Ohio Valley Conference

The Colonels (3-3) took a 10-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth, but watched as PC (2-8) scored five unanswered runs over the next three innings to cut the lead to two. However, with the score at 10-8, a man on first and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Greg Terry got Carl Della Torre to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. Junior Ryne Purcell then came on to earn his second save of the season by retiring Alex Loftin for the final out.

Junior Stephen Hefler (1-0) started for EKU and picked up his first career win, going five strong innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits.

Steven Richardson received the loss for PC, pitching four innings and surrendering nine runs on 10 hits.

In his first career start, freshman Matt Phipps batted 3-for-4 with two RBI and a solo home run. Juniors Jayson Langfels and Richie Allen and sophomore Richie Rodriguez all compiled two hits on the day while senior Anthony Ottrando drove in a team-high three runs.

Aaron Preston entered the game as reserve in the first inning and led the Blue Hose offensively, going 2-for-3 with a two-run home run.

EKU took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second as sophomore A.J. Jamison started a rally with a single through the left side that scored fellow sophomore Michael Garcia. Freshman Kyle England and Phipps - both making their first career starts - then hit consecutive singles, Phipps' scoring Jamison and advancing England to third. When Phipps stole second, England scored on the throw to make it 3-0.

The Colonels added to their lead in the third as Langfels laced a single to start the inning and then came home on a single through the right side by Allen. Jamison then drove in his second run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center that plated Garcia and made the score 5-0.

After the Blue Hose got two back in their half of the third with a two-run shot by Preston, EKU added four more in the fourth - three off a bomb to left-center by Ottrando - and then another in the fifth courtesy of a solo shot by Phipps, his first home run as Colonel.

PC closed the gap in the sixth and seventh innings with a sacrifice fly by Loftin and solo home run by Nate Horton that cut the Colonels' advantage to five, 10-5.

The Blue Hose threatened in the bottom of the eighth as they used three consecutive singles to load the bases with two outs; however, junior Macon Smith got Mack Hite to fly out to center to end the inning and preserve the Colonels' five-run lead.

MSU (5-8) jumped out to an 11-2 lead after three innings in game one behind a solo home run from J.D. Ashbrook and a couple of two-run doubles from Drew Lee and Lucas Bainer.

Buffalo (2-4) used a five-run fifth and a two-run seventh to cut the lead to 11-9 at the seventh inning stretch. Daniel Pugh knocked a single into right field, driving in Bainer to push the MSU lead back to three.

Buffalo then used a seven-run eighth and a 10-run ninth to put the game out of reach.
Pugh went 4-5 in the game with three RBIs. Lee drove in four runs on 2-5 at the plate and Ashbrook hit 3-3 and drew a couple of walks to lead MSU.

The Eagles got early runs again in the nightcap and held a 13-1 lead after three innings. Cameron Flynn drove in four runs to the lead the Eagles in the early innings.

That was all starter Quentin Morgan needed as the senior righty went the distance in the seven inning nightcap. Morgan allowed just three runs on six hits in the outing while striking out eight.

Lee capped the explosive offensive day with a towering two-run home run to right field.

Flynn finished the game two 3-5 with four RBIs, while Michael Bottoms went 4-5 and drove in two. Taylor Davis also totaled three RBIs in the game.

Freshman Hunter Rivers (2-0) allowed just one hit in one inning of relief to earn his second win of the season. Alex Jones pitched a scoreless final 2 1/3 innings to earn his first save of the year. Nick Montgomery (3-1) gave up four runs and had two walks in one inning to suffer his first loss of the season for the Blue Raiders.

MTSU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run by Will Skinner, but the Gamecocks tied the game in the third inning on a RBI single by Bert Smith.

Jax State took its first lead of the game in the fifth inning on a RBI single by Leach to give JSU a 2-1 edge.

The Blue Raiders plated three runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by a solo home run by Bryce Brentz, as MTSU took a 4-2 lead.

The Gamecocks took the lead for good in the home half of the sixth inning after scoring five runs. Andrew Edge had a two-RBI single, while Blake Seguin followed with a double down the left field line to score Edge, and Todd Cunningham hit a two-run home run to centerfield as Jax State took a 7-4 lead.

