WEEKEND SCOREBOARD
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2009
South Alabama 3, No. 6 Ole Miss 2 (10 INN)
MOBILE, Ala. - Sean Laird brought in Jake Overstreet with a two-out, walk-off single, and the University of South Alabama defeated No. 6 Ole Miss 3-2 in 10 innings to give head coach Steve Kittrell his 1,000th career victory Sunday at Stanky Field.
“That win wasn’t about Steve Kittrell getting 1,000 wins - it was about this ballclub. We needed a big win after losing a tough game last night,” Kittrell said. “I was so proud of this club, and I’m hoping this win will be one we look back on and say it got us going.
This was a big win for us today.”
Overstreet got the 10th-inning rally started by drawing a leadoff walk against All-American relief pitcher Scott Bittle. He moved to third on a Ryan Bohanan single, and after David Doss was intentionally walked to load the bases, Laird knocked a 2-2 pitch through the middle of the infield to bring in the game-winning run.
“After he walked Doss to load the bases, I knew he was going to have to give me a pitch to hit,” Laird said. “I knew he was going to give me a pitch because he didn’t want to go to a full count. He gave me that splitter-type cutter he has, and he left it over the plate, so I got a good pitch to hit.”
Laird had gone 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts prior to hitting the walk-off single. Bohanan finished the day 3-for-5 with a run, and Overstreet went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored.
Ole Miss (1-2) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Taylor Hashman knocked the Rebels’ third single of the inning to bring in leadoff hitter Jordan Henry, but the Jags answered with a run of their own in the second. Bohanan doubled and came around to score on a Doss single to tie the game 1-1.
USA (2-2) took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning when Zach Grichor singled and stole second base, then moved to third on a throwing error by Ole Miss catcher Brett Basham. Clint Reynolds, making his first start in more two years, brought Grichor home with a single up the middle.
South Alabama starter Lance Baxter scattered nine hits and three walks in 6.2 innings of work. He allowed only one run and left the game with a chance to be the winning pitcher.
Michael Logan came on in relief with two outs in the seventh. Jeremy Travis reached on an error by Overstreet, then advanced to second on a wild pitch and came home to score on Matt Smith’s RBI single to even the score at 2-2.
After taking the loss in a 4-3, extra-inning defeat Saturday night, Greg Johnson (1-1) worked the ninth and 10th innings to pick up the win for the Jags. Bittle (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run in 2.1 innings. Each of the last five outs Bittle recorded were on swinging strikeouts.
Texas State 3, Arkansas State 2
ARLINGTON, Texas — Arkansas State (1-3) took a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning, but the Texas State Bobcats (2-1) plated one run in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to nip the Red Wolves Sunday afternoon in the UT-Arlington/Hilton Invitational at Clay Gould Ballpark in Arlington, Texas.
“Offensively, you’ve got to score more than two runs in Division I baseball in order to win,” said ASU Head Coach Tommy Raffo. “But our pitchers did a tremendous job and kudos to them. We made a lot of different moves, we had a game plan going in and (pitching) coach (Justin) Meccage did a wonderful job of getting them ready. To hold Texas State to three runs was tremendous, and you’ve got to win those games.”
Arkansas State used five pitchers in the game to hold the Bobcats to three runs on seven hits. Sophomore Drew Benes started and worked three innings without giving up a run on two hits and three walks, with one strikeout. Junior Cory Lambert threw 2.1 innings, giving up one run on two hits with one walk, junior Ryan Blackburn gave up one run on one hit, with a walk and a strikeout, and sophomore Andy Ferguson gave up one run on one hit and a walk. Senior Nick Lambert pitched one-third of an inning without surrendering a run on one hit, no walks and no strikeouts.
Arkansas State struck first with two runs in the fifth. Junior left fielder Josh DeMoney led off the inning with a single up the middle, moved to second on a ground-out from junior second baseman Giovanni Garcia and scored on a triple from senior third baseman Guy Brown. Brown scored on a sacrifice fly to right field from sophomore designated hitter Drew Benes for the 2-0 Red Wolf advantage.
Texas State got on the board with a run in the sixth, using an RBI single from first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to cut the ASU lead in half, then added another run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from left fielder Tyler Sibley to tie the game at 2-2.
Ferguson (1-1) took the loss on the mound for Arkansas State while senior Kane Holbrooks (1-0) got the win for Texas State, with senior Tyler Brundridge earning the save.
Sophomore Todd Baumgartner, juniors Josh DeMoney and Garcia, and seniors Brandon Eller and Brown all had one hit to lead ASU at the plate. Sophomore Bret Atwood had two hits to lead the Bobcats.
Next up for the Red Wolves is the 2009 home opener, set for next weekend at Tomlinson Stadium and Kell Field. Arkansas State will play host to SIU-Edwardsville in a three-game series beginning Friday, Feb. 27 at 6:00 p.m. Saturday’s first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m., with the series finale getting underway Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Fordham 18, Florida Atlantic 16
BOCA RATON, FL (February 22, 2009) – Fordham avoided a series sweep in Boca Raton, outlasting Florida Atlantic 18-16 Sunday. FAU had the winning-run on base in the bottom of the ninth after trailing by as many as eight runs on two different occasions.
Fordham (1-2) turned its lineup over five times, using 18 hits to score in all but two innings. Seniors P.J. Como, Danny Leach and freshman Brian Kownacki each had three-hits for the Rams.
Florida Atlantic (2-1) had no trouble generating offense as five different players had two or more hits. The Owls scored 35 runs during the three-game set. David Wilson went 2-for-4 Sunday and finished the series 4 of 9 (.444 BA) with five runs and three RBI.
Fordham took a 4-1 lead on Florida Atlantic sophomore starter Glen Troyanowski (0-1). The sophomore left-hander was charged with five runs, five hits and four walks, leaving as the pitcher of record during an eight-run Fordham fifth. FAU relievers Adam Morrison and Lou Morey needed to throw 32 pitches to eight batters to get Troyanowski out of the inning which was extended by a costly fielding error on a routine groundball.
Bobby DiNardo’s three-run homer off Morey into the bullpen beyond the fence in right field put the Rams up 12-4. DiNardo had doubled previously in the inning. He finished the series 5-for-11 with three homers, two doubles and six RBI.
FAU briefly made it a four-run game, 12-8, in the bottom of the fifth thanks to one of Nick Criaris’ three hits. Criaris and senior classmate Jeremy Griffiths each doubled twice Sunday.
The Fordham offense scored three more times in the sixth and once more in the seventh to make it 16-8. The Rams burned through seven different FAU pitchers and were issued 10 walks to go along with their 18 hits.
A double by senior William Block sparked a late-inning comeback bid by FAU. His double highlighted a five-run seventh inning for the Owls. Block came on to make his collegiate pitching debut in the eighth, working 1 2/3 innings of relief.
Trailing 18-13 in the bottom of the ninth, FAU got one-out hits from Griffiths and Block and consecutive walks courtesy of a shaky Fordham relief corps to set the stage for an exciting finish. After another walk and a sac fly cut the lead to two, Daniel Munday induced the final out- saving the win for mid-reliever John Flanagan (1-0).
The Owls return to action Friday night, February 27 at FAU Stadium when they open a three-game series with Stony Brook.
ULM 15, Mississippi Valley 4
MONROE, La.—ULM jumped on Mississippi Valley State early and often en route to a 15-4 victory Sunday afternoon in the final game of the Warhawk Classic at Warhawk Field. The Warhawks won the inaugural Warhawk Classic with a 2-1 record in the three-day round robin tournament.
