FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 6, Little Rock 3
@Lindenwood 5, Morehead State 4 (13)
@UT Martin 10, Southern Indiana 4
Tennessee Tech 8, @Southeast Missouri 7 (11)
Western Illinois 5, @SIUE 2
EASTERN ILLINOIS 6, LITTLE ROCK 3
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team (24-18, 12-6 OVC) took their series opener against Little Rock (18-27, 7-11) by a score of 6-3 at Coaches Stadium on Friday. A gem from starting pitcher Anthony Solis and some opportunistic base running proved to be the difference.
Solis improved his record to 5-2 on the season after surrendering just one run on six hits with a pair of strikeouts through the game's first seven innings.
At the plate, Chris Worcester led the way going 2-3 with two doubles and a pair of RBIs. It was his team-high 17th multi-hit game of the season. Brett Stanley and Jake Ottensmeier also had multi-hit performances with 2-4 outings.
After doubling to lead off the bottom of the first, Worcester tagged and advanced to third on a Tyler Castro fly ball before scoring the game's opening run on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the second, Brett Stanley reached on a leadoff single, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch before adding another run on a passed ball.
Following scoreless third and fourth innings from both sides, Angel Cano got the Trojans on the board and recorded the game's first RBI with a leadoff homer to left field in the fifth inning.
The Panthers immediately responded in their half of the fifth, with the first four batters reaching on hits, including three consecutive doubles from Jake Ottensmeier, Chris Worcester, and Tyler Castro.
After Ethan Rossi singled to lead off the inning, Ottensmeier recorded the first double to put two runners in scoring position before another wild pitch allowed Rossi to score.
Chris Worcester then recorded EIU's first RBI of the game with a double that plated Ottensmeier before coming around to score on a Tyler Castro double to make the score 5-1.
Worcester secured his second RBI of the game in the sixth inning with a RBI sacrifice bunt that scored Rossi, who had initially reached base on a walk before advancing to third on an Ottensmeier base hit.
The score remained 6-1 entering the ninth inning with the bottom of the Little Rock order due up.
The Trojans battled, with their first two batters reaching on a hit by pitch and single before a one-out base hit from Alex Seguine trimmed one run off the EIU lead.
Following a pop up that resulted in the second out Ryan Geck singled to plate another run and bring the tying run to the plate.
However, Dalton Boruff got Ty Rhoades to roll into a ground ball that put an end to the rally and secured the series opener for the Panthers.
LINDENWOOD 5, MOREHEAD STATE 4 (13)
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood baseball team (23-23, 10-8 OVC) walked off Morehead State (12-31, 2-17 OVC), 5-4 in 13 innings on Friday night in St. Charles, Mo.
Both teams had a combined two hits until the bottom of the fourth when Sam Grunberg broke the scoreless tie with a solo homer to left, putting the Lions up 1-0. Lindenwood scored another run on a pass ball and later in the inning, Tyler Thompson came up with a big two-out hit, plating two more, growing the lead to 4-0.
Morehead State picked up a two-out hit of their own in the bottom half which plated two, cutting the deficit to 4-2. The Eagles knotted the game at four with two more runs in the seventh. The game remained tied heading into extra innings.
The two bullpens were strong in late innings with Easton Rakers and Bennett Stice combining for 5.2 frames of scoreless ball. The Lions finally broke through in the 13th when Evan Funkhouser came around to score on a wild pitch after getting a single earlier in the inning. Lindenwood earned the series opening 5-4 win on Friday.
UT MARTIN 10, SOUTHERN INDIANA 4
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team outhit Southern Indiana 9-8 on its way to a 10-4 win over the Screaming Eagles in Game 1 of the weekend series at Skyhawk Field.
UT Martin (17-27, 8-10 Ohio Valley Conference) had multi-hit performances from Jalen Fithian (double, stolen base, two walks, two RBIs, two runs scored), Jonah Katsaboulas (three runs scored, walk, stolen base) and JT Popick (double, run scored). Cameron Greene (home run, three RBIs, two walks, stolen base), Garner Anderson (triple, three RBIs), Tommy Koch (base hit, two walks, two runs scored), Brody Capps (RBI), Blaze Bell (two walks) and Jordan Hudson (walk, RBI) also contributed to 10th double digit run performance of the season for the Skyhawks.
