SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 23-17, Eastern Michigan 12-4
@UAB 7,
Lindenwood 4
@Eastern Illinois 4, Dayton 0
@Murray State 5,
Little Rock 4
@UIC 4-19,
SIUE 2-9
@Iowa 17-19,
Western Illinois 7-9
@UT Martin 6, Illinois State 5 (11)
@Southeast Missouri 8, Western Kentucky 7
@Illinois 6,
Southern Indiana 5
Davidson 6-2,
@Tennessee Tech 4-12
MOREHEAD STATE 23-17, EASTERN MICHIGAN 12-4
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Colton Becker collected three extra base hits to help power the Morehead State Eagles over the Eastern Michigan Eagles 23-12 on Saturday in game one of a doubleheader.
Sophomore Carter Owens (1-0) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Morehead State (10-8). The right-hander went 2.2 innings, giving up four runs, all of them earned, on five hits, allowing one walk and striking out three. Matt Bettio also made an impact on the mound for the Eagles, throwing two shutout innings while allowing two hits, with no walks and one strikeout.
Becker's three extra base hits were the highlight of a 3-for-6 day, and included two doubles, a home run and four RBI. Isaias Guzman put together a noteworthy day at the plate as well, going 2-for-5 with a home run, a walk and four RBI. Senior Roman Kuntz also chipped in for the Eagles, putting together three hits in five trips to the plate while adding a home run, a walk and two RBI.
The Eagles scored in six different innings on the way to victory. Morehead State broke a 2-2 tie and took the lead for good at 3-2 in the first inning The big hit for the Eagles in the inning was a two-run home run off the bat of Becker.
In game two, senior Logan Castleman and senior Roman Kuntz each hit two home runs to help power the Morehead State Eagles over the Eastern Michigan Eagles 17-4 on Saturday.
Sophomore Hunter Porter (1-0) started on the mound and picked up the win for Morehead State (11-8). The right-hander went five innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on five hits, allowing five walks and striking out six. Sophomore Josh Furtado also made an impact on the mound for the Eagles, throwing two shutout innings while allowing no hits, with one walk and two strikeouts.
Kuntz added six RBI to his two homer day and Castleman supplemented his own two big flies with four RBI for the Eagles. Freshman Hayden Robbins also contributed for Morehead State, putting together two hits in two trips to the plate while adding a home run, a walk and two RBI.
The Eagles scored in six different innings on the way to victory. Morehead State broke a 0-0 tie and took the lead for good at 2-0 in the first inning on senior Colton Becker's two-run home run off of freshman Jimmy Kunst.
UAB 7, LINDENWOOD 4
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Lindenwood baseball team dropped game two of their three game series 7-4 to the hosting Blazers of the University of Alabama Birmingham, on Saturday afternoon.
The Lions scored two runs in the top of the first, to take an early lead. They held the hosting Blazers scoreless in the bottom of the inning. Lindenwood was unable to score in the top of the second and UAB was able to cut the lead in half by scoring one run in the bottom of the inning.
In the third, LU scored another run to push their lead back up to two runs, however, the Blazers scored three in the bottom of the inning to go up 4-3. Neither scored in the fourth, but UAB was able to score two in the fifth to increase the gap 6-3.
The sixth inning was scoreless for both teams. Lindenwood scored their final run in the top of the seventh and the Blazers wrapped up theirs in the bottom of the eighth with one run as well.
Eli Brown took the loss for Lindenwood on the mound as the team finished with four runs on ten hits and two errors. Filip Sarota and Dawson Hokuf each paced the Lions offense on the diamond in game two. Sarota recorded three hits, one of which was a two RBI homer to left field, while Hokuf recorded two runs on three hits. Logan Stevens recorded the other Lindenwood run. Mitch Cummins finished with two hits and two RBIs. Colin Shea and Evan Funkhouser also recorded one hit for the Lions offense.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 4, DAYTON 0
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team (4-12, 0-0 OVC) completed their first shutout of the season with a 4-0 win over Dayton (11-8, 0-0 A10) on Saturday afternoon. EIU starter Bryce Riggs pitched seven and two-thirds scoreless innings to carry the Panthers over the Flyers.
Neither offense could get much going through the first half of the game, as both freshman starters combined to allow just three hits and no runs entering the bottom of the fifth.
With one out, Cole Gober singled to left field to break up Dayton pitcher Connor Fennell's no-hitter after four and a third innings. The knock opened up the floodgates, as Robby Taul reached on a walk in the next at-bat before a Tyler Castro bunt single loaded up the bases.