One day after scoring 24 runs against Stephen F. Austin, the Warhawks put up five runs in the first inning and held an 11-4 advantage after five innings.
Ben Soignier, who was named MVP of the Warhawk Classic, continued to have an impressive opening weekend finishing the game 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs. He finished the weekend 8-for-15 (.533) from the plate with a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, and a remarkable 10 RBIs. The senior All-American moved into fourth place on the ULM career hits list with 219 and third on the career runs scored list with 172.
The Warhawks (2-1) scored runs in six different innings and multiple runs in four separate frames. After the five-run outburst in the opening inning, ULM plated three in the third, two in the fourth and three in the sixth.
Matt Collins had a monster day at the plate going 3-for-6, including a three-run home run and a double. Matt Laird (2-for-4), Nick Wade (2-for-2) and Kelvin York (2-for-5) all recorded multiple hits as the Warhawks belted out 16 as a team.
Collins, Wade and Laird were named to the All-Classic Team as was ULM’s Friday night starter Keith Christensen.
Josh Turner (1-0) picked up the victory on the mound for the Warhawks tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. The ULM bullpen combined the throw 5 1/3 scoreless innings allowing just four hits and one walk.
The Warhawk batters finished the weekend hitting .353 as a team with eight doubles and four home runs.
Brandon Doston (0-1) took the loss for the Delta Devils (2-1) allowing nine runs on nine hits through four innings of work. Chris Herron and Willie Mays both went 2-for-4 from the plate and were named to the All-Classic Team.
The Warhawks return to action on Wednesday night at No. 34 Tulane. First pitch from Greer Field at Turchin Stadium in New Orleans, La., is schedule for 6 p.m.
UALR 15, Northern Iowa 6
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The UALR Trojans baseball team (2-1) pushed 15 runs across on 15 hits en route to a 15-6 victory over the Northern Iowa Panthers in the series finale played at Gary Hogan Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Trojans were led offensively in the contest with a three RBI performance from second baseman Josh Marazzito. The Lakeland, Fla. native was 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored, as well.
“Josh is a real hard working kid,” said Trojan head coach Scott Norwood. “He’s a real spark plug and he gave us a spark today and that’s what we needed.”
Tim Emmons also chipped in three hits, including a two-run home run in the bottom of the third. Preseason Rivals.com All-Conference selection Matt Apfel had a nice day as well going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and four runs scored, and catcher Brad Swiderski made his presence in the lineup felt as he was 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI and a walk.
UNI actually dented the scoreboard first in the top of the first when Greg Grgurich was hit by a pitch and then would later come around and score on an RBI-single by Panther first baseman Kalvin Johnson.
The Trojans wasted no time answering the bell as they used a solo home run by Nate Brown in the bottom of the first to tie the game at one. Apfel followed with a double of the wall and he scored on, yet another, double by Tyson Parks, who would finish the afternoon 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs.
The Panthers came back to take the lead 3-2 in the third inning when Brett Douglass had a two-run double which brought around Grgurich and Deric Manrique. The UALR offense came to life with authority in the bottom half of the inning, however, as they would strike for five runs and then follow it up with four more runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Junior Sean Potter earned the win on the mound for the Trojans as he allowed five runs on seven hits while striking out four in 5.1 innings. UNI starting pitcher Carlos Pinedo was charged with the loss after he was abused by Trojan hitters for seven runs on six hits in just 2.2 innings of work.
“He [Potter] threw well enough for to get the win,” said Norwood. “He got some double play balls that were crucial and kept momentum on our side.”
The Trojan defense rolled two double plays on the afternoon and got a third in the top of the sixth when Manrique hit a line drive to shortstop Brandon Welch who promptly tossed the ball over to Marazzito, doubling off UNI’s Gabe Schultz.
The Trojans will step away from Gary Hogan Field on for games at McNeese State in Lake Charles, La. on Tuesday and Wednesday. Game time for Tuesday’s contest is set for 6:30 p.m. while Wednesday’s game is set to begin at 2 p.m.
Louisiana-Lafayette 5, Nebraska 5 (10 INN)
LAFAYETTE – A 10-inning game ended in a tie for Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns baseball team and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, ending a four-game, three-day marathon at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field which included seven extra innings and an hour-long rain delay.
The Cajuns and Huskers called the game after 10 frames at 5-5, due to Nebraska's pending flight back to Lincoln out of New Orleans. It was the first tie in 26 years for Louisiana, as well as the first of head coach Tony Robichaux's career, the ninth in Cajuns history, and the second at Moore Field.
Louisiana last tied on Feb. 23, 1982, in a 2-2 game in Houston, facing the Cougars. The last tie at "The Tigue" occurred on March 23, 1980, when the Cajuns finished even at 1 run apiece against Lamar.
The Cajuns went 1-2-1 against Nebraska to open the season, and on Sunday got eight out of 10 leadoff hitters on base.
Teurlings Catholic product Alex Fuselier started on short notice for the Cajuns, and in his pitching debut he retired the first three batters faced, including two called strikeouts. He pitched six innings, allowing seven hits, four runs, all earned, with one walk and three strikeouts.
Cajuns hurler Blake Wascom threw the last four innings, allowing three hits with one run, earned, on one walk and three strikeouts. None of the six pitchers to enter game received a win, loss or save.
After one weekend, junior college transfer Chad Keefer leads the team with an impressive .471 batting average. He started all four games in the infield, tallying eight hits including one double and three RBIS in 17 at bats. Greg Fontenot went 4-for-11 to earn second place on the team chart at .371.
Les Smith posted a breakout performance in Sunday's game, smashing a leadoff home run in the fifth inning. He followed that up with a leadoff triple in the seventh inning. He finished the game with two RBIS at 2-for-4. He is batting .278 with a .556 slugging percentage as well as a team-leading 10 total bases.
Scott Hawkins led off the bottom of the second for the Cajuns with his fifth career triple and first since April 16 last year against Northwestern State. He became the first run for Louisiana when he scored on a Keefer sacrifice fly.
Kyle Bostick singled in the next run, scoring Greg Fontenot from second in the bottom of the third.
Travis Whipple provided a defensive highlight in the top of the fourth. Huskers designated hitter Jeff Tezak popped a high fly ball into left field foul territory, seemingly out of reach for any of the Cajuns. Travis Whipple covered 30 yards from his spot in left to make a spectacular sliding catch in front of the third base party patio.
Trouble began when Nebraska loaded the bases in the top of the fifth. Ben Kline smacked a double off the right center wall, clearing the bases and launching the Huskers to a 3-2 lead. The runs were the first scored off Fuselier.
Les Smith made up the difference in the first at bat in the Cajuns' fifth. He hit his first collegiate home run and the Cajuns' second of the weekend and season with a solo shot just fair down the right field line to even the score at 3-3.
Huskers left fielder Khiry Cooper answered and took the lead right back with a solo shot of his own to left field in the front end of the seventh.
Alex Fuselier left the game after six innings, replaced by Wascom, who worked his first half inning without incident.
Les Smith came up big again, hitting a line drive into the right field corner for a standup triple. Just a couple of pitches later, though, he attempted to score on a wild pitch and was tagged out at home. The missed opportunity proved costly, as Greg Fontenot's flyout to right field would have sacrificed him home for the tying run in the next bat. Instead, the Cajuns remained behind by one run, 4-3.
