Saturday, February 27
SIUE 6, UALR 5
UALR 13, SIUE 6
LITTLE ROCK - The UALR baseball team (4-1) suffered its first loss of the 2010 season in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader with SIU Edwardsville (1-3), but rebounded with a 13-6 victory in game two at Gary Hogan Field.
SIUE's Adam Eggemeyer hit a game-winning two-run homer in the top of the ninth to lead the Cougars to a 6-5 victory in game one. The Trojans trailed 6-2 after 3 ½ innings in the second game, but rallied behind a stellar relief outing from junior Travis Henke, who closed out the game with 5.0 scoreless frames to pick up his first win of the year.
The two teams return to action Sunday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field with a doubleheader starting at noon. A live audio/video broadcast of both games will be available at www.UALRTrojans.com for all Trojan Tracker subscribers.
SIUE 6, UALR 5 (Game 1)
Down 4-2 after seven innings, the Trojans rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 5-2 lead after senior Tyson Parks got things going with a leadoff double. UALR's edge was short-lived however, as Eggemeyer hit a two-run homer off senior JR Boling (0-1) in the top of the ninth to go back on top, 6-5.
Junior Jason Houston gave the Trojans a chance when he opened the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff single, but Dustin Quattrocchi retired the next three batters he faced to preserve the win. Quattrocchi (1-0) worked the final 1.2 innings in relief, allowing just one hit to pick up his first win of the year.
Starter Adam Champion went 6.0 innings for the Trojans, racking up seven strikeouts against one walk in a no decision. Champion left the game with UALR trailing 4-2 after surrendering six hits, four of which were doubles, and four runs to the Cougars.
Eggemeyer was one of four Cougars with a multi-hit effort in the win, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI. Dustin Brooks, Mitch Matecki and Zach Hawkins added two hits apiece as the Cougars outhit UALR 10-to-8.
Junior Cody Gilles led the Trojans with two RBI in the loss compliments of a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the first.
UALR 13, SIUE 6 (Game 2)
UALR put up a five-spot in the bottom of the seventh to break open a 7-6 ballgame on its way to a 13-6 victory. The Trojans trailed 6-2 after 3 ½ innings before their bats finally came to life, scoring 10 runs over the next four innings.
UALR manufactured five runs in the seventh by batting around, and outhit the Cougars 16-to-10 in the win. Gilles and junior Brock Feldmann led the Trojans with three hits apiece, with Parks driving in a team-high three runs.
SIUE plated three runs in the third and fourth innings to jump out to a 6-2 lead off starter Daniel Golden. The Cougars banged out four hits in the third and capitalized on a Trojan error to plate three runs in the inning (two unearned), and hit back-to-back doubles in the fourth as part of a three-run frame.
Down 6-2, UALR cut its deficit to two by plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Henke (1-0) took the mound at the start of the fifth and closed out the game with 5.0 shutout frames, holding the Cougars to three hits and a walk.
UALR tacked on three more runs in the fifth to go on top for good, 7-6. The Trojans loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth as senior Tim Emmons drew a leadoff walk, and Feldmann and junior Tommie Johnson followed with back-to-back bunt singles. After a sacrifice fly by freshman Tyler Cameron made it a 6-5 contest, Parks delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle to give UALR a 7-6 lead.
SIUE retired the Trojans in order in the sixth, but the wheels fell off for the Cougars in the seventh as three free passes (two walks, one HBP) and three hits led to a five-run frame for the Trojans. Johnson came through with a RBI double in the inning, while Parks picked up his third RBI with a sacrifice fly to left.
The Trojans tacked on an insurance run in the eighth, compliments of a run-scoring single by Gilles, to go on top 13-6. Henke retired the Cougars in order in the eighth, and induced a 6-4-3 double play in the ninth to help finish off his first Division I victory.
SIUE reliever Josh Hoguet was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) over 2.1 innings of work.
Arkansas State 4, UW-Milwaukee 3 (10)
Arkansas State 11, UW-Milwaukee 4
JONESBORO, Ark. (2/27/10) - The Arkansas State Red Wolves (5-1) worked an extra inning to earn a 4-3 victory in game one of their double-header against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, then clinched the weekend series victory with an 11-4 win in game two Saturday afternoon at Tomlinson Stadium and Kell Field.
Saturday's two wins, paired with Friday night's 6-5 win in the series opener, gave the Red Wolves the series victory over the Panthers (0-3) in the four-game weekend matchup.
Just as they did in Friday night's series opener, the Red Wolves had to come from behind to earn the win in Saturday's game one. Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Red Wolves used an RBI single from pinch-hitter Josh DeMoney to tie the game at 3-3.
Following a scoreless ninth inning, the Red Wolves got a one-out single in the 10th from third baseman Jordan Castaldo, followed by a single from center fielder Michael Faulkner to put Castaldo in scoring position at second base. Senior Cody Pace came on as a pinch-runner for Castaldo and scored from second to give the Red Wolves the win when shortstop Jordan Kimball reached on a Panther error.
Junior Brad Allen picked up the win on the mound for the Red Wolves in the opener. Allen worked 4.1 innings in relief, surrendering just one hit and no runs while striking out two and walking three. Senior starter Ross Humes struck out five batters in 5.2 innings of action, giving up three runs, just one of which was earned. Humes gave up eight hits and walked two batters.
"The guys battled the whole game, and DeMoney had the clutch hit to tie it up," said ASU head coach Tommy Raffo. "Brad Allen did a tremendous job of keeping the game close, and we had the opportunity to get the win on a two-strike at-bat from Kimball."
Castaldo went 3-for-5 with an RBI, and left fielder Logan Uxa was 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead ASU at the plate in game one.
Arkansas State never trailed in game two, getting a solo home run in the opening inning from DeMoney and a pair of runs in the third to take a 3-0 lead. Milwaukee scored twice in the top of the fourth to cut the ASU lead to a single run at 3-2, but Arkansas State answered with a three-run home run from second baseman Giovanni Garcia in the bottom of the inning to stretch its lead to 6-2 and the Panthers did not threaten the rest of the afternoon.
RBI hits from Castaldo and catcher Kyle DeGrace bumped the ASU lead to 8-3 in the fifth. After UWM came home once in the top of the eighth, the Red Wolves completed the scoring in the bottom of the inning when right fielder Todd Baumgartner drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and first baseman Murray Watts delivered a two-run home run to set the final at 11-4.
