Life in the Valley

Bradley leaves Edwardsville with a Tie

There were 7 Valley games on Tuesday night, thanks to the postponement of Evansville’s matchup at Purdue until today, and off days for Indiana State and UIC. However, there were only 6 winners on the night, as Bradly’s game at SIU-Edwardsville ended in a tie.

The Braves (10-27-1, 4-11) and Cougars (16-24-1, 8-7 OVC) were level at 3 in the 8th inning when the game was stopped due to a weather delay. When it wasn’t resumed, the score stood. Bradley had led, 3-0, heading into the 7th-inning stretch, but SIU-E scored 3 in the bottom of the 7th to tie things up. Bradley had a chance in the 8th, putting 2 runners on with 1 out, and loading the bases with 2 outs. But Ryan Taylor’s strikeout ended the threat.

SIU-E went quietly in the 8th. Ryan Vogel singled to open the Bradley 9th, but the Braves couldn’t bring him around. The game was halted prior to the bottom of the 9th and never resumed. Vogel , Jackson Chatterton, and Beau Durbin had 2 hits each for Bradley. Nick Edders and Jack Stellano each pitched 3 scoreless innings and struck out 2.

Elsewhere in the Valley Tuesday:

Murray State 12, Bellarmine 9: Not affording many slip ups on the run in to the postseason, Murray State got a needed victory Tuesday over Bellarmine. The game was raucous over the first 4 innings, with the Racers holding an 8-6 lead. Jonathan Hogart, Parker Estes, and Drew Vogel all homered in the first 4 innings. Later, Dan Tauken’s 2-run shot made it 10-7 in the 7th. Dustin Mercer drove in Murray State’s (24-16, 7-8) sfinal run with a single in the 8th, scoring Preston Shelton. Estes went 3-for-3 with 2 runs and an RBI. Hogart continued his torrid recent stretch, going 3-for-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs. Vogel drove in 3. Hogart, a redshirt junior from Madisonville, Ky., and Louisiana Tech transfer, has had 6 straight multi-hit games, and is 16-for-24 (.667) in that span with 3 HRs, 9 RBIs, and 10 runs scored. Hogart now leads Murray in hitting at .331 and in doubles (12).

Northern Illinois 10, Valparaiso 9: The Beacons (12-26, 4-11) scored 8 runs combined in the 7th and 8th innings but couldn’t hold on to a late 9-7 lead, as NIU scored 2 runs in the 8th and then won the game in the bottom of the 9th on Cooper Cohn’s solo homer, 10-9. Brady Renfro (2) and Kyle Schmack (3) each had RBIs in both the 7th and 8th innings, as the Beacons erased deficits of 4-1 and 7-5. Kevin Denty and Connor Giusti each had 3 hits, while Renfro and Schmack each had 3 total RBIs. Schmack homered. Bryce Konitzer started and pitched 3 scoreless innings with 0 walks and 4 strikeouts but got a no-decision.

Northwestern 7, Illinois State 6 (10): Trent Liolios’ sac fly in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Bennett Markinson with the winning run as Northwestern walked-off Illinois State, 7-6 in 10 innings in Chicago. The Redbirds (20-18, 8-7) and tied the game in the top of the 9th inning when Shaydon Kubo singled home Luke Stulga to even matters at 6-6. Kubo also drove in a run with a ground out in the 5th. Shai Robinson homered and scored twice for the Redbirds. Eric Kubiatowicz worked 2 scoreless, hitless innings of relief to keep Illinois State in the game late, walking 1 and striking out 4.

Southern Indiana 4, Belmont 3 (11): If you’re sensing a theme that a lot of close games didn’t go the Valley’s way last night, you’re right. Belmont was on the wrong end of a 1-run decision, falling at Southern Indiana, 4-3, in Evansville. This game was decided in the bottom of the 11th when, with the bases loaded, Caleb Niehaus was hit by a pitch, forcing in Thomas Emerich with the winning run. After starter Caleb Guisewite left in the 1st inning with 0 outs recorded, the Belmont bullpen pitched 10 straight scoreless innings, before the winning run scored with Zach Hernandez on the mound, though the run and loss were charged to Jalen Borders. Sam Slaughter homered for Belmont (20-21, 7-8).

Southeast Missouri State 8, Southern Illinois 5: SEMO broke open a 3-3 tie in the 7th inning, scoring 4 times, then held off an SIU rally in the 8th to claim an 8-5 victory in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Ian Riley’s solo homer gave the Redhawks a 4-3 lead in the 7th, then RBI singles by Ben Palmer and Bryce Cannon, as a run on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Ty Stauss conspired to make it 7-3 SMO. SIU got RBI singles from Nathan Bandy and Bennett Eltoft in the 8th to cut the lead to 7-5, but left a runner at 2nd. Cole Christman doubled and eventually reached 3rd in the 9th, but the Salukis (24-17, 8-7) couldn’t get him home. Christman and Jake Allgeyer had 2 hits each for Southern Illinois.

Missouri 10, Missouri State 6: Missouri State (17-22, 6-9) was the only team in the Valley on Tuesday to take on a Power Conference opponent, battling in-state rival Mizzou out of the SEC. For the second time in a week, the Tigers got the better of the Bears by a 4-run margin, this time winning 10-6 in Columbia after a 6-2 victory in Springfield last Tuesday. After Missouri State scored twice in the 6th to cut the Missouri lead to 3-2, including an RBI double for reigning MVC Player of the Week Cody Kelly, the Tigers responded with 6 runs in the bottom of the 6th to go up 9-2 and put the game out of reach. Mateo Serna’s grand slam was the big blow of the inning. Serna had 5 RBIs on the night. Kelly’s homer was the long deep ball for the Bears, though he, Nick Rodriguez, Zack Stewart, and Tyler Epstein all had 2 hits each. Logan Chambers stole 2 bases. Jake Syverson took the loss on a night where the Bears used 8 pitchers.

Today on Valley Diamonds: Two games are scheduled, weather permitting, featuring the aforementioned matchup with Evansville going to Purdue, while UIC hosts Northern Illinois. The Purple Aces have won 8 straight and 12 of 13, and have beaten Big 10 foes Indiana and Michigan State so far this season. The Boilermakers are having a fine season also, however, with an overall record of 25-15, 8-4 in the Big 10, good enough to tie Nebraska for 3rd in the conference behind co-leaders Illinois and Michigan. UIC enters its lone midweek game 24-12 overall and 9-6 in the Valley, in sole possession of 3rd place. The Flames are hitting .309 as a team and featured 5 regulars hitting at least .308. Kendal Ewell (.375-12-44, 1.199 OPS) has a 4-hit game and two 5-hit games in his last 7 games, and is 19-for-30 (.633) in that span, with 7 homers and 19 RBIs. He is coming off back-to-back 4-RBI games vs. Murray State last weekend. NIU is 13-26, 7-11 in the Mid-American Conference, which has them 8th.

Evansville at Purdue, 5 p.m. Central, B1G+
Northern Illinois at UIC, 6 p.m., ESPN+

If You’re Still Starved for More College Baseball: If you follow me on Twitter, I suggested Clemson at Georgia while it was in the 11th inning, tied at 3. If you took the advice then, you saw it go all the way to 15 (the teams played a 20-inning game a few years ago), before Georgia won it 4-3 on a wild pitch. Tonight’s slate is somewhat light, but #16 Arizona visits New Mexico State at 7 p.m. Central on ESPN+.