Sunday, February 15
Warhawks Down Tigers in Warhawk Classic Finale
MONROE, La. -- ULM scored in each of the first six innings en route to a 7-3 win over Grambling State Sunday afternoon in the final game of the Warhawk Classic Presented by Fieldhouse Bar and Grill.
Grambling State (0-3) and ULM (1-2) traded single runs in each of the first two innings. In the bottom of the third, the Warhawks took their first lead of the game as Keelin Rasch raced home on an Andre Wilson wild pitch. ULM never relinquished the lead en route to the four-run win.
In the fourth, Danny Springer scored as he reached on an error and came around to score when Spencer Hemphill reached thanks to a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt.
An inning later, the Warhawks added a pair of runs as Jacob Stockton tallied a RBI groundout and Springer collected his first homer as a Warhawk to push the ULM lead to 6-2. ULM scored its final run of the game in the sixth as Nathan Pugh delivered a sacrifice fly allowing Cody Stone to score, putting the home team in front, 7-2.
Grambling State set the final tally at 7-3 with a single run in the top of the ninth inning.
ULM was led by Springer and Josh Faciane in Sunday’s contest. Springer scored three runs while Faciane finished 3-for-3 with one RBI.
Starter Keegan Curtis (1-0) earned the win in his collegiate debut as he surrendered two runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Anthony Herrera, Matthew Reeves and Josh Leone closed out the game on the hill for the Warhawks.
Tiger starter Andre Wilson was tagged with the loss after allowing seven runs (four earned) on seven hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Angel Peguero led Grambling State at the plate with a 3-for-4 effort, two RBI and one run.
Jags Finish Sweep of Privateers with 8-6 Win Sunday
MOBILE, Ala. – Adam Ballew delivered a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the University of South Alabama baseball team to an 8-6 win over New Orleans Sunday at Stanky Field.
South Alabama (3-0) swept the three-game series with the win. The Jags faced a one-run deficit heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, and loaded the bases with one out in the frame after a leadoff single by Garrett DeGallier and two consecutive hit by pitches to Ben Gann and Drew LaBounty. Bud Collura followed with a game-tying sacrifice fly to center field to score DeGallier and tie the game 6-6. Ballew then worked the count to 2-2 against UNO right-hander Sam Carriere before a single into center field scored Gann and LaBounty with the game's final runs.
"I was just trying to stay relaxed," Ballew said. "It was a big situation to come into off the bench. I just tried to stay calm and see a pitch and hit it. He threw me a fastball, but I was thinking he may throw something offspeed. But I was able to stay back and drive it."
UNO jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Jonathan Coco doubled to left field to lead off the frame, and scored one batter later on an RBI double to right field by Hezekiah Randolph. Chaz Boyer doubled the UNO lead later in the inning on an RBI fielder's choice that scored Randolph from third.
UNO (0-3) increased its lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth when Jonathan Santana reached on a fielding error by Ryan Raspino at second to lead off the inning, and scored one batter later on a triple to the right-center gap by Ray Veit. Boyer followed with an RBI single inning to push the Privateer lead to 4-0.
But South Alabama responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Raspino and Connor Hawthorne reached on consecutive singles to lead off the inning before Collura delivered a one-out RBI single through the right side of the infield to plate Raspino and cut the UNO lead to 4-1. Cole Billingsley followed with an RBI single through the right side to cut the Jaguar deficit to two runs. Cole Gleason then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Collura and cut the UNO lead to 4-3.
The Privateers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth when Veit reached on a Jag error, Boyer reached base on a hit by pitch and Jay Robinson single to right-center field. Preston Marsh delivered a two-out, two-run single to center field later in the inning to double the UNO lead to 6-3.
USA loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth on single by DeGallier and Gann, and a walk by LaBounty. The Jags cut the UNO lead to 6-5 on two straight wild pitches from Privateer right-hander Darron McKigney in the inning.
USA right-hander Cameron Cochran (1-0) earned the win in two scoreless relief innings with three strikeouts. Justin Flores struck out one and allowed two hits in one inning of work to earn his first career save at USA. UNO right-hander Kevin Kelleher (0-1) allowed two runs in one-third of an inning in the loss.
DeGallier finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored to lead USA at the plate. Collura added a hit, two RBI and a run scored, and Ballew finished with a hit and two RBI. March went 2-for-4 with two RBI to lead UNO offensively.
"UNO outplayed us for about eight innings," head coach Mark Calvi said. "Their pitcher, Alex Smith, did a fantastic job on the mound. I thought they played better defense and he pitched better than our guys did, even though we did not issue any walks; I'm proud of that. But our guys hung around, and the mark of a pretty good team is when you don't play your best and still hang on and win the ballgame. Last year we would have lost this game. We don't know if we're a good team, yet. We have some of the components, but we have to clean some things up.