Jacob Sitton (five strikeouts) nabbed the win after his six innings on the mound while Kaleb Baskin (two innings pitched, no runs allowed, no walks allowed, two strikeouts) and Mason Shropshire (one inning pitched, no runs allowed) toed the rubber out of the bullpen.
Sitton started his outing with a 1-2-3 frame that was followed up by his offense giving him the lead in the home half off a sacrifice fly by Capps. The Screaming Eagles (20-25, 9-10 OVC) were put down in order during the second, and with two outs in the home half, Anderson tripled off the center field wall to score three runs and up the UT Martin advantage to 4-0.
Southern Indiana got its first base hit of the game in the third but couldn’t bring home a run after Sitton got a lineout and picked off a runner at first to close the frame. The Skyhawks added on to their lead in the bottom part of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Hudson and then a three-run rocket over the right field wall off the bat of Greene.
The Eagles got their first runs of the game in the top of the fourth and fifth, but UT Martin had an answer in the home half of the fifth with a two-run single by Fithian to make it 10-4. Sitton finished off his day in the sixth by fanning two batters and inducing a flyout to centerfield to strand two runners.
Baskin entered in the seventh and achieved a 1-2-3 frame on a groundout, flyout and strikeout. The righty kept the score the same in the eighth with his second strikeout, a flyout and groundout. Shropshire got the ball for the ninth and recorded the final three outs to secure a series-opening win for the Skyhawks.
TENNESSEE TECH 8, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7 (11)
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Clutch play, particularly down the stretch, was the difference maker on Friday night as the Tennessee Tech baseball team outlasted Ohio Valley Conference rival Southeast Missouri, 8-7, in 11 innings of action at Capaha Field.
In a battle of two of the top programs in the league, the Golden Eagles (30-17, 12-7) came out on top in the series opener with a ferocious comeback bid over the Redhawks (27-19, 13-6). Tech took the initial lead in the second, rallying with two outs behind an RBI single to left field off the bat of shortstop Preston Steele.
SEMO answered back in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of a Golden Eagle error in the frame to plate a pair of unearned runs. Armed with a 2-1 lead, the home squad continued to add to the advantage in the fourth, scoring three times thanks to four walks, a hit, and a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Redhawks made it a 6-1 ball game, scoring one more time on an RBI single with two outs. Refusing to go down without a fight, the purple and gold finally broke through in the top of the seventh, chasing SEMO starter Nathan Mertens from the contest.
Second baseman Eddie Garza led off the frame with a double to right-center field and, two batters later, third baseman Jackson Rooker drew an eight-pitch walk to force the Redhawk pitching change. Tech greeted Jackson Kranawetter with some instant offense, paying no mind to the relievers' immense success on the year.
Left fielder Landon Smelser doubled to right field to plate the first run of the inning before center fielder Nicho Jordan knocked in two more Golden Eagles with a single that had so much English on it, it spun away from a charging Redhawk third baseman and into shallow left field.
The Cookeville crew trimmed the deficit to just a single run two batters later, thanks to an RBI single off the bat of designated hitter Jorsixt Jimenez to right field. Tech went back to work in the eighth, hitting the reset button right out of the gate.
After working a 3-1 count, right fielder Jackson Green blasted a lead-off laser over the wall in left field, tying the contest at 6-6 with his third round-tripper of the year. After Garza singled to left field, Owen Lee pinch ran for the infielder before Steele laid down a sacrifice bunt to put him in scoring position.
Smelser later reached safely at first behind a throwing error at second base, allowing Lee to score from second and give the Golden Eagles their first lead of the night. Southeast Missouri held off the celebration for the visitors for a little longer, rallying themselves in the bottom of the ninth.
Following a lead-off walk and sac bunt, Tech went to sophomore Juan Garza out of the bullpen. The Redhawks used another walk, a wild pitch, and a ground out to tie the tilt at 7-7, with the potential winning run advancing to third.
Vargas dug deep when it mattered most, picking up an inning-ending strikeout to move the contest to extra innings. SEMO kept the Cookeville crew off the board in the 10th, but was no match for Vargas in the bottom half either.
