Life in the Valley

While there’s arguments to be had both ways for college baseball adopting the ghost runner rule MLB uses in extra innings, sometimes baseball just has to play itself out to a winner because 2 teams are fighting their guts out.

Such was the case last night in Nashville, as #7 Vanderbilt (10-4) finally downed Evansville, 2-1, in 17 innings. The game finally ended when Vanderbilt 1B Parker Noland singled home RF R.J. Schreck with the winning run. It was the first run in the game since the 5th inning – when Vandy tied the game CF Enrique Bradfield, Jr.’s sac fly scored Jack Bulger.

Evansville (7-6), which saw its 7-game winning streak end, took the lead in the Brent Widder singled home Eric Roberts for the game’s first run. UE’s offense, which was averaging 11 runs per game in its last 5 prior to Wednesday night, struggled against Vandy’s perennially strong pitching staff, getting 6 hits and striking out 24 times.

But UE pitchers proved to be a match for mighty Vandy for just about all of the game’s 4 hour, 44 minute duration. The first 3 Evansville pitchers – starter Shane Harris, and relievers Michael Parks and John MacCauley – combined to throw 9 innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits with 0 walks and 6 strikeouts. Jakob Meyer pitched 3 innings of scoreless relief with 2 hits, followed by 1 1/3 IP from Max Hangman. Nate Hardman got the hard-luck loss, but pitched the final 3 1/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts – which came in the 17th after the Commodores had put 2 runners on with no outs. Overall, UE pitchers threw to a 1.08 ERA against a Vanderbilt team that sports an .803 team OPS and has hit 16 homers.

While the winning streak is over and Evansville’s pitching depth will now be tested this weekend when the Purple Aces visit Middle Tennessee (6-6, lost 4 straight) for 3 games, UE coach Wes Carroll and the team should be able to take a lot of confidence from their effort Wednesday. It’s rare anyone is going to hold Vanderbilt to 2 runs over what amounted to almost 2 full games. UE will lament not hitting better, but Vandy almost always has one of the best and deepest pitching staffs in the country, and probably the best the Purple Aces will face this regular season.

Roberts (2-for-5) and Widder (2-for-7) each had 2 hits for Evansville, Chase Hug and Danny Borgstrom had UE’s other knocks. Full credit to both teams for their defense – each team went through 17 innings without an error.

Belmont 4, Lipscomb 1

Down 1-0 after 6 innings, Belmont scored 4 runs in the 7th to topple nearby rival Lipscomb, 4-1. Belmont used 4 pitchers for 2 innings each before one of the great names in The Valley this season, Jett Thielke, came on to pitch the 9th and get his 1st save. Thielke threw a perfect inning and struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced.

Thielke, a junior from Suamico, Wisc., has fanned 11 batters in 10 innings of work so far in 2023, including a season high of 4 vs. Kansas on March 3. He’s 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 6 appearances, and opposing hitters are batting just .194 against him.

Belmont (6-8) hosts Western Illinois (1-11) this weekend for a 3-game series. WIU has lost 10 games in a row, including 3 to Texas Tech and one to Missouri. All 3 games are scheduled to be aired on ESPN+.

Indiana State 7, Southeast Missouri State 4

Indiana State swept its 2-game midweek series with SEMO, taking the Wednesday affair, 7-4. The Sycamores appeared in control for much of the game, taking a 3-1 lead into the 7th-inning Stretch, before SEMO erupted for 3 in the bottom of the 7th to take a 4-3 lead. ISU responded right away, however, when sophomore SS Randal Diaz provided the winning blast for the Sycamores with a 3-run homer.

It was Diaz’s first home run of the season and he now has 8 RBIs. Diaz has played in every game this season and has reached base in all but 2. He’s been hit by 3 pitches and walked 8 times to go along with his 10 hits. He’s also made just 1 error in 46 fielding chances.

Jared Spencer (1-1, 4.32) got the win for Indiana State, working the final 3 innings. He gave up 1 run on 2 hits with 3 walks, striking out 5. He’s struck out 12 in 8 1/3 innings this season.

Indiana State (4-8) will take its 2-game winning streak into weekend action at Memphis for 3 games. Friday’s season opener is scheduled for ESPN+.