FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 12, Eastern Michigan 2
@UAB 3,
Lindenwood 0
Dayton 9
@Eastern Illinois 6
@Murray State 3,
Little Rock 1
SIUE 11, @UIC 8
@Iowa 11,
Western Illinois 1
Illinois State 4,
@UT Martin 1
Western Kentucky 8,
@Southeast Missouri 3
@Illinois 2,
Southern Indiana 1
MOREHEAD STATE 12, EASTERN MICHIGAN 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Luke Helton was mowing people down on Friday, fanning nine Eastern Michigan hitters over eight innings of work to help lead the Morehead State Eagles over the Eagles 12-2.
In addition to his nine strikeouts, Helton (4-1) went eight innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on three hits and walking one for Morehead State (9-8).
In the batter's box, the Eagles were led by senior Roman Kuntz, who went 2-for-4 on the day with a double, a home run, a walk and three RBI. Nick Gooden put together a noteworthy effort as well, going 1-for-3 with a grand slam. Senior Ryan Grabosch also helped out for Morehead State, putting together three hits in three trips to the plate while adding a home run, a walk and an RBI.
The Eagles were trailing 2-0 in the fourth inning when they first put runs on the board. Morehead State hit two home runs in the inning on the way to scoring six runs.
The Eastern Michigan Eagles failed to push any runs across before the Eagles offense got back to their scoring ways the next inning. Morehead State scored once on an RBI single off the bat of freshman Davis Germann, which brought the score to 7-2 in favor of the Eagles.
Morehead State kept Eastern Michigan scoreless before building their lead to 11-2 the following inning. The Eagles got a grand slam from Gooden off freshman Niko Kreuzer to cash in four runs in the frame.
Morehead State held the Eastern Michigan Eagles without a run before building on their lead in the eighth inning. The Eagles sent home a run on Kuntz's one-out RBI double, bringing the Morehead State advantage to 12-2. The score remained 12-2 for the rest of the game, as the Eagles coasted to the win.
UAB 3, LINDENWOOD 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Lindenwood baseball team dropped a 3-0 decision to the University of Alabama Birmingham Blazers.
The first five innings of the game were scoreless. In the bottom of the sixth, UAB scored two runs and their final run in the seventh.
The Lions finished with nine hits and one error. Zach Buschschulte took the loss for Lindenwood on the mound.
DAYTON 9, EASTERN ILLINOIS 6
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team dropped their series opener against Dayton by a score of 9-6. The Panthers held a three-run advantage entering the eighth inning, but the Flyers offense took off for six runs in the final two innings to steal the victory.
Dayton struck first with a David Mendez two-run homer in the top of the first inning to jump out to an early lead before a Dylan Drumke lead-off home run for EIU made the score 2-1 after one.
After a scoreless second inning, the Flyers' Mason Dobie extended their lead in the top of the third with a solo shot to left center. However, the Panthers tied things up in the bottom of the third as Kolten Poorman drove in Cole Gober and Lucas Loos scored on an error.
The next three innings went completely scoreless as both teams' pitchers settled into the game.
That changed in the bottom of the sixth when EIU put up three runs. The big inning got started with Dylan Drumke reaching on a passed ball before a Cole Gober sacrifice bunt advanced him to scoring position.
In the next at bat, Lucas Loos was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Kolten Poorman made the Flyers pay, as he smashed a three-run homer to put Eastern up 6-3.
However, things started to unravel for the Panthers in the eighth inning. First, Michael Adair singled to drive in Mason Dobie, who had originally reached on a wild pitch. In the next at bat, another wild pitch allowed David Pedanou to score from third, which cut EIU's lead to just one.
Eastern was unable to score any insurance runs in the bottom half and entered the ninth clinging to a one run lead.
That lead was erased with a David Mendez RBI single that made the score 6-6. Mendez would later score on a throwing error after stealing third base to give the Flyers a one run lead.
Dayton would then add insult to injury with a two-run homer off the bat of Eli Yamin to put Eastern in a three-run hole, which they were unable to dig out of in their final at-bat.
Zane Robbins (1-2) suffered the loss for Eastern Illinois while Nick Wissman (3-0) was credited with the win.
Despite the loss, EIU starter Colton Coca had a solid outing, allowing three runs on three hits with six strikeouts through five complete innings.
