SUNDAY'S SCORES
Southern Indiana 5, Western Illinois 4 (Millington, Tenn.)
Morehead State 18-3, @Norfolk State 6-0
Bowling Green 10,
@Tennessee Tech 4
@Little Rock 7, South Dakota State 6
Eastern Illinois 3, @Florida A&M 0
@Central Arkansas 13,
Southeast Missouri 4
@Belmont 11-4,
UT Martin 4-2
@Nicholls 8,
Lindenwood 3
SIUE 9, @Incarnate Word 5
,
SOUTHERN INDIANA 5, WESTERN ILLINOIS 4
MILLINGTON, Tenn. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball used a three-run eighth inning rally to defeat Western Illinois University, 5-4, Sunday afternoon at USA Stadium in Millington, Tennessee. The Screaming Eagles take the opening series of the year and pushed their record to 3-1, while the Leathernecks go to 1-3.
USI freshman second/third baseman Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana), who led the way for the Eagles by going three-for-four with two runs scored and four RBIs, gave USI an early 1-0 lead in the third on his second home run of the season. The lead was short lived as Western Illinois responded with three unanswered runs to lead 3-1 after four innings.
The Eagles got a run back in the top of the fifth when junior shortstop Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) singled up the middle to score Niehaus and make the score 3-2. The WIU 3-2 lead would stand up until the eighth inning when Niehaus struck again.
The freshman infielder stroked a three-run triple to right field for a 5-3 Eagles' lead. Western Illinois would get a run in the bottom half of the eighth after loading the bases with no one out, while USI junior right-hander Cory Anderson (Linton, Indiana) finished the game by striking out the only batter he would face with the bases full of Leathernecks in the ninth for his first save of the year.
USI junior right-hander Carter Stamm (Jasper, Indiana) picked up the win in relief, entering the game in the fifth. Stamm (1-0) pitched three scoreless frames, allowing two walks and striking out four.
MOREHEAD STATE 18-3, NORFOLK STATE 6-0
NORFOLK, Va. - The Morehead State baseball team rode an offensive explosion and a dominant pitching performance to two more wins on Sunday afternoon, completing a four game sweep of Norfolk State, moving to 7-0 vs. the Spartans all time. Most notably, the 4-0 start to the season marks the first time MSU has started a season with four straight wins since 1986.
In game one, Ryan Grabosch finished a single shy of the cycle and Jackson Feltner had two extra base hits to help lead the Morehead State Eagles over the Norfolk State Spartans 18-6 on Sunday.
Alex Kafka (1-0) got the win out of the bullpen for Morehead State (3-0). The right-hander went 3.1 innings, giving up four runs, two earned, on three hits, allowing two walks and striking out three in relief of Matt Bettio, who threw two innings of one-run ball.
Grabosch's three extra base hits were the highlight of a 3-for-5 day, and included a double, a triple, and a solo home run -- his first as an Eagle. Feltner made his contribution with a double, a triple, two walks and three RBI, part of a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Junior Logan Castleman also contributed for the Eagles, putting together two hits in three trips to the plate while adding a double and two RBI.
Morehead State scored in every inning on its way to a third straight victory, kicking off the day with a seven run first inning. Isaias Guzman's two-run single started a two out rally, with Logan Castleman and Colton Becker driving in runs as well. Becker then scored on a wild pitch, and Grabosch scored from third on a balk. Matt Bettio gave up a run in the bottom half, but the Spartans weren't able to match the Eagles' offensive output the rest of the way.
In game two, senior Joe Rotkis, freshman Luke Lyman and Jarrett Miller combined to toss a shutout on Sunday as the Morehead State Eagles blanked the Norfolk State Spartans 3-0.
Rotkis (1-0) started and picked up the win for Morehead State (4-0), going four shutout innings while giving up four hits, walking none, and striking out five. Lyman was dealing out of the bullpen as well, going two shutout innings, allowing one hit, walking one and striking out four. Jarrett Miller came on in the seventh and struck out the side after hitting the first batter he faced, notching his second save of both the weekend and the young season.