Nebraska's Tyler Farst gave Nebraska a 5-3 advantage when he scored on a Wascom wild pitch in the top of the eighth.
The game became new again in the bottom of the eighth, when UL tied the score at five each. Kyle Bostick reached on a controversial dropped fly ball, just fair on the first base side of the infield. Bostick ran into Huskers first baseman Tyler Farst, but the contact occurred directly on the baseline. The umpires made no call, and when the ball feel safely to the infield grass, Nebraska head coach Mike Anderson argued for runner's intereference, and eventually only agreed to finish the game under protest.
Bostick eventually scored on a Keefer single into left field for Keefer's second RBI. After loading the bases on a walk to pinch hitter Jon Masch, UL tied the score when Les Smith took four straight balls for a free pass and his second RBI.
The ninth and 10th inning both passed without any scoring from either team.
The Ragin' Cajuns will try to even their record up when they return to the diamond at "The Tigue" on Wednesday, hosting Southeastern Louisiana for a 6:30 p.m. contest.
Jacksonville 9, FIU 3
MIAMI - Starter Corey Polizzano was solid on the mound, striking out four over four innings of work, allowing just three hits and one earned run. However, the FIU defense committed four errors, and the bullpen couldn't hold the Jacksonville bats in check as the Golden Panthers lost to the Dolphins 9-3 on Sunday afternoon.
Like they did in the first two games of the series, the Golden Panthers got on the board first, plating two runs in the bottom of the first. Michael Vargas led off the inning by drawing a walk, and moved to second on a sharp single through the right side by Tyler Townsend. After Steven Stropp drew a walk, Tim Jobe followed with a single to center that scored Vargas. Garrett Wittels followed with a sacrifice fly that brought Townsend home, however, Stropp was thrown out at second to end the inning.
After two scoreless, the Dolphins took the lead in the top of the fourth with the assist of two FIU errors and a hit batter. The Dolphins tied things up on a 2-run double by Thomas Myers. After Polizzano hit the next batter on the first pitch, he struck out the next batter, but a throw to third by Stropp could not be handled by Wittels, allowing the runner from second to score, giving JU a 3-2 lead. Polizzano got the next batter to pop out to third, and then struck out the final hitter of the inning.
Daniel DeSimone came on in relief to start the fifth inning, and he tossed a perfect inning, getting all three hitters to ground out harmlessly. However, in the top of the sixth, the first pitch he threw to Jeremy Gillan was pulled by the Dolphin catcher and sent over the left field wall for a home run and a 4-2 Jacksonville lead. After walking the next batter, a possible double play groundball was misplayed, putting runners on first and third with no outs, and ending DeSimone's afternoon. Miami Dade College transfer Eric Berkowitz came out of the pen to relieve DeSimone. The first pitch thrown by Berkowitz was hit to deep center for a triple, scoring two more for JU. The next batter up hit a single through the left side, scoring the Dolphins' seventh run of the ballgame. With one away and two on, Berkowitz got the next batter to line into a double play, ending the inning.
Leading off the bottom of the seventh, junior transfer Tim Jobe got a hold of a 2-2 pitch and hit it off the scoreboard for his first home run of the season. Two batters later, Raiko Alfonzo sent one into the gap in left-center for a double, his second of the season. Pinch hitter Pablo Bermudez followed by drawing a walk, and he was lifted for a pinch runner in the form of Ty Main. However, the next batter grounded into a double play, ending the Golden Panther threat.
The Dolphins wasted little time getting the run back, as Kevin Lehane led off the top of the eighth with a home run to left on the first pitch of the inning. After Mason McVay came on in relief and retired the first two batters, he allowed a walk and a single to left center that fell just out of the reach of a diving Michael Vargas. With runners on the corners, a passed ball allowed the ninth run to come home for the Dolphins. McVay would then strikeout the next hitter to end the inning.
Andre Vazquez came on in the ninth and pitched a scoreless inning to finish the game for the FIU pitching staff. The Golden Panther offense couldn't mount any offense in the bottom half of the ninth as Jacksonville maintained its 9-3 advantage to improve its record to 1-2. FIU fell to 2-1.
The Golden Panthers return to action on Friday as they travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for the Baseball at The Beach tournament. FIU will face Brown on Friday at 4 p.m. and on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Golden Panthers will then take on host-school Coastal Carolina at 4 p.m. on Saturday and close out the weekend with game against Tennessee on Sunday at Noon.
Troy 10, Southern Illinois 3
MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Troy University Trojans finished a strong opening weekend with a solid performance on Sunday against Southern Illinois, taking a 10-3 victory over the Salukis.
The win gives the Trojans a 3-1 record on the weekend while SIU fell to 1-3 in the tournament.
The Trojans turned to senior Jeff Green to make the start on Saturday and he did not disappoint in earning his first win of the year. Green worked into the sixth inning and allowed just six hits and two runs, both coming on a two-run homer in the sixth. He struck out four and walked only one in the win.
“Jeff pitched a fine game for us,” Trojans head coach Bobby Pierce said. “The one kid hit a line drive off him over the wall in left, but other than that Jeff was really good. We knew that, with the wind today, he needed to keep the ball down, and he had a good slider and his fastball had better velocity than we have seen lately.”
Troy got on the board first, scoring three unearned runs in the fourth inning thanks to a pair of SIU errors and a pair of wild pitches. Those three runs made a hard-luck loser out of SIU starter Jimmy Cornell, who surrendered just those three runs in five innings of work, allowing just four hits while striking out five.
After SIU closed the gap on the two-run homer from Michael Stalter in he sixth, the Trojans answered with five runs in the bottom on the inning off the SIU bullpen. The big blows in the inning included a two-run homer from Trevor Tyre and a two-run double by Steven Felix.
SIU got one back in the top of the seventh when Chris Murphy lifted a ball into the strong wind to left and it just got out of the park off reliever Jordan Mathers, but Troy answered again in the eighth when Charley Williams muscled a ball over the wall in left for a two-run homer.
Sophomore Drew Hull worked the final two innings on the mound for Troy, allowing just one hit and one walk.
Ryan Ditthardt and Shohei Fujita had two hits each to lead the Trojans’ 11-hit attack.
Troy will return to action on Wednesday afternoon with a 3 p.m. game at Kennesaw State. The Trojans will played their home opener next Friday night against Memphis to open a three-game weekend series. The first pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2009
Florida Atlantic 11, Fordham 5
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Small ball, consistent pitching and late inning homers were the answer in Florida Atlantic University’s 11-5 victory over Fordham University, Saturday.
“It was a nice win and a good all around effort,” said John McCormack, FAU’s head coach. “The bullpen did a nice job and if we can continue to get that kind of performance from the pen it will be a nice season. I thought Chris Schmidt did a nice job and as I have said, I believe Ahmed Garcia is a player that fans will enjoy watching.”
Fordham jumped on the board early with a two-out home run in the top of the first by Bobby DiNardo. The blast to right was his first of two on the night, a night that he accounted for three of the team’s five RBI.
FAU, which improved to 2-0 on the season, answered in the bottom half of the inning with a Travis Ozga sacrifice fly plating Anthony Mesa who had reached on a walk and moved to third on a double by Jeremy Griffiths.
The Owls scored another in the bottom of the second after retiring Fordham in order. Nick Criaris reached on a throwing error that moved him to second. He was sacrificed to third and scored on a ground out to second.