Enter Dylan Drumke, who with just one swing of the bat flipped the game on its head with a grand slam to open up a 4-0 Panthers lead. It made back-to-back games with a home run for the Eastern lead-off man.
Now with a comfortable lead, Bryce Riggs kept things rolling on the mound, allowing just one hit and one walk over his final two and two-thirds innings of action.
With two outs in the eighth, EIU skipper Jason Anderson called on the services of Chaney Trout to finish off the win for Eastern. Trout would answer the call, as he retired his first two batters faced before getting a 5-4-3 double play ball to close out the game.
Bryce Riggs threw a gem of a game for the Panthers. The freshman right-hander from Cicero, Indiana allowed no runs on just three hits while compiling six strikeouts through his 7.2 innings of work. It was the longest outing for an EIU pitcher this season.
Dylan Drumke's grand slam brought his season RBI total to nine, which is second most on the team this season.
The victory was the Panthers' first nine-inning shutout since their 2-0 win at St. Louis on March 22nd of last year.
MURRAY STATE 5, LITTLE ROCK 4
MURRAY, Ky. - Recap coming soon.
UIC 4-19, SIUE 2-9
CHICAGO - SIUE baseball dropped both games of a doubleheader Saturday falling 4-2 in game one and 19-9 in seven innings in game two.
SIUE took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one. Lucas Spence doubled to start the game and scored on a one-out base hit by Ryan Niedzwiedz.
UIC scored twice in the second inning and twice more in the fifth inning when Kendal Ewell hit a two-run home run.
The Cougars added a run in the ninth when Gage Franck grounded out to score Chase Bloomer.
Jacob Kampf (0-2) worked a career-high 4.1 innings. He allowed all four runs on seven hits. He struck out two. Kyle Athmer finished the game with 3.2 scoreless innings. He struck out three.
The Cougars were outhit 12-5 in the game. Five different Cougars finished with a single hit in the game.
SIUE struck first in game two, scoring in the first again. Niedzwiedz, again picked up the RBI when he singled to drive in Bloomer. UIC then jumped on Cougar starter Lucas Spence (0-3). Zane Zielinski homered to start the inning. The Flames used three more hits and wild pitch to score four more times.
SIUE trimmed the lead back to 5-3 in the second with an RBI-double by Daniel Gierer and a sacrifice fly from Drew Mize.
The Flames put up another crooked number in the second inning. UIC loaded the bases with a hit and two hit batters by SIUE reliever Alex Rodriguez. A double play and a single plated two runs before the Flames loaded the bases a second time ahead of a James Harris grand slam. With the bases loaded a third time, Jackson Bessette popped a ball up into shallow right field where it was misplayed allowing three more to score and push the UIC lead out to 14-3.
SIUE scored twice in the fourth inning on RBIs by Spence and Mize and then scored four more in the fifth inning. Zack Floyd's sacrifice fly made it 14-6 and Sean Kang's first collegiate home run, a three-run drive to right, made it 14-9.
The Flames answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning and then put the game away with a single run in the seventh.
Kang led the way in game two with two hits and three RBIs.
Spence, Willoughby and Gierer also had two hits apiece.
Zielinski, Harris and Pambos Nicoloudes had three hits each for UIC.
IOWA 17-19, WESTERN ILLINOIS 7-9
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Western Illinois fell in both games of their Saturday doubleheader against the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. After falling 17-7 in game one, WIU saw themselves ahead 9-4 midway through game two before falling 19-9. WIU moves to 4-14 overall.
Chris Hege led off the game with a walk, and Kyree Alexander moved him to second base with Western Illinois second base hit. The Leathernecks would not move any closer as WIU's next three batters were retired. Iowa got on the scoreboard, striking for four runs over the next four innings, as it was 4-0 heading into the fifth inning. The Leathernecks offense got rolling in the fifth inning as Grant Plamer reached on an error to start it off. Max Slavens walked as Western Illinois had their first two batters reach base. Chris Hege drove in the Leatherneck's first run as he singled down the right-field line. Kyree Alexander moved the train along as a pitch hit him to load the bases. With the bases loaded, Liam Bushey took his free pass and RBI as he was hit by a pitch giving, cutting the Hawkeye's deficit in half by 4-2. The WIU offense was not done as Adam Juran brought in a run-grounding for a fielder's choice. 4 3, Brock Lummus gave WIU a lead as he put a ball up in the jet stream and flew it over the right field fence for a three-run, three-run home run as WIU took a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the fifth.
