SATURDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 10, @UT Martin 6
@Lindenwood 3, Little Rock 2
@Morehead State 6, Southern Indiana 5
@Southeast Missouri 5, SIUE 1
@Tennessee Tech 10, Western Illinois 2
EASTERN ILLINOIS 10, UT MARTIN 6
MARTIN, Tenn. - Eastern Illinois scored double-digit runs for the 12th time this season to clinch the series victory over UT Martin. EIU improves to 24-14 (12-5 OVC), while the Skyhawks fall to 20-22 (6-11 OVC).
The Panthers scored six runs in a single inning in back-to-back games to overpower the Skyhawks' pitching. On the mound for UT Martin, Gehrig Wright was credited with his fifth loss of the season. Wright allowed four earned runs and nine hits in 6.0 innings of work.
EIU struck first with two runs in the second inning, which was highlighted by Peyton Wilson's fourth home run of the season, scoring Mike O'Conor, who reached on an infield single.
The lead was short-lived as UT Martin scored three runs in the 3rd inning. After Bryce Riggs gave up two walks, TJ Dunsford cleared the bases with a home run to left center field.
Shortly after, the Panthers retook the lead and did not look back, scoring two runs in the 4th inning.
Zak Goodwin singled through the left side of the field, followed by Wilson's double down the left-field line. After the Skyhawks' mound visit, Quade Peters singled to short, scoring Goodwin. The second run arrived after Tyler Castro laid down a sacrifice bunt, scoring Wilson from third.
Panthers broke open the game in the 7th inning, scoring six runs to extend their lead to 10-4.
James Love began the inning with a single through the left side of the infield, followed by O'Conor reaching on a walk. Goodwin reached on a single through the left side of the infield to load the bases. Next, chaos ensued; a wild pitch thrown by the Skyhawks drove in Love. Shortly after, Wilson walked and loaded the bases once again. Ethan Rossi forced another Panthers' walk, scoring O'Conor. Peters drew the third straight walk for EIU, scoring Goodwin.
UT Martin's nightmare continued, walking Castro for the fourth walk in the 7th inning, which scored Wilson.
Chris Worcester reached on a fielder's choice hit to the shortstop, driving in Rossi for the 5th run of the inning.
The Panthers batted around to score the sixth run of the inning, which came from the fifth walk of the inning. Love drew the walk on a 3-1 count, scoring Peters from third.
UT Martin scored three runs in the final two innings but was unable to further their comeback as Anthony Solis held on for his second win of the season.
Solis struck out seven batters in 5.0 innings of work while allowing three earned runs. With the win, he moves to 2-2 on the season.
Offensively, the Panthers drew nine walks, including three by Castro. Wilson, Peters, and Castro added to their multi-RBI game totals. Wilson is now at nine, Peters is at six, and Castro has five.
LINDENWOOD 3, LITTLE ROCK 2
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood baseball team (23-19, 9-8 OVC) picked up a big 3-2 win over Little Rock (26-18, 12-5 OVC) at the Lou Brock Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon. The victory evened the weekend series against the Trojans and improved the Lions' record to 9-2 in conference play during the month of April.
Aaron Jungers got the win for Lindenwood after allowing just one unearned run on zero hits with a strikeout through the game's final two innings, improving his record to 5-0 on the year.
Seth Benes was lights out through a seven-inning start, keeping Lindenwood in the game while the offense struggled to find its footing early on. Benes finished with a line of one run allowed on six hits with seven strikeouts, tossing five straight scoreless innings to finish his outing.
Offensively, Lindenwood overcame a sluggish start to score three runs through the game's second half. Will Geary led the way with two hits, one RBI, and a run scored while William Zareh and Filip Sarota also recorded one hit and an RBI apiece.
Following a scoreless first inning, Little Rock loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second after three consecutive base hits to lead off the frame. However, the Trojans were only able to manage one run after a 6-4-3 double play and strikeout ended the inning.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth when Tanner Simpson scored Lindenwood's first run of the weekend on a two-out Filip Sarota base hit after drawing a walk and moving into scoring position on a Tyler Ellis single. The Lions loaded the bases following another walk but were unable to bring any additional runs across.
