FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 11, Eastern Illinois 5
@Tennessee Tech 14, SIUE 9
Little Rock 4, @Southern Indiana 3
@#22 Kansas State 2,
Southeast Missouri 1
@Lindenwood 13, UT Martin 12 (12)
MOREHEAD STATE 11, EASTERN ILLINOIS 5
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State baseball team bounced back in a big way on Friday, smashing 10 extra-base hits on the way to victory in the series opener vs. Eastern Illinois.
Senior Luke Helton (5-2) got the win for Morehead State (28-17, 11-5). The right-hander went six innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on nine hits, allowing one walk and striking out six. Luke Lyman also pitched well, going two shutout innings while allowing one hit, walking none and striking out two.
Ryley Preece jumped back into the OVC lead in home runs in the third, smashing a two-run blast to give him 18 homers on the year. Carter Sakamoto had a pair of RBI doubles as well, while Colton Becker paced the offense with a 3-3 day with a pair of walks and two stolen bases.
The Eagles were trailing 1-0 in the second inning when they first put runs on the board. Morehead State's offense started clicking and put up four runs thanks to RBI doubles from Logan Castleman, Carter Sakamoto, and Roman Kuntz. Jackson Feltner had an RBI single as well.
The Panthers then gained ground, narrowing the lead to 4-3 until the Eagles expanded their advantage in the third. The Morehead State offense exploded for four runs, highlighted by a two-run home run off the bat of Preece, which brought the score to 8-3 in favor of the Eagles.
Eastern Illinois narrowed Morehead State's lead to 8-4 before the Eagles stretched the advantage to 9-4 in the fifth inning. The Eagles scored a run on senior Isaias Guzman's leadoff home run.
The Panthers fought back, closing the gap to 9-5 until Morehead State added some insurance in the eighth. The Eagles drove in two runs in the frame, punctuated with an RBI triple off the bat of Vinson, bringing the score to 11-5 in favor of Morehead State. The score remained 11-5 for the rest of the game, as the Eagles coasted to the win on the back of two scoreless innings from Luke Lyman and a one-run frame from Matt Bettio.
TENNESSEE TECH 14, SIUE 9
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - For so many reasons, it was a day to remember for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Friday, as the Golden Eagles (15-27, 6-10) took down Ohio Valley Conference rival SIUE (24-20, 7-9) in the teams' series opener in Cookeville, 14-9.
Prior to the contest at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex, eight members of the purple and gold collected their respective bachelor's degrees at Tennessee Tech University's graduation ceremony in the Hooper Eblen Center. One more Golden Eagle ball player walked in the second ceremony of the day.
Nathaniel Allen, Will Long, Brock Smith, Nick Spardone, and Colt Taylor were among the group to graduate on Friday, joined by a quartet of others that made massive impacts on the outcome of the game. Theo Bryant IV, Nicho Jordan, Peyton Mills, and Jacob Morin all contributed heavily to the day's achievement.
The Cougars jumped out front right off the bat, gathering a two-run home run from the second batter of the contest. The Golden Eagles were quick to respond, with catcher Hayden Gilliland blasting a two-run double off the wall in center field to tie the game.
SIUE moved back in front in the second, using a solo dinger to take a 3-2 advantage, but Tech's graduates made sure to keep the day a big celebration. Following a lead-off double off the bat of second baseman Eddie Garza, it was Jordan providing the spark needed by the purple and gold.
The center fielder clobbered a two-run jack to right-center field to put the Golden Eagles on top for the first time. The towering moon shot marked Jordan's fifth of the year, but Tech was far from finished.
Two batters later, left fielder Austin Turner made some more fireworks, hammering a solo tank to right-center field for his second long ball of the year. Mills made it back-to-back nukes, smashing his 14th of the season to left-center field after working an eight-pitch at-bat. The third baseman's dinger made it a 6-3 Golden Eagle advantage.
