No. 9 Coastal Carolina Defeats Richmond, 8-5, in Season Opener
CONWAY - Ninth-ranked Coastal Carolina began its national championship defense with an 8-5 win versus Richmond in the teams' 2017 season opener Friday evening at Springs Brooks Stadium before a crowd of 3,280, a record for a Chanticleer regular-season, on-campus contest. (Overall, it is the eighth-largest crowd for a CCU home baseball contest.)
Prior to the game, members of the 2016 team unveiled the national championship trophy display and Coastal honored 2016 National Coach of the Year Gary Gilmore, who also threw out the first pitch. A standing-room-only crowd is expected for Saturday's game versus Western Carolina, which begins at 2 pm. Prior to the game, all the members of the 2016 team will be on hand to receive their championship rings as well as there being several video tributes and guest speakers.
For Coastal against the Spiders, Kevin Woodall Jr. was 2-for-5 with a key home run, while newcomers Wood Myers and Cory Wood each had two RBI in the win. Alex Cunningham earned the win, allowing eight hits and four runs (two earned) with no walks and three strikeouts over five innings.
Richmond threatened in the top of the second with consecutive singles to start the frame. However, Cunningham got a pair of strikeouts and a foul out to escape. In the home half, Coastal's Woodall smacked a leadoff double and moved to third on a Peyton Isaacson sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Wood delivered a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home the game's first run for a 1-0 CCU lead.
In the third, Coastal tacked on two runs to take a 3-0 lead. Leadoff batter Myers reached on a two-base error. Jordan Gore followed with a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error on the play allowed Myers to score. Two batters later Isaacson lined an RBI single to center to plate Gore.
Coastal manufactured a run in the fourth inning. Billy Cooke was hit by a pitch, stole second, advanced to third on a Matt Beaird sacrifice bunt and scored on a Myers' single to center.
The Spiders took advantage of two errors and a three-run double in the fifth to tie the game at 4-4. R.J. Watters reached on a leadoff error and Vinny Capra followed with a bunt single. Richmond then loaded the bases on an error. Kyle Adams made it a one-run game with his double down the right field line. Jonathan De Marte followed with an RBI single to left field to tie the contest at 4-4.
Coastal rallied with four runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth to take an 8-4 lead. Woodall immediately answered with a leadoff home run that just stayed fair down the left field line. Later, Dalton Ewing reached on an error and took second thanks to a second error on the play. Wood's first collegiate hit was an RBI double that scored Ewing and Wood later came around in a Cooke single. A Beaird single put runners on the corners and Cooke scored on a Myers' sac fly to left.
Richmond scored once in the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate. D.J. Lee and Kyle Adams had consecutive infield singles to put runners on first and third. Lee scored on a wild pitch to provide the 8-5 final. After a single, the Spiders had two runners on base before Cole Schaefer struck out the final batter to secure the win.
All-American Andrew Beckwith worked two scoreless innings in middle relief. He allowed one hit, no walks and struck out three.
Lee and Daniel Brumbaugh each had two hits for Richmond. Starting pitcher Robbie Baker suffered the loss, allowing seven hits and seven runs (four earned).
Coastal Carolina improves to 4-3 all-time versus Richmond, 29-13 in season openers since 1974 and 25-9 when playing its home opener. The Chanticleers also improve to 16-8 in season openers and 19-2 in home openers under Coach Gilmore, who began his tenure at CCU in 1996.
Ayers, Felix Lead @AStateBaseball to Season-Opening Win
JONESBORO, Ark. (2/17/17) – The Arkansas State baseball team was outhit 8-4 by the New York Institute of Technology, but Bryan Ayers struck out a career-high 10 in six scoreless innings and Justin Felix hit a two-run home run to lead the Red Wolves to a 6-0 win over the Bears in the 2017 season opener Friday at Tomlinson Stadium/Kell Field in Jonesboro.
