Tiernan and Cunningham Provide Extra-Inning Power

Thursday, May 27

Jackson, Tenn.

1 p.m.

Murray State

Southeast Missouri

5/27/2010 11:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Murray State senior Kyle Tiernan broke a tie ball game in the top of the 10th inning with a solo home run, and fellow senior Wes Cunningham came up four batters later and hit a mammoth home run to right field as Murray State kept their season alive with a 13-9 extra-inning victory over Southeast Missouri Thursday afternoon at Pringles Park.

The 10th-inning rally started with one out as Tiernan hit a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right field and served as the game-winning RBI. The home run was his third of the season and second game-winning extra-inning homer against SEMO this season. It also marked the first home run of the tournament.

“I can tell you right now that I wasn't trying to hit a home run,” said Tiernan. “It kind of benefited me seeing a lefty all day long because I got a breaking ball in my previous at-bat and was able to single up the middle. The pitch I hit out was a curveball that he hung and I just put a good swing on it and that was the end result.”

Elliot Frey followed by bunting for a base hit and Zach Noonan hit a sharp single up the middle to put runners on the corners. With two outs, Cunningham saw a fastball he liked on a 1-0 pitch and everybody in the stadium turned and watched as the ball landed on top of hill beyond the right-field wall.

The long ball for Cunningham raised his season-RBI total to 81 and his career total to 164, becoming the school's all-time leader in RBIs.

The Breds (26-27-1) came out swinging in the second game as the first six hitters reached before the first batter was retired. Noonan started the rally with a single into the hole at short and Brandon Elliott followed with a bunt single to first base. Cunningham took the first pitch he saw off the top off the wall in right field for an RBI double, and Bryan Propst doubled off the top of the wall in left field to score two runs. Daniel Hill singled through the left side and Jason Laws plated a run with a base hit to left field. Tiernan put down a bunt single down the third base line that loaded the bases, but the pitcher's throw to first skipped away from the first baseman allowing another run to score. Frey plated the final run with a fielder's choice to second base.

The Redhawks (30-25) got on the board in the second as a walk, hit batter and a base hit loaded the bases with no outs. Jesse Tierney drove in a run with a single to center and Kenton Parmley scored another with a fielder's choice to third.

SEMO added another run in the third as Jim Klocke singled to left and went to third on Casey Jones' double into the corner in right field. The damaged was minimized as the only run to score came on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Tim Rupp.

The Redhawks continued to get closer in the fourth as Michael Adamson singled to second with a runner on second and when the ball was bobbled by the second baseman, the runner rounded third and scored. After a walk moved the runner to second, Jones singled through the right side to score the fifth run of the game for SEMO.

MSU pushed two more runs on the board in the fifth as Cunningham walked and stole second before scoring on Propst's double to right field. Laws later plated Propst with a double to left field.

SEMO tied the game in the fifth as they took advantage of the third Breds error of the game. After the leadoff hitter walked, the next ball was grounded to third, but was bobbled and the throw to second was late. Louie Haseltine drove in a run with a single through the left side, before Adamson drove in two runs with a single up the middle.

The Redhawks gained their first lead in the sixth as Jones singled to center field, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a flyout to center, before scoring on a Blake Slattery single through the right side.

The Breds tied the game in the eighth as Tiernan singled to center and Frey walked with one out. With two outs, Elliott doubled into the left-field corner to score Tiernan before Frey was thrown out at the plate trying to score.

Alex Love (7-1) earned the victory as he allowed one run on two hits over the final five innings. Adamson (1-3) took the loss after he gave up three runs on five hits over two innings.

Propst led the Breds for the second-straight game as he went 4-for-5 with three doubles and three RBIs. Tiernan and Elliott each added three hits, while Cunningham drove in four runs and scored three more.

The Breds return to action tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. against an opponent to be determined following the final game of the day Thursday.