Another SIUE home run made it a two-run ball game and marked the final score for either side until the fifth, thanks in large part to Jordan and his gold-glove-caliber defense. The Decatur, Ga. native made a leaping grab at the wall in center field, robbing the Cougars of a potential game-tying, two-run bomb.
In the bottom half, the Tech offense came back alive, with Garza at the forefront again. After the second baseman led things off with an infield single to third base, Bryant followed with an infield base knock to shortstop.
Jordan continued his incredible performance with the bat, destroying the first pitch he saw in the inning for a three-run no-doubter to right field. His second round tripper of the contest marked his sixth of the year and gave the Golden Eagles a 9-4 lead.
In keeping with the run of great play, Turner also uncorked a might swing for his second trot around the bases in the ball game, sending one clear over the fence in center field for his third bomb of the year. SIUE fought back with three more runs in the sixth, cutting the deficit to three.
Tech continued to lay it on offensively in the bottom half, with Bryant keeping the party alive with a lead-off knock to right-center field. The purple and gold proceeded to load the bases with one out, leaving Mills to deliver the dagger.
The Golden Eagle slugger laced a double to right-center field, clearing the bases for a 13-7 lead. First baseman John Dyer added one more to the plate for Tech, sending a sacrifice fly ball to the warning track in left field.
SIUE threatened to get back in the contest in the seventh, loading the bases and scoring once with no outs before Tech turned to Morin to get out of the jam. The right-hander delivered, forcing a fielder's choice that Mills fired to Gilliland for the first out. He followed it up with a strikeout and pop up, limiting the damage to just the one run.
A bit of bad luck allowed the Cougars to score one more time off Morin, as SIUE picked up a lead-off hit in the eighth that took a ridiculous hop at first base. Two batters later, the visitors blasted a laser that Dyer nearly corralled, but the senior's leaping grab saw the ball pop out of his outstretched glove for another hit.
A Tech miscue on defense allowed one run to score, but Morin dug deep for another punch-out and line out to center field to end the inning. He returned to the hill in the ninth, setting the side down in order to pick up his third save of the year.
Eight of Tech's nine batters picked up at least one hit on the day, with Jordan leading the way with three knocks, a team-high five RBI, three runs scored, and a walk. Turner scored a team-best four runs with a pair of hits and two RBI while Mills finished 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs.
Garza finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored while Gilliland, Dyer, and Bryant all produced a pair of hits. Starter Hunter Mann racked up eight strikeouts in the contest on his way to his third victory of the season, walking just one in six innings of work.
LITTLE ROCK 4, SOUTHERN INDIANA 3
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Little Rock completed a dramatic ninth inning rally to take the lead with two outs in the ninth on a bases loaded single up the middle off the bat of Nico Baumbach. Southern Indiana threated in the bottom of the ninth with runners on the corners and one out, but a strikeout and fly ball ended the game for a 4-3 Trojan win. The victory improves the Trojans record to 26-17 on the year and 11-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play as well as nets Head Coach Chris Curry his 200th victory at the helm for Little Rock.
Both offenses were quiet through the first third of the game as Little Rock starter Jackson Wells allowed just one hit through the first three innings until Southern Indiana was able to manufacture a run in the bottom of the fourth to take the 1-0 lead.
USI would add another unearned run in the bottom of the fifth to stretch the lead out to two as the Trojans continued to be held off the scoreboard heading into the second half of the game.
Little Rock was able to break through in the top of the sixth. Tyler Williams worked a leadoff walk after going to a full count before going first to third on a single by Luke Pectol who advanced on the throw to third base to put two runners in scoring position with no one out. Baumbach then sent a fly ball out to right field that was deep enough to score Williams from third but kept Pectol on second. Following a groundout to first, Noah Brewer stepped up to the plate and hit a single through the left side that brought home Pectol and tied things up at two apiece.