After an offensive explosion in the first game of the day, the bats slowed down a bit, but not before Chase Vinson gave Morehead State the lead in the first inning. Vinson smashed his second home run of the season to left field, scoring Nick Gooden and Roman Kuntz to give MSU a 3-0 lead it never lost.
BOWLING GREEN 10, TENNESSEE TECH 4
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Tech baseball team couldn't pull off the sweep in its season-opening series with Bowling Green, falling to the Falcons in Sunday's finale by a final score of 10-4 at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Having already clinched the series behind a 1-0 victory on Friday and an 11-9 triumph Saturday afternoon, the Golden Eagles looked to kick off the season 3-0. The Falcons had other plans, however, taking advantage of some miscues by the Tech defense and showing their patience at the plate.
Bowling Green got on the board first in the second inning, but the purple and gold were quick to respond in the bottom half. Second baseman Eddie Garza drew a lead-off walk and followed it up by reaching second on a wild pitch. Later in the frame, left fielder Elijah Brooks brought him home with a sacrifice fly down the left-field line.
In the fourth, the Falcons blew the contest wide open, gathering four hits, two walks, and a hit-by-pitch. Bowling Green plated six in the inning, four of which came unearned following an error by the Golden Eagles. The visitors made it an 8-1 lead in the fifth, drawing a bases-loaded walk.
The Golden Eagles looked to kickstart a rally in the bottom half of the frame, with catcher Hayden Gilliland leading things off with a base hit to right-center field. Two batters later, Garza ripped a single through the left side.
After the Falcons secured their second out of the inning, right fielder Theo Bryant IV provided the clutch moment for the purple and gold, blasting a double to center field to drive in both Tech runners. Designated hitter Preston Ford followed with his own double, just missing a home run with a ball off the top of the fence in left-center field. The hit drove in Bryant to cut the deficit to 8-4.
That would be all the offense the Golden Eagles would muster the rest of the day, as the Falcons expanded their lead back out to six with a run in the seventh and another in the ninth. Bowling Green reliever Connar Penrod took the win with 2.1 innings out of the bullpen and now baserunners allowed.
Bryant led the Tech offense with a pair of hits and two RBI while Ford also tallied two knocks. Six other Golden Eagles racked up hits on the day as well.
LITTLE ROCK 7, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 6
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Holding on to a one run lead in the top of the ninth inning, sophomore Lukas Frers forced a deep flyout with runners on first and third from Jackrabbits third baseman Nic Nelson to get the victory for the Trojans.
Both teams had their offense active early, with South Dakota State pushing a run across in the top of the first via a wild pitch. Little Rock would strike back to draw the game to a tie in the bottom of the frame, after Ben Harmon reached base on a one out single and got to second with a wild pitch, Noah Brewer stepped up to the plate and brought Harmon in with a two out double.
Little Rock starter Camden Sargent then struck out the first batter in the top of the second and kept the Jackrabbits off the board. After a quiet bottom of the second, SDSU tacked on another run with a single from Cade Stuff in the top of the third.
The bottom of the third inning was a good one for the Trojans. After back to back singles from Aidan Garrett and Alex Seguine, Brewer again stepped up to the plate and laced a double down the left field line, scoring both runners. The Trojan onslaught didn't stop there as Skyler Trevino then sent a single into right field which brough Brewer home from second base. After a Jackrabbits pitching change Jake Wright sent a double the other way down the right field line to bring Trevino home. At the end of the inning, Little Rock had taken a 5-2 lead, scoring four runs in the inning all of which were with two outs.
Austin Stubber relieved Sargent in the top of the fourth and after a leadoff double, wiggled his way out of the inning with no damage done, striking out a batter in the process. The Trojans were able to get the bases loaded in the bottom half of the inning with just one out thanks to singles from Seguine and Harmon, and a walk to Nico Baumbach. Brewer then hit a deep fly ball which was able to bring Seguine in to score, extending the lead yet again.
South Dakota State did not go down without a fight, in the top of the fifth inning Jackrabbits centerfielder Drew Beazley was able to poke a two out two-run homer over the left-center field wall to cut the Trojan lead in half. Stubber would then coax a groundout to end the inning after another double from the opposition.
