After dropping Saturday's opener, the Morehead State baseball team returned to their winning ways on Sunday with two wins in two seven-inning games over Presbyterian. The Eagles (14-16, 4-2 OVC) came into Sunday in danger of snapping a streak of eight straight home series wins but emerged from the doubleheader victorious with their ninth straight series win at Allen Field.
GAME ONE
Morehead State jumped on top early in the first contest Sunday, as Alex Jacobs said good morning to the Blue Hose with an RBI single in the first, scoring Ryley Preece from second.
In the third, Jackson Feltner doubled home Ryley Preece before scoring on another Alex Jacobs single. Nick Gooden singled (one of three hits in game one for him) and advanced Jacobs to third before Colton Becker beat out a bunt to score Jacobs from third to give MSU a 4-0 lead.
Presbyterian cut the lead to one in the fourth plating three runs on two hits against Alex Kafka, who worked three perfect innings before the fourth. Kafka finished with four strikeouts and no walks, giving up three runs (two earned) on two hits and left in line for the win.
Two scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth passed, as John Sherman, Jarrett Miller, and John Bakke (W, 2-1) combined to keep the Blue Hose off the board, before Jack Gorman hit a two-run blast off of Bakke to give Presbyterian the lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. Jackson Feltner led off the bottom half with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Logan Castleman. Feltner then scored on a beautiful bunt single from Nick Gooden that barely stayed fair to tie the game at five heading into extras.
John Bakke returned to form in the eighth and ninth to keep Presbyterian off the scoreboard. The Eagles' closer may have blown the save but finished with eight strikeouts in 3.2 innings and got the win, his second of the season.
In the bottom of the ninth, Morehead State loaded the bases for pinch hitter Ashton Roy, who played hero with a drive into the gap for a walk-off single to give the Eagles the victory, tying the series at a game apiece.
Despite the close score, Morehead State outhit Presbyterian 16-6. Luke Matthews took the loss.
GAME TWO
Contrary to the first game of the twin-bill, the second game was a one-sided affair that Morehead State took 18-3. Just like game one; however, an RBI single from Alex Jacobs that scored Ryley Preece plated the first run of game two. Four more runs crossed after Jacobs' RBI single, including one on a single by Brody Shoupe.
Presbyterian cut into that lead in the fourth, plating a run on a single from Eric Toth and another on a Brody Fahr groundout. None of those runs counted as earned against starter Grant Herron (W, 2-2) who pitched four innings, giving up no earned runs on three hits, striking out one Blue Hose batter along the way.
The Eagles blew the game open in the fifth, plating eight runs on six hits to take a 13-2 lead. Isaias Guzman (one), Ashton Roy (one), Jackson Feltner (two), Logan Castleman (one), Alex Jacobs (two), and Nick Gooden (one) all drove in runs in the inning.
In the sixth, Morehead State kept their foot on the gas pedal, plating five more runs to put the game way out of reach. Ryley Preece drove in a run on a bases loaded single before Logan Goodnight drilled the first pitch he saw out of the ballpark for a pinch-hit grand slam. That home run was the first on the season for Goodnight and the second pinch-hit grand slam of the season for the Eagles. Presbyterian scored a run in the seventh on a solo home run from Joel Draygoo, but it was too little too late as Morehead State took the series.
Alex Jacobs extended his on base streak to 28 games and his hit streak to 20 games Sunday and finished a home run short of the cycle in the second game. Jacobs hit .636 in the series with seven RBI.
Jackson Feltner starred this weekend as well, batting .583 versus the Blue Hose. Feltner finished 5-7 on Sunday, including a four-hit performance in game one Sunday.
Morehead State's next action comes at Allen Field vs. Northern Kentucky. The Eagles defeated NKU 4-2 in their matchup in Highland Heights earlier this season and will look for the season sweep of their in-state foe with the first pitch of Tuesday's contest scheduled for 5 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with live stats available as well.
By Hunter Hurst, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations