Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
19-26, 11-13
Southeast Missouri
31-16, 21-6
Breds Use Big Inning in Victory Over SEMO
5/4/2014 5:14:00 PM | Baseball
Murray State scored eight runs in the fourth inning and held off a Southeast Missouri State rally to defeat the OVC-leading Redhawks, 11-6, in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Capaha Field.
The Breds (19-26, 11-13 OVC) wasted little time in getting on the board as Anthony Bayus hit an opposite-field home in the first inning. It marked the second-straight game he has homered.
The game turned in the fourth inning when the first nine Breds hitters of the inning reached. Kollin Dowdy ripped a double into the left-field corner to get things going. Two batters later, Michael Hargrove doubled off the top of wall in right center to score Dowdy. With the bases loaded, Derek Yoder and Matthew Johnson were hit by pitches to drive in runs. Taylor Mathews then ripped an 0-2 pitch into the left-field corner for a bases-clearing double. Ty Stetson drove in the seventh run with a single to right center and Tyler Lawrence closed out the scoring with a single through the left side, his second hit of the inning.
The Redhawks (31-16, 21-6 OVC) would begin their comeback in the fourth by pushing across a pair of runs. They would three more runs in the sixth to pull within 9-5.
SEMO tried to continue their rally in the seventh off reliever Tyler Saltsman. They got a pair of two-out hits to put runners on second and third. Saltsman did not back down, striking out the league's third-leading hitter on a backdoor slider.
The Breds used the momentum in the eighth as Lawrence ripped a two-out, two-run triple to right center. Stetson doubles to right center with one out, and Bayus followed with a walk.
Saltsman found himself in trouble again in the eighth by walking the first two hitters. He induced a one-hopper back to the mound, and started the unorthodox 1-5-3 double play. Saltsman ended his second-straight inning with a strikeout looking.
SEMO would add a run in the ninth on a bunt base hit with two outs, but a lazy fly ball to right ended the game.
Sheldon Baxter (2-5) started and earned the victory, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits and three strikeouts over five innings. Saltsman earned the first save of the season by allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits and two strikeouts over four innings.
The Breds offense pounded out 13 hits for the second-straight game. Lawrence led the attack by going 3-for-5 with a triple and three RBIs. Mathews added two hits and drove in three runs.
Stetson finished 2-for-6 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored. He now has 229 career hits, passing Tyler Pittman (228) for second on the all-time hits list at MSU. He now only trails Wes Cunningham and his 237 career hits.
The Breds will take the week off for finals before opening their final homestand at Reagan Field against Belmont on May 9. The weekend series is set to get underway at 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Baxter, Sheldon (2-6)
L: LENABURG, Ryan (3-3)
S: Saltsman, Tyler (1)
Batting:
2B: Stetson, Ty 1 ; Dowdy, Kollin 1 ; Hargrove, Michael 1 ; Johnson, Matthew 1 ; Mathews, Taylor 1
3B: Lawrence, Tyler 1
HR: Bayus, Anthony 1
RBI: Stetson, Ty 1 ; Bayus, Anthony 1 ; Lawrence, Tyler 3 ; Hargrove, Michael 1 ; Yoder, Derek 1 ; Johnson, Matthew 1 ; Mathews, Taylor 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Stetson, Ty 2 ; Bayus, Anthony 2 ; Dowdy, Kollin 1 ; Lawrence, Tyler 1 ; Hargrove, Michael 1 ; McGowan, Matt 1 ; Yoder, Derek 1 ; Johnson, Matthew 1 ; Mathews, Taylor 1
HBP: Yoder, Derek 1 ; Johnson, Matthew 1
Batting:
2B: TELLOR, Matt 2
RBI: TELLOR, Matt 1 ; GIBSON, Derek 1 ; LENNINGTON, Andy 1 ; HEWITT, Dalton 1 ; FERGUSON, Cole 2
SF: HEWITT, Dalton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BIESER, Cole 2 ; TELLOR, Matt 2 ; GIBSON, Derek 1 ; LENNINGTON, Andy 1
CS: BLUM, Jason 1