Both offenses were quieted for a time as Jacob Weatherley entered the game in the top of the sixth, not allowing the Jackrabbits a run through their next two at bats. The Trojans got on the board again with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Trevino took a 2-0 pitch and sent it out toward a deep section of Gary Hogan Field, the ball cleared the wall to the left of the scoreboard for a solo shot, extending the Little Rock lead. The eventual game winner was the second homer of the series for Trevino, and it traveled a distance of over 400 feet.
After Weatherley found himself in a sticky situation after allowing a two-run homer in the top of the eighth, Frers made his second appearance in as many days to try and preserve the Trojan lead. He was able to navigate his way through the inning thanks to a strikeout with a Jackrabbit runner on third and facing the heart of the order.
Things became interesting in the top of the ninth, after two quick outs the Jackrabbits were able to get runners on first and third down to their last out. Fortunately, Frers forced a fly ball to right field which ended the threat and the game.
Five Trojans collected multiple hits on the day, including a three hit day from Seguine, the Little Rock shortstop also scored twice and finished the weekend with a .500 batting average.
Brewer had a big day for the Trojans, going 2-for-3 at the plate and knocking in four runs for Little Rock while also scoring once.
Trevino hit his second homerun in the young season in a 2-for-4 performance which included two RBI.
Jake Wright registered his first multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-4 and bringing in a run.
Sargent got the first start of his Little Rock career, going three innings and allowing four hits and two runs while striking out one.
Stubber picked up his second win of the season for his efforts coming out of the bullpen. The senior right-hander threw two innings, giving up four hits and two runs while striking out one.
After closing the Friday game and getting the save, Weatherley got through two and a third innings in today's game. He allowed just two hits and two runs while striking out four of his seven outs.
Frers was solid in his one and two thirds' innings of work after throwing 34 pitches the day prior. The sophomore lefty didn't allow a run on two hits while striking out one and was also credited with his first save in a Little Rock uniform.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, FLORIDA A&M 0
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Eastern Illinois (3-0, 0-0 OVC) swept the Rattlers of Florida A&M (0-3, 0-0 SWAC) by a final score of 3-0 to improve to 3-0 on the season. It marks the first time since 1988 that EIU has started 3-0 in a season.
Ky Hampton (W, 1-0) goes six scoreless innings in his first outing of the season while allowing seven hits and striking out five Rattlers. Tre Simmons (L, 0-1) picks up the lose for A&M after going four innings and allowing two earned runs in the first two innings.
Eastern Illinois scored a run in the first inning for the third straight game against Florida A&M. Lucas DiLuca was driven home by Cole Gober after an RBI single to center field. Gober collected five hits in his first three career games for the Panthers.
After a two strikeout first inning by Hampton, Eastern tacked on another run in the second with a sac fly by Lincoln Riley to score Cade Zalewski who started the inning off with a double. Hampton would escape the bottom of the second with two runners stranded.
Offense was tough to come by throughout the game. Eastern Illinois' three, four and five hitters combined for just two hits on the afternoon. With an opportunity with the bases loaded in the fourth inning for Florida A&M, Hampton struck out Joseph Pierini for the third out.
Hampton would go one, two, three in the sixth to end his afternoon on his way to picking up his first win of the season. EIU reliever Jonathon Hanscom would pick up where Hampton left off striking out five Rattlers in the final three innings. He allowed just one base runner on no hits.
Eastern Illinois would pick up an insurance run in the top of the eighth after pinch hitter Jared Evans recorded an RBI double to bring home Grant Lashure. EIU would go up 3-0 to close out the game. Hanscom struck out three in the final frame.
FAMU's Sebastian Greico went 1-4 on the afternoon with a double. The Rattlers' pitching staff produced six strikeout on the afternoon while allowing three runs.
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 13, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4
CONWAY, Ark. - Central Arkansas (2-1) registered 16 hits, including eight that went for extra bases to key a 13-4 series-clinching win over Southeast Missouri (1-2) Sunday.
Ahead, 3-0, after four innings, the Bears scored three runs in the fifth and four in the sixth.