Working on a pre-determined pitch-count, junior Andres Caceres picked up the win for Arkansas State in game two, striking out five while giving up two runs on five hits and two walks in four innings of work.
Watts went 3-for-5 with two runs driven in, Castaldo and Kimball each went 2-for-4 and Baumgartner was 1-for-2 with three RBIs to lead ASU at the plate in the nightcap.
"We wanted to get the second game going and under control, and Andres did a nice job of that," said Raffo. "You want to score first and get the momentum going, and we were able to do that with DeMoney's home run. Then Gio hit the big three-run homer and that propelled us a little bit. and we kept tacking on runs and kept them from getting in the game."
The Red Wolves and Panthers will wrap up the series Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Florida Atlantic 13, Boston College 2
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Florida Atlantic University baseball team scored seven runs in the second inning and five more runs in the fifth inning to record an impressive 13-2 victory over Boston College on Saturday afternoon in the Auburn Classic at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala.
The victory improved the Owls to 3-2 on the season. The team will close out play in the Auburn Classic against the host Tigers on Sunday at 4 p.m. Boston College drops to 2-3 on the spring season. FAU and Boston College will meet again next weekend in Boca Raton.
"I thought we played very well today and (pitcher) Mike Gipson gave us a good chance to win the game," said Head Coach John McCormack. "We got timely hitting and picked up a good victory over a good Boston College club."
Junior pitcher Mike Gipson tossed seven strong innings to move his record to 2-0 on the season. The right hander allowed two earned runs and six hits while striking out four batters.
Trailing 1-0 after the opening frame the Owls took the lead on a one-out double by junior Raymond Church to left field that scored junior Dan Scheffler and junior Nick DelGuidice. Church would later score on a base hit by freshman Chase Vergason. Junior Andy Mee broke the game open with a bases clearing double to right center field to give Florida Atlantic a 6-1 advantage.
The Owls added five more runs in the fifth inning. FAU received another hit that cleared the bases this time from senior Anthony Mesa.
Later, sophomore Joey Burkhalter laced a double down the right field line in the eighth inning that scored freshman Corey Keller from second base to cap the Owls scoring.
Scheffler paced the offensive attack going 1-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored and a run batted in. Church connected on two doubles and scored a pair of runs on the afternoon. Burkhalter added two hits to round out the multi-hit performances.
Seniors Ryan Bernal and Kenny Gray tossed a scoreless two innings of relief to seal the victory.
No. 30 Arkansas 10, Troy 8
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Despite hitting four home runs on the day, the Troy Trojans could never muster quite enough offense to keep pace with 16th-ranked Arkansas Saturday afternoon, dropping a 10-8 decision to the Razorbacks in the second game of a weekend series.
The Trojans will attempt to prevent an Arkansas sweep on Sunday when the teams meet for the final time at Baum Stadium at 1 p.m.
In front of the largest crowd (5,764) to ever witness a Troy baseball game, the Trojans out-hit and out-homered the Razorbacks, but were never able to completely overcome Arkansas' five-run third inning off freshman starting pitcher Shane McCain (1-1).
"We showed today that we will compete for nine innings, and that is what I was looking for," Troy coach Bobby Pierce said. "We got behind early, but we never stopped competing. We have a good club, and if we will compete like that all year we will be fine."
The Trojans (3-3) got on the board in the first inning for the second straight day, but missed out on a chance to score more than one run. Chad Watson and Adam Bryant opened the game with back-to-back singles and the Trojans loaded the bases when Ryan Ditthardt drew a one-out walk.
Chase Whitley followed with a fly ball into shallow right that was misplayed by Jarrod McKinney, allowing Watson to score, but Arkansas starter Drew Smyly struck out the next two Troy hitters to end the threat. Smyly, who lasted just four innings, struck out eight.
Arkansas (4-1) answered off McCain, getting a two-run, two-out single up the middle from Zack Cox in the home half of the first to take the lead.
Another error by McKinney in the third allowed the Trojans to score an earned run, briefly knotting the score, but Arkansas got a two-run homer from Andy Wilkins and a three-run shot from Brett Eibner in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-2 lead.
Troy got two runs back in the fourth when T.J. Rivera blasted a two-run homer, Arkansas came right back with three in the bottom of the inning to chase McCain. Cox again delivered with two-out, hitting a two-run homer, and James McCann, who reached on an error, scored on a single by Tim Carver.
Junior Drew Hull came on in relief of McCain and slammed the door on the Razorbacks, who did not score again in the game. Hull tied his career-high, striking out five in 3.1 innings of work while allowing just one hit.
With Hull in command on the mound, the Trojans started chipping away. Back-to-back homers from Chase Whitley, a two-run shot, and Blake Martz off Jeremy Heatley (1-0) in the fifth cut the deficit to 10-7. Rivera then struck again in the eighth, blasting his second homer of the day, and team-leading fourth of the year, off Arkansas closer D.J. Baxendale.
The Rivera homer seemed to refocus Baxendale, who dominated the next five Troy hitters to earn his first save of the year.
The Trojans out-hit Arkansas 10-9 in the game, with Rivera and Bryant both posting two hits. The negative was that the Arkansas pitchers recorded 12 strikeouts in the game. Cox, who drove in four runs, and Collin Kuhn had two hits apiece to lead Arkansas.
The Trojans will send senior right-hander Andrew Dickinson (1-0) to the mound on Sunday to match-up with Eibner, a senior right-hander. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on WTBF-FM.
Louisiana-Lafayette 13, Miami (OH) 2
LAFAYETTE, La. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns scored runs in all but one inning and rolled to a 13-2 victory over Miami University in game two of a doubleheader at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field Saturday evening.
The win avenged a 7-5, 11-inning loss to the Redhawks earlier in the day and sets up a rubber match contest on Sunday at 11 a.m.
The Ragin' Cajuns (4-1) pounded out 15 hits led by Matt Goulas, Chad Keefer and Jordan Poirrier who combined for seven of the hits. Keefer led the way with three RBI and a total of eight Cajuns had at least one RBI.
Taylor Hubbell, a redshirt freshman pitcher making his Division I debut, got the start for Louisiana and settled in after surrendering a home run in the first inning. Hubbell lasted seven innings, allowed just two hits and struck out six.
The Redhawks (2-3) opened the scoring getting a solo home run from Kyle Weldon in the top of the first inning.
Hubbell held the Redhawks in check after Weldon's home run. He would not allow another base hit until the sixth inning and at one point retired nine consecutive batters.
