SATURDAY'S SCORES
Minnesota State 7-3,
@Lindenwood 1-1
@#3 Arkansas 10,
Eastern Illinois 3
@Morehead State 12, Saint Peter’s 3
@Southern Indiana 6, Bellarmine 3
@#22 Georgia Tech 10,
Tennessee Tech 4
@Abilene Christian 3-2,
Southeast Missouri 0-23
Valparaiso 5,
@UT Martin 4 (10)
@ULM 7,
SIUE 1
MINNESOTA STATE 7-3, LINDENWOOD 1-1
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - -The Lindenwood baseball team (1-5) dropped a pair of games on Saturday, falling to the Minnesota State Mavericks (4-1) 7-1 and 3-1, respectively at Lou Brock Sports Complex.
Sophomore Preston Salazar (0-2) started and took the loss on the mound for Lindenwood. Freshman Aaron Jungers was a bright spot out of the bullpen, going three innings, surrendering one run on three hits, walking two and striking out three. In the batter's box, the Lions were paced by Abercrombie, who went 1-for-3 on the day with an RBI.
The Lions were trailing 2-0 in the fifth inning when they first put runs on the board. Lindenwood got an RBI single from Abercrombie, scoring senior Joe Copeland from second base. The Lions were unable to get any closer, as Minnesota State added five runs to their tally on the way to a 7-1 final.
Sophomore Eli Brown had everything working in the second game, punching out 12 Minnesota State hitters over seven innings of work, but it was not enough as the Lions fell to the Mavericks 3-1.
In addition to his 12 strikeouts, Brown (0-1) threw seven innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on five hits and walking one for Lindenwood. Freshman Easton Rakers also made an impact on the mound for the Lions, throwing two innings, giving up one run on one hit, with no walks and four strikeouts.
Offensively, the Lions were led by junior Tyson Ludwig, who went 2-for-4 on the day with a double. Sophomore Marcus Heusohn furnished a standout effort as well, going 1-for-3 with an RBI. Sophomore Dawson Hokuf also helped out for Lindenwood, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate.
#3 ARKANSAS 10, EASTERN ILLINOIS 3
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Eastern Illinois (3-2, 0-0 OVC) suffered their second consecutive loss of the weekend as the No. 9 Razorbacks of Arkansas (5-1, 0-0 SEC) took down EIU by a final score of 10-3. EIU has lost nine straight against Arkansas.
Cade Zalewski and Kolten Poorman each hit a home run in today's game which marked both of their firsts of the season. Cole Gober also recorded an RBI single for EIU.
Starting pitcher Tyler Conklin (L, 1-1) suffered his first loss of the season after throwing 5.0 innings. Conklin allowed four runs on five hits while striking out two. Will McEntire (W, 1-0) earned his first win of the season after allowing only two hits and one run through 4.2 innings.
Arkansas' bats continued to stay hot in the series as they would score first off of Conklin in the first inning. Brady Slavens would have an RBI single to bring home a run with two outs. Conklin would get out of the inning without further damage.
Eastern Illinois would go 1,2,3 in the first two innings with McEntire on the mound. In the bottom of the second, Arkansas extended their lead to 3-0 after Tavian Josenberger hit a two-run home run (2).
The Panthers' offense would get a spark in the top of the third inning after Poorman led off with his first career home run (1) for EIU. Eastern would have runners on the corners before McEntire struck out Ryan Ignoffo to end the third. Parker Rowland for the Razorbacks tacked on an RBI double in the third to extend the lead to 4-1.
Conklin would end his afternoon after five innings while retiring the last six batters he faced. Jonathon Hanscom would enter the game in relief and pitched a scoreless sixth inning for the Panthers.
EIU would score their second run of the afternoon after Zalewski hit a pinch hit home run(1) to cut the lead to 4-2. It was the first time this season that multiple Panthers hit for a home run in a single game. Arkansas would add one in the bottom of the seventh with a RBI walk by Ben McLaughlin.
After a Lincoln Riley single to lead off the eighth inning, Cole Gober delivered an RBI single to give EIU their third and final run of the afternoon. Riley leads the team in runs scored with four.
The Razorbacks would do most of their damage on Saturday in the bottom of the eighth after scoring five runs off of Hanscom and Chaney Trout. Hanscom allowed two base runners before Trout entered the game in relief. Slavens (RBI), Jace Bohrofen (2 RBI), McLaughlin (RBI) and Rowland (RBI) all brought in runs to give Arkansas a 10-3 lead.
