Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
UT Martin
'Breds Sweep Tennessee-Martin On Senior Day
5/6/2006 5:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sophomore pitcher Michal Perconte had a hand in both Murray State wins today, as the Thoroughbreds swept visiting Tennessee-Martin 6-4 in the first game and 7-2 in the second game of the Ohio Valley Conference double-header.
In the first game, Perconte came on in relief to pick up his fourth save of the season, then pitched a four-hit complete game in the second game to earn the win.
In the first game, Murray State (15-33, 8-12 OVC) jumped on the Skyhawks with three runs in the first inning. Chaz Ebert led off with a single, then went to second on a sacrifice bunt. Ebert scored on a fielder's error, allowing Tyler Pittman to go to second, then Jason Payton singled him to third. Brett Wilson was hit by a pitch to load the bases, then Tyler Owen singled in Pittman for the second run of the inning. James Akin singled in Payton, and Wilson was called out at the plate, but not before MSU took a 3-0 lead.
In the sixth inning, Wilson led off with a single, then went to third on a single by Akin. Wilson scored on a sacrifice by Justin Yount to give the 'Breds a 4-0 lead.
The Skyhawks (18-29, 7-13 OVC) plated a run in the top of the eighth inning, but Murray State responded quickly. Owen led off the eighth with a single, then went to second on a groundout. Mullins singled to left, scoring Owen, then went to second when the throw from the outfield missed its target. Mullins scored on a double by Ebert to give the 'Breds a 6-1 lead.
In the ninth, Tennessee-Martin made things interesting, taking advantage of a Murray State miscue to score three unearned runs, but Perconte came in and, despite walking three batters, got the save, preserving the 6-4 win.
Ebert went 3-for-5 in the game, while Owen and Akin each had two hits. For Tennessee-Martin, Zach Dean, Brett Spivy and Chris Rezabek each had two hits, while Chad Green drove in two runs. Ebert's double was the only extra-base hit of the game.
In the field, first baseman Wilson had seven putouts, while shortstop Yount had three assists. For UTM, first baseman Jason Hockaday had 15 putouts, while shortstop Lance Renton had eight assists.
On the mound, Kalen Gibson (4-6, 4-2 OVC) got the win, allowing four runs (one earned) on nine hits, striking out four and walking one in eight-plus innings. Perconte allowed no hits, striking out one and walking three in the ninth inning.
For the Skyhawks, Adam Ledlow (2-8, 1-4 OVC) took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits, striking out three and walking one in 5-2/3 innings. Eric Walker finished the game, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits, walking one in 2-1/3 innings.
In the second game, it was Tennessee-Martin who scored first, plating two runs in the top of the third inning, but MSU responded with two of their own runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Mullins led off with a single, but was erased when Ebert hit into a fielder's choice. Austin Swain drew a walk, moving Ebert to second, then Pittman singled to score Ebert and move Swain to second. Payton reached when the Skyhawks attempted a double play, then threw the ball away, allowing Swain to score and knot the game at 2-2.
Murray State took the lead for good in the fourth inning when Akin popped a one-out triple, then scored on a single by Yount to give the 'Breds a 3-2 lead.
MSU put the game away in the sixth inning when Akin hit a one-out single, then went to second on a single by Yount. Ebert then singled up the middle, scoring Akin, and Yount and Evert each advanced a base on the throw home. Lincoln Kent then doubled in Yount and Ebert, then scored himself on a single by Pittman to close the scoring at 7-2.
Perconte (4-4, 2-3 OVC) went the distance, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out two and walking none in seven innings.
Jacob Smothers (3-7, 1-3 OVC) took the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits, striking out one and walking three in 5-1/3 innings. Micky Dobson closed out the game, allowing two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Pittman went 4-for-4 to lead all hitters, driving in two runs. Akin went 2-for-2 with two runs, while Yount and Mullins each went 2-for-3. Ebert scored two runs, and Kent had two RBIs. For Tennessee-Martin, four Skyhawks each had one hit, while Renton had two RBIs.
In the field, first baseman Wilson had a game-high nine putouts, while second baseman Akin had a co-game-high three assists. For UTM, first baseman Hockaday had five putouts, while second baseman Green had three assists.
"Our guys battled, and we got some big hits," said MSU head coach Rob McDonald. "We had several clutch hits, guys getting on base in clutch situations, and I was proud of the way our guys played."
With the double-header sweep, Murray State moves up to eighth place, just one game behind sixth-place Tennessee Tech, which was swept today by Jacksonville State. The top six teams qualify for the O'Reilly OVC Championship Tournament at the end of the season.
Murray State plays its final home game of the season tomorrow (Sunday) at 1 p.m. against Tennessee-Martin at MSU's Reagan Field.
