BOX SCORE
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Despite the Eagle pitchers holding the host Southern Illinois Salukis scoreless for eight innings Sunday, the offense also went stagnant for a similar period as Morehead State baseball fell 5-4 in 11 innings to close its three-game set.
The Eagles dropped the series 2-1 and slipped to 17-7 overall. SIU moved to 13-9.
The hosts pushed ahead 4-0 after two frames, but Morehead State scored a three-spot in the third frame and tied it 4-4 in the fourth. From there, MSU pitchers
Will Lozinak,
Alex Garbrick and
David Looney combined to put zeros on the scoreboard for the next eight innings.
However, in the bottom of the 11th, SIU's Grey Epps drew a full-count walk. On the ensuing batter, Aiden McMahan grounded into what looked like could be a double play ball to short. But, a slight stumble caused
Reid Leonard to have to throw to first for just the trailing runner out. On a 2-1 pitch from reliever
Jake Ziegelmeyer (2-1), J.T Weber singled up the middle to score Epps with the winning tally.
"It was a tough loss, we just went toe to toe with a good Missouri Valley Conference team on the road and could've won all three games," said head coach
Mike McGuire. "Except for the first three innings on Friday and the first two innings today we outplayed them. Unfortunately the slow starts to both of those games cost us the series."
Looney pitched 3.1 innings of no-hit ball, striking out two. Lozinak went 6.2 innings, just one out short of his career high for innings, and gave up four runs but as previously mentioned all four were in the first two innings.
MSU totaled 10 hits through the first four innings, but ran into reliever Sam Grace, who worked six full innings and allowed just one hit.
Senior first baseman
Trevor Snyder and sophomore third baseman
Stephen Hill registered RBI singles in the third inning, while senior DH
Hunter Fain plated the final Eagle run with a sac fly in the fourth. Fain's 25-game reached-base streak was halted today.
The Eagles continue action on Tuesday at Kentucky. Game time is 6:30 p.m. ET.
