SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 5-8, Morehead State 3-9
@SIUE 4, Tennessee Tech 3 (11)
Belmont 16, @UT Martin 1
Murray State 7, @Austin Peay 0
@#3 Oklahoma State 11,
Southeast Missouri 6
EASTERN ILLINOIS 5-8, MOREHEAD STATE 3-9
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Junior outfielder Chase Vinson drove in eight of the Eagles' total runs Saturday, including two home runs in game two, and the Morehead State baseball team pulled off another late-inning rally to gain a split of the doubleheader at Eastern Illinois Saturday. The Eagles fell 5-3 early but rebounded with five runs in the final two frames to win 9-8 in game two.
Morehead State moved to 20-24 overall and 9-8 in the OVC. Vinson upped his home run total to eight this year, third on the team. Sophomore center-fielder Ryley Preece also launched a home run in game two to tie teammate Jackson Feltner for the team lead with 11, while grad student left-fielder Alex Jacobs extended his reached-base streak to 42 games.
The nightcap saw MSU trying to dig out of a 7-1 deficit after three frames. But Vinson struck for a three-run long ball in the fourth. Trailing 8-4 in the eighth, Vinson launched his second clout of the day to right field to pull his team to within 8-6.
The Eagles completed the rally in the top of the ninth as Roman Kuntz made it 8-7 with an RBI double to score Ashton Roy. A ground out by Jacobs pushed the tying run across, and Nick Gooden then singled home Logan Castleman with the eventual winning run.
Reliever Jarrett Miller secured the final four outs, including striking out top batter Ryan Ignoffo, to secure the win and improve to 4-2. Credit also went to Joe Rotkis, who tossed 3.0 innings, didn't allow a run, with just two hits surrendered.
While Vinson collected most of the the RBI, Gooden had a season-high four hits and Colton Becker had three of the Eagles' 16 hits. Preece and Jacobs had a pair of hits.
In game one, Vinson got the Eagles on the board first with a two-run double in the second inning, scoring Becker and Isaias Guzman.
EIU answered with a three-spot in the bottom of the inning, including a two-run homer. The Panthers increased the lead to 5-2 in fifth with another two-run homer off Eagle starter Luke Helton (2-5).
The Eagles made the Panthers sweat a bit in the ninth, finally chasing starter Trevor Nicholson after eight frames. Off the first reliever, Jacobs drew a walk before Gooden singled. Following an out, Guzman and Vinson waited on walks themselves to make it 5-3. But, reliever Hayden Birdsong ended up with his first save with a pair of game-ending strikeouts.
Helton recorded six strikeouts and allowed 10 hits in his first complete-game - also giving the Eagles back-to-back complete efforts by Eagle pitchers. Nicholson (5-0) struck out 11, only allowing three of the Eagles' four hits.
SIUE 4, TENNESSEE TECH 3 (11)
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Brady Bunten's sacrifice fly with one out in the 11th inning vaulted SIUE baseball to a 4-3 win over Tennessee Tech Saturday at Simmons Baseball Complex.
Brett Johnson led off the inning for the Cougars and sent a ball off the right field fence for a double. Josh Ohl bunted him to third ahead of an intentional walk to Connor Kiffer. Bunten then lifted the ball into left field where it was caught by Jason Hinchman. Johnson tagged at third and scored with a head-first slide.
Ryan Guardino reached on an infield hit to start the top of the 11th and stole second base. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and was there with one out. SIUE reliever Jake Bockenstedt then proceeded to strike out the next two hitters to keep Tennessee Tech off the scoreboard and send the game to the bottom of the inning.
Bockenstedt (3-6) worked four scoreless innings allowing two hits. He struck out six. Saturday's outing came after he worked 1 1/3 innings of relief in Friday's game.
The Cougars improved to 8-9 in Ohio Valley Conference play and 21-21 overall. With the win, and a UT Martin loss Saturday, SIUE has guaranteed itself a spot in the OVC Tournament for the first time since 2015.
Guardino put the Golden Eagles on top with an RBI double in the first inning. The Cougars pulled off a double steal in the fourth, with Richie Well swiping home, to tie the score 1-1 in the fourth. Kiffer put the Cougars on top in the fifth to bring in Drew Mize to make it 2-1.
The Golden Eagles led 3-2 in the eighth when SIUE loaded the bases. Johnson tied the score with a sacrifice fly to right for his 50th RBI of the year.
Kaid Karnes allowed two runs in a six-inning start. He struck out three. Alec Kubik allowed an unearned run in the seventh inning.
Kiffer finished with three hits. Bunten, Well and Mize each had two hits as SIUE outhit Tennessee Tech 13-10 in the game.
