SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Western Illinois 7, SIUE 6
@Morehead State 14, Lindenwood 13 (10)
@Little Rock 5, Eastern Illinois 4 (14)
@Tennessee Tech 4, Southeast Missouri 3
UT Martin 5, @Southern Indiana 3
WESTERN ILLINOIS 7, SIUE 6
MACOMB, Ill. - Cesar Franco called his shot in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Leathernecks scored five runs in the final inning, capping off a 7-6 come-from-behind victory over SIUE. Western Illinois collected their eighth overall win in the season and fourth in the Ohio Valley.
SIUE struck first as they crossed a run across the plate in the first and second innings, and they would go ahead 2-0. WIU did not trail for long as they plated a pair of runs in the bottom half of the second inning. Liam Bushey singled through the right side, giving WIU a leadoff base runner. Back-to-back flyouts for the Leathernecks put the Leathernecks back against the wall. WIU accepted the challenge. Trevor Leon reached on a fielding error by the SIUE pitcher, advancing Bushey to second base. Brock Lummus drove in the first run as he pushed a ball the opposite way into right field, driving in Bushey. Max Slavens kept the train moving, shooting a ball into left field, scoring Leon as WIU tied the game at 2-2.
WIU's offense stayed relatively quiet throughout the middle innings of Sunday's ball game. SIUE took advantage as they scored a run in the fourth inning and three in the eighth, taking a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth. WIU's offense would not go down quietly for the third consecutive day in the final half inning. J.R. Heavilin started the inning with a single to center field. He would advance on a wild pitch into a scoring position. Brock Lummus advanced him 90 feet with a single. Max Slavens stayed hot in the nine-hole, pulling a ball down the right field line, bringing in Heavilin to cut the deficit to 6-3. Adam Juran kept the train moving, beating out an infield single to cut the Cougar lead to 6-4. Cesar Franco would step to the plate as the go-ahead, and he ensured he was the game's last batter. Franco belted the go-ahead three-run walk off home run over the right field fence as WIU claimed the 7-6 victory.
Brock Lummus and Max Slavens were a huge boost at the bottom of the Western Illinois lineup as they both collected three hits. Lummus and Slavens both collected three of the seven RBI for WIU. Adam Juan collected two hits in the leadoff spot and an RBI. Cesar Franco had three RBI on his home run. Kyree Alexander, Liam Bushey, and J.R. Heavilin also collected hits on the day.
MOREHEAD STATE 14, LINDENWOOD 13 (10)
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State Eagles fought back from tied 13-13 in the eighth inning to win in thrilling fashion, rallying to earn a 14-13 walk-off victory in the 10th inning over the Lindenwood Lions Sunday.
Sophomore Josh Furtado (2-0) got the win out of the bullpen for Morehead State (23-17, 8-7). The right-hander went 1.2 shutout innings, giving up two hits, no walks and striking out three. Matt Bettio also pitched well, going two innings, surrendering one run on two hits, walking none and striking out two.
In the batter's box, the Eagles were led by Isaias Guzman, who went 4-for-6 on the day with a double, a home run and four RBI. Sophomore Carter Owens put together a standout performance at the plate as well, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and an RBI. Senior Colton Becker also chipped in for Morehead State, putting together three hits in five trips to the plate while adding two doubles, a walk and an RBI.
The Eagles scored in seven different innings on the way to victory. Morehead State broke a 13-13 tie and took the lead for good at 14-13 in the tenth inning, walking it off on an RBI single off the bat of Guzman.
LITTLE ROCK 5, EASTERN ILLINOIS 4 (14)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Little Rock Trojans take the fifth consecutive series victory after an extra inning victory over Eastern Illinois. Tyler Williams earns a walk off walk with bases loaded to seal the deal.
Little Rock grabbed the early lead for the first time in the series with 2-runs to open the game. Jake Wright scored on a wild pitch and Ty Rhoades knocked an RBI single to bring Luke Pectol in to score.
In the fourth inning, the Panthers took the lead with a 4-run inning. The lead would remain unchanged until the bottom of the seventh. Jake Wright doubled to get it started and he was brought home by Luke Pectol with a double of his own.
The Trojans kept the score 3-4 entering the ninth inning. Nico Baumbach stepped to the plate with Skyler Trevino in scoring position. Baumbach knocked an RBI single to left field to tie the game as Trevino crossed the plate.
In extra innings, Austin Stubber came in relief of Jacob Weatherley. Stubber pitched 4 hitless innings with 7 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 14th inning, Luke Pectol earned a walk to get on base. Nico Baumbach then reached on a fielder's choice with Pectol reaching on an error at second base. With 2 Trojans on, Ben Harmon advanced the runners an extra base with a groundout. Ty Rhoades then earned a walk to load the bases. With only 1 out, it was the record breaker himself, Tyler Williams, taking the plate. Williams worked a full count seeing 6 pitches and earned the walk off RBI walk to seal the deal.
Electric Bullpen
Jacob Weatherley entered the game in the third inning and pitched 7.2 innings conceding just 3 hits, no runs, and 6 strikeouts. Austin Stubber entered in the 10th inning to throw 4.0 innings conceding no hits, no runs, and 7 strikeouts.
Little Rock now sits tied with Tennessee Tech for first place in the conference and win the fifth consecutive series.
TENNESSEE TECH 4, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Pitching and timely hitting wre yet again the fuel for the Tennessee Tech baseball team on Sunday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles claimed a massive, 4-3 win over Southeast Missouri at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
The win secured another Ohio Valley Conference series victory for the purple and gold (25-15, 10-5), making it four straight since dropping the opening slate at Southern Indiana earlier this year. The series triumph put Tech in a tie for first place in the league with Little Rock (22-17, 10-5) who earned a 14-inning win on Sunday to remain tied at the top. The Golden Eagles have now won 12 of their last 15 games.