The 2-1 lead would hold through the third and would be tied in the top of the fourth. Fordham took a 5-2 lead in the fifth and was blanked the final four innings by a strong bullpen performance.
Senior Chris Schmidt, who picked up the victory, stared the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings. The Delray Beach product allowed just one hit and faced one over the minimum.
Schmidt’s performance was buoyed by the Owls offense which took advantage of several baulks and scored seven runs on just three hits in the sixth and seventh. One of the three hits was a three RBI homer by Criaris.
Holding a 9-5 advantage, freshman Ahmed Garcia made his collegiate debut and finished the game with two scoreless innings. The lefty from Miami, allowed one hit and struck out two.
FAU second baseman William Block also had a strong night at the plate with a double and the homer.
Fordham’s Greg Dimmling took the loss after 1/3 an inning of work in the sixth.
The Owls are scheduled to complete the three-game series 1 p.m., Sunday, February 22 at FAU Field.
Northern Iowa 7, UALR 6
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Northern Iowa (1-1) rallied for three runs in the eighth and followed with three more runs in the ninth giving the Panthers a 7-6 victory over the UALR Trojans (1-1) at Gary Hogan Field on Saturday evening.
The two teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader beginning at noon, but rain forced the cancellation of the day’s first game so there was one nine inning game played at 4 p.m.
UNI’s Travis Bennett tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the eighth inning when he sent a rocket over the right center field fence off of Trojan pitcher JR Bolling. Bennett finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate with a couple of runs scored and four RBI.
The Panthers continued to pile it on in the ninth as they would strike for three runs on three hits, making the score 7-4. Andy Steichen started the UNI rally when he drew a walk and then would move into scoring position when Deric Manrique bunted him over. Grant Grgurich then had an RBI single and then Bennett struck again with a double into left center, scoring Grgurich. After a pitching change and a ground out, UNI first baseman Kalvin Johnson sent a single through the right side driving in Bennett.
UALR would not go away easily, however. Pinch hitter Chad Taylor led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk and then moved to third on an Eric Hanlon double. Taylor scored and Hanlon advanced to third on a wild pitch, cutting the UNI lead to 7-5. The Trojans crept even closer when Tim Emmons drove in Hanlon on a ground out to second. Trojan right fielder Matt Apfel got things going again as he drew a walk which led to a Panther pitching change. Shunei Fujiya came in relief for UNI and struck out two hitters to shut the door and earn the save.
Collin Rea was credited with the victory for the Panthers after hurling 2.1 innings. He gave up three hits, three runs, walked three and struck out two in the effort. Gavin Gray was saddled with the loss for UALR. He pitched an inning and gave up three runs on two hits.
The Trojans carried a 4-1 lead into the eighth inning thanks to a stellar pitching performance from UALR starter Adam Champion. The Evansville, Ind. native tossed seven innings of two-hit ball allowing just one run while striking out seven. Derek Ott got the starting nod for UNI and he went six innings allowing three runs on five hits while striking out four Trojan hitters.
UALR scored a run in each of the first two innings as Apfel had a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 in the first and then Jack Larner earned his fourth RBI of the early season in the bottom of the second when he knocked in Nate Brown on a fielder’s choice put out.
The Trojans gave Champion a 3-0 lead to work with in the bottom of the fourth when Brown laced an RBI triple into the right center field gap, knocking in Landis Wilson who had reached after being hit by a pitch.
Louisiana-Lafayette 2, Nebraska 1
Nebraska 9, Louisiana-Lafayette 8
LAFAYETTE, La. – After Friday's 15-inning baseball extravaganza, rain forced the Ragin' Cajuns and the Nebraska Cornhuskers into a rain delay in the top of the fourth of Game 2, following a 2-1 win for Louisiana in the early game. The Cajuns went on to lose the nightcap by a score of 9-8.
Each game served as a sharp counterpoint to the other. In Game 1, the two teams combined to produce just five hits. In Game 2, the total was 25.
The Ragin' Cajuns started sophomore right hander Michael Cook on the mound for Game 1. Cook retired the first 15 batters he faced, the streak ending in the top of the sixth when he hit visiting shortstop Ben Kline.
The book closed on Cook after 6 2/3 innings, leaving the game with a 2-1 lead. He allowed three hits, one run, earned, and gave up one walk on his way to the win.
Luke Wagley entered in the seventh and threw 2 1/3 innings, holding the Huskers hitless and scoreless with two strikeouts and no walks in eight at bats. His flawless relief earned him the save.
The Cajuns' first run came in the bottom of the opening frame. Center fielder Brian Bowman scored from third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of first baseman Scott Hawkins, the senior's first RBI of the season.
Louisiana added a run to make it 2-0 in the fifth when Greg Fontenot squeezed the first double of his career between Husker first baseman Cade Thompson and the first base line, and then scored on a Kyle Bostick RBI single into center field.
Nebraska came through with a run in the seventh, ending Cook's shutout bid. The Huskers' Jeff Tezak drove in a runner from second with a single to left field. That is when Wagley took the mound with two down, retiring the next batter on a groundout to end the inning and preserve the lead at 2-1.
Wagley was airtight, holding Nebraska scoreless through the end of the game to pick up the save.
The low score of the early game belied the offensive festival that was to follow in the nightcap.
Junior Greg Wilborn took the mound to start the game, and went 4 1/3 innings, allowing five hits, four runs, all earned, with one walk and four strikeouts in his first start in over a year. Wilborn missed the 2008 season due to recovery from surgery.
Luke Wagley, Matt Broussard, and Greg Harmon all made appearances in the game. Wagley was tagged with the loss after giving up three runs, all earned, on four hits and two strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning.
In the first inning, Kyle Bostick scored from third on a Les Smith single to left field.
The Cornhuskers returned the favor in the top of the second, scoring a run on two straight doubles to open the inning.
UL scored two runs in the bottom of the second, the second two-run inning for the Cajuns on the season after two in the sixth inning of Friday's loss. Thad Griffen doubled in Chance Harst, then came around to score on freshman designated hitter Alex Fuselier's RBI single to right field.
After holding Nebraska scoreless in the front end of the third, Louisiana added their fourth run on a pair of doubles, one from Chad Keefer to lead off the inning, and the other driving him in off the bat of Travis Whipple.
Nebraska shortened the lead to two runs with a run in the top of the fourth just before a rain delay interrupted the game. When play resumed 61 minutes later at 7:19 p.m., Wilborn returned to the mound. He gave up an RBI single that brought Nebraska within one at 4-3. Wilborn worked himself out of a jam with runners on second and third by catching a Husker looking, ending the inning before Nebraska could finish off the rally.
In the back end of the fourth, Scott Hawkins tallied his second RBI on the day and the season with a single to left field, scoring Thad Griffen from second.
Nebraska struck again to take another run off of Wilborn in the top of the fifth before Wagley returned for his second relief assignment of the day. Despite a brief interruption from the outfield sprinklers and one hit allowed, Wagley ended the half on two straight swinging strikeouts.
Louisiana added its sixth run in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases for Bostick. A hard hit fielder's choice ground ball scored Harst from third, but Nebraska ended the inning before the Cajuns could add more. UL finished the fifth ahead 6-4.
Nebraska erased the two-run deficit plus some with three straight hits off of Wagley to open the sixth. Two singles produced one run, followed by a perfectly placed line drive to left center, hitting the gap and allowing Nebraska designated hitter Jeff Tezak to drive in a run and reach third with the Cajuns' first triple allowed this season.
