FRIDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 12-4, @Lindenwood 6-0
@UT Martin 9, Southeast Missouri 8
Morehead State 8, @SIUE 2
@Little Rock 7, Tennessee Tech 0
@#16 Oral Roberts 12,
Southern Indiana 4
EASTERN ILLINOIS 12-4, LINDENWOOD 6-0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois baseball (28-18, 9-11 OVC) took a pair of games against Lindenwood during an Ohio Valley Conference Friday doubleheader at Lindenwood. The Panthers took game one with a score of 12-6 and game two by a score of 4-0.
Ryan Ignoffo and Lincoln Riley both had home runs in the win during game one while Tyler Conklin pitched six scoreless inning in a 4-0 win in game two. EIU picked up their seventh shutout of the season.
Game three will be played tomorrow afternoon at Lou Brock Sports Complex starting at 1:00 p.m. EIU will be the designated home team after the change of venue.
In game one, Lincoln Riley delivered for Eastern Illinois in their game one victory over the Lions of Lindenwood. He went 4-5 with a home run and a double while collecting four RBI. In the first inning on the first pitch, Riley delivered a solo home run for EIU.
After the home run, the Panthers would go on to score three more runs in the first including an RBI double from Kolten Poorman and an RBI single by Grant Lashure.
Ryan Ignoffo hit his 13th home run of the season in the second inning. Later in the game, he would steal his 24th base of the season to set the new single season record for stolen bases in EIU history.
Lashure continued his hot start to the weekend with another two RBI single in the fourth inning to put EIU up 8-1. After Lindenwood scored four between the seventh and eighth inning, Riley delivered a bases clearing double to put EIU up 12-4.
Ky Hampton (W, 6-2) had a solid start for his sixth win of the season. He pitched in seven innings allowing only four hits and two runs. Blake Malatestinic finished the final two innings for the Panthers.
EIU had 15 hits in game one while scoring 12 runs. Lindenwood would score six while earning nine hits.
In game two, in their seventh shutout of the season, Eastern Illinois earned their 28th victory of the season with a 4-0 victory over Lindenwood. Tyler Conklin (W, 6-5) had one of his best outtings in OVC play this season.
Over the course of six innings, Conklin allowed just five hits and no runs while striking out four Lions.
Logan Eickhoff was the lone Panther to collect two or more hits in the game two win. He kicked off the scoring with an RBI single in the second to put EIU up 1-0. He then scored a run in the fourth after Grant Lashure delivered his fourth RBI of the day.
Ja'Lil Akbar had an RBI single in fourth which opened up a 3-0. Kolten Poorman then crushed a line drive home run into left field to score the final run of the ball game.
Colton Coca and Zane Robbins combined to pitch the final three innings of the game to secure the Panthers win. EIU had seven hits and four runs while LWU had six hits.
UT MARTIN 9, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8
MARTIN, Tenn. - A six-run bottom of the fifth and a pair of gutsy relief appearances navigated the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball squad to an impressive 9-8 triumph over Southeast Missouri in the first game of the weekend set.
Jordan Armstrong (4-5) earned his second victory in the last four days, going 5.1 strong innings with only four hits and one walk allowed. He gave way to Zach Wager in the top of the eighth as the Columbus, Ind. native needed just 20 pitches to get the final five outs, allowing zero baserunners for the second save of his freshman season.
Offensively, Caleb Hobson was constantly on the basepaths as the junior centerfielder went 2-for-3 with two walks, two RBI’s, two runs scored and his Ohio Valley Conference-best 34th stolen base of the season. Blaze Bell had a big game-tying three-run triple in the aforementioned fifth inning while Jack Culumovic produced the go-ahead RBI that gave the Skyhawks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the way.
Andrew Fernandez added a pair of hits, two runs scored and an RBI for UT Martin (19-31, 12-10 OVC), who equals the 2017 and 2019 squads for the most single-season OVC victories in program history.
Senior Seth Petry made the start on the hill for the Skyhawks as he retired six of the first seven batters he faced. That included an eight-pitch top of the second where he retired the side in order with a strikeout, groundout and flyout.
