Morehead, Ky. -- Morehead State pounded out 10 hits for the third game in a row, and hung on to edge Western Illinois 3-1 in the series finale in Alfred D. Boyer Stadium in Macomb, Ill.
Morehead State (13-37/ 3-21 OVC) reliever
Hunter Porter threw 4.1 shutout innings out of the bullpen, scattering three hits and allowing four walks in getting the win. He also struck out six.
Freshman
Landon Waugh (1) picked up the save. He came in with no out and runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth. He got a ground ball double play to third base and a strikeout to preserve the victory and his first career save.
The Eagles got ahead early.
Caden Sheridan led off the game with a drive down the left field line, initially ruled a double but later changed to an error.
Hunter Thomas slapped a single to left to put runners on the corners.
Andy Cisneros scored Sheridan with an RBI sacrifice bunt to give MSU the early 1-0 lead.
MSU tacked on another run in the third. Sheridan led off, reaching on an infield error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Thomas reached on an infield single, putting runners on the corners. Cisneros plated Sheridan with a sacrifice fly to center field to put the Eagles ahead 2-0.
Western Illinois (17-29/ 9-15 OVC) got on the board in the fourth inning. After a one-out walk, WIU third baseman Kyree Alexander doubled to right center, putting runners at second and third. After a walk to load the bases, first baseman Liam Bushey singled to left, scoring one run; MSU left fielder
Davis Germann cut down Alexander trying to score. Porter came in out of the bullpen to relieve MSU starter
Trevor Callahan and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases but got a strikeout to end the threat. Callahan threw 3.2 innings, allowing one earned run on six hits and three walks. He struck out three Leatherneck batters.
The Eagles got the run back in the sixth. First baseman
Eli Kirkendoll led off with a double down the left field line. DH
AJ Hacker moved him to third base with a sacrifice bunt. He scored when
Caden Sheridan reached on a two-out infield error to put the Eagles up 3-1.
Porter wriggled out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth inning. Alexander led off with a single to right center, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Thomas. Porter got back-to-back strikeouts, then hit a batter and walked another to load the bases. He then induced a ground out to stem the WIU rally.
The Eagles threatened in the eighth. Hacker walked to lead off the inning. After two outs, Thomas walked to put runners on first and second. Cisneros singled up the middle and Hacker was thrown out at the plate to end the innings.
MSU again threatened in the ninth inning.
JJ Dutton led off with a single, and
Alex Kean doubled with one out to put runners on second and third.
Eli Kirkendoll was intentionally walked to load the bases. A ground ball to force Dutton at the plate and a pop out ended the rally.
Morehead State will wrap up the season this week with a three-game series against Tennessee Tech at Allen Field at Prefontaine Park. The series will run Thursday-Saturday. First pitch Thursday is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. ET. All three games of the series are scheduled to be streamed on ESPN+.
NOTABLE
- Morehead State had their leadoff batters reach base in every inning except for the fifth inning. Caden Sheridan led off and scored in the first and third innings. Eli Kirkendoll led off and scored in the sixth.
- The teams combined for 27 runners left on base. In the three-game series they left 57 runners stranded.
- The Eagles out-hit the Leathernecks 30-19 in the series.
- JJ Dutton extended his reached-base streak to 29 games and recorded his 17th multi-hit game. In the last 10 games he hit .326 (14-43) with two doubles, a triple and two runs batted in.
- Alex Kean extended his hit streak to 12 games. In the last 10 games, he hit .390 (16-41) with a home run, five doubles, and five runs batted in.