Matt Broussard made his first appearance in relief of Wagley, but his second pitch went wild and allowed Tezak to score from third, capping off a three-run inning for the Huskers in which they took the lead, 7-6.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Cajuns were held scoreless for the first time in the game. The Cajuns returned the favor in the top of the seventh, holding Nebraska scoreless for the first time since the third inning.
Broussard left the game in the top of the eighth in favor of Gregory Harmon, who inherited two runners. One scored on a wild pitch, the second such scoring play of the game for the Huskers.
The Cajuns got within one in the bottom of the eighth. Down 8-6, the Cajuns strung together three straight singles from Alex Fuselier, Scott Hawkins and Chad Keefer. Moving to the ninth the Cajuns still trailed by one.
Harmon gave up a home run to relief pitcher turned right fielder Adam Bailey on the second pitch of the top of the ninth to return the deficit to two at 9-7.
Down two runs with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Chance Harst brought the game back within one run with a solo blast to dead center. That would be all UL could muster, though. With one runner on, Thad Griffen hit into a game-ending double play to end the night.
Chad Keefer enters the series finale batting .462, with six hits in 13 at bats, including one RBI and a double.
The series concludes Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field. The game will be televised on MyKLAF-TV in their Acadiana viewing area.
Siena 5, Arkansas State 1
ARLINGTON, Texas - The Siena Saints (1-0) used a three-run fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie and went on to defeat the Arkansas State Red Wolves 5-1 Saturday night in the UT-Arlington/Hilton Invitational at Clay Gould Ballpark.
Siena used a pair of walks and a hit batsman by ASU starter Derek Riley to load the bases with no outs in the fifth, and stretched their lead to 3-1 when third baseman Don DiPetta singled through the left side to send two runners home. A walked-in run later in the inning accounted for the final run of the frame and increased the Saints' lead to 4-1.
"When you look at the fifth, we had a 3-2 count walk, hit-by-pitch, and another walk," said ASU Head Coach Tommy Raffo. "So now we're looking at bases loaded and it becomes very difficult to defend the field with no outs. You hope to get out of the inning with two or less runs, and they got a single to score two."
"We brought in freshman Jacob Lee and it was very pleasing to watch him compete out there," added Raffo. "I think he's got a bright future on the mound. He's got a big arm and he got a couple of big outs, then got a tough pitch squeezed a little bit and they got another run across. But we liked his performance - gutty, first time out, and with the bases loaded."
Siena got on the board first, taking advantage of an ASU error in the second to plate an unearned run and take a 1-0 lead, but the Saints returned the favor in the top of the fourth to help the Red Wolves tie the game at 1-1.
Arkansas State junior second baseman Giovanni Garcia delivered a two-out, infield single to get aboard, then scored from first on a Siena error in the outfield when senior right fielder Derrick Coleman sent a base hit to center field.
Following the Saints' three-run fifth, Arkansas State's deficit grew to 5-1 in the seventh when Siena right fielder Anthony Giansanti hit a solo home run over the left field wall.
Riley (0-1) took the loss on the mound for ASU, giving up four runs (3 earned) in four innings of work with two strikeouts and four walks. Craig Chaput (1-0) recorded the win for Siena, going five innings while giving up one run on three hits. Chaput struck out three Red Wolves and walked four.
Coleman went 2-for-3 to lead Arkansas State at the plate.
ASU (1-2) will resume play in the UTA/Hilton Invitational Sunday at 11:00 a.m., taking on Texas State (1-1) in the Red Wolves final game of the tournament. Arkansas State opened the tournament with a 4-3 win over Texas State Friday afternoon.
The Red Wolves' home opener is set for Feb. 27 when A-State opens a three-game series with SIU-Edwardsville. Friday's first pitch at Tomlinson Stadium and Kell Field is set for 6:00 p.m.
Liberty 5, South Alabama 2
Liberty 4, South Alabama 3 (10 INN)
MOBILE, Ala. - University of South Alabama junior Brandon Brown didn’t allow a hit to any of the first 10 batters he faced, and was one strike from securing the victory with the Jags leading 3-2 in the ninth inning Saturday night at Stanky Field. On an 0-2 pitch, Liberty third baseman Tyler Bream doubled, then came around to score the tying run on a Matt Williams’ single, and the Flames went on to win 4-3 after plating a run with three singles in the 10th inning.
“You’ve got to give Liberty a lot of credit,” head coach Steve Kittrell said. “They’ve come in here and played hard, played really well, and they got some big hits when they had to have them.”
After falling behind 2-0 early when starter Miles Ethridge allowed a paid of solo home runs, the Jags rallied to take a 3-2 lead after five innings. Brown came on in relief of Ethridge with two runners on and one out in the sixth inning, and he promptly recorded two strikeouts to escape the jam.
Brown held on to the lead until the ninth, but the Jags were unable to plate any insurance runs off Liberty reliever Andrew Wilson, who picked up the win with 5.0 innings of two-hit, shutout relief.
Greg Johnson allowed one run on three hits in the 10th inning, but the Jags had a chance for a rally after Ryan Bohanan drilled a single up the middle to lead off the bottom of the inning. David Doss struck out, and pinch hitter Chris Davis grounded into a double play to end the game.
Bohanan finished the game 3-for-4 with a walk and one RBI, while Jake Overstreet and Adam Heisler recorded two hits apiece for the Jags. Cody Brown led the way for Liberty, going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and the game-winning RBI single.
Liberty and USA met earlier in the day in a game that wasn’t part of the Coca-Cola Classic. The Flames took that one 5-2 on the back of Mark Swanson, who went 7.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits. Carter Browning earned the save after escaping a jam in the eighth inning and working around a pair of hits in the ninth.
The Jags committed four errors in the game, helping Liberty get three unearned runs off starter Brandon Sage, who took the loss after allowing just the three unearned runs on three hits in 4.1 innings. Bohanan knocked in both of USA’s runs with a double in the eighth.
USA gets another shot at Kittrell’s 1,000th career win when it returns to action Sunday against Ole Miss at 1 p.m. The Jags can still win the Coca-Cola Classic championship if they’re able to beat the Rebels and Mercer knocks off Liberty in the 10 a.m. game.
Notes: Doss had a 21-game on-base streak snapped when he went 0-for-5 in the nightcap ... Junior pitcher Chris LaGrow made his first appearance of the season when he came on to pinch run for Bohanan in the 10th ... Brown started as the designated hitter and went 0-for-4 in the nightcap, his first start at USA after transferring in from Wallace State-Hanceville Community College ... Adam Heisler was replaced by a pinch runner in the fifth inning after tweaking a hamstring.
FRIDAY, February 20, 2009
WKU 3, Toledo 0
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Western Kentucky University (1-0) got 6.0 innings of three-hit, shutout baseball from junior ace Matt Ridings and picked up a pair of two-out RBI en route to posting a 3-1 victory over Toledo (0-1) on Friday afternoon at Nick Denes Field. The win marks the third-straight season opening victory for the Hilltoppers, the longest such stretch since the 1950-53 club won four-in-a-row.
Ridings (1-0) recorded a pair of strikeouts while not issuing a walk, tossing 60 of his 92 pitches for strikes. The Franklin, Tenn. native ups his career mark to 18-6, tying him for seventh with Stephen Stemle (1996-98) on the WKU all-time victories list.
After Matt Hightower drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first and then stole second, All-American Chad Cregar delivered a two-out, RBI single to left center making it 1-0 in favor of the Toppers.
