Life in the Valley

UE Bats Post 13 Runs in Win Over Austin Peay

When I saw Missouri State’s batting order for Tuesday’s home matchup against Southeast Missouri State, one thing stuck out. It was move of RF Caden Bogenpohl to the leadoff spot, giving the Bears a powerful stick right at the top of the order, with solid bats in Dylan Leach, Zack Stewart, and Taeg Gollert behind Bogenpohl.

Few managerial moves have ever paid off so quickly or so thunderously.

Bogenpohl blasted Ethan Osborne’s first pitch of the game out for a home run to tie the game at 1. After Leach was retired on a deep fly out, Stewart and Gollert went yard, as well, giving Missouri State (11-15) a 3-1 lead and a 3-homer inning. Four more runs scored in the 4th, including RBIs from Bogenpohl, Leach, and Stewart, as the Bears routed SEMO, 10-3.

Bogenpohl finished 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs. Stewart went 3-for-5 with a run and 3 RBIs. Leach had a hit, run, and RBI; and Gollert went 2-for-4 with his homer. The quartet produced 8 of Missouri State’s 12 hits, 5 of the Bears’ 10 runs, and 7 of their 9 RBIs. Bogenpohl’s homer was his 8th of the season, one behind Stewart for the team lead. Gollert’s HR was his 2nd. Bogenpohl, a 6′-6″ freshman from Jackson, Mo., is hitting .298 with 22 RBIs and a 1.051 OPS.

Four Missouri State pitchers combined to hold SEMO to 3 runs on 5 hits with 4 walks and 8 strikeouts. Hunter Day worked 3 scoreless innings to wrap it up, though he wasn’t credited with a save. Day walked 1 and struck out 2, and allowed just 1 hit.

Evansville 13, Austin Peay 6: UE erased a 3-1 deficit after 3 innings with 4 runs in the 4th and 3 more in the 5th en route to a 13-6 victory over the Governors in Evansville. Mark Shallenberger’s 3-run homer in the 4th tied the game at 4.Brent Widder scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to give UE (12-16) the lead for good. Shallenberger (.388-5-27; 1.219 OPS) finished 2-for-3 with 2 runs, 4 RBIs, and 2 walks. Harrison Taubert (.330-3-23) took over the leadoff spot for Evansville and scored 3 runs. Brendan Hord doubled, homered and scored 3 runs, as well. Nick Smith (2-4) got the win in relief as part of a 6-pitcher battalion for the Purple Aces.

Southern Indiana 10, Murray State 5: Evansville’s other D1 team captured a road win at Murray State on Tuesday, as Southern Indiana downed the Racers, 10-5. The loss was Murray State’s (18-10) 4th straight, and all have featured the opponent scoring at least 10 runs. Taylor Howell (.267-9-33; .624 slugging) homered in the loss for the Racers. Jonathan Hogart (.286-3-17) and Howell each had 2 hits, but the Racers were outhit 13-8 by the Screaming Eagles. USI (13-15) scored 3 runs in the 1st and 5 more in the 3rd to take an 8-3 lead and never looked back. The teams are scheduled to play again in Evansville on Wednesday.

Indiana 16, Indiana State 7: The Sycamores’ bid for a 3rd 7-game winning streak of the season was stopped with a thud as the Indiana Hoosiers scored 10 straight runs to close the game and beat Indiana State, 16-7. The Sycamores, which beat IU, 15-7, earlier this season in Terre Haute, fell in the return match in Bloomington as the Hoosiers (16-14) scored 10 runs over their final 3 turns at bat to break open a game that Indiana State at one point led, 6-0. Luis Hernandez (.372-8-33; 1.048 OPS) hit a 2-run homer in the 1st for Indiana State, while Parker Stinson (3-for-4; .299-8-26) drove in 4 runs early – 3 on a homer and 1 with a double. But Tyler Cerny’s (4-for-6, 4 R, 4 RBIs) grand slam keyed IU’s 6-run 4th that tied the game.

In the 6th, Mike Sears singled in a run to give Indiana State (21-6) a 7-6 lead, but it was all downhill from there for the Sycamores. Josh Pyne hit a 2-run homer to give IU an 8-7 lead in the home 6th, then 2 walks, a wild pitch, and a fielder’s choice brought in 4 more runs. Carter Mathison hit a solo homer in the 7th to make it 13-7 and the result was no longer in doubt.

Dominic Listi (.386-0-13; .545 OBP%) went 1-for-1 but scored 3 runs, reaching also on 2 walks and a hit by pitch.

Southern Illinois 8, Lindenwood 2: Hesston Gray hit 2 homers and drove in 5 runs as Southern Illinois downed visiting Lindenwood, 8-2. Gray hit a 3-run homer as part of SIU’s 5-run 1st inning. In the 5th, Gray blasted a 2-run homer to make it 8-1. Gray, a junior transfer from Jefferson College, tied his season highs for homers and RBIs. Gray is now hitting .364 for the season with 8 homers and 30 RBIs. Trey Cutchen led off the 1st with a home for the Salukis.

Alec Nigut started and pitched 5 innings to get the win, moving to 4-1 on the season. Nigut gave up 1 run (0 earned) on 5 hits with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts over 78 pitches (5.20 ppo). Four SIU relievers combined to allow 1 run on 2 hits with 2 walks and 9 strikeouts.

Today on Valley Diamonds: Somewhat quiet Wednesday as weather has messed with today’s scheduled. All times Eastern. …

Kansas State at Missouri State, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Belmont at Lipscomb, 5 p.m.
Murray State at Southern Indiana, 7 p.m., ESPN+

What I’m Watching: With the 2 ESPN+ Valley games later starts, there was only 1 game to choose from on ESPN+ early in the afternoon, and it’s Youngstown State at Akron. The Zips are 5-21 and have lost 7 straight. The Penguins are 3-23, losers of 6 straight. But you can throw the records out the window when these teams meet.