"We need to put more pressure on an opposing pitcher who is not overpowering, but does a good job mixing his pitches. But I am proud of the guys for hanging in there and getting the win. Ballew was big off the bench. He and Collura each did a great job driving in runs. We're happy to pick up the win and sweep the series."
South Alabama will return to action when it hosts Auburn Tue., Feb. 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Stanky Field.
Mavericks Offense Comes Alive, Defeat SFA, 18-9
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Offense was abundant for both teams in UT Arlington's 18-9 win over Stephen F. Austin in the final game of the SFA Tipton Ford Baseball Classic on Sunday afternoon at Jaycees Field.
The Mavericks offense put pressure on the Lumberjacks defensively as SFA cycled through nine different pitchers in the game that lasted just under four hours. UTA hit .414 in the game while holding SFA to .265 in the box.
"Besides scoring runs, I thought the key to the game was Moreland and Kuhnel doing a really good job out of the bullpen," UT Arlington coach Darin Thomas said. "They didn't walk anyone and they forced some bad swings which kind of took some of their momentum away because it was definitely an offensive game which the third game of the weekend usually is."
Jacob Moreland and Joel Kuhnel combined to pitch six innings while only giving up five hits and one earned run. Kuhnel fanned three batters while Moreland was able to pick up one strikeout in the outing.
Pacing the Mavericks offensively was senior infielder Levi Scott who finished the day 4-of-7 at the plate with two runs scored. Freshman RJ Williams also made his presence known as the Heath native compiled a 3-of-4 outing with four runs and three RBI.
After UTA took a 6-0 lead into the bottom half of the third inning, SFA looked to make the momentum swing back in its favor as it responded with a six-run inning to tie the game. The Mavericks then took control of the game as they outscored the Lumberjacks 12-3 over the last six innings.
After a scoreless first inning, the Mavericks were able to get on the board in the second when a sac fly by Matt McLean allowed RJ Williams to cross the plate with ease and give UTA a one-run advantage.
With runners on second and first in the fourth inning, freshman RJ Williams hit a single up the middle that brought home Scott and Cody Farrell. After a hit and run opportunity with Brady Cox at the plate allowed Williams to move to third base, Christian Hollie chipped in with a single to right field that made room for Williams to cross the plate. Cox and Hollie then were able to add to the score when McLean sent the pitch to right field for a single.
Stephen F. Austin got its offense rolling in the bottom of the third when they answered back with six runs of their own. After scoring five runs and forcing the Mavs to make their first pitching change of the day with Jake Wilcox relieving Colin Tornberg, the Lumberjacks got one more run on the board when they stole home plate to tie the game at six. Wilcox ended the game with one earned run and one hit in .2 innings pitched while claiming his first career victory.
The Mavericks regained a lead they would hold onto for the rest of the game in the fourth when a sacrifice fly by Cody Farrell allowed Darien McLemore to score. In the next at bat for UTA, Jerame Littell batted in one run when he hit a single to right field. The Mavs would bring in one more run in the fourth when Williams hit a double to right center field that would give UT Arlington a 9-6 advantage.
After a one-run inning by the Lumberjacks in the bottom of the fourth, both defenses seemed to clam down as the fifth and sixth innings consisted of two total hits and no runs.
UTA was able to push its lead to five runs in the seventh when Travis Sibley put up a two-run homer over the left field wall. The home run marked the first of the season for UTA and just the second career home run for Sibley.
Stephen F. Austin looked to rally in the seventh as they put up two runs in the inning, but UTA extended its lead once again with a three-run eighth inning.
Just in case the five-run lead entering the ninth inning wasn't enough, the Mavericks added some insurance runs when they scored four runs in the top of the ninth. Littell started out the scoring when a Hollie single up the middle allowed him to cross the plate. After McLean reached first on an error which allowed Williams to score, a Sibley ground ball let Cox put UTA on top 17-9. The final run of the day came when McLemore hit a sac fly to centerfield that paved the way for Hollie to score.
"When we did get a pitch to hit we centered it up as good as we have all year," Thomas added. "We didn't hit a lot of lazy fly balls. We didn't strike out a lot and if you get a lead you can gamble a little bit and hit and run which we were able to do."
The Mavericks and Lumberjack combined for 27 runs, 11 of which came in the third inning.
The Mavericks will return to action Feb. 17 when they take on No. 2 TCU at Lupton Baseball Stadium in Fort Worth with first pitch slated for 6:30 p.m.
Georgia Southern Sweeps Bethune-Cookman
STATESBORO, Ga. – Will Hudgins' sacrifice fly in the eighth inning lifted the Georgia Southern Eagles to a 9-8 win and a series sweep of the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats.
