TUESDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 7, @Western Illinois 6
Lipscomb 3,
@Belmont 2
Southern Illinois 22,
@SIUE 10
@Southeast Missouri 8, Missouri State 7
@Morehead State 9, Marshall 5
@Middle Tennessee 8,
Tennessee Tech 4
Western Kentucky 11,
@Austin Peay 6
EASTERN ILLINOIS 7, WESTERN ILLINOIS 6
MACOMB, Ill. - Eastern Illinois (30-15, 10-8 OVC) wins a close game in Macomb, Ill. on Tuesday afternoon against Western Illinois (6-39, 4-17 SUMMIT) by a final score of 7-6. With their 30th win of the season, EIU now has their most wins in a season since the 2009 season when the Panthers went 31-19. Ryan Ignoffo had a big day at the plate collecting two hits and three RBIs including the go-ahead two RBI double in the eighth inning. Chris Worcester also had three hits and a RBI on the day. Blake Malatestinic picks up his fifth win of the season after coming in relief in the seventh inning. Kyle Lang also collects his first save of the season.
Both starting pitchers made quick work in the first inning, including Tyler Conklin who allowed no hits through one. WIU's starting pitcher Caden Kratz came back in the top of the second and gave nothing to the EIU offense. The Leathernecks' offense would strike first in the second with a two-run home run by C.J. Richmond off of Conklin to give WIU to early 2-0 lead.
The Panthers wouldn't be down for long as they struck back with three runs of their own in the third. After a walk by Ja'Lil Akbar and a single by Logan Eickhoff, Worcester hit a sac fly to center field that would score Akbar from third. Ignoffo and Nathan Aide both hit back-to-back RBI doubles to give EIU the 3-2 advantange heading into the fourth.
WIU would go to Jack Carberry out of the bullpen in the fifth inning. Carberry would load the bases for Nicholas Rucker who would single to right field and score Lucas DiLuca from third. Dalton Doyle followed that with an RBI single of his own to score Worcester and push the Panthers' lead to three.
After a scoreless sixth inning, Jason DeCicco would enter the game on the mound for Eastern. DeCicco loaded the bases for Matt Santarelli who would walk in an RBI to cut the lead. Max Slavens would hit into a fielder's choice to score one, but an error by the EIU defense would bring home another to tie the game. WIU would score one more after an RBI by Dillon Sears. DeCicco would be replaced by Malatestinic who ended the inning.
Ignoffo would step up to the challenge in the eighth inning after he singled to shallow right center field which brought home Akbar and DiLuca for the go-ahead runs in the game. Malatestinic would go three up three down in the bottom of the inning to set up Kyle Lang in the ninth. Lang would strike out two on his way to his first save of the season and the EIU win.
The Panthers score seven runs on 12 hits with two errors. WIU scored six runs on seven hits with no errors.
LIPSCOMB 3, BELMONT 2
NASHVILLE - The Belmont University baseball team dropped a Battle of the Boulevard contest to Lipscomb on Tuesday night, 3-2, at E.S. Rose Park.
The game finishes the season series with crosstown foe Lipscomb at 1-1. Belmont (31-17, 13-5 OVC) beat the Bisons, 5-1, on March 2 at Ken Dugan Field.
Belmont got a great start on the mound from freshman right-hander Jordan Zuger, who went a career-high six innings and picked up five strikeouts while only giving up one run. Zuger exited after six innings with Bruins in front 2-1, but ended up with a no-decision.
Will Jenkins (L, 2-1) took the loss in relief, while Kyle Brennan delivered two scoreless frames to keep Belmont within striking distance.
The Bruins were outhit 8-7 on the night, with three of their seven hits coming from junior second baseman Jack Capobianco, who finished 3-for-4 on the night. Tuesday marked the 13th one-run contest of the season for the Bruins, who are now 6-7 in such games.
Lipscomb jumped ahead in the opening frame with an RBI single to make it 1-0 in favor of the visitors, but the Bruins would tie the game up in the bottom of the second when Capobianco delivered a two-out single to left field that scored Brodey Heaton from second base.
Belmont would take their only lead in the ensuing third inning, when Heaton ripped a single into left field that allowed Guy Lipscomb to score from second base, after Lipscomb had singled and gotten to second on a passed ball.
