MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Morehead State baseball team rallied late in game one of Sunday's doubleheader vs. SIUE, but late inning magic was not enough as they fell to the Cougars 11-8, losing the series.
SIUE jumped on top in the second inning thanks to a two-run homer from Brady Bunten, who finished the day 4-4. Four more runs crossed in the fourth inning to give the Cougars a 6-0 lead.
The Eagles fought back in the bottom half, as
Jackson Feltner (2-4, HR) launched his 14
th home run of the season to centerfield to make the score 6-1.
Roman Kuntz then doubled and scored on an error that cut the deficit to four.
A three-run homer in the top of the fifth put the Eagles behind even further, as Richie Well put SIUE on top 9-2.
Chase Vinson homered in the bottom half to put the deficit at six again.
Three scoreless innings passed before
Roman Kuntz hit a solo home run to centerfield to make the score 9-4. Two runs crossed for SIUE in the bottom half as MSU trailed by seven heading into the final half inning.
Chase Vinson (2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI) led off the inning by turning on the first pitch and blasting his second home run of the day. Vinson's home run total is now 10, making him the third Eagle to reach double-digit homers this year.
Ryley Preece and
Jackson Feltner both reached, bringing
Roman Kuntz (3-5, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI) to the plate, where he went deep for the second time to cut the deficit to three.
Alex Jacobs then beat out an infield single to extend his reached base streak to 46 games, and
Nick Gooden followed with a single to bring the tying run to the plate with one out, but the Eagles couldn't cash in.
Joe Rotkis shined in relief for the Eagles in relief. After allowing a three-run homer, Rotkis settled in and threw three innings to keep the Eagles in the game heading into the eighth.
Trevor Callahan came in and struck out Brett Johnson, the only batter he faced.
The Eagles will try to salvage the series in the finale, a seven-inning affair.
