THURSDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 8-7, Tennessee Tech 6-6
Morehead State 20, @UT Martin 4
@Little Rock 10, Western Illinois 8
@Southeast Missouri 2, Lindenwood 0
@SIUE 10, Southern Indiana 4
EASTERN ILLINOIS 8-7, TENNESSEE TECH 6-6
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team (18-17, 8-5 OVC) swept their doubleheader against Tennessee Tech (24-15, 9-5 OVC) on Thursday to pick a pair of key conference victories. The Panthers held off the Golden Eagles for an 8-6 win in game one before taking game two 7-6 in walk-off fashion.
In the afternoon's opening contest, the EIU offense generated eight runs on 12 hits and three TTU errors, with just three of Eastern's runs being earned. Chris Worcester led the attack with three hits in five at-bats with an RBI. It was Worcester's team-leading 15th multi-hit performance, including his fourth three-hit outing.
Zak Goodwin and Joey Hagen also posted multiple hits with two knocks apiece, while Hagen recorded a team-leading two RBIs.
Anthony Solis (4-1) picked up his fourth win of the season after allowing three runs on five hits with a strikeout through 5.1 innings. Dalton Boruff earned his third save of the season after giving up one run on two hits with a strikeout to close the game.
EIU got the scoring started early with a Zak Goodwin RBI single that scored Mike O'Conor, who had singled and stolen second to reach scoring position.
The Panthers extended their lead in the bottom of the second after a fielding error allowed EIU to load the bases, setting the stage for a Chris Worcester RBI base hit that scored Ethan Rossi.
After a pitching change, Tyler Castro scored on a Brett Stanley sacrifice fly to make the score 3-0, but the inning ended after Worcester got caught in no man's land between first and second.
The Golden Eagles scored their first run of the game in the top of the third with a Mack Whitcomb two RBI double.
Following a scoreless fourth inning, the Panthers took advantage of a Tennessee Tech error to plate three unearned runs in the fifth.
Following a Chris Worcester leadoff single and Brett Stanley sac bunt, a throwing error by the TTU third baseman allowed O'Conor to reach base and advance to second while Worcester moved up and scored due to the ball leaving the field of play.
After a Zak Goodwin groundout moved O'Conor up another 90 feet, Jake Ferguson delivered with an RBI triple before coming home to score on a Joey Hagen RBI double that extended the lead to 6-1.
However, the Golden Eagles immediately responded with three runs of their own in the top of the sixth. After two of the inning's first three batters reached on base hits, Eddie Garza doubled to drive in Nicho Jordan.
With two runners on base, back-to-back walks brought in another run before Garza scored on an Owen Lee ground out to trim the lead back to two.
In the bottom of the sixth, Eastern capitalized on another pair of Tech miscues as Tyler Castro scored on a passed ball after moving to third on a wild pitch.
The Panthers tacked on another run in the seventh as Zak Goodwin reached base with a leadoff double before scoring on another Joey Hagen RBI base hit.
Tennessee Tech trimmed one run off the lead in the eighth with a Owen Lee RBI single, but left two stranded after having runners on the corners with just one away.
The Golden Eagles looked to have more life in the ninth after a Nicho Jordan leadoff homer and Jackson Rooker walk, but a fly out followed by a 4-6-3 double play slammed the door on any hopes of a comeback, as Eastern secured the 8-6 victory.
In game two, all seven of EIU's runs were earned as they posted 12 hits compared to just six for TTU. Jake Ferguson led the Eastern offense, going 3-4 with a double and an RBI. Meanwhile, Ethan Rossi went 2-2 with a triple and two RBIs.
Four EIU pitchers saw action in the game, combining to allow just one earned run. Christian Carew had the longest outing, allowing no runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts through 4.1 innings of relief.
Kole Bradley picked up his first win of the season after giving up no runs on just one hit through the game's final inning and a third.
Tech opened the scoring with one run in the second, with Nicho Jordan reaching on a walk before stealing second, advancing to third on a balk, and eventually scoring on a wild pitch.
