SATURDAY'S SCORES
Little Rock 7, @Lindenwood 3
Eastern Illinois 8, @UT Martin 4
@Morehead State 18, Southern Indiana 9
@Southeast Missouri 13, SIUE 3
@Tennessee Tech 12, Western Illinois 8
LITTLE ROCK 7, LINDENWOOD 3
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Little Rock Trojans claim the second straight series victory with a 7-3 victory over the Lindenwood Lions. Tyler Williams breaks yet another record with his 241st career hit.
How It Happened
Little Rock fell behind after the Lions struck first with a run in the bottom of the first. The Trojans then responded with a 5-run second inning to take the lead. Jake Wright got it all started with a base knock to centerfield. Ben Harmon then got on base with a base hit to left center. Skyler Trevino loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch. With bases loaded, Christian Bernabe stepped to the plate and earned a 2RBI single to left center which put the Trojans ahead. Then, Luke Pectol singled to right field bringing Skyler Trevino home. Christian Bernabe then scored off a passed ball. Finally, Alex Seguine hit a sacrifice fly to center field which allowed then speedy Luke Pectol to score from second base. Little Rock ended the inning with 5 runs on 4 hits with no errors and none left on base.
Lindenwood would cut into the lead with a two-RBI double in the bottom of the third, but wouldn't be able to score after that.
The Trojans would add 2 runs later in the game. One came in the top of the fourth inning from an RBI single from Luke Pectol brought Skyler Trevino home. The other came in the seventh as Nico Baumbach scored on a passed ball.
Skyler Trevino went 1-1 with a double scoring twice. Trevino reached base each plate appearance recording 2 walks and a hit by pitch. Tyler Williams broke the Little Rock career hits record with a base knock in the ninth inning.
Eric McKnight was the pitcher of record earning his first win of the year. McKnight threw 3.1 innings with no hits or runs allowed Jacob Weatherley gets save number 5 on the year bringing his career total to 12
EASTERN ILLINOIS 8, UT MARTIN 4
MARTIN, Tenn .- The Eastern Illinois baseball team (6-18, 1-5 OVC) picked up their first OVC win of the season with an 8-4 victory over UT Martin on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers trailed for much of the game but scored seven runs through the final two innings to overcome the Skyhawks.
UT Martin took an early 2-0 lead on a pair of RBI ground outs in the first inning before extending their lead to three in the third inning with a Cole Smith solo home run.
However, EIU starter Slater Wilcox did a good job of limiting the UTM offense, allowing just three runs through his 5.2 innings of work.
It was not until the sixth inning that the Panthers got on the board with a Cade Zalewski sacrifice fly that scored Cole Gober, who had initially reached base on a lead-off single.
Two innings later, EIU clawed to within one run with a Tyler Castro RBI single that drove in Michael O'Conor. With two outs in the same inning, Trenton Pallas got under a high pop-up that looked destined to be a routine play for the defense.
However, the ball evaded the Skyhawks' fielders and found the ground in shallow left center, allowing Danny Infante and Tyler Castro to score and give Eastern their first lead of the ball game.
After taking their one-run advantage into the ninth, the Panthers got some much-needed insurance with a grand slam off the bat of Danny Infante. It was Infante's first home run as a Panther and gave Eastern a comfortable 8-3 lead.
The Skyhawks were able to get one back in their final at-bat, but they came no closer as Chaney Trout closed out that game and secured EIU's first conference win of the season.
Relief pitcher Jack Potteiger (1-0) was awarded the win while Chaney Trout was credited with a save. Jeb Bartle (1-2) suffered the loss for UTM.
Tyler Castro, Cole Gober and Lucas Loos each had multi-hit outings while Danny Infante's grand slam gave him a team-high four RBI.
MOREHEAD STATE 18, SOUTHERN INDIANA 9
MOREHEAD, Ky. - - Colton Becker put together a stellar performance at the plate Saturday, hitting two home runs to help propel the Morehead State baseball team past the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles 18-9.
Freshman Callum McGill (3-2) started on the mound and picked up the win for Morehead State (16-12, 3-3). The right-hander went five innings, giving up five runs, four earned, on seven hits, allowing one walk and striking out three. Junior Trevor Callahan also made an impact on the mound for the Eagles, throwing two scoreless innings while allowing one hit, with two walks and two strikeouts.
Becker went 3-for-6 at the plate, supplementing his two home runs with a double while driving in six runs. Freshman Hayden Robbins added to Becker's awesome power-hitting performance by going 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI along with one walk. Senior Roman Kuntz also helped out for the Eagles, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two walks and an RBI.
Morehead State received its rings from winning the 2023 OVC Regular Season Championship on Saturday in a pregame ceremony, with former players in attendance for the victory.
Trailing 2-0, the Eagles first put runs on the board in the second inning. Morehead State plated two runs when Robbins left the yard with Isaias Guzman aboard.
The Screaming Eagles then scored three runs to retake their advantage heading into the third inning, when the Eagles responded by getting back on the scoreboard themselves. Morehead State scored twice on solo home runs from Becker and senior Ryan Grabosch, which tightened the Screaming Eagles lead to 5-4.
Morehead State held the Screaming Eagles off the board before rallying to grab an 11-5 lead in the fourth. The Eagles hit two home runs in the inning on the way to scoring seven runs.