Louisiana answered in their half of the first scoring on a wild pitch and a failed pickoff attempt to take a 2-1 lead.
Kyle Olasin singled through the left side with one out in the second inning and stole second to move into scoring position. Greg Fontenot doubled into the right field corner to score Olasin upping the lead to 3-1.
The Cajuns kept putting pressure on MU starter Reece Asbury in the third inning. Jordan Poirrier led off with a solo home run to left field - his second of the doubleheader and third round tripper of the season. The home run extended Poirrier's hitting streak to five games.
UL chased Asbury from the game in the fourth inning. He was charged with five runs (four earned) in 3 1/3 innings and wound up taking the loss for the Redhawks.
After the pitching change Brian Bowman doubled home Kyle Bostick. Two batters later Matt Goulas tripled home Bowman to push the Ragin' Cajuns lead up to 6-1.
Leading 7-1, Louisiana put up three runs in the seventh and eighth innings to put the Redhawks away. In a span of 1 1/3 innings the Cajuns piled up the six runs off of MU relievers Brandon Adkins and Brandon Meister.
South Alabama 4, North Florida 2
MOBILE, Ala. - University of South Alabama baseball rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat North Florida 4-2 Saturday afternoon in the 25th Annual South Alabama Classic at Stanky Field.
USA senior Clint Reynolds led off the inning with a single, and advanced to second on a throwing error by UNF pitcher Casey Medlen. Adam Heisler followed with an RBI single that scored Reynolds to tie the game 2-2. Jaguar catcher Brent Tanner followed with a single up the middle to score Heisler and Overstreet and give USA a 4-2 lead.
"We needed a win in a close ballgame, USA head coach Steve Kittrell said. "The guys really clutched up late. I thought Garrett Harris threw really well for us. We got clutch hits when we had to have them, and our guys executed today. It was a big win for us, and hopefully, this will give us some confidence.
Jaguar left-hander Phillip Byrd (1-0) pitched 1.1 innings in relief to earn the win. Byrd allowed just one hit while striking out two of five batters he faced. USA senior Lance Baxter earned his second save in as many days, with two strikeouts in one inning pitched. UNF reliever Casey Medlen (0-1) took the loss in 0.1 innings pitched, allowing three runs on three hits.
The USA bullpen combined to allow just one hit in 2.1 scoreless innings.
Jaguar third baseman Jake Overstreet went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored to lead USA at the plate. Reynolds and Sean Laird als added two hist each for the Jags. Kyle Dahl and Andrew Karmeris each collected two hits each to lead the Ospreys at the plate.
UNF (1-4) shortstop Andrew Hannon led off the game with a double, and later scored on Preston Hale's groundout to second to give the Ospreys a 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning.
North Florida starting pitcher George Lott held the Jags scoreless until the fifth inning, when Reynolds drove in Sean Laird to tie the game 1-1. Laird led off the inning with a single.
The Ospreys took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single by T.J. Thompson that scored Robbie Collier, who led off the inning with a double.
Neither team scored until USA scored the game's final three runs in the eighth inning. USA starting pitcher Garrett Harris pitched 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on 10 hits in his second start of the season.
USA (4-2) returns to action Sunday with two games Sunday afternoon at Stanky Field. The Jaguars will face Wichita State at noon to close the 25th Annual South Alabama Classic, before hosting Eastern Michigan in a non-conference matchup at 4 p.m. at Stanky Field.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Middle Tennessee 5, Ohio 4
Murfreesboro, Tenn. - Tyler Burnett followed up a career day on Friday with another outstanding performance as the Middle Tennessee baseball team notched its second straight win over Ohio, 5-4. Justin Guidry showed off his skill at the plate and on the mound, earning his first win of the season in relief.
"I enjoyed it," said Coach Steve Peterson. "Our club needs to win close games, and I go into every game thinking that we need to win a one run game."
Daniel Palo put together four innings without allowing a hit for the Blue Raiders before giving up two runs in the fifth. Guidry entered the game with two outs remaining in the fifth and didn't allow a run until the ninth. Kevin Whittaker took over in the ninth, recording his second save of the season.
Aside from Burnett, Guidry and Bryce Brentz also put together nice days offensively. Guidry went 2-5 at the plate with a run scored, and Brentz also went 2-5 with a two runs scored and a run batted in. Justin Jones knocked in two runs while going 1-3 at the plate.
The Blue Raiders struck in the first inning for the second straight day with two runs. Burnett led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error by Ohio shortstop Wesley O'Neill. After a Guidry strikeout, back-to-back singles by Brentz and Blake McDade loaded the bases. Following a Drew Robertson out, Jones singled through the left side to score both Burnett and Brentz.
Ohio got on the board in the fifth with a pair of runs. Matt Keller opened up the inning by drawing a walk, and Seth Streich doubled down the right field line to advance Keller to third. O'Neill grounded out, but allowed Keller to score the first Bobcat run of the day. Bryan Barnes dropped down a bunt single and moved Streich to third. A Gauntlett Eldemire single scored Striech and chased Palo from the game. Guidry, who started as the designated hitter, took over relief duties on the mound. The sophomore from Mount Juliet, Tenn. didn't allow another hit in the inning.
Middle Tennessee took the lead for good in the seventh inning. Burnett opened up the frame with his career-best third double of the game. Guidry followed it up with a single, and Brentz doubled to knock in Burnett for the go-ahead run. Following a walk and a couple pitching changes, the Blue Raiders scored on a passed ball by McDonough. A wild pitch scored Brentz for the final run of the inning to put Middle Tennessee up 5-2.
Kevin Whittaker's second save of the season wouldn't come easily. A single and an error by Guidry put two on before Whittaker was called to the mound. Eldemire recorded his second RBI of the game with a single up the middle to bring the deficit to two. Robert Maddox hit into a double play to score the final run of the game for Ohio.
The Blue Raiders will look to complete their home stand with a sweep of Ohio tomorrow. First pitch at Reese Smith Jr. Field is set for 1 p.m. Eric Gilley is expected to make the start for Middle Tennessee.
FIU 10, Oral Roberts 9
MIAMI - In come-from-behind fashion, the FIU baseball team chipped away at ORU pitching, helped by a Rudy Flores go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth and a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth by Lammar Guy to take game two from the Golden Eagles, 10-9, on Saturday night at the FIU Baseball Stadium.