Ayers limited the Bears (0-1) to four hits over his six innings and only walked one batter in his career-best 10 strikeout performance to earn the win on the mound. Felix was the only A-State (1-0) player to knock in more than one RBI as two runs came around on his bomb in the bottom of the eighth. The New Mexico Military Institute transfer caught all nine innings and finished 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored in his Red Wolves debut. The win moved Arkansas State to 16-4 in its last 20 season openers at home.
Bo Ritter, Tanner Kirby, and Bradey Welsh pitched a scoreless inning apiece out of the bullpen with Ritter striking out the side in the seventh. NYIT had a chance to score against Ritter with runners on second and third with one out, but the Hot Springs, Ark., native struck out the final two hitters of the frame to erase the threat.
Jeremy Brown, Casey Vaughan, and Grant Hawkins had the other three A-State hits with Brown’s and Vaughan’s both of the infield variety. Brown drove in a run on a ground out, while Derek Birginske and Garrett Rucker each had sacrifice flies to pick up a RBI apiece. Hawkins stole two bases and scored a run in the fifth inning after the throw skipped past NYIT’s third baseman Louis Mele on his steal of third. Rucker also added a pair of steals, while each A-State player in the lineup reached base at least once in the contest.
NYIT led off the game with two singles, but Ayers picked Frank Sanacore off second base and registered two punch outs to escape the threat. The Bears got runners to third base in the third and seventh innings, but couldn’t cash in either opportunity.
Frank Valentino took the loss for the New York Institute of Technology, despite only allowing one hit, after giving up three runs (all earned) on four walks and five strikeouts. Anthony Caradonna and Matt DeAngelis had two hits apiece to lead the Bears. Brandon Alberto was solid in two scoreless innings out of the pen, but Timothy Milligan allowed three runs in the bottom of the eighth, including Felix’s homer, to put the final at 6-0.
The Red Wolves and Bears square off again Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Tomlinson Stadium/Kell Field. The first game of the double dip will be a nine-inning contest, while the second game will be seven innings long. NYIT has flipped its rotation with Elias Martinez set to throw game one and Matt Diaz moving to game two. Tyler Mitzel and Peyton Culbertson get the ball for Arkansas State.
SPERRY, BLANTON, CONLEY LEAD 8-3 WIN OVER MARSHALL
ATLANTA -- Ryan Blanton led off the game with a home run and Cam Sperry went 4-for-4 as Georgia State opened the 2017 season with an 8-3 win over Marshall in the Atlanta Challenge Friday at the GSU Baseball Complex.
Starting pitcher Bryce Conley (1-0), the senior right-hander, allowed one unearned run on two hits in 5.1 innings and tied his career-high with nine strikeouts to earn the victory. Righty Tanner Thomson, a junior making his GSU debut, followed with 2.2 hitless, scoreless innings.
Shortstop Justin Jones had three hits and two RBI, and third baseman Romero Greer, another newcomer, added two hits and two RBI.
After Marshall (0-1) pushed across an unearned run in the top of the first, the Panthers answered immediately as Blanton hit the 2-0 pitch from starter Wade Martin (0-1) over the fence in right centerfield for his fifth career leadoff homer.
"That's what seniors are supposed to do on Friday nights," head coach Greg Frady said, referring to Sperry, Blanton and Conley. "How amazing and electric was it that Ryan Blanton led off the game and the season with a home run. I really felt like we had the momentum after he swung the bat, and we maintained that momentum throughout the game."
Georgia State (1-0) extended its lead to 2-1 on Jones' RBI single in the second, and then the Panthers added two more on an error by the shortstop to lead 4-1 after three.
Meanwhile, Conley settled into a groover, retiring 13 of 15 batters until the sixth inning. After a one-out walk and then a hit batter, he gave way to Thomson, who promptly rolled an inning-ending double play.
"When Tanner came in and induced the double play, that was the momentum-killer for them," Frady said. "Every team makes a run, and that's a good offensive team."
Thomson struck out four in the next two innings as he and Conley combined for 13 punch-outs. The Panthers out-hit Marshall 13-3.
