SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Winthrop 4,
Morehead State 3
Western Illinois 10, Akron 6 (Millington, TN)
@Arkansas State 9,
Eastern Illinois 2
@Little Rock 6, West Georgia 1
@Tennessee Tech 6, Ohio 3
@Southeastern Louisiana 6,
SIUE 5
@Nicholls 15,
UT Martin 6
WINTHROP 4, MOREHEAD STATE 3
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Morehead State got a big three-run blast from Aubrey Kearns in the eighth inning to tie the game up, but fell to Winthrop 4-3 Sunday at Founders Field in Rock Hill, S.C.
Morehead State (3-4) trailed 3-0 when they came to bat in the eighth inning. Right fielder Kyle Krupp led off with a single to left center. Center fielder Jaden Hart laid down a sacrifice bunt in front of
the plate and Winthrop catcher Cade Norton threw the ball away allowing Krupp to reach third and Hart to pull into second base. Kearns then hit the first pitch of the at bat over the fence in right field to knot the game up at 3-3.
Kearns finished the day two of four at the plate for his fifth multi-hit game of the season and the 15th of his career. Junior first baseman Alex Kean and freshman right fielder Kyle Krupp both had two hits for the Eagles as well.
Winthrop (5-2) came right back in the ninth. Shortstop Noah Cox led off with single to left center. Pinch runner Chazz Grossington replaced him and was forced to second when leadoff hitter Gabe Navidad was hit by a pitch by MSU reliever Devin Costa. Grossington advanced to third on a fly out to center field.
After an intentional walk to load the bases, pinch-hitter Gage Handzel hit a 2-1 pitch into shallow right field to score Grossington and give Winthrop the win.
Winthrop's Harrison Wilson (1-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen. He threw three innings allowing four hits, all three MSU runs (two earned), and struck out two. Winthrop starter Randy Guzman went six innings, scattering five hits and struck out five Morehead State batters.
Devin Costa (0-1) took the loss for Morehead State. He thew three innings, allowing five hits and just one run. He walked one and struck out three.
Winthrop got a run in the bottom of the first inning on a throwing error on a double steal to get on the board first.
The host Eagles tacked on another run in the second inning on a leadoff single followed by a walk. After a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third, a ground out to MSU shortstop Jaden Correa plated the run.
Morehead State threatened in the fifth inning when right fielder JJ Dutton smacked a one-out single to center field, stole second and advanced to third on Correa's fly out to center. Dutton was stranded at third when Krupp flied to center to end the inning
MSU threatened again in the sixth inning. Kearns got things going with a one-out single down the left field line. He advanced to second on catcher Caden Sheridan's infield single. Both runners advanced on Alex Kean's bounce out to second. The runners were stranded when Brayton Coomer grounded out to end the inning.
Winthrop plated another run in the bottom of the sixth and Morehead State's defense prevented more. Left fielder Jaylen Hernandez led off with a walk and advanced to second on a ground out. He advanced to third on third baseman Colin Crowley's single to right.
Hernandez scored on a bunt hit by shortstop Noah Cox. Leadoff hitter Gabe Natividad followed with an infield single, but Crowley was thrown out at the plate. MSU pitcher Devin Costa ended the threat by picking off Cox at second base.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 10, AKRON 6
MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Western Illinois closed out the weekend with a 10-6 victory over Akron on Sunday.
The Leathernecks struck first with a four-run opening inning and never trailed, adding three more runs in the fourth to create breathing room. Gage Hoover powered the offense with a home run and a game-high six RBI, while Krayton Morse chipped in two RBI and Cordell Coburn added a run driven in. WIU showed patience at the plate with 13 walks and made the most of its seven hits.
Harrison Dubois earned the win, and Jackson Rodgers was dominant in relief, tossing five innings while allowing just one run and striking out seven to seal the 10-6 win.
ARKANSAS STATE 9, EASTERN ILLINOIS 2
JONESBORO, Ark. - Eastern Illinois fell behind early and was unable to overcome the deficit. With today's loss, the Panthers fall to 4-3 on the season, while Arkansas State improves to 5-2.
The Panthers found early offensive production, scoring two runs in the first inning. Peyton Wilson singled through the left side of the infield, picking up two RBIs, scoring Brett Stanley and James Love. However, Arkansas State's starting pitcher Dylan Farley faced no trouble the rest of the way, striking out five EIU batters in six innings of work. The Panthers managed to record six hits, but the Red Wolves defense held EIU to one base per hit.
Arkansas State would quickly tie the game 2-2 off of a Red Wolves home run. Panthers starter Dalton Boruff was unable to find his rhythm, giving up six earned runs in 1.2 innings of work. Four of those runs came in the second inning as Arkansas State used walks and singles to run around the base path.
Jarret Kinder provided a spark in the latter half of the game, throwing 3.1 innings of scoreless work with three strikeouts. However, the Red Wolves managed to score two more runs, including a late one in the 7th, which was too much for the Panthers to overcome.
LITTLE ROCK 6, WEST GEORGIA 1
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Little Rock kept its winning ways going in Sunday's series finale against West Georgia, battling through a pitchers' duel in the first five innings before the offense finally broke through for a 6-1 victory at Gary Hogan Field to complete a series sweep of the Wolves.
The Trojans (6-1) — winners of five straight — allowed a run in the opening frame as West Georgia (1-7) grabbed an early lead. But the visitors were held scoreless over the final eight innings. Zach Busick struck out six over 4.1 innings in the start, and the bullpen combination of Brett Gastman, Malcolm Brown, Luke Schimmels, Brayden Walls, and Trent Jordan covered the final 4.2 innings with scoreless relief. The group allowed just one hit, issued no walks, and struck out five.