The Golden Eagle lead was short lived, however, as EIU surged ahead with a four-spot in the bottom of the second.
Joey Hagen got things rolling with a one-out base hit before a Jake Ferguson double put runners on second and third, allowing Ethan Rossi to put Eastern ahead with the Panthers' second triple of the afternoon.
Quade Peters then drove home Rossi before stealing second and scoring on a Tyler Castro RBI single to make the score 4-1.
TTU got one back in the top of the third as Jackson Green scored on a Mack Whitcomb base hit after a fielding error with two outs had extended the inning.
Both teams went scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings before EIU broke the silence with a James Love leadoff triple followed by a Jake Ferguson RBI single in the sixth.
After Tech left two stranded with no runs in the top of the seventh, Mike O'Conor extended the EIU lead to four with a solo home run to right center in the bottom of the inning. It was O'Conor's team-high eight long ball of the season.
However, things would unravel for Eastern in the eighth, with TTU scoring four unearned runs to tie the game.
After a fielding error and walk to begin the inning put runners on first and second with no outs, the Panthers looked primed to escape the inning after back-to-back strikeouts, but consecutive two-out base hits from Nicho Jordan and Eddie Garza cut the lead in half.
With runners now on the corners, Riley Black tied the game with a double to right center before a lineout to first base stopped the bleeding for EIU.
The score remained tied entering the bottom of the ninth.
Mike O'Conor was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before moving to third on a Zak Goodwin sacrifice bunt followed by a Brett Stanley groundout.
With the winning run now 90 feet away, Sam Wiese stepped to the plate and smoked a ball at the first baseman that was too hot to handle, allowing O'Conor to score and clinch the series in walk-off fashion.
MOREHEAD STATE 20, UT MARTIN 4
MARTIN, Tenn. - Powered by catcher Hunter Thomas' five hits and seven runs batted in, Morehead State pounded out 20 hits and took a 20-4 win over UT Martin in the opening game of a three-game series Thursday evening in Martin, Tenn.
Thomas got Morehead State (12-23/ 2-11 OVC) on the board early. After a leadoff double by Caden Sheridan, Hunter took UT Martin starting pitcher Jacob Sitton (1-3) deep out to center field for his OVC-leading 14th home run of the season to put the Eagles ahead 2-0.
Thomas added two-run singles in the second and fifth innings and a RBI double in the eighth to pace the Eagle offense. The MSU catcher finished the night five of seven with seven runs batted in.
Morehead State starter Kamden Hawks (1-4) picked up his first career win. He pitched five innings, allowing two runs on six hits, walking two Skyhawk batters and striking out five. Hawks' 36 strikeouts lead Morehead State on the season.
Ethan Davis (1) pitched four innings, picking up a 12-out save. He allowed two runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out two Skyhawk batters.
UT Martin (13-23/ 4-8 OVC) slapped nine hits and left 11 runners on base. The Skyhawks committed five errors allowing four unearned runs.
LITTLE ROCK 10, WESTERN ILLINOIS 8
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Even when Little Rock gave up a big lead, they never got flustered Thursday night against Western Illinois. The Trojans jumped to a commanding 5-0 lead after two innings but trailed 6-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth. However, a four-run burst in the bottom of the sixth gave the lead back and the Trojans (17-19, 6-6 OVC) survived, 10-8. The win marks the seventh consecutive victory and continues a big week after an upset at Ole Miss on Tuesday.
After the Leathernecks (10-23, 4-9) scored six runs in the sixth to take a 6-5 lead, the Trojans went to work. Ty Rhoades, who was 3-for-4, drove in Alex Seguine to tie the game. The go-ahead run scored on a wild pitch, and then Cooper Chaplain, the hero of the Ole Miss upset, smoked a drive over the right field wall into the trees with a man on to make it a 9-6 lead.
WIU did cut into the lead in the eighth with two runs to make it 9-8, but Little Rock scored on a throwing error in the bottom half of the frame to add insurance.