The Bisons leaped in front for good on a two-RBI ground-rule double in the top of the seventh inning to make it 3-2. Jenkins had retired the first two Bison batters and had two strikes on a third before Lipscomb mounted a rally and plated the two runs with two outs.
Belmont appeared to be in position to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Capobianco picked up a leadoff single and advanced to second on a Grayson Taylor sacrifice bunt, putting a runner at second base with one out.
However, although Capobianco would get to third base on a wild pitch with two outs and John Behrends walked, Lipscomb struck out to retire the side.
Belmont would be unable to get another baserunner the rest of the night, falling by just a run to their crosstown rival.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 22, SIUE 10
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIU Carbondale scored 10 runs in the first inning and never looked back, on its way to a 22-10 win over SIUE baseball Tuesday at Simmons Baseball Complex.
SIUE dropped to 22-22 overall. SIUC improved to 35-13.
Alec Kubik (1-2) started and pitched the first inning. He allowed all 10 runs on four hits and five walks.
SIUC added two runs in the third, three in the fourth and seven in the sixth inning. The Cougars scored five times in the third inning and five times in the seventh inning. Freshman Ben Everhart followed Kubik into the game and worked 1 2/3 innings allowing two unearned runs. He struck out two.
Alex Sherer, Spencer Smith and Trent Glidewell also worked in the game for SIUE. Cougar pitchers combined for 15 walks allowed and five hit batters.
The two teams finished with 12 hits a side.
Connor Kiffer and Matthew Klein each had three hits in the game. Kiffer drove in run and Klein had two RBIs. Brennan Orf finished 2-4 with a three-run home run and four RBIs total. Nick Roes was 2-4 with an RBI. Brett Pierson added an RBI as well.
Jordan Gould pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win for SIUC. He struck out three.
J.T. Weber had two hits, including a grand slam, and six RBIs to pace the Salukis at the plate. Pier Olivier-Boucher had two hits and four RBIs.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8, MISSOURI STATE 7
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Jevon Mason's walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning led Southeast Missouri (31-16) to an 8-7 win over Missouri State (22-23) Tuesday night at Capaha Field.
Tied, 7-7, Mason led off the bottom of the ninth by hitting his 12th home run of the season over the center field wall on a 3-1 pitch. The win marked the Redhawks 11th one-run victory of the season.
In addition, tonight's win gave Head Coach Andy Sawyers his most in a season in six years as SEMO's head coach.
SEMO jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a pair of home runs in the bottom of the first inning. Tyler Wilber hit a two-run home run to left and Brett Graber added a solo home run to give the Redhawks an early 3-0 lead.
After MSU scored the next seven runs, the Redhawks added three in the fifth and another in the sixth to tie the game. In the fifth, Andrew Keck flied out and Ben Palmer scored, and Graber knocked in two runs on a two-out double to bring SEMO to within a run.
SEMO answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and tied the game when Mason doubled to score Danny Sperling an inning later.
Mason went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, home run, two singles, three runs scored and two RBI to lead the Redhawks. His four hits marked a career-high.
Blake Cisneros (4-0) picked up the win in relief. Cisneros threw two scoreless no-hit innings with four strikeouts. Jared Viertal (0-2) suffered the loss. Viertal gave up a run on two hits and struck out two in two innings.
The Redhawks registered 11 hits. Graber followed with two hits, a run scored and three RBI, while Andrew Keck, Palmer and Wilber added one each.
MOREHEAD STATE 9, MARSHALL 5
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Early offense sparked the third straight win for the Morehead State baseball team, kicking off their final homestand of 2022 with a win, taking the midweek game over Marshall 9-5.
Alex Kafka (W, 2-3) took the ball for the Eagles, getting the starting nod for the first time in a while and delivered for Mik Aoki, throwing 4.1 shutout innings with three strikeouts in the win.
Ashton Roy got the start at second base for the Eagles and put them on top early with a two-run blast to right field. Following a walk by Brody Shoupe, an error, and a hit-by-pitch, Roman Kuntz stepped up and drove in two with a single before Alex Jacobs drove in Jackson Feltner with a sacrifice fly to make the score 5-0. Nicholas Weyrich took the loss, as the Eagles chased him early.