The home run for Flores was the first of his collegiate career.
"Heck of a win. A heck of a college baseball game right there," said head coach Turtle Thomas. "Oral Roberts is an outstanding program that has an outstand tradition. I'm just very proud of our guys. We had a lot of heroes tonight, no doubt about it.
Oral Roberts struck first in the top half of the second inning when Colby Price took a 3-2 offering from Corey Polizzano over the left field fence for a three-run home run.
FIU threatened in the bottom of the second with runners on the corners and two out, but ORU's Jeff Burleson got Junior Arrojo to hit a comebacker to the mound and end the Golden Panthers' rally.
Tyler Saladino would add to the ORU lead in the top of the third with his solo shot to right center off Polizzano.
Raiko Alfonso put the Golden Panthers on the board in the bottom of the third with a two-out double, scoring Pablo Bermudez from second base. Bermudez reached base earlier that inning when he lined a single to right field and advanced to second on a balk by the pitcher Burleson.
Alfonso finished the game 3-5 with two doubles and three RBI.
Polizzano pitched his way out of a jam in the top of the fourth inning and prevented any damage from occurring. With the bases loaded and one out, catcher Jose Behar picked off Justin Mitchell leaning at first. Polizzano later got Tyler Garewal to ground out to third to end the Golden Eagle threat and keep that score at a 4-1 ORU advantage.
With runners on first and second and one out, ORU chased FIU starting pitcher Polizzano from the game in the fifth inning. The senior from Miami Southridge High tossed 4 1/3 innings, giving up six runs on five hits and striking out nine Golden Eagle batters.
ORU tacked on two more in the inning to put them up 6-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bermudez laced his second double of the game to right center to score Arrojo, who singled earlier in the inning. Bermudez advanced to third on a throwing error by the first baseman P.J. Segueira, who was trying to throw out Arrojo at home. Bermudez wound up scoring on a passed ball to cut the lead to 7-3.
After consecutive walks to Mike Martinez and Tim Jobe, Alfonso roped a double down the right field line to score both Martinez and Jobe. The double cut the lead to two and chased Burleson from the contest.
Burleson went 6 2/3 innings, giving up five runs on 11 hits while striking out six.
Bryce Smolen, who relieved Burleson earlier in the game, issued walks to Jeremy Patton (advanced to third on a balk and a passed ball) and Jabari Henry to give the Golden Panthers runners on the corners with no outs in the inning.
Spencer Roberts entered the ballgame in relief of Smolen. On his first offering, pinch hitter Flores launched a fast ball deep to right-center for a three-run home run. FIU tacked on another run when pinch runner Yoandy Barroso scored on a throwing error after stealing third base.
"I was ready for him. I've been feeling good lately and I was looking for a first-pitch fastball and I got one," said Flores. "I hit it solid and squared it up and I just knew right away."
ORU tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth inning when Jorge Barban walked Jared Schlehuber with the bases loaded.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Patton doubled to right and then stole third for what would be a key play in the game. On a 2-2 pitch, Guy hit a hard grounder down the left field line to score Patton and give FIU the come-from-behind victory.
"I was able to take the 2-2 pitch in the zone and hit it hard to right," said Guy who had the game winning hit. "This win was huge all around. It was a total team effort."
R.J. Fondon earned the victory in relief, pitching 1/3 of an inning and striking out his only batter faced. Roberts suffered the loss for ORU and fell to 0-1 on the season.
FIU and Oral Roberts will face off in the final game of the series Sunday, February 28. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
For tickets please visit www.FIUSports.com or call the FIU ticket office at 305-FIU-Game.
Youngstown State 11, New Orleans 4
New Orleans 8, Youngstown State 7
NEW ORLEANS - Jerad Comarda's RBI double in the bottom of the ninth lifted New Orleans to an 8-7 win over Youngstown State in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Maestri Field.
Comarda went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, as the Privateers (1-5) picked up their first win for first-year head coach Bruce Peddie.
Ryan Eden and Jay Morris each added two hits. Morris went 5-for-9 in the doubleheader.
The Privateers recorded a season-high 12 hits.
Eric Marzec went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs to lead the Penguins (1-1). Jonathan Crist and Joe Iacobucci each added two hits.
YSU won the first game 11-4.
In the nightcap, the Privateers scored three runs in the seventh to grab a 7-4 lead. Comarda provided the big blow with a two-out, two-run double.
In the ninth, though, Marzec hit a double off UNO closer Kevin Berry (1-0) that scored two runs to cut the lead to 7-6. He later scored on a seeing-eye single from Iacobucci.
In the bottom of the inning, Schwaner led off with a walk. Peddie then called a hit-and-run, and Comarda laced a ground ball down the third-base line.
Schwaner never hesitated, rounding third and scoring well ahead of the throw from left fielder Armani Johnson.
Four Privateer pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts.
GAME 1 RECAP
Youngstown State shortstop Jacke Healey hit two home runs, including a crucial grand slam in the eighth inning, to help the Penguins to an 11-4 win at New Orleans in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday.
Healey scored three runs and had six RBIs, as the Penguins (1-0) won their season opener. Jeremy Banks went 4-for-6 with an RBI, and Eric Marzec had three hits and an RBI.
Marzec also got the save in relief of starter Aaron Swenson (1-0), who went 6.2 innings and allowed four runs despite five walks.
Jay Morris went 3-for-5 with three RBIs to lead UNO (0-5). The Privateers tallied seven hits and committed four errors.
Joe Zimmermann (0-2) absorbed the loss, giving up eight hits and six runs in 3.1 innings. The sophomore right-hander also struggled with five walks.
Four UNO pitchers combined for nine walks and a hit batter.
Things looked bright for UNO early, though. The Privateers scored two runs in the first without a hit thanks to some wildness from Swenson.
The All-Horizon League standout walked the first two hitters he faced. After Mike Petello put the Privateers up 1-0 with an RBI groundout, Morris made it 2-0 with an RBI single to left field.
Down 2-1 in the third, Healey tied it with an opposite-field solo home run. YSU scored four runs in the fourth to make it 6-2.
The Privateers cut the lead in half in the seventh on a two-out, two-run single from Morris. But YSU put it away in the eighth on Healey's grand slam.
The two teams will begin the nightcap at approximately 5 p.m.