Georgia State broke the game open with four runs in the eighth on RBI singles by Blanton and Jones and then Greer's two-run single.
Sperry, a fifth-year senior who missed the 2016 season with a knee injury, reach base five straight times in the game on four singles and then an intentional walk.
"We rely on Cam for strength and toughness, and he is a team leader," Frady said.
The Atlanta Challenge continues Saturday as GSU hosts Western Michigan at 2 p.m.
Six-Run Inning Dooms Apps in Season Opener
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Despite five runs in the second, Appalachian State University baseball was unable to outlast a pesky VMI squad in the 2017 season opener on Friday at Brooks Field.
The Mountaineers (0-1) seemed off to a slow start to begin the first inning of the year as the Keydets’ (1-0) Matt Dunlevy homered to right field to go up 1-0. But the Black and Gold responded strong in the second inning, going plating five runners in a short burst. Senior Brian Bauk was able to bring home junior Tyler Stroup on a ground out to first, before junior Drake Zupcic singled to center field to drive home two runs – senior Avery Jackson and junior Chandler Seagle.
Freshman Calev Grubbs then hit a beauty to the wall, just out of the outstretched glove of the center-fielder to drive home Zupcic. To round out the top of the second inning, senior Matt Vernon rocketed one down the left field line to bring in Grubbs.
The game then moved to a defensive battle as neither pitcher allowed many opportunities.
The momentum switched in the bottom of the sixth after three scoreless half-innings. VMI used a fielding error to reach first and three walks to score one and load the bases before Collin Fleischer singled to center to drive around two. The Keydets’ Matt Pita shot a liner to center field just over the head of an outstretched Will Herman glove to bring home one. After Fleischer was walked home, Pita scored on a sacrifice fly to give VMI the 11 runs needed to secure the win.
Junior Travis Holden got the call to start today on the mound. The right-hander finished with seven strikeouts, six hits and five runs in 5.0 innings pitched. Senior reliever Sean Mason received the loss.
The Mountaineers will continue their four-game Hughes Bros. Challenge tournament in Wilmington, N.C. on Saturday when they play two: George Mason at 10 a.m. and a rematch with VMI at 6 p.m. The final game on Sunday is against host-team UNC Wilmington at 2 p.m.
Little Rock Falls to Oral Roberts in Season Opener
TULSA, Okla. – Little Rock baseball began the 2017 season with a 10-4 loss in the series opener to Oral Roberts (1-0) on Friday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
Cameron Knight was a perfect 3 for 3 at the plate for Little Rock (0-1) as he picked up an RBI and a walk. Both Bryce Dimitroff and Ty Gunter went 2 for 5 while Gunter scored a run. Although he only picked up one hit, Nik Gifford had the biggest at-bat of the game for Little Rock with a three-run homer.
Little Rock outhit Oral Roberts 12-11, but the Trojans left 13 men on base compared to the Golden Eagles' six.
Little Rock got its wheels turning in the top of the second inning. After a Riley Pittman double to right, Knight gave the Trojans a 1-0 lead as he brought Pittman around with an RBI single to right.
The first home run of the season came off the bat of Gifford as he sent a three-run bomb over the right field wall to give Little Rock a 4-0 lead in the top of the third.
Oral Roberts struck back in the bottom of the inning with their first run of the year. Nick Rotola hit an RBI ground out to short, but it allowed Cal Hernandez to score from third and cut the Trojans' lead to 4-1.
The Golden Eagles cut the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning with another run. With one out, Brent Williams hit a deep sacrifice fly to right center to score Matt Whatley from third.
After giving up the third run of the game in the bottom of the fifth, Trojan starter Matt McDowell gave way to reliever Ryan LeMoine. McDowell went 4.2 innings with four strikeouts while giving up five runs on five hits and a walk. With runners in scoring position, LeMoine intentionally walked the first batter he faced to set up a force out. Noah Cummings earned two RBIs on a single through the left side to give Oral Roberts its first lead of the day. Williams then hit a three-run homer to left to give the Golden Eagles an 8-4 lead.