Iowa tied the game in the fifth and took the lead in the sixth with three runs. Down 9-6, WIU attempted to chip into the three-run deficit as Juran legged out a one-out single. J.R. Heavilin brought him around with a double to right field as Western Illinois was within two runs. Iowa did not let the Leathernecks hang around too long as they would score three in the bottom half of the seventh and then five runs in the eighth, taking a 17-7 win.
Seven Leathernecks reached base via the hit. Chris Hege reached base three times with a hit and two walks. Max Slavens also reached base multiple times with a double and a walk. The top half of the Leathernecks lineup had all seven RBIs in game one.
In game two, Western Illinois jumped out on the front foot. The Leathernecks had a leadoff walk by Chris Hege, and Kyree Alexander followed it up with his own. Liam Bushey stayed red hot from the plate as he singled through the left side to load the bases. J.R. Heavilin earned the RBI the hard way by wearing a pitch to earn his free base. WIU stranded the bases loaded as they led 1-0 after the first half inning. Iowa scored four in the bottom half of the first, but WIU chipped away in the second inning.
Grant Palmer started the inning with a triple, and Justin Jang walked as the Leathernecks had runners on the corner. After a strikeout, Alexander came up clutch with a line drive to right field, scoring Palmer. Heavilin found his second RBI with a single as he brought in Jang as WIU cut the deficit to 4-3. Western Illinois shut Iowa down 1-2-3 in the second and kept the bats red-hot in the third.
A double by Max Slatens started the inning, and he was moved around to third on a Palmer infield single. Jang would tie the game with an RBI groundout, as WIU and Iowa were tied at 4-4. The Leathernecks would take the lead 5-4 on Chirs Hege's single to right center. The Leathernecks' offense stayed quiet in the fourth but erupted in the fifth.
Jackson Horn led the inning with a single but was erased from the base paths on a fielder's choice by Palmer. Jang brought around his second RBI of the afternoon as he doubled to right center, scoring Palmer. Hege kept the Leathernecks offense chugging along with a single, scoring Jang. Kyree Alexander put the exclamation mark on the inning with a two-run home run to right field as Western Illinois led 9-4. Iowa responded to the five-run lead, scoring 15 straight runs to take a 19-9 win.
Western Illinois totaled 13 hits as a team in game two. Five Leathernecks had two hits, and the first three hitters in the lineup had two. The first four Leatherneck batters had a combined seven RBI.
UT MARTIN 6, ILLINOIS STATE 5 (11)
MARTIN, Tenn. - In a late back-and-forth battle, the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team triumphed 6-5 over Illinois State thanks to a Blaze Bell walk-off single.
Bell paced the team with three RBI's on a 2-for-5 day, also driving in two runs with a clutch single in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score. Zac Rice (home run), Cole Smith (2-for-3, three walks, one double and two runs) and Mac Danford (2-for-4, two walks) each had multi-hit days in the thrilling 11-inning contest.
Eric Steensma started the game for the Skyhawks (6-13) and gave them seven strong innings, tying a career-high in that category. The redshirt senior from Western Springs, Ill. posted his third quality start in four chances in 2024, allowing three earned runs with just one walk.
The trio of Kaleb Baskin, Zach Wager and Tucker Reed made appearances out of the bullpen and combined to allow just one earned run on two hits over four innings. Reed (1-0) earned the win after shutting down the Redbirds in the top of the 11th, giving UT Martin the walk-off opportunity.
After Illinois State (7-9) gained the initial lead with a run in the top of the second, Rice hit a game-tying moonshot over the wall in left field to level the score after three innings were in the books.
The Skyhawks would then take their first lead of the day on a sacrifice fly from Jackson Cooke that scored Will Smith in the fourth. The Redbirds were quick to respond in their next at-bat, regaining a 4-2 edge that they would hold for the next three innings.
In the eighth frame, Baskin left two runners in scoring position after winning a 3-2 count with a flyout to right field. Trailing by two in the home half, Cole Smith was issued a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a Danford double out to center. Both players came around to score when Bell singled to center field to tie the game up at 4-all.
Wager took the mound to in the top of the ninth and retired the Redbird first three hitters of the lineup in order. The Skyhawks would load the bases in the bottom half but couldn't bring home the scoring run so free baseball was awarded to the fans.
