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MOREHEAD, Ky. – Senior catcher Chris Robinson was a career-best 5-for-5, including a two-run homer, and added four RBI to help propel the Morehead State baseball team to a 13-9 series-opening victory over SIU Edwardsville Friday at Allen Field.
MSU, which won its sixth straight league game, improved to 23-14 overall and 9-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Eagles have won 12 of their last 13 games. SIUE, which owns all its wins against OVC competition, fell to 12-18 overall and 12-7 in the league.
Robinson, who ranks second on the squad with 17 multi-hit efforts and was a triple shy of the cycle today, was one of four Eagles with two or more hits. He upped his batting average to a league-best .411. MSU finished with 16 hits, its 13
th game in the last 14 with double-digit hits. The Eagles lead the nation in batting average and on-base percentage.
"Our offense got going again today after a slower day at EKU Wednesday," Head Coach Mike McGuire said. "And I thought our pitching was pretty decent. We gave up a few too many runs early and late, but our offense was able to put us in a position where we didn't need to go back to the bullpen and we could save some arms for the rest of the series."
Senior leftfielder Nick Newell extended his hitting streak to 16 with a 3-for-5 outing. Newell drove in three runs, while senior rightfielder Brandon Rawe upped his hitting string to a team-best 18 with a 2-for-4 day. Rawe joined Robinson by scoring four times each. Sophomore centerfielder Ryan Kent also lengthened his hitting spree to 16 games with two in the game, and senior designated hitter Blaine Tanner was 2-for-2.
SIUE third baseman Skylar Geissinger, who produced eight RBI in the series with MSU last year, knocked in five. His first-inning, bases-clearing double lifted the visitors to a quick 3-0 advantage. First baseman Alec Saikal was 4-for-5, while second baseman Chase Green and catcher Parker Guinn had two hits as well. Guinn was one of three Cougars to belt a home run.
Sophomore pitcher Luke Humphreys allowed six runs and nine hits in six innings but was credited with the victory to improve to a team-best 5-1. Sophomore Cable Wright and junior Matt Anderson also saw action on the mound.
Ryan Daniels tossed the final four frames, giving up seven runs, to fall to 2-5.
The teams traded scoring opportunities through three stanzas, with the game knotted at 5-5. The Cougars pushed ahead 6-5 on Saikal's round-tripper in the fifth, but Robinson slugged his long ball in the bottom of that frame, and MSU never relinquished the lead. The Eagles sent 10 men to the plate in the seventh to score four times and added two in the eighth.
Due to the high threat of rain Sunday, the teams will wrap up the series with a doubleheader at Noon ET Saturday. Both games will be shown live for free on the OVC Digital Network.