WKU 4, Texas State 3
WACO, Texas - WKU capitalized on seven Texas State walks, including two with the bases loaded in the decisive eighth inning, to pull out a 4-3 win over Texas State in the QTI Baylor Classic in Waco, Texas, Saturday night. Casey Dykes put together his second three-hit ballgame of the season to pace the Hilltopper offense, and four WKU pitchers allowed two runs on one hit and two walks in five innings of relief. The win is the fourth straight for the Hilltoppers after losing the first game of the season and moves the team's record to 4-1. Texas State, an NCAA Tournament participant in 2009, falls to 3-2.
Three others recorded a hit for WKU, with Matt Payton headlining the group with a 1-for-3 performance and a run, two RBI and two walks. Kes Carter also drove in a run in a 1-for-4 showing, and Chris Bullard added a hit and a run in two at-bats in a start in left field. Five Bobcats each managed a hit, and Bret Atwood drove in a pair of runs. Brian Edelen earned his first win of the season in the first outing of his WKU career, and Lee Colon took the loss for Texas State. Rye Davis picked up his second save of the season when he recorded the final five outs of the game.
Tanner Perkins made his second start of the season for WKU and cruised through the first two frames with little trouble. He allowed a single to the first Bobcat hitter of the night, but escaped with no damage in the first thanks to a flyout and a pair of groundouts. He retired the side in order in the bottom of the second, including the last two batters via strikeout, and the game was scoreless after two innings.
The Hilltoppers broke the deadlock with two runs in the top of the third against Bobcat starter Garret Carruth, as Bullard led off the inning with a single to right field, the first WKU hit of the night, and moved to second on a groundout by Jared Andreoli two batters later. Continuing the trend of scoring runs with two outs that started Friday night against Texas A&M, Payton tripled to right-center, scoring Bullard, and he himself crossed the plate when Carter followed with a single up the middle. Rice grounded out to end the inning, but WKU jumped out on top after two-and-a-half, 2-0.
Texas State answered in the bottom of the third against Perkins, as Laurn Randell reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, and scored on a two-out single to right-center by Atwood. Perkins induced a groundout to end the inning and keep WKU ahead, 2-1.
The score remained the same into the bottom of the fifth, when Texas State tied the game with a unearned run against the first Hilltopper reliver of the night, Taylor Haydel. Haydel replaced Perkins, who worked four innings and allowed four hits and one run. The left-hander struck out three and did not walk a batter. In tying the game, Andrew Stumph, the first batter of the inning, reached on an error, went to second when Haydel hit Randell, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Sibley and scored when Atwood grounded out to short.
The game remained deadlocked into the eighth inning, as both teams dug into their bullpens. Edelen made his first appearance for the Hilltoppers in the seventh inning and worked out of a jam to get the final two outs of the inning and leave the bases full of Bobcats.
WKU showed patience in the eighth inning in putting up another two-spot to open up a 4-2 lead, as they sent eight men to the plate, four of whom reached base via a free pass. Jake Wells grounded out to first base to start the inning, and Dykes followed with his third consecutive single. Kory Petri, defensive replacement Matt Borgschulte and Logan Robbins all walked, bringing Dykes around to score the go-ahead run and keeping the bases loaded. Andreoli struck out against new Texas State hurler Covey Morrow, and Payton coaxed a walk to score Petri with the second bases-loaded walk of the inning and put WKU ahead, 4-2.
But Texas State clawed back with a run of its own in the bottom of the eighth, making the score 4-3 in favor of WKU heading into the ninth. The Hilltoppers went down in order in their final at-bat, and Davis used three flyouts to finish out the WKU victory and pick up the save.
Payton's third-inning triple was his second of the season and ninth of his career, pulling him within one of a tie for sixth place all-time at WKU and just three away from tying for the most ever by a Hilltopper. He also swiped his first base of the season, which makes WKU 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts on the young season.
Louisiana-Monroe 10, Stephen F. Austin 9
NACODOGOCHES, Texas -Matt Laird hit a three-run home run and made a game-ending diving catch in center field to lead ULM to a 10-9 victory over Stephen F. Austin Saturday afternoon at Jaycees Field in game two of the SFA Lumberjack Classic.
Laird's home run was one of four in the first three innings of the game for the Warhawks (2-2) as they jumped out to an 8-0 lead. Stephen F. Austin (4-1), who defeated No. 28 Texas A&M on Wednesday, rallied to tie the game with three runs in the fourth and five runs in the sixth.
Josh Chappell picked the perfect time to pick up his first hit of the season as he singled back up the middle with runners on first and second to hand the lead back to the Warhawks, 9-8, in the top of the seventh inning.
Jordy Poche, who finished the game 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, plated what proved to be the winning run with a single through the left side of the infield in the eighth.
Wil Browning worked a perfect eighth inning and pitched around a fielding error in the ninth to pick up his second save of the season. With one unearned run already on the board for the Lumberjacks in the ninth and the tying run on third base, Patrick Gratzke lined a ball that looked like it would land in the left-center gap to tie the game. However, Laird fully extended to make the catch and end the game.
Laird and Poche hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the first inning to give the Warhawks an early 4-0 lead. Laird's 20th career homer scored Caleb Clowers and Nick Wade after the pair reached on back-to-back singles.
The lead swelled to 6-0 in the second after Jarrett Hammond hit his first career home run and Wade drove home Boomer Blanchard with a single to left. Blanchard doubled to chase SFA starter Tyler Herriage after just 1.1 innings of work.
Perry Smith got into the home run barrage in the top of the third with a two-run blast to center field. Poche scored on Smith's homer after leading off the frame with a single to left.
Wade, Laird and Smith each had a pair of hits for the Warhawks as they belted out a season-high 13 as a team. Garrett Smith led SFA going 3-for-5, while Bobby Loveless and Ryan Priest each had two hits.
The Lumberjacks finally broke through against ULM starter Drew Granier in the fourth on an RBI double by Loveless to score Bo Coffman. After Granier struck out Justin Long for the second time, Priest hammered a ball over the center-field wall to pull SFA within five, 8-3.
Priest struck again two innings later with a three-run homer after Poche replaced Granier to start the bottom of the sixth inning. Tanner Hines pulled the Lumberjacks within one, 8-7, with a sacrifice fly to deep center. Darren Crabtree, the ninth batter of the inning for SFA, doubled to left-center to score Smith and tie the game.
Josh Miller (1-1) picked up the win for the Warhawks after pitching 1.2 innings in relief of Poche. Granier took his second straight no-decision in a ULM win after allowing three runs on five hits over five innings of work.
