Ohio Valley Conference

MACOMB, Ill. - The WIU Baseball team picked up their second win in a row against Morehead State for Senior Day on Saturday afternoon. 

The Leathernecks jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second thanks to a single from Kenneth Perez. They went on to add two more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-0 lead thanks to RBIs from Paul Osting and Matt Olive. Both teams remained scoreless through the fourth and fifth innings, but Morehead State responded and cut into the Leatherneck lead in the top of the sixth. Two Eagles batters hit a triple and a double, respectively, and drove in two runs, making the score 3-2.  

Morehead State left one runner on base in the top of the seventh after hammering a triple to right field. On the next play, the first baseman Tyler Large caught a line drive to move the game into the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs, Krayton Morse got on base with a single hit over second base. Following Morse's hit, Paul Osting hit another single and advanced Morse to third base. However, both runners were left on base to wrap up the seventh inning. Things remained scoreless through the eighth inning, as well. 

The Eagles got a runner on base off of a ground rule double in the top of the ninth after the first two batters flied out in center field and left field, respectively. The Leathernecks brought the game to a close following a pop fly to first baseman Tyler Large from their fourth batter.

With the win, WIU improves to 9-14 in the OVC with four games to go.

TENNESSEE TECH 9, LINDENWOOD 1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - More elite pitching and a stellar showing by the bats provide the Tennessee Tech baseball team all it needed to even its Ohio Valley Conference series against Lindenwood, as the Golden Eagles rolled to a 9-1 victory over the Lions on Saturday afternoon at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.

The purple and gold (33-18, 15-8) received an encore performance from the league's reigning Pitcher of the Week, with southpaw Jared Herzog tossing 6.0 shutout frames while striking out seven and scattering four hits and four walks. A week after turning in Tech's first complete game of the year in a 7-1 win at Southeast Missouri, the senior hurler was masterful once again to move to 3-0 on the season.

Junior reliever Reece McDuffie knocked out the final 3.0 frames for the Cookeville crew, allowing just one run on four hits while piling up three punch-outs against the Lions (26-25, 13-9). The right-hander earned his fifth save of the season while continuing Tech's impressive run on the mound.

The Golden Eagles have now allowed just five runs over their last four contests, including a 1-0 loss in Friday's series opener with the Lions.

Herzog and McDuffie received plenty of run support in the ball game, with the purple and gold wasting little time in providing some breathing room for the pitching staff. Tech put together a little two-out rally in the bottom of the first after a couple of groundouts to open the day.

Catcher Mack Whitcomb patiently drew a seven-pitch walk to keep the inning alive, setting things up for the day's hero at the plate. Designated hitter Jorsixt Jimenez enjoyed a banner day, kicking things off with an RBI double the other way down the right-field line.

The two-bagger marked one of three extra-base hits for the junior slugger, who finished 4-for-5 at the dish with five RBI and three runs scored. Later in the frame, Jimenez took off towards third on a wild pitch and scampered home after Lindenwood backstop Jake Radosevich's attempt at nabbing him glanced off his helmet and into left field.

Trading zeroes over the next three frames, the Golden Eagle offense provided some valuable insurance in the bottom of the fifth, none other than Jimenez at the forefront of the attack. The Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic native came to the plate in a familiar setting, with two outs and Whitcomb at first base.

He proceeded to absolutely demolish the first pitch he saw from reliever Michael Walsh, who plunked Whitcomb on the prior offering to keep Tech's window open in the frame. Clearing the wall in left-center field without a shadow of a doubt, Jimenez clubbed his sixth round-tripper of the season for a 4-0 lead.

Right fielder Jackson Green continued to apply pressure by drawing a walk and stealing second base for the second time in the contest, setting up one last scoring opportunity in the frame. Second baseman Eddie Garza plated his teammate after working a full count, slapping a RBI single through the left side.

After the Lions finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh with an RBI double, Tech had an immediate response following the stretch. Jimenez singled to third base before Green drew a four-pitch free pass to prompt another change on the mound for the visitors.

Garza greeted the new Lion arm by poking the second pitch he threw to the exact same place in the infield as the fifth, driving in his second run of the day with a base knock through the left side. The Cookeville crew poured it on in the eighth for good measure, scoring three more times to leave no doubt in the result.

Whitcomb kick-started the production with an RBI single through the left side, following the model constructed by Garza. Putting a bow on a career day, Jimenez pounded his second double of the contest to left-center field, driving in two more runs.

LITTLE ROCK 11, UT MARTIN 4
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Needing a win to keep their Ohio Valley Conference tournament hopes alive, Little Rock delivered in a big way Saturday with a dominant 11-4 win over UT Martin at Gary Hogan Field, evening the series at a game apiece. The rubber match is scheduled for Sunday at 1 pm and can be seen on ESPN+.
 
Jackson Wells tied his single-game career-high with nine strikeouts to pick up the win, Zach Henry had four hits – including three doubles – with three RBIs and two runs, and Ryan Geck mashed a three-run homer as part of a six-run sixth that blew the game open for the Trojans (19-28, 8-12 OVC).
 