An RBI-double by Dylan Cyr and run-scoring single by AJ Mendolia plated two runs before Kade Seldomridge tripled home a another run in the fifth.
In the sixth, UCA started things off with three-straight hits, including a RBI-double by Drew Sturgeon. Sturgeon later stole home and Evan Hafley hit a two-run home run to push the Bears' lead to 10-0.
SEMO scored all four of its runs in the top of the seventh.
Jevon Mason and Lincoln Andrews both walked, and Josh Cameron was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs.
Mason scored on a balk and Carlos Aranda walked. On the next play, Ty Stauss singled and Andrews scored. Chance Resetich reached on a fielder's choice to score Cameron and Ben Palmer knocked in Aranda when he grounded out to second cutting UCA's lead to 10-4.
Kol Johnson's two-RBI triple helped key a three-run eighth inning as UCA finished off its win.
Noa Argenta (1-0) recorded his first win of the season after striking out three, walking three and giving up two runs on one hit in six innings.
Newcomer Haden Dow (0-1) fell to the loss in his first career SEMO start. Dow worked three innings with one strikeout and one walk. He also gave up three hits.
UCA outhit SEMO, 16-2. Brett Graber and Stauss each had a hit.
Sturgeon had three hits to lead six UCA players which finished with multiple hits for the game.
BELMONT 11-4, UT MARTIN 4-2
NASHVILLE - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team launched a pair of homers in Game 1 and received a dominant starting pitching effort in Game 2 today but it wasn't enough as Belmont claimed both ends of the doubleheader by scores of 11-4 and 4-2.
Skyhawk senior right-hander Seth Petry was locked in throughout his start on the mound in the nightcap, tossing a perfect game through 5.1 innings. He ended his day in line for the win after a career-high seven innings, allowing only three hits and zero earned runs to go along with a career-best six strikeouts. However, the Bruins scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Murfreesboro, Tenn. native received a tough-luck no-decision.
Lefties Zach Wager (one inning, two strikeouts in Game 1) and Colin Millar (0.1 innings in Game 2) each produced scoreless appearances out of the bullpen today in their UT Martin debuts.
At the plate today, Will Smith hit .500 (3-for-6) with a home run while scoring three of the team's six runs. Jack Culumovic also hit .500 while reaching base three times in five opportunities while Zac Rice homered and drove in a pair of runs in Game 1.
In game one, seven different UT Martin's starters tallied a base hit but Belmont scored in four of its six innings for its first win of the season.
Making his first collegiate appearance since May 20, 2021, Eric Steensma (0-1) breezed through the first inning – recording his first out on a called punchout.
The Skyhawks struck first on the scoreboard, pushing across a run in the top of the second. Culumovic ripped an opposite-field double to left center and three pitches later came around to score on an RBI single by Slade Taylor to give UT Martin the 1-0 advantage.
Steensma dialed up two more strikeouts in the second inning but not before the Bruins scored three runs.
Andrew Fernandez (double) and Blaze Bell (walk) each reached base in the top of the third but a potential Skyhawk rally stalled.
Belmont scored three runs in the third and three runs in the fourth to go on top 9-1 but UT Martin chipped away in the top of the fifth. Smith pulverized the second pitch of the frame for a homer to left center, the ninth longball in the career of the junior from Prattville, Ala. Alec Beaman followed with a single and two batters later, Rice went yard on an 0-2 count to trim the Skyhawk deficit to 9-4.
Wager took over in the bottom of the fifth as the freshman from Columbus, Ind. calmly retired the side in order.
The Bruins added two runs in the bottom of the sixth and time ran out on UT Martin as the first outing was a seven-inning affair.
In game two, Petry was on top of his game from the get-go, mowing down the first 16 Belmont hitters on just 57 pitches. He struck out three of the first four batters he faced and did not allow a ball out of the infield until the final out of the second frame.
The 6-1, 190-pounder didn't go to a three-ball count until the third inning, ending that frame with a called strikeout on the ninth pitch of the at-bat. Petry then induced three groundball outs in the fourth and was as sharp as ever in the fifth – extending the perfect game by needing just six pitches to retire the side.
