The Morehead State baseball team pounded a season-best 23 hits and scored in every inning in a 23-9 win over Youngstown State in a game that was suspended Tuesday night due to heavy rain and completed Wednesday at Allen Field.
The Eagles, who moved to 3-1 at home, upped their overall 2017 mark to 8-5. The game was suspended in the top of the second Tuesday with the Eagles ahead 3-2. MSU had multiple-run outbursts in the first (3), fourth (4), fifth (5), sixth (2), seventh (7) and eighth frames (2) as the Penguins (1-9) used eight different pitchers.
"I like the way we swung the bats, and we have to continue that," said head coach Mike McGuire. "It was also good to get some of our main guys some rest after we got a nice lead and get other guys opportunities today."
Senior rightfielder Will Schneider, who now has eight multi-hit games, was 4-for-6 with five runs scored and had two doubles and three RBI. The Springfield, Ill., native has nine hits in the last two games and is now hitting .481 overall. Sophomore leftfielder Niko Hulsizer also collected four hits and crossed the plate five times, while sophomore catcher Hunter Fain tallied three hits in four trips to the batter's box.
"We've moved our lineup around a bit in the last couple of games, but I like what we have accomplished offensively in the last three or four games also," McGuire added.
Sophomore shortstop Reid Leonard, junior infielder Chase Teter and junior second baseman Braxton Morris each notched two hits with Morris collecting three RBI. Leonard led off the first inning Tuesday night with his first career home run.
Sophomore infielder Jake Hammon highlighted the seven-run seventh frame with his first career grand slam.
Junior righthander Kyle Cantu, the second of five Eagle pitchers to appear, tossed three frames and allowed just three hits and one run to be credited with his first career Division I victory. Penguin starter Ryan Smith, who only threw the first inning Tuesday night, fell to 0-1.
YSU centerfielder Lorenzo Arcuri lifted three home runs over the high wall in right field.
Morehead State opens Ohio Valley Conference play with Southeast Missouri at home this weekend. The series has been moved up to begin with a single game at 4 p.m. ET Thursday.
"Southeast Missouri and us seem to always have very close games, and I don't expect anything different this week. They have a couple of a very good arms who will definitely be a challenge for us, but I like that we are playing at home and I think it should be an exciting series."
GAME NOTES
* Will Schneider extended his hitting streak to a team-best 10 games.
* Reid Leonard moved his hitting streak to seven games.
* Schneider has now reached base in 18 straight games since the end of the 2016 season.
* Hunter Fain has now reached base safely in 20 consecutive games since the end of 2016.
* Braxton Morris has an 11-game reached-base streak.
* Schneider is hitting .632 in the four home games, while Morris is hitting .600 at home.
* The 23 hits were the most since a 23-hit game against UT Martin on April 17, 2016.
