Morehead, Ky. -- Morehead State rallied from behind twice and sent the game into extra innings but ultimately fell to Little Rock 10-7 in ten innings Sunday afternoon at Allen Field at Prefontaine Park.
Down 7-5 in the eighth inning, Morehead State (10-23/ 1-11 OVC) scored a run in the eighth on two hit batters, a wild pitch and a
Caden Sheridan sacrifice fly. In the ninth, still down a run, right fielder
Alex Kean drove a pitch over the screen in center field to tie the game 7-7.
Little Rock strung together four consecutive one-out singles in the top of the 10
th and plated three runs for the final margin.
Finding themselves behind 5-1 through the first three turns at-bat for Little Rock (14-19/ 5-6 OVC), the Eagles began to come back.
Griffin Olson hit a one-out blast that traveled 416 feet over the right field screen in the bottom of the third for his sixth home run of the season.
Morehead State got another run in the fourth with a lead-off solo homer by
Alex Kean, his eighth of the season to make the score 5-3.
The Eagles tied it up in the bottom of the sixth. First baseman
Kadin Ray drilled a one-double to put runners at second and third. After a walk to DH
Eli Kirkendoll loaded the bases, Olson was hit by a pitch to force home a run. Sheridan plated another run with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 5-5.
The Eagles got an outstanding effort by freshman pitcher
Landon Waugh out of the bullpen. After getting the final two outs of the third inning, Waugh threw three scoreless innings, scattering three hits.
Waugh was touched in the seventh inning by a home run to center field by Trojan outfielder Sammy Harris. He gave up another home run in the eighth inning, solo shot down the left field line. He got the first two outs in the top of the ninth striking out both batters.
Waugh threw 6.2 innings, allowing five hits and just the two solo home runs, while striking out seven Little Rock batters.
Little Rock reliever Brody Bunting (2-4) picked up the win. Josh Beezley (1) was credited with the save.
Will Grimmett (3-5) took the loss.
The Eagles will visit Austin Peay Tuesday, and return to OVC play Thursday for the beginning of a three-game series at UT Martin.
NOTABLE
- JJ Dutton extended his hit streak to 12 games and has hit safely in 18 of the last 19 games.
- In the last 10 games, Dutton has hit .350 with five doubles, a triple and four runs batted in.
- Hunter Thomas collected two hits, his 14th game with multiple hits. He leads MSU hitting .319 on the season.
- Davis Germann banged out two hits, extending his hitting streak to six games. He has posted 10 multiple hit games.
- In Landon Waugh's last three appearances, he's combined for 6.1 innings, allowing six hits, two runs, two walks and has struck out nine.
- Alex Kean finished the day with three hits in four at-bats, including his two home runs. In the last 10 games, he has hit .289 with four home runs, two doubles, a triple and has driven in nine runs.
