SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Western Illinois 1, Lindenwood 0
Southeast Missouri 11, @Morehead State 10
@Tennessee Tech 7, UT Martin 6
SIUE 8, @Little Rock 4
Eastern Illinois 9, @Southern Indiana 8
WESTERN ILLINOIS 1, LINDENWOOD 0
MACOMB, Ill. - On a day where Western Illinois Baseball needed a win to stay in the conference tournament race, the Leatherneck pitching staff delivered in a big way. Jorge Romero threw seven scoreless innings, recording his second quality start of the season, allowing only two hits and collecting 4 K's.
Following Romero's performance, Jason Buhl and Billy Humphrey would slam the door on the Lion offense. Buhl would get the ball in the eighth inning, striking out the first two batters he faced. In the ninth inning, Humphrey would pick up his first career save at WIU, giving up a lead-off hit before retiring the next three batters to help secure the 1-0 win.
The lone run of the game came in the bottom of the seventh inning on a Cordell Coburn two-out RBI double to left field allowing Tyler Large to score, who led off the seventh inning getting hit by a pitch. The offense was led this afternoon by Paul Osting, who collected a team-high two hits in the win. Defensively, WIU committed no errors playing an all-around great game.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 11, MOREHEAD STATE 10
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Designated hitter Gunnar Doyle hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning as SEMO Baseball (26-18, 13-5 OVC) completed the series sweep of Morehead State (12-30, 2-16 OVC) by a final score of 11-10 on Sunday afternoon. The sweep of Morehead State marked the first sweep in Morehead, Kentucky since the 2004 season.
Trailing 10-8 and down to his last strike, Doyle crushed his fourth home run of the season to right field off MSU pitcher Josh Furtado (2-2) to give SEMO an 11-10 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. For Doyle, he ends his weekend with 12 RBIs over just two games and a pair of home runs.
LHP Jackson Kranawetter came on and punched out two Eagles to record his eighth save of the season and secure win number 26 on the season for the Redhawks.
As an offense, the Redhawks recorded 15 hits to just 10 from MSU. Of their 11 runs today, the Redhawks scored all 11 with two outs and went 9-18 at the plate with two outs (.500).
The Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the third inning before the Redhawks eventually got on the board in the fifth with a two-run inning.
Left fielder Ty Stauss crushed his third home run of the season In the top of the fourth inning with two outs to score Caleb Champion to cut the MSU lead in half.
A two-out RBI double by Michael Mugan in the top of the fifth inning would tie the ball game for the first time since the first pitch as he scored Carson Schrack and Brooks Kettering to make it 4-4.
A two-RBI double and a two-run home run from MSU would regain an 8-4 advantage for the home team before each team would add another run in the sixth inning. A balk allowed the fifth run for SEMO to come across. After the sixth, MSU led 9-5.
In the top of the eighth, a huge two-out, two-RBI single by Carson Schrack to center field allowed Doyle and Warehime to come into score to make it 9-7 going to the ninth inning.
After MSU added a run in the bottom of the eighth, the Redhawks were down to their last pitch when Ty Stauss roped a single up the middle to score Champion to make it 10-8.
Doyle then stepped up with Warehime on second, Stauss on first, and crushed the go-ahead home run to give SEMO an 11-10 victory.
TENNESSEE TECH 7, UT MARTIN 6
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Just when the Tennessee Tech baseball team needed it most, the offense came through for another comeback victory over the UT Martin on Sunday, as the Golden Eagles rallied for a 7-6 win at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex to clinch a key Ohio Valley Conference series.
The win not only kept the purple and gold (28-17, 11-7) in the top four of the league standings, it also represented another historic victory in the career of Tech head coach Matt Bragga. The 19-year Golden Eagle veteran earned win number 554 for his tenure with the Cookeville crew, tying TTU Sports Hall of Famer David Mays for the most in program history and the fifth-most in OVC history.
It was a back-and-forth affair between the two in-state rivals at the Quill, with the Skyhawks (16-26, 7-10) taking the initial lead in the second with an RBI single up the middle. The Golden Eagles answered back in the bottom half of the frame, taking their first lead of the day.
First baseman Riley Black led off the inning with a walk, and right fielder Jorsixt Jimenez followed by getting plunked in the back to put a pair of runners on. Two batters later, designated hitter Ryan Lee put the purple and gold on top, blasting a three-run blast to left field for his fourth round-tripper of the year.