Another run crossed in the fifth, as Colton Becker's great baserunning allowed him to score from third on a double play after going first to third on a Chase Vinson single to make the score 6-0.
Marshall cut the MSU lead in half thanks to a sac fly from Luke Edwards in the sixth and a two-run homer from Drew Steelhammer in the seventh, but Morehead State got all three back in the home seventh. Brody Shoupe doubled home Ashton Roy to open the inning, and Ryley Preece tied Jackson Feltner for the team lead in homers with a two-run blast to make the score 9-3.
Marshall pushed two runs across in the ninth against Joe Rotkis, but Rotkis slammed the door with a strikeout to end the ballgame.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 8, TENNESSEE TECH 4
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Early run support for the home team led Middle Tennessee past the Tennessee Tech baseball team Tuesday evening, as the Golden Eagles fell to their in-state rival 8-4 at Reese Smith Jr. Field in Murfreesboro.
The Blue Raiders gathered four runs in the bottom of the second inning, getting off to an early lead behind two singles, a double, two hit-by-pitches, and a walk. Tech answered back in the third, scoring twice to cut the deficit in half.
Shortstop Ed Johnson led off the frame by getting plunked and third baseman Gabe Lacy followed with a walk. Two batters later, designated hitter Ryan Guardino smashed a single to center field, plating Johnson for the first run of the game for the purple and gold.
Next up for the Golden Eagles, catcher Hayden Gilliland laced his own RBI single to center field, driving in the team's second run of the night. Middle Tennessee had a response in the second half, scoring twice to push back out by four, 6-2.
The home squad put two more on the board in the fourth, taking its largest lead of the night at 8-2. Tech attempted to claw back, starting in the seventh.
Lacy led off the frame with a base hit to left field and advanced to third on a pair of Tech outs. Gilliland took his turn in the box and produced for the Golden Eagles for the second time on the night, blistering another RBI single to center field.
Tech got one more look at a comeback bid in the ninth, thanks to a big swing by Johnson. The slugger crushed a lead-off pump to right field, making it an 8-4 ballgame. It marked his ninth round-tripper of the year.
Gilliland led the offensive effort on the night, finishing 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Six other Golden Eagles combined for the remaining six of the team's nine hits in the game. Colt Taylor and Jackson Berry each turned in scoreless frames in relief while Frankie Cresta finished off two innings with no runs and just one hit allowed.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 11, AUSTIN PEAY 6
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Center fielder TJ Foreman hit two home runs and Austin Peay State University’s baseball team built a five-run lead but they could not hold on and fell, 11-6, to Western Kentucky, Tuesday night on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Foreman hit solo home runs in the first and third innings and added a RBI single in the fifth as Austin Peay (18-31) built a 5-0 lead. Third baseman Michael Robinson chipped in a two-run home run in the fourth as part of the opening burst.
Meanwhile, Governors starter Collin Loose opened the game with four scoreless innings, allowing only a fourth-inning single. Austin Peay relievers Kyle Nunn and Austin Loeb would extend the scoreless start into the sixth despite Western Kentucky earning seven walks between the first three APSU pitchers.
Western Kentucky (17-30) broke through in the seventh, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs. Right fielder Jackson Gray opened the seventh with a solo home run and capped the frame’s scoring with a three-run triple as the Hilltoppers took an 8-5 lead.
Austin Peay would get a run back in its half of the seventh. Left fielder Gino Avros hit a one-out single and catcher Jack Alexander drove in the run with a two-out single.
WKU tacked on three runs in the eighth to set the final score. Third baseman Justin Carlin capped his outing with a two-run home run as part of the insurance frame.
Foreman finished the day 4-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI. Second baseman Ty DeLancey was 2-for-5 with a double and Robinson was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
Jacob Weaver (2-2), the fifth Govs pitcher of the day, took the loss after allowing four runs on three hits and a walk while recording two outs in the eighth inning.
Carlin was 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Gray was 2-for-2 with three walks, a triple, home run, and four RBI to pace Western Kentucky.
WKU reliever Jake Kates (4-5) picked up the win after holding Austin Peay to one run on three hits over 2.2 innings.