Tuesday, April 20
Eagles Knock off Citadel
STATESBORO, GA. – Georgia Southern Baseball opened a midweek home-and-home series with a 10-2 win over The Citadel at J.I. Clements Stadium. The Eagles improved to 22-15 on the year, matching their high-water mark this season, reaching seven games above .500 for the first time since March 26th. Georgia Southern will face The Citadel on Wednesday night in a 6 p.m. game at Riley Park in Charleston.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Rodney Hennon
"I thought we played a clean game and all four guys that pitched for us did a good job throwing strikes. The difference in the game was really free bases, we did a good job in not allowing any and we did a good job offensively of drawing some walks and hit batsmen that helped us out. It was a good win, and now we've got to be ready to go compete tomorrow night. We're going to get all they've got so we've got to give it our best."
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Ryan Cleveland
2-for-4 // 2R // 2RBI // 1BB
Junior Ryan Cleveland went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs to lead the way for a balanced Eagle offense on Tuesday night. He joined Jordan Wren and CJ Brazil with the multi-hit game and Wren and CJ Ballard in the three-man multi-RBI club.
CRITICAL MOMENTS
TOP 1ST – Jason Smith made an immediate impact on the game, hoisting a solo home run to centerfield. It was the senior's first collegiate home run.
BOTTOM 2ND – Ryan Cleveland helped get the Eagles back even with a leadoff single in the second. Jordan Wren moved him along with a ground out on a hit-and-run, but Hunter Thomas tallied the RBI with his liner up the middle to make it 1-1.
BOTTOM 3RD – The Eagles took their first lead with three runs in the third inning. A walk and a hit batter with two outs opened the door for Cleveland to drive in two with a double down the line in right. He scored later in the inning when Wren singled to left.
TOP 4TH – The Citadel's catcher, Stephen Windham cut the lead to 4-2 with a solo home run. His second bomb of the season counted for his 15th RBI of the year.
BOTTOM 6TH – Wren's single, followed by a walk and two hit batters resulted in a run for the Eagles. An unearned run scored later in the inning with a passed ball which CJ Ballard took advantage of, pushing the lead to 6-2.
BOTTOM 7TH – The lead grew to 7-2 in the seventh as Cal Baker came in to score his only run of the night. Jordan Wren did the damage, sending him home with a one-out RBI ground out.
BOTTOM 8TH – Four singles on the trot to open the eighth inning scored Kent Rollins and CJ Brazil with no outs. Later in the inning, CJ Ballard scored on Logan Baldwin's RBI ground out. That made it a 10-2 game for the good guys.
NOTES
- Georgia Southern scored 10 runs for the 10th time this season, including back-to-back games and the third time in the Eagles last four non-conference battles.
- The Eagles tallied 10 hits with nine of the single variety.
- Four Eagle pitchers worked in the first of five games this week for the Eagles.
- Starting pitcher Lawson Humphries took the win on the mound, allowing three hits and both home runs while striking out one. He needed 59 pitches while going five complete innings.
- The Eagle bullpen cleaned things up, working the final four innings without allowing a hit and only one runner reaching base.
UP NEXT
The Eagles will look to storm The Citadel on Wednesday to close out this week's home-and-home. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. in Charleston with the action available for free on the SoCon Digital Network at SoConSports.com. The Georgia Southern Sports Network will also be on hand to call the action at Riley Park on the banks of the Ashley River.
Mills Lifts Cajuns Past Nicholls To Open Homestand
LAFAYETTE, La. – Senior Brian Mills came through with a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh to lift the 20h-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team past Nicholls in a 4-3 contest on Tuesday night to open a five-game homestand at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.
The win is the seventh straight at The Tigue for the Cajuns as the squad improves to 25-12 on the year. Louisiana has now won 13 of its last 16 contests and 15 of 17 at The Tigue.
The win also moves head coach Tony Robichaux one game away from his 800th victory at Louisiana since taking over the helm of the Ragin' Cajuns in 1995. Robichaux has a 799-504-1 record in 22 seasons with the Cajuns.
"(Evan) Guillory did a job of getting us to (Eric) Carter tonight," Robichaux said. "That was big because we didn't want to have to bring in Carter early. Brian had his best at bat at the most critical time of the game. That's what you need if you want to win close ballgames."
Guillory (4-3) notched a win for the third straight outing limiting the Colonels (16-22) to three runs on eight hits in seven innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out two retiring seven of the last eight batters that he faced.
Carter picked up his second save of the season tossing two scoreless frames to close out the contest. Carter struck out one and walked one.