EIU's Jared Evans posted a hit in the ninth before ending the game with a Colin Kalinowski foul out to third base.
The Panthers posted three runs on seven hits while committing one error and leaving seven runners left on base. Arkansas scored 10 runs on 13 hits while having zero errors.
MOREHEAD STATE 12, SAINT PETER'S 3
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Everything is clicking right now for the Morehead State baseball team, as another offensive outburst and dominant pitching performance propelled the Eagles to a 12-3 victory on Saturday afternoon over Saint Peter's to take the series with an opportunity for a second straight four-game sweep on Sunday.
Starting pitcher Grant Herron picked up where he left off in his second start of the season, punching out eight Saint Peter's hitters in the win. In addition to his eight strikeouts, Herron (2-0) went five innings, giving up three runs, one earned, on six hits and walking three for Morehead State (7-0). Freshman Riley Bradshaw also made an impact on the mound for the Eagles, throwing three scoreless innings while allowing one hit, with no walks and three strikeouts, and Trevor Callahan slammed the door on any comeback hopes the Peacocks had with a scoreless frame in the ninth in his first appearance of the year.
Junior Ryley Preece led the way offensively for the Eagles, going 2-for-5 in the ballgame with a triple and his fourth home run in the last three games, this one a three-run shot to left that put the game out of reach. Ryan Grabosch put together a standout effort as well, going 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI. Junior Jackson Feltner also chipped in, going 3-for-4 for Morehead State with a home run, a walk and two RBI. Colton Becker and Logan Castleman both stole two bases and drove in a run.
The Eagles got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with one run in the bottom of the first inning. Morehead State got an RBI single from junior Logan Castleman, scoring Feltner from second base.
The Eagles lost the lead they built in the first, but got back on the board in the second trailing 3-1. Morehead State scored three runs in the frame, buoyed by a two-run homer from Grabosch, which brought the score to 4-3 in favor of the Eagles.
Morehead State held Saint Peter's scoreless before expanding their lead to 5-3 the following inning. The Eagles scored once on a run-scoring single off the bat of junior Colton Becker.
Morehead State held the Peacocks scoreless before building on their lead in the sixth inning. The Eagles scored twice on Feltner's two-run homer, bringing the Morehead State advantage to 7-3.
The Eagles held Saint Peter's without a run before expanding their lead to 12-3 the following inning. The Morehead State offense piled up five runs, highlighted by a three-run home run off the bat of Preece.
SOUTHERN INDIANA 6, BELLARMINE 3
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) hit a three-run blast in the eighth to rocket the Screaming Eagles by Bellarmine University, 6-3, Saturday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. The Eagles watch their record go to 4-3, while Bellarmine goes to 4-1.
The Knights control the first seven inning of the game, scoring two in the fourth and one in the seventh to build a 3-0 advantage and seemingly had control of the contest. The Bellarmine hurlers also held the USI hitters to just two hits in the first seven frames.
USI's bats came to life in the eighth inning, exploding for six runs on four hits and were aided by three Bellarmine errors. Ebest highlighted the frame with a towering three-run drive to right field for his third home run of the season that put the Eagles in front for the first time in the game.
USI started the eighth inning rally and broke up the shutout when junior pinch-runner Trent Robinson (Louisville, Kentucky) scored on an error after senior centerfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) reached on an infield single. Freshman second baseman Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) scored on a sacrifice fly by senior catcher Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) after sophomore shortstop Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) was hit by a pitch to load the bases to make the score 3-2 and set the stage for Ebest.
Following the Ebest blast that made the score, 5-3, the Eagles sealed the victory when junior pinch-runner Steven Molinet (Elberfeld, Indiana) scored on a single to right by senior leftfielder Evan Kahre (Evansville, Indiana) for the sixth run of the frame that saw the Eagles send 11 batters to the plate.
On the mound, junior right-hander Matthew Moore (Newburgh, Indiana) set the Knights down in order in the ninth to close out the 6-3 victory and earned first save of the year.
USI sophomore left-hander Mason Sweeney (Fishers, Indiana) picked up the win in relief. Sweeney (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth inning also setting the Knights down in order.
For the game, USI's five pitchers allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits and a walk, while striking out five.
#22 GEORGIA TECH 10, TENNESSEE TECH 4
ATLANTA - For the second straight day, the Tennessee Tech baseball team couldn't make an early advantage last against No. 22 nationally-ranked Georgia Tech, as the Golden Eagles fell to the Yellow Jackets at Mac Nease Baseball Park and Russ Chandler Stadium Saturday afternoon, 10-4.