Angel Cano singled to tie the game in the sixth, and later in the inning, with two on, Rhoades delivered a 365-foot home run over the wall in right field on a blustery day, putting the Trojans ahead by three.
Ryan Geck added a pinch-hit RBI double, and Cooper Chaplain contributed a run-scoring single in the eighth to provide insurance.
The Trojan bullpen proved pivotal Sunday. Gastman entered in a high-leverage situation with runners on second and third and responded by striking out the next two batters to end the threat. He fanned all three hitters he faced.
Brown retired three straight hitters, Schimmels recorded two outs before allowing a weak single to right, and Walls worked a clean eighth inning. Jordan handled the ninth, striking out the first batter before inducing a pair of groundouts to end the game.
TENNESSEE TECH 6, OHIO 3
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech completed a dominant weekend at Bush Stadium, finishing off a four-game series sweep of Ohio with a 6-3 victory on Sunday afternoon (p. 1). The win marks the fifth consecutive victory for the Golden Eagles (5-3), who utilized early power and a steady bullpen to stifle the Bobcats (1-6).
TTU asserted its dominance early, breaking through in the bottom of the second inning. Jackson Rooker ignited the offense with a leadoff single and eventually crossed the plate alongside Aaron Moffitt following a Luke Bragga groundout and a clutch two-out RBI single from AJ Marchetti.
Eddie Garza then followed with a productive groundout that allowed Lee to score unearned, extending the lead to 4-0.
On the mound, Jaxson Pease (2-1) provided a stellar start for the Golden Eagles, tossing 6.2 innings and striking out five, After Ohio clawed back two runs in the fourth behind a Cam Bryant single and a Tyler Stack sacrifice fly, Pease settled into a groove, retiring 11 of 12 batters during a dominant mid-game stretch.
Tech added crucial insurance in the seventh when Lee singled and Jimenez was hit by a pitch, allowing Connor Crowson to drive in a run with a base hit. Moffitt then stepped up with his first triple of the year and scored on a wild pitch, pushing the advantage to 6-2.
The Bobcats attempted a late-inning rally in the eighth, using a Dylan Shepherd RBI double to pull within three, but Tennessee Tech turned to the bullpen to slam the door.
Eli Huddleston entered with two outs in the eighth and silenced the Ohio bats, tossing 1.1 innings of hitless relief to earn his first save of the season and secure the sweep.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 6, SIUE 5
HAMMOND, La. - Southeastern Louisiana scored five unanswered runs Sunday and walked off with a 6-5 win over SIUE baseball to take the three-game series two games to one.
SIUE and Southeastern Louisiana are both now 2-5.
Alex Perry walked with the bases loaded to force in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
With the game tied at five, the Lions put the first two runners with singles to start the ninth. After a sacrifice bunt moved runners to first and third, an intentional walk loaded the bases.
The Cougars built a 5-0 lead through the first five innings.
SIUE's first run came in the fourth when Ethan Willoughby grounded into a double play, bringing in Mack Mitchell.
The Cougars loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth inning when Terrick Thompson-Allen tripled inside the right field line to clear the bases. Willoughby then brought in Thompson-Allen with a single off Lions' pitcher Logan Freche's foot.
The Lions got a run back in the bottom of the fifth against SIUE starter Spencer Stearns. Southeastern Louisiana then put two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but Stearns pitched out of the jam.
Stearns pitched seven innings allowing a run on two hits. He walked two and struck out three.
The Lions scored four times in the eighth inning against SIUE relievers Noah Johnson and Harris.
Thompson-Allen and Willoughby led the Cougars at the plate. Thompson-Allen was 2-4 with the three RBIs. Willoughby went 3-5 with the RBI. Ryan Niedzwiedz and Chase Bloomer both had two hits.
SIUE outhit Southeastern Louisiana 14-9. Gavin Panks finished 3-4 with three RBIs. Perry finished 1-3 with two runs and two RBIs.
NICHOLLS 15, UT MARTIN 6
THIBODAUX, La. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team recorded 10 hits but fell to Nicholls in the series finale, 15-8.
Garner Anderson (three hits, walk) recorded his first multi-home run game of his career while driving in six runs (career-high) and smacking a double. Colten Payton (three hits, two runs scored), JT Popick (home run, RBI, three runs scored) and Andrew Davis helped the Skyhawk offense plate eight runs (fourth time this season with eight or more runs in a game).
Dean McCalla started the contest with Brandon King (0-1, four innings, five strikeouts), Gabe Bryant (0.1 innings), JP Nunn (1.2 innings), Connor McCaslin (0.2 innings), Mason Little (0.1 innings, one strikeout) and Silas Jones (one inning, one strikeout) seeing time out of the bullpen.
Trailing after the first, Popick sent out his first homer of the season, then Box grounded out to score Anderson who had doubled earlier in the inning. King worked a 1-2-3 top of the second and Anderson blasted his first three-run bomb of the day in the third to give UT Martin (3-4) a 5-4 lead.
King induced two groundouts and a popout to strand a runner in the third for his second consecutive scoreless inning. The Colonels (3-6) grabbed the advantage back on a homer of their own in the fifth. In the sixth, Nunn forced a 4-6-3 double play and scored a flyout to end the inning.
For the second time with two outs and two runners on, Anderson took another round trip, and this one cut the Skyhawk deficit to one, 9-8. Over the next two frames, Nicholls was able to extend its advantage and ended up taking the series finale.