MTSU cut the lead to 7-5 in the seventh after Brentz scored on a passed ball, but Sam Eberle slugged a solo home run to lead off the home half of the seventh for the final margin.

Cunningham, Edge, Seguin and Bert Smith each added two hits as the Gamecocks' finished with 13 in the game.

Brentz finished with three hits, while Skinner added to hits to lead the Blue Raiders.

The Golden Eagles responded to Bradley's five-run first inning to eventually tie the game at 10, but Bradley's Brian Martin hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to clinch BU's 12-10 victory.

Tech freshman Zephan Guyear went 3-for-4 from the plate, while A.J. Kirby-Jones and Ben Burgess each had two hits and three RBIs.

Matthew Shepherd, Nick Price and Ryan Hopkins all came out of the bullpen for the Golden Eagles, and combined to allow just three hits over the final six innings of the game.

The Golden Eagles fall to 4-4 on the season, while Bradley improves to 1-3.

The Braves rallied for five hits in the first inning, and with the help of a Tech error scored five runs. But the Golden Eagles responded with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Tech led off the inning with a walk to Chad Oberacker, and after a Bradley error the Golden Eagles had runners on the corners. A walk to A.J. Kirby-Jones loaded the bases and Ben Burgess cashed in with a two-run double. Devin Rivers and Casanova Donaldson would each drive in another run for Tech as the Golden Eagles made the score 5-4 heading into the second inning.

Both teams added two runs in the second inning, and Bradley added two more in the third to take a 9-6 lead heading into the fourth. A solo home run from Kirby-Jones sparked a two-run Golden Eagle rally in the fourth inning that made the score 10-8.

Trailing 10-8 the Golden Eagles rallied in the seventh inning with three consecutive singles from Chad Hayes, Zephan Guyear, and Oberacker, as the Golden Eagles would score two runs and tie the game at 10.

But Martin's two-run home run would prove to be too much for Tech to handle as Bradley held on for the 12-10 win.

In game one the Skyhawks used a three-run sixth inning and a masterpiece on the mound from senior right-handed pitcher Coty Green to beat the host Sycamores 4-3.

Green pitched eight innings and scattered seven hits. He gave up one earned run and struck out six. Junior Wes Alsup pitched the ninth inning and claimed his fifth save of the season.

Trey Karlen, Ty Nelson and Wes Patterson led the Skyhawks at the plate. The trio combined for seven hits and all four RBI.

The Skyhawks opened the sixth inning with back-to-back singles by Karlen and Cody Terry. Nelson doubled down the left field line to plate Karlen. Patterson's one-out single to center field scored Terry and Nelson. The Skyhawks led 4-1 after six innings. Indiana State scored one run in the fourth inning, another run in the sixth and the final run in the bottom of the ninth off Alsup.

In game two, Wes Patterson hit two home runs and drove in three RBI, but it wasn't enough for the Skyhawks to sweep the doubleheader against Indiana State.

Ty Nelson, in the lineup as the designated hitter for the first time this season, opened the second inning with a triple, while Patterson followed with his first home run of the game to give the Skyhawks a 2-0 lead.

Indiana State tied the game with a run in the bottom of the second and one more in the bottom of the third inning. The Skyhawks answered right back with one run in the top of the fourth and another in the top of the fifth inning. Patterson gave the Skyhawks the advantage with a solo home run in the fourth inning.

Junior college transfer Cory Stooksbury broke out of his hitting slump with RBI single up the middle in the fifth inning. The Sycamores tied the game at 4-4 with a run in the sixth and another in the seventh. Stooksbury finished the game with three hits.

Indiana State claimed the win in the bottom half of the 13th inning with two hits and an error.

Freshman Dan Tobik suffered the loss on the mound. Tobik pitched 3.2 innings and gave up one earned run. He scattered three hits, while walking four and striking out five hitters in the game.

The Panthers (1-7) scored four times in the fourth and sixth innings to overcome a 5-2 deficit.