After the two sides traded zeros to open the ball game in the first inning, Tech's patience at the plate paid off in the second. Designated hitter Hayden Gilliland led things off with a walk and advanced to second two batters later on a single by catcher Will Long.
First baseman Preston Ford watched four pitches miss the zone to load the bases. A based ball and wild pitch allowed back-to-back runs score for the purple and gold, giving Tech an early 2-0 lead.
Center fielder Jackson Green drew another walk for the Golden Eagles, prompting a Georgia Tech pitching change. Shortstop Troy Baunsgard made a 3-0 Tech advantage, sending a sac fly to left field.
Golden Eagle hurler Brock Smith worked his way out of trouble in the second, holding the Yellow Jackets scoreless despite a bases-loaded jam. The southpaw finished the day with two and two-thirds innings of work, fanning three without allowing a hit and just one run.
Right fielder Theo Bryant IV pushed the Golden Eagle lead to four in the third inning, blasting a lead-off bomb to left-center field. It marked his first long ball of the season.
The Yellow Jacket pitching staff shut down the Tech offense the remainder of the day, allowing just one more hit following the third frame. Georgia Tech also went to work with the bats, scoring once in the third before tying things up in the fourth with a two-run shot.
The home squad took its first lead of the day in the fifth with an RBI double, but it was the eighth inning that saw Georgia Tech pull away for the second game in a row. With both sides trading scoreless frames in the sixth and seventh, Yellow Jackets used a two-run dinger and three-run blast to plate five and take the final lead of 10-4.
Bryant led the Tech offense with a 2-for-3 day and an RBI while Long and Tanner Shiver each picked up base knocks as well.
ABILENE CHRISTIAN 3-2, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0-23
ABILENE, Texas - Southeast Missouri (2-4) used a 23-2 victory to split a doubleheader with Abilene Christian (5-2) in a pair of seven-inning games Saturday at Crutcher Scott Field.
After dropping game one, 3-0, SEMO erupted for 23 runs on 21 hits to blow away ACU in the nightcap.
SEMO scored 11 runs in the first inning, nine in the third and added one in each of the second, fourth and sixth frames to pick up its second win of the season.
Offensively, the Redhawks destroyed ACU pitching for nine extra base hits, including four home runs. SEMO had 20 RBI and six different players get both multiple runs and multiple hits.
The Redhawks sparked a one-out rally in the top of the first hitting by getting back-to-back singles from Chance Resetich and Josh Cameron. Lincoln Andrews was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Brett Graber scored Resetich on a single through the right side. Ty Stauss knocked in Cameron when he singled up the middle and Graber scored on a wild pitch. Carlos Aranda followed with a two-run home run to right field.
On the next play, Danny Sperling singled. Peyton Leeper then reached on a base hit and Jevon Mason singled to left field to score Leeper. Cameron, in his second at-bat of the inning, delivered a two-RBI triple to right center. Lincoln Andrews smashed a two-run home run to center field completing the early ambush as SEMO pulled ahead, 11-0.
Sperling doubled down the left field line to bring in another run in the second.
In the third inning, Cameron led things off with a solo home run to right. Sperling later ripped a two-RBI single and Aranda touched home on a wild pitch. Sperling scored when Mason fouled out to right field. After that, Resetich drove a 3-2 pitch into left center for a two-RBI double and Andrews launched a three-run bomb over the right field wall to push the Redhawks lead to 21-0.
Spencer Parker scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning and doubled home Cole Warehime in the sixth to finish off the drubbing.
Bryce Grossius (1-1) was credited with his first win of the season in relief. Grossius took over for starter Collin Wilma in the fourth inning and allowed two runs on three hits in three innings. He struck out four, as well.
Sperling went a perfect 5-for-5 with two runs scored, a double, two runs scored and three RBI to lead SEMO's overpowering offense. His five hits are a new career-high.
Resetich went 3-for-4 with three runs, a double and two RBI, while Cameron finished at 3-for-5 with four runs, a home run, triple and three RBI. Andrews, Graber and Parker added two hits each. Additionally, Andrews and Graber scored twice apiece.
VALPARAISO 5, UT MARTIN 4 (10)
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball squad was a mere one strike away from evening up its home-opening series against Valparaiso but the Beacons rallied to tie the game in the ninth and go ahead in the 10th in a 5-4 Skyhawk setback.
