble for EIU as Bellarmine would cut the lead to one. Ashton Smith for BU was able to double to left field to score one to leadoff the inning. Ockerman would hit into a fielder's choice, but would score one from third. Higgins stepped back up to the plate to hit his second homerun of the afternoon to cut the lead to one heading into the bottom of the inning.
Akbar, Riley, and DiLuca were all put on base to start the bottom half of the eighth. Eickhoff hit into a double play at second and first, but was able to bring the first insurance run home. Aide would come up to the plate with his second clutch triple of the afternoon to bring EIU's lead to 11-8.
Robbins entered the game in the top of the ninth and picked up two strikeouts and a save for EIU. The Panthers earned their 18th win of the season on Tuesday.
SIUE 8, SAINT LOUIS 3
ST. LOUIS - Recap coming soon.
#6 VANDERBILT 12, AUSTIN PEAY 2
NASHVILLE - Catcher Jack Alexander homered in the sixth inning but Austin Peay State University’s baseball team could not keep pace with No. 6 Vanderbilt in an 12-2 loss, Tuesday, at Hawkins Field.
Vanderbilt (21-7) got on the board in the second inning after the first two batters reached safely. Outfielder Calvin Hewitt put down a bunt to move the runners but beat the throw to first. The Govs then committed a pair of throwing errors trying to retire Hewitt on the bases and all three runners scored for a 3-0 lead.
The Commodores tacked on three additional runs in the third and another run in the fourth, extending their lead to 7-0. Shortstop Davis Diaz was responsible for two of those runs, with an RBI single in the third and an RBI double in the fourth.
Austin Peay (10-20) broke up the shutout in the fifth inning. Shortstop John Bolton opened with a single down the right-field line. Left fielder Gino Avros didn’t let the opportunity go to waste, lining a 3-2 pitch down the left-field line to drive in Bolton, who was running on the pitch, to trim the deficit to 7-1.
Vanderbilt responded with four runs in its half of the fifth inning, pushing its lead back to 11-1. Austin Peay catcher Jack Alexander cut into the deficit again in the sixth with a 412-foot home run to left-center field – his team-leading fifth home run this season – to close the gap to 11-2, but the Govs could not get any closer.
Austin Peay starter Collin Loose (0-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in 2.0 innings of work.
Vanderbilt starter Devin Futrell (6-0) struck out 10 batters over 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits while walking none.
Keegan went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and Hewett was 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Third baseman Gordon was 1-for-2 with three RBI on a double in the fifth inning.
Alexander finished the night 1-for-3 with an RBI and Avros was 1-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Austin Peay offense which posted seven hits against the Commodores.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8, ARKANSAS STATE 5
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Brett Graber hit a two-out three-RBI triple to lead Southeast Missouri (20-7) to an 8-5 win over Sun Belt Conference member Arkansas State (5-21) Tuesday night at Capaha Field.
Graber lifted SEMO to its 20th win of the season and 14th-straight at home, where the Redhawks remain undefeated. The Redhawks became the first Ohio Valley Conference team to 20 victories in 2022.
SEMO held a 5-0 lead, but ASU scored four times in the sixth and added another run to tie the game in the top of the seventh.
The Redhawks, however, kept their poise and responded quickly during their turn in the seventh.
Jevon Mason reached on a one-out error and moved into scoring position on a two-out single by Tyler Wilber. After Mason and Wilber advanced on a wild pitch, Andrew Keck walked to load the bases. Graber, behind 1-2 in the count, then tripled to right to clear the bases and put SEMO ahead, 8-5.
After Blake Cisneros kept the Red Wolves off the scoreboard in the eighth, Kyle Miller came on and pitched a perfect ninth to nail down his team-best six save.
SEMO erupted for four runs on five-straight one-out hits in the bottom of the third inning.
Ben Palmer started the string of hits with a single to right field. Mason and Peyton Leeper each followed with a home run. Wilber and Keck both doubled after that giving the Redhawks a 4-0 advantage.
Danny Sperling reached on a one-out single in the home half of the fourth and went to third with the help of an error. Palmer knocked in Sperling on a sacrifice fly to increase SEMO's margin to 5-0.
Right-hander Bryce Grossius gave the Redhawks a nice start working four scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Grossius allowed four hits and retired ASU in order in the second.
Freshman Ethan Osborne (1-1) picked up his first career win out of the bullpen. Osborne threw 1.1 scoreless innings with one strikeout.
Austin Brock (0-1) took the loss for ASU. Brock gave up three runs (all unearned) on two hits and struck out three in two innings.
Mason and Wilber both went 2-for-4 with two runs to lead SEMO which finished with nine hits. Graber, Leeper, Keck, Sperling and Palmer added one hit apiece.
This year marked the quickest SEMO has reached 20 wins in a season under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. Tonight's 20th win came 25 days earlier than it did for the Redhawks a year ago.
Additionally, ASU became the sixth team SEMO swept this season. The Redhawks posted sweeps in five of their first seven series this year.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 13, UT MARTIN 2
STARKSVILLE, Miss. - Boosting their 2022 collection of home runs to 21 in consecutive swings across the top of the 3rd inning, designated hitter Jack Culumovic and senior shortstop Casey Harford provided the biggest highlights for the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team on Tuesday night, facing a blistering Mississippi State offense in a 13-2 decision that favored the Bulldogs.
In the final stop of the Skyhawks’ five-game road trip before returning to the Volunteer State this weekend, the navy and orange landed six hits from five different jerseys once all was said and done, included an additional base-hit from Harford in the top of the 6th that wrapped up a 2-of-3 day for the infielder.
Alongside the two straight bombs from UTM’s second and third batters in the lineup – the second of the spring for Culumovic and fourth of the semester by Harford to match the highest number on the roster – Will Smith, Alec Beaman, and Nate Self all put themselves on base with singles scattered throughout the non-conference contest.
Now displaying 196 hits as a whole since February, the Skyhawks tallied at least one connection in four of the game’s seven innings versus a Southeastern Conference foe that had just defeated the second-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in a 12-inning marathon on the road 48 hours earlier. Altogether, UT Martin gathered 27 hits over the course of their last five meetings away from home, where they will return on Friday for a three-game set against OVC rival Austin Peay.
Freshman RHP Noah Walters was granted the starting role at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, seeing relief from the quartet of fellow first-year hurler J. Henry Hobson, junior Seth Petry, senior Blake Davis, and redshirt-freshman Baylor Jones. Together, that group has now pitched 85 innings over the first 26 games of the year.