After Seth Benes worked through his fifth straight scoreless inning, Simpson moved into scoring position with no outs after drawing another free pass and moving to second on a passed ball. However, the Lions were unable to capitalize on the prime scoring opportunity and the tally remained unchanged entering the eighth.
In top of the frame, Aaron Jungers retired the Little Rock side in order, and after Will Geary singled and stole second with two outs in the home half, William Zareh delivered a clutch base hit to left field to drive in the go-ahead run.
However, after a throwing error allowed the leadoff man to reach and advance to second for Little Rock in the top of the ninth, a ground out to advance the runner followed by a sacrifice fly tied the game.
The Lindenwood bats went back to work in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with one out following a single and two walks. Sam Driscoll initially appeared to have beaten the throw home on a slow chopper down the third base line for the winning run, but he was ruled out after a review.
Now with two outs and the bases still juiced, Will Geary stepped to the plate and came through with a walk-off RBI single through the right side to plate Filip Sarota and even the weekend series.
MOREHEAD STATE 6, SOUTHERN INDIANA 5
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State baseball team mounted a late rally scoring two runs in both the eighth and ninth innings and clinched a 6-5 victory over Southern Indiana with a walk-off balk with two outs in the bottom of ninth.
Eagle second baseman Nick Griffith led off the ninth inning and was hit by a pitch. Pinch-hitter JJ Dutton delivered a one-out single through the right side. Griffith advanced to third on a throwing error on the Southern Indiana right fielder. MSU's Jaden Hart entered to pinch-run for Dutton.
Eagle center fielder Kyle Krupp hit a bouncer to the right side the USI second baseman muffed for an error as Griffith scored and Hart advanced to third base on the play. After a strikeout for the second out of the inning shortstop Griffin Olson came to the plate.
Hart attempted to steal home and was initially called out to end the inning. After a lengthy conference among the umpires, the balk was called giving the Eagles the win.
Morehead State (21-21, 7-10 OVC) trailed 5-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. Left fielder Davis Germann drew a leadoff walk and Olson doubled off the screen in right center. Third baseman Aubrey Kearns delivered a two-run single up the middle to cut the lead to 5-4 but couldn't sustain the rally.
Southern Indiana (23-20, 6-11 OVC) got out to an early lead with three runs in the second inning with four straight one-out hits and a sacrifice fly. USI added another run with back-to-back one-out doubles to lead 4-0.
Morehead State got on the board in the fifth when first baseman Alex Kean lined a pitch over the screen in center field that traveled 371 feet.
The Eagles added another run in the sixth on catcher Caden Sheridan's 348-foot liner over the fence in left field to cut the USI lead to 4-2.
Devin Costa (3-1) got the win. He threw a one-hit ninth inning in his .
Eagle starter Cole Wells threw two and two-thirds innings allowing four runs (all earned) on six hit and one walk. He struck out two USI batters.
Landon Waugh was solid out of the bullpen for the Eagles. He got the last out of the third inning to get the Eagles out of a jam. He then shut out USI until the Screaming Eagles pieced together a couple of two-out hits to score a run to make the score 5-2.
USI's Caydon Laird (1-1) took the loss, giving up a run on one hit. Southern Indiana starter Ean DiPasquale turned in a solid performance, allowing two earned runs on four hits. He walked four and struck out eight Eagles.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5, SIUE 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri Baseball (31-12, 12-5 OVC) secured a 5-1 victory over SIUE (22-21, 11-6 OVC) on Saturday at Capaha Field. Southeast Missouri broke a scoreless tie with a five-run surge in the seventh inning, capitalizing on six walks issued by SIUE pitchers.
In the sixth inning, SIUE broke the scoreless deadlock with a solo home run by Niedzwiedz to right field. This gave SIUE a 1-0 lead.
SEMO responded in the bottom of the seventh inning with a decisive five-run rally. Joe Hall led off with a double, and Logan Yule, who entered as a pinch runner, scored on a bases-loaded walk to Andrew Ramirez. Tank Sims followed with another bases-loaded walk, bringing in Dakota Joggerst. Caleb Klein then drew a walk to score Joe Terranova, and Cal Sullivan capped the inning with a two-RBI single to left field, scoring Ramirez and Sims. SEMO took a commanding 5-1 lead by the end of the seventh inning.
TENNESSEE TECH 10, WESTERN ILLINOIS 2
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Recap coming soon.