Life in the Valley

In what surely was the most painful loss for Purdue on Friday (this Purdue grad won’t be talking about basketball today and respects your privacy during this difficult time), the Evansville Purple Aces opened up a 3-game weekend home series with a 5-2 victory over the Boilermakers.

Chase Hug, who entered the day leading the Missouri Valley Conference in runs with 20,s cored 2 more in the win, going 2-for-3 with 3 walks, improving his on-base percentage, which was already a conference-leading .595 coming into the game. It’s now an amazing .638. Evansville starter Nick Smith went 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits with 7 strikeouts. Smith got the win while Nate Hardman got the save, closing out Purdue on just 12 pitches in the 9th inning.

Murray State’s Offense Breaks Out in Friday Victory

Murray State clobbered Southern Indiana, 15-1, to improve to 8-10 on the season. CF Seth Gardner scored 3 runs and drove in 4, including a 3-run homer as part of the Racers’ 5-run 2nd inning. USI’s lone run was a consolation run in the final frame of the 7-inning game. Riley Hawthorne (2-for-3, 3 runs) and Cade Sammons (2-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBIs) also homered for the Racers. Jacob Pennington pitched a 7-inning complete game, his 2nd CG of the season, giving up 1 run on 4 hits with 0 walks and 9 strikeouts. The 7th-inning run cost Pennington the chance to be the first Valley pitcher this season to throw a complete-game shutout.

Belmont Blanks Lindenwood

CF Jeff Clarke went 4-for-5 with a triple, homer, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs as Belmont shut out Lindenwood, 9-0. Andy Bean and Jake Timbes combined for the 5-hit shutout. Bean threw 7 innings of scoreless ball with 0 walks and 7 strikeouts. Mason Landers went 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBIs.

Illini Slip Past Southern Illinois

Branden Comia’s RBI single in the 8th inning pushed Illinois past Southern Illinois, 3-2, in a game played in Boonesville, Miss. Cole Christman homered and scored both SIU runs. SIU outhit Illinois, 8-5. Starter Ben Chapman pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on just 3 hits, with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts.

Michigan Doubles Up Bradley

Ryan Vogel, who entered the day as the Valley’s leading hitter at .438, had 2 more hits today, as did teammate Pete Hansen, but it wasn’t enough as the Wolverines downed the Braves, 8-4. Jacob Kisting pitched well in a starting role for Bradley, going 5 innings and allowing 1 runs on 5 hits with 3 walks and 6. strikeouts. Noah Edders (1-1) took the loss for the Braves (5-8).

Missouri State Falls at #10 East Carolina

Spencer Nivens had 2 hits, including a double, but his teammates only managed 2 other hits as 10th-ranked East Carolina blanked Missouri State, 3-0. Despite taking the loss, Bears starter Brandt Thompson went 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. ECU starter Trey Yesavage went 7 1/3 innings, allowing just 4 hits with 0 walks and 11 strikeouts.