SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Southern Indiana 7, Oakland 6
@Lindenwood 6, St. Thomas 0
@Winthrop 19,
Morehead State 4
Akron 5,
Western Illinois 0 (Millington, TN)
@Arkansas State 11,
Eastern Illinois 3
@Little Rock 4, West Georgia 3 (11)
@Tennessee Tech 6-6, Ohio 4-1
Southeast Missouri 8-8, @Western Kentucky 7-11
@Southeastern Louisiana 7,
SIUE 2
@Nicholls 9-13,
UT Martin 8-5
SOUTHERN INDIANA 7, OAKLAND 6
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball withstood a final ninth inning rally by Oakland and completed a four-game sweep with a 7-6 win on the final day of the Fairfield Inn Invitational at the USI Baseball Field. USI is 6-2 after the first two weeks of the season, while Oakland goes to 1-6.
The Screaming Eagles jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning, taking advantage of a pair of Grizzly errors and scored five unearned runs. The inning was highlighted by a two-run double by senior first baseman Patrick McLellan.
The Grizzlies rallied to tie the game, 5-5, with four in the third and one in the fifth. The score would remain tied until USI pushed the eventual winning runs across in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run two-out single by senior leftfielder Hunter Miller.
In the ninth, Oakland made a run at USI and graduate right-hander Nathan Anderson. The Grizzlies closed the gap to 7-6 with two outs, but Anderson closed out the USI victory with the tying run at second base. The save was Anderson's second of the season.
The victory was credited to freshman right-hander Levin East in relief. East (1-0) posted his first collegiate win by blanking Oakland for three innings, allowing one walk and striking out three.
McLellan and Miller led the USI overall at the plate with two RBIs each, while senior shortstop Clayton Slack had three hits in the victory.
LINDENWOOD 6, ST. THOMAS 0
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood baseball team (4-3, 0-0 OVC) picked up their first series win of the season with a 6-0 shutout win over St. Thomas (2-5, 0-0 Summit) at Lou Brock on Saturday afternoon.
Pitching was dominant for the Lions, with starter Seth Benes (2-0) picking up the win after surrendering just three hits with seven strikeouts through the game's first seven innings. Benes has now tossed 14 scoreless innings to begin the season.
Lucas Niemeyer entered in the eighth and finished the job, preserving the shutout while allowing just a pair of hits.
The Lindenwood bats combined for seven hits, led by Will Geary with a 3-5 outing. It was his fourth three-hit game of the season, and his fourth overall multi-hit performance.
Jake Radosevich led the Lions with two runs batted in with Tyler Ellis and Sam Dricoll also driving in one run apiece.
After a base hit, hit by pitch, and walk loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first, Lindenwood drew first blood with Will Geary scoring on a wild pitch. However, following a second hit by pitch, the Lions were unable to bring any more runs across, leaving three runners stranded.
After a scoreless second, LU created some breathing room with a three spot in the third, with all three runs coming with two outs. Ethan Cantareira got the rally started with a single before stealing second to move into scoring position and then reaching home on a Tyler Ellis base up the middle.
Sam Driscoll followed that up with an RBI triple to score Ellis before taking home on a wild pitch to expand the Lindenwood lead to 4-0.
The next four frames were scoreless, with Seth Benes facing the minimum through his final four innings of work.
The Lions added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth with a Jake Radosevich base hit down the left field line that scored Will Geary and William Zareh, who had just moved to second and third on a passed ball.
The extra runs were a formality, however, as Lucas Niemeyer shut down any hopes for a St. Thomas comeback in the top of the ninth, making it nine shutout innings to begin his freshman campaign.
WINTHROP 19, MOREHEAD STATE 4
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Winthrop put up 11 runs in the bottom of the first inning and cruised to 19-4 win over Morehead State Saturday at Founders Field in Rock Hill, S.C.
Winthrop (4-2) plated 11 runs on six hits in the first. MSU committed one error in the inning. Winthrop drew four walks in and had two batters hit by pitch.
Winthrop starter Luke Earnhardt (2-0) picked up the win. He threw 5.2 innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on six hits. He walked one MSU batter and struck out 11. Morehead State starter Kamden Hawks (0-1) took the loss.
MSU got on the board in the second inning. Aubrey Kearns reached with a one-out single. Brayton Coomer singled to right, advancing Kearns to third base. Davis Germann sent Kearns home with a single to center field.
Winthrop plated two more runs in the third and three in the fourth to push the lead out to 16-1. WU got another run in the sixth and plated two in the seventh.
