SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Northern Kentucky 17,
Western Illinois 5
Southern Indiana 9, @Bellarmine 7
@Murray State 14,
Lindenwood 8
@Little Rock 7-4, Northwestern State 3-2
@Tennessee Tech 3, Queens 2
Omaha 2,
@SIUE 1
@Marshall 5,
Southeast Missouri 4
@Arkansas State 8,
Eastern Illinois 7
@North Alabama 3-5,
UT Martin 1-2
@Ole Miss 6,
Morehead State 5
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 17, WESTERN ILLINOIS 5
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Western Illinois baseball fell in the series finale 17-5 to Northern Kentucky on Sunday afternoon. WIU moves to 3-10 on the year.
Western Illinois fell behind early on Sunday afternoon as Northern Kentucky plated eight runs in the first inning and six in the second, holding an early 14-0 lead. Western Illinois scored with a pair of runs in the third inning. Brock Lummus started the inning with a leadoff walk and got sent all around to third base on a Grant Palmer double. Jackson Horn brought in Lummus as WIU cut the deficit to 14-1. Chris Hege kept the train moving with an RBI sacrifice fly, bringing home Palmer as WIU cut the lead to 14-2.
Northern Kentucky responded with a run in the bottom of the third, pushing their lead back to 13. Western Illinois returned to their offense as a leadoff double by Liam Bushey started the fourth inning. Kyree Alexander followed Bushey with an RBI single as WIU reduced the deficit to 12. Western Illinois offense stalled over the next two innings as Northern Kentucky pushed their lead out to 17-3 after five innings. With two outs in the sixth inning, Alexander was hit by a pitch, bringing J.R. Heavilin to the plate. Heavilin would deliver as he belted a two-run home run over the fence, bringing WIU within 12 (17-5). Down 12 in the top of the seventh inning, Western Illinois loaded the bases but was unable to score as the Leathernecks fell 17-5 in seven innings.
Western Illinois saw seven players record a hit today. J.R. Heavilin led the way with multiple RBIs. Justin Jang and Brock Lummus recorded walks as WIU saw nine players reach base in the series finale.
SOUTHERN INDIANA 9, BELLARMINE 7
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball held off Bellarmine University, 9-7, to open a three-game series Sunday in Louisville, Kentucky. USI is 5-8 in the non-conference season, while Bellarmine goes 1-12.
USI opened the scoring in its first at bat when senior rightfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) scored on a RBI ground out by senior designated hitter Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) for the 1-0 a lead. The 1-0 lead lasted until the bottom of the frame when the Knights picked up the tying for 1-1 score after one.
The game would remain tied, 1-1, until the top of the fourth when the Screaming Eagles plated a trio of runs. The Eagles manufactured the three runs on a fielder's choice, a sac bunt, and a RBI-single after loading the bases on a single and a pair of walks.
USI increased its lead to six runs, 7-1, with three more tallies in the top of the fifth. Junior first baseman Thomas Emerich (Ava, Missouri) highlighted the three-run fifth with two-run single, while graduate second baseman Nolan Cook (Evansville, Indiana) had a RBI-single to cap off the inning.
Following a three-run frame of its own, Bellarmine narrowed the gap to 7-4 in the bottom of the fifth.
The Eagles pushed the margin back to five, 9-4, when Ebest hit a two-run home run to right field. The home run was Ebest's team-best third of the season and his second in as many games.
The Knights would make another run at the Eagles in the final two innings. Bellarmine pulled to within three, 9-6, with two in the eighth before scoring once in the ninth. USI shut the door on the Knights with the tying run at the plate.
On the mound, USI freshman right-hander Grant Parson (Owensboro, Kentucky) posted his second win of the year. Parson (2-0) allowed three runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out five.
Junior right-hander Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) earned his second save of the year after getting USI through the ninth. Hutson gave up the one run on two hits, while striking out two.
MURRAY STATE 14, LINDENWOOD 8
MURRAY, Ky. - Game three between the Lindenwood Lions and Murray State Racers ended 14-8 in favor of Murray State.
In the first two innings, neither team scored. In the third both teams recorded two runs. In the third, both teams scored one run. In the top of the seventh, Lindenwood scored five runs, while Murray State scored six in the bottom of the inning. The Racers also scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Jett Jackson and Kam Edwards scored two runs. Jackson recorded two hits and three RBIs and Edwards had three hits and one RBI.
Carson Subbert took the loss for the Lions on the mound.
LITTLE ROCK 7-4, NORTHWESTERN STATE 3-2
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Little Rock Baseball (10-6) takes the final non-conference home series in a clean sweep rolling past the Northwestern State Demons (4-12). The Trojans now sit 4 games above .500 heading into the final week before conference play begins.