Reliever Hunter Royal got the first batter in the ninth to ground out, but had to work around a base hit and a balk but fanned the final two batters to pick up the save – his first of the season.
Starter Jackson Wells threw over 90 pitchers in five scoreless innings. He gave up five hits, struck out six and walked two. The ace of the staff battled a blister that shortened his start at Morehead State last week.
Gage Haley (2-0) notched the win with 1.2 innings of work. He gave up four hits and struck out two.
The Trojans struck first in the opening frame as Rhoades drove in Ryan Geck. The second run scored on a wild pitch and Angel Cano capped the scoring with an RBI single.
Little Rock added to the 3-0 lead in the second as Reed Willbanks led off with a triple and Seguine followed with a triple scoring Willbanks. Geck, then hit a sacrifice fly that scored Seguine.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2, LINDENWOOD 0
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (22-16, 9-4 OVC) shut out Ohio Valley Conference rival Lindenwood (17-20, 6-6 OVC) on Thursday evening by a final score of 2-0 at Capaha Field.
RHP Nathan Mertens (5-1) picked up his fifth win of the season with a stellar performance. The junior from La Canada, California pitched 7.2 innings of scoreless baseball. He finished with seven strikeouts without allowing a walk over 30 hitters.
The Redhawks scored their first-of-two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as a one-out single from designated hitter Ty Stauss got a runner on base. Stauss advanced to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third base on a flyout.
Third baseman Caleb Corbin swung at the first pitch he saw from the Lions' starting pitcher Ethan Smith (2-2) and roped an RBI single into left field to make it 1-0 SEMO after the fourth.
Just one more run in the ballgame came in the bottom of the sixth inning as Stauss once again got the inning in motion with a leadoff single to left field. A perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by catcher Shea McGahan moved Stauss up 90-feet into scoring position.
After a walk to Carson Schrack and a ground out from Corbin moved Stauss to third base. A wild pitch allowed Stauss to come into score to make it 2-0 SEMO.
Mertens continued to mow down the Lions, striking out four-of-seven in innings seven and eight as he gave way to Jackson Kranawetter with two outs in the top of the eighth inning.
Kranawetter struck out the first Lion he faced to end the eighth inning. The Lions would load the bases in the top of the ninth inning, but two more Kranawetter strikeouts led to his sixth save of the season as the Redhawks held on for the 2-0 victory.
SIUE 10, SOUTHERN INDIANA 4
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE regained at least a share of first place in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 10-4 win over Southern Indiana Thursday at Simmons Baseball Complex.
The Cougars improved to 9-4 in the OVC and 16-20 overall. USI is 7-6 in the league and 16-21 overall.
Tim Teixeira (3-2) started and tied his career high with seven innings of work. He gave up four runs and struck out seven. Liam McKillop picked up the save with two scoreless innings. He struck out two.
The Screaming Eagles took a 2-0 lead with a single run in each of the first two innings. Kyle Ratliff connected for a one-out solo homer in the second to get SIUE on the board.
It was 3-1 USI when the Cougars scored three times in the fourth inning. Ryan Niedzwiedz led off the inning with his fourth homer of the year. Joshua Heyder walked, Kyle Ratliff was hit by a pitch and Ethan Wiloughby singled to load the bases. Lane Crowdwen, who spent two seasons at Southern Indiana before coming to SIUE, drove in two with a line drive to left center.
SIUE added single runs in the sixth and the seventh and Southern Indiana scored a run in the seventh and it was 6-4 heading to the eighth, when SIUE scored four more runs on five hits. Chase Bloomer, Niedzwiedz, Ratliff and Willoughby each drove in runs in the inning.
Bloomer, Ratliff, Willoughby and Crowden finished with two hits for SIUE, which outhit USI 11-6 in the game.
Micajah Wall was 2-4 to lead the Screaming Eagles at the plate.
USI starter Sage Stout (3-2) allowed four runs over three innings in the loss.