Morehead State held the Screaming Eagles without a run before their offense got back in action the next inning. The three-run fram for the Eagles was puncuated by a two-run homer from sophomore Carter Owens. bringing the score to 14-5 in favor of Morehead State.
Southern Indiana got within 14-9 until the Eagles scored again in the eighth inning to stretch its lead to 18-9. The Morehead State offense piled up four runs, highlighted by a one-run double off the bat of Nick Gooden. The score remained 18-9 for the rest of the game, as the Eagles coasted to the win.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 13, SIUE 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (14-14, 5-1 OVC) picked up the series finale win over SIUE (9-19, 3-3 OVC) on Sunday afternoon from a sunny Capaha Field to win their second series in a row to begin Ohio Valley Conference play.
The Redhawks continued to rattle the bats and picked up an eighth inning, run rule, 13-3 victory over the Cougars. As a team, SEMO pounded out 14 hits and registered three home runs in the contest led by left fielder Ty Stauss.
Stauss finished the ball game with home run four and five on the season as he was 3-for-5 at the plate with two bombs and three RBIs. First baseman Bryce Cannon had a multi-hit and RBI as he recorded three RBIs and a pair of extra base hits.
RHP Sam Heyman (3-0) picked up his third win of the season with a solid 6.0 inning start, allowing just three runs on six hits. He struck out five Cougars in the outing and did not allow a run until the seventh inning.
The Redhawks wasted no time scoring on Sunday afternoon with back-to-back hits by Brooks Kettering and Ben Palmer put runners on first and third. Center fielder Michael Mugan drove in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly.
Stauss hit his first-of-two home runs a batter later as his blast to right field off SIUE starting pitcher Kyle Athmer (1-1) made it 3-0. Cannon's first two RBIs of the game came two batters later after back-to-back walks by Caleb Corbin and Josh Cameron.
Cannon hit an opposite field triple to score both Corbin & Cameron and the Redhawks weren't done yet, leading 5-0. Catcher Nolan Ackerman roped a single to left field to score Cannon and after the first the Redhawks led 6-0.
Designated hitter Keoni Coloma continued the scoring trend in the third inning as his sacrifice fly to right field would score Bryce Cannon to give SEMO a seven-run lead.
Stauss' second home run of the day came in the fourth inning, a solo blast to the opposite field to give SEMO its eighth run.
A three-run SIUE seventh inning would knock Heyman out of the game, but LHP Ethan Osborne and Alex Hayes shut the door and kept SIUE to just three.
An RBI single by Corbin in the seventh put SEMO up 10-3 heading into the eighth inning with the OVC getaway day rule in affect.
The Redhawks would put the game on ice with a three-run eighth to make it 13-3, capped off by a walk-off RBI single by Ackerman that would score Josh Cameron to seal the series for the Redhawks.
TENNESSEE TECH 12, WESTERN ILLINOIS 8
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Another collectively huge day at the plate and a fantastic performance out of the bullpen carried the Tennessee Tech baseball team to a 12-8 win and weekend sweep of Ohio Valley Conference foe Western Illinois Saturday afternoon at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
The Leathernecks (6-18, 2-4) actually got on the scoreboard first on the day, scoring an unearned run on an RBI single following a passed ball. Tech (16-12, 4-2) answered back in the opening frame, plating a run on a fielder's choice RBI off the bat of first baseman Nicho Jordan.
Western Illinois jumped back on top in the second, utilizing a lead-off double and home run just inside the right-field foul pole to take a 3-1 lead. It took until the third, but the Golden Eagles responded again, this time with ferocity.
With runners on the corners and one out, catcher Hayden Gilliland ripped an RBI double down the right-field line to cut the deficit in half. Jordan picked up his second ribbie of the day with a ground ball to first base, squaring the contest at 3-3.
On the next pitch, shortstop Tanner Shiver blasted an RBI double to center field to give the Cookeville crew the lead for good. Right fielder Theo Bryant IV continued the momentum with a run-scoring base knock through the left side.
Putting an exclamation point on the frame was third baseman Eddie Garza. The sophomore turned on an 0-1 offering, uncorking a three-run long ball off the batter's eye in center field. It marked his first round-tripper of the year and gave Tech an 8-3 lead.
Continuing the offensive trend in the fourth, left fielder Austin Turner and second baseman Troy Baunsgard delivered back-to-back bunt singles to second base on back-to-back pitches. With the pair on, Gilliland slashed an RBI double down the left-field line to move things forward.
Jordan turned in his third RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to deep center field, pushing the Golden Eagles into double figures on the scoreboard. Shiver followed with a sac fly of his own down the right-field line, moving Tech out front 11-3.
In the sixth, the Leathernecks attempted one last surge to get back in the ball game, using five hits to plate five runs in the sixth and pull back within three. Jaxson Pease took over on the hill in the seventh for the purple and gold and completely shut down the visitor's offense the rest of the way.
For good measure, center fielder Jackson Green belted a solo jack to right field in the eighth, the first home run of his Golden Eagle career. Pease faced just nine batters over the final three frames, walking one and abruptly picking up a double play to eliminate the base runner.
The right-hander finished with two punch-outs and secured his first save of the year. Rookie Drew Mattox earned his first collegiate win after completing three innings of relief, allowing three runs while fanning one.
Jordan and Garza led the Tech bats with three RBI each while Gilliland turned in a four-hit day with two runs and two ribbies. Green and designated hitter Preston Ford delivered two hits as well.