In the fourth, the visitors from Martin used a long ball of their own to recapture control of the contest. With two outs in the frame, Frank Micallef smacked his first home run of the year to left-center field, providing the Skyhawks a 4-3 advantage. UT Martin added another in the sixth for a two-run lead before the purple and gold answered in the bottom half.
Jimenez singled to left field to lead things off before second baseman Eddie Garza drew a four-pitch walk. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch, setting up Ryan Lee for his fourth RBI of the day. The senior nearly smashed his second jack of the game, settling for a sacrifice fly to deep center field to cut the deficit to one.
Again the Skyhawks drove in an insurance run, this time in the top of the seventh. Tech threatened in the bottom half of the inning, with left fielder Landon Smelser drawing a lead-off walk and catcher Mack Whitcomb following with a base knock to right field.
Black laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the pair into scoring position before UT Martin walked Jimenez on five pitches to load the bases. The Skyhawks got through the inning unscathed, however, inducing a 6-4-3 double play to stay on top, 6-4.
Undeterred from the scoreless seventh, the purple and gold went back to work in the eighth, this time delivering when it mattered most. Working an eight-pitch at-bat, Ryan Lee led off the frame with an infield single to shortstop.
After subbing into the contest in the seventh on defense, shortstop Preston Steele came through with a base hit to right field. Both Lee and Steele moved into scoring position on the play, as the right fielder booted the ball on a short hop to provide time for the extra base for each Golden Eagle.
Wasting no time, third baseman Jackson Rooker ripped the first pitch he saw up the middle, easily beating out an infield single to the Skyhawk second baseman, who stopped the ball from reaching the outfield. The redshirt freshman drove in a run on the play, cutting the deficit to just one.
The Skyhawks picked up their first out of the frame, but Rooker made it count, stealing second base during the at-bat to put two Golden Eagles in scoring position and stay out of a double play. Falling behind 0-2 in the count, Smelser picked up new life after a quick visit with Coach Bragga and the baserunners, clutching up with a poke through the RBI side to plate the tying run.
Whitcomb finished off the comeback in the next at-bat, launching a long fly ball to deep left-center field for the game-winning sac fly. Now backed by the team's first lead since the fourth, the Golden Eagles left the affair to bullpen arm Reece McDuffie.
The junior, who entered with a runner on and one out in the eighth, completed a perfect day on the hill to move to 3-0 on the year. Requiring just three pitches to force a fly out and ground out in the eighth, the right-hander was a little more methodical in the ninth.
McDuffie struck out the first batter of the frame on seven pitches to set the tone. He picked up a routine ground out to shortstop for out number two before inducing one more grounder to third to end the ball game.
Lucas Vega provided 3.0 solid innings out of the bullpen earlier on the day, scattering four hits, one walk, and two runs across the outing. Rookie Logan Moller tallied two outs, picking up a big one to escape the seventh with minimum damage.
Lee led the purple and gold with a 2-for-2 day, four RBI, and two runs scored. Jimenez and Whitcomb each recorded a pair of knocks as well, with Jimenez scoring twice.
SIUE 8, LITTLE ROCK 4
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - SIUE baseball kept itself at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference standings with an 8-4 win Sunday and a three-game weekend sweep at Little Rock.
The Cougars are now 13-5 in OVC play and 20-21 overall. The 13 OVC wins matches the most for the Cougars under Head Coach Sean Lyons whose team finished with 13 wins in 2021. SIUE is tied with Southeast Missouri for the first place in the league.
Little Rock fell to 18-25 overall and 7-10 in the OVC.
The Cougars put up a pair of runs on three hits in the first against Little Rock starter Zach Busick. Mack Mitchell singled to lead off the game and then scored on a one-out Ryan Niedzwiedz double. Joshua Heyder followed with a single to score Niedzwiedz.
Little Rock catcher Cade Martin drove in two with a second-inning double to tie the score.
SIUE added on in the sixth inning. Bloomer and Niedzwiedz singled to start the inning ahead of a Heyder double. Bloomer scored to make it 3-2 and chase Busick from the game. Hunter Royal struck out next three hitters with the bases loaded, but on strike three to Lane Crowden, the ball got away from Martin behind the plate allowing Niedzwiedz to score for a 4-2 Cougar advantage.
Busick (1-2) worked five innings allowing four runs.