The top of the ninth was set up by a dramatic rally of UT Martin’s own as the Skyhawks erased a 3-1 deficit after six innings to carry a 4-3 lead into the top of the ninth. UT Martin placed runners on the basepaths in both the bottom half of the ninth and 10th innings but could not win or extend the contest.
Will Smith and Mac Danford each had multi-hit efforts and drove in a run for the Skyhawks (3-5) while Blaze Bell reached base safely three times (double, two walks) and scored a pair of runs. Batting out of the 2-hole in the lineup, Caleb Hobson swiped three stolen bases today – just one shy of the school’s all-time record set in 1986 and the most since Josh Hauser stole three bases against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Feb. 25, 2017.
On the mound, starter Jordan Armstrong allowed only two runs with one walk over six innings but did not factor into the decision. J. Henry Hobson and Colin Millar did not allow an earned run over one-inning appearances.
It was a pitcher’s duel for most of the game as Armstrong matched up against reining Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week Connor Lockwood. The Beacons got on the scoreboard first with one run in the second but Armstrong did a masterful job of pitching out of a bases loaded jam to limit the damage at one run.
Armstrong received some help from his defense soon thereafter as UT Martin freshman Jackson Cooke nabbed a runner trying to steal second base in the third inning before the Skyhawks turned a key 5-4-3 double play in the fourth.
UT Martin evened things up at 1-all in the bottom of the fourth. Hobson singled to lead off the frame and stole second. Two batters later, Jack Culumovic singled to center to easily plate Hobson.
Valparaiso scored once in the fifth but Armstrong thwarted a potentially dangerous situation in the sixth. The Beacons led off the inning with back-to-back singles but the righty from McDonough, Ga. kept Valparaiso scoreless in his final frame of work.
After the Beacons pushed across an unearned run in the seventh, the Skyhawks got one back in the bottom half. Bell, Cooke and Danford each drew walks and following a Valparaiso pitching change, Alec Beaman jumped on the first pitch he saw for an RBI single to trim UT Martin’s deficit to 3-2.
Millar silenced the Beacon bats in the top of the eighth, dialing up a pair of strikeouts and a groundout on only 12 pitches. That set the stage for a big bottom half for the Skyhawk offense.
After two quick outs, Bell ripped a double down the left field line and sprinted home on a Smith RBI single. Slade Taylor then followed with a single to force yet another Valparaiso pitching change. With the score knotted at 3-all, Danford clubbed an opposite-field single to score Smith and send the UT Martin dugout into a frenzy after taking its first lead of the day.
Campbell Cleveland (0-1) then came in and had a 1-2 count on the potential third out of the inning before a Beacon single drove in the game-tying run.
The speedy Hobson nearly gave the Skyhawks a walk-off win in the bottom half. He was issued a five-pitch walk and promptly stole both second and third bases, putting the potential winning run 90 feet away with one out. However, UT Martin could not produce a run and the contest proceeded into extra innings.
Valparaiso came up with yet another two-out RBI in the top of the 10th. The Skyhawks placed the tying run on base in the bottom half as Taylor was hit by a pitch and replaced by pinch runner Hunter McLean. Unfortunately, the Beacons were able to escape with no damage to claim the win.
ULM 7, SIUE 1
MONROE, La. - Louisiana Monroe starter Cole Cressend kept the SIUE bats at bay Saturday as ULM evened the weekend series at a game apiece with a 7-1 win over the Cougars.
SIUE dropped to 4-2. ULM is 4-3.
Cressend gave up a single run over five hits over six innings. He walked a batter and struck out four.
The Warhawks were able to get to SIUE pitching early, scoring three times in the third inning and adding a run in the fourth for a 4-0 lead against SIUE starter Hayden Cooper (0-2). Cooper worked four and allowed just two earned runs. He struck out five hitters.
ULM extended the lead to 6-0 with a pair of runs in the fifth inning against reliever Tyler DeLong. The Warhawks used two singles, a walk, a stolen base and a groundout to plate two runs.
SIUE scored its only run of the day in the sixth inning. Brennan Orf led off the inning with a double and Brady Bunten drove him in with a single to center field.
Newcomers Dimitri Ivetic and Gunner Millsap made their SIUE debuts out of the bullpen. Ivetic worked a scoreless seventh inning, retiring the side in order. Millsap struck out two hitters in the eighth.