Carter Brown came on for the Trojans to begin the bottom of the sixth inning. Brown gave up a walk and a single before Corbin Osburn made his Trojan debut out of the bullpen. A two-run double by Dylan Snypes upped Oral Roberts' lead to 10-4.
Little Rock went to right-hander Justin Garcia to begin the bottom of the eighth inning. Garcia got out of the inning safely as he left two runners on to end the inning.
Still trailing by six in the bottom of the ninth, Little Rock got on base with a single by Zach Baker, but that's all the Trojans could muster as a strikeout ended the game.
"I thought we were locked in for the whole game," head coach Chris Curry said. "The effort was there, and the guys played hard. Baseball comes down to a couple of pitches, and we just didn't execute. We left 13 guys on base, and with a team like Oral Roberts, you have to cash in and keep pushing the score further and further away from them. They have a lot of firepower in the middle of the order, and the two relievers they put in did an outstanding job of shoving it in the zone after we got in their bullpen. We're not happy at all with the result, but as we build this team and learn who we are, every little mistake at this level is going to cost you."
Little Rock will look to even the series against Oral Roberts tomorrow at 2 p.m.
SEMO Edges Mavs In Season Lidlifter
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- Noah Vaughan belted a two-run home run and Quintin Rohrbaugh collected a two-hit game but Southeast Missouri State used a three-run fifth inning to post a 4-3 win over UTA, on opening day at Stephen F. Austin's Jaycess Field.
UTA (0-1) opened the scoring in the fourth behind Vaughan's two-run jack but the defending Ohio Valley Conference Champion Red Hawks plated a run in the bottom of the frame, before scoring the game-winning runs in the three-run fifth. The Mavs rallied with a run in the eighth and got the tying run on base in the ninth but couldn't get a key run-scoring hit.
A 39-win team in 2016, SEMO (1-0) used a two-out, two-run triple in the fifth inning from catcher Brian Lees for the difference. The Redhawks advanced to the 2016 NCAA Tournament and return the nation's leader in slugging percentage, preseason All-American Chris Osborne, who was 2-for-4 in the opener.
LEADING THE MAVS
UTA got two-hit games from Rohrbaugh, sophomore shortstop Josh Minjarez and sophomore catcher Will Olson. Phil Berthiaume and Omar Salinas each had hits in their UTA debut, with Colton Turner and RJ Williams each adding a knock.
ON THE MOUND
Senior righty Kadon Simmons (0-1) made his 16th career start and his first opening-day start. Simmons worked 5.1 innings, scattering 10 hits and one walk, allowing four runs and striking out five. He was relieved by Jake Wilcox, who escaped a sixth-inning jam with a double play. Wilcox worked 1.1 perfect innings in relief, before sophomore Dylan Schneider took over on the mound. Schneider worked 1.1 perfect innings of his own to keep UTA in the game.
SEMO senior starter Clay Chandler (0-0) worked 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs, striking out two. The Redhawks used Jared Waldhoff, Carlos Vega and Matthew Wade in relief. Wade earned the save with the final 1.2 innings.
HOW THEY SCORED
SEMO threated to open the scoring in the bottom of the third, with Danny Wright reaching on a one-out throwing error charged to second baseman Quintin Rohrbaugh, who made a great play in the hole to reach the ball. SEMO then executed a hit-and-run with Trevor Ezell to put a pair of runners on the corners with one out for Dan Holst. After falling behind 2-0, Simmons worked the count full before getting Holst to swing and miss on a breaking ball for the second out and escaped the jam to keep the game scoreless.
Vaughan got the scoring started with a one-out, two-run homer in the top of the fourth. His third career homer – sent out to centerfield – scored Will Olson, who singled to get the Mavs in the hit column.
The Redhawks immediately answered in the bottom of the fourth as Chris Osborne – the 2016 NCAA leader in slugging percentage – led off with a double and scored on a two-out, two-strike hit from Chris Caffrey.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, SEMO took a 4-2 lead, loading the bases with no outs, before getting a sacrifice fly from Kylar Robertson and a two-out, two-run triple from Brian Lees.
