SUNDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Michigan 9,
@Morehead State 8
@UAB 10,
Lindenwood 4
Dayton 17,
@Eastern Illinois 11
@Murray State 10,
Little Rock 8
Illinois State 11,
@UT Martin 7
Western Kentucky 7,
@Southeast Missouri 2
Southern Indiana 8, @Illinois 3
@Tennessee Tech 9, Davidson 4
EASTERN MICHIGAN 9, MOREHEAD STATE 8
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State baseball team put together a ferocious comeback, scoring three runs over the eighth and ninth innings, but the late-game rally came up short and they fell 9-8 to the Eastern Michigan Eagles Sunday.
Freshman Callum McGill (1-2) got the ball to start for Morehead State (11-9) and took the loss. Matt Bettio was a bright spot for the Eagles, coming out of the bullpen and throwing one shutout inning, allowing no hits.
Offensively, the Eagles were paced by freshman Hayden Robbins, who went 1-for-3 on the day with a double, two walks and two RBI. Senior Ryley Preece put together a standout day at the dish as well, going 2-for-6 with three RBI. Nick Gooden also chipped in for Morehead State, putting together three hits in five trips to the plate while adding a double and an RBI.
The Eagles got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the bottom the first inning with the game still scoreless. Morehead State scored twice, with one run coming across on Gooden's single.
The Eagles lost the lead they built in the first, but got back on the board in the fourth trailing 5-2. Morehead State scored three runs in the frame, buoyed by a two-RBI double from Robbins, which evened the score at 5-5.
Eastern Michigan broke that tie and took an 8-5 lead heading into the eighth, when Morehead State closed the gap to 8-6. The Eagles added a run on senior Gabriel Sepulveda's two-out RBI double.
The Eastern Michigan Eagles expanded their lead to 9-6 before the Morehead State offense got back in gear, digging into that lead in the ninth. The Eagles drove home two runs when a single from Preece brought home senior Ryan Grabosch and senior Logan Castleman, tightening the Eastern Michigan lead to 9-8. The Eagles were unable to get any closer, as neither team scored again in the ballgame.
UAB 10, LINDENWOOD 4
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Game three of the Lindenwood baseball team and the Blazers of the University of Alabama Birmingham ended in favor of UAB, 10-4.
The Blazers scored once in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. The Lions scored twice in the top of the second inning before holding UAB scoreless in the bottom of the inning. In the top of the third, Lindenwood scored an additional run. In the bottom of the inning (third) the Blazers scored four runs.
The Lions were unable to score again until the top of the ninth. UAB scored once in the fourth, two in the fifth and the sixth. LU finished with four runs on 14 hits and three errors.
Josh Newell took the loss for the Lions. Mitch Cummins landed four hits and one run for Lindenwood. Colin Shea scored one run and three hits, while Dawson Hokuf contributed two hits and one run. Bryson Arnette added two hits, one run and one RBI.
DAYTON 17, EASTERN ILLINOIS 11
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois (4-13, 0-0 OVC) closed out their series against Dayton (12-8, 0-0 A10) with a 17-11 loss on Sunday afternoon. In a wild game that featured 19 total pitchers and a number of miscues by both sides, the Flyers used a late offensive explosion to overcome the Panthers and take the series.
Dayton opened up the game with three runs in the first inning, forcing an EIU pitching change before they could even reach their first at-bat. After entering the game, Anthony Solis was able to work a strikeout with the bases loaded to get out of the inning.
The Panthers responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first. Dylan Drumke represented the first score after being brought home from third on a balk. Lucas Loos was hit by a pitch in the next at bat, which led to the Flyers also making an early change at pitcher.
An at-bat later, Michael O'Conor singled to left field to drive Cole Gober home to score.
Dayton scored on an error in the top of the second to make the score 4-2, but their lead was to be short lived, as EIU would hang five runs on the board in the bottom half of the inning.
The first four Panthers batters of the inning reached base, with Robby Taul getting the scoring started by stealing home on a wild pitch. Dumke scored on another error, while Lucas Loos, Cade Zalewski, and Grant Lashure recorded RBIs in the inning.
The next two innings were much quieter, which just one run scored by Dayton in the top of the third.