The Screaming Eagles started the bottom of the seventh with three consecutive singles which loaded the bases with nobody out. In one of the biggest moments of the game, Wells induced a 4-6-3 double play from Southern Indiana's three hole hitter and perhaps biggest offensive threat which did relinquish a run but put the Trojans in a much better position to escape the inning. This is exactly what happened as a pop fly promptly ended the inning with just one run given up, and USI took a 3-2 lead into the eighth.
Each team was denied a scoring chance in the eighth, stranding a pair of baserunners on both sides and Little Rock came up to bat in the top of the ninth needing a run to continue play and two for a chance to win.
Jaxson Anderson kicked off the rally with a one-out pinch hit single to left field before being pinch ran for by Ben Harmon. A walk drawn by Alex Seguine put the tying run in scoring position prior to a strikeout which left two on with two outs and Pectol heading to the plate, USI went to the bullpen for Sunday starter Blake Ciuffetelli and a left on left matchup. In a full count, Harmon took off for a vacant third base which prompted Ciuffetelli to step off the rubber. This was his second disengagement of the at bat without a throw which invoked a violation resulting in a ball being called and a walk being issued to Pectol, loading the bases. After another pitching change, Baumbach stepped up to the plate and delivered the go ahead two RBI single in an 0-1 count that scored Harmon and Seguine.
The eventful ninth continued in the bottom of the frame as USI was able to get the tying run to third and winning run to first with one out. Austin Stubber proceeded to strike out the Screaming Eagles cleanup batter before producing a fly ball to center that required a running catch from Williams to end the contest and secure the win for Little Rock.
Baumbach led the offense with a 2-for-4 performance and three of the Trojans four RBI, he was one of three Little Rock players with multiple hits on the evening.
Wells pitched seven strong innings in the no decision, scattering six hits and giving up two earned runs while striking out five.
Stubber picked up his fifth win of the year to improve to 5-0, the Hope, Arkansas native went two innings and allowed just one hit and no runs while striking out one.
#22 KANSAS STATE 2, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Southeast Missouri (26-21, 14-4 OVC) dropped Friday's contest to Kansas State (29-18, 11-7 Big 12) by a final score of
The Redhawks got on the board in the fifth inning with a solo blast from Jevon Mason off Wildcats starting pitcher Owen Boerema.
Mason finished the night going 2-for-3 with the only RBI of the game.
KSU got on the board first in the home third as the Wildcats' leading home run hitter Roberto Pena hit a solo home run off LHP Noah Niznik.
The Redhawks offense registered just three hits in the contest as Kansas State broke the tie in the seventh inning.
A two-out RBI single plated the game-winning run as KSU took game one of the series.
A two-out walk to Peyton Leeper in the top of the ninth inning was the final threat of the game for SEMO, as a strikeout ended the game.
LHP Noah Niznik took the loss in the contest. Niznik pitched 7.0 innings, allowed just six hits and two runs. He struck out two in the game.
LINDENWOOD 13, UT MARTIN 12 (12)
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - After the game was suspended on Friday night, it was resumed on Saturday with Lindenwood pulling out a 13-12 win in 12 innings.
Freshman Easton Rakers (2-2) got the win out of the bullpen, as the right-hander went three innings, giving up one run on two hits, allowing one walk and striking out three. Sophomore Bennett Stice also pitched well, going one shutout inning while allowing one hit, walking none and striking out two.
Senior Joe Copeland led the way offensively for the Lions, going 3-for-6 in the ballgame with a home run and six RBI. Junior Colin Shea put together a standout performance at the dish as well, going 5-for-6 with a double and an RBI. Sophomore Marcus Heusohn also chipped in, going 3-for-6 for Lindenwood with a double and two RBI.
The Lions scored in seven different innings on the way to the win. Lindenwood broke a 12-12 tie in the 12th inning, walking it off. The Lions notched two of their three runs on a two-run single off the bat of Copeland. Junior Logan Stevens' one-out RBI double was the game winner which concluded on Saturday. The game started on Friday, but was postponed due to an issue with the turf.