TUESDAY'S SCORES
Morehead State 9, @Bellarmine 5
Bradley 16,
@Western Illinois 1
Murray State 2,
@UT Martin 1 (10)
@Missouri 13,
Lindenwood 1
Evansville 7,
@Southeast Missouri 6
@Southern Illinois 7,
Southern Indiana 5
@#13 Vanderbilt 8,
Tennessee Tech 7 (11)
MOREHEAD STATE 9, BELLARMINE 5
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Hunter Thomas and senior Colton Becker each collected two extra base hits to help lead the Morehead State Eagles past the Bellarmine Knights 9-5 on Tuesday.
Freshman Bradley Poynter (3-2) started on the mound and picked up the win for Morehead State (26-19). The right-hander went 5.2 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits, allowing one walk and striking out one. Sophomore Ethan Davis also made an impact on the mound for the Eagles, throwing 3.1 innings, giving up one run on one hit, with one walk and two strikeouts. Davis picked up a save, the first of his collegiate career.
Becker's two extra base hits were the highlight of a 3-for-5 day, and included a double, a home run and five RBI. Thomas made his contribution with a double, a home run, a walk and an RBI, part of a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Senior Logan Castleman also helped out for the Eagles, putting together three hits in four trips to the plate while adding three RBI.
The Eagles put runs on the scoreboard first, starting the scoring in the second inning. Morehead State's offense started clicking and put up five runs, including a three-run double off the bat of Becker and a two-run single from Castleman.
The Knights failed to push any runs across before the Eagles offense got back to their scoring ways the next inning. Morehead State picked up a run on Thomas' two-out solo home run off of senior Devin Ecklar, which brought the Eagles lead to 6-0.
Bellarmine narrowed Morehead State's lead to 6-1 before the Eagles stretched the advantage to 7-1 in the fourth inning. The Eagles scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Becker.
The Knights fought back, closing the gap to 7-4 until Morehead State added some insurance in the seventh. The Eagles recorded a run on Becker's one-out solo home run off junior Arren Hash, bringing the Morehead State advantage to 8-4.
The Eagles kept Bellarmine without a run before building on their lead to 9-4 the following inning. Morehead State scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Castleman. Bellarmine put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but the Eagles still coasted to the 9-5 win.
BRADLEY 16, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1
MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois baseball team fell on Tuesday afternoon 16-1 to the visiting Braves of Bradley at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium. Western Illinois moves to 10-30 on the season.
Tuesday afternoon started brightly for the Leathernecks as they sat the Braves down to start the first inning. Bradley's offense woke up in the second as they plated six runs, taking an early 6-0 lead. The Braves tacked on three runs in the third and three runs in the fourth inning, climbing to a 12-0 advantage.
WIU got on the scoreboard with a run in the fifth inning. Jackson Horn started the half-inning with a line drive to center field. Grant Palmer grounded into a fielder's choice as WIU found themselves with a runner on first with one out. Trevor Leon advanced Palmer with a flare single over the first basemen's head. Both runners advanced 90 feet as Max Slavens worked a walk. With the bases loaded, Justin Jang ground out, scoring Palmer as WIU cut the deficit down to 12-1.
Bradley would score a pair of runs in the sixth and seventh as they took Tuesday's matchup 16-1 in seven innings.
Four Leathernecks found their way on base via a hit. Cesar Franco had the lone extra-base hit with his double in the second inning. J.R. Heavilin, Jackson Horn, and Trevor Leon also had base hits.
MURRAY STATE 2, UT MARTIN 1 (10)
MARTIN, Tenn. - Choyce Diffey and the University of Tennessee at Martin pitching staff held Murray State to a paltry three hits in extra innings but the Skyhawks fell 2-1 in Game 1 of a two-game midweek series against the Racers.
Diffey went a career-high seven shutout innings with just one hit allowed, tossing a no-hitter through 4.2 innings of work. Baylor Jones stood out with 1.1 scoreless frames while Brock Arender (0.2 innings) and Zach Wager (1-4, one inning) combined to hold Murray State to a miniscule .086 batting average in 35 official at-bats today.
Zac Rice led the Skyhawk offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, including a pair of doubles. Andrew Fernandez (RBI), Jalen Fithian and Will Smith also recorded base hits for UT Martin (18-26). Smith’s base knock in the bottom of the first inning marked his 200th hit as a Skyhawk as he became just the sixth UT Martin player all-time to reach that plateau.
