TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Ball State 5,
Southern Indiana 4
Northern Illinois 15,
@Eastern Illinois 14
@Southeast Missouri 8, Middle Tennessee 5
@Lindenwood 12, Bradley 11 (14)
Southern Illinois 9,
@UT Martin 3
@Austin Peay 6,
Tennessee Tech 5
BALL STATE 5, SOUTHERN INDIANA 4
MUNCIE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball could not hold off Ball State University and lost 5-4 Tuesday afternoon in Muncie, Indiana. USI is 10-14 overall after the non-conference contest, while Ball State goes to 17-9 this year.
Ball State took the initial lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the second before USI exploded for four runs in the top of the third. USI junior catcher Micajah Wall scored the first run of the frame on a wild pitch, while junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens hit a three-run bomb to right field for the 4-1 advantage.
The home run was Kitchens' team-best fourth of the year. Kitchens also extended his team-best hitting streak to 13 games with his two-for-four performance.
USI would maintain its three-run lead until the bottom of the seventh when Ball State scored a run to cut the Eagles' advantage to 4-2. The Cardinals eliminated the Eagles' advantage in the bottom of the eighth, posting three runs to pull in front, 5-4, before setting USI down in order in the ninth to finish the contest.
On the mound during a staff day for the Eagles, freshman right-hander Sage Stout took the loss in for USI. Stout threw a third of an inning, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 15, EASTERN ILLINOIS 14
CHARLESTON, Ill. - There was no shortage of offense at Coaches Stadium on Tuesday, as the Eastern Illinois baseball team (9-13, 2-1 OVC) dropped a 15-14 barn burner against in-state foe Northern Illinois (8-13, 1-8 MAC) to close out a four-game homestand.
13 of EIU's runs were earned as the Panthers racked up a total of 14 hits. Chris Worcester led the team with a season-high four knocks, including a pair of doubles, for his tenth multi-hit performance of the season.
Meanwhile, Eli Hill went 2-5 at the plate with a home run and a team-high five RBIs, while Mike O'Conor went 2-6 with a homer and four RBIs. It was the Panthers' first multi-home run game of the season.
Six Eastern pitchers saw action, with Dalton Boruff allowing zero runs with a pair of strikeouts through two innings of relief work.
The offensive fireworks started early with the Huskies posting a five spot in the top of the first that featured home runs from Logan Gregorio and Will Couchman, while two runs were scored on a fielding error.
The Panthers answered right back in the bottom of the first, as Eli Hill launched a ball over the left field wall with the bases loaded to make the score 5-4.
After Eli Cartwright retired the NIU side in order in the top of the second, lead-off man Chris Worcester doubled before scoring on a Mike O'Conor sacrifice fly later in the inning to tie the game.
The teams traded a run each in the third with the Huskies briefly regaining the lead with a Ben Loyd RBI groundout before Brett Stanley scored on a double steal in the bottom of the inning.
Northern went back on top in the fourth behind a Gregorio RBI goundout before breaking the game wide open in the sixth with another five-run frame that included an Andrew Smart three-run homer to center field.
Now trailing 12-6, the Eastern bats went to work in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four runs on a Brett Stanley sacrifice fly, Quade Peters RBI double, and Chris Worcester two RBI single.
The teams remained separated by two runs entering the eighth after plating one run apiece in the seventh inning.
Dalton Boruff held the Huskies scoreless in the eighth, and following a Chris Worcester double and Tyler Castro walk, Mike O'Conor delivered EIU their first lead the game with a monster three-run home run to center field.
However, the NIU bats had more to say, and after a Charlie Parcell single and Gregorio double, the Huskies recaptured the lead with a Baldwin two RBI base hit in the top of the ninth.
Northern walked the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but the Panthers were unable to bring the tying or winning runs across, as they suffered their fourth one-run loss of the season.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 5
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (14-11) picked up its seventh win of the season at Capaha Field with an 8-5 victory over Middle Tennessee (13-11) on Tuesday evening in Cape Girardeau.
Tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the 7th inning, third baseman Caleb Corbin hit a leadoff go-ahead home run to give SEMO a 5-4 lead and sparked a four-run inning. Corbin finished 2-4 at the plate with his third home run of the season and two RBIs.
