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The 2013 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship shifts to Friday with three games, including two elimination contests.
The first game of the day saw No. 6 seed Southeast Missouri eliminate No. 3 seed Belmont. The Redhawks were then eliminated by No. 5 seed Eastern Kentucky in the second game of the day. In the nightcap Austin Peay knocked off No. 1 Tennessee Tech.
This season marks the 35th time the event has been held and the fourth year in a row it has been held at The Ballpark at Jackson (formerly Pringles Park) in Jackson, Tenn. The venue is home of the Jackson Generals, the AA-affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
The entire tournament is being streamed live and free of charge on the OVC Digital Network. The games are available in HD and available on any computer, tablet or smart phone.
Game 6: #6 Southeast Missouri 2, #3 Belmont 1
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Game 7: #5 Eastern Kentucky 12, #6 Southeast Missouri 9
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Game 8: #2 Austin Peay 6, #1 Tennessee Tech 2
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#6 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 2, #3 BELMONT 1
JACKSON, Tenn. - No. 6 seed Southeast Missouri scored an unearned run in the first inning and added an Andy Luck RBI-single in the sixth to top No. 3 seed Belmont 2-1 in Game 6 of the 2013 OVC Baseball Championship on Friday at The Ballpark at Jackson.
Belmont (38-20) was eliminated while Southeast Missouri (26-32) will advance to meet No. 5 seed Eastern Kentucky in an elimination game at 3 p.m. today.
The ninth inning featured some excitement as the Bruins put runners on second and third with one out and got a Jamie Ritchie sacrifice fly to trim the margin to one run. But Southeast Missouri closer Bobby Hurst got Scott Moses to line out to left field to end the game. The save was the seventh of the season for Hurst.
Southeast starter Alex Winkelman (4-4) gave a depleted Redhawk pitching staff a great effort, scattering three hits over 6.1 innings of work. He struck out four and walked two in throwing 101 pitches.
Josh Davis (3-3) took the loss for the Bruins, allowing four hits and two runs (one earned) in five innings of work. It marked the first start of the season for Davis, who served as the Bruins closer during the season.
Sophomore Jason Blum was hit by a pitch in the first inning, marking the 23rd time this season he has been hit, establishing a new OVC single-season record. Blum also had a hit and scored a run.
#5 EASTERN KENTUCKY 12, #6 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 9
JACKSON, Tenn. - No. 5 seed Eastern Kentucky jumped out to a 9-0 lead and held on to top No. 6 seed Southeast Missouri 12-9 in Game 7 of the 2013 OVC Baseball Championship at The Ballpark at Jackson.
Eastern Kentucky (22-33) will advance to play Tennessee Tech on Saturday at Noon. With the loss Southeast Missouri (26-33) was eliminated.
EKU scored twice in the first inning, four times in the second, twice more in the third and one more time in the fourth to grab the lead over a Redhawks team that was playing its second game of the day.
But Southeast Missouri battled back with three runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and scored four times in the eighth inning to get back into the game. The Redhawks put two on with one out in the ninth before Cody Creamer closed the door for EKU.
Both teams had 18 hits in the contest. Alex Hughes led EKU by going 4-for-5 while Luke Wurzelbacher drove in three runs. Jason Blum was 4-for-6 for Southeast with three runs scored.
Creamer pitched the final 1.2 innings and allowed just two hits to pick up his fourth save of the season. Starter Matt Lynch (2-5) picked up the win, going seven innings and allowed 12 hits and five runs.
Will Spitzfaden (5-5), starting his second game of the tournament, took the loss, allowing six runs in 1.1 innings.
#2 AUSTIN PEAY 6, #1 TENNESSEE TECH 2
JACKSON, Tenn. - In a matchup of 40-plus win teams, No. 2 seed Austin Peay got the best of No. 1 seed Tennessee Tech in Game 8 of the 2013 OVC Baseball Championship at The Ballpark at Jackson on Friday.
Austin Peay (44-13), ranked 26th in this week’s NCBWA Top 30, opened up a 6-0 lead on its way to the 6-2 victory.
The win was 14th in a row for Austin Peay and fifth-straight in OVC Tournament contests dating back to last year.
Tennessee Tech (40-16) falls into the loser’s bracket and will battle No. 5 seed Eastern Kentucky on Saturday for the chance to face Austin Peay in the Championship Round later on Saturday. The loss was just the fourth for Tech in its last 17 games.
Govs’ senior Casey Delgado (9-2) struck out six in 6.1 innings of work to pick up the victory. In the process he became the first pitcher in Austin Peay history to reach 100 strikeouts in a season. The 100 strikeouts are the most in the OVC this season.
APSU scored two runs in the first inning without a hit and added a third run a frame later. The Govs widened their advantage in the sixth inning when Jordan Hankins doubled in two runs and OVC Player of the Year Craig Massoni added an RBI-double.
The potent Golden Eagle offense finally scratched in the seventh inning, scoring runs on a Zach Zarzour single and an Austin Wulf groundout.
In a non-save situation OVC Pitcher of the Year Tyler Rogers pitched the final 1.1 innings, striking out two and not allowing a hit.