The Eagles scored two runs in the fifth. Center fielder Jaden Hart tripled down the left field line to lead off the inning. Catcher Caden Sheridan drove a 1-0 pitch over the center-field fence, his second home run of the season.
Morehead State's Will Bomersbach got his first home run as an Eagle leading off the ninth.
AKRON 5, WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Western Illinois fell 5-0 to Akron on Saturday afternoon, dropping to 2-3 on the season.
The Leathernecks were limited to just three hits in the contest and were unable to capitalize on five walks. Joe Connolly, Josh McClintock, and Krayton Morse each recorded a hit for WIU, but the offense stranded 10 runners and couldn't find the timely hit to break through. Akron broke a scoreless tie in the fourth and added insurance late, highlighted by a solo home run from Henry Hayman and a two-RBI performance from Kelton Phillips.
Western Illinois starter Jason Buhl turned in a solid outing, allowing just one earned run over five innings with three strikeouts, but the bullpen surrendered four runs across the final three frames as the Zips pulled away. WIU will look to bounce back in its next outing as it continues its early-season slate.
ARKANSAS STATE 11, EASTERN ILLINOIS 3
JONESBORO, Ark. - The Panthers dropped game two of their weekend series against Arkansas State, 11-3. EIU drops to 4-2 on the season, while the Red Wolves improve to 4-2.
Eastern Illinois struggled to keep up with the Arkansas State red-hot offense. The Red Wolves generated 11 runs on ten hits, including four home runs, three doubles, and a triple. On the mound for the Panthers, Anthony Solis struggles to find his rhythm, giving up seven earned runs and five hits in five innings of work. Hayden Trier was called upon to shut the Red Wolves down but was unable to shift the momentum, allowing three earned runs in 1.2 innings of work.
Arkansas State struck early, scoring three runs in the second inning, while adding an extra run in the third. Similar to Friday, EIU found its offense in the fourth inning, off the bat of James Love, who hit a solo home run to right center.
Chris Worcester kept the inning going with a double to deep right field. Luke Melton earned a walk, followed by Kyree Alexander being hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded, Dylan Drumke pinch hit for Jake Ferguson. Drumke stood strong and walked first on a full count, leading to the Panthers' second run of the game.
EIU scored for the final time of the game in the next inning, causing another Love RBI. Love tripled to deep center field, scoring Peyton Wilson first. However, the Red Wolves pushed their lead out to five after scoring four more runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Eastern Illinois was held scoreless the rest of the way and gave up three more runs in the seventh inning to close out the ballgame.
LITTLE ROCK 4, WEST GEORGIA 3 (11)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Little Rock's pitching staff carried the load over 11 innings Saturday, setting the stage for Trey Hill's pinch-hit walk-off walk in a 4-3, series-clinching victory over West Georgia at Gary Hogan Field.
Brigden Parker turned in his second straight strong start for the Trojans (5-1), Tag Andrews tossed three shutout innings of relief in his Little Rock debut, and the combination of Blake Van Cleve and Gage Haley delivered 1.2 innings of hitless relief over the final two frames.
West Georgia (1-6) never trailed until the winning run crossed the plate. The Wolves managed just one run off Parker to take a 1-0 lead in the third, but Kade Smith answered with an RBI single to left-center in the bottom half to tie the game. The score remained 1-1 heading into extra innings.
The visitors plated two runs in the top of the 10th, but Ty Rhoades came through again, singling into shallow center to knot the score at 3-3. Van Cleve struck out the first batter of the 11th before Haley entered and retired the next two hitters.
In the bottom half, Smith worked a two-out walk, Angel Cano was hit by a pitch, and Nolan Freund reached on an error to load the bases. Hill, the 14th and final Trojan to step into the batter's box, worked a walk to force in the winning run.
TENNESSEE TECH 6-6, OHIO 4-1
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech earned a doubleheader sweep over Ohio with 6-4 and 6-1 wins at Bush Stadium. The Golden Eagles have won four in a row.
The Golden Eagles move to 4-3 overall on the season with the pair of victories, while Ohio falls to 1-5 on the campaign. Jorsixt Jimenez drove in six runs combined in the two games going 4-for-9 with a couple of doubles. Owen Lee launched his third home run of the season in Game 2 of the doubleheader and Garrett Holpuch tossed a season-long 7.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts to highlight the day.
