Eagle Offense Pounds Out 22 Hits as MSU Clinches Series with 13-4 Win Over UT Martin

Morehead, Ky. -- The Morehead State baseball team pounded out 22 hits and took game two of its series with UT Martin 13-4 Friday night at Allen Field at Prefontaine Park.
 
Morehead State (14-16, 3-5 OVC) was led at the plate by Davis Germann, Kyle Krupp and Ian McCubbin. German rapped out three hits in five at-bats with a double and three runs batted in. Krupp also was three of five at the plate with three RBI. McCubbin hit two home runs in four at-bats also driving in three runs.
 
Eagle starter Kamden Hawks (2-3) earned the win. He threw five innings, allowed six hits and four runs, all earned. He walked one Skyhawk batter and struck out four. Reliever Alex Miller (1) picked up the save, throwing four shutout innings. He allowed two hits and one walk while notching four strikeouts.
 
Skyhawk starter Cason Sharp (1-3) took the loss. He threw three innings, allowing 11 hits and five runs (all earned) and two walks. UT Martin (15-15, 3-5 OVC) scored on the first pitch of the game when right fielder TJ Grines cleared the screen in right field with his fourth home run of the season and led 1-0 going to the bottom of the opening frame.
 
Morehead State drew even when Eagle leadoff batter center fielder Krupp drove an 0-1 pitch over the screen down the right field line ruled fair by the first base umpire. Skyhawk head coach Ryan Jenkins challenged the call of a fair ball, and the umpires went to video review.
 
After review, the umpires announced a fair ball and a home run for Krupp. Jenkins argued the ruling and was ejected. He was further assessed a two-game suspension by the umpires for prolonged arguing after being ejected.
 
Morehead State added two runs in the bottom of the second with a two-out rally. Shortstop Jaden Correa singled through the left side and advanced on third baseman Griffin Olson's walk. Correa scored on Krupp's single to right center, and Olson plated a run on German's lined single to right to put MSU ahead 3-1.
 
The Eagles scored two more in the third: McCubbin drove a towering home run over the screen in deep left center to lead off the inning. Caden Sheridan followed with a sharp single up the middle and scored on Correa's double deep to the gap in left-center. UT Martin got out of further damage turning a double play to end the inning.
 
The Skyhawks got a run in the fourth on designated hitter Colten Payton's leadoff home run over the scoreboard in left. UTM added two more in the fifth on a two-out, two-RBI double by second baseman Andrew Davis to trim the MSU lead to 5-4.
 
The Eagles bounced back in the bottom of the fifth. Alex Kean lined a one-out single to right. Correa bunted down the third-base line for a single. Krupp pushed Kean across the plate with a double off the screen in right. Germann drove in Krupp and Correa with another double off the screen in right to extend the MSU lead to 8-4.
 
MSU added another run in the sixth: second baseman Nick Griffith drilled a two-out single to right and advanced on a throwing error by the UTM pitcher attempting to pick him off. He scored when Kean singled sharply up the middle to push the lead to 9-4.
 
The Eagles added three more in the seventh: Olson led off with a double high off the screen in deep left-center. He scored on Kearns' singled to left. McCubbin capped off the inning with a home run to straightaway center field.
 
Morehead State capped the scoring with a run in the eighth. Griffith led off and reached on a hit by pitch. He stole second and stole third. After Correa walked, Olson drove a single off the wall in right center for the final margin.
 
The teams will wrap up the series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. ET. The game will be aired on ESPN+. The broadcast will start at 2:00 p.m.
 
NOTABLE

• MSU's 22 hit total is the second-most this season. The Eagles rapped out 23 against SIUE on March 22.
• Alex Kean extended his reached-base streak to 19 games.
• Davis Germann has gone 8-10 at the plate in the first two games of the series, with a home run, a double, five RBI and four runs scored.
• Ian McCubbin has gone 5-10 with three home runs, seven RBI and three runs scored.
• Jaden Correa and Alex Kean both notched three hits in the game.
• Kamden Hawks one walk issued is his season-low. He threw 68 total pitches; 43 were strikes.