FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Northern Kentucky 11,
Western Illinois 2
@Murray State 16,
Lindenwood 4
@Tennessee Tech 13, Queens 8
@SIUE 6, Omaha 4
Southeast Missouri 6, @Marshall 3
@Ole Miss 10,
Morehead State 3
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 11, WESTERN ILLINOIS 2
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Western Illinois baseball fell 11-2 in their series opener to Northern Kentucky on Friday afternoon. WIU moved to 3-8 overall on the season.
Due to incoming weather, Western Illinois had their game move up to an 11 a.m. first pitch for the second time in four weeks. The Leatherneck's bats stayed asleep for the first few innings as an Adam Juran single was the only base hit. WIU was held scoreless through the first five innings as Northern Kentucky tacked on three runs in the first, one in the second, and three in the fourth as they held a 6-0 lead.
Western Illinois pushed crossed a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Chris Hege started the inning with a walk and advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Maxton Polad followed the wild pitch with a walk of his own as WIU had two base runners on. Hege advanced to third base on a Cesar Franco flyout. Polad advanced into scoring position on another Northern Kentucky wild pitch. With a free base open at first, Adam Juran drew the Leatherneck's third walk of the inning as WIU loaded the bases. Liam Bushey drove in the Leathernecks' first run with an RBI sacrifice fly that saw Hege score. Kyree Alexander followed the Bushey RBI with an RBI single, bringing in Polad as WIU cut the deficit to four at 6-2.
Northern Kentucky gained separation in the 6th and 7th innings, adding five runs and pushing them out to an 11-2 win.
Western Illinois totaled four hits as a team, with Adam Juran, Kyree Alexander, Reece Davis, and Max Slavens all recording one apiece. Bushey and Alexander had the RBIs. Chris Hege found his way on base three times, drawing three walks. Western Illinois drew seven walks altogether.
LINDENWOOD 16, MURRAY STATE 4
MURRAY, Ky. - Recap coming soon.
TENNESSEE TECH 13, QUEENS 8
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - A strong offensive outburst in the first inning set the tone early for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Friday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles picked up a 13-8 victory in the series opener with visiting Queens University of Charlotte at a very windy Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
After hurler Landon Smiddy needed just 11 pitches to set down the side in order in the first, the purple and gold turned to the bats to give its starter room to work. The Golden Eagles (8-5) responded with a six spot in the frame to create space from the Royals (4-10) right out of the gate.
Left fielder Austin Turner, who entered the contest tied for third nationally in base on balls, naturally drew a walk to set the table. Second baseman Troy Baunsgard ripped a double to left field, putting a pair in scoring position for catcher Hayden Gilliland.
The senior backstop delivered immediately, smashing the first pitch he saw down the right-field line for a two-run double and a 2-0 Tech lead. Center fielder Nicho Jordan poked an RBI single to center field to drive in another marker before the fireworks came out.
Queens gathered a pair of outs and seemed on its way out of the inning, but Tech wasn't finished. Making his return to the Golden Eagle lineup after battling an illness last week, designated hitter Mack Whitcomb made up for the lost time, crushing a two-run blast to left-center field for his second round-tripper of the year.
Third baseman Tanner Shiver made it back-to-back jacks on the very next pitch, hammering a solo shot to the same spot as Whitcomb for a 6-0 Golden Eagle advantage. Queens answered with a lead-off homer in the second, but that was it for the offense for a spell after Gilliland caught a Royals runner trying to steal to end the frame.
Tech got back after it in the fourth, with Shiver and right fielder Jackson Green getting plunked on consecutive offerings to put a pair on. A sac bunt by Turner moved the two into scoring position and Baunsgard made the decision count.
The senior narrowly missed sending a missile out of the park, settling for a two-run double off the top of the wall in deep, left-center field. Jordan brought him home on an 0-2 count, finding a hole through the right side for another RBI knock.
Trailing 9-1, Queens battled back in the fifth, collecting another lead-off long ball to start. The Royals tallied a two-run dinger later in the frame and chased Smiddy from the contest with two outs a pair of runners on base after the Tech hurler attempted to pitch after taking a comebacker off the lower body.
Jaxson Pease took over for the purple and gold and used just one pitch to escape the inning, with Gilliland throwing out another Royals runner trying to steal to put an end to the fifth. Back-to-back solo jacks from Queens in the seventh made it a 9-6 Tech lead, but the Golden Eagle offense returned to form to put the game out of reach.
Shiver provided the first level of support following the stretch, smoking his second blast of the contest to left field for his third long ball of the year. The offense continued in the eighth, with Tech needing just one hit to do the damage.
Baunsgard drew a one-out walk and advanced to second base on a fielder's choice, bringing Jordan to the plate with two outs. Queens opted to place him at first with an intentional free pass, but the plan backfired quickly.
Shortstop Preston Steele, Tech's leader in home runs on the year, took his time waiting for the right pitch, finding the one he wanted on a 1-2 offering and properly hammering a towering shot to right-center field for his sixth dinger of the year and a 13-6 lead.
