TUESDAY'S SCORES
Morehead State 4, @Marshall 2
@Eastern Illinois 6, Western Illinois 1
@#1 Tennessee 18,
Belmont 0
@Kentucky 13,
Tennessee Tech 0
Murray State 3, @Evansville 2
MOREHEAD STATE 4, MARSHALL 2
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Despite only registering four hits, the Morehead State baseball team notched their second straight win and a season sweep of Marshall with a 4-2 win over the 'Herd Tuesday thanks to six Eagles' pitchers holding their I-64 rival to only six hits. With the win Morehead State moved to 24-26 on the season, and wrapped up 2022 non-conference play with a 12-16 record..
Matt Bettio (W, 3-1), Trevor Callahan, Will Grimmett, Zach Miller, Sam Replogle, and Joe Rotkis (Save) combined to strikeout eight 'Herd hitters in the win while holding them to six hits. Callahan led the way in K's, striking out four after coming on for Bettio, who struck out three himself. Grimmett and Miller combined to pitch a scoreless seventh, Replogle followed with a scoreless eighth, and Joe Rotkis slammed the door on Marshall in the ninth, needing only seven pitches to record the final three outs.
The Eagles jumped on top in the first inning, as Ryley Preece led off with a single and scored after Alex Jacobs beat out a potential inning-ending double play to put MSU up 1-0. Marshall evened the score at one in the bottom half on a solo home run by Luke Edwards, but Bettio struck out Ryan Leitch to end the inning. Jacobs finished 0-3 at the plate, but drew a walk to extend his on-base streak to 48 games, now sitting just two games shy of the school record with three games left in the regular season.
Isaias Guzman starred for the Eagles in the win, smashing his seventh homer of the year, a two-run blast in the fourth that gave the Eagles a 3-1 lead. Guzman also robbed the 'Herd of multiple hits with his defense, with a lunging grab for the first out of the bottom of the first inning, and a diving play in the sixth to end the inning.
Marshall got a run back thanks to a throwing error in the fifth, but a great throw from Jackson Feltner in foul ground to Brody Shoupe gunned down the tying run at the plate to keep the score 3-2 in favor of Morehead State.
Nick Gooden's base running scored another run for the Eagles in the sixth inning. After being hit by a pitch, Gooden advanced to second on a groundout from Chase Vinson and then to third on a sacrifice bunt by Colton Becker before dashing home on a wild pitch to give the Eagles a 4-2 lead.
In the eighth inning, Sam Replogle came on for Zach Miller and got Christian Lucio to popout into shallow left field. Colton Becker showed off his range on the play, sprinting into shallow left field from the opposite side of second base to make the grab and end the inning, stranding two runners.
Joe Rotkis gave up a hit in the ninth, but got Travis Sankovich to groundout to end the game and give the Eagles the win.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 6, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois (31-18, 10-11 OVC) take the season sweep over Western Illinois (7-42, 4-17 SUMMIT) with a 6-1 victory Tuesday afternoon on senior day. Before the game, six seniors were honored as they play their final season at EIU: Nathan Aide, Trevor Nicholson, Cameron Doherty, Kyle Lang, Jason DeCicco, and Dalton Doyle. Starting pitcher Tyler Conklin threw an excellent game, as he went six innings while allowing only one run and two hits. Aide would add a home run on his senior day for his 10th of the season. Doyle also earned an RBI on his senior day. All of Eastern's runs were scored within the first three innings.
Eastern's offense started the game off hot by scoring in the first three innings. In the first, Conklin was able to go three up three down to start the game on the mound. On offense, Aide started the game off with a two run home run to left field to put EIU out in front. Nicholas Rucker would hit a triple the next at-bat, and was hit home by Doyle with an RBI single through the left side.
Smart at-bats by the Panther hits allowed for two walks to lead off the second. Lucas DiLuca was able to load the bases with an error by WIU. Chris Worcester picked up the game's fourth run with a fielder's choice that would score Sean Lynch Jr. The Panthers would then execute a double steal to score Ja'Lil Akbar from third. EIU would go up 5-0 after two.
EIU would start off the third with two walks by Rucker and Doyle. Ben Gallaher stepped up with an RBI single through the gap in between third and short to bring home Rucker. The Panthers would leave two stranded in the inning, but would lead 6-0.