For the third straight day, Tech's starter on the mound delivered an absolute gem and completed at least seven innings as Jaxson Pease delivered the best outing of his young career to date. Moving to an impressive 5-1 on the year, the sophomore toed the rubber for 8.2 frames, holding the Redhawks (20-20, 9-6) to just five hits, three runs, and two earned runs.
Pease struck out a career-high eight batters in the contest without issuing a free pass. He provided plenty of time for his offense to build a lead and was eventually rewarded for his spectacular display on the hill.
He sat down the side in order to open the contest and used a double play in the second frame to move on to the third. After leading off the inning with a double to left-center field, the Redhawks used some small ball to plate the first run of the game behind a sac bunt and ground out.
Tech's offense had Pease's back immediately, thanks to the bat of second baseman Troy Baunsgard. Living up to his true alter ego, Troy 'Bombsgard,' the senior tied the ball game on the second pitch he saw, hammering a solo laser over the wall in left-center field. It marked his sixth home run of the year.
Back in the saddle, Pease went back to dominating the ball game, allowing just one hit in the fourth, setting down the side in order with one strikeout in the fifth, and punching out one more batter in a three-up, three-down sixth.
Two more punch outs and a ground out in the seventh earned the Knoxville native his sixth zero on the scoreboard, and his offense rewarded him. Third baseman Tanner Shiver, who delivered two absolute web gems on the defensive side of the ball, led off the bottom of the seventh with a hustle double to right center field.
Shortstop Preston Steele laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, moving Shiver over to third. Center fielder Jackson Green grinded out a seven-pitch walk, setting up another small ball moment for the purple and gold.
Watching the first two offerings go by, left fielder Austin Turner laid down a sacrifice bunt of his own, driving in Shiver for a clutch RBI. The senior also reached safely on a fielder's choice as the Redhawks failed in their attempt to nab Shiver at the plate.
Southeast Missouri finally got to Pease again in the eighth, scraping a solo round-tripper to left-center fielder to square the game at 2-2. The Tech hurler shrugged it off, gathering another strikeout and a fly ball to move on to the bottom of the frame.
Again, the Golden Eagle bats rewarded their starter, this time with some more fireworks. Catcher Hayden Gilliland was drilled in the back on a 2-2 offering to put the winning run on base. After picking up an out, the Redhawks went back to its bullpen, calling on a right hander to face first baseman Preston Ford.
The senior delivered the biggest swing of the ball game, hammering a 1-0 pitch to right-center field for a massive, game-winning, two-run blast. His fourth dinger of the season provided a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth.
Back out trying to finish the game, Pease picked up a ground ball out on a flashy play up the middle by Steele and then used three pitches to pick up his eighth K of the ball game. He another ground ball that seemed destined to end the ball game, but an error by the Tech defense extended the inning.
SEMO collected one, unearned run with a sneaky base hit down the left-field line, officially ending Pease's day as Tech head coach went to his bullpen to secure the final out. Rookie Jack Brafa entered his hat into the ring and looked like a veteran closer who had performed on this stage 1,000 times before.
It took the freshman righty just four pitches to end the ball game, striking out Caleb Corbin, one of the OVC's leaders in batting average, on a called strike three. He earned his second career save for the effort.
Baunsgard led Tech with two of the team's five hits in the contest while Ford paced the group with two RBI. Turner drew his 44th walk of the year moving into a tie for seventh for the most free passes in a single season in school history. He also moved into sole possession sixth in school history in career walks, boasting 117 to his name.
UT MARTIN 5, SOUTHERN INDIANA 3
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team rode stellar pitching and an early lead to its 5-2 rubber match win over Southern Indiana.
Jeb Bartle (2-3) picked up the win after going six innings with no earned runs allowed on only two hits. The sophomore righty fanned four batters before giving way to Tucker Reed, who snagged his third save in league play after not conceding an earned run over the final three frames.
Mac Danford led the Skyhawk offense out of the designated hitter spot, going 3-for-4 along with a home run, a double and a pair of RBI’s. Jalen Fithian and Will Smith each bashed homers while the left side of the infield of third baseman Jonah Wichman (2-for-4) and shortstop Alec Beaman (RBI) added production for UT Martin (15-24, 7-8 Ohio Valley Conference).
Bartle sat down the side in order in the bottom of the first before the Screaming Eagles (16-24, 6-9 OVC) pushed across an unearned run in the next frame.
The Skyhawks leveled the playing field in the top of the third when Fithian launched his third blast of the season to make it a 1-1 ballgame. Nine pitches would be enough for Bartle to work his second 1-2-3 frame of the game and keep the contest tied through three innings.
UT Martin would take the lead in the fourth after a Danford double scored Blaze Bell, who reached on a single. Wichman made it three hits in a row for the Orange and Blue which led to a sacrifice bunt from Beaman that plated Danford and extended the Skyhawk lead out to 3-1.
Bartle landed two more perfect back-to-back innings, stifling Southern Indiana in both the fourth and fifth frames.
Smith started the top of the sixth by sending a 2-2 pitch over the wall, making the score 4-1 in favor of UT Martin.
In his final inning of work, Bartle stranded a pair of runners to depart the game in line for the victory. A pair of Skyhawk errors resulted in two unearned Screaming Eagle runs in the bottom of the seventh. Trailing by one run, Southern Indiana had back-to-back hits to begin the eighth but Reed buckled down with a strikeout and inning-ending double play to keep UT Martin on top, 4-3.
Danford made it two leadoff homers for his squad after he ambushed the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth for a solo jack. The long ball was the team-high ninth round-tripper for the Grand Ridge, Fla. native.
Reed induced another double play in the ninth to stall any potential momentum in the home dugout.