In the home half of the fifth, Jeremy Coleman reached on a two-out infield single to third base. After he stole second, Hightower singled Coleman home with a shot to right field, increasing the lead to 2-0. Hightower finished 2-for-3 with one walk, one run scored, and two RBI.
Toledo got on the board in the top of the seventh as Jared Hoying took a 1-0 pitch from reliever Evan Teague over the wall in right field to pull the Rockets within a run at 2-1.
The lone error of the game led to a Topper run in the bottom of the seventh following an RBI groundout from Hightower.
Toledo made it interesting in the ninth, as Tim Krofcheck led off with a double to left field and Jake Oster drew a two-out walk to put the tying run on first, but closer Bryce Jenney struck out Aaron Dudley to seal the win. Krofcheck had the lone multi-hit game for the Rockets going 2-for-4.
Ben Paxson tossed 1.2 innings of middle relief, allowing just one hit. Jenney (1) recorded the save.
Justin Collop (0-1) scattering five hits and two walks over 5.0 innings of work, surrendering two runs, both earned, and striking out four in the loss. Three Rocket relievers combined for one unearned run on two hits in 3.0 innings.
WKU, now 61-26-2 in home openers, will host Toledo in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1:00 PM.
UALR 5, Northern Iowa 0
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – UALR baseball coach Scott Norwood earned his first victory as a Division I head coach this afternoon as he watched junior transfer Jake Sullivan pitch 7.2 shutout innings, leading the Trojans (1-0) to a 5-0 win over Northern Iowa (0-1) at Gary Hogan Field.
UNI hitters were only able to solve the left-hander for four hits on the afternoon. Sullivan, who earned his first career victory as a Trojan, was impressive as he struck out five while not allowing a free pass.
“He’s a special kid,” said Norwood, “He didn’t have to battle out of many jams and worked ahead in the count and I have to give coach [Dirk] Kinney credit because he’s worked really hard with these guys.”
Junior transfer JR Bolling was the only other Trojan pitcher to see work today as he threw 1.1 innings out of the bullpen allowing just one hit while striking out one.
The pitching staff, along with the defense seemed to be in mid-season form today despite it being the first game of the season. The Trojans committed just one error on the afternoon, but seemingly made up for it with numerous outstanding plays in the field. No other play was more impressive than the play that ended the game as left fielder Daniel Guffey made an outstanding sliding catch, into the fence, in foul territory for the final out.
“Our guys have had a tremendous attitude and attitude helps ability,” said Norwood. “Good things happen to good people and these guys deserve it. I’m proud of these guys today.
The UALR offense gave Sullivan a lead to work with early on as Jack Larner belted a two-out, two-run home run, in his first ever Trojan at bat, giving his team a 2-0 lead.
“It’s always nice to get on the board early,” said Norwood. “That’s a big momentum swing right there.”
The Trojans went right back to work in the third inning as Guffey was hit by a pitch to lead things off. The next two Trojan hitters would also reach safely as Tim Emmons walked and Matt Apfel snuck a single through the left side. Trojan clean-up hitter Tyson Parks then rolled into a double play but Guffey scored in the process making the score 3-0. Landis Wilson then reached on a throwing error by UNI shortstop Grant Grgurich allowing Emmons to come across safely making it 4-0.
The UALR offense added a little bit more insurance in the sixth inning as Wilson led off the inning with a single. He then ended up at third after a wild pitch and a balk before he was driven home by Larner on a ground out to second.
The Trojans did most of their damage off of senior left hander Nick Kirk, who picked up a victory against the Trojans last season. Today, however, UALR got to Kirk for five runs (four earned) on five hits, while drawing three walks.
Leading the way offensively for UNI was Brett Douglass, who enjoyed a 2-for-4 day at the plate. Deric Manrique, Kalvin Johnson, and James Dinizo each added a hit apiece in the losing effort.
The Trojans and Panthers will hook up again tomorrow at Gary Hogan Field with a double header beginning at 12 p.m. Adam Champion is the likely starter in game one for UALR while UNI’s Carlos Pinedo is tabbed as the probable for the Panthers.
Arkansas State 4, Texas State 3 (10 INN)
UT-Arlington 5, Arkansas State 4
ARLINGTON, Texas - The Arkansas State baseball team (1-1) opened its first season under new head coach Tommy Raffo by splitting a doubleheader to begin play at the UTA/Hilton Invitational Saturday, defeating Texas State (0-1) by a 4-3 score before falling 5-4 to UT Arlington (1-0) at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The Red Wolves won their first season opener since 2006 and Raffo became the fourth ASU head coach to pick up a victory in his coaching debut at Arkansas State. Texas State was picked to finish second in the Southland Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
Arkansas State trailed Texas State 3-1 midway through the seventh inning, but rallied to score a run in the bottom half of the next four frames to claim the one-run victory over Texas State in 10 innings. With two outs in the 10th, junior Josh DeMoney singled up the middle to drive home pinch-runner Cody Pace from second base and cap the Red Wolves comeback.
ASU didn't record its first hit until the sixth inning and posted seven of their nine hits over the game's final four innings. Texas State got on the scoreboard first, putting two runs across the plate in the top of the second inning. ASU pulled within 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning before the Bobcats scored their final run in the eighth.
Texas State finished with 10 hits to the Red Wolves nine and left 11 men on base, while the Red Wolves stranded six runners. Todd Baumgartner, Derrick Coleman and DeMoney all collected two hits to lead ASU, while Kyle DeGrace recorded an RBI?with his only hit. Andy Ferguson pitched the final two full innings for ASU, giving up just two hits and no runs while earning the victory.
"I was proud of the way our team competed and stayed in the game, then got a chance late to tie and win it," said ASU?head coach Tommy Raffo. "There was a lot of excitement in the dugout for our team to get a win, especially the first game (of the season), and that was fun to see in their eyes."
While the Red Wolves had a slow offensive start to their first game, they exploded for four runs on five hits in the top of the first inning against UT Arlington. Baumgartner, Coleman and Brandon Eller all singled and Murray Watts had a 2-RBI at bat during the outburst.
However, ASU managed just two hits over the remainder of the game and the Mavericks rallied with five runs on five hits, including a three-run homerun by Michael Choice, in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 5-4 advantage that held up the remainder of the game. Five of ASU's seven hits came during the first inning, while five of UTA's nine hits came in the fifth inning.
"The second game we were ready to play," said Raffo. "Obviously, one big inning hurt us. We had a big inning of our own, but it wasn't enough. We've just got to do a little better job through the course of a ballgame to put ourselves in position to put teams away, especially when you score four runs early. But that will come, we just have to keep learning through it and understand that there are some moments in games that will come up and we just have to take advantage of them."
The Red Wolves continue play at the UTA/Hilton Invitational Saturday with a 7:00 p.m. game against Siena, which will be playing its first game of the 2009 season.
Kentucky 8, Troy 3
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Troy University baseball team, loaded with fresh-faced players for the 2009 season, opened with a less than sparkling performance against Kentucky on the first day of the Caravelle Resort Invitational on Friday.
The Trojans fell to the 19th-ranked Wildcats 8-3 thanks in great measure by mistakes and tentative play throughout. Troy will have a chance to get in the win column on Saturday when the Trojans face both Southern Illinois and James Madison in a double-header at BB&T Coastal Field.
“We played like it was out first game,” Troy coach Bobby Pierce said of the performance. “We were a little tight. Kentucky was a looser team, which comes from them having a more veteran squad.
