SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Lindenwood 6, Southern Indiana 3
Tennessee Tech 17, @Morehead State 12 (10)
@Southeast Missouri 4-6, Little Rock 3-5
SIUE 10-8, @UT Martin 7-9
Eastern Illinois 12, @Butler 0
LINDENWOOD 6, SOUTHERN INDIANA 3
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood baseball team took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed from there on the way to a 6-3 win over the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles on Saturday at Lou Brock Sports Complex.
Sophomore Eli Brown (1-5) started on the mound and picked up his first win of the season. The southpaw went five innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on seven hits, allowing two walks and striking out two. Senior Brody Roach also made an impact on the mound for the Lions, throwing four scoreless innings while allowing two hits, with no walks and five strikeouts.
Junior Logan Stevens led the way offensively for the Lions, going 2-for-4 in the ballgame with a home run and two RBI. Junior Tyson Ludwig furnished a noteworthy day at the plate as well, going 1-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. Senior Joe Copeland also helped out, going 2-for-4 for Lindenwood with a double and an RBI.
The Lions got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with one run in the bottom of the first inning. Lindenwood put up two runs in the frame, highlighted by an RBI triple off the bat of Ludwig.
The Screaming Eagles then gained ground, narrowing the lead to 2-1 until the Lions expanded their advantage in the third. Lindenwood brought home a pair, with one run driven in by Copeland's single, which brought the Lions lead to 4-1.
Southern Indiana narrowed Lindenwood's lead to 4-3 before the Lions stretched the advantage to 6-3 in the eighth inning. The Lions added two to their tally on Stevens' two-run homer to right. The score remained 6-3 for the rest of the game, as Lindenwood held on for the win.
TENNESSEE TECH 17, MOREHEAD STATE 12 (10)
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Big hits and patience at the plate led the Tennessee Tech baseball team to a big win in its Ohio Valley Conference opener at Morehead State Saturday evening, as the Golden Eagles (9-15, 1-0) outlasted the Eagles (13-12, 3-1) in a 10-inning barn-burner at Allen Field, 17-12.
The purple and gold piled up seven extra-base hits and drew a whopping 13 walks on the day, using the patient approach to set up some big innings, including a timely, five-run 10th. Four home runs were part of that impressive total, with the Golden Eagles taking advantage of a whipping wind on the day.
After sweeping Southern Indiana last weekend, Morehead seemed destined to come away with another OVC victory after clawing back from a seven-run deficit heading into the bottom of the seventh. Tech had other plans, however, plating five runs in the 10th to leave no doubt and snap a six-game skid in the process.
The Golden Eagles got off to a fast start in the contest, scoring six times over the opening free frames. After a quick out in the first, catcher Hayden Gilliland drew a five-pitch walk to set up third baseman Peyton Mills for a big swing.
The slugger answered the bell, crushing a two-run blast to put the Tech crew up 2-0 early. It marked his team-leading 10th of the season and moved him into sole possession of first on the OVC's home run charts.
In the second, the Golden Eagles went back to the long ball, as center fielder Nicho Jordan smashed his third tank of the season for a solo shot and 3-0 lead. Tech kept things rolling in the third, with Mills leading off the frame with a walk.
Two batters later, second baseman Troy Baunsgard singled and Mills moved all the way to third after an error by the home Eagles. Mills came home safely during the next at-bat via a wild pitch for a 4-0 advantage. First baseman John Dyer blew open the ball game with a two-run smash, making it a 6-0 Tech lead.
Morehead finally answered back in the fourth, scoring four times on just a pair of hits, but also four walks and a hit-by-pitch in the frame. The Golden Eagles responded to the right cross with an uppercut of their own, tallying four more of their own in the top of the fifth.
Mills led off the inning with a base knock and left fielder Preston Ford moved him to third with a double. Two batters later, Dyer drove in a run with a base hit, his third RBI of the contest. After a walk to designated hitter Kayne Jinks, right fielder Theo Bryant IV followed with a two-run single. Shortstop wrapped up the scoring with an RBI ground out later in the frame, moving the Tech lead back to six at 10-4.
The home squad picked up a lead-off dinger in the fifth to take back a run in the fifth, but the purple and gold answered once more in the seventh. Dyer led off the frame with his second jack of the night and fifth of the season. The round-tripper also represented the 29th of his career, moving him into a tie for 12th in program history with former Golden Eagle third baseman Trevor Putzig.
A two-out double off the bat of Jordan forced a pitching change for the Eagles, but Spardone pounced immediately on the new home hurler with an RBI single for a 12-5 lead. With Tech firmly in front, the Morehead bats went to work.