Jake Smith (1-3) was tagged with the loss for Nicholls after giving up three runs on two hits with a walk in 0.1 innings of work. The Colonels used six pitchers in the contest with starter Mike Hanchar only going three innings.
Both Louisiana and Nicholls had eight hits on the night with Kyle Clement leading the way with a game-high three hits, all doubles. Nick Thurman also had a multi-hit night going 2-for-3 and scored a run.
The Colonels grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the third scoring three runs on two hits and a hit batsman. Joey Morales brought home the first run of the inning driving a two-out single through the left side of the infield. In the next at bat, Kyle Knauth doubled off of the wall in right center to bring home two more runs.
Ishmael Edwards put the Cajuns on the board in the bottom of the fourth driving in Clement from second on a two-out single to right center to make the score 3-1.
The Cajuns took the lead in the bottom of the seventh scoring three runs on three hits and a walk to take a 4-3 edge. With runners on first and second and one out, Steven Sensley drilled a pinch hit RBI single through the right side of the infield to pull the Ragin' Cajuns within a run. After Nicholls brought in reliever Robbie Petty, Mills doubled into the gap in left center to plate two runs and put the Cajuns in front.
Carter came on in the eighth, and after walking the first batter he faced the Louisiana reliever settled in and retired the next six to capture the victory for the Cajuns.
Louisiana returns to action tomorrow night as the team hosts McNeese in a 6 p.m. contest at The Tigue. Following the matchup with the Cowboys, The Cajuns will host Texas State in a three-game series starting Friday at 6 p.m.
Culbertson, Ring Lead A-State Baseball Over SIU
CARBONDALE, Ill. (4/19/16) – Arkansas State freshman pitcher Peyton Culbertson tossed six strong innings, while senior Tanner Ring drove in three runs to lead the Red Wolves baseball team over Southern Illinois Tuesday night by a score of 7-1 at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.
Culbertson’s six innings pitch set a new career high for the Collierville, Tenn., native as he earned the win. He also struck out five to tie a career high and only walked one batter, while the run he allowed was an unearned run. Tanner Kirby came in to finish the game and didn’t allow a hit in three innings with one walk and two punch outs as the Maumelle, Ark., native picked up his first career save.
Ring and Garrett Rucker led A-State (15-21) with three hits apiece, while Ring’s three RBIs were the highest on the team. Joe Schrimpf and Ty White also had two hits each with White driving in two runs as Arkansas State won both contests against Southern Illinois-Carbondale this season after claiming a 1-0 victory in 10 innings March 15 in Jonesboro.
Southern Illinois (21-16-1) got two hits from Jake Hand and Greg Lambert each, but nothing else from anyone else in the lineup. Starter Bryce Sablotny took the loss for the Salukis after allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits in three innings. SIU turned to five other pitchers to finish the game.
A-State struck in the top of the first on a Ring sacrifice fly to score Schrimpf. Schrimpf walked as the second batter of the game and advanced to third on a single by Rucker to set up the score.
Schrimpf also scored the Red Wolves’ second run on a Ring RBI single after the junior second baseman hit a one-out single and advanced to second on another Rucker single. Rucker also came around to score on a RBI groundout by Austin Baker to put Arkansas State up 3-0. Southern Illinois got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with an unearned run when Lambert scored on an error by Ring to cut the visitors’ advantage to 3-1.
A-State extended the advantage in the top of the sixth inning with two runs for a 5-1 advantage. Matt Burgess led off the inning with a single and was bunted over the second base by Jake Bakamus. Daltan Lovell was hit by a pitch, but Tony Ortiz struck out for the second out of the inning. White stepped up to the plate and lined a pitch into left-center field for a triple to score both runs after the SIU left fielder never saw the ball and allowed it to roll to the fence.
The Red Wolves added another run in the top of the seventh when Ring absolutely destroyed a pitch to send it over the left field fence for his team-leading sixth home run of the year. The lead was extended to 7-1 in the eighth inning on a Schrimpf single through the right side to score Bakamus.
Arkansas State is scheduled to play Mississippi Valley State Wednesday, April 20 in Jonesboro. First pitch from Tomlinson Stadium is set for 6 p.m., but there is rain in forecast. Stay tuned to AStateRedWolves.com for any potential changes.
Troy Baseball Falls in Hard Fought Game Against Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Alabama scored the final two runs in the eighth inning and took a 5-3 lead as Troy fell on Tuesday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
With the game tied at three, Alabama (23-14) scored two runs in the eighth inning as Taylor Poe singled down the left field line and gave the Crimson Tide a 5-3 lead.