Cody Priest (0-1) took the loss for SFA allowing two runs on four hits over 1.1 innings. Herriage was spared the loss after giving up six runs on six hits.
The Warhawks and Northwestern State (3-2) play Sunday at 3 p.m. for the tournament championship. The Demons defeated Creighton 8-7 in Saturday's first game. The game will be broadcast live on 540 AM in northeast Louisiana and worldwide online at ulmwarhawks.com.
Friday, February 26
WKU 5, No. 29 Texas A&M
WACO, Texas - WKU earned its first marquee win of 2010 Friday night, taking down 29th-ranked Texas A&M, 5-1, in the first game of the QTI Baylor Classic in Waco, Texas. The Hilltoppers received six outstanding innings from starting pitcher Matt Ridings and took advantage of five Aggie errors to get their first win over a ranked opponent since beating number eight Mississippi on May 31, 2009. WKU won its third straight game and moved its record to 3-1, while Texas A&M dropped its second in a row after starting 3-0 to fall to 3-2.
Jared Andreoli was 2-for-5 for WKU, his fourth multi-hit outing in four games this season, and scored a run. Matt Payton, Jake Wells, Casey Dykes and Kory Petri each added another hit for the Hilltoppers, who scored four runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth to distance themselves from Texas A&M. The Aggies were led by two hits apiece by Andrew Collazo, Joe Patterson and Kevin Gonzalez.
Ridings picked up his first win of 2010 and 26th of his career with six solid innings, as he scattered six hits and allowed just one run. The all-time career strikeout leader at WKU fanned four Aggies on the evening. Bart Carter and Rye Davis pitched the final three innings, allowing just three hits and striking out five. Barret Loux took the loss for the Aggies, falling to 1-1 on the year. He pitched five innings, surrendering six hits and five runs, although only one was earned.
The Hilltoppers got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second, when Wells singled to right field with one out. Dykes followed with a double, moving Wells to third, and Petri, making his first start of the season, reached on an error by the third baseman that scored Wells.
Ridings retired the Aggies in order in the top of the third, which was part of a stretch of six straight Aggies he set down in order and 10 of 12. The right-hander worked around a two-out single in the top of the fourth to keep WKU on top, 1-0, after three-and-a-half.
WKU broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth, sending nine men to the plate and scoring four runs on three hits and three Texas A&M errors. Petri singled with one out, and after a Borgschulte pop out to second, came around to score on a dropped fly ball hit by Logan Robins to Tyler Naquin in right field that would have ended the inning. Robbins moved to third on an Andreoli single and crossed the plate when Payton singled to right field one batter later.
With two away and two Hilltoppers home in the inning, Kes Carter stepped in and reached base on a fielding error by John Stilson at shortstop, moving Payton to second. Each man moved up 90 feet on a throwing error by the third baseman, and Payton took advantage of an off-guard Aggie defense to race home and make the score 5-1 in favor of WKU. After Matt Rice was intentionally walked, Wells, the ninth batter of the inning for WKU, flew out to center. All four WKU runs in the inning came with two outs.
Ridings cruised through the fifth inning with a five-run lead, but the Aggies broke onto the scoreboard in the top of the sixth. Scott Arthur led off the inning with a walk and scored two batters later on a Collazo single to left field. Carter entered to the game on the mound in the seventh and fanned two of the three hitters he faced in his first inning. He got one out in the eight before he was lifted for Davis, who threw two pitches and got the final two outs of the eighth inning to leave an Aggie on second base.
Davis gave up a lead-off double in the top of the ninth, but proceeded to strike out the side to end the ballgame and give WKU the 5-1 win.
With the win, Ridings is now two away from tying Ryan Hutchison for the most all-time by a Hilltopper hurler.
Robbins stole his fourth base of the season in the sixth inning, and Petri swiped second in the eighth for his first of the year.
The Aggies, picked to finish third in the Big 12 in 2010, left nine runners on base.
Up Next: WKU continues play in the QTI Baylor Classic with a 5:00 PM matchup against Texas State on Saturday. Texas State fell to Baylor, 3-2, in their opening game of the weekend on Friday afternoon. Tanner Perkins is slated to head to the mound for WKU.
South Alabama 11, Eastern Michigan 5
MOBILE, Ala. - University of South Alabama baseball senior right-hander D.D. Hanks struck out a career-high eight batters in six innings to lead the Jaguars to an 11-5 win over Eastern Michigan Friday night in the 25th Annual South Alabama Classic at Stanky Field.
Hanks scattered eight hits in his six innings, and allowed just two runs while issuing only one walk. USA senior Lance Baxter earned the save, his first of the season, in 1.1 innings of relief. Baxter struck out four and allowed just one hit and one walk. EMU left-hander Kevin Sikora (0-1) took the loss for the Eagles, allowing four runs on four hits in five innings while walking five and striking out three.
"D.D. [Hanks] threw a very good ball game," USA head coach Steve Kittrell said. "He got stronger as the game went on, and I thought he pitched very well. I thought Sean Laird swung the bat well, and [Brad] Hammac had a big hit. We're going to have our hands full in this tournament, and we need to show up and be ready to play tomorrow."
USA seniors Clint Reynolds and Zach Grichor led the Jags at the plate with two hits each. Reynolds went 2-for-4 with one run scored, while Grichor finished 2-for-3 with one RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base.
EMU left fielder Daniel Russell went 3-for-5 with a stolen base to lead the Eagles at the plate.
USA jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on Jake Overstreet's sacrifice fly that scored Zach Grichor, who reached earlier in the inning on a walk.
EMU (1-2) answered to tie the score in the top of the second inning on an RBI single by Brent Ohrman that scored Daniel Russell.
The Jaguars broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of third inning when Laird delivered a three-run home run off the Stanky Field scoreboard, plating Adam Heisler and Jake Overstreet, who reached on back-to-back walks earlier in the inning.
Eastern Michigan cut the USA lead to 4-2 in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI-single by Todd Graves, which scored Ben Magsig, who led off the inning with a double to right center field.
USA took a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth, aided by a hit and an EMU throwing error. Jaguar third baseman Tyler Vick led off the inning with a walk. Taylor White, who pinch-ran for Vick, stole second before scoring on a throwing error by EMU third baseman Ben Magsig. Grichor later singled in the inning to score Brad Hammac, who reached on Magsig's error.
The Jags extended their lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the seventh when White, who reached on a base on balls, scored on a single by Brad Hook.
