SATURDAY'S SCORES
Butler 11,
@Lindenwood 10
@Northern Kentucky 6,
Eastern Illinois 5
@Tennessee Tech 5, Purdue Fort Wayne 0
Belmont 3,
@Little RocK 2
Indiana State 3-1,
@Southeast Missouri 0-4
SIUE 14, @Omaha 6
Western Illinois 5, @Murray State 3
Samford 11,
@UT Martin 1
@South Carolina 16,
Morehead State 11
@Oral Roberts 4,
Southern Indiana 2
BUTLER 11, LINDENWOOD 10
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood baseball team (7-8) dropped a Saturday game with Butler (6-7) by a score of 11-10 from Lou Brock Sports Complex
Lindenwood got on the board just two batters in as Tyler Thompson drove in Kam Edwards after a double. The Lions doubled their lead in the second after a home run by Tanner Simpson, making the score 2-0.
Butler tied the game with two runs in the fourth and took the lead with one in the fourth. The Bulldogs broke the game open with five runs in the fifth and one in the sixth, going up 9-2. Lindenwood fought back with three in the sixth, thanks to a bomb from Edwards that brought home Charlie Isom-McCall and Evan Funkhouser, cutting the deficit to 9-5.
The Bulldogs added two more runs in the eighth, going up 11-5. Lindenwood kept battling as Jake Radosevich and Mitch Cummins hit home runs in the ninth, closing the gap to 11-8. The Black and Gold eventually brought the tying run up to the plate in the form of Filip Sarota who doubled home two more, getting the Lions within one, 11-10. Butler was able to hold on for the one-run victory, however.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 6, EASTERN ILLINOIS 5
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team (4-7, 0-0 OVC) suffered a dramatic one-run loss at Northern Kentucky (7-6, 0-0 Horizon) on Saturday afternoon, as the Norse evened up the series heading into Sunday's weekend finale.
The Panthers scored five runs, including four earned, on eight hits and two errors. Four different EIU batters recorded RBIs in the game, while Pierce Bauerle posted a pair of doubles.
Elijah Green was designated the loss after allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts through the game's final 2.1 innings.
Anthony Solis had a solid outing in his second start of the season, allowing three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts through six innings.
NKU opened up the scoring in the first inning with a Logen Devenport double that allowed Tyler Shaneyfelt to score from first.
EIU responded in the second with a Luke Melton RBI single that scored Ethan Rossi, who had reached base and advanced to second on a fielding error.
The Norse countered in the third inning with a Devenport solo home run to recapture the lead. They tacked on one more in the fifth with a Jake Paulick sacrifice fly.
In the top of the sixth, the Panthers had the bases loaded with one out before Brett Stanley scored on a Sam Wiese infield fly. However, Eastern was unable to tie or take the lead as they left two stranded.
NKU extended their lead to three after loading the bases with nobody out in the seventh, but Eli Green entered the game and managed to limit the damage to just a pair of runs.
EIU got one back in the eighth after a Chris Worcester two-out double followed by a Sam Wiese RBI single brought the score to 5-3.
Still trailing by two and down to their final out with one on in the ninth, Peyton Wilson delivered with a double that allowed Quade Peters to score from first to bring Eastern within a run.
With the tying run now in scoring position, Brett Stanley came through with a clutch base hit that plated Wilson to make the score 5-5.
After advancing to second and then taking third on a wild pitch, Stanley was just 90 feet from scoring the go-ahead run. However, NKU escaped the inning with a strikeout to keep the game tied.
Then, with nobody on and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Jake Paulick homered the left center to walk it off for the Norse and even the series at one game apiece.
TENNESSEE TECH 5, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 0
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - A shutout effort from the pitching staff was the recipe for success for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles earned their first clean sheet of the season with a 5-0 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Starter Jared Herzog and relievers Jack Brafa and Reece McDuffie combined for the team's first shut piece, limiting the Mastodons (1-12) to just four hits on the day. Herzog pitched his way out of some trouble in the first, working around a walk, a failed pick-off attempt, and a hit-by-pitch.
The Golden Eagles (12-4) rewarded their starter with a run in the bottom of the first, courtesy of some old-school baseball. Shortstop Owen Lee led off the inning with an infield knock and moved to second following a sac bunt from center fielder Jackson Green.
Catcher Mack Whitcomb produced the first RBI of the day, blistering a single to center field for a 1-0 run. Herzog again worked through some traffic in the second, escaping a bases-loaded jam with a force out at home plate and a strikeout.
Tech again lifted up its pitcher, locking down the second run of the game after first baseman Carter Vrabel reached first on a walk. Two batters later, second baseman Eddie Garza smashed a one-hop double off the Mastodon third baseman, allowing Vrabel to score all the way from first.
Herzog made quick work of Purdue Fort Wayne (1-12) in the third, setting the visitors down in order. Green answered with a lead-off double to put more pressure on the Mastodons and Whitcomb drove him in four pitches later, lacing a base knock to right-center field.
After recording the first two outs of the fourth, Herzog's day came to an end and sophomore Jack Brafa took over on the hill, proceeding to make the team's 3-0 lead work just fine. Over the next 2.1 innings, the right-hander limited the Mastodons to just two base runners, letting the Golden Eagle defense do its job.
Reece McDuffie took his turn on the bump starting with the seventh, working around a base hit and a fielding error to set down the Purdue Fort Wayne side scoreless yet again. He put up another zero in the eighth before the purple and gold provided just a bit more breathing room.
Back-to-back walks to Nicho Jordan and Ryan Lee set Tech up for a sacrifice bunt, putting both in scoring position. Vrabel delivered the first clutch hit of the inning, ripping a single through the right side to plate Jordan. Left fielder Landon Smelser followed with an RBI base knock to center field, lifting the lead to 5-0.
McDuffie locked down his team-leading third save of the season in style in the ninth, striking out the first two batters before inducing a weak fly ball to shallow left field for the Golden Eagle win. Brafa (3-1) picked up his second win of the week out of the bullpen, covering 2.1 frames. McDuffie finished off the final three, scattering two hits.
Whitcomb led the offense in the contest, piling up three hits in four at-bats with two RBI. The Golden Eagles combined for four stolen bases on the day as well, with Green, Whitcomb, Jordan, and Vrabel each swiping one.
BELMONT 3, LITTLE ROCK 2
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Runs were hard to come by for both teams during Saturday's contest at Gary Hogan Field, but visiting Belmont managed to edge out Little Rock for a 3-2 victory. The finale is scheduled for Sunday at 1:05 pm and will be available for live streaming on ESPN+.
The Trojans (5-9) and Bruins (4-11) combined for just a dozen hits as pitchers from both sides kept offense to a premium. Each team went scoreless during the front three and back three innings, with all five runs in the game coming during the middle frames.
Brody Bunting (1-3) had a strong start despite the loss, throwing 4.1 innings with four strikeouts while giving up just five hits, three runs and five walks. Joe Ruzicka (1-1) got the win for Belmont, tossing six strong innings with just three hits and one earned run allowed. The Trojans got top quality relief outings from both Malcolm Brown (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K) and Preston Davis, who entered in the ninth and got Little Rock out of a jam with consecutive strikeouts.
Belmont opened the scoring with a run-scoring double in the fourth, but Sammy Harris tied the game in the bottom half on a single to center field that sent Ryan Geck across the plate. The Bruins quickly responded with two more runs in the fifth for a 3-1 lead, and the Trojans answered in the sixth on run by Cooper Chaplain.
Little Rock had the tying run at second in the ninth as Geck led off the inning with a single before advancing on a sacrifice bunt by Aiden McGinnis. But pinch hitter Jayce Blalock grounded out and Andrew Pickering hit into a game-ending fielder's choice.
Chaplain, Geck and Harris each had a hit in the game. Zach Henry also had a hit before leaving the game in the middle innings after coming up with a lower body injury after hustling for a fly ball. Reed Willbanks replaced him and finished with a hit.