Troy (22-16) had a threat going in the top of the ninth with two on and one out. Tripp Calhoun reached on a walk and Brandon Lockridge singled through the right side putting runners at first and second with one out. A strikeout and a groundout to second were the final two outs and ended the game.
The Trojans broke through a scoreless game in the top of the fifth as Cameron Sanders plated two with two outs in the inning, giving Troy a 2-0 lead. Calhoun began the rally with a two-out single up the middle. Lockridge followed him with a double down the right field line and the next pitch is when Sanders delivered the two-run single.
Alabama took the lead in the bottom frame of the fifth on a Chandler Avant RBI single to left field that cut the Trojan lead to one and a single through the right side that plated two. The two singles gave Alabama a 3-2 lead.
Joey Denison answered back in the sixth inning with a leadoff home run to left field that tied the game at three. The solo home run was his fourth of the season and propelled him to the teams leading home run hitter.
Cory Gill (2-2) suffered the tough loss. He pitched 3.2 innings, allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four. Evan Hebert struck out a career-high four batters through 4.1 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits, but only walked two.
John Keller (2-1) picked up the win for the Crimson Tide pitching three relief innings. He surrendered one run on four hits and struck out four.
Troy had nine hits on the night and only two Trojans in the starting didn’t came up empty in the hit column. Lockridge and Cameron Sanders led the way with two-hit nights. Sanders also drove in two RBIs and earned his second combined multi-hit and multi-RBI game of the season.
The Trojans will return to Riddle-Pace Field on Friday for a three-game series against UT Arlington. First pitch for Friday’s game is set for 6 p.m.
No. 3 Texas A&M Too Much for Bobcats
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies, currently No. 3 in the country, have been rolling as of late, hitting .370 over the past eight games. The powerful team proved to be too much for the Bobcats, winning, 14-1, to drop Texas State to 20-17 on the season.
With six runs in the first three innings, the Aggies grabbed a 6-1 lead from which the Bobcats couldn’t fight back. Texas State pelted seven hits in the game and scored a run in the second inning sparked by a two-out double from Jaylen Hubbard. Jared Huber knocked in the RBI for the Bobcats. Unfortunately, Texas A&M added five runs in the sixth inning and three more in the eighth.
This weekend, Texas State will look to get back on track at UL Lafayette.
WHO STOOD OUT
Jaylen Hubbard / IF/OF / Redshirt Freshman / Missouri City, Texas
Hubbard knocked the first hit of the game for the Bobcats, a liner to left field that hit the wall just below the yellow line. After that, he skied high defensively to snag a high bouncer and get it to first base in time for the out and followed that with his second hit of the day in the seventh inning. He finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Chase Hodson / RHP / Senior / Richmond, Texas
Hodson only pitched two innings but he struck out three to lead all Bobcats on the night. One of his strikeouts was against Boomer White, a player who had only struck out seven times all season before he faced Hodson.
Braden Pearson / LHP / Sophomore / Georgetown, Texas
Pearson faced five batters Tuesday night and did not give up a hit over an inning and a third.
SCORING RECAP
- Bottom 1st – A walk, base hit and a fly out put runners at the corners. Hunter Melton double to left center scored two runs. A single and a groundout after that plated one more for Texas A&M for an early 3-0 lead. (3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on base)
- Top 2nd – Jaylen Hubbard knocked a two-out double to jumpstart the Bobcats. After that, Luke Sherley took a hit by pitch. With runners at first and second, Jared Huber hit a single to right field to plate Hubbard and put the Bobcats on the board, 3-1. (1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on base)
- Bottom 2nd – Walk, hit by pitch and a base hit scored one for Texas A&M. Next, a single and a groundout scored another for the Aggies. (2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 left on base)
- Bottom 3rd – Walker Pennington hit a solo home run. (1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base)
- Bottom 6th – A hit by pitch and a double put runners at second and third base for Melton. He followed with a single to centerfield to plate both runs. After that, a double to left field pushed Melton to third base, and a walk after that loaded the bases. Designated hitter Joel Davis cleared the bases with a triple to push Texas A&M’s lead up to 11-1. (5 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base)
- Two walks and the second home run of the night from Pennington pushed the Aggie lead to 14-1. (3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base)
DBU Powers Past UTA
DALLAS, Texas – The Dallas Baptist Patriots struck early and often on Tuesday night, pounding out 15 hits in a 13-2 win over UT Arlington at Horner Ballpark.
UTA (20-18) staked itself to an early 1-0 lead, but DBU (24-11) answered with three runs in the top of the first and never looked back. Eleven Patriots finished with at least one hit against six UTA (20-18) arms and broke things open with a five-run sixth inning.