BELMONT 16, UT MARTIN 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - Four Bruins had three-hit games, including Jack Capobianco, who hit Belmont's first grand slam of the season, to lead the Belmont University baseball team to a 16-1 win over the University of Tennessee at Martin on Saturday at Skyhawk Field in Martin, Tenn.
Belmont (30-16, 12-5 OVC) collected their thirtieth win of the season, the first time the Bruins have eclipsed thirty wins since 2017.
Belmont collected 17 hits and drew nine walks to coast to the lopsided victory on Saturday, securing a series win over the Skyhawks with the opportunity to lock down a road sweep on Sunday afternoon.
Joshua South (W, 7-2) was magnificent on the mound, going seven innings and allowing just one run. The junior from Cookeville, Tenn., picked up six strikeouts and did not issue a single walk while scattering seven hits.
Lane Lamberth and Chandler Schultz both worked scoreless innings out of the bullpen to lock down the win, Belmont's ninth victory in their last 12 games.
Belmont is now 0.5 games back of Southeast Missouri for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Guy Lipscomb finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and three stolen bases, Brodey Heaton went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, Mason Landers was 3-for-4 with two runs, and Capobianco finished 3-for-4 with a grand slam and five RBIs. Jackson Campbell chipped in two hits and four RBIs with three runs scored.
Capobianco's grand slam came in the eighth inning, and was the third career home run for the junior from London, Ky.
Belmont jumped ahead in the first inning with five immediate runs on base hits from John Behrends, Tommy Crider, Campbell, and Capobianco.
The Bruins added two runs in the fourth inning and put the game away for good with Capobianco's home run that pushed the advantage from 12-1 to 16-1.
The victory marks the largest margin in a win this season for the Bruins.
MURRAY STATE 7, AUSTIN PEAY 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Murray State (26-20) baseball picked up the 7-0 win over Austin Peay on Saturday afternoon in Clarksville, Tennessee on a complete game shutout from Hayden Wynja. The shutout is the Racers first this season and their first since May 7, 2021 when the Racers shutout UT Martin.
Wynja struck out seven and allowed just two hits in the performance as he picks up the first complete game and shutout by a Racers pitcher this season. On the season, the Indianapolis, Indiana native has 57.2 innings pitched with a 4.06 ERA and 68 strikeouts. In conference play, Wynja is 4-2 with a 3.41 ERA this season.
Offensively, third baseman Bryson Bloomer continued his tear at the plate with three more hits and three more RBIs on the day. Bloomer in now batting .388 in OVC play this season and has compiled 11 home runs and 56 RBIs overall this year. Freshman Carson Garner picked up two hits in the game including a double and added an RBI and a run scored. Jake Slunder picked up his sixth double of the year and swiped his 22nd stolen base to lead MSU.Seth Gardner and Jordan Holly added a double a piece in the contest while Dustin Mercer picked up his first Murray State RBI.
Murray State moves to 10-10 in OVC play on the year and currently sits in fifth place in the conference standings.
#3 OKLAHOMA STATE 11, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6
STILLWATER, Okla. - Jevon Mason, Ty Stauss and Brett Graber each had two hits and combined for four runs as Southeast Missouri (30-15) lost to #3 Oklahoma State (33-13), 11-6, Saturday night at O'Brate Stadium.
SEMO jumped out to its first lead of the series when Mason led the game off with a solo home run to left center.
OSU answered with three runs during its at-bat in the home half of the first inning. Griffin Doersching delivered an RBI-single, Nolan McLean hit a sacrifice fly and Marcus Brown knocked in a run on a two-out double to give the Cowboys an 3-1 advantage.
The Redhawks pulled to within a run when they scored twice in the top of the fourth. Brett Graber reached on a one-out single and scored on a triple by Ty Stauss. Danny Sperling brought home Stauss on a two-out single to center to make it a 4-3 contest.
OSU, this time responded with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth inning. Three of the first Cowboys that came to the plate hit safely and two of them scored. Doersching then added two more on a two-out double to right center giving OSU an 8-3 lead.
SEMO started the fifth inning with four-straight singles. Mason scored on a base hit by Andrew Keck and Peyton Leeper scored on a base knock by Tyler Wilber.
McLean's leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth got a run back for OSU which pulled ahead, 9-5.
Marcus Brown's single tacked on two final runs for the Cowboys in the sixth inning.
Tommy Windt (4-2) took the loss for SEMO. Windt threw three innings and allowed six runs on seven hits. He struck out two and walked three, as well.
Roman Phansalker (5-2) was credited with the win in relief. Phansalker tossed three scoreless no-hit innings with one strikeout.