Georgia Southern (3-0) swept their first opening weekend series since the 2012 season against UT Martin and have now won five-straight opening weekend series dating back to the 2010 season.
Hudgins sent a shallow fly ball down the line in right field that was just deep enough to allow Aaron Mizell to score the go ahead run in the eighth inning.
"After they tied it up, I was proud of the way we came back and got the lead back. We had good at-bats from Mizell and Chase in that inning, and we got a fly ball out there and it was just enough to score the run," Head Coach Rodney Hennon said.
GS led 7-0 after the second inning and was up 7-1 after the sixth inning before the Wildcats scored a combined seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
Six hits and two Bethune-Cookman (0-3) errors helped the Eagles open an early lead behind starter Connor Simmons. Simmons held the Wildcats to two hits and no runs over the first four frames.
Chris Brown (1-0) picked up the win after the Eagles broke the tie in the eighth inning. Brown allowed three runs on four hits but tossed a perfect ninth inning to end the game.
"I thought we pitched well today. I was really pleased with Connor Simmons," Hennon said. "Matt Geiger did a nice job. It didn't show up in the numbers because of the sloppy play defensively."
Clint Clymer (0-1) took the loss and allowed one earned run on three hits and a walk.
Hudgins and Griffin finished with two hits each. Griffin tallied a double in the second inning and a single in the eighth for his third-straight multi-hit game. Spencer Duffie walked three times and drove in a run with a single in the second inning.
Austin Garcia and Brandon Wilkes both recorded two hits. Garcia drove in three runs on back-to-back hits in the seventh and eighth innings. Wilkes also plated a run in the four-run seventh.
The Eagles will welcome in reigning ACC Tournament Champion and NCAA Regional participant from a year ago Georgia Tech on Tuesday. First pitch against the Yellow Jackets is set for 6 p.m. The contest will air on ESPN3.
Bobcats Series Finale Ends in Tie Due to Travel Restrictions
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State piled up nine hits and scored seven runs on a day with seven errors split between the Bobcats and UC Davis. Unfortunately, UC Davis also scored seven in a 10-inning game called early due to travel for the Aggies.
Cedric Vallieres knocked a seventh-inning home run to put the Bobcats up, 6-5, late in the game for his first career roundtripper at Texas State. The Aggies, however, scored three runs in the ninth and 10th innings continuing a trend they've shown all weekend with the ability to score late.
Texas State kept finding a way to answer back though, keeping the game alive with runs in the ninth and 10th innings to finish in a tie.
Cody Lovejoy and freshman Jaylen Hubbard paced the Bobcats with two hits each while five others tallied a hit for Texas State. Granger Studdard scored twice while Lovejoy, Vallieres and freshman Derek Scheible finished with RBIs.
After two scoreless innings, the Bobcats jumped on the board in the bottom of the third. Freshman Luke Sherley started everything off with a two-out single through the left side for his first collegiate hit. Lovejoy followed with a single through the right side to push Sherley to third base. Lovejoy went to second on the throw. With both runners in scoring position, Vallieres snuck one past the third baseman to plate Sherley and give Texas State the early 1-0 lead.
The Aggies scored four runs, all unearned, in response in the top of the fourth, but would not score again until the ninth inning. Texas State, however, was able to answer thanks to a couple of first career hits for Scheible and Hubbard. Studdard started the offense with a single up the middle and Scheible and Hubbard followed with singles to load the bases. Studdard and Scheible scored on the next play, a UC Davis error.
Down one, in the bottom of the sixth, Texas State was able to tie it. Studdard went all the way to third on a UC Davis error to start the Bobcat at bat. Scheible plated him with a sacrifice fly next to tie the game, 4-4.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Vallieres put Texas State up, 5-4, with a solo home run over the left field fence. He knocked his first roundtripper of the year on a 2-2 pitch with two outs.
After two runs in the top of the ninth to put UC Davis on top, 6-5, Texas State started the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff single up the middle from Hubbard. Tanner Hill stepped up next to sacrifice bunt Hubbard into scoring position. Later, with two outs, Lovejoy came up big with an RBI single to right field to tie the game. The senior fell behind in the count, 0-2, but worked it back to 2-2 and sent his hit down the right line to plate Hubbard and tie it, 6-6, with two outs.
The Aggies, much like they had all weekend, continued to prove they can score late. They scored another run in the top of the 10th to go up 7-6 and put the pressure back on the Bobcats. But, with the bases loaded, Blake Whitter came in with an impressive set of pitches for a big strikeout to bring the Bobcats up to bat.
Matt Sanchez led off the bottom of the inning with an infield single, using his speed to leg it out. He went to second base on a groundout. After that, Studdard put the ball in play and Sanchez scored on the fourth UC Davis error of the day. Studdard went to second on the play, but the Bobcats weren't able to knock him home to get the win. The game was called at the conclusion of the 10th inning due to travel for UC Davis.