Diffey sat down Murray State (27-17) in order in each of the first two frames. The senior righty out of Sallis, Miss. retired his seventh consecutive batter before working around trouble and stranding a paiof runners in the top of the third.
The Skyhawks got on the scoreboard first when Rice lined a double down the left field line to lead off the third. Fernandez pulled a 3-2 pitch for a single to right field to score Rice and give UT Martin a 1-0 lead.
Diffey pitched around a runner in scoring position in the fourth before escaping unscathed with runners on second and third base in the fifth. He kept pumping in strikes in his final two frames, surpassing his previous career-high in innings when he reached the seventh. He sat down the first two batters of that inning before stranding a runner at third base to keep the Skyhawk advantage at 1-0.
After Murray State tied the game up in the top of the eighth, Jones entered to record the final out and left the bases loaded in the process. He proceeded to get a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the ninth but the contest was soon sent into extra innings.
The Racers took the lead on a two-out, bases loaded walk in the top of the 10th. Rice led off the home half of the inning with a single through the left side before a Fithian sacrifice bunt moved the tying run into scoring position. However, Murray State was able to hang on and escape with the win.
MISSOURI 13, LINDENWOOD 1
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Lindenwood baseball team (14-30) dropped a midweek clash with SEC foe Missouri (20-26), 13-1 in seven innings on Tuesday night from Columbia, Mo.
Mizzou took an early lead after plating a run in the first inning, going up 1-0. Lindenwood had chances to answer in the second with two runners on, while loading the bases in the third, but were unable to score. The Lions broke through in the fourth as Anthony Stellato legged out a one-out triple and Mitch Cummins drove him in with an RBI groundout, making the score 1-1.
The Tigers answered back quickly with a leadoff homer in the fourth, going up 2-1. Mizzou scored eight more times in the inning to blow the game open. Lindenwood stranded the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings as the score remained 10-1. The Tigers added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth and were able to close out the game 13-1 in seven innings.
EVANSVILLE 7, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (22-23) fell on Tuesday night to non-conference opponent, Evansville (25-19), by a final score of 7-6 at Capaha Field.
Trailing 3-0 going into the eighth inning, the Redhawks rallied back for a four-run inning to capture the lead. With the bases loaded, SEMO drew three-straight walks to tie it at three.
Catcher Nolan Ackerman followed behind the walks with an RBI groundout to the first baseman to give SEMO its first lead of the game as the Redhawks took a 4-3 lead into the ninth inning.
With two outs in the ninth inning, a single to right field by Cal McGinnis off RHP Kyle Miller (3-2) put the tying run on base. UE would regain the lead with a two-run home run to left field by Mark Shallenberger.
Another two-run home run after a walk to Kip Fougerousse, this one by UE's first baseman Chase Hug, gave the Aces a three-run, 7-4, lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
SEMO would not go quietly. Two straight walks to Ben Palmer and Michael Mugan from RHP Max Hansmann (1-1) would get a ninth inning rally started.
Left fielder Ty Stauss continued the rally with an infield single to the second baseman and the Redhawks had the bases loaded with no outs in the final frame.
After a strikeout, third baseman Caleb Corbin stepped in and dropped a single into left field to score both Mugan and Palmer to get within a run.
Keoni Coloma reached base via a fielder's choice, but Ian Riley (pinch-runner) was ruled out at third base on the force out to force the Redhawks to their final out.
A strikeout ended the ball game as UE held on for the 7-6 victory on Tuesday night.
Caleb Corbin and Nolan Ackerman each finished with a multi-hit game. Corbin finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Ackerman was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 7, SOUTHERN INDIANA 5
CARBONDALE, Ill. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball came up short, losing to Southern Illinois University, 7-5, Tuesday evening in Carbondale, Illinois. The Screaming Eagles are 19-26, while Salukis go to 26-19.
After the Eagles and Salukis were scoreless through three innings, USI grabbed the opening lead of the game, 2-0, with a pair of runs in the fourth. Sophomore second baseman Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) reached on a single and an error before senior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) doubled him in with a drive to center for the first tally of the game.
