SUNDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Illinois 9, Southern Indiana 6
@Lindenwood 3, Western Illinois 2 (14)
Tennessee Tech 18, @UT Martin 16
@SIUE 3, Little Rock 2
Morehead State 6, @Southeast Missouri 5
EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, SOUTHERN INDIANA 6
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois outlasts Southern Indiana in a chaotic back-and-forth Sunday afternoon affair to complete the series sweep. EIU improves to 21-11 (10-2 OVC), while USI drops to 20-17 (4-8 OVC). Panthers earn their sixth straight victory to remain tied at the top of the OVC standings.
Chaos began early with EIU scoring a run in the 2nd and 3rd innings to take an early 2-0 lead.
Collin Horneman reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Joey Hagen, who scored after a fielding error by Southern Indiana's catcher, Drue Saenz. Saenz's error was one of five combined errors in the game. Hagen raced home, causing a chaotic drop ball at the plate. Shortly after, EIU would strand three runners to end the inning.
Next time up, EIU scored once more; Chris Worcester used the windy conditions to his advantage and smashed a home run to deep left field.
The Panthers's impressive defense kept the Screaming off the scoreboard through the first five innings. Dalton Boruff tossed an impressive 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing only four hits.
However, USI took advantage of Boruff's replacement, James Geshel, scoring three runs in the 6th inning to take their first lead of the game.
Geshel earned his third win of the season but suffered five earned runs on eight hits while collecting only one strikeout. Three out of the five runs came off the home run by Gavin Boyle in the top half of the sixth inning.
EIU quickly rebounded from the deficit, scoring two runs to retake control of the contest. Quade Peters walked, followed by Tyler Castro, hit a soft single to third base. With runners in scoring position, James Love hit a hard-hit ball to the shortstop, scoring Castro and Peters. The damage continued as Mike O'Conor singled to center field, driving in Castro.
The Screaming Eagles were unfazed as they tied the game 4-4 in the next inning with Clayton Slack driving in Parker Martin.
Both offenses settled down, but not for long, as USI retook the lead in the 8th inning with two runs.
The give-and-take resumed once more as EIU quickly broke the game open with five runs in the eighth innings. USI used four different pitchers in the 8th but was unable to keep EIU off the base paths.
Panthers' offensive storm began with Castro reaching first on a walk, followed by Stanley extending his hitting streak to 29 games with a single to left field. Worcester drove in Castro with a single to left field. USI's nightmare continued with James Love reaching first on another single to left field, scoring Stanley. Hagen hit the third Panthers' single to left field in the inning to score Worcester.
With a one-run lead, EIU added their insurance runs with the fourth left-field base hit earned by Stanley to score Love. The Panthers were not done yet, scoring one more run in before ending the chaotic 8th inning. Peters hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive home Hagen.
James Geshel faced no trouble in the 9th to hold the Panthers' sixth straight win.
LINDENWOOD 3, WESTERN ILLINOIS (2 (14)
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood baseball team (17-18, 5-7 OVC) completed the series sweep against Western Illinois (8-25, 3-9 OVC) with a 3-2 win in 14 innings on Sunday afternoon. It marks the Lions' first sweep of an OVC opponent this season as they have now won five of their last six conference games.
The contest also tied the program record for innings played in the Division-I era, matching last season's 12-11 win over Bradley.
Easton Rakers got the win for Lindenwood after tossing three shutout innings to finish the game. Meanwhile, starter Lucas Niemeyer allowed just one run on four hits through the first 5.1 innings before giving way to Aaron Jungers, who surrendered one run on five hits with three strikeouts through 5.2 innings of relief.
Charlie Isom-McCall led the Lindenwood offense with three hits, two runs and an RBI in the contest. Will Geary, Filip Sarota, and Sam Driscoll also recorded multiple hits with two knocks each.
Following a scoreless first inning, Lindenwood took their first lead in the second as Kam Edwards scored from third on an Owen Ralph RBI ground out after a throwing error by the Western Illinois shortstop had allowed Edwards to move to third after advancing to second on a balk.
Western immediately responded in the top of the third with Kamryn Link drawing a leadoff walk and moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt before a Josh McClintock double to left field tied the score.
The Lions punched back in the home half of the inning with a Charlie Isom-McCall leadoff home run to left field to put Lindenwood up 2-1. It was Isom-McCall's third homer of the season.
Following scoreless fourth and fifth innings, WIU moved a pair of runners into scoring position in the top of the sixth following a leadoff walk and Isaiah Monge one-out double down the left field line, but Aaron Jungers entered the game and recorded two quick outs to prevent any runs from coming across.
However, the Leathernecks would find a way to plate the tying run in the top of the seventh, with Krayton Morse doubling and moving to third on a McClintock single before scoring on a fielder's choice.
Western would move a runner into scoring position in the eighth but were unable to plate the go-ahead run, and after another scoreless frame in the ninth, the game headed to extras.
In the bottom of the tenth, Sam Driscoll reached base on a leadoff infield single and stole second to move into scoring position with no outs and the top of the Lindenwood order at the plate. However, the Lions were unable to bring him home after a pop out, ground out, and strikeout stranded Driscoll at third.
