FRIDAY'S SCORES
Southeast Missouri 20, @Eastern Illinois 13
UT Martin 14, @Western Illinois 3
@SIUE 7, Lindenwood 5
@Little Rock 6, Morehead State 0
Tennessee Tech 9, @Southern Indiana 7 (10)
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 20, EASTERN ILLINOIS 13
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (10-13, 1-0 OVC) picked up a game one win of the conference-opening series with Eastern Illinois (5-14, 0-1 OVC) by a final score of 20-13.
Seven different Redhawks had two or more hits in the contest, led by Ty Stauss who finished 4-for-6 at the plate with two doubles, four RBIs, and his first career triple as SEMO recorded 18 RBIs in the 20-run day.
Center fielder Michael Mugan hit his seventh home run of the season in the third inning as the Redhawks' only home run of the afternoon.
RHP Brian Strange got the start for the Redhawks in the series opener. Strange pitched 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits. He recorded two strikeouts in the outing.
LHP Alex Hayes (2-1) picked up his second win of the season out of the bullpen. The lefty pitched 1.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits.
The Redhawks wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the conference opener with a three-run first inning.
Second baseman Brooks Kettering led off the game with a double to the left-center field gap and would advance to third on a passed ball.
Two batters later, Michael Mugan singled to bring in Kettering to give SEMO a 1-0 lead with one out.
An RBI double by Ty Stauss would score Mugan from first base to extend the lead to two. A defensive miscue from EIU off the bat of Shea McGahan allowed him to reach base, scoring Stauss, but Mugan was tagged out at second. SEMO led 3-0 after the first inning.
SEMO would bat around in the second inning starting with one out in the frame. Caleb Corbin got the inning going with a single off EIU RHP Colton Coca.
Keoni Coloma reached base via a fielder's choice, Corbin was out at second base, but the Redhawks scored all their runs with two outs.
Another double by Kettering, this time with a runner on base, scored Coloma from second after he swiped the second base bag. Ben Palmer was hit by a pitch, and a double steal by him and Kettering put runners on second & third with two outs.
Mugan hit his seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot, after Palmer's at-bat to give the Redhawks a 7-0 lead after the second inning.
The Panthers would get on the board in the fourth inning as a two-run home run cut the SEMO lead to five.
A Josh Cameron single in the fifth inning got a five-run inning going for the Redhawks. With Bryce Cannon and Shea McGahan on, Cameron singled to load the bases.
Third baseman Caleb Corbin drew a bases-loaded walk to record the eighth run of the game for SEMO. An RBI groundout to first base by Keoni Coloma pushed another run across for SEMO's ninth and the Redhawks were not done.
Short stop Ben Palmer recorded a sacrifice fly to left field to score Josh Cameron for SEMO's 10th run of the contest. A two RBI double by Ty Stauss plated runs 11 & 12 as the Redhawks recorded five runs on three hits in the fifth and led 12-2.
Both teams scored three runs in the sixth, SEMO three more in the seventh, EIU had a five-run eighth, and the afternoon was capped off with two SEMO runs in the ninth to win the game, 20-13.
UT MARTIN 14, WESTERN ILLINOIS 3
MACOMB, Ill. - With 17 hits and 14 runs, the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team picked up its first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season in Game 2 of its road series against Western Illinois.
All nine starters recorded hits with seven achieving multi-hit games. Mac Danford (3-for-5, three RBI's) homered for the second consecutive game while Jackson Cooke (two runs scored) mashed his first long ball of the campaign. Hunter McLean paced the Skyhawks (8-15, 1-1 OVC) with a season-high four RBI's and Will Smith crossed home plate three times on his way to a two-hit day.
Cole Smith (2-for-4 with two walks) while Andrew Fernandez (2-for-5, RBI), Zac Rice (two runs scored), Blaze Bell (2-for-5, one run scored) and Jalen Fithian (2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored) also had big days for the offense.
Eric Steensma (2-2) contained the Leathernecks (5-15, 1-1 OVC) to just two runs and struck out four batters over 6.2 innings of work. Baylor Jones was terrific in 1.1 scoreless innings pitched, allowing no hits, only one walk and fanning two. Brock Arender entered in the ninth and closed out the win.
Steensma started the game stranding two and striking out three in the first two innings. The UT Martin hit parade then began in the top of the third with a Will Smith single that was shortly followed by Danford's team-best fifth home run of the year. McLean then plugged the gap in left center for a two-run double and extend the lead to 4-0.
McLean would come through yet again in the fifth with a two-run single into left center to stretch the Skyhawk advantage to 6-0.
Meanwhile, Steensma was still dealing – keeping the Western Illinois offense scoreless through six innings of work. The redshirt senior righty seemed to get stronger as the game wore on, retiring the side in order on just 10 pitches in a perfect sixth frame.
The Leathernecks were able to get two runs in the bottom of the seventh before Baylor Jones got the final out, stranding a pair of baserunners.
Five more hits followed for UT Martin in the eighth, putting three more runs on the scoreboard. Will Smith (two-run double) and Danford (sacrifice fly) both drove in runs to make the score 9-2.
After Jones whiffed a pair of batters in a scoreless bottom of the eighth, the Skyhawks tacked on five more runs in their final at-bat. Cooke led things off with a solo homer before a Fernandez sacrifice fly and three unearned runs crossed the plate.
SIUE 7, LINDENWOOD 5
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE baseball opened the Ohio Valley Conference season with a 7-5 win over Lindenwood Friday at Roy E. Lee Field.
SIUE improved to 6-16 overall. Lindenwood dropped to 5-16.