The Royals picked up back-to-back solo homers in the ninth with a pair of outs just for good measure, but Pease finished things up to earn his first win of the season after 4.1 innings of work. The right-hander struck out four batters along the way while saving the bullpen. Smiddy worked 4.2 innings with five punch-outs.
Six different Golden Eagles drove in multiple runs in the contest, led by Steele's three ribbies. Baunsgard, Jordan, and Shiver all ended up with a pair of hits and a pair of RBI, with Baunsgard and Shiver also scoring three times each.
SIUE 6, OMAHA 4
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE baseball erased a 4-0 deficit Friday and picked up a 6-4 win over Omaha in the opener of a three-game series at Roy E. Lee Field.
The Cougars improved to 3-11. Omaha fell to 0-12.
With the game tied 4-4 in the seventh, SIUE loaded the bases with one out thanks to two walks and a hit batter. Gage Franck was hit by the first pitch he saw to force in Lucas Spence with the go-ahead run. Pinch hitter Joshua Heyder then walked to bring in Ethan Willoughby with the sixth run.
Willoughby tied the game in the fourth inning with an RBI-double which scored Spence from first base. SIUE scored twice in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Niedwiedz and a double by Franck. John Stallcup got the Cougars on the board in the second with a sacrifice fly to right.
Omaha scored four times in the second against SIUE starter Tyler DeLong. Trent Burkhalter's three-run home run followed a walk and a hit batter. The Mavericks picked up to hits to make it 4-0.
DeLong settled in to work five innings. He allowed four runs on four hits. He struck out five.
Zeus Ponder (1-0) worked 2.2 scoreless innings to earn his first win of the year. He struck out three. Liam McKillop collected his first save with 1.1 innings to close out the game. He picked up a strikeout.
Willoughby led SIUE at the plate with two hits and two runs. Gage finished with a pair of RBIs.
Burkhalter finished with two hits including the home run and three RBIs.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6, MARSHALL 3
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (7-8) used a six-run ninth inning to steal game one of the series against Marshall (4-9) by a final score of 6-3 at Jack Cook Field Friday afternoon.
A leadoff single by center fielder Michael Mugan was the first of three-straight singles as Bryce Cannon and Chance Resetich answered Mugan's single to load the bases with no outs in the inning.
Short stop Ben Palmer drew a bases loaded walk to plate SEMO's first run of the ball game as they trailed 3-1.
The Thundering Herd went to the bullpen following the walk as catcher Shea McGahan stepped into the box. McGahan roped a single off Marshall's closer Nick Jodway to tie the ball game as Resetich and Cannon came around to score.
Second baseman Brooks Kettering, who was the Redhawks leadoff hitter in the contest, stepped in and delivered the go-ahead two-run double to left center field, scoring McGahan and Palmer to give SEMO a 5-3 lead with two outs in the inning.
The Redhawks were not done as they used a throwing error off the bat of Ty Stauss to plate another run as Kettering came around to score the sixth run of the inning.
RHP Collin Wilma shut the door in the ninth inning to pick up his first save of the season as SEMO held on for the 6-3 win.
The Redhawks were held in check for most of the afternoon as Marshall's Drew Harlow pitched 8.0 innings of scoreless baseball. SEMO made it count when it mattered and finished the day with 10 hits and five RBIs led by Kettering, Mugan, and McGahan who all had multi-hit days.
RHP Brian Strange made the start in game one of the series and pitched 6.0 innings, allowing just three runs on five hits. The right-hander from Westfield, Mass. Registered seven punch-outs to keep the Redhawks within striking distance.
LHP Ethan Osborne and RHP Payton Lawrence teamed up to keep Marshall at just three runs out of the bullpen as the duo allowed zero runs in relief duty.
Marshall got the first two runs of the ball game with just one swing of the bat as their left fielder, Elijah Vogelsong, hit a two-run home run that scored Kebler Peralta in the bottom of the third inning.
The Thundering Herd would add their third run of the ball game in the seventh inning with an RBI single by Peralta to give Marshall a 3-0 lead after seven innings.
OLE MISS 10, MOREHEAD STATE 3
OXFORD, Miss. - The Morehead State baseball team had a tough showing on Friday, falling to the Ole Miss Rebels by final score of 10-3.
Luke Helton (3-1) got the ball to start for Morehead State (7-6) and took the loss. Junior Trevor Callahan was a bright spot for the Eagles, coming out of the bullpen and throwing four innings, giving up one run on three hits, with two walks and four strikeouts.
Davis Germann led the way offensively for the Eagles, going 1-for-4 in the ballgame with an RBI. Senior Roman Kuntz compiled a standout day at the plate as well, going 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Ryley Preece (0-4) saw his 51-game reached base streak come to an end in the loss.
Trailing 2-0, the Eagles first put runs on the board in the second inning. Germann's run-scoring single highlighted a two-run inning for Morehead State.
The Rebels then scored four runs to retake their advantage heading into the third inning, when the Eagles responded by getting back on the scoreboard themselves. Morehead State scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Kuntz, which tightened the Rebels lead to 6-3. The Eagles were unable to get any closer, as Ole Miss added four runs to their tally on the way to a 10-3 final.