In the bottom of the fifth, Eastern extended their lead with a Lucas Loos two-run homer that brought the count to 9-5 entering the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Dayton responded with a three-run homer off the bat of David Mendez to cut EIU's lead to just one. However, a Tyler Castro sacrifice fly and Dylan Drumke RBI single in the bottom of the sixth put the Panthers back up by three.
Unfortunately, things began to unravel further for the Eastern pitching staff in the top of the seventh, as the Flyers racked up five runs on five hits in the inning to take a 13-11 lead. A Michael Dobie grand slam in the eighth would put the Panthers in an even deeper hole with limited opportunities remaining.
EIU was unable to put a rally together in their last two at-bats, as Dayton's Nick Wissman salted the game away.
Wissman (4-0) was credited with the win while EIU reliever Christian Carew (0-3) was designated the loss.
During a day of erratic pitching, Eastern's Anthony Solis offered a steady presence on the mound for the Panthers. After entering the game in the first inning with the bases loaded, the freshman allowed just two runs on two hits while collecting five strikeouts through his 4.0 innings of action.
Six different Panthers recorded RBIs on the day, including Lucas Loos with a team-leading three. Loos also extended his on-base streak to 12 games.
MURRAY STATE 10, LITTLE ROCK 8
MURRAY, Ky. - Recap coming soon.
ILLINOIS STATE 11, UT MARTIN 7
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball kept chipping away at Illinois State’s lead but never fully completed the comeback, falling in the rubber match by a score of 11-7.
Blaze Bell spearheaded the Skyhawk attack with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, smacking two doubles and driving in two runs. Cole Smith (three RBI’s), Will Smith (2-for-5, run scored), Mac Danford (2-for-5, double, RBI) and Zac Rice (2-for-5, double) each played a key role in the seven-run performance from the offense.
Jeb Bartle (1-1) pitched six innings in his first start since Feb. 18 but was charged with the loss. Tucker Reed (0.2 innings), Brock Arender (one inning) and Baylor Jones (one inning) were all responsible for scoreless outings out of the bullpen.
Bartle breezed through the top of the first, firing only eight pitches while inducing three groundballs. After the Redbirds (8-9) broke a scoreless tie with one run in the top of the second, UT Martin would take its first lead of the game off back-to-back RBI doubles from Danford and Bell – putting the Skyhawks on top, 2-1.
After Bartle tossed another zero in the run column in the third, UT Martin (6-14) added to its lead in the bottom half. Rice lined a double to left field and later came home to score on a Cole Smith sacrifice fly.
The Redbird bats would bring the lead back in their favor over the next half inning, plating six runs (two unearned). UT Martin responded in the home half as Garner Anderson notched his second RBI double of the season to make the score 7-4.
Illinois State scored once in the top of the fifth before Bartle posted a scoreless frame against the heart of the Redbird lineup in the sixth. In the bottom half, Will Smith, Danford and Bell (RBI) led off with three consecutive singles to keep the Skyhawk deficit within striking distance at three runs.
The Redbirds scored three runs in the top of the seventh but were soon silenced by strong work from Reed, Arender and Jones.
A late rally was beginning to take form in the bottom of the ninth as Cole Smith laced a double down the right field line to score Jalen Fithian (single) and Andrew Fernandez (walk). Will Smith followed with a single but the Skyhawks were unable to cut into the lead any further.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 7, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (8-13) fell in the series finale on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 7-2 to Western Kentucky (14-7) at Capaha Field.
The Redhawks offense was stifled on Sunday scoring just two runs on five hits, led by Brooks Kettering and Ty Stauss who each had a pair of hits. Stauss drove in an RBI in the contest.
First baseman Bryce Cannon drove in the other run of the game as the Redhawks led by a pair of runs after the first inning. Stauss and Cannon both drove in the RBIs in the first inning. SEMO led 2-0 after the first frame.
RHP Payton Lawrence made the start on Sunday and pitched 3.2 innings and allowed two unearned runs on just three hits. He struck out two Hilltoppers in the outing.
Trailing 2-0 in the fourth inning, WKU would tie the game with a sacrifice fly by Zayd Branningan. Austin Haller drove in the next run of the inning, assisted by an error on the Redhawks defense. WKU and SEMO were tied at two after the fourth inning.
WKU's right fielder Ethan Lizama drove in the go-ahead run for WKU in the fifth inning with an RBI fielder's choice off LHP Ethan Osborne (0-2).