The Cougars broke on top thanks to a two-run single by Chase Bloomer in the third. Zack Floyd and Drew Mize both scored after leading off the inning with back-to-back hits.
It was 2-1 SIUE when Bloomer singled in the fifth to drive in Lucas Spence to make it 3-1.
Floyd doubled in Gage Franck and Daniel Gierer in the sixth to push the advantage to 5-1 before Lindenwood rallied.
The Lions trimmed the lead to 5-4 with four two-out runs in the seventh knocking out SIUE starter Tyler DeLong (1-1), who allowed just a run on one hit over his first 6.2 innings. DeLong struck out five and did not walk a batter on his way to his first win of the year.
Zeus Ponder picked up a strikeout for the final out in the seventh.
The Cougars answered with two in the bottom of the seventh on RBI hits from Ryan Niedzwiedz and John Stallcup.
Duncan McLaughlin worked the eighth inning, allowing a run which cut SIUE's lead to 7-5. He started the ninth inning, but left with the bases loaded and one out. Liam McKillop retired the final two Lindenwood hitters, leaving the bases loaded when the game ended.
Bloomer led the Cougars with three hits and three RBIs. Floyd finished with two hits and two RBIs. Stallcup and Gierer also finished with two hits apiece.
Zach Buschschulte (0-3) started and worked 5.1 innings for Lindenwood. He allowed five runs in the loss.
LITTLE ROCK 6, MOREHEAD STATE 0
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Little Rock Trojans take game one of the conference opening series against Morehead State. Two Trojan pitchers go for 16 strikeouts for the combined shutout.
Hoss Brewer started on the mound and immediately made an impact. Brewer threw 2 strikeouts in each of the first 4 innings and 1 in the fifth, sixth, and seventh for a total of 11 on the day. Brewer's only conceded hit came by way of a single to left center in the top of the sixth. Josh Beezley relieved Brewer in the eighth inning and picked up right where he left off. Beezley tallied 5 strikeouts through 2.0 innings pitched conceding just 2 hits. Brewer and Beezley threw the first shutout game against Morehead State this year.
The Trojan bats were hot early in the game. The second inning started with back-to-back singles from Skyler Trevino and Ben Harmon. With runners on base, Noah Brewer stepped to the plate and knocked an RBI double down the right field line bringing Trevino home. Jake Wright then joined the party with a 2RBI single up the middle bringing Harmon and Brewer across the plate. Nico Baumbach rounded out the Trojans' rally with an RBI single which brought Jake Wright to the plate.
The bottom of the fourth saw two Trojans cross the plate. Jake Wright and Edgar Rosales both got on base with singles early in the inning. Ty Rhoades hit his second double of the game to bring Wright in to score. Nico Baumbach then stepped to the plate to bring Rosales home.
TENNESSEE TECH 9, SOUTHERN INDIANA 7 (10)
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Grit and resilience were the names of the game for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Friday night, as the Golden Eagles opened Ohio Valley Conference play with an impressive, 9-7 victory in 10 innings at Southern Indiana in Evansville, Ind.
The purple and gold overcame a 2-0 deficit and a pair of ties to pick up their first league victory of the year, riding a solid start from hurler Landon Smiddy before the offense got its start to the evening. The senior tossed 5.2 innings for the Golden Eagles (13-9, 1-0), scattering 10 hits while allowing four total runs and three earned. He also struck out five Screaming Eagles (9-12, 0-1).
The Cookeville crew found its form with the bats in the fifth, taking the lead and never letting USI get back on top again. Right fielder Theo Bryant IV set the tone, smashing a solo blast to center field to lead off the frame.
Tech quickly loaded the bases to put the pressure on and eventually plated the tying run on a double play that put a runner at third. Late in the frame, first baseman Preston Ford beat out an infield single to third base, driving in the go-ahead run for a 3-2 lead.
In the sixth, the visitors added to that advantage, thanks to an RBI, ground-rule double down the right-field line off the bat of catcher Hayden Gilliland. Southern Indiana answered back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, squaring the contest at 4-4.
Junior Tanner Shiver led off the seventh inning with a double to left-center field, coming around to score another go-ahead run later in the frame with a sacrifice fly ball to right-center field by Eddie Garza.
The eighth inning saw the Golden Eagles add two to their lead, with left fielder Austin Turner opening things with a lead-off double to left-center field. Jordan later drove him in with an RBI single to center field. Shiver then beat out a double-play ball to plate another Tech marker for a 7-4 advantage.
USI responded again, scoring twice in the bottom of the eighth and looking on its way to a win in the ninth. The Screaming Eagles scored the tying run on a fielder's choice and eventually put runners on the corners with just one out.
A line drive to Garza at third made for one quick out before the sophomore alertly flipped the ball behind him to Shiver, covering the third-base bag from his shortstop position and beating the base runner for a clutch, inning-ending double play.
Turner drew a lead-off walk to start the 10th for the Golden Eagles, setting up the winning run for down the road. With two outs, Jordan answered the call, ripping an RBI triple down the right-field line to drive in Turner for the eventual game-winner.
A balk allowed Jordan to dent the dish and present an insurance run for the purple and gold to close the frame. Jaxson Pease earned his third win of the season after taking over in the ninth and recording all three outs without allowing a run.
Andrew Guardino took over for the 10th frame, scattering a hit and a walk to record three big outs and lock down his first save of the year. Turner, second baseman Troy Baunsgard, Jordan, and Shiver each tallied a pair of hits on the night while Turner and Gilliland each drew three walks.