TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Western Illinois 9, Saint Louis 5
@Illinois State 6,
Eastern Illinois 5 (11)
Evansville 18,
@Southern Indiana 8
@Tennessee Tech 5, Middle Tennessee 2
@Southern Illinois 17,
SIUE 11
@#22 Ole Miss 11,
UT Martin 5
WESTERN ILLINOIS 9, SAINT LOUIS 5
MACOMB, Ill. - It has been six years since Western Illinois Baseball has won more than nine games at home in a single season. That streak came to an end this afternoon as the Leathernecks got their revenge on the Saint Louis Billikens by a final score of 9-5 in the final home game of the season. Brock Lummus, Trevor Leon, Liam Bushey, and Tyler Large would each have multi-hit games to lead the offense, including Lummus going a perfect 4-4 with a solo home run, two runs scored and driving in two RBI.
Harrison Dubois got the starting nod this afternoon for WIU, pitching the first three innings of the contest allowing one run on two hits. Saint Louis would immediately threaten to score in the top of the first when the Billikens had runners on second and third with one out, but Dubois would settle in and escape the jam by getting a strike out the next batter he faced and followed the strike out with a fly out to center to end the top half of the first. Tyler Large would get the Leathernecks on the board in the bottom of the first with a bases loaded RBI ground out to the pitcher to put WIU in front 1-0, but Saint Louis would even the score at one a piece in the top of the third thanks to an RBI double.
A SAC fly from Matt Olive would put WIU back in front by a score of 2-1 in the bottom of the third, and Liam Bushey would add on to the lead in the bottom of the fourth as he would get an RBI single through the right side to score Brock Lummus making it a 3-1 game after four innings played.
Jackson Rodgers would then enter the ball game in the top of the fifth, and would pick up his third win of the season as he threw two innings and allowed one run on three hits to keep WIU in front by a score of 3-2 after getting a crucial double play to end the top of the sixth with runners on first and second with one out. WIU would carry that momentum into the bottom of the sixth as they would put up two runs on an RBI single from Lummus and a wild pitch that would allow for Trevor Leon to score, making it a 5-2 game.
Saint Louis would make things interesting in the eighth inning however, putting up two runs to make it a 5-4 contest. Brock Lummus would shut down the Billiken comeback attempt as he would lead off the bottom of the eighth with his seventh home run of the season to add a key insurance run for the Leathernecks. The home run from Lummus would spark another rally as the Leathernecks would go on to score another three runs in the inning to put the game out of reach and help WIU win its 18th game of the season. Billy Humphrey would then pick up his third save of the season as he finished off the ball game with no hits and no earned runs over the final 1.1 innings.
ILLINOIS STATE 6, EASTERN ILLINOIS 5 (11)
NORMAL, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois baseball team (26-20, 14-7 OVC) dropped their midweek contest at Illinois State (25-25, 13-11 MVC) by a score of 6-5 in extra innings on Tuesday. The Panthers erased a five-run deficit with a late rally, including a four-run ninth inning, but were never able to find the go-ahead run as the Redbirds won in walk-off fashion.
Five EIU batters recorded multi-hit outings, led by James Love with a 3-5, two RBI performance. Tyler Castro also recorded a pair of RBIs on two hits, while Chris Worcester, Mike O'Conor, and Jake Ottensmeier posted two hits apiece.
After leading off the bottom of the first with a base hit, Kyle Gibson moved to second on a Noah Smith sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a line out before coming home on a wild pitch to open the scoring for Illinois State.
Brayden Bakes extended the Redbird lead in the bottom of the second with a two-run homer down the left field line, and following back-to-back singles later in the frame, a Smith sacrifice fly plated Luke Stulga, who had stolen third.
Other than a Mike O'Conor two-out triple in the third, the next two innings were quiet for both sides.
In the bottom of the fifth, Kyle Gibson walked to lead off the inning before moving into scoring position on a failed pickoff attempt, allowing him to score on a Judah Morris RBI single to center field, which stretched the lead to 5-0.
That is where the score remained entering the eighth inning, when Eastern loaded the bases with no outs after an error and consecutive walks to begin the frame. However, while the Panthers were able to score their first run on a 5-4-3 double play, they were unable to shave any more off the deficit.
Trailing by four in the top of the ninth, Jake Ottensmeier and Chris Worcester singled to begin the at-bat before both moving into scoring position on a passed ball. Tyler Castro then doubled down the right field line to score both runners and cut the lead in half.