Meanwhile, UT Martin put two runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Hobson singled to center to lead off the frame and stole second before Fernandez smacked a double into the gap in left center for an RBI. Two batters later, Mac Danford lifted an RBI double to deep right center to make the score 2-0.
The Redhawks (26-24, 14-5 OVC) took their first lead of the ballgame in the top of the third after scoring four runs. Armstrong entered the game with runners on second and third with no outs and got three straight outs, allowing just one inherited runner to cross the plate. He received some help from his defense as Danford made a nice throw on a fielder’s choice to cut down a runner at the plate before catcher Cameron Brady fired a strike down to second base to nab a would-be basestealer.
The Skyhawks got one run back in the third as Hobson ignited the rally with a leadoff walk. Fernandez reached on an error and both runners moved up 90 feet on a Will Smith sacrifice bunt. Danford then brought Hobson in on a sacrifice fly to pull UT Martin within one run (4-3).
Southeast Missouri scored on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch in the top of the fourth but Armstrong soon found his rhythm. The senior righty from McDonough, Ga. retired eight Redhawks in a row at one point – sitting down the side in order in both the fifth and sixth innings.
A total of 11 Skyhawk hitters came to the plate in the fifth as all six runs scored with two outs. Fernandez looped a one-out single to shortstop before Smith lined a single to center. Hunter McLean drew one of his two walks on the day to load the bases for Bell, who ripped a 2-0 pitch for a three-run triple, tying the score at 6-all in the process. Following a pitching change, Culumovic skipped the first pitch he saw for an RBI single up the middle. Brady (single) and Zac Rice (walk) extended the inning for Hobson, who turned on a single through the left side to bring in the final two runs of the inning.
Armstrong’s shutdown inning in the sixth kept the momentum on UT Martin’s side. Southeast Missouri scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh and threatened in the eighth but Wager slammed the door. The lefty stranded the potential tying runner in scoring position during the eighth, inducing a flyout and inning-ending groundout. He then made short work of the Redhawks in the ninth, recording a flyout and back-to-back strikeouts against the top three hitters in the Southeast Missouri lineup.
MOREHEAD STATE 8, SIUE 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - In a complete team effort, the Morehead State baseball team took down SIUE 8-2 in Friday's series opener. All nine starters reached base safely in the win.
Luke Helton (6-2) started on the mound and picked up the win for Morehead State (31-18, 13-6). The right-hander went seven innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on six hits, allowing one walk and striking out six. Senior Matt Bettio closed out the win for the Eagles, throwing two shutout innings while allowing no hits, with no walks and one strikeout.
Ryley Preece led the way offensively for the Eagles, going 3-for-4 in the ballgame with two triples, a walk and two RBI. Carter Sakamoto furnished a noteworthy performance at the dish as well, going 1-for-3 with two walks and an RBI. Junior Roman Kuntz also helped out, going 2-for-5 for Morehead State with a double.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard first, starting in the third inning. Morehead State pushed across two runs in the frame, the big blow coming on an RBI double from junior Nick Gooden.
The Eagles then held the Cougars scoreless before getting back on the board the very next inning. Preece's run-scoring single highlighted an inning where Morehead State scored twice, which brought the Eagles lead to 4-0.
SIU-Edwardsville narrowed Morehead State's lead to 4-1 before the Eagles stretched the advantage to 7-1 in the fifth inning.
Morehead State kept the Cougars scoreless before their offense got back in action the next inning. The Eagles scored once on an RBI single off the bat of junior Colton Becker, bringing the Morehead State advantage to 8-1. SIU-Edwardsville put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but the Eagles still coasted to the 8-2 win.
LITTLE ROCK 7, TENNESSEE TECH 0
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Sophomore Jackson Wells came within two outs of his second complete game shutout in Ohio Valley Conference play this season but was relieved after 120 pitches, a double play a batter later completed the shutout and gave the Trojans a 7-0 Friday night win. The win improves Little Rock's record to28-18 on the season and 13-5 in conference play with just five games to go.