The Redhawks would be shut out the rest of the way as the Hilltoppers used a four-run eighth inning to take the contest, 7-2.
WKU registered 11 hits on the day, led by three different Hilltoppers with two hits.
SOUTHERN INDIANA 8, ILLINOIS 3
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball built a 6-0 lead early before getting an 8-3 win over the University of Illinois Sunday afternoon in Champaign, Illinois. USI is 9-10 in the non-conference season, while Illinois goes to 7-11.
The Screaming Eagles grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first, scoring on a ground out by senior designated hitter Jack Ellis (Jeffersonville, Indiana). The 1-0 lead would stand until the sixth when USI increased the lead to 4-0 with a trio of runs.
USI's first two runs of the three-run sixth were the result of Illinois miscues. USI sophomore shortstop Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) crossed the plate with run number two when junior second baseman/first baseman Thomas Emerich (Ava, Missouri) reached on an error, while Ellis scored to put USI up 3-0 when junior catcher Logan Mock (Livingston, California) reached on second Illini error of the frame.
The Eagles pushed the fourth run of the game and third of the inning when sophomore first baseman Jacob Winzenread (McCordsville, Indiana) used a bunt single to drive in Emerich for a 4-0 lead.
Ellis would strike again for USI to increase the lead to 6-0 when he blasted his third-round tripper of the series and the season. The junior designated hitter's two-run shot would give him three RBI in the game.
The Illini got onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, driving three runs to cut the USI advantage in half. The Eagle re-extended the lead to four runs when senior rightfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) gave USI a 7-3 advantage with an RBI single.
USI sealed the 8-3 victory with another tally in the ninth when Niehaus scored after Emerich reached on a ground out.
USI junior right-hander Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana) started and picked up the win. Morris (2-1) allowed three runs on three hits and three walks, while striking out five in 6.2 innings of work.
TENNESSEE TECH 9, DAVIDSON 4
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Good pitching and productive offense was more than enough for the Tennessee Tech baseball team to pick up a series victory over Davidson Sunday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles topped the visiting Wildcats 9-4 at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
The purple and gold didn't wait long to light up the scoreboard, tallying the first run of the ball game with some small ball. Center fielder Nicho Jordan drew a lead-off walk before stealing second base. First baseman Preston Ford followed two batters later, ripping an RBI double to center field.
The Golden Eagles (12-8) got back after it in the third, with Jordan providing the big swing after right fielder Theo Bryant IV singled and second baseman Troy Baunsgard smacked a double to right field. Jordan then laced a two-run knock to right field to make it a 3-0 ball game.
The Wildcats (7-12) answered in the fourth, plating one run on three hits before taking their first lead of the ball game in the fifth behind three more markers. Trailing 4-3 all of the sudden, the Cookeville crew never deterred from its approach, immediately kicking off the bottom of the fifth with a pair of base hits.
Shortstop Preston Steele laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over and Ford drove in the tying score with a sac fly to right field. Freshman designated hitter Mack Whitcomb put the Golden Eagles back on top for good later in the inning blistering an RBI single to shortstop.
Tech continued the push in the sixth when left fielder Austin Turner led things off with a double down the right-field line. Following a fly ball that allowed him to advance to third, Turner dented the dish behind a wild pitch by the Wildcats. The purple and gold loaded the bags later in the frame, setting up Ford for his second sac fly of the ball game.
In the seventh, the Golden Eagles provided a little more security on the lead. Third baseman Eddie Garza doubled to right field to open the frame and moved over to the third on a passed ball. A fielder's choice provided Baunsgard with an RBI as Garza slid in safely to the plate ahead of the throw from third base.
Catcher Hayden Gilliland made it a 9-4 advantage for the Golden Eagles behind an RBI base hit to center field, plating Turner, who had stolen third base just prior to the knock. It marked the senior's team-leading 11th theft of the season.
On the day, Ford led Tech with three RBI while Jordan delivered three hits with two ribbies and two runs. Gilliland and Garza each tallied multiple hits as well.
Rookie hurler Jack Brafa struck out a season-high five batters while tossing 4.2 innings and allowing four runs. Jaxson Pease and Eli Huddleston each tacked on three punch-outs, joining Jack Erdman to complete the final 4.1 innings without allowing a run to the Wildcats.