Following a groundout, Brett Stanley reached on an infield single before another groundout moved runners to second and third with two outs. With the tying run in scoring position, James Love smoked a ball to center field that landed safely just outside the reach of a diving Redbird defender, scoring Castro and Stanley to complete the EIU rally.
After Nate Marshall retired the Illinois State side in order for the second consecutive inning to send the game to extras, EIU put two runners on with one out in the top of the tenth, but were unable to bring either runner home following a pitching change.
With the score still tied in the bottom of the tenth, Marshall retired his tenth and eleventh consecutive batters before putting the go-ahead run on base with a walk. With two-outs, a Josh Outlaw double to the gap in left center allowed the runner to advance all the way home from first for the walk-off win.
With the loss, EIU's all-time record against Illinois State falls to 92-87-1. It was the Panthers' eighth one-run loss of the season.
EVANSVILLE 18, SOUTHERN INDIANA 8
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball could not hold an early lead and lost to the University of Evansville, 18-8, Tuesday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI, which saw its four-game winning streak snapped with the loss, is 25-27 overall, while UE go to 16-35.
The Screaming Eagles started the scoring early, taking a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. Both runs scored when junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens reached on an error that scored sophomore third baseman Parker Martin and senior centerfielder Khi Holiday.
USI increased the lead to 3-0 in the second when junior first baseman Kannon Coakley scored on a single by junior leftfielder Hunter Miller. The Eagles boosted the margin to 4-0 with another tally in the third on an RBI single by Kitchens, scoring Holiday for the second time.
The lead expanded to 7-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth and a single tally in the fifth. Junior shortstop Clayton Slack scored the first run of the fourth on a wild pitch, while Martin scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore rightfielder Cameron Boyd for the 6-0 lead.
USI made it 7-0 in the fifth when senior leftfielder BJ Banyon, who pinch hit in the sixth, scored on a ground out by sophomore second baseman Anthony Umbach. UE took a stand and responded with seven runs off USI freshman right-handers Colin Wolfe and Marshall Loch in the top of the sixth to tie the game, 7-7.
The Eagles regained the lead, 8-7, in the bottom of the sixth when Kitchens scored on a UE error when Boyd stole second. The Aces got the run back in the top of the seventh to knot the game up at 8-8.
UE continued to roll offensively, plating five runs off four USI hurlers in the eighth inning to take command, 13-8. The Aces would continue the onslaught, adding five more in the ninth to round out the 18-8 final.
A highlight for USI at the plate was Boyd's single in the sixth that extended his hitting streak to 17 games. Boyd's 17-game streak tied Kitchens for the longest of the season.
Holiday also extended his streak of reaching base to 30-straight games, the longest of any Eagles this season. The last Eagle to reach base in 30 or more straight games was Manny Lopez, who reached in 36-straight in 2019.
On the mound, USI freshman right-hander Sage Stout took the loss for the Eagles in relief. Stout (1-3) allowed three runs on three hits, while striking out two in 1.1 innings of work.
USI senior left-hander Mason Sweeney started and got a no-decision in the contest. Sweeney threw two scoreless frames, striking out one. Sophomore right-hander Abdriel Figuerora followed Sweeney to the mound and added three more scoreless frames, allowing two hits and a walk and striking out two.
TENNESSEE TECH 5, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 2
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Waiting out a nearly two-hour weather delay was well worth it for the Tennessee Tech baseball team on Tuesday evening, as the Golden Eagles outlasted in-state rival Middle Tennessee in a 5-2 battle at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
In its final home tilt of the 2025 season, the Cookeville Crew (35-18) completed the season series sweep of its long-time foe, topping the Blue Raiders (23-29) for its 35th victory of the season. It marks the sixth time the purple and gold have won at least 35 games in a season under the direction of head coach Matt Bragga.
The offense had it going early, as the Golden Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 lead through three frames. Third baseman Preston Steele did the heavy lifting to get things started, belting a solo blast to left-center field in the bottom of the second. It marked the senior's fifth home run of the season.
Left fielder Landon Smelser made it a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the third, leading off the inning with a no-doubter to right-center field, the first of the rookie's collegiate career. With a pair of runners on and two outs, center fielder Jackson Green tacked on a run with an RBI single down the left-field line.
In the top of the fourth, Middle Tennessee picked up a pair of runs on a base knock through the left side with two outs, pulling the visitors to within a run. The Blue Raiders continued the momentum with a scoreless fourth before lightning was detected in the area.