“The damage against us was largely self-inflicted but, between the mistakes, there were some good things and some things we can build on.”
Early on, the biggest problem was that junior right-hander Jason Walls (0-1) had a hard time finding the strike zone on a consistent basis. The Valley, Ala., native walked five in three innings of work while also allowing five hits and striking out just two.
“Walls didn’t throw nearly as well today as he had in the preseason,” Pierce said. “We walked too many guys and errors really hurt us, but you have to be able to pitch around those things.”
That was not the case for the Wildcats’ junior left-hander, James Paxton (1-0). The native of British Columbia worked into the sixth innings, allowing just two runs on six hits. He did not walk anyone and struck out six despite barely avoiding two line shots up the middle, and not avoiding a third.
Troy senior Michael Precise hit a line shot off Paxton in the fourth inning that appeared, at the moment, to have hit the Wildcats’ hurler in the face. Fortunately, Paxton was able to get his face out of the way and took only a glancing shot off the right collar bone. Unfortunately for Precise, the shot ricocheted to third baseman Chris McLendon, whose throw nipped Precise at first.
Such was the way things went for the Trojans, whose hard hit balls found Wildcat gloves most of the day, while Kentucky piled up bloop hit after bloop hit to convert walks and errors into runs.
The only truly hard-hit ball of the day for Kentucky was a second inning home run to right by eighth place hitter Spencer Korus, who drove in three runs in the game, including two on a fourth inning single through the infield with the bases loaded.
In fact, it was the bottom third of the UK batting order that accounted for six RBI in the game, with nine-hole hitter Chris Bisson picking up two with a bases-loaded single in the third, and seven-hole hitter Bryan Rose plating one with a bases-loaded walk that same inning.
Junior left-hander Fred Lewis made his return to the mound for Troy two years after Tommy John surgery, and had a solid performance in relief. He gave up three in the fourth, his first inning, thanks in part by an error at short by Shohei Fujita and a passed ball by Steven Felix, but settled down to blank Kentucky over the next three innings, giving Troy a chance to get back into the game.
The Trojans finally plated a run off Paxton in the fifth, thanks to a one-out triple from junior J.R. Myers and a sacrifice fly from Felix. Troy chased the Kentucky starter in the sixth, plating another run and threatening to score more.
Steven Rosado led off the inning with a double to left. After moving up on a ground out, he scored on a swinging bunt by Precise that the senior beat to first. Ryan Ditthardt, who was the only Trojan with two hits in the game, singled to chase Paxton, but junior right-hander Nick Kennedy came on to strike out Myers to end the inning.
Kennedy, a side-winder from Los Angeles, worked 3.1 strong innings of relief for Kentucky to earn a save. He allowed just one run on one hit and struck out four to close out the game.
Kennedy’s only hurdle came in the eighth when Troy loaded the bases with one out on a walk, a hit batter and a single by Daryl Otwell. After Ditthardt delivered a sacrifice fly to score Rosado, Kennedy got Charley Williams to ground out sharply to second to end the threat.
Senior J.J. Whetsel, another Trojan pitcher coming back from Tommy John surgery, gave up an unearned run in his one inning of work to finish the game for Troy.
“Freddy pitched well in his first game back from Tommy John and gave us a chance to come back by holding Kentucky scoreless for three innings,” Pierce said.
The Trojans will be back in action at BB&T Coastal Field, the home of the Class A Myrtle Beach Pelicans, on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m. against Southern Illinois. The Salukis earned a victory in their first game on Friday, downing James Madison 21-4. Troy will face JMU in its second game Saturday, immediately following the SIU game.
Middle Tennessee 19, Missouri State 4
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee began the 2009 season with a 19-4 win over Missouri State on opening day in the newly renovated Reese Smith Jr. Field in front of a crowd of 1,252.
Sophomore Bryce Brentz did not miss a beat picking up right where he left off in 2008 this time taking the mound. Brentz took the win on the hill working five innings allowing just one run on two hits with one strikeout.
"It starts with Bryce. He was a little over 80 pitches and I wanted to keep him at 80. As the fifth inning started, I thought I was going to have to pull him out and he had a decent lead. He knows the game. He went in there with about 65 pitches and he knew I just wasn't going to leave him out there," head coach Steve Peterson said. "He then started to buckle down, hit the strike zone a little more and got through that last inning."
Middle Tennessee had two big innings at the plate, the fourth and the eighth. The Blue Raiders scored seven runs on six hits with three errors by Missouri State to take an 8-1 lead in the fourth.
"They are a quality program and it is hard to say who is good and who is bad on Feb. 20. All I asked of my team was to be prepared and to give themselves a chance to win on Feb. 20," head coach Steve Peterson said.
In the inning, sophomore Justin Miller hit a triple and then scored on a double by freshman Justin Guidry. Miller, in his 19th career start, ended the game 2 for 4 with two RBI, a triple, home run and scored three runs.
"Miller's home run tied the game up. Justin has really been swinging the bat well and the last intersquad game really drove the ball well. I don't want to be around him and I don't want to talk to him. When hitters are doing well I don't want to do anything to mess them up, it's like when you have a no-hitter you don't want to say anything and mess it up," Peterson said.
When junior Tyler Hyde came into the game in relief in the sixth inning, Brentz moved to the designated hitter position where he hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning which saw the Blue Raiders score 10 runs on seven hits.
Senior Rawley Bishop had a good day at the plate as he was 3 for 5 with a home run, five RBI and scored three runs while McDade added assistance with his three hits, four RBI and scoring three runs. Middle Tennessee had 18 hits on the night while Missouri State had seven but the two squads combined for seven errors.
"We got some big hits. We got a big hit out of Justin Guidry, Blake McDade and really all through the lineup. They had a bad infield tonight, a bad pop-up and that kind of opened the floodgates. I was worried we were going to do the same thing. We played better so we were the better playing team today but Missouri State is a good team and they will be fine," Peterson said.
Middle Tennessee had nine extra-base hits which included two doubles by Guidry, and three home runs.
Missouri State's Tim Clubb, who has received three Preseason All-America nods, worked four innings allowing eight runs on seven hits. It was the first loss for Clubb, who was 11-0 in 2008, since April 22, 2007.
The last time Middle Tennessee scored more than 10 runs was in a 20-5 win over Mississippi on May 6, 2008.
The Blue Raiders will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. in game two of its three-game series with the Bears. Live stats and live audio will be available for the entire series on goblueraiders.com.
Florida Atlantic 8, Fordham 6
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Tom Hatcher homered in his first two at-bats and senior classmate David Wilson hit a go-ahead triple in the sixth as Florida Atlantic beat Fordham 8-6. Alex Pepe came on to pitch three spotless innings in mid-relief assuring John McCormack a win in his debut as coach at Florida Atlantic. It was the 2009 season-opener for both schools.
Hatcher put Florida Atlantic (1-0) up by three runs in the first inning, driving a 2-1 pitch from Fordham starter J.P. Mack over the fence in right-centerfield. He followed with a solo shot to center in the third inning – homering in his first two at-bats of the year.
Hatcher hit .319 with nine homers and 46 RBI last season as the Owls’ DH. He finished the night 2-for-4 with four RBI. FAU newcomer Nick DelGuidice led all players with three hits.
Nick Martinez hit a three-run home run for Fordham (0-1) with two outs in the top of the second to even the game at three.
