SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Lindenwood 3, Western Illinois 1
@UT Martin 8, Tennessee Tech 4
Morehead State 11, @Southeast Missouri 8
Little Rock 12, @SIUE 9
LINDENWOOD 3, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood baseball team (14-29, 7-11 OVC) picked up a 3-1 win in the series finale over Western Illinois (10-29, 6-12 OVC) on Sunday afternoon from Lou Brock Sports Complex
Lindenwood took an early lead for the first time in this series as Anthony Stellato and Jack Meyer started the second inning with back-to-back hits. Stellato would eventually score on an error, giving the Lions a 1-0 lead. Western Illinois answered with one in the fourth tying the score at one apiece.
The Lions started the fifth with three-straight hits. After Evan Funkhouser led off the frame with a double, he was eventually brought home by Kam Edwards with an RBI single. Lindenwood tacked on another run with a sac fly from Dawson Hokuf as Colin Shea touched home, making the score 3-1 in favor of the Lions.
Josh Newell was terrific on the mound Sunday, going seven innings, giving up jus one run and striking oit five. This marked hid longest outing of the season. Aaron Jungers finished off the final two innings, including a pair of strikeouts in the ninth to pick up the save. As a result, Lindenwood earned the 3-1 victory with Newell earning the win on the bump.
UT MARTIN 8, TENNESSEE TECH 4
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team exploded for eight runs in its final two innings to march past in-state foe Tennessee Tech 8-4 for the Ohio Valley Conference series sweep.
The win marked the first sweep over the Golden Eagles since 2019 and helped the Skyhawks take their fourth straight conference decision. The victory also moved UT Martin (18-25, 10-8 OVC) into a tie for second place in the league standings, just one game behind Little Rock for the top spot.
Will Smith homered to put the Skyhawks on the scoreboard while Hunter McLean hit a clutch go-ahead two-run blast in the seventh. Zac Rice doubled twice and made a pair of incredible grabs in centerfield while Mac Danford, Blaze Bell, Garner Anderson and Alec Beaman also drove in runs.
Jeb Bartle started the game on the mound and went six innings, only allowing two runs while striking out three batters. Brock Arender (1-2) secured his first collegiate win after providing two innings of scoreless relief and two strikeouts. Baylor Jones had the ninth inning, capping off the sweep.
The Golden Eagles (26-18, 10-8 OVC) scored once in each of the first two frames but Bartle limited the damage each time, stranding a pair of baserunners in both innings.
Those would be the only two runs that sophomore righty would allow. Bartle pitched around a runner in scoring position with nobody out in the third, his first of four clean innings to conclude his outing. He left a pair of runners stranded in the sixth, inducing a big flyout to keep the Skyhawks within striking distance.
The Skyhawks got their first baserunner of the game on a Cole Smith walk with two outs in the fifth. Rice delivered UT Martin's first hit of the day with a double down the left field line with one away in the bottom of the sixth as the Skyhawks started to figure out Tennessee Tech's starting pitcher Jaxson Pease.
In the bottom of the seventh, UT Martin took a lead it wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way. Will Smith drilled a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left center to begin the frame. After yet another Cole Smith walk with two outs, McLean jumped on the second pitch he saw from Pease and deposited it beyond the fence in right center, knocking Pease out of the game and making the score 3-2 in favor of the Skyhawks.
Arender, who previously struck out the first two batters he faced in the midst of a scoreless outing in the seventh, was nails in the eighth. The redshirt freshman southpaw got the first 1-2-3 inning of the day for the UT Martin pitching staff, quickly turning it over to his offense for some more insurance.
After Rice's second double of the game, he came around to score on a Fithian bunt single and error on the same play. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Bell, who drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Danford (double), Anderson (sacrifice fly) and Beaman (infield single) also drove in runs in the five-run eighth inning, giving the Skyhawks an 8-2 advantage.
MOREHEAD STATE 11, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Morehead State received contributions from every part of their lineup, as all nine starters reached base safely, helping the Eagles put 11 runs on the board and defeat the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 11-8 Sunday.
Junior Trevor Callahan (4-0) got the win out of the bullpen for Morehead State (25-19, 10-8 OVC). The right-hander went four shutout innings, giving up three hits, one walk and striking out two. Junior Will Grimmett also pitched well, going one shutout inning without allowing a hit, picking up his third save of the season.
The Eagles got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning. Morehead State plated two runs when freshman Nick Gooden left the yard with senior Ryley Preece aboard.
The Eagles lost the lead they built in the first, but got back on the board in the third trailing 3-2. Morehead State pushed across a run on senior Roman Kuntz's two-out RBI double, which brought the score level at 3-3.
Southeast Missouri State broke that tie and took an 8-3 lead heading into the fourth, when Morehead State narrowed the gap to 8-7. The Eagles bats heated up in the inning, scoring four runs, including a two-run home run off the bat of Davis Germann.
Morehead State kept the Redhawks off the board before taking the lead in the sixth. The three-run frame for the Eagles was punctuated by a two-RBI double from senior Colton Becker. bringing the Morehead State advantage to 10-8.
The Eagles held Southeast Missouri State off the scoreboard before expanding their lead to 11-8 in the ninth inning. Morehead State scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Germann, a perfectly executed safety squeeze. The score remained 11-8 for the rest of the game, as the Eagles held on for the win.
LITTLE ROCK 12, SIUE 9
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Little Rock Baseball avoids the sweep and takes sole ownership of first place in the OVC. Tyler Williams breaks the career home run record with a 2-home run performance pushing his total to 28.
Jake Wright got it all started after getting on base to lead off the game. Nico Baumbach brought Wright home with an RBI single to put the Trojans on the board. Jack Cline got the start in todays game and put up a shutout inning to hold the Trojans' lead.
In the top of the second, Tyler Williams tied the career home run record at 27 with a solo shot to double the Trojans' lead. Skyler Trevino then stepped to the plate and hit a solo home run of his own giving him 8 on the year and 23 for his career. Williams and Trevino hit the first back-to-back home runs for Little Rock since 2018. The Cougars responded in the home half of the second with 2 runs to cut the lead to 1.
The third inning is when it really started to click for the Trojans. After 2 quick outs, Little Rock went one to post a 7-run inning which is the most in a single inning this season. it all started with a hustle double from Ben Harmon. Harmon would then score off an RBI single from Tyler Williams. Williams would then score off an RBI double from Skyler Trevino. Trevino was brought home by an RBI double from Alex Seguine. After a pitching change from SIUE, Jake Wright stepped to the plate and earned a walk with Seguine advancing to third on a wild pitch. After Wright stole second, Luke Pectol brought Seguine home with an RBI single. Pectol then advance to second on a balk which scored Wright. Finally, Nico Baumbach stepped to the plate and sent one past the highway for a 2-run homer to cap off the big inning. The Trojans ended the inning with 7 runs, on 6 hits, with no errors and no one left on base.
After the big inning, Jack Cline posted and 8-pitch shutout inning with the help of the defense behind him.
The fourth inning was the first inning of the game in which the Trojans did not score. The Cougars answered in the bottom of the fourth with a mini rally of their own scoring 3 runs to cut the lead to 5. In the next half inning, Luke Pectol sent solo home run far beyond the left field wall to add a run for Little Rock. In the bottom of the fifth, the Cougars plated 2 runs again to cut the lead now 11-7.
In the top of the eighth, Tyler Williams would make history again by hitting his 28th home run of his career setting a new career home run record in a Little Rock uniform.
The Cougars would add 2 runs late in the ninth inning, but it would be too little to surmount the deficit as Hunter Royal would punchout the final batter of the game.