Little Rock scored 6 of the 7 runs in the second inning. Noah Brewer got it all started with a single through the left side. Ty Rhoades then moved Brewer to second with a single through the right side. Jake Wright then added a single which loaded the bases. Ben Harmon reached first on what would have been a fielder's choice, but is instead an error by the short stop trying to throw Jake Wright out at second. All runners advanced and Noah Brewer scored. Ty Rhoades then stole home off a wild pitch making the lead 2-0.
Alex Seguine stepped to the plate and notched an RBI single through the left side allowing Jake Wright to score. Luke Pectol then brought Seguine and Harmon home off a single through the right side. Tyler Williams then moved Pectol into scoring position with a single of his own through the left side. Finally, Nico Baumbach added a single through the left side to bring Pectol home. The Trojans ended the inning with 6 runs on 7 hits and 1 error on the Demons.
The Trojans would add one more run to the score in the next inning after a Ben Harmon RBI bringing Ty Rhoades home.
The score would remain 7-0 until the top of the ninth where the Demons found signs of life. The Demons plated 3 runs on a mini rally, but would ultimately be overtaken.
Thomas Kuykendall (2-0) was the pitcher of record and earned his second win of the year. Kuykendall threw 10 strikeouts in 7 innings pitched conceding no runs on only 4 hits and 2 walks.
Game 2 saw less scoring from both sides. Tyler Williams would give the Trojans the lead in the third inning driving in a 2 RBI double bringing Jake Wright and Ty Rhoades across the plate.
The Trojans would double their lead in the fourth inning with Skyler Trevino and Ty Rhoades scoring on 2 separate wild pitches.
The Demons would answer in the fifth with 2 runs of their own, but it wouldn't be enough to earn a win.
Hoss Brewer (1-2) was the pitcher of record earning his first win of the year. In this game, Brewer pitched 6 innings with 8 strikeouts allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 1 walk. Jacob Weatherely (3) closed the game and earned his 3rd save of the year which moved him to tied for 6th all-time in career saves at 10.
TENNESSEE TECH 3, QUEENS 2
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - It was near déjà vu for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Sunday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles delivered their second walk-off victory in as many days at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex, topping Queens University of Charlotte 3-2.
Not only did the purple and gold complete the series sweep over the visiting Royals (4-12), it also provided Tech fans consecutive walk-off wins for the first time since the historic 2018 campaign. During that season, the Golden Eagles (10-5) provided walk-offs of 9-8 and 8-7 over Jacksonville State as part of the team's record-setting, 28-game winning streak.
Pitching was the key to Tech's thrilling victory on Sunday, with freshman Jack Brafa turning in a gem of a start. The rookie right-hander took a no-decision on the day after tossing a season-best 7.0 innings with just a pair of unearned runs allowed.
Scattering six hits and a single walk, Brafa punched out four Royals while using 102 pitches to keep his team in the fight. With both Queens runs scored on Golden Eagle errors, it seemed only fitting that a mistake for the Royals would pay dividends for Tech.
In the fourth inning, Tech appeared to have something trending with a little two-out rally, kicked off with a single through the left side by first baseman Preston Ford. Third baseman Eddie Garza followed with a base knock of his own to center field, sending Ford to third on a hit-and-run.
Center fielder Jackson Green delivered what would be the big blow in the frame, sending a fly ball to right field that appeared to end the inning. The Royals couldn't hold on to the ball while battling the sun a little bit, allowing both Ford and Garza to score and give Tech a 2-1 lead.
Queens squared things in the sixth and looked to take a lead of its own with a line drive down the left-field line with a runner on third. Left fielder Austin Turner made a spectacular sliding grab to end the inning and preserve the tie.
Junior Jack Erdman took over on the hill for Brafa in the eighth and worked out of a small jam after allowing a walk and a hit in the frame. He tossed up a zero in the ninth, setting down the side in order with a big strikeout as the exclamation point on the inning.
Rewinding to Saturday night's walk-off thriller, it was second baseman Troy Baunsgard setting the table with a double to left-center field. With two outs in the 10th, right fielder Tanner Shiver provided the signature moment with a base hit to right field for the winning RBI.
Fast forward back to Sunday's affair, it was Baunsgard once again leading the way, smashing a double to left-center field with one out. It marked the first and only extra-base hit in the contest for either team.
Again facing two outs as he entered the box, Shiver never shied away from the moment. The junior ripped the first pitch he saw just over a leaping Royal second baseman and into center field to plate Baunsgard and deliver his second walk-off hit in as many days.
Baunsgard was the big bright spot for the Tech offense during the contest, finishing 2-for-2 with three walks and the game-winning run.