EMU scored three runs on three hits in the top of the eighth inning, with two of the three coming on walks with the bases loaded. The Eagles cut the USA lead to 7-3 on Magsig's RBI single that scored Ken Battison. EMU's two base on balls with the bases loaded cut the Jaguar lead to 7-5.
In the bottom half of the eighth inning, USA answered with four runs on three hits. Reynolds led off the inning with a single to left field, and eventually scored on a throwing error by Magsig that allowed Grichor to reach base. Overstreet collected his second RBI on a single that scored Grichor, and later scored to give USA an 11-5 lead on a wild pitch.
"We're happy with the 11 runs, but from an offensive standpoint, we have to start putting better swings on the baseball," USA assistant coach Seth Von Behren said.
USA (3-2) returns to action Sat., Feb. 27, when it hosts North Florida at 1 p.m. in the 25th Annual South Alabama Classic.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
FIU 14, Oral Roberts 1
MIAMI - For the third time in four games, the FIU Golden Panthers (4-0) put up 10 or more runs in a game and defeated Oral Roberts 14-1 Friday night at the FIU Baseball Stadium.
Four pitchers (Scott Rembisz, Eric Berkowitz, Dillon Vitale and Alberto Cardenas) combined for seven-hits and one run against the defending Summit League Champions.
Senior Rembisz pitched six innings of shutout ball to raise his record to 2-0 on the season. ORU's Drew Bowen took the loss and fell to 0-1 on the season.
"The guys at the bottom of the order did a great job for us," said head coach Turtle Thomas. "I thought Scott pitched maybe the second best game he has pitched since he's been at FIU. Anytime a pitcher can throw three pitches on any count he has the chance to be successful."
Sophomore Jeremy Patton (4-4, 2R, 3RBI) got FIU on the board in the second when he roped a double off the bottom of the left-center field fence to score senior Tim Jobe and sophomore Garrett Wittels for a 2-0 advantage.
Not to be outdone, Sean Reilly (1-3, RBI) hit the very next pitch to the same part of the ball park to drive in Patton and land himself on second base.
Starting pitcher Rembisz got out of a two-out jam in the top half of the third when he allowed two ORU batters to reach base before ORU's Brett Sowers fouled out to Tim Jobe (1-4, 2 runs, RBI) to end the Golden Eagles threat.
In the bottom of the fourth, sophomore Pablo Bermudez (2-5, run) led off the inning with a double down the right field line. After Mike Martinez (2-4, run, 2 RBI) was hit-by-pitch and a Raiko Alfonso (0-3, run) walked, Garrett Wittles poked a seeing-eye single to right to score Bermudez. FIU would add three more in the inning off an error and a couple hits, giving them a 7-0 lead after three innings.
"I'm just trying to get my pitch and drive it," said Wittels who went 4-4 on the evening with two runs and three RBI to raise his season average to .688. "The biggest thing coach Thomas preaches is getting back-to-back-to back hits to try to get the rally going. Hitting is contagious and when you see your teammates getting hits you just want to go out and hit as well."
FIU would add on to their lead in the bottom of the fifth when Bermudez poked a single pass the shift to the right side, allowing Junior Arrojo (0-2, 2 runs) to advance to third and chase the starting pitcher Bowen from the game. He gave up nine earned on 10 hits through five innings.
FIU would tack on one more in the sixth and five in the seventh en route to a 14-1 victory.
The Golden Panthers will return to the field Saturday at 6 p.m. for game two against Oral Roberts.
Arkansas 6, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 5
JONESBORO, Ark. (2/26/10) - Second baseman Giovanni Garcia launched a solo home run in the eighth inning to pull Arkansas State into a 5-5 tie with Wisconsin-Milwaukee, then delivered a two-out single in the ninth to send home the winning run and give the Red Wolves (3-1) a 6-5 victory over the Panthers (0-1) Friday night at Tomlinson Stadium and Kell Field.
"It was pleasing to see our team fight," said ASU head coach Tommy Raffo. "It was a night when we were behind from the get-go and we were fighting, scratching and clawing all the way until the eighth inning. It was fun to see our guys compete, fight and in the end, prevail."
"Gio is a senior and obviously you want seniors to do well," added Raffo. "Todd Baumgartner got on with a swinging bunt with two strikes, then Murray Watts gets on with a base hit with two strikes. Gio then came through with the two-out hit with two strikes. Those guys were just battling and got a great win for the team."
Freshman pitcher John Koch (1-0) earned the win for the Red Wolves, taking the mound in the sixth inning and striking out eight of the 12 batters he faced, including the final six. Koch gave up two hits without surrendering a run or walking a Panther batter.
"John did a very good job in the strike zone," added Raffo. "Not only his fastball, but his off-speed pitches were thrown for strikes. He is very difficult to hit when he does that and he did a tremendous job of keeping us in the ballgame and gave our offense a chance to catch up."
Arkansas State battled from behind the entire night. The Panthers picked up an unearned run in the first when ASU starter Andy Ferguson struck out UWM first baseman Ben Long for what would have been the third out of the inning, but Long reached on a passed ball and eventually scored to give Milwaukee the early 1-0 lead.
The Panthers added two more in the fourth before ASU got on the board in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single from freshman outfielder Michael Faulkner. Milwaukee answered the run with a score in the top of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead, but the Red Wolves put up three runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 4-4.
Baumgartner, freshman designated hitter Ryan Emery and junior third baseman Jordan Castaldo all came through with RBI doubles in the fifth to send home the Red Wolves three runs in the inning.
Milwaukee regained the lead at 5-4 when left fielder Tim Patzman tripled to lead off the sixth, and scored on a base hit from right fielder Jonathan Capasso. The one-run lead held until Garcia's home run in the bottom of the eighth tied the score at 5-5.
Sophomore Cameron Amsrud took the loss for the Panthers, giving up one run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work. UWM starter Kyle Schmidt worked 6.2 innings, giving up four runs on four hits while striking out five and walking three. Schmidt threw 113 pitches on the night.
Baumgartner, Emery, Garcia and Faulkner all had two hits to lead Arkansas State at the plate, with Garcia driving in two runs on the night. Capasso led UWM with two hits and two RBIs.
The four-game series will resume Saturday with a double-header beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Middle Tennessee 11, Ohio 6
Murfreesboro, Tenn. - Nick Montgomery picked up his second win of the season and Tyler Burnett collected four hits to propel Middle Tennessee past Ohio 11-6 in the home opener at Reese Smith Jr. Field on Friday.
