WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
ULM 7,
@Little Rock 6
Illinois State 9,
@SIUE 3
@Southern Illinois 10,
UT Martin 0
ULM 7, LITTLE ROCK 6
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Little Rock battled back from a four-run deficit to tie Wednesday's non-conference game, but a late Louisiana Monroe homer proved to be the difference as the Warhawks escaped from Gary Hogan Field with a 7-6 win.
The Trojans (9-16) twice tied the game after falling behind, the first time coming in the second inning with two runs after ULM (11-14) had opened the game with a pair of runs. Trailing 6-2 in the sixth, Little Rock went back to work and scored four runs to even the score at 6-6. The game remained deadlocked after eight frames before the Warhawks hit a two-out solo home run to take the lead for good.
Jayce Blalock hit his third home run of the season to tie the game in the second inning and finished with two hits, two RBI and scored a run. Sammy Harris also had two hits and a sixth-inning RBI. Ryan Geck, Ty Rhoades, and Jackson Raines each drove in a run.
On a scheduled bullpen day, each team used a total of seven pitchers in the contest. Zach Busick got the start for Little Rock and tossed two innings, making way for Gage Haley, who went three full frames allowing just one run. Noah Burkey, Josh Beezley, Blake Van Cleve and Hunter Royal all saw action before Malcolm Brown entered in the ninth. Brown was tagged with the loss.
ILLINOIS STATE 9, SIUE 3
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE baseball dropped a 9-3 decision to Illinois State Wednesday at Roy E. Lee Field.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak and the Cougars fell to 10-13. Illinois State improved to 10-13 with the win. The Cougars and Redbirds split the season series with each team winning on the other's home field.
Illinois State built a 9-0 lead over the first four innings, scoring twice in the first inning, four times in the second and adding single runs in the third and fourth innings.
The Cougars got on the board in the seventh. Kyle Hepburn roped a pinch-hit double into the right-center field gap and then scored two batters later when Brendan Fry doubled to deep left field. Sam Chapman singled and Gage Franck walked to load the bases. Mack Mitchell drew a walk to force home a run.
Illinois State starter Ryan Weaver (1-3) worked 6 2/3 innings allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out a career-high seven hitters and earned his first career win.
Franck connected off ISU reliever Matthew Donnison for a solo home run in the ninth for the Cougars' third run.
Seven different players finished with a single hit for the Cougars.
Brady Coon (0-3) allowed six runs over 1 1/3 innings. Joseph Martin allowed two runs over an inning. Kyle Rossy allowed a run over 1 2/3 innings. Andrew Ressler threw two scoreless innings. Brennen Grams tossed a scoreless inning, striking out three. Gabriel Nutter closed out the game with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 10, UT MARTIN 0
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team fell 10-0 in the second game of the midweek series to Southern Illinois at Itchy Jones Stadium.
Blaze Bell (double), Brody Capps and Frank Micallef had base hits for UT Martin (10-15) in the contests while Jonah Katsaboulas and Arderrius Townsend drew walks.
Zach Wager (2-3) started and threw two innings with two strikeouts and no walks. Brandon King (1.2 innings pitched, one strikeout), Austin Gast (one inning, one strikeout, no walks), J. Henry Hobson (0.1 innings pitched), Shawn Perez (0.2 innings pitched) and Brock Arender (0.1 innings pitched) each saw time on the mound.
After two base runners reached to start the second, Wager recorded three straight outs on a punchout and back-to-back lineouts. In the top of the fourth, Townsend and Katsaboulas got into scoring position after drawing walks but were unable to get any further.
Bell and Micallef got singles in the seventh however Southern Illinois (17-7) secured the final out of the game to stop the Skyhawk rally attempt.