Daniel Rowe, who started in right field instead of second base, delivered a three-run double in the fourth inning and scored four times. Derbak went deep with the bases loaded in the sixth and tied his career high with five RBIs.

Eastern starter Mike Recchia struck out seven but was unable to record the final out in the fifth inning that would have put him in line for the victory. But Hoekstra backed him up, giving up only three hits and a walk in his longest outing of the season. With runners on the corners and EIU leading 7-6 in the fifth, Hoekstra brought the inning to an end by getting the first batter he faced to ground into a fielder's choice.

The Panthers played their best game of the season defensively and were not charged with an error for the first time this year.

Eastern drew eight walks and seven of those baserunners ended up scoring. Six different Panthers had two hits on the day and EIU finished with a season-high 13.

Cam Strang, Gerik Wallsten and Nick Priessman were all aboard when Rowe came through with an opposite-field double down the left field line, tying the game at 4-4. He scored the go-ahead run on a two-out single from Zach Borenstein.

Rowe later walked to lead off the sixth. After a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Dineen, Borenstein walked and Ben Thoma singled to load the bases for Derbak. The senior went deep to right, hitting his first home run of the season and ninth career. It was the first grand slam by a Panther since Jordan Kreke in the 2009 home finale.

Derbak also picked up an RBI with a two-out single in the first inning, plating Rowe. In the third inning, Dineen walked and scored on a two-out double from Thoma.

Eastern tacked on a two-out insurance run in the seventh. Rowe walked, followed by singles from Dineen and Borenstein.

Five of the eight hits Recchia gave up went for extra bases. He struck two hitters in three of the first four innings, including four consecutive batters at one juncture. UAB scored three times in the first inning and single runs in the second, third and fifth.

Oscar Garcia started the inning with a base on balls and went to second on a wild pitch.  A flyout to center moved the runner to third, before Lyles singled through the left side to score the game-winning run.

The Breds (4-5) got on the board in the second inning as Jason Laws drew a leadoff walk and went to third on Colton Moore's single just inside the bag at third.  Jonathan Craycraft plated Laws with a sacrifice fly to center field.

The Demons (8-2) answered back in the home-half of the inning as they loaded the bases with no outs on a walk, single and fielder's choice.  Aaron Munoz drove in a run with a fielder's choice to third and the second run scored on Garcia's single up the middle that bounced off the glove of the pitcher.

MSU tied the game in the third as Elliot Frey started the inning with a solo home run down the left-field line.

The Breds had a chance to gain the lead in the fifth as Wes Cunningham ripped a one-out triple into the right-field corner.  An infield single put runners on the corners, put a popout and a strikeout ended the threat and the inning.

Andrew Adams (1-0) picked up the victory after throwing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts.  Marc Harmon (1-2) took the loss in relief after giving up one run four hits over four innings.  Chad Sheppard pitched a perfect ninth to earn his third save.

Austin Peay improves to 7-3 overall, while Dayton fell to 4-7.

It marked the second straight day for a Govs hitter to reach the five RBI mark, as the Govs scored eight runs on 10 hits against the Flyers. Six of those runs came on three-straight two-run innings to start the game, in part due to a watchful eye from the Austin Peay bench.

Lucas jumped on it early often, going 3-for-4 at the plate, including a first-pitch two-run home run in the first inning. In the second inning, the senior catcher did with two outs, ripping a two-RBI single up the middle to score sophomore Michael Blanchard and junior Haskell Fink - who both reached on walks.

Freshman Reed Harper got in on the action later with a two-RBI double - on a two-strike count - with the bases loaded in the third inning. It was Harper's only hit of the night.

After being staked with a six-run lead, Austin Peay senior starter Ricky Marshall cruised through the first four innings, scattering three singles and a pair of walks. The right-hander allowed a two-out home run to Zach Jacob in the fifth, followed by a Cole Tyrell RBI-double, but came out stronger to start the sixth.

The Govs rallied around their starter, posting two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Jared DeLong scored on an RBI-double by Lucas and a Flyer error allowed Lucas to score with two outs.