The Eagles led off the bottom of the seventh with a long ball and followed it with four runs on three hits, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch in the eighth. Back-to-back doubles to lead off the ninth moved Morehead to within a run of the purple and gold, and the runner at second would go on to tie the ball game, scoring all the way from the bag on a failed pickoff attempt by Tech's Jacob Morin.
The Tech hurler centered himself following the play, gathering three quick outs to take the contest to extra innings and allow the Golden Eagle offense to back to work.
Jackson Green pinch hit and drew a lead-off walk for the purple and gold, advancing to second on a bunt single by Baunsgard. A strikeout to Dyer led to the eventual winning run for Tech, as Green stole third and subsequently scored on a throwing error by the Morehead catcher, putting the visitors up 13-12.
Tech continued to attack, as Austin Turner pinch-hit and drew a free pass. Baunsgard scored during the next at-bat thanks to a wild pitch, as Bryant eventually drew a walk of his own to put a pair on. A pitching change for the home Eagles did little to quell the Golden Eagles' patience though, as Jordan took a free trip to first to load the bases.
Spardone made it four straight walks for the Tech offense, driving in a run the easy way for a 15-12 lead. Morehead managed a second out in the frame before Mills drove in two more insurance runs with a two-run single for a 17-12 advantage.
Morin made quick work of the Morehead order in the 10th, sandwiching a pop-up to second base with strikeouts to open and end the inning. The junior right-hander picked up his first win as a Golden Eagle after three innings and one earned run allowed. He also struck out five batters in the contest.
Dyer led the offensive effort with a 4-for-6 day, two dingers, three runs, and four RBI. Mills also drove in four thanks to three hits and tallied three runs and three walks. Baunsgard managed a three-hit day while Spardone racked up two with three RBI. Jordan scored three times behind two hits and three walks of his own.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4-6, LITTLE ROCK 3-5
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (15-14, 4-1 OVC) took both games on Saturday to open the weekend series with Little Rock (13-10, 3-2 OVC) in nearly seven hours of action at Capaha Field.
Chance Resetich finished 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs in game number two to highlight SEMO's 18-hit day as the Redhawks picked up wins three and four in the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Redhawks took game one behind a strong pitching performance from senior LHP Noah Niznik (3-2) who went six complete innings with just three hits and a run. The left-hander struck out six over 23 batters faced to pick up his third win of the season.
SEMO's offense was successful of off Little Rock ace Jackson Wells (3-2) who came into Saturday's contest with a 1.15 ERA.
The Redhawks pounded out nine hits and scored three runs off Wells led by outfielder's Josh Cameron and Brett Graber who each with 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Cameron recorded the game's first RBI with a gorgeous RBI bunt single down the third base line to score Jevon Mason. A throwing error on the Trojans' third baseman advanced Chance Resetich (single) to third base.
The Redhawks would record their second run of the ball game in the opening frame as Lincoln Andrews, who returned from an injury, lined out to right field to drive in Resetich.
After an inning, the Redhawks led by two runs.
A pitching duel between Niznik and Wells over the next four innings as Niznik gave up his only run in the contest, a sacrifice fly to right field by LR first baseman Noah Brewer, in the sixth inning. Tyler Williams scored on the play.
An RBI single by both Graber in the home sixth, and Mason in the seventh gave the Redhawks all they needed as SEMO held on for a 4-3 victory in game one.
RHP Kyle Miller picked up his second save of the season in the win.
An RBI single by designated hitter Carlos Aranda in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Redhawks their second victory of the day as SEMO held walked-it-off for a 6-5 win.
The Dominican Republic-native roped a ball into the left-center field gap off Little Rock RHP Jacob Weatherly to score Chance Resetich.
The play was ruled a single due to the walk-off hit.
Little Rock tied the game in the top of the ninth inning to send the game to extra innings as the Trojans used two runs to close the 5-3 deficit after a SEMO four-run seventh.
Luke Pectol singled in Ty Rhoades off Kyle Miller to cut the SEMO lead to just 5-4.
Designated hitter Christian Bernabe hit an RBI single to right field the following batter and the Trojans tied it at 5-5.
SEMO rattled off four runs in the seventh inning before LR tied the game thanks to back-to-back RBI singles by Chance Resetich and Jevon Mason.
Gunna Doyle accounted for an RBI in the inning with his sacrifice-fly to left field that would plate Aranda.
RHP Payton Lawrence (no decision) started on the mound in game two going 4.1 innings, allowing just three runs on five hits in his second-straight OVC weekend start. The righty struck out four over 18 batters.