INDIANA STATE 3-1, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0-4
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (7-7) got back to the .500 mark for the season after splitting Saturday's doubleheader with Indiana State (7-8). The Redhawks dropped the first game, 3-0, before picking up the win with a 4-1 victory in game two.
The Redhawks turned it on offensively in the second game with 12 hits as a team, led by center fielder Michael Mugan. Mugan finished the day 3-3 at the plate with a double, and a pair of singles. He came around to score three runs in the contest.
First baseman doubled to right center in the second inning to score Mugan from second base. Cannon switched spots with Mugan after his own double to make it 1-0 Redhawks after the first.
Right fielder Cole Warehime singled home Mugan in the fourth inning to double SEMO's advantage. Warehime finished the day 2-3 at the plate with a RBI.
An RBI sacrifice fly from second baseman Brooks Kettering made it 3-0 SEMO after the fifth inning. Kettering recorded a walk, a single, and an RBI in the second game.
RHP Nathan Mertens kept the Sycamores at bay in his second start of the season. Mertens (1-0) picked up his first win of the season with a 6.2 innings pitched performance. He allowed just one run, on five hits, and struck out five hitters.
The Sycamores lone run of the contest came on a solo home run by Keegan Garis in the top of the seventh inning.
LHP Jackson Kranawetter picked up his first save of the season to seal the deal. Kranawetter came in following the home run and pitched the final 2.2 innings of the contest. He struck out a career-high seven hitters and allowed just two hits.
The Sycamores scored three runs in the first game which proved to be enough as the Redhawks could muster just two hits in game one. Brooks Kettering and Mikey Rocha were the only Redhawks who recorded a hit.
SEMO threatened in the first inning after they loaded the bases with three-straight walks off RHP Grant Parson. The Redhawks failed to score as the Sycamores got out of the jam to maintain a one run lead.
ISU scored a run in the first three innings and were held scoreless the rest of the way. ISU's RHP Colby Morse pitched the final 7.1 innings without allowing a run as the Redhawks struggled to get anything going against the Sycamores.
SIUE 14, OMAHA 6
OMAHA, Neb. - SIUE baseball exploded for six runs in the sixth inning Saturday and went on to defeat Omaha 14-5 in the opener of a three-game series at Tal Anderson Field.
The Cougars snapped an eight-game losing streak with the win and improved to 3-9. Omaha slipped to 3-9 with the loss.
The 14 runs match a season high for the Cougars who finished with 11 hits.
SIUE scored the six runs on three hits in the sixth while also taking advantage of four Omaha errors to lead 9-2. The Mavericks finished with seven errors in the game. John Stallcup and Mack Mitchell each picked up two-run hits in the inning.
Kyle Ratliff gave the Cougars a 10-2 lead with a solo home run in the seventh inning. The Cougars added two more runs in the eighth inning. Mitchell hit a solo home run and Ethan Willoughby doubled in a pair of runs to make it 13-2.
Gage Franck hit a solo home run of his own in the ninth inning.
Omaha scored three times in the eighth and added a run in the ninth for the 14-6 final.
The Cougars got on the board thanks to a manufactured run in the third. Stallcup singled to open the frame and moved to third on a sac bunt and an error by the Mavericks. He scored when Mitchell grounded into a double play.
Ryan Niedzwiedz tripled to leadoff the fourth inning. He scored on an Ethan Willoughby groundout. Kyle Ratliff walked and scored later in the inning on another error by Omaha.
Tim Teixeira started and worked the first four innings allowing a run on three hits. He struck out three.
Liam McKillop (1-0) allowed three runs in 3 1/3 innings of relief. He struck out five for his first win of the year. Joseph Martin allowed just a run in 1 2/3 innings. He struck out three.
Mitchell, Niedzwiedz and Stallcup each had two hits to lead the Cougars.
Henry Zipay finished with three hits to lead Omaha.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 5, MURRAY STATE 3
MURRAY, Ky. - WIU Baseball overcame an early deficit to take down Murray State 5-3 on Saturday afternoon, thanks to a monster performance from Liam Bushey at the plate and strong outings from Jason Buhl and Karsten Stotlar on the mound.