In game one, Mattox, McDuffie Lock Down the Win: Drew Mattox (1-0) earned his first win of the season, providing 2.1 innings of steady relief. Entering a high-pressure situation, Mattox surrendered only one run on three hits while striking out two. Reece McDuffie slammed the door to earn his second save of the year. McDuffie was dominant over the final two frames, striking out four of the nine batters he faced to preserve the two-run lead.
Ohio (1-4) threatened in the ninth, but McDuffie's fourth strikeout of the appearance ended the contest, leaving two Bobcats stranded.
In game two, Tech secured its second straight series win and extended its winning streak to three games Saturday afternoon with a 6-1 victory over Ohio Bobcats at Bush Stadium. The Golden Eagles (4-3) used timely power, patience at the plate and a dominant outing from starter Garrett Holpuch, who tossed 7.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts to earn his first victory of the season.
Holpuch (1-0) was in control from the outset, tossing 7.0 scoreless innings while allowing just four hits and one walk. The right-hander struck out two and induced 12 groundouts, needing only 79 pitches to keep the Bobcats off balance. Ohio (1-5) did not advance a runner past second base against him.
Tech struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Owen Lee delivered a solo home run to left field with one out, his first of the season, to give the Golden Eagles an early 1-0 lead. The score remained unchanged until the sixth. Connor Crowson worked one of his three walks and later came around to score as Tech capitalized on pressure against the Ohio bullpen, doubling the advantage to 2-0.
The Golden Eagles broke the game open in the seventh with a four-run outburst. After loading the bases with patience at the plate, Jorsixt Jimenez ripped a two-out double to left-center, clearing the bases and pushing the lead to 5-0. Eddie Garza followed with a sacrifice fly to plate another run, capping the decisive inning and extending the margin to 6-0.
Tech finished with five hits but made them count, drawing seven walks and taking advantage of two Ohio errors. Jimenez led the way with three RBIs, while Manny Garza added two hits. Lee scored twice and reached base three times. Ohio broke through in the eighth against reliever Carter Casabella, scoring on an RBI single to make it 6-1, but Casabella worked through traffic over the final two innings to close out the win.
The Golden Eagles' pitching staff combined to hold the Bobcats to 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, a key factor in preserving control throughout the afternoon.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 8-8, WESTERN KENTUCKY 7-11
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (3-5) split a doubleheader against Western Kentucky (5-3) at Nick Denes Field on Saturday, winning the first game 8-7 and falling in the second game 11-8.
In the first game, SEMO edged WKU with a victory that showcased a powerful offensive start. The Redhawks capitalized with back-to-back scoring in the first three innings, including two home runs, to establish an early lead. Cal Sullivan hit a two-run homer in the first inning, bringing home Brooks Kettering after his walk and advancement to second on a wild pitch, giving SEMO a 2-0 lead.
The Redhawks extended their lead to 4-0 in the second inning with Dakot Joggerst scoring after being hit by a pitch, followed by Joe Terranova scoring on Kettering's sacrifice fly. SEMO continued its offensive surge in the third inning, scoring three more runs. Tank Sims doubled and scored on Terranova's sacrifice fly, while Carson Schrack's RBI single brought in Ryan Lopetegui and Caleb Klein's double down the line scored Schrack, pushing the lead to 7-0. WKU responded with one run, making it 7-1 through three innings.
However, WKU rallied in the fourth inning, scoring five runs to close the gap to 7-6, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Arroyos and an RBI single from Acosta. Terranova's solo home run in the fifth inning extended SEMO's lead to 8-6, and despite a run from WKU in the sixth inning with Acosta's RBI double, SEMO held on to win 8-7.
SEMO then faced WKU in the second game, where they fell short despite a strong offensive display, particularly in a five-run sixth inning. The Redhawks opened the scoring in the first inning with Caleb Klein singling up the middle and advancing to third on Joe Hall's single. Brooks Kettering executed a sacrifice bunt, allowing Klein to score, but WKU quickly responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Ross, making it 3-1.
WKU extended its lead to 6-1 in the second inning after Hayes hit a three-run homer. SEMO added a run in the third when Demitri Shakotko walked and scored on a groundout by Cal Sullivan, narrowing the score to 6-2. They scored again in the fourth inning, as Carson Schrack was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Andrew Ramirez, but WKU maintained a 7-3 lead after adding a run in the bottom of the inning.