“It was a disappointing night. We didn’t play well. We didn’t pitch or swing the bat well,” coach Darin Thomas said. “We have to get going. It’s time to get going. We are slumping right now, but we’ve got plenty of time to do something about it, but we are not going to play easy people and our schedule shows that. We have a tough Troy team on the road next week and we need to go and win a series.”
Freshman MD Johnson picked up his third win of the season for DBU allowing just one run on four hits on the night. Meanwhile, Maverick righty Matt Michalski fell to 1-2 after allowing four runs on six hits in 4.0 innings of work.
The Mavs struggled to get its offense going after a first inning that saw the game open with consecutive singles, finishing with just six hits on the night. Matt McLean singled and scored the first UTA run in the opening inning, while Christian Hollie reached twice and scored once on the night, finishing with a double and a walk.
Darien McLemore, Brady Cox and Noah Vaughan also had hits for the Mavs, with Colton Turner driving in the first-inning run and Cody Farrell picking up an RBI with a double in the UTA half of the eighth.
The Mavs played small ball early on to take an early lead, getting back-to-back singles to start the game before a sacrifice bunt from Cox set up an RBI ground out from Turner to score McLean and give UTA 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
But the Patriots struck for three runs in the bottom half of the inning, getting a sacrifice fly from Trooper Reynolds to tie it and a two-run single from Luke Stratman to give Johnson a 3-1 advantage after an inning of play.
Michalski would work around hits in both the second and third before DBU would score again when Connor Hall drove in Matt Duce with a sacrifice fly after the Patriot catcher had tripled to left-center to start the inning.
DBU upped the lead to 5-1 when it got its third triple of the night with two outs in the fifth from Daniel Sweet. It scored Darick Hall who drew his third walk of the night with two outs after reliever Dan Hawk Jr. had punched out the first two batters he faced on the night.
An inning later the Patriots broke it open, sending nine hitters to the plate and scoring five times against three UTA pitchers. DBU took advantage of three extra-base hits in the inning with the big hit coming from Darick Hall with a two-run double with two outs in the frame.
Austin Gardner struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh, but not after the Patriots pushed across three more runs. The Mavs got a run back in the top of the eighth on a pinch-hit RBI double from Farrell, and put two runners on in the ninth before DBU closed things out.
The Mavs will head back in action this weekend when they go on the road for another Sun Belt Conference series at Troy beginning Friday at Riddle-Pace Field.
App State Drops Slugfest to Wake Forest
BOONE, N.C. — Wake Forest scored in each of the first six innings of a wild 15-9 win over Appalachian State University baseball on Tuesday evening at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Appalachian State (10-27) led 3-1 after one inning and 4-3 after two but Wake Forest (23-17) plated six runs in the top of the third inning and never relinquished the lead.
After the Demon Deacons took a 9-4 lead with its six-run third, the Mountaineers immediately cut the deficit to 9-6 with two runs in the bottom of the frame. However, while Wake Forest kept scoring in the middle innings (three runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and one in the sixth), App State’s bats went cold and the Demon Deacons grabbed a commanding 14-6 advantage.
The score remained 14-6 until the ninth when Wake Forest scored a single run in the top of the inning and Appalachian closed the scoring on a three-run home run by freshman pinch-hitter Jason Curtis (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) in the bottom of the stanza.
Curtis’ homer capped an power-packed evening that saw the teams combine for seven home runs (four by Wake Forest, three by Appalachian State). Prior to Tuesday’s power surge, there had been only nine home runs hit over the first 13 games of the season at spacious Smith Stadium.
Eight different Mountaineers contributed to App State’s 12-hit attack. Matt Vernon (Advance, N.C./Davie County), Caleb McCann (McLeansville, N.C./Northeast Guilford) and Curtis all homered and freshman designated hitter Colin Schmid (New Bern, N.C./New Bern) finished 3-for-3. McCann’s homer was the first of his career. The senior, who transitioned from a full-time pitcher to a two-way player this season, also doubled in a 2-for-3 showing that raised his batting average to .312 on the season.
Wake Forest’s Logan Harvey, a late addition to the starting lineup after regular catcher Ben Breazeale was sidelined during pregame warmups due to illness, went 2-for-4 with five RBI and the first two home runs of his career. His first homer was a back-breaking grand slam during the Deacons’ six-run third inning.
Appalachian State returns to Sun Belt Conference action this weekend with a three-game series at Georgia State. Game times are set for 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex in Decatur, Ga.
Next Tuesday, the Mountaineers and Demon Deacons meet again at BB&T BallPark in Charlotte. Game time is set for 6 p.m.