Collin Wilma picked up the win pitching the game's final five outs, coming in to relieve Miller in the top of the ninth with just one out.
Wilma pitched 1.2 innings and recorded two strikeouts in the outing.
SIUE 10-8, UT MARTIN 7-9
MARTIN, Tenn. - SIUE baseball picked up a 10-7 win before falling 9-8 in the late game as the Cougars split a doubleheader Saturday at UT Martin.
SIUE is 16-9 overall and 2-3 in Ohio Valley Conference play. UT Martin is 8-20 overall but 3-2 in league play.
With the game tied 3-3, SIUE took control in the top of the fifth inning. The Cougars scored seven runs on five hits, three walks and an error. Brennan Orf doubled, and Brady Bunten singled to start the inning before Avery Owusu-Asiedu walked to load the bases. Kyle Ratliff and Ole Arntson each walked in runs and Josh Ohl reached on an error to score another run. John Stallcup drove home a run with a single and Brady Bunten lined into a double play in his second at-bat of the inning, but Stallcup was able to score before the play was completed to make it 10-4.
UT Martin scored three runs in the first against SIUE starter Jake Bockenstedt, but the Cougars tied the game with three in the second inning. Ohl drove in a run with a single and Chase Bloomer scored two with a hit.
Bockenstedt (3-1) worked six innings allowing just the three first-inning runs on eight hits for the win. He stuck out six.
Hayden Cooper pitched a scoreless ninth, with a strikeout, to earn his first save of the year.
Stallcup and Bloomer each finished with three hits for the Cougars, who outhit the Skyhawks 15-12 in the game.
In game two, UT Martin scored five unanswered runs, including three in the bottom of the ninth to grab a 9-8 walkoff-win from SIUE.
Tyler DeLong (2-2) suffered the game two loss. He gave up a pair of hits, walked one and hit a batter. UT Martin's Jack Culumovic and Mac Danford each drove home runs with hits in the inning.
The Cougars snapped a 1-1 tie with a five-run third inning. SIUE banged out five hits in the inning. Bloomer and Drew Mize singled to start the inning and Orf walked to load the bases. Bunten singled to drive in two and Owusu-Asiedu followed with an RBI-double. Arntson reached on a fielder's choice to pick up an RBI and Ohl singled to drive in another.
Orf scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning to extend SIUE's lead to 7-1.
The Skyhawks trimmed the SIUE lead with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to make it 7-4. Arntson made it 8-4 with and RBI-hit in the seventh.
UT Martin then scored a run in the bottom of the seventh and another in the eighth to make it an 8-6 game going to the ninth inning.
Owusu-Asiedu led SIUE with three hits in the nightcap. Orf, Bunten, Ohl and Bloomer each two hits.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 12, BUTLER 0
INDIANAPOLIS - Eastern Illinois baseball (15-7, 1-2 OVC) won their first of three games this weekend against Butler (5-20, 0-0 Big East) with a 12-0 victory in eight innings. This marks the third shutout of the season for EIU.
Nicholas Rucker and Jared Evans hit home runs in the win for the Panthers. Ryan Ignoffo went 4-4 in the game with three RBI. Eastern had three doubles and two home runs in the shutout.
Starting pitcher Tyler Conklin (W, 3-2) picked up the win for the Panthers after throwing seven scoreless innings and allowing just three hits. Conklin also struck out seven bulldogs for a new season high.
Eastern Illinois took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Ignoffo hit an RBI double to score Lincoln Riley from first. Conklin would only allow a walk in the first inning to retain the lead.
Robby Taul would lead off the third with a double and would advance to third after a sac bunt by Riley. Taul and Ignoffo would later score to give EIU a 3-0 lead. Conklin went three up three down in the bottom half of the second and wouldn't allow his first hit until the third.
Grant Lashure would drive in a run off of an error in left field to bring home Rucker in the top of the fourth. The Panthers would add two in the fifth with an RBI from Ignoffo and Gober to push the lead to six.
Conklin kept turning up the heat with two strikeouts in the bottom of the fifth inning to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard. Eastern would add another two runs in the sixth with an RBI from Riley and the third RBI from Ignoffo.
The Panthers kept pouring on the runs in the seventh and eighth innings with a sac RBI from Taul, a two-run home run from Rucker and a solo shot from pinch hitter Evans to give EIU their 12th and final run of the game. Nicholas would close out the game for EIU on the mound with two strikeouts.
Eastern Illinois went on to score 12 runs on 13 hits with no errors. Butler would have three hits on the afternoon with one error.