The strike kicked off a weather delay involving rain and more lightning that lasted an hour and 53 minutes. Tech picked up a big insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to get back after it, with designated hitter and reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week Mack Whitcomb ripping an RBI single through the left side.
The Golden Eagles tacked on one more run for good measure in the seventh, with catcher Ryan Lee setting the tone with a ground-rule double to left field to lead off the frame. Steele drove in his second run of the game with a ground out to first base, making it a 5-2 Tech lead.
A combination of five Tech hurlers limited the Blue Raiders to just five hits on the night, all singles and only two in the same inning. Sophomore Drew Mattox opened the contest with 3.0 scoreless frames, allowing just a single baserunner on an error while striking out a pair.
Lucas Vega (6-1) notched the win after covering the next 2.0 innings on the hill, allowing just the two earned runs on three hits. Right-handers Carter Casabella and Lawson Stricklin kept the Blue Raiders from adding anything to the scoreboard over the next two innings.
Closing out the final 2.0 frames to earn his first save of the season, righty Garrett Holpuch scattered a hit and a walk over the eighth and ninth. He became the sixth different Golden Eagle to record a save this year.
Smelser led the offense with a career day at the dish, racking up four of the team's 12 hits. Whitcomb and right fielder Jorsixt Jimenez each tallied two hits apiece. Seven different Golden Eagles recorded a hit in the affair.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 17, SIUE 11
CARBONDALE, Ill. - SIUE baseball scored 11 runs on 13 hits and hits four home runs, but it wasn't enough as SIU Carbondale outslugged the Cougars for a 17-11 win Tuesday at Itchy Jones Stadium.
The Cougars dropped to 24-26 overall. SIUC improved to 36-16.
With four home runs Tuesday, the Cougars have now hit 70 for the season, which is second most in SIUE's Division I era and only trails the 2023 team's 99 homers.
The Cougars opened the scoring with a run in the first. SIUC scored twice in the bottom of the inning and the teams traded runs in each of the first five innings for a 14-10 Saluki lead.
SIUE didn't score in the sixth, while SIUC scored three times in the bottom half for a 17-10 lead. SIUE added a run in the eighth.
Daniel Gierer finished 3-4 with two home runs and a team-high six RBIs. Freshman Trace Harrington turned in his first career three-hit game going 3-3 with two runs scored.
Mack Mitchell was 2-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Ryan Niedzwiedz was 2-4. Kyle Ratliff was 1-2 with a home run.
Brennen Grams (0-1) suffered the loss in two innings of relief.
Matt Schark was 3-4 with two home runs and seven RBIs to lead the Salukis. Gabe Petrucelli and Michael Mylott each had three hits.
#22 OLE MISS 11, UT MARTIN 5
OXFORD, Miss. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team battled but fell 11-5 to Ole Miss at Swayze Field in its midweek contest.
The Mississippi natives had a big night with Arderrius Townsend (home run, double, two RBIs) and Jonah Katsaboulas (double) collecting three-hit games. Blaze Bell (walk, two runs scored) and Jalen Fithian (stolen base, walk, double) had two-hit outings while JT Popick (base hit, two RBIs), Cameron Greene (two walks, run scored), Garner Anderson (walk) and Brody Capps (RBI, walk) also pitched in to the offense.
JP Nunn (0-3) started the game on the mound going two innings with two strikeouts and no walks. Six other pitchers made appearances in the game with Zach Wager (one inning, one strikeout, no walks), Drake Bayles (one inning, no runs, no walks), Austin Gast (one inning, no hits, no runs, no walks), Brock Arender (one inning, one strikeout), Shawn Perez (1.2 innings) and Rett Edwards (0.1 innings pitched, no earned runs) coming out of the bullpen.
Ole Miss (35-17) started the game with the lead through the first three innings, but UT Martin (20-31) responded in the top of the fourth. Bell drew a one-out walk that led to a blast off the bat of Townsend over the wall in centerfield. The Hazlehurst, Miss. native Bayles entered out of the bullpen in the home half and fired off a scoreless inning on a groundout, runner caught stealing and an out at second when the runner tried to go for two.
Gast took over for Bayles in the fifth and sat down the Rebels in order by way of a pop out, flyout and lineout. With two outs and two on in the top of the sixth, Popick smacked a single to plate both runners and pull the Skyhawks within three. Ole Miss was able to get a run back in the home half to get its lead to four.
Perez kept the Rebels off the scoreboard in the seventh when he induced a groundout to first to escape a bases loaded jam. In the eighth, Ole Miss upped its advantage and UT Martin got a run back in the ninth but ultimately couldn't extend the game.