Murray State jumped out to a fast start with three runs in the first inning, but Buhl settled in and kept the Leathernecks in the game. He tossed six innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs while battling through 104 pitches.
The Leathernecks would score five unanswered runs and would hold Murray State to zero runs over the final eight innings. WIU got two runs in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Justin Bogard allowing Liam Bushey to tag from third and score followed by a Trevor Leon RBI single to bring the Racer lead to one at 3-2.
In the fifth inning, Western Illinois would tie the game on a Bushey RBI single scoring Paul Osting. Bushey led the charge offensively for the Leathernecks, going 4-for-5 with two RBI on the afternoon.
WIU would take the lead in the seventh thanks to a Kyree Alexander RBI single that scored Tyler Large. The Leathernecks would add on to their lead in the eighth inning following another Bushey RBI single.
With the game hanging in the balance, Stotlar took over on the mound in the seventh and slammed the door shut. The Junior lefty worked 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out one to earn the save.
The win improves WIU to 3-7 on the season.
SAMFORD 11, UT MARTIN 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - Recap coming soon.
SOUTH CAROLINA 16, MOREHEAD STATE 11
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Morehead State got in a deep hole early and mounted a charge that just wasn't enough and fell to South Carolina 16-11 Saturday at Founders Field in Columbia, S.C.
Morehead State got on the board first in the second inning when left fielder Davis Germann hit his third home run of the season over the right field wall to give the Eagles an early 1-0 lead. Germann had a big day at the plate, going 3-4 with two home runs, driving in five runs, and scoring three times.
South Carolina (13-3) responded in the bottom half of the second with a five-run outburst highlighted by the Gamecock's left fielder Evan Stone's grand-slam blast over the left field wall.
USC followed that up in the third, plating seven runs on just three hits, one being a two-run home run to left field by second baseman KJ Scobey to take a 12-2 lead. The Gamecocks sent 13 batters to the plate in the frame, drawing five walks and one batter hit by a pitch.
MSU rallied for four in the fourth inning, highlighted by catcher Caden Sheridan's two-out, two-RBI Double after two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with one out. Eagle center field Hayden Robbins rapped a two-run single to round out the scoring in the inning.
After giving up two runs in the bottom of the fourth, MSU struck again in the fifth. Singles by designated hitter Hunter Thomas and right fielder JJ Dutton got the inning started and Germann drove a pitch to deep left center for his second home run of the day to make it 14-8.
The Eagles rally continued in the sixth. Third baseman Griffin Olson coaxed a one-out walk and Thomas singled up the middle. Dutton reached on a fielding error to load the bases. Germann drove an RBI single through the left side to score Olson.
Shortstop Andy Cisneros drilled a liner that USC shortstop Will Tippett couldn't handle to score two more and cut the Gamecock advantage to 14-11.
South Carolina added an insurance run in both the eighth and ninth innings for the final margin.
Ashton Crowther (2-0) picked up the win for South Carolina.
Kamden Hawks (0-2) took the loss for Morehead State
ORAL ROBERTS 4, SOUTHERN INDIANA 2
TULSA, Okla. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball was downed by Oral Roberts University, 4-2, Saturday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. USI is 6-7 overall in 2025, while ORU goes 8-4 this year.
It was a pitcher's duel for the first five innings of the contest. USI junior right-hander Blake Kimball shut out the Golden Eagles on five hits through the first five frames before being touched for four runs in the sixth. Kimball (2-2) took the loss allowing the four runs on eight hits and a walk, while striking out two.
The score would remain 4-0 until the top of the ninth when USI closed the gap to 4-2. Junior shortstop Clayton Slack reached on a one-out single and advanced to third on a double by sophomore pinch hitter Evan Zapp before scoring the Screaming Eagles' first run on a sacrifice fly by junior pinch hitter Charlie Marisca.
Zapp crossed the plate with USI's second tally when junior third baseman Patrick McLellan reached on an error with two outs. The 4-2 score would be as close as USI would come as ORU closed out the game.
At the plate, junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens led USI with three hits in the contest.