FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Southeast Missouri 10, Western Illinois 3
@Murray State 15,
Southern Indiana 1
@Belmont 9,
Lindenwood 0
@Indiana 5,
Morehead State 4
@Tennessee Tech 4, ETSU 3
@Northwestern State 9,
Little Rock 4
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 10, WESTERN ILLINOIS 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (8-12) used a seven-run sixth inning and a strong pitching performance by left-hander Noah Niznik to grab a 10-3 series-opening win over Western Illinois (3-14) Friday at Capaha Field.
During his fifth start of the season, Niznik did not allow a run in the game's first six innings. He also retired 13-straight hitters before WIU scored its only runs in the top of the seventh.
Niznik was working with a 1-0 lead when SEMO loaded the bases and busted the game open with its big sixth inning.
Chance Resetich started things off with a single to left and stole second to get into scoring position. Ben Palmer walked and Carlos Aranda reached on an infield hit to put Redhawks at every base. In his first career at-bat with the bases loaded, Gunnar Doyle ripped a base hit to right field to score both Palmer and Resetich.
Nolan Ackerman and Peyton Leeper each doubled. Ackerman's double scored both Doyle and Aranda, and Leeper's hit drove in Ackerman. Jevon Mason later smashed a two-run home run opposite field over the right field wall to extend the Redhawks lead to 8-0. Mason picked up his second home run of the season in an inning which saw 10 SEMO hitters come to the plate.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Ricky Pospisil doubled to left and scored on an ensuing triple by Kyree Alexander. Alexander touched home when Max Slavens grounded out to second cutting SEMO's lead to 8-2.
SEMO scored for the first time in the game during the third inning. Leeper drew a one-out walk and went to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run when Mason singled up the middle. Mason stole second on the next play to give SEMO runners at second and third. Resetich then knocked in Leeper for the game's first run on a groundout in the bottom of the third inning.
The Redhawks added one more run in the seventh and another in the eighth to put their win on ice.
Niznik evened his record to 2-2. He finished with seven strikeouts and did not allow a walk in 6.2 innings. Niznik allowed six hits and threw 102 pitches in his nice outing, as well.
Right-hander Jake Armstrong (2-2) suffered the loss. Armstrong gave up five runs on six hits, struck out three and walked four in 5.1 innings.
WIU reliever Chase Golden was roughed up for three runs and three hits in one-third of an inning on just 12 pitches.
SEMO registered 10 hits, its sixth game with double-digit hits in 2023. The Redhawks also had a season-high four stolen bases.
Mason, Doyle, Resetich and Leeper all had two hits. Mason and Resetich also had two RBI, while Doyle knocked in three runs of his own.
MURRAY STATE 15, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
MURRAY, Ky. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball lost a lopsided series-opener with Murray State University, 15-1, Friday afternoon in Murray, Kentucky. USI watched its record go to 7-11, while Murray State goes to 8-10.
The Screaming Eagles struggled early with the Racers posting five runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead and would prove to be all the runs they would need. Murray State would go on to score one in the fourth, six in the fifth, and three more in the sixth to seal USI's fate in a run-rule game.
USI would get the final run of the contest in the top of the seventh when junior pinch hitter Steven Molinet (Elberfeld, Indiana) scored when junior designated hitter Gavin McLarty (Buckner, Kentucky) reached on an error. Molinet started the scoring opportunity when he posted one of USI's four hits in the game.
On the mound, sophomore right-hander Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) started and took the loss for the Eagles. Hutson (1-3) allowed six runs, five earned, on four hits and three walks, while striking out one in four innings of work.
BELMONT 9, LINDENWOOD 0
NASHVILLE - Recap coming soon.
INDIANA 5, MOREHEAD STATE 4
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Morehead State baseball team fought for nine innings vs. Indiana on Friday in the series finale, tying the game with one out in the final frame, but fell on a walk-off by the Hoosiers for the second time in three days. The Eagles dropped to 9-10 with the loss, and have lost 10 of 11 since starting 8-0.
Jarrett Miller (0-2) took the loss after Indiana's Bobby Whalen hit a walk-off single into right. Both of Miller's losses this season have come on walk-offs. Luke Helton impressed out of the bullpen for Morehead State, throwing just under three innings in relief with three strikeouts.
Indiana took the lead with a two-out RBI triple in the first, before Morehead State took the lead on a two-run homer from an unlikely source. Carter Owens, in his first collegiate at-bat, swung at the first pitch he saw and blasted it out of Bart Kaufman Field to give Morehead State. Owens, a freshman from Lexington, Ky., also made a diving grab in the fifth inning.
The Hoosiers retook the lead with three runs in the fifth inning, and after a trio of scoreless frames, Morehead State tied the game on a two-run double from Jacob Ferry, who had a fine week in Bloomington. IU went on to win it in the ninth.
TENNESSEE TECH 4, ETSU 3
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - What appeared to be destined for a slugfest quickly turned to a pitcher's duel Friday evening, as the Tennessee Tech baseball team held off in-state rival ETSU in the two teams' series opener at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex, 4-3.
The Buccaneers (8-8) were quick to strike on Golden Eagle hurler Peyton Calitri gathering a double, free pass, and a two-run double to take a quick 2-0 lead. The visitors plated one more later in the frame on a passed ball, moving in front 3-0 in what seemed to be only the beginning.
In the bottom half, the purple and gold picked up an important run to provide an answer, using a little two-out rally to get things started. Designated hitter Hayden Gilliland kicked it off with a double to right field. On the next pitch, left fielder Preston Ford ripped a single up the middle to plate Gilliland for the team's first run.
Calitri rebounded on the mound, making quick work of the ETSU lineup in the second, needing just 10 pitches to move on to the bottom half. After giving up a one-out single, the right-hander used a slick pick-off move to nab the runner at first.
A trio of base knocks led the Golden Eagles to another run in the second, with first baseman John Dyer leading things off with a single to third base. Two batters later, catcher Will Long ripped a base hit to right field. Shortstop Nick Spardone drove Dyer in with a base hit through the left side, pulling Tech within one.
Another 1-2-3 inning for Calitri brought the Golden Eagles to the third, where the home squad jumped on top for good. Gilliland and Ford drew back-to-back walks to begin the inning and both advanced on a wild pitch. After ETSU picked up its first out, Dyer provided the big swing, smacking a base hit up the middle for a pair of RBI and a 4-3 TTU lead.
The Bucs looked to rally in the fifth, leading off the frame with a couple of base hits before Calitri picked up a huge strikeout. A pitch inside faded just a little too much, plunking the next ETSU batter to load the bases with just one out.
The Golden Eagle ace doubled down, fanning another Buc hitter to move within an out of escaping the jam. Calitri pulled it off on the next pitch, inducing an inning-ending ground ball to third baseman Peyton Mills.
Rookie hurler Reece McDuffie took over on the hill in the sixth and was masterful the rest of the way. The freshman from Mount Airy, N.C. held the Bucs without a hit over the final four frames, issuing weak contact and letting his defense turn in strong displays.
McDuffie struck out a pair while walking two on the night, securing his first career save. Calitri notched his second win of the year after punching out four and allowing two earned runs in five innings of work.
Gilliland, Dyer, and Long each racked up two hits to lead the offensive side of things on the day. Gilliland also scored a team-high two runs while Dyer drove in a pair.
NORTHWESTERN STATE 9, LITTLE ROCK 4
NATCHITOCHES, La. - Recap coming soon.