The Leathernecks moved a runner into scoring position three times during extras, with their best scoring opportunity coming in the top of the 14th following a Liam Bushey leadoff double, but they were never able to break through for a score.
After 10 innings without a run, Charlie Isom-McCall led off the 14th with a bunt single before tagging up and moving to second on a Jake Radosevich flyout down the right field line. With two outs, William Zareh delivered the winning swing with a base hit up the middle that allowed Isom-McCall to reach home safely from second base. It was Zareh's second walk-off hit of the season, adding to his walk-off grand slam against Murray State on March 15th.
TENNESSEE TECH 18, UT MARTIN 16
MARTIN, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech erupted for 18 runs on 18 hits and held off a late push from UT Martin to claim an 18-16 victory in Sunday's series finale, salvaging the final game of the three-game set.
In a back-and-forth slugfest at Skyhawk Field, the Golden Eagles delivered timely power and a decisive middle-inning surge to outlast the Skyhawks despite surrendering 16 runs on 19 hits.
Landon Smelser paced the Golden Eagles with a perfect 5-for-5 performance at the plate, scoring four runs and blasting a home run. Jorsixt Jimenez added two home runs and four RBI, providing key swings throughout the contest.
The turning point came in the fourth inning, when Tech plated eight runs in a massive rally. Nash Crowell delivered a bases-clearing double as part of a six-RBI day, while Eddie Garza capped the inning with a three-run homer to give the Golden Eagles a commanding lead.
UT Martin responded with multiple rallies, including a four-run sixth inning, but Tennessee Tech's pitching staff managed to hold on late.
Eli Huddleston earned the win on the mound, closing the door in the late innings to secure the victory.
SIUE 3, LITTLE ROCK 2
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE baseball scored two runs in the sixth inning Sunday to score a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Little Rock at Simmons Baseball Complex. The Cougars won two of three to maintain their hold on first place in the Ohio Valley Conference.
SIUE is now 10-2 in OVC play and 19-16 overall. Little Rock dropped to 8-4 in the OVC and 20-16 overall.
Jase Phillps (3-2) delivered SIUE's third strong start in the series. Phillps allowed two runs over six innings. He walked two and struck out two.
Little Rock got on the board with a hit and a walk in the third inning. Kade Smith singled into right with two outs to put the Trojans up.
The Cougars tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning after loading the bases with nobody out against Little Rock starter Nic Brozini. Gage Franck sent a sacrifice fly to right field to tie the score.
A solo home run by Little Rock's Noal Fruend in the top of the sixth inning put the Trojans back on top, but briefly.
Joshua Heyder walked to open the bottom of the sixth inning and Ethan Willoughby followed with a single to center, sending Heyder to third. Cooper Eggert grounded out to second base to bring home Heyder with the tying run. Franck followed with a single to left side to put the Cougars in front for good.
Brennen Grams tossed two perfect innings in relief, striking out two, to get the game to the ninth, where Easton Harris closed it out with a perfect inning and two strikeouts of his own. Harris picked up his seventh save of the season.
Willoughby and Franck each finished with two hits for the Cougars.
MOREHEAD STATE 6, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Morehead State shortstop Jaden Correa drilled a towering one-out home run in the top of the ninth to propel the Eagles to a 6-5 comeback win over Southeast Missouri Sunday at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Morehead State (17-18, 5-7 OVC) trailed 5-4 heading to the ninth inning. Eagle first baseman Brayton Coomer drew a one-out walk to set the table. Correa took a pitch for ball one, then drilled a towering drive over the fence in deep left center field to give MSU the lead.
Correa's heroics in the ninth was his second round-tripper of the day. In the second inning, after Coomer smacked a one-out double to right-center, Correa drilled a liner over the fence in right to put the Eagles ahead 4-0. He finished the day with three hits in four at-bats with four RBI and scored two runs.
Devin Costa (2-1) picked up the win out of the bullpen. He got the last out of the seventh inning and closed out the final two frames. He allowed two hits and hit two batters while recording one strikeout.
Cole Wells spelled starter Connor Davis, getting the Eagles the final out of a big third inning for SEMO and pitched three no-hit innings. He hit two SEMO batters and recorded one strikeout.
The Eagles jumped out early with two runs in the first inning. Center fielder Kyle Krupp led off with a walk and advanced to third on designated hitter Aubrey Kearns' single to left. With second baseman Nick Griffith up, Kearns advanced to second on a wild pitch. Griffith hit a hot shot up the middle and was put out as Krupp scored. Kearns then scored from second base on a wild pitch to round out the scoring
Southeast Missouri (25-11, 8-4 OVC) showed off its power in the bottom of the third with two home runs, including a Grand Slam by Redhawk right fielder Ryan Lopetegui to put SEMO ahead 5-4 and chase Eagle starter Connor Davis.
The Eagles, trailing 5-4, threatened a big inning in the seventh. Coomer led off with a single through the right side, Correa singled into left field. Third baseman legged out an infield single on a bunt to load the bases with no outs. MSU failed to cash in; a strike out and a double play turned back the rally.
SEMO reliever Jackson Kranawetter (1-1) took the loss, getting two outs in the ninth for the Redhawks.