Ebest, who advanced to third on a sacrifice, would score when junior leftfielder Thomas Emerich (Ava, Missouri) reached on an error for the 2-0 advantage. The 2-0 lead would not last long as the Salukis responded with a trio of runs in the bottom of the fourth to grab the lead, 3-2.
After SIU increased its lead to 6-2 with tallies in the fifth and sixth, USI got back on the scoreboard in seventh and cut the deficit to 6-5 with three runs. Senior centerfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) pushed USI's third run of the game across with a RBI-double before scoring the Eagles' fourth run on a ground out by Niehaus.
The Eagles pulled to within one, 6-5, when Ebest struck with a RBI-single to score junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela). SIU would respond in the bottom of the seventh with a home run that re-extended the lead to two and eventual final score, 7-5.
On the mound, USI sophomore left-hander Will Kiesel (Wadesville, Indiana) took the loss in relief and a staff day for the Eagles. Kiesel (0-1) allowed one run on one hit and a walk and facing three batters.
#13 VANDERBILT 8, TENNESSEE TECH 7 (11)
NASHVILLE - It was a thrilling finish Tuesday night at Hawkins Field, but the Tennessee Tech baseball team's bid at an upset over No. 17 nationally-ranked Vanderbilt came up just short as the Commodores walked off the Golden Eagles in the 11th inning, 8-7.
The contest marked the fifth extra-inning ball game of the year for the purple and gold (26-19) and the first to reach 11 innings since Tech fell in a road tilt at SIUE back on May 7, 2022. It also represented the first tilt to reach extras for the Vandy Boys (32-13) this season.
It was basically a tale of two ball games on the night, as pitching dominated early before the offenses really got going down the stretch. The Golden Eagles struck the early blow in the first, using a little two-out rally to dent the dish.
Right fielder Theo Bryant IV ripped a double to center field to put a runner in scoring position and first baseman Nicho Jordan delivered. The junior peppered a base knock to center field, plating Bryant for the early, 1-0 lead.
From there, Tech starter Matt Gelorme took over on the mound, firing up four straight zeros on the scoreboard to take the visitors from Cookeville to the fifth. In that frame, the Golden Eagles used a little more two-out magic to increase their advantage.
With runners on second and third and two outs, designated hitter Mack Whitcomb took his turn at the dish, falling behind in the count 1-2. The freshman showed his chops, crushing a hanging breaking ball well over the massive wall in left field for a three-run home run.
Vanderbilt finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, scoring an unearned run behind a throwing error by the Tech defense. Tech answered back in the sixth, however, scoring twice more to inflate the lead to 6-1.
Yet another two out rally provided the punch for the purple and gold, as Bryant was plunked by a pitch and Nicho Jordan patiently drew a six-pitch walk. Left fielder Preston Ford loaded the bags after getting hit by an 0-2 offering, bringing shortstop Tanner Shiver to the plate. The senior was clutch, slicing the first pitch he saw to right field to drive in a pair of runs.
In the seventh, the Dores showed why they entered the evening ranked in the top 20 nationally, embarking on a six-run frame while taking advantage of two Golden Eagle miscues along the way. After the first error and base hit allowed the first marker to score, a three-run home run, ruled so after a video review showed the ball just barely leave the ballpark before bouncing back into play, made it a one-run game.
Tech appeared to have a chance to end the inning, with a potential double-play ball in the works, but an errant throw on the back end of the play sailed out of play to allow two more runs to cross. Just like that, Vanderbilt was on top, 7-6.
The Commodores seemed well on their way to victory in the ninth, gathering two quick outs to bring Whitcomb to the dish for the Golden Eagles. The rookie mustered up some more two-out magic, blasting a solo bomb the other way down the right-field line to send the Tech faithful into a frenzy and start the game all over.
Both sides traded a scoreless 10th before Vanderbilt took care of business in the 11th. A lead-off walk and back-to-back singles loaded the bags before a 3-1 offering from rookie Juan Vargas clipped RJ Austin for a walk-off, RBI hit-by-pitch.
Whitcomb paced the Golden Eagle offense on the night, finishing 4-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Jordan also put up two hits with two runs scored in the contest while Shiver added a pair of ribbies. Seven total Tech hitters recorded at least one knock on the night.
Gelorme finished with 4.2 innings of work, allowing just one, unearned run while striking out five batters. Jack Erdman covered 3.2 innings out of the bullpen, also surrendering one unearned run. He fanned three while scattering two hits.