OMAHA 2, SIUE 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE starter Spencer Stearns tossed seven innings Sunday, but the Cougars came up short, falling to Omaha 2-1 in the finale of a three-game series at Roy E. Lee Field.
The Cougars fell to 3-13. Omaha improved to 2-12. The Mavericks won the final two games of the series after SIUE won Friday's opener.
Stearns (0-3) allowed just two runs, one of which was earned, on five hits over seven innings. He struck out a career-best eight hitters.
Omaha scored an unearned run in the second following a two-out Cougar error. The Mavericks added a run in the fifth on a pair of hits to lead 2-0.
The Cougars' only run came in the bottom of the ninth inning. Gage Franck singled to open the inning then scored on a double by John Stallcup and an error in the Omaha outfield.
SIUE left eight runners on total and five in scoring position. The Cougars left the bases loaded in the sixth inning.
Lucas Spence and Duncan McLaughlin each worked scoreless outings in relief. Spence struck out two.
The Cougars outhit the Mavericks 8-7. Spence and Chase Bloomer each had two hits. Both of Bloomer's hits were doubles.
Preston Tenney (1-1) started and threw five scoreless innings to get the win for Omaha. Haiden Hunt and Trent Burkhalter each had RBIs for the Mavericks.
MARSHALL 5, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (7-10) dropped the series finale on Sunday afternoon to Marshall (6-9) by a final score of 5-4.
SEMO led 4-3 entering the final inning of the ball game. A leadoff walk to Elijah Vogelsong for the Thundering Herd put the tying run on with no outs in the inning.
A strikeout from RHP Collin Wilma and a fly out put the Redhawks one out away from victory, but Marshall's catcher, Owen Ayers, hit a two-run home run to right field to secure the series for the Thundering Herd.
The Redhawks took the lead in the top half of the ninth inning. SEMO, tied 3-3 entering the ninth, loaded the bases after pinch-hitter Keoni Coloma and second baseman Brooks Kettering reached base safely.
A perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Ty Stauss moved the tying and go-ahead runs up 90-feet. Marshall intentionally walked center fielder Michael Mugan to load the bases.
A sacrifice fly by first baseman Bryce Cannon gave the Redhawks one-run lead as the inning turned to the bottom half.
The Redhawks got on the board in the second inning to get the scoring going on Sunday afternoon as a double by short stop Ben Palmer put the first Redhawk in scoring position.
Designated hitter Gavin Baldwin hit an RBI single to right-center field to score Palmer and the Redhawks had a one-run lead.
Marshall would respond quickly in the home half, as an RBI double to right center scored a runner from first base.
SEMO led off the fifth inning with a double by Palmer and a single by Baldwin to put Redhawks on the corners with no outs.
An infield single by catcher Nolan Ackerman gave the Redhawks the lead as Palmer came into score from third base. After the fifth inning, SEMO led 2-1.
With two outs in the sixth inning, Marshall tied the ball game thanks to a Vogelsong RBI single to left field to tie the ball game at two.
A go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh inning by Caden Kaiser gave Marshall a 3-2 lead heading to the eighth inning.
The lead did not last long as outfielder Josh Cameron crushed a solo home run to right field to get the rally started as the Redhawks scored runs in the eighth and ninth innings.
ARKANSAS STATE 8, EASTERN ILLINOIS 7
JONESBORO, Ark. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team (2-11, 0-0 OVC) dropped their rubber match against Arkansas State (11-5, 0-0 Sun Belt) on Sunday by a score of 8-7. The Panthers held a five-run lead heading into the seventh inning, but the Red Wolves rallied back to take the series.
EIU jumped out to an early lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. The first came when Cole Gober scored on a throwing error by the Arkansas State catcher, followed by a Kolten Poorman single to right field that drove home Lucas Loos.
In the bottom of the first, A-State got both runs back after starting pitcher Casey Perrenoud went out with an injury.
After a scoreless second inning, Eastern regained the lead in the third with a Grant Lashure single that scored Cade Zalewski. The Panthers tacked on one more run in the fourth inning when Lucas Loos put the ball in play to allow Dylan Drumke to reach from third.
Both teams held serve in the fifth inning, but EIU pushed three runs across the plate in the sixth to give themselves a five-run lead, as Lucas Loos, Cade Zalewski, and Michael O'Conor all recorded RBIs in the inning.
The Red Wolves refused to go down quietly however, and after four scoreless innings they used some nice batting in the seventh to advance runners around the base path and cut the Panthers' lead to just one.
Eastern was unable to respond in the top of the eighth, and in ASU's next at bat they scored two more runs, with Cason Campbell singling through the right side to plate the go-ahead score.
The Panthers would go down in order in the ninth inning, as A-State closer Max Charlton secured the series win for the Red Wolves.