MURRAY STATE 3, LITTLE ROCK 1
MURRAY, Ky. - Recap coming soon.
SIUE 11, UIC 8
CHICAGO - A four-run eighth inning lifted SIUE baseball to an 11-8 win in the opener of a three-game series at UIC.
The Cougars won their second game in a row and improved to 5-13. The loss was the first at home for UIC, which fell to 10-6. The Flames had won five straight before Friday.
The Cougars trailed 8-7 when they scored four times on three hits in the eighth. Gage Franck doubled to drive in a run. Zack Floyd drove in another with an infield hit before John Stallcup doubled to drive home two runs.
UIC took a 2-0 lead before the Cougars got on the board in the third thanks to a Chase Bloomer single and a throwing error.
The Flames had extended their lead to 4-1 when SIUE struck for three runs in the fourth. Franck drove home his first run of the day and Mize singled to plate two more runs to tie the score 4-4.
Ryan Niedzwiedz singled to score two runs in the sixth and Mize drove home another run in the seventh to push the SIUE lead to 7-6.
UIC's Zane Zielinski put the Flames on top with a two-run homer in the seventh to set up SIUE's comeback.
Mize led the SIUE charge with a 3-for-5 day at the plate and three RBIs. Gage and Bloomer each collected three hits. Gage drove home two runs as did Niedzwiedz and Stallcup.
Zeus Ponder (2-0) worked 3.1 innings in relief to earn the win. He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out one.
Ian Benner and Duncan McLaughlin each tossed a scoreless inning to finish the game. McLaughlin earned his second consecutive save striking out one in the ninth.
Presley Wachowiak (0-1) allowed two of the runs in the eighth and was saddled with the loss.
AJ Henkle was 4-5 with a pair of RBIs for UIC. Zielinski finished with three hits and three RBIs.
IOWA 11, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1
IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Western Illinois baseball team fell to the University of Iowa 11-1 in eight innings on Friday night. The Leathernecks fall to 4-12 on the season.
Western Illinois offense came alive early as the Leathernecks attacked the Hawkeye pitching. Chris Hege started the evening with a high chopper up the middle that the Hawkeyes miss played as Hege reached first base. Liam Bushey stayed red hot at the plate as he singled through the left side as WIU put their first two runners on in the first inning. Iowa found a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to keep WIU off the scoreboard.
Jason Buhl came out dealing, getting the strikeout to start the bottom of the first as he worked a 1-2-3 inning. Both teams stayed scoreless heading into the third when WIU cracked the scoring column. After a ground out to start the inning, Hege worked his way to base for the second time via the walk. Bushey followed with a single, then worked his way to second on an Adam Juran walk to load the bases. With two outs, Kyree Alexander beat out an infield single, and Western Illinois took a 1-0 lead.
Iowa fought back, grabbed the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third, and did not give it up the rest of the way. Western Illinois had scoring threats throughout the game. Jackson Horn and Hege worked walks in the 4th inning, giving the Leathernecks a runner in scoring position. In the 5th inning, Juran led off the inning with a double and moved to third as WIU loaded the bases for the second time of the night, but a flyout and double play wiped away any scoring opportunity. Western Illinois found three singles in the 7th inning, but a killer double play ended the scoring threat. Iowa took advantage of scoring opportunities, scoring a run in the 4th, four in the 5th, three in the 6th, and one in the 8th to take game one of the three-game series 11-1.
Liam Bushey stayed red hot at the plate, going three for four. Chris Hege reached base twice with two walks, and Western Illinois's first two hitters combined to go 3-6 with two walks and a run scored. Kyree Alexander had a multi-hit day, going two for three with an RBI. Adam Juran had the only extra-base hit, a double in the fifth inning.
ILLINOIS STATE 4, UT MARTIN 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team fell in narrow 4-1 contest to Illinois State in Game 1 of its weekend series.
A pitcher's duel took place at Skyhawk Field this evening as UT Martin (5-13) sent four hurlers to the mound. Tristan Walton (2-3) earned the start and struck out four batters over six innings, spinning his third quality start of the young 2024 campaign. Brock Arender (career-high three strikeouts), Eli Martin and Baylor Jones followed with one inning apiece – combining for zero earned runs and just two hits allowed out of the bullpen.