Tyler Burnett set a new career high for hits, going 4-5 at the plate. His three runs scored tied his career high. Also contributing for Middle Tennessee (2-1) was Justin Guidry who recorded three hits and two runs scored. Stuart Meinhart and Justin Jones also notched three hits. Bryce Brentz went 2-4 and drew a walk. Several Blue Raiders delivered in the offensive outburst as all nine batters in the starting lineup recorded at least one run batted in. Six Blue Raiders turned in multi-hit games and eight scored.
Kenneth Roberts strung together three scoreless innings prior to a five-run outburst by the Ohio offense in the fourth. Nick Montgomery entered the game in the fifth, and pitched four and one-third near flawless innings, allowing only one hit.
"It was a great job by Nick," said Coach Steve Peterson. "Ohio had their bats going, and it was important for Nick to come in and finish the game."
The Blue Raiders struck early with three runs in the bottom of the first. Burnett and Guidry opened the inning with back-to-back hits and Brentz drew a walk to load the bases. Blake McDade and Drew Robertson grounded out to the shortstop on consecutive plays to score Burnett and Guidry. A Jones single brought home Brentz for the final run of the inning.
Middle Tennessee got back on the board in the following inning after an infield single by Burnett. Guidry reached on an error, allowing Burnett to advance to third. Brentz doubled off the right field wall to score Burnett and send Guidry to third. Guidry scored on a groundout by McDade to put the Blue Raiders up 5-0 after two.
Ohio (1-3) made their comeback thanks to a five-run top of the fourth. With one out already recorded, Trace Voshell doubled through the left side for the Bobcats. A Robert Maddox single in the following at bat scored Voshell. After a C.J. Maszal single, Kris McDonough doubled down the line to score Maddox. Seth Streich tripled down the left field line to plate both Maszal and McDonough. Streich ended up scoring the last run of the inning on a Wesley O'Neill groundout.
Ohio took their first lead of the game in the top portion of the fifth, 6-5. After Jerod Yakubik and Voshell strung together a pair of hits, a throwing error by Ryan Ford allowed Yakubik to score.
Middle Tennessee regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Jones and Stuart Meinhart recorded back-to-back one-out singles. Justin Miller recorded his fifth RBI of the season with a double to left field to score Jones. The Blue Raiders regained the lead on a Ford groundout in the next at bat, scoring Meinhart. A Burnett single up the middle plated Miller for the final run of the inning to put Middle Tennessee up 8-6 and the Blue Raiders would never look back.
The Blue Raiders tacked on another run in the seventh after a trio of consecutive two-out singles by Robertson, Jones and Meinhart.
Two more Blue Raider runs in the seventh provided for the final tally. A Ford walk chased Ohio pitcher Rex Ingham for Marck Paliotto. Tyler Burnett doubled to right field, and a wild pitch allowed Ford to score while Burnett advanced to third. Guidry singled to bring home Burnett for the final Middle Tennessee run of the game.
Middle Tennessee will look for its first series win Saturday afternoon when they face Ohio in game two of the series at Reese Smith Jr. Field at 2 p.m. Freshman Daniel Palo is slated to start for the Blue Raiders.
No. 30 Arkansas 10, Troy 1
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Troy University sophomore pitcher Tyler Ray kept the 16th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks at bay for three innings Friday afternoon, but when the dam finally broke, the Hogs pulled away for a 10-1 series-opening victory over the Trojans.
Troy (3-2) gave Ray (1-1) a lead right from the start, plating a single run against Arkansas starter Mike Bolsinger in the first inning. But, the RBI single off the bat of junior Chase Whitley could have produced more, had Arkansas catcher James McCann not picked Troy's Miles Hoyle off first prior to Whitley's hit.
The Trojans' hurler allowed just two singles the first time through the Arkansas (3-1) order, but Andy Wilkins led off the Razorback fourth with a game-tying solo homer, which was followed three batters later by a two-run shot by McCann, to give Arkansas a lead it would never relinquish.
The Hogs got another two-run homer off Ray in the sixth inning from Brett Eibner, then blew the game open once Troy turned to the bullben, scoring five times in the seventh inning on just two hits thanks to three walks, a hit batter and two sacrifice flies.
Sophomore A.J. Howard was responsible for four of the runs while junior Nick Ward took the fifth.
Troy was able to get runners on base through the first four innings against Arkansas Bolsinger, but found the going much tougher after T.J. Forrest (1-0) came on in relief. Bolsinger needed 77 pitches to get through four innings, while Forrest needed just 48 to cover the same ground.
The Trojans left two runners on in the first, fourth and sixth innings, but managed a total of just six hits in the game, none for extra bases.
Zack Cox and Tim Carver had two hits each for Arkansas, all singles.
The Trojans will look to even the weekend series with the Razorbacks on Saturday when the teams square off again at Baum Stadium. The first pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m.
Missouri 4, Florida Atlantic 2
The University of Missouri Tigers made the most out of their six hits en route to knocking off the Florida Atlantic University baseball team 4-2 on Friday afternoon in the Auburn Classic at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala.
The Tigers were out-hit by a slim 7-6 margin but scored two runs in the first inning and two more runs in their last at-bat of the afternoon in the ninth to seal the victory.
FAU falls to 2-2 on the season and will look to bounce back in the win column on Saturday against Boston College University at noon. Missouri improves to 3-1 on the spring season and will play the host Tigers on Saturday.
Missouri jumped on the Owls quickly with two runs in the first inning to grab the early momentum. A Brett Nicholas base hit to left field plated Brandon Champagne from second base to give the Tigers a 1-0 advantage. Nicholas would later score on a double by Aaron Senne.
FAU junior Andy Mee cut the deficit in half with a home run to left field to lead off the sixth inning.
The Tigers added two important insurance runs in the ninth inning off FAU's bullpen as the lead grew to 4-1. Missouri has won 35 games in seven straight season while also making seven consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Florida Atlantic mounted a rally with two outs as senior Anthony Mesa doubled to left center field that scored junior Nick DelGuidice.
Junior right hander Taylor Everist suffered his second loss of the season despite striking out a career-high eight batters. He scattered five hits in seven innings and has allowed just three earned runs this season.
Junior first baseman Dan Scheffler paced the offensive attack with two hits that included a triple. Sophomore catcher Mike Albaladejo also recorded two hits on the afternoon.