Illinois State went back in front in the top of the 10th but the run was quickly answered with a Jalen Fithian double off the left field wall, plating Garner Anderson to keep UT Martin alive.
The top of the order was back up for the Redbirds in the 11th but Reed needed just 11 pitches to go three-up, three-down.
Cole Smith led off the bottom of the 11th with a single down the left field line and moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt from Will Smith. After an intentional walk to Danford and a wild pitch, Bell became the walk-off hero after going to the opposite field with a single before being mobbed by his teammates.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8, WESTERN KENTUCKY 7
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (8-12) picked up a game two victory on Saturday afternoon against Western Kentucky (13-7) by a final score of 8-7 in Cape Girardeau.
SEMO fell behind 6-0 early in the ball game, but the offense found a spark to the tune of 11 hits led by outfielder Michael Mugan, short stop Ben Palmer, second baseman Brooks Kettering and third baseman Caleb Corbin who all finished with a pair of hits.
Palmer, Mugan, and Corbin all finished the day with two RBIs to pick up the eighth victory of the season.
Tommy Windt (2-2) had a nice outing out of the bullpen and picked up the win in Saturday's contest. Windt pitched 2.0 innings, allowed no hits and no runs, punching out two Hilltoppers over 10 faced.
WKU jumped out to a two-run lead in the opening frame after back-to-back singles with one out in the inning by Camden Ross and Blake Cavill. Right fielder Ethan Lizama hit a ground-rule-double that scored Cavill.
A sacrifice fly by Cristian Garcia lined out to left field to score Ross as the Hilltoppers got out to an early advantage.
A four-run third inning for WKU against LHP Haden Dow put the Hilltoppers up 6-0 before the Redhawks found any scoring. Dow finished the day with 3.0 innings pitched, allowed six runs on seven hits.
The Redhawks got the offense going in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, scoring a combined seven-of-their-eight runs over the middle innings.
Corbin's RBIs got SEMO on the board first with his RBI double to right center field to plate designated hitter Gavin Baldwin and left fielder Cole Warehime from second and first, respectively.
Ben Palmer recorded his RBIs two batters later following a single from Brooks Kettering. Palmer's line drive got down in left field and got away from WKU's left fielder to plate both Corbin and Kettering to cut WKU's lead to just two.
First baseman Bryce Cannon crushed a home run to right center field on the first pitch of the fifth inning off WKU's RHP Elliot Rossell and the Redhawks trailed by just a run. For Cannon, his blast was the fifth home run of his season.
The sixth inning gave SEMO the lead after a leadoff walk to Corbin, followed by Kettering's second hit of the ball game. A perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Ben Palmer moved the runners up 90-feet.
Center fielder Michael Mugan crushed a triple to the right-center gap that score both runs. The return throw from the outfield got away from the third baseman and into the SEMO dugout, allowing Mugan to score on the play.
After the sixth inning, SEMO led 8-6.
WKU plated one run in the final three innings, a solo shot from Brady Browning off RHP Collin Wilma.
Wilma was dominant over the final three innings, however, and picked up his second save of the season. His final stat line was 3.0 innings pitched, with four strikeouts and no walks.
ILLINOIS 6, SOUTHERN INDIANA 5
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball lost to the long ball at the University of Illinois, 6-5, Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Illinois. USI is 8-10 in the non-conference season, while Illinois goes to 7-10.
USI fell behind 4-0 in the first two innings after the Illini hit a two-run home run in each of the frames. The Screaming Eagles would rally to take the lead, 5-4, with a run in the fourth and four in the fifth.
USI senior designated hitter Jack Ellis (Jeffersonville, Indiana) put the Eagles on the scoreboard with a home run in the top of the fourth. The round tripper was his second of the year and of the series.
The Eagles battled back to take the lead with a four-run fifth inning that started with a two-run double by senior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) to cut the deficit to 4-3. Ellis would strike again to tie the score, 4-4, with a RBI-single before junior second baseman/first baseman Thomas Emerich (Ava, Missouri) gave USI the lead, 5-4, by scoring on a pass ball.
The Illini would take the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth when they regained the advantage, 6-5, with their third two-run bomb of the contest. USI missed a chance in the top of the sixth, leaving runners on first and second, and one runner in the ninth, stranding the tying run.
USI junior right-hander Gavin Seebold (Jeffersonville, Indiana) took the loss in relief for the Eagles. Seebold (2-2) allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in two innings of work.