The Skyhawk offense was led by Will Smith (3-for-4) while Cole Smith (RBI), and Zac Rice (run scored) were both involved in UT Martin's scoring.
Despite the Redbirds (7-8) gaining a run in the opening inning, Walton was nails as he stranded the bases loaded to end the frame. The senior southpaw followed with a perfect seven-pitch inning in the second and started an inning-ending double play in a scoreless third. He conceded only a harmless bunt single in the fourth inning before Illinois State had a two-run, two-out double in the top of the fifth to go on top by a 3-0 margin.
Walton once again stranded the bases loaded in the sixth, picking up a pair of strikeouts before a groundout wrapped up his evening.
The Skyhawks got on the scoreboard in the sixth frame as Rice singled through the left side with one away, then stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error. Soon thereafter, Cole Smith lifted an RBI double to deep left field to pull UT Martin within two runs.
Arender would relieve Walton in the seventh and fanned three of the first four batters he faced. The Redbirds loaded the bases in the eighth but Martin left the Redbirds with ducks on the pond thanks in large part to a heads-up defensive play where he threw out a runner at the plate on a fielder's choice. Jones got his moment on the bump with a shutout ninth inning, going three-up and three-down.
Will Smith would earn his third base hit of the game in the bottom of the ninth but the Skyhawks could not extend the contest.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 8, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (7-12) fell in game one of the weekend series with Western Kentucky (13-6) by a final score of 8-3 on Friday night from Capaha Field.
The Redhawks pounded out 10 hits as a team but could only convert them into three runs on the evening. Catcher Shea McGahan finished the game at the plate with a 2-for-3 night, with a home run.
The Hilltoppers got on the board in the third inning utilizing small ball. A leadoff double by the short stop Zayd Branningan followed by a bunt single by Caleb Marmo put Hilltoppers on second and third with no outs.
An RBI sacrifice bunt by second baseman Austin Haller plated the first run of the game for WKU. An RBI groundout plated the second run of the game and after the visitor's third inning, WKU led 2-0.
Catcher Shea McGahan got the Redhawks on the board in the home half with a third-inning leadoff home run off WKU's Jack Bennett. McGahan crushed the ball over the left field fence to cut the WKU lead in half.
A sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and an RBI single in the fifth inning plated two more runs for WKU before the Redhawks would respond with a pair of runs in the sixth.
Back-to-back singles with one out in the sixth inning by Michael Mugan and Bryce Cannon got the offense going for the Redhawks. Third baseman Chance Resetich bounced into a fielder's choice but a throwing error on the Hilltoppers' third baseman loaded the bases.
Right fielder Josh Cameron singled to left field to score Mugan and a fielder's choice off the bat of Ty Stauss plated the runs for SEMO in the sixth inning.
That was all SEMO could find as WKU added runs in the seventh and ninth inning to take the 8-3 victory.
RHP Brian Strange (1-2) took the loss in the contest. Strange pitched 5.0 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. He struck out two batters over 27 hitters.
LHP Logan Katen had a strong outing out of the bullpen, going 4.0 innings to help the Redhawks bullpen for the rest of the weekend. Katen struck out four hitters.
ILLINOIS 2, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball lost a heartbreaker in the ninth inning, 2-1, to open a three-game set at the University of Illinois Friday evening to in Champaign, Illinois. USI, which snapped the Screaming Eagles four-game winning streak, is 8-9 in the non-conference season, while Illinois goes to 6-10.
USI struck first in the second frame when senior designated hitter Jack Ellis (Jeffersonville, Indiana) hit a solo shot over the right field wall. The home run was Ellis' first of the season.
The 1-0 lead would last until the bottom of the ninth when the Illini tied the score on a pass ball with two out after putting runners at the corners. USI would get to within one strike of getting to extra innings when Illinois scored the game-winner on a RBI-single up the middle.
USI junior right-hander Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) took the loss in relief for the Eagles. Hutson (0-2) allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and a walk in 1.0 inning of work.
On the mound, freshman right-hander Grant Parson (Owensboro, Kentucky) picked up the no-decision after throwing six-scoreless frame. Parson, who threw 106 pitches with 64 strikes, allowed three hits and three walks, while striking out five.
USI freshman Clayton Weisheit (Ferdinand, Indiana) relieved Parson, throwing 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball. He walked two and struck out one in his appearance.