The Mavs rallied in the eighth inning, getting hits from Olson and RJ Williams, and a walk from Colton Turner to load the bases with one out. Josh Minjarez dropped a single into leftfield to score Olson, but an inning-ending double play allowed the Redhawks to escape with a 4-3 lead.
NEXT
UTA returns to action on Saturday, opening a doubleheader vs. SFA at 11 a.m., before concluding the day at 2:30 p.m. at Jaycess field vs. SEMO. The SEMO game will be available on the SEMO Radio Network and the SFA tilt is set for a Facebook live broadcast.
Purdue tops Texas State in opener
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team fell 9-3 to Purdue in the 2017 season opener at Bobcat Ballpark.
The Bobcats dropped to 0-1 on the year in front of a crowd of 2,068, which was the second-largest Opening Day crowd in stadium history.
Purdue (1-0) plated three runs in the top of the first and never looked back. The Boilermakers added four more in the fourth to expand to a 7-0 margin, and they were able to fend off a late TXST comeback attempt.
Junior Travon Benton started his Texas State career off with a bang, as the transfer went 2-for-4 and hit a solo homer in the fourth frame. Juniors Theodore Hoffman, Dylan Paul and Derek Scheible also registered hits for the home team.
Sophomore Connor Reich (0-1) earned the Opening Day start and allowed eight runs (six earned) on eight hits in 3.2 innings pitched. True freshman Zachary Leigh threw the next 3.1 frames and gave up just one unearned run on three hits. True freshman Broc Bosse tossed the final 2.0 innings and only allowed one hit.
Jacson McGowan went 3-for-5 with four RBI and one run scored for the Boilermakers. Alec Olund and Skyler Hunter also added two hits each. Mike Madej and Nick Dalesandro both scored twice.
Tanner Andrews tossed the first 7.0 innings and gave up one run on two hits. Adam Dressler, Nick Wojtysiak and Mike Kornacker combined to throw the final two frames.
Purdue outhit Texas State 12-5 and the clubs combined for five errors in the first game of the season.
The two teams are set to continue their series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Feb. 18.
Troy Baseball Drops Season Opener
TROY, Alabama – Despite 16 strikeouts from seven different pitchers, Troy dropped its 2017 season opener, 6-2, to Xavier Friday night at Riddle-Pace Field in front of an opening day record crowd.
Brandon Lockridge led the Trojans (0-1), accounting for two of Troy’s three hits and added an RBI double in the first inning, which went down as the only extra-base hit of the night for the Trojans.
Xavier (1-0) plated three runs in the top of the first inning and added single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Musketeers got five strong innings on the mound from Zac Lowther (1-0), as he struck out eight and allowed just one run. Matt Kent tossed the final four innings for his first save of the season.
Corey Childress (0-1) struck out seven batters – one shy of a career-high – and walked just one, but suffered the loss for the Trojans after he was charged with five runs – four earned – on seven hits in 4.1 innings of work.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
First-Inning Jam: After a leadoff walk, stolen base and a RBI single, Xavier’s Nate Soria stepped up to the plate with two outs and delivered a two-run homer to give the Musketeers an early 3-0 lead.
Early Response: Behind 3-0 in the bottom of the first, Troy came to the plate looking to respond. Troy’s first two batters reach via a hit by pitch and a walk – two batters later, Brandon Lockridge pushed across the first run of the season with a one-out double to right-center. Justin Friend followed with a sacrifice fly to deep left-center to pull the Trojans within one, 3-2.
Controversial Calls: In a 3-2 game in the bottom of the third, Matt Sanders took second on a two-out steal and headed for third after the throw sailed into center field. He was called out on a bang-bang play at third, which ended Troy’s scoring threat.
In the top of the fourth, the Trojans had a chance to end the half inning with a double play. However, Matt Sanders was not granted a transfer call and both runners were called safe. Two batters later, the Musketeers hit an RBI single to push their lead to 4-2.