WKU widened its lead to 9-3 in the fifth. SEMO staged a significant rally in the sixth, loading the bases before Klein scored Rosario. Hall followed with a three-run double, and Kettering's single drove in Hall, cutting the lead to 11-8. However, no further scoring occurred in the final innings, and SEMO's comeback effort fell short.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 7, SIUE 2
HAMMOND, La. - SIUE baseball dropped the second game of a three-game series to Southeastern Louisiana 7-2 Saturday.
Southeastern Louisiana picked up its first win of the year to improve to 1-5. The Cougars fell to 2-4 with the loss. Each team has won a game in the series, setting up the rubber game of the series Sunday afternoon.
The Cougars got on the board in the first Terrick Thompson-Allen singled with the bases loaded to drive in Chase Bloomer and Ethan Willoughby.
The Lions took the lead with a four-run fourth inning. Ben Robichaux hit a three-run home run in the inning after Alex Perry doubled to drive in a run earlier in the inning.
Brody Capps connected on a two-run home run in the fifth inning to chase starter Tim Teixeira (0-1), who allowed six runs in 4.1 innings of work. He struck out two.
The Lions tacked on a run in the seventh inning when Capps lined an RBI-double to right off reliever Trent Koehler.
Capps finished 2-3 with three RBIs.
Koehler worked 2.2 innings allowing the single run on two hits. He struck out one. Brady Coon worked a scoreless eighth inning. He walked one and struck out one.
SLU starter Lakin Polk (1-1) pitched six innings. He allowed two runs on five hits.
Thompson-Allen was 1-4 with the two RBIs. In all, six different players had a single hit for the Cougars.
NICHOLLS 9-13, UT MARTIN 8-5
THIBODAUX, La. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team fell in its doubleheader against Nicholls at Ray Didier Field. The Colonels took both games 9-8 and 13-5, respectively.
Both offenses got flowing as there were only two innings without a run scored in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Four Skyhawks had two hit games with Bo Strickland (two doubles, one run scored, one RBI, one walk), Andrew Davis (two walks, two runs scored, two stolen bases), Colten Payton (two RBIs, one run scored) and JT Popick (double, run scored) all getting two knocks. Garner Anderson added a double to UT Martin’s extra base hit total.
Maxwell Schumacher (two strikeouts) went five innings and was followed by Jake DeValk (2.1 innings, three strikeouts), Gehrig Wright (0-2) and Silas Jones (0.2 innings, one strikeout).
Nicholls assumed a 1-0 lead after the first and that was quickly answered by a four-run second by the Skyhawks. Anderson doubled home two runs and was brought home in the next at-bat by Tommy Koch on a single. Strickland kept his big weekend rolling on an RBI double to give UT Martin a 4-1 advantage.
The Colonels had cut the Skyhawks’ lead to one going into the fifth inning with the top of the order due up. With one out, TJ Dunsford plated Davis on a single to right field that made it 5-3. Nicholls would take the lead back in the home half to lead 6-5 as the game moved to the sixth.
DeValk relieved Schumacher and started his series with a 1-2-3 frame during the sixth. The back-and-forth battle continued in the top of the seventh when Dunsford’s sacrifice fly tied the game at six. With two runners on, Payton delivered by driving in both runs giving UT Martin an 8-6 lead.
DeValk remained stout on an inning-ending punchout to leave a runner stranded in the bottom of the seventh.
The Colonels used a three-run ninth inning to carry them to a series-tying win, 9-8.
In game two, UT Martin (3-3) landed three two hit performances from Colten Payton (run scored), Garner Anderson (home run, two RBIs, walk, run scored) and Cullen Box (double, home run, RBI, run scored). TJ Grines stole two bases and scored a run.
Cason Sharp (0-1, 4.1 innings, one strikeout) began the contest while Aidan Karns (1.1 innings, on strikeout), Drake Bayles (1.1 innings, one strikeout) and Trevor Busyn (1 inning, one strikeout) had appearances out of the bullpen.
Grines manufactured the game’s first run when he got aboard on catcher’s interference. The Louisiana native stole second and while stealing third scored on an error on the Colonel’s catcher. Sharp stranded a runner in the home half of the first off of a popout, groundout and lineout.
Nicholls (2-6) added runs in the next three innings before the Skyhawks answered off a towering leadoff home run from Anderson that brought the UT Martin deficit to three. Aidan Karns entered in the home half of the fifth and halted anymore offense from the Colonels by inducing an unassisted double play from Davis.
The Skyhawks knocked down the Nicholls lead to five in the top of the eighth off of a Popick sacrifice fly and an Anderson single. Box hit his first career homer in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough as the Colonels were able to hold on to the lead and win Game 3 of the weekend series.