Baseball Eagles Win 16th Straight Home Game, Topping SIUE 16-4

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MOREHEAD, Ky. – The number 16 was the lucky one for Morehead State baseball Friday. The Eagles scored 16 runs for the second straight game, leading to their 16^th consecutive home win at Allen Field, which also in turn clinched the 16^th straight home series as Morehead State topped SIU Edwardsville 16-4.
 
Morehead State, which led 10-0 after three innings, clubbed five home runs and four additional extra-base hits in improving to 24-11 overall and 10-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference. After dropping the home opener to Bowling Green, the Eagles have not lost at Allen Field, and they have not lost a home series since March of 2015 after claiming the opener 16-3 Thursday.
 
"We talked about the importance of a fast start, and we did that again today," said head coach Mike McGuire. "We had a good approach at the plate, and I also thought (starter) Dalton Stambaugh was very good. That was his longest outing."
 
Stambaugh tossed seven complete innings, a career-best, and surrendered four runs while striking out four to improve to 2-1. His previous longest stint in a start was just 5.2 innings. Senior righty Luke Humphreys recorded the final six outs with just one hit allowed and four punchouts.
 
At the plate, the Eagles smacked 22 hits, including a pair of home runs by sophomore outfielder Niko Hulsizer. The Mohnton, Pa., native nailed two-run homers in the second and third innings, giving him a team-best 15 round-trippers and moving his team-high reached-base streak to 19 games.
 
Senior outfielder Will Schneider, who had four hits, also sent a solo shot over the wall in the second inning when the Eagles plated five runs. Junior second baseman Braxton Morris joined the home run party with a solo clout in the second, and junior third baseman Eli Boggess drilled a two-run bomb during a five-run sixth inning. Morris now has a 13-game reached-base streak.
 
Hulsizer (3-for-6), Schneider (4-for-5), Morris (3-for-5) and Boggess (4-for-6) teamed up for 14 of the 22 hits and 12 of the 15 RBI.
 
SIUE got two home runs by catcher Brock Weimer, plus a solo homer and RBI double by Keaton Wright. Starter Brock Fulkerson was touched up for 11 hits and 10 total runs in just 2.1 innings to fall to 2-4.
 
Morehead State will attempt its fourth series sweep at home when the teams wrap up the weekend Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.