Conklin allowed the first hit to the Leatherneck's offense in the fourth inning with one out as Kory Olsen singled back up the middle. Panthers would get to ground outs to end the inning. Conklin would throw into the seventh, and was relief by DeCicco. After a wild pitch, Chase VanDerGinst hit a double down the third base line to score C.J. Richmond for WIU's only run of the game.
Zane Robbins would entered the game for the Panthers in the top of the ninth. Robbins allowed a walk and a single to start the inning, but ended the game with a strikeout and a 4-6-3 double play to secure the Panther's 31st win of the season.
EIU scored six runs on eight hits with no errors. WIU scored one run on four hits with one error.
#1 TENNESSEE 18, BELMONT 0
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - An onslaught of long balls put the Belmont University baseball team on the wrong end of an 18-0 shutout at the hands of No. 1 Tennessee on Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Belmont (35-18, 16-5 OVC) collected just four hits on the night going up against the top pitching staff in the country, with extra-base hits coming from Guy Lipscomb and Brodey Heaton.
The Bruins threatened in the top of the first inning when Lipscomb punched a double to right-center field before stealing third base with two outs. However, after Lipscomb was stranded there to end the inning, it would be the furthest a Belmont baserunner would get the entire night.
Tennessee (46-7, 22-5 SEC) hit four home runs in the first three innings and led 10-0 going into the fourth frame. The Volunteers ended up with six home runs in the game, the most given up by the Belmont pitching staff all season and as many home runs as the Bruins have allowed in the last ten games combined.
Belmont used six pitchers on the night, including Jordan Zuger, Will Jenkins, Aaron Hubbell, Caleb Guisewite, Chandler Schultz, and Lane Lamberth. Bruin pitchers combined for nine strikeouts, and the Belmont defense turned a double play in the third inning
The Bruins were able to put the ball in play frequently, only striking out six times on the evening. However, the Volunteers defense committed just one error and made a handful of diving plays to rob Belmont batters of base-hits.
KENTUCKY 13, TENNESSEE TECH 0
LEXINGTON, Ky. - It was a tough night at the ballpark for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Tuesday, as the Golden Eagles (25-24) fell in their final midweek tilt of the year at Kentucky (28-23) by a final score of 13-0.
The contest was shortened to seven innings as agreed to by both teams with Kentucky up 13-0. The Wildcats scored in each of the first five frames, using a pair of Tech errors to provide the damage in the first two innings.
Kentucky plated an unearned run off starter Logan Hewitt in the first, serving the Golden Eagle hurler the tough-luck loss after an inning of work on a staff day for the Tech bullpen. In the second, UK got four more unearned runs, taking a 5-0 lead.
Tech got a pair of hits to lead off the second, eventually loading the bases with one out with another knock. The Wildcats ended the threat however, turning a double play to escape the jam.
The Golden Eagle bats were held to just two more hits the rest of the night, with Eric Newsom securing his team-leading second of the game in the seventh. UK scored twice in the third, four times in the fourth, and two more runs in the fifth to take the 13-0 lead.
Frankie Cresta completed an inning out of the bullpen without allowing run, striking out a team-high two. Travis Odom turned in a scoreless sixth frame, surrendering just one hit while punching out one.
MURRAY STATE 3, EVANSVILLE 2
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Murray State (29-22) baseball outduelled Evansville 3-2 on Tuesday night at German American Bank Field in Evansville, Indiana.
Shane Burns impressed for the Racers on the mound going 7.0+ innings pitched while allowing just three hits and two runs in the performance. The left-hander worked efficiently throwing just 86 pitches while grabbing four strikeouts and walking just one. Burns moves to 4-0 on the year with the win over the Purple Aces.
Alec Whaley earned the six-out save after working out of a jam in the eighth inning. The MSU all-time appearances leader left two Evansville runners on first and second base after a strikeout, a pop-up to second base, and a ground ball to shortstop ended the inning. Whaley then tossed a perfect ninth with three flyouts to secure the win.
The MSU offense did all of their scoring in the fourth inning. Jake Slunder and Jordan Holly got the first hits of the game with back-to-back bunt singles before Bryson Bloomer walked. Drew Vogel then drove in Slunder and Holly with a two-RBI single up the middle. Seth Gardner would drive in the go-ahead run with a single to left field.
Slunder and Holly led Murray State with two hits apiece. Bloomer drove a triple in the contest for his 25th extra-base hit of the season.