TUESDAY'S SCORES
@North Alabama 3,
UT Martin 1
Tennessee Tech 15, @Lipscomb 11
@Southern Illinois 10,
Lindenwood 3
Arkansas State 7,
@Little Rock 4 (10)
@Southeast Missouri 11, Murray State 3
SIUE 17, @Saint Louis 5
NORTH ALABAMA 3, UT MARTIN 1
FLORENCE, Ala. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team battled in a pitcher’s duel but fell in the midweek contest 3-1 to North Alabama at Mike D. Lane Field.
Jalen Fithian (double, walk) led the Skyhawks (16-27) with two base hits while Jonah Katsaboulas (run scored, base hit), Cameron Greene (base hit) and Jordan Hudson (RBI) contributed to the offense.
JP Nunn (four innings pitched, no runs allowed, four strikeouts) made his first career start while Austin Gast (1-1), Kaleb Baskin (two innings pitched, no runs allowed, no walks, one strikeout) and Brock Arender (one inning pitched, two strikeouts) also spent time on the mound.
Nunn began his outing with a 1-2-3 first inning on a pop out, punchout and flyout to centerfield. The righty stranded two runners after a 5-4-3 double play to hold the Lions (16-26) scoreless in the second. With two runners on to start the third, Nunn settled in and recorded three straight outs from a sacrifice bunt, strikeout and flyout.
The 6-5 freshman finished off the longest outing of his young collegiate career with back-to-back strikeouts and a pop out to strand two. North Alabama plated two runs in the fifth to claim the lead.
Baskin came in for the sixth and induced a groundout and strikeout with Fithian earning an outfield assist to end the frame. The right-hander Baskin worked a flawless seventh inning on two flyouts and a groundout to third.
UT Martin cut the Lions lead down to one when Hudson brought in Katsaboulas on a fielder’s choice to make it 2-1. North Alabama got an insurance run in the home half of the eighth and closed out a Skyhawk rally attempt in the ninth.
TENNESSEE TECH 15, LIPSCOMB 11
NASHVILLE - – In a midweek slobber knocker in Nashville, it was the Tennessee Tech baseball team coming out on top in its rematch with in-state rival Lipscomb, topping the Bisons 15-11 on Tuesday night at Ken Dugan Field.
The Golden Eagles (29-17) were on the attack from the very beginning of the night, piling up 12 hits, eight walks, and three hit-by-pitches to constantly apply pressure to the Bisons (20-23). The Tech defense came up clutch on multiple occasions throughout the evening as well, helping stave off a late Lipscomb surge.
The win was a particularly special one, as Tech head coach Matt Bragga passed TTU Sports Hall of Famer David Mays for the all-time program record for career victories with the 555th of his Golden Eagle career. He also moved into sole possession of fifth place on the Ohio Valley Conference's all-time wins list, now sitting just 10 away from passing Jacksonville State's Jim Case (2004-21) for fourth.
The purple and gold pushed the instant offense button to open the ball game, loading the bases without recording an out to force a pitching change. After the Bisons picked up the first out of the ball game, first baseman Riley Black came through for the early lead, ripping a two-run single off the wall in left field.
Lipscomb answered in the bottom half of the first, scoring three times to take its first lead of the contest. The home squad's advantage didn't last long, thanks to shortstop Preston Steele.
With one out in the top of the second, the senior connected on the first pitch he saw, blasting a 400-foot long ball to left field at 102 miles per hour off the bat. It marked Steele's fourth round-tripper of the year.
Third baseman Jackson Rooker followed with a double down the right-field line, and left fielder Landon Smelser drove him in with a base knock to right field, putting the purple and gold back on top for good.
After tacking on another run in the third, the Golden Eagles broke the contest open in the fourth, scoring five times after loading the bases with nobody out. Right fielder Jorsixt Jimenez and Black drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks to drive in the first two runs of the frame.
Catcher Ryan Lee kept the attack rolling with a sacrifice fly to right field, prepping Steele for some more heroics. Donning his cape again, the slugger smashed a two-run single through the right side, making it a 10-3 lead for the Cookeville crew.
The Bisons closed the gap somewhat with a three-spot in the fifth, but the Tech squad responded in kind in the sixth. Gathering a couple of runners on the base paths, the Golden Eagles sparked a two-out rally behind none other than Steele.
The Tech veteran crushed a double down the third-base line to plate his fourth run of the ball game and get the scoring going. Rooker doubled the effort on the next pitch, peppering a base hit up the middle to drive in two more for the good guys.
Trailing 13-6, Lipscomb launched another salvo in the bottom of the seventh, racking up four runs to trim the deficit to just three. One more time, the Cookeville crew fought right back with their own run support.
Following a lead-off walk to Black, Ryan Lee worked a count in his favor at 3-1 before launching a two-run missile to left-center field at 106 miles per hour for a 382-foot bomb and a 15-10 Tech lead. The Bisons scored one final run in the eighth, leading off their half of the frame with back-to-back doubles before the Golden Eagles finished things off.
Steele led the offense with three hits and four RBI on the night, finishing just a triple shy of the cycle. Smelser and Rooker each tallied multiple hits, with Rooker scoring twice and driving in a pair. Black and Ryan Lee each plated three Golden Eagles on the night while Jimenez scored a team-high three runs. Center fielder Nicho Jordan and Black each drew three walks.