Wells started off the game with back to back strikeouts before a pop out ended a quick 1-2-3 top of the first inning. Little Rock wasted no time getting on the board with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Singles from Tyler Williams and Luke Pectol put runners on the corners with one out before a wild pitch advanced both runners and scored the first run of the game. Nico Baumbach would follow with a single to right that scored Pectol and ended the scoring for the inning.
Another two strikeouts and a fielder's choice awaited the TTU batters in the top of the second as it was apparent Wells was in a groove. This became even more obvious when Wells bested himself in the third by striking out the side in order, compiling seven strikeouts through the first three frames.
The Trojans doubled up on their lead in the bottom of the third, Williams worked himself into scoring position after reaching on an error and then stealing second base. Baumbach picked up another RBI on a single to left that scored Williams before a double to right-center by Skyler Trevino brought Baumbach home, putting Little Rock up 4-0.
Tennessee Tech was finally able to get its first hit with two outs in the top of the fourth on a high fly ball that found a hole in no man's land in shallow left-center, the inning was ended a batter later on a pop out to short.
Some danger was avoided in the top of the sixth, a single led off the inning before a lineout to second was able to be converted into a double play. A two out double and hit by pitch put two on but Wells was fortunately able to coax a ground ball for a 4-3 putout to end the inning.
Little Rock added another pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Christian Bernabe and Ty Rhoades reached on a single and walk before Jake Wright bunted both into scoring position. Alex Seguine then stepped into the box and sent a hard ground ball back up the middle to score both runs and give Little Rock a commanding six run lead.
After another inning in which Wells struck out two in the top of the seventh, the Trojans would add one more run on a Noah Brewer double and Ty Rhoades infield single to reach the final score of 7-0.
Although Wells' pitch count was high, a six pitch eighth inning allowed him to return for the ninth. A single off the top of the left field wall began the inning before a pop out and hit by pitch put two on with one out. Erik McKnight entered the game out of the bullpen and got the next batter to ground into a 5-3 double play to end the game and complete the shutout.
Not once in the eight innings the Trojans came to bat did they go down quietly with at least one hitter reaching in every frame as Little Rock collected 14 hits and were walked four times in the game.
Wells dominated the Tennessee Tech lineup tonight with a career high 11 strikeouts over 8.1 innings pitched, scattering six hits and walking just one.
Baumbach led the Trojans with three hits in a 3-for-5 game that saw him drive in a pair of runs and score once.
Seguine delivered a dagger in the sixth with the two RBI single to put the Trojans up six, he went 2-for-5 on the night with a pair of singles.
#16 ORAL ROBERTS 12, SOUTHERN INDIANA 4
TULSA, Okla. - University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles were outflown by the 16th-ranked Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles, 12-4, Friday evening in Tulsa, Oklahoma. USI watched its record go to 15-33 overall, while Oral Roberts is 38-11.
USI had the bats going in the first inning and grabbed its only lead of the contest, 1-0. Junior rightfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) put the Screaming Eagles into the lead with a RBI-double to left center, scoring junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) from second.
The lead was short lived as the Golden Eagles scored five times in the bottom of the first to grab a 5-1 advantage. ORU would go on to score two more in the second to lead 7-1.
USI clawed one of the runs back in the fourth when freshman third baseman Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) doubled in designated hitter Drew Taylor (Jeffersonville, Indiana) all the way from first with two outs for the 7-2 deficit. ORU, however, bounced back to return the lead to six with a tally in the bottom half of the frame before extending the advantage to 10-2 with a pair of tallies in the sixth.
After the Golden Eagles extended their lead, 11-2, with a tally in the seventh, USI attempted to get back into the game with a rally in the eighth. Tachioka struck again in the eighth, knocking in a pair with his third triple of 2023, to cut the margin to 11-4.
ORU picked one of USI's eighth inning runs up in the bottom half before closing out a 12-4 final.
On the mound, junior right-hander Trent Robinson (Louisville, Kentucky) started and took the loss. Robinson (1-3), who had a great start last week versus the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, allowed five runs on three hits and three walks in a third of an inning.