Sophomore starter Mike Gipson went 3 2/3 innings for the Owls, striking out six and allowing five hits and two earned runs. Gipson was chased after throwing 26 pitches during a three-run Fordham fourth which helped the Rams briefly lead 6-4.
The game was tied 6-6 when DelGuidice doubled to begin the bottom of the sixth and scored moments later on Wilson’s triple. Troy Bubley knocked in Wilson with a sac fly and FAU led 8-6.
Mack (0-1), making his first opening-day start for Fordham, allowed eight runs, seven hits, four walks and struck out two over five innings.
Pepe (1-0) looked terrific in relief of Gipson. The senior lefty – taken by the Texas Rangers in the 2008 MLB Draft – retired all 10 batters he faced through 3 1/3. 6-foot-5 freshman Hugh Adams worked a scoreless ninth to earn the save.
Northwestern 8, ULM 3 (10 INN)
MONROE, La.—Northwestern State scored five runs in the top of the 10th inning to push past ULM 8-3 in the season opener for both clubs Friday night at Warhawk Field in the opening game of the Warhawk Classic.
Chase Lyles started the rally with a leadoff home run and then with the bases loaded Dan Meyer hit a bases-clearing triple to center field to put the game out of reach. Four of the five runs in the inning were unearned after a ULM fielding error prolonged the inning.
The Warhawks (0-1) sent the game into extra innings with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Trailing 3-2 heading into the inning, Jon Prevost drew a walk to lead off the frame and moved to second as ball four rolled into the ULM dugout.
Prevost moved to third base on a Boomer Blanchard infield single and Ben Soignier plated the tying run with a grounder to second. ULM had the winning run on third base with just one out, but couldn’t get the run home sending the game to extra innings.
The Warhawks first two runs of the game came via the long ball. Soignier got things started when he launched a ball over the left-field wall in the bottom of the third inning to give the Warhawks a 1-0 lead. After Northwestern State (1-0) plated a pair of runs in the fourth inning, Blanchard picked up his first career ULM hit and home run with the same swing in the fifth inning.
Jimmy Heard allowed a pair of runs over five innings of work and was in line for the win until the Warhawks’ rally in the ninth inning. He struck out six ULM batters before passing the ball to Kyle Broughton, who tossed three innings of scoreless ball. Trevor Geist (1-0) surrendered the run in the bottom of the ninth, but thanks to Northwestern State’s big 10th inning picked up the win.
Keith Christensen went five innings allowing just a pair of runs on four hits. Making his first start since May 23, 2007, the senior southpaw struck out four batters and walked a pair – he also picked off a pair of runners at first base.
After cruising through the first three innings, Christensen got into a little trouble in the top of the fourth allowing a leadoff home run to Trent Grondin and then back-to-back-to-back singles allowing another run to cross. The Demons loaded the bases with nobody out, but Christensen got DD Lott to ground into a 5-2-3 double play and then struck out Beau Snodgrass to close out the frame.
Corey Brown worked the Warhawks out of a jam in the top of the seventh inning after coming in for Drew Graham. Following an intentional walk, Brown forced Tyler Baisley into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Derek Ward (0-1), who entered in the top of the ninth inning, suffered the loss for the Warhawks allowing five runs – just one earned – in two innings of work. He allowed four hits and struck out three.
Warhawk pitchers struggled with their control all night long walking a combined 10 batters and hitting four others with a pitch.
The Warhawk Classic continues tomorrow with a three-game schedule from Warhawk Field. Stephen F. Austin and Mississippi Valley State open play at 11 a.m. followed by Northwestern State and Mississippi Valley State at 3 p.m. ULM and Stephen F. Austin close out the day at 7 p.m.
Nebraska 4, Lousiana-Lafayette 3 (15 INN)
LAFAYETTE, La. – A marathon baseball game ended after 15 innings at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field Friday night, as the Nebraska Cornhuskers outlasted the Ragin' Cajuns to win 4-3. The game was the longest for the Ragin' Cajuns since a 15-inning, 5-4 loss to Tulane on March 13, 1977.
The loss was also the first home, season-opening loss for the Cajuns under Tony Robichaux. Nebraska set a new school record for strikeouts in a game, fanning 22 Cajuns in the course of the 4 hour, 48 minute game.
Cajuns starting pitcher Zach Osborne did not earn a decision in six full innings of work, allowing seven hits, two runs, one earned, while issuing no free passes and striking out two. Greg Harmon threw one inning of stellar relief in the seventh, downing three batters in a row including one strikeout.
Justin Robichaux entered the game in the eighth with a one-run lead, but allowed the tying run to score in the ninth. He left the game after the twelfth, allowing just the one run and five hits, with five strikeouts in 20 batters faced. He was relieved by Blake Haagen, who struggled, hitting the first batter he faced and walking the second. He was replaced by Randall Bulliard without registering an out.
Bulliard finished the game with three innings of relief, but allowed the go-ahead run, unearned, on two hits, two strikeouts, and one walk. He was saddled with the loss, moving to 0-1 on the season.
Nebraska's Eric Rose was the last pitcher to enter the game from the visiting bullpen, finishing off 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit on three strikeouts to pick up the win. Four other pitchers faced the Cajuns, with starter Mike Mariot giving 5 2/3 innings and fanning eight Cajuns, but walking away without decision.
Offensively, the Cajuns' failed to produce much, getting just nine hits to Nebraska's 14. The lone highlight was Chad Keefer, who finished his first NCAA Division I baseball game 4-of-7 with a run scored. Three Cajuns batters totaled seven at bats, one more than the last time any Cajun hitter went to the plate seven times, ironically against Nebraska in game two of the May 3 doubleheader last season.
Both teams traded runs in the second, and Nebraska went ahead by one in the third.
The Cajuns and the Huskers went scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, and Nebraska was quiet in the top of the sixth as well.
In the Cajuns sixth, freshman Les Smith put an 0-1 fastball into center field, scoring Travis Whipple from third to tie things back up at two each. Chad Keefer moved from first to third on the play. It would be the first of two runners-on-the-corners, two-out RBI singles as Kyle Bostick dropped a line drive just shy of the right fielder, scoring Keefer for the lead. Matt Hicks went down swinging to end the rally.
Nebraska tied up the game on two extra-base hits in the top of the ninth off of Robichaux. The two extra-baggers equaled the number Robichaux gave up in all of 2008. Adam Bailey led off with a double down the left field line, and scored when D.J. Belfonte tripled down the same side. The Cajuns got out of the inning without further damage.
The Cajuns tried but could not get anything going in the bottom of the ninth, leading to bonus baseball for the 2,715 fans in attendance. The game was the second consecutive contest in the UL-Nebraska series to go into extra innings, following last year's 14-inning affair in game two of a May 3 doubleheader. That game had been the longest for the Cajuns since a 14-inning game against Middle Tennessee in 2004.
The Huskers struck out to open the 15th, but first baseman Tyler Farst then posted an infield single against Randall Bulliard, who had taken the mound in the 13th for the Cajuns. The next batter popped out, but another single got through the right side of the infield, advancing Farst to second. A Matt Hicks throwing error on the next play allowed Farst to score the unearned run before the inning ended in the next at bat.
Nebraska defended the one-run advantage after giving up a hit to Chad Keefer. Rose induced outs against the next three batters to conclude the game and finally send fans home at 11:18 p.m.
The series continues Saturday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader. Game one will be televised on MyKLAF-TV.
Courtesy: School Files