Freshman Eric Davis came on for Marshall, with two outs, in the seventh. The right-hander loaded the bases before recording a strikeout to end the inning. Sophomore sidearmer Chuck Edlin pitched a scoreless eighth and senior Zach Gerler put on two runners in the ninth, but got a strikeout to end the game.

Dayton starter Mike Hauschild (0-1) was chased after three innings and took the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits. Dan Welch and Joe Gayda each had two hits for the Flyers.

Marshall earned the win to improve to 3-0, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out six. The Govs bullpen allowed only two hits and two walks in the final 2.1 innings.

DeLong and freshman John Hogan each had two hits for the Govs, as well.

Southeast threatened to tie or take the lead in the final inning after putting two runners on base. The runners were at the corners after junior Louie Haseltine doubled and junior Blake Slattery hit an infield single to short with two outs. The Redhawks needed one final push to send Haseltine home, but didn't come up with it as junior Tim Rupp grounded out to end the game.

Junior Jordan Underwood (0-2) picked up his second loss of the season after throwing four strikeouts in four innings, while allowing three runs and four walks. Chris Stratton (2-1) earned the win for the Bulldogs, pitching 7 1/3 innings, striking out nine, and allowing one earned run.

The game started with a pitchers' duel between Underwood and Stratton. Going into the third inning, both teams only had one hit apiece.

The bulldogs got on board in the third and fourth though with three runs. Jaron Shepherd brought in his fourth and fifth RBI of the season with a two run single in the third, while Luke Adkins brought in one of his own in the fourth.

Junior Jon Dicus took the mound in the fifth inning and walked his first two batters faced. He pitched out of the jam though without allowing any runs to cross the plate. He also recorded three assists in the field, including a double play in the sixth. Dicus finished with three K's, three walks, and only two hits in four innings of relief.

The Redhawks were held scoreless for seven full innings before junior Michael Adamson came up big with a clutch two RBI double into right center field to cut the lead down to one. The hit was Adamson's second of the day, the only Redhawk with more than one hit in the game.

The Redhawks are now on a four-game losing streak, in which they have outhit their opponent in each game.

SIUE, 2-7, left the tying run on third base when the finale ended.

Trailing 6-4 going into the top of the seventh, Adam Eggemeyer pulled the Cougars within one with a leadoff, line-drive home run over the right field wall. The homer was his third of the year. Two batters later Mitch Matecki drilled a one-out triple to the wall in right-center. Matecki was stranded on third after consecutive groundouts ended the game.

Eggemeyer finished the second game 2 for 4 with the homer, a double and a pair of RBIs.  Matecki was 1-4.

The Cougars struck first in game two on a leadoff home run by Dustin Brooks in the top of the second inning. Zach Hawkins followed with a single and scored later in the inning on an error to put the Cougars up 2-0 after an inning and a half. Milwaukee, 3-5, answered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning.

The Panthers added three more in the third and another in the fourth to take a6-2 lead. All six runs came against Cougar starter Kyle Dodson, 0-1. Dodson gave up the runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings.  Freshman Tony Schaeffer came on with two on and two outs in the fifth and induced an inning-ending groundout. Schaeffer finished the game, retiring all four hitters he faced.

Eggemeyer and Matecki each picked up RBIs in a two-run fifth inning that got the Cougars within two of the Panthers at 6-4. Eggemeyer's double scored Thad Hawkins who led off the inning with a hit. Matecki grounded out driving in Travis Becherer.

Thad Hawkins finished the finale 3-3 with the run scored.

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Panthers scored five times in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back, routing the Cougars 20-2.

Mitchell Fairley, 0-1, suffered the loss for SIUE. Fairley allowed 12 runs, 10 earned, in 3.1 innings pitched.  He struck out three and walked four.

The Cougars managed just four hits off of five Milwaukee pitchers. Brett Lancaster was 2 for 3 in the game with a run scored.  Michael Hopkins and Matt Highland each had a single hit for SIUE. Matecki had the only RBI, driving in Joel Greatting with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Milwaukee hit five home runs in the game. Ben Long hit three homers for the Panthers, all solo shots.