Life in the Valley

Illinois State, Missouri State Fall in Wednesday Action

Things didn’t start well for Murray State Wednesday.

Before the Racers even came to the plate against the visiting Skyhawks of Tennessee-Martin, Murray State was down 5-0, thanks in part to a 2-run by Blaze Bell and a 2-run homer off the bat of Mac Sanford (2-for-3, 2 R, 3 RBIs).

Unfortunately for the Skyhawks, the rules of baseball require both teams to bat in the 1st inning, and by the time the hosts were done taking their turn, UT-Martin’s lead was reduced to 5-4. Riley Hawthorne and Taylor Howell hit 2-run homers in the inning.

Neither team was done, however, with UT-Martin adding a run in the 2nd, before Murray scored 4 more. One run scored on a Drew Vogel ground out, another on Hawthorne’s sac fly. A bases-loaded walk to Dan Tauken made it 7-6 before Howell’s single scored Jonathan Hogart to give Murray State an 8-6 lead. Vogel and Hawthorne each ended up driving in 3 runs, while Howell went 4-for-4 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs.

UT-Martin (18-27, 10-8 OVC) couldn’t keep up its end of the scoring bargain, and Murray State pulled away in the middle innings, with Vogel’s solo homer, and RBI singles by Hogart and Howell expanding the margin to 13-6 after 5. Vogel and Dvid Stokely each drew bases-loaded walks in the 7th, then Parker Estes walked it off with an RBI single that scored John Orberson with the run that gave the Racers a 10-run lead after 7 innings and a run-rule win.

Three Murray State (28-17, 9-9 MVC) relievers – Bryce Valero, Cade Brown, and Joe Peca combined to throw 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits with 2 walks and 11 strikeouts. UT-Martin used 9 pitchers, walked 14 batters with only 4 strikeouts, hit 3 others, and combined to throw 212 pitches in 6 1/3 innings (11.16 pitches per out, since I know you were wondering).

Murray State is at Missouri State in MVC action this weekend, starting Friday.

#2 Arkansas 8, Missouri State 5: Ben Bybee started and threw 4 scoreless innings and 2nd-ranked Arkansas (39-7, 16-5 SEC) broke open a 1-1 game in the middle innings with 2 runs in both the 5th and 6th innings en route to an 8-5 win over Missouri State Wednesday. Nick Rodriguez and Logan Chambers homered for the Bears (18-26, 7-11 MVC), who scored 3 runs in the 9th to get within 3, including Rodriguez’s solo homer, and Tyler Epstein’s RBI double. Epstein later scored on a wild pitch to close the scoring. Arkansas 2B and leadoff man Peyton Stovall went 5-for-5, all singles, scored a run, and drove in a run.

Western Illinois 11, Illinois State 1: The Leathernecks scored one of their best victories of the season in an 11-1 win over Illinois State Wednesday. Western Illinois (11-30, 6-12 OVC) , who also has a win over Cincinnati out of the Big 12 this season, won by run-rule after scoring 3 in the top of the 7th to grab a 10-run lead in Normal. Leadoff man Adam Juran went 4-for-5 with 2 runs, 2 RBIs, and 3 doubles, while Cesar Franco and J.R. Heavilin each drove in 2 runs. Max Slavens went 2-for-3 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs. Luke Lawrence had 2 hits for Illinois State (21-22, 9-9). Tyrelle Chadwick started on 2 days rest after a 3-inning outing vs. Indiana State on Sunday, and went 1 inning, picking up the loss. The Redbirds host Southern Illinois this weekend in conference play.

Today on Valley Diamonds: All is quiet.

If You’re Still Starved for College Baseball: ESPN has #3 Tennessee at Florida tonight at 6 p.m. Central. … BYU heads East to take on the Miami Hurricanes at 6 p.m. on ACC Network+. … Night owls can catch San Francisco at Portland on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. … If you prefer classic college baseball on a Thursday, here’s Arkansas at Oklahoma State from 1988.