Meanwhile, the Skyhawk offense had their chances but couldn't cash in. UT Martin placed five runners in scoring position through the first five innings but the Bruins were able to escape a jam each time.
The Skyhawks broke the scoreless tie in the top of the sixth. Smith drew a five-pitch walk and advanced to second on a throwing error from the pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt. Culumovic – who had just entered the game as a pinch-hitter – guided a two-out single to left field which easily brought in the speedy Smith and made the score 1-0 in favor of UT Martin.
Belmont tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on an unearned run as a two-out error made the score 1-all. Each of the next two batters reached base but Petry zoned in for a called strikeout on three pitches, stranding the bases loaded and keeping the game knotted at 1-1.
Both sides produced a runner in scoring position in their respective halves of the seventh. However, the Bruins managed to get out of the inning unscathed while Petry collected another called strikeout and an inning-ending flyout to cap off a remarkable outing.
Another two-out rally was in the cards for the Skyhawks in the top of the eighth. Smith singled up the middle with two away and Culumovic worked a walk to put a pair of UT Martin runners on the basepaths. Nate Self then delivered a clutch RBI single to right center that plated Smith and gave the Skyhawks the lead.
However, Belmont also had a two-out rally in store as the Bruins hit a go-ahead three-run home run with two outs in the eighth to go on top by a 4-2 margin. Unfortunately, UT Martin could not bring the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth.
NICHOLLS 8, LINDENWOOD 3
THIBODAUX, La. - Junior Brett Bowers went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI for Lindenwood baseball (1-2) in an 8-3 loss to the Nicholls State Colonels (2-1) on Sunday.
Sophomore Bennett Stice (0-1) started and took the loss on the mound for Lindenwood. Freshman Michael Walsh was a bright spot out of the bullpen, going one shutout inning while allowing one hit.
At the plate, the Lions were led by Bowers, who went 1-for-4 on the day with a home run and three RBI. Senior Greg Sanders put together a standout performance at the plate as well, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Sophomore Marcus Heusohn also helped out for Lindenwood, putting together two hits in three trips to the plate while adding a walk.
The Lions were trailing 7-0 in the eighth inning when they first put runs on the board. Lindenwood scored three times, all of them coming across on a three-run homer off the bat of Bowers. The Lions were unable to get any closer, as Nicholls State added one run to their tally on the way to an 8-3 final.
SIUE 9, INCARNATE WORD 5
SAN ANTONIO - SIUE hitters came to life Sunday as the Cougars used 16 hits to score a 9-5 win and a series win over Incarnate Word Sunday.
Brady Bunten's 31st career home run highlighted a four-run SIUE first inning. Bunten's homer drove home Brennan Orf and Josh Ohl, who had led off the inning with a single and double, respectively. Ole Arntson followed the home run with a double and then scored on a John Stallcup base hit to put SIUE up 4-0.
Bunten doubled in Ohl in the second inning and Kyle Ratliff drove home Bunten with a single through the left side to extend the Cougar lead to 6-0. Orf came home on a wild pitch in the third inning for a 7-0 lead and Ratliff led off the fourth inning with his first SIUE home run to extend the lead to 8-0.
The Cardinals got on the board in the fifth, bringing in a run on a double play ball against SIUE starter Teague Conrad. Conrad (1-0) worked five innings in his first start as a Cougar. He gave up the run on five hits. Conrad struck out three and walked two.
Drew Mize's two-out single in the sixth made it 9-1 SIUE.
The Cardinals pulled four back in the bottom of the sixth against Cougar reliever Ian Benner, two of the runs were unearned. Benner, making his first career appearance on the mound, worked 2/3 of an inning and was hurt by an error and a pair of walks. He struck out two. Spencer Smith finished the sixth inning for the Cougars.
Jacob Kampf picked up his first save tossing three scoreless innings in relief for SIUE. He gave up two hits and struck out three.
Bunten and Stallcup led SIUE with three hits apiece. Bunten finished with four RBIs and now has 102 for his career, to move into ninth place in career RBIs in SIUE's Division I history.
Ratliff had two hits and two RBIs. Orf and Ohl each finished with two hits and two runs scored.