The right-hander surrendered a four-pitch walk to open the frame, but doubled down with back-to-back punch-outs. The Tech reliever ended the inning with a fly out to left field, putting the momentum back in favor of the purple and gold.
The bats rewarded their hurler in the top of the 11th, with first baseman Carter Vrabel leading the frame off with a base knock to left field. A sac bunt from Green moved him into scoring position, and an infield single to the pitcher off the bat of Own Lee positioned runners on the corners with just one out.
Fighting to a full count, Steele came through with the big swing of the night, ripping an RBI single to left field to put the purple and gold back on top, 8-7. The Redhawks prevented any insurance for the Golden Eagles, but the necessary damage was done.
Tech head coach Matt Bragga went to the bullpen one more time to close out the evening, calling on junior Reece McDuffie. The righty won a 10-pitch battle to lead off the inning with a strikeout before the Redhawks' Carson Schrack kept his team's hopes alive with a double down the right-field line.
McDuffie, the league's reigning Pitcher of the Week, dug deep, punching out the next batter on four pitches for out number two. Andrew Ramirez appeared to be the hero the Redhawks were looking for after falling behind 1-2 to McDuffie, as the third baseman slashed a base knock into left field.
With the tying run rounding third, Smelser scooped up the ball in left and, in one motion, uncorked a perfect one-hop throw to catcher Mack Whitcomb. The seed from the freshman found Whitcomb in plenty of time to apply the game-winning tag on Schrack, who tried every way he could to avoid the Tech backstop at the plate.
The Golden Eagle bench emptied in a frenzy, all chasing down Smelser in left field to celebrate the incredible win. Vargas moved to 3-2 on the year, earning the victory behind 1.2 innings of work without allowing a hit and striking out three.
McDuffie picked up his fourth save of the season, helping finish off a great day from the Tech bullpen. Lucas Vegas completed 3.0 innings of relief with just one run allowed, scattering six hits and three walks while fanning three. Jack Brafa finished 2.0 innings without a Redhawk hit, striking out three of his own while holding SEMO to just one run.
Jordan and Garza each led the purple and gold with three hits on the night, while eight different Golden Eagles scored one run. Eight members of the Tech crew also collected at least one hit, with Steele, Smelser, and Jimenez also producing multi-hit affairs.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 5, SIUE 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - WIU Baseball picked up their third straight win on Friday night as they took down the SIUE Cougars by a score of 5-2 in the opening game of a three game series.
The Leathernecks would get big time performances on the mound from both Max Tripure and Jorge Romero who combined for six strikeouts and five hits on the evening. Tripure would throw the first five innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out four to pick up his team-high fourth win of the season. Romero would take over in the bottom of the sixth and would be just as solid, allowing one run on three hits and striking out two to pick up his third save of the season, which is also a team-high.
Western Illinois would get on the board first and never look back. In the top of the second, Matt Olive and Tyler Large would lead off the inning with back-to-back walks. Kyree Alexander would then pick up the only extra base hit of the game for the Leathernecks, ripping a two-out RBI double down the left field line to make it a 1-0 game as Olive would score on the play. In the top of the third, WIU would add on to their lead as Krayton Morse and Paul Osting would get the offense going with back-to-back one out singles. The next at bat, Matt Olive would single to center field picking up an RBI as Morse would come around to score extending the Leatherneck lead at 2-0. Following Olive's RBI single, Tyler Large would reach base on a fielder's choice allowing Osting to score on the play to make it 3-0 in favor of WIU. The offense would add another run in the top of the fourth to make it a 4-0 game thanks to an Osting RBI SAC fly that scored Cordell Coburn, who reached base after getting hit by a pitch.
After SIUE scored a run in the bottom of the fifth, the Leathernecks immediately responded with a run of their own in the top of the sixth. Kyree Alexander led off the inning with a walk and stole both second and third base, scoring on the steal from third as the Cougar catcher would throw the ball into left field trying to throw out Alexander. SIUE would score one more run in the bottom of the ninth as the Leathernecks would try to turn a double play to end the game, but the SIUE runner was safe at first base.