BOX SCORE
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State baseball continued its streak of scoring double-digit runs against SIU Edwardsville Friday, and the Eagles needed them all to take game one of the OVC series 13-10 at Allen Field.
MSU (11-10/3-1 OVC) ran its winning streak over the Cougars (11-11/5-5 OVC) to 12 games overall, scoring double-digit runs against SIUE now in 11 consecutive matchups, and to 10 times in a row in games at Allen Field.
Freshman shortstop
Colton Becker had a career day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored and two doubles. Senior catcher
Jack Gardner belted his team-leading fifth home run and had three RBI, while freshman center-fielder
Ryley Preece equaled Gardner with three runs knocked in.
The Eagles outlasted the Cougars in the slugfest where SIUE slammed six home runs but its pitching staff issued 13 walks, hit three batters and launched four wild pitches.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After spotting SIUE a 2-0 lead, the Eagles knotted it 2-2 in the third. Junior third baseman
Stephen Hill lifted a sac fly, and Gardner drew a bases loaded walk.
- Hill recorded his second sac fly of the game in the fourth to make it 3-2, and then Gardner hit a mammoth shot to left field for a three-run homer to make it 6-2.Â
- With the score 6-3, Becker singled home a run, and Preece singled home two more in the fifth as MSU built a 9-3 lead.
- A pair of two-run long balls in the sixth and two solo shots in the seventh ended up tying the game 9-9 for SIUE.
- MSU regained the lead for good in the seventh as freshman first baseman
Jackson Feltner was plunked by a pitch with the bases loaded.
- The Eagles tacked on the final three runs in the eighth as senior second baseman
Bryce Hensor notched an RBI single, and Preece belted an RBI single to center that also scored two when the ball was misplayed.
NOTABLE
- Morehead State finished with 11 hits as Preece and Becker were the lone multi-hit guys, but six others had a hit.
- Feltner ran his team-best reached-base streak to 11 games.
- Senior lefty
Cory Conway allowed two runs but was the beneficiary of the late offense as he improved to 4-1. Junior lefty
John Bakke got the final four outs to pick up his second save.
- Starter
Jason Goe tallied six strikeouts before leaving in the sixth frame.
- The 13 walks coaxed by Eagle hitters was a season high.
- Preece also collected his first two career stolen bases.
- Alex Kukik pitched 1.2 innings and only allowed one run, but it was the go-ahead tally as he fell to 0-1.
UP NEXT
Morehead State and SIUE are set to conclude the series on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at Noon ET on ESPN3.