Chaney Trout (1-2) suffered the loss, while Chase Armstrong (1-0) picked up the win and Max Charlton was awarded the save.
Lukas Touma had a fantastic performance on the mound after being thrust into action in the first inning. After allowing two runs in the first, Touma pitched four scoreless innings, allowing just three hits with four strikeouts on the day.
Cole Gober had another strong day at the plate as he went 4-5 with three doubles and two runs scored. It was the first time an EIU batter had recorded three doubles in a game since Ryan Ignoffo did it against Tarleton State in February of 2022.
NORTH ALABAMA 3-5, UT MARTIN 1-2
FLORENCE, Ala. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team found themselves in a pair of tight decisions today but dropped both ends of the North Alabama doubleheader to conclude the weekend series, falling 3-1 and 5-2.
The Skyhawk pitching staff was excellent today, producing a 2.57 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP over 14 frames. Four UT Martin hurlers combined to allow just one extra-base hit on the day while only issuing four walks.
Eric Steensma (1-2) started the seven-inning Game 1 and went the distance, striking out six with only two earned runs allowed. In the nightcap, Jeb Bartle came out of the bullpen and put together a phenomenal outing (6.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts) while Zach Wager also did not concede an earned run in one frame in relief of starter Choyce Diffey (1-1).
Zac Rice (3-for-7 with a run scored), Jalen Fithian (double, one RBI), Jackson Cooke (2-for-4), Cameron Brady (double, run scored), Mac Danford (RBI) and Andrew Fernandez (run scored) each contributed to the Skyhawk offense today.
UT Martin (5-11) will reset and focus on a midweek game with in-state rival Belmont on Wednesday, March 13 at 4 p.m.
The first matchup of the day was a classic pitcher’s duel as both sides combined for just eight hits.
Steensma was locked in from the jump as the righty from Western Springs, Ill. retired the first seven batters he faced. An unearned run crossed the plate for the Lions in the third inning before North Alabama scored once more in the bottom of the fourth.
The Lions played small ball in the fifth, scoring a run after a bunt single, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly made the score 3-0.
The Skyhawks got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth as Rice singled for his second hit of the game. Fernandez followed with a walk before back-to-back wild pitches – sandwiched between a Cole Smith hit by pitch – trimmed UT Martin’s deficit to 3-1. The bases were loaded after Blaze Bell was hit by a pitch with two away but North Alabama escaped the jam.
Steensma blew away the Lions in his final inning of work, piling up three strikeouts in the bottom of the sixth.
With momentum seemingly on the Skyhawks’ side in the top of the seventh, UT Martin put the potential game-tying run in scoring position after Fithian (single) and Rice (walk) reached with one away. However, North Alabama once again got out of the inning unscathed.
In game two, the Lions (6-9) scored four runs (two earned) in the first inning and that was enough to hold up the rest of the way.
Bartle entered the game in the first inning and soon started mowing down the North Alabama lineup. The sophomore right-hander out of Cullman, Ala. at one point sat down 10 straight batters as part of retiring 17 of his last 19 hitters from the second through seventh innings. That included flawless three-up, three-down frames in the third, fourth and sixth innings – needing just eight pitches in each of those innings to retire the side.
Meanwhile, a leadoff walk by Fernandez in the top of the fourth led to a run when Danford drove him in with two outs. In the following inning, Brady doubled down the left field line and eventually came into score on a Fithian sacrifice fly to make the score 4-2.
The Lions pushed across an unearned run in the eighth, the first time they had scored since the opening inning. Despite the fact that the Skyhawks got the leadoff man on base in each of the final two frames, the visitors could not mount a comeback.
OLE MISS 6, MOREHEAD STATE 5
OXFORD, Miss. - Despite picking up nine hits in the ballgame and out-hitting Ole Miss, Morehead State was unable to push across more runs, as the Eagles lost to the Rebels 6-5 Sunday.
Freshman Callum McGill (1-1) started and took the loss on the mound for Morehead State (7-8). Junior Will Grimmett was a bright spot out of the bullpen, going one shutout inning without allowing a hit, walking none and striking out one.
Junior Hunter Thomas led the way offensively for the Eagles, going 1-for-1 in the ballgame with a double, a walk and an RBI. Isaias Guzman put together a standout day at the plate as well, going 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Freshman Davis Germann also contributed, going 1-for-4 for Morehead State with an RBI. Gabriel Sepulveda posted his second straight multi-hit game in the loss.
Trailing 6-0, the Eagles first put runs on the board in the sixth inning. Morehead State scored twice, with one run coming across on Guzman's single.
The Eagles kept the Rebels off the board before narrowing the gap further in the eighth. which brought the score to 6-5 in favor of the Rebels. The Eagles were unable to get any closer, as neither team scored again in the ballgame.