After back-to-back outs, MTSU pitching allowed two walks to Cole Warehime and Bryce Cannon. An infield single by Ty Stauss loaded the bases for the Redhawks. Catcher Shea McGahan walked in the second run of the inning for the RBI, giving SEMO a 6-4 lead.
Carson Schrack provided two more insurance runs with a two-RBI single up the middle off MTSU's Matthew Driver to make it 8-4 SEMO.
MTSU would get a run back In the top of the eighth to make it 8-5 before RHP Brian Strange recorded the final three outs of the ballgame en route to his first save of the season.
RHP Mason Pennington made his second start of the season pitching 4.2 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits while striking out a pair of Blue Raiders.
MTSU got on the board in the first frame with an RBI single to center field from Brett Vondohlen.
The Redhawks would respond in the home second with the first-of-two RBIs from Corbin. He roped a single to center field to allow Ty Stauss to come across to score after an error from MTSU extended the inning.
Three more runs would come across for the Redhawks in the bottom of the third inning, the first two coming with one swing of the bat. Right fielder Cole Warehime bombed his fifth home run of the season to left field, scoring Michael Mugan, to make it 3-1 Redhawks.
A sacrifice fly from Shea McGahan made it 4-1 Redhawks after the third inning. MTSU would tie it up in the top of the fifth inning with one swing with a three-run home run making it 4-4 after the fifth inning.
LHP Alex Hayes (2-1) came out of the bullpen and picked up his second win of the season. Hayes pitched 1.1 innings, allowing just one run on one hit and struck out four Blue Raiders.
LINDENWOOD 12, BRADLEY 11 (14)
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood baseball team (11-14) scored seven runs in the ninth and eventually defeat Bradley (3-17), 12-11 in 14 innings on Tuesday night from Lou Brock Sports Complex
Bradley hit a two out three-run homer in the first to go up 3-0. Lindenwood scratched one across in the bottom of the inning with an RBI groundout from Filip Sarota, scoring Charlie Isom-McCall.
Another home run for the Braves restored the three-run lead in the second. Lindenwood got one back on the third. Kam Edwards eventually came around to score after a leadoff double, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Bradley added three in the fourth and two in the fifth, going up 9-2.
The Braves extended the lead to 10-2 with one more in the sixth. The Lions plated one in the eighth as Isom-McCall tripled home Edwards, making the score 10-3. Tanner Simpson kept the line moving with a single to bring home Isom-McCall.
Bradley pushed one across in the ninth. For Lindenwood, Tyler Ellis led off the bottom half with a solo homer, moving the score to 11-5.
The Lions kept chipping away, after a double from Tyler Thompson, Jack Meyer brought him home with a two-run homer, cutting the deficit to 11-7. Lindenwood plated another with a triple from Edwards later in the inning, scoring Mitch Cummins. One batter later, Isom-McCall drove in his third of the night, plating Edwards, making the score 11-9.
A few batters later with the bases loaded down to their final out, Thompson came up with a clutch hit, bringing home the tying runs and the game needed extra innings. In the 10th, Easton Rakers pitched out of a jam to keep the score tied. The Braves returned the favor in the bottom half, getting out of a bases loaded situation as we headed to the 11th.
Rakers continued his strong relief outing with a scoreless 12th and Zach Buschschulte took over for him and threw two scoreless innings. The Lions broke the deadlock in the 14th with a leadoff homer from Ellis, completing the wild comeback and winning 12-11. Overall, the bullpen tossed 8.2 innings, giving up just one run after the early deficit.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 9, UT MARTIN 3
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team collected 10 hits on the evening but fell to Southern Illinois 9-3 in the first of two midweek games with the Salukis.
UT Martin (10-14) was led by first baseman Brody Capps who collected a team-high three hits while also drawing a walk. Blaze Bell and JT Popick had multi-hit games with Jalen Fithian (double, two runs scored), Cameron Greene (one RBI) and Arderrius Townsend (run scored) recording base knocks.
Quin Long (0-1) received his first start of the season going three innings and fanning two batters. Jeb Bartle (1.1 innings pitched, three strikeouts, no runs allowed), Kaleb Baskin (1.2 innings pitched, one strikeout, no walks), Mason Shropshire (1.1 innings pitched) and JP Nunn (1.2 innings pitched, no hits, no runs, no walks, two strikeouts) came in for relief appearances.