USI junior right-hander Peyton Brown (Clemmons, NC) picked up a no-decision after going the first 4.2 frames. Brown allowed four runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out three.
DAVIDSON 6-2, TENNESSEE TECH 4-12
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - A day of ups and downs ended on a high note for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Saturday, as the Golden Eagles split a series-opening doubleheader with Davidson at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Tech (11-8) fell in a tough one in the opener, a 6-4 decision that took 10 innings to decide the outcome. The purple and gold bounced back in game two, topping the visiting Wildcats (7-11), 12-2, in a seven-inning, run-rule affair.
Game one proved to be a heartbreaker for the Golden Eagles, as the Wildcats used a pair of solo long balls in the top of the ninth to send the game to extras. It was a pitcher's duel early, with Landon Smiddy completing 5.0 innings with just one earned and two total runs allowed.
The right-hander fanned seven Wildcats along the way while holding the visitors to just four hits. Brody Lanham and Drew Mattox combined to complete three scoreless frames out of the bullpen, each punching out one batter.
Davidson took an initial lead in the fourth, plating an unearned marker with a sacrifice fly. Tech responded in the bottom half as junior Tanner Shiver kept his hot play rolling. The reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year hammered a solo blast to right-center field for his fourth round-tripper of the year to square things at 1-1.
The Wildcats scored again in the fifth to take a 2-1 advantage, one that seemed destined to hold behind an impressive performance by starter Wilson Perkins. The righty limited Tech to just one run on seven hits through seven frames, striking out six with zero walks.
Behind the brilliant showing from the Golden Eagle pen, Shiver played hero for the purple and gold in the bottom of the eighth when the Wildcats went to their bullpen. The Maryville, Tenn. native belted a three-run jack to right field, giving the Cookeville crew a 4-2 lead. It marked his second dinger of the game and fifth of the year.
The visitors delivered their own heroics in the ninth, starting with a pinch-hit, lead-off homer to right field. Down to its final strike, Davidson received another solo shot down the right-field line to tie the game again at 4-4.
Tech threatened in the bottom of the ninth, putting a pair of runners on with two outs, but the Wildcats escaped the threat. Davidson then scored twice in the 10th on a two-run single to move out front 6-4.
The purple and gold gave it one more effort, loading the bases with two outs, but the Wildcats secured the win with a strikeout looking.
Shiver led the Tech attack, finishing 3-for-5 with all four RBI and a pair of runs scored. Designated hitter Preston Ford tallied four hits in the contest while left fielder Austin Turner produced a pair of knocks.
Game two saw starting hurler Peyton Calitri deliver a complete game while absolutely shoving, completing all seven frames for the Cookeville crew with just two runs allowed. The senior right-hander scattered seven hits while striking out eight without issuing a single walk. He moved to a team-best 3-0 on the year while giving Tech plenty of room to operate offensively.
The Golden Eagles got started in the second, with center fielder Nicho Jordan smashing a lead-off jack to right field for the early, 1-0 lead. First baseman Preston Ford made it a 2-0 advantage later in the frame, hammering a solo dinger to right field.
Davidson threatened in the fourth, loading the bases with a trio of singles, but Calitri stood tall and held the visitors scoreless in the inning. Shiver continued his spectacular day in the bottom half of the frame, destroying a 1-0 offering to left field for his third bomb of the day and sixth of the year.
The Wildcats finally got on the board in the top of the sixth, courtesy of a lead-off dinger to right-center field on the first pitch of the frame. The purple and gold answered, with Shiver providing the first response with an RBI double down the right-field line. Shortstop Preston Steele followed with an RBI single to left field.
In the seventh, Davidson picked up its second run with another solo homer to right field, but that would be it for the contest as the Golden Eagles rallied to end the contest in the bottom half for their third walk-off in the last six games.
Second baseman Troy Baunsgard kicked off the scoring with an RBI single to left field, with a second run scoring on an error. Catcher Hayden Gilliland followed with an RBI base knock to second base and was followed, two batters later, by another RBI double courtesy of Shiver.
An infield, run-scoring hit by Steele made it a 10-2 lead for the Golden Eagles. Two wild pitches allowed both Shiver and Steele to dent the dish to end the contest and cap a seven-run inning with five hits.
Shiver ended the contest 3-for-4 with three ribbies and three runs scored while Jordan and Steele each tallied a pair of base hits. Steele drove in two as well while Jordan scored three times.