A Martin double in the seventh inning trimmed the SIUE lead back to 4-3, but the Cougars regained control with a four-run eighth inning.
With one out in the inning, Gage Franck and Lane Crowden hit back-to-back home runs off Little Rock reliever Malcom Brown. Daniel Gierer then singled. Brenden Katz relieved for the Trojans and Mack Mitchell greeted Katz with his team-leading 14th home run to push the Cougars' lead to 8-3.
Joseph Martin (2-0) pitched three scoreless innings out of the bullpen to grab the win. He gave up a hit, and didn't walk a batter. He struck out four.
The top four in SIUE's lineup, Mitchell, Bloomer, Niedzwiedz and Heyder each finished with two hits. Mitchell and Heyder paced the offense with two RBIs apiece.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, SOUTHERN INDIANA 8
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team (23-18, 11-6 OVC) secured an important OVC series win with a 9-8 victory over Southern Indiana (20-24, 9-9 OVC) on Sunday afternoon. After extending their lead to six runs in the sixth inning, the Panthers had to hold off a furious rally from the Screaming Eagles to escape Evansville with the win.
Joey Hagen and Zak Goodwin led the Panthers offensively with three hits apiece, with Hagen also driving in a team-high three RBIs. Ethan Rossi also recorded a multi-hit and multi-RBI performance, going 2-3 with a double and two RBIs.
Four EIU pitchers saw action in the game, including Bryce Riggs, who entered the contest with one out and a 3-0 deficit in the first. Riggs threw the next five innings while allowing just one run on one hit with six strikeouts.
Southern Indiana struck first with three runs in the bottom the first. After a strikeout to lead off the frame, A Khi Holiday walk followed by a Parker Martin base hit set the stage for Cameron Boyd, who homered to right center to put USI ahead 3-0.
The Panthers decided to make an early call to the bullpen, bringing in Bryce Riggs to get the inning's final two outs. Riggs would not surrender another run until the sixth inning.
In the top of the second, James Love and Zak Goodwin led off the frame back-to-back base hits before both moving up 90 feet on an Ethan Rossi sacrifice bunt. Joey Hagen followed that up with a base hit of his own to drive in Eastern's first run of the game.
The Panthers completely erased the deficit an inning later with two runs in the third. After a pair of walks and a balk put runners on second and third with no outs, a Mike O'Conor sacrifice fly plated Brett Stanley and moved Chris Worcester to third. Zak Goodwin then drove in the tying run with an RBI bunt single.
Following a scoreless fourth inning, EIU surged ahead with a three-spot in the fifth. Zak Goodwin got things going with a one-out single before Tyler Castro was hit by a pitch to put two on. With Goodwin now in scoring position, Ethan Rossi put the Panthers in front with base hit through the left side.
Joey Hagen kept things moving with an RBI single that scored Castro and moved Rossi to third before Jake Ferguson batted in the frame's final run with a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt.
After a fourth consecutive scoreless inning from Bryce Riggs, the Panthers blew the game wide open with another three runs in the top of the sixth.
The inning started with Chris Worcester reaching on an error before a Mike O'Conor base hit. Following a strikeout, Tyler Castro singled through the right side to score Worcester before another Ethan Rossi sacrifice bunt plated O'Conor. Joey Hagen then tacked on one more run with his second RBI single of the afternoon, extending the EIU lead to 9-3.
However, the Screaming Eagles would put together a rally, beginning with a Clayton Slack two RBI single in the bottom of the sixth that cut the deficit to four. Following a scoreless seventh inning, USI trimmed two more runs off the lead in the eighth with an Evan Zapp bases loaded two RBI double on a softly hit blooper down the left field line.
With the tying run at second, Chris Worcester made a fantastic diving stop on a hard-hit ball to right side before throwing the batter out at first to preserve the EIU lead.
The Panthers were unable to score any insurance runs in the top of the ninth, and after singling and stealing second to leadoff the bottom of the inning, USI's Cameron Boyd scored on a Charlie Marisca base hit to bring the Screaming Eagles to within just one run.
A routine fly ball would result in the inning's first out, but an Anthony Umbach base hit in the next at-bat put the tying run in scoring position and winning run on base with one away.
However, neither runner would move any closer to home, as Dalton Boruff was able to pitch out of the jam with a fly out and groundout to pick up his fourth save of the season and secure another OVC series for the Panthers.