After Southern Illinois (16-7) scored in the top of the first, Fithian got a run back when he stole third and reached home on a throwing error by the catcher. The Salukis added on to their lead before Bartle entered the game in the fourth inning to score a flyout and two punchouts to end the frame. Baskin emerged from the bullpen to close the fifth by way of a strikeout and flyout.
Popick turned a pitch inside-out to drive home Townsend in the bottom of the sixth and cut into the deficit. Shropshire started the seventh and after a flyout, his first baseman Capps completed an unassisted double play to get out of the inning.
Southern Illinois added runs in the eighth and despite a sacrifice fly by Greene in the ninth, the Skyhawks fell in their first meeting with the Salukis this season.
AUSTIN PEAY 6, TENNESSEE TECH 5
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - An eighth-inning rally wasn't enough for the Tennessee Tech baseball team to earn the win Tuesday evening, as the Golden Eagles fell in a 6-5 heartbreaker at in-state rival Austin Peay.
In a stark difference from last week's match-up between the two former Ohio Valley Conference foes, a 13-3 win for the Governors (19-7) in eight innings in Cookeville, Tuesday's meeting turned into an instant classic, with clutch offense and timely pitching controlling the narrative.
Austin Peay was quick on the attack in the affair, scoring twice in the opening frame on the power of a two-run home run to center field off the bat of Cameron Nickens. The next four frames were a straight pitcher's duel, with both sides trading zeroes on the scoreboard.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Govs struck again with the long ball, this time smacking a two-run shot to left-center field to double the lead to 4-0. Austin Peay continued to lean on starter Chance Cox through a scoreless seventh and into the eighth, but the Golden Eagles (18-8) finally broke through on the Gov hurler.
Third baseman Preston Steele drew a one-out walk, and shortstop Owen Lee followed with a seven-pitch free pass of his own. Catcher Mack Whitcomb put the purple and gold on the board thanks to an RBI single to left-center field, finally putting a dent in the home lead.
Next up at the dish for the Cookeville crew, right fielder Jorsixt Jimenez delivered a clutch knock, singling to right field to load the bases and prompt a pitching change for the Govs. Kade Shatwell entered the contest and forced a ground out to designated hitter Ryan Lee, but the Tech slugger was productive with the out, driving in another Golden Eagle run to make it a 4-2 ball game.
Fresh off of winning OVC Player of the Week on Monday following a monster weekend at Little Rock, left fielder Nicho Jordan continued his hot play with the biggest swing of the night for the purple and gold. The senior worked a full count before depositing a game-tying, two-run base hit to right field.
Knotted at 4-4 with two outs and a runner on first, Tech head coach Matt Bragga turned to Riley Black as a pinch hitter, and the newcomer answered the bell. Patiently filling the count at 3-2, the first baseman slashed a double to left field, driving in Jordan all the way from first and giving the Golden Eagles their first lead of the night at 5-4.
The Govs pushed for a rally of their own in the bottom of the frame, taking advantage of a Tech defensive miscue to flip the score back in their favor. With two outs and runners on first and second, Austin Peay's Keaton Cottam reached on an error by the Golden Eagle infield, allowing the tying run to cross the plate safely.
The error also extended the inning long enough for Kyler Proctor to earn the game-winning RBI, with the Gov second baseman ripping an RBI single to center field on the first pitch he saw to put his team back on top, 6-5. Houston High took the mound for the Golden Eagles and escaped the frame without further damage, giving Tech one last chance at changing the outcome.
The Cookeville crew didn't go down without a fight, despite recording a pair of quick outs to open the top of the ninth. Owen Lee reached first safely after Austin Peay closer Kaleb Applebey couldn't handle the Tech shortstop's ground ball properly, keeping the door open for the purple and gold.
Lee then reached second base on a passed ball, putting the tying run in scoring position with Whitcomb battling at the plate. Working a full count, Whitcomb just missed on a fastball up in the zone from Applebey, bringing a tough ending to the contest for the visitors from Cookeville.
Jimenez, Ryan Lee, and Jordan each tallied two hits for the Golden Eagles in the ball game, with Jordan leading the way with two RBI. Freshman Logan Moller was brilliant out of the bullpen in the fourth and fifth frames, completing 2.0 innings with four strikeouts without allowing a baserunner.
Garrett Holpuch covered 0.2 innings to get Tech out of a jam in the sixth, while Kevin Matos turned in a scoreless seventh frame with two punch-outs.