Freshman Carter Casabella (4-2) picked up his fourth victory of the season after tossing a team-high 2.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one run on two hits and two walks while striking out three. Sophomore right-hander Juan Vargas locked down a scoreless ninth inning of work, facing the minimum while fanning one Lipscomb batter.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 10, LINDENWOOD 3
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Lindenwood baseball team (22-23) dropped a midweek game at Southern Illinois (31-13) by a score of 10-3 on Tuesday night in Carbondale, Ill.
Lindenwood opened the scoring in the second with a two-out rally. Bryson Arnette singled, and Tyler Ellis brought him home with a double, putting the Lions up 1-0. SIU responded with two runs in the bottom half to take a 2-1 lead.
After Michael Walsh was able to pitch out of a few jams to keep the Salukis off the board, Jake Radosevich launched his 10th homer of the season to left, tying the game 2-2. Southern Illinois regained the lead with a run in the bottom half, going ahead 3-2. SIU was able to escape a bases loaded jam in the fifth, and add one in the bottom half to grab a 4-2 lead.
The Salukis took their biggest lead of the day at six two with a pair of runs in the sixth and added one more in the seventh and three more in the eighth to grab a 10-2 lead. The Lions plated a run in the ninth when Jack Meyer singled to bring home Arnette, but Lindenwood fell 10-3.
ARKANSAS STATE 7, LITTLE ROCK 4 (10)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Recap coming soon.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 11, MURRAY STATE 3
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (27-18) won the final midweek contest of the season over Murray State (30-11) by a final score of 11-3 at Capaha Field on Tuesday night.
The Redhawks scored seven-of-11 runs in the opening inning as they sent ten hitters to the plate. After a leadoff single by Brooks Kettering, three-straight walks concluded with a hit-by-pitch from Cole Warehime to make it 1-0 SEMO with no outs.
Back-to-back wild pitches from MSU's Matt Parenteau (0-1) allowed Michael. Mugan and Bryce Cannon to score, respectively, to make it 3-0 Redhawks.
An RBI fielder's choice from catcher Liam Forsyth allowed the fourth run to come across, bringing Andrew Ramirez to the plate. Ramirez crushed a towering three-run home run to left field to make it 7-0 Redhawks, his first home run of the season.
RHP Mason Pennington (1-1) took the seven-run lead and cruised through 5.2 innings, allowing just three runs in the fifth inning. He punched out three Racers and surrendered just one walk en route to his first victory on the mound in a Redhawk uniform.
LHP Ethan Osborne (0.2) and RHPs Brian Strange (2.0) and Caden Kickhaefer (1.0) held the Racers in check the rest of the way without surrendering a run for the final 3.2 innings.
Ty Stauss provided an insurance run for the Redhawks in the bottom of the seventh inning. A single through the left side allowed Mugan to come in to score again, making it 8-3 Redhawks.
Catcher Liam Forsyth led off the bottom of the eighth inning with his third home run of the season, a bomb to left field to make it 9-3. An RBI fielder's choice from Warehime, and another two-out single from Stauss scored runs 10 and 11.
Kickhaefer pitched the ninth inning and shut the door as the Redhawks held on for the 11-3 victory on Tuesday night.
SIUE 17, SAINT LOUIS 5
ST. LOUIS - Ethan Willoughby had five hits and five RBIs and Mack Mitchell homered twice as SIUE baseball routed Saint Louis 17-5 Tuesday night at Billiken Sports Center.
The Cougars improved to 21-21 and have won a season-best five in a row. Saint Louis slipped to 25-19.
Willoughby finished 5 for 5 with two singles, two doubles and a triple. The five hits and five RBIs are both career highs for Willoughby. He matched Gierer as the only players with five hits in a game this season.
Mack Mitchell was 2 for 5 and led off the third and fourth innings with home runs. He now has 16 homers which ranks third in a single season at SIUE.
SIUE built a 12-0 lead through the first five innings. Willoughby and Kyle Hepburn both picked up run-scoring hits in a two-run second inning. Chase Bloomer and Ryan Niedzwiedz both singled before Gage Franck walked to load the bases in the third. Willoughby singled to drive in Bloomer and Niedzwiedz. After a double steal by Franck and Willoughby, Brenden Fry singled to make it 6-0. A one-out squeeze bunt by Kyle Hepburn plated Willoughby to push the advantage to 7-0.
After loading the bases with two walks and a hit, the Cougars pushed four more across in the fifth inning. Daniel Gierer brought home a run with a high infielder chopper for a fielder's choice. Bloomer drove home another with an infield hit. Niedzwiedz followed with a two-run single to center for an 12-0 SIUE lead.
The Billikens responded with three in the bottom of the fifth.
Willoughby picked up his fifth hit and fourth RBI of the game in the eighth to give the Cougars a 13-3 lead.
The Billikens scored two in the bottom of the eighth to keep the game going.
The Cougars sent nine men to the plate in the ninth and added four more runs on three more hits. Franck drove home a run with a single. Willoughby collected his fifth RBI of the game with a bases loaded walk. Franck scored himself on a base hit by Fry.
Bloomer finished 3-6 in the game. Niedzwiedz and Hepburn each had two hits.
SIUE starter Gabriel Nutter worked four scoreless innings. He gave up three hits and struck out two. Brady Coon (1-3) picked up his first career win. He pitched an inning in relief and allowed three unearned runs.
Kieran Bailey, Brennen Grams and Andrew Ressler each pitched a scoreless inning out of the SIUE pen.