The win puts the Trojans (.400 win percentage) back in front of Western Illinois (.391) for the eighth and final spot in the upcoming OVC Championships with four games to play. UT Martin (19-30, 10-12) remains in seventh place.
 
Wells (2-5) went 5.1 innings on 99 pitches, surrendering just three hits, one earned run and three walks. He had gone four innings without allowing a hit before the Skyhawks hit a solo homer to start the fifth. The OVC-leader in strikeouts, Wells' nine punchouts also match his highest total of the season.
 
With Wells facing a jam in the sixth and the bases full of Skyhawks, Hunter Royal came in to get two crucial outs, including a strikeout. Gage Haley went the final three innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run with a pair of strikeouts.
 
The Trojans started their offensive onslaught in the second when Cade Martin doubled to bring in Ty Rhoades. Reed Willbanks followed with a single that allowed Martin and Jayce Blalock to cross the plate for an early 3-0 lead. UT Martin got its first tally on the home run in the fifth, but the Trojans answered back in the bottom half on consecutive doubles from Henry and Geck for a 5-1 lead.
 
The Skyhawks added a run in the sixth and had looked like they were ready to rally before being shut down by Royal, and Little Rock followed in the bottom half by batting around the order and plating six runs, including Cooper Chaplain scoring with the bases full when Alex Seguine was hit by a pitch. Henry then doubled home two runs to make it 8-2, and Geck's homer cleared the left field fence to give the Trojans an 11-2 cushion.

EASTERN ILLINOIS 8, SIUE 4
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Eastern Illinois baseball won its fifth straight Ohio Valley Conference game and clinched the weekend series at SIUE with an 8-4 victory over the Cougars on Saturday afternoon.

EIU jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the first three innings before breaking open the game with three runs in the top of the sixth.

Tyler Castro started the scoring in the sixth with an RBI double down the right field line, his second RBI of the game.

Mike O'Conor connected for a two-run home run in the inning as EIU pounded out 16 hits in the win.  O'Conor was one of four Panthers with multiple hits in the game going 2-for-3.

Chris Worcester was 4-for-5 with two runs scored while Zak Goodwin and Jake Ottensmeier each finished with three hits for the Panthers.

Christian Carew (5-1) pitched four innings out of the bullpen to pick up the win as EIU improved to 26-18 overall, 14-6 in the OVC.

SIUE had trimmed the Panthers lead to 4-3 with four runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Lane Crowden had an RBI double followed by a two-run home run by John Stallcup.

Ryan Niedzwiedz and Daniel Gierer each had two hits to pace the Cougars line-up.  Spencer Stearns (3-4) took the loss on the mound as SIUE dropped to 23-25 overall, 15-8 in the OVC.

SOUTHERN INDIANA 8, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7
EVANSVILLE, Tenn. - University of Southern Indiana junior shortstop Clayton Slack knocked in the game-winning RBI with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to give the Screaming Eagles an 8-7 win over Southeast Missouri State University Saturday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI, which has won three-straight games, is 24-26 overall and 12-11 OVC, while SEMO is 27-23, 13-10 OVC.
 
The fourth OVC series win of the season matches the total USI had all of last season, while the walk-off winner was the sixth of the year for the squad and the second by Slack.
 
The Eagles flew out to a 2-0 lead with a tally in the first and second innings. Junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens crossed the plate with the first USI run on a base hit by sophomore third baseman Parker Martin, while junior first baseman Kannon Coakley scored the second run on a ground out by senior leftfielder BJ Banyon.
 
The Redhawks tied the score with solo home runs in the third and fourth innings. USI would regain the lead, 3-2, when Kitchens scored for the second time in the game on a ground out by junior catcher Micajah Wall.
 
SEMO would bounce back in the top of the sixth with a four-run frame to lead 6-3. The three-run margin would last until the bottom of the seventh when USI exploded for a four-run rally of its own to regain thei, 7-6.
 
Coakley started the rally with a two-run double to pull the Eagles to within one, 6-5. Slack would knock in Coakley with the 6-6 tying run on a double before senior centerfielder Khi Holiday drove in the junior shortstop with the lead run on a single.
 
After SEMO tied the game, 7-7, with its third home run of the game in the top of the ninth, Slack sent USI home 8-7 winners with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field. USI had loaded the bases with a walk by Wall, a single by sophomore second baseman Anthony Umbach, and a hit batter by Coakley.
 
USI senior right-hander Ian Anderson picked up the win for the Eagles in relief. Anderson (4-2), who is tied for the team lead in victories this season, allowed one run on three hits (one the ninth inning home run), and struck out one in his frame of work.
 
The Eagles got an impressive start from junior right-hander Andres Gonzalez. Gonzalez gave up three runs on six hits in 5.1 innings of work, while striking out two. The 5.1 innings of work were Gonzalez's second-longest outing of the season.