Texas State will next be in action Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Sam Houston State at Bobcat Ballpark.
Cajuns Fall to UTSA in Rubber Match
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Despite outhitting UTSA for the third straight contest, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team dropped an 11-5 decision to the Roadrunners in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday at Roadrunner Field.
"I thought offensively, we had a couple of big hits. They just happened to be with no one on," associate head coach Anthony Babineaux said. "They had a lot of big hits and were able to capitalize on them with runners on base. We just have to keep coming out and competing. We threw a lot of young arms and those guys need to come out and trust their stuff. We need to get back to work and get ready for next week."
Junior Eric Carter was saddled with the loss for the Cajuns (1-2) after giving up three runs (two earned) on two hits in 1.1 innings. Starter Greg Milhorn was chased from the game in the fourth inning after surrendering two runs on two hits with four walks and a strikeout.
UTSA reliever Patrick Herbelin picked up the victory as he scattered six hits over 4.1 innings holding the Ragin' Cajuns to two runs while striking out five.
Offensively, Blake Trahan, Brenn Conrad and Derek Herrington each had two hits as the squad outhit the Roadrunners (2-1), 11-7. Louisiana posted 11-plus hits in all three games during the weekend.
Mitchell Matulia and Matt Hilston led the way for UTSA as Matulia drove in three runs and Hilston was 2-for-4 with home run, two RBI and scored twice.
The Cajuns jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Trahan came in to score on a throwing error by catcher John Bormann. Trahan led off the inning with a double to right center and then moved to third on a sac bunt by Kennon Fontenot.
Kevin Markham evened the game at 1-all in the bottom half of the first on a solo home run to right to lead off the inning.
Derek Herrington put Louisiana back in front in the top of the third as he launched a solo home run of his own over the left field fence to make the score 2-1.
UTSA answered in the bottom half of the third as Tyler Straub brought home Markham on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to left center to tie the contest at 2-all.
Stefan Trosclair notched the second home run of the day as he sent the first pitch he saw over the fence in left for a leadoff solo homer in the top of the fourth to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 3-2 edge.
The Roadrunners grabbed a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth plating three runs on two hits and two walks. Bormann leveled the contest on a sac fly to center. In the next at bat, Tyler Straub doubled in a run to give UTSA a 4-3 edge. Skyler Valentine capped the scoring in the inning on a sac fly to right center.
Louisiana pulled within a run, 5-4, in the top of the sixth when Trosclair came home on a pickoff attempt by Herbelin, but UTSA would break the game open in the bottom of the sixth scoring four runs on two hits highlighted by a three-run double to straight away center by Matulia.
The Ragin' Cajuns final run of the game came in the eighth on a RBI single by Kyle Clement.a
The Cajuns return to action on Wednesday at 6 p.m. as they face in-state foe Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La. Following the contest with the Demons, Louisiana is slated to open its home slate on Friday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. against Stony Brook in the first game of a three-game series.
Trojans Fall in Series Finale
TROY, Alabama – The Troy University baseball team fell to Northwestern State 9-5 in the final game of the season opening four-game series at Riddle-Pace Field.
Trojan starter Tucker Simpson (0-1) struggled early walking three batters and allowing five runs on three hits in just 1 1/3 innings. The Demons took advantage of four Troy errors, scoring their nine runs on just five hits.
Trailing 5-0 in the third, the Trojans got things going offensively. Brody Binder started the half inning with a single up the middle and one batter later Matt Sanders walked. Nick Masonia followed with a single to load the bases setting the table for David Hall's two-RBI double down the right field line. Two pitches later, Logan drove in another run on a single to cut the Northwestern State lead to 5-3.
Hall finished the game 2-for-4 and the series 7-for-17 with six RBIs. With his two-hit performance, Hall now has multiple hits in 29 of 66 career games.
The Trojans were unable to pull any closer, however, as the Demons responded in the fourth inning. A pair of Troy miscues led to four Northwestern State runs on just one hit.
Matt Sanders drove in his seventh run of the series in the seventh on a single and a Brody Binder base hit plated another run in the ninth. Sanders finished the series 10-for-19 with 15 total bases and five runs scored.
Clay Holcomb walked in the ninth to extend his reached base streak to 20 games; he also stole his 51st career base putting him two stolen bases shy of cracking Troy's career top ten.
Five pitchers saw action on the hill in the game for Troy with Austin Crook and Perez Knowles both made their Trojan debuts.
Troy finishes 3-1 on the weekend leaving head coach Bobby Pierce just 12 wins shy of passing Chase Riddle for the school's all-time wins record.
Troy will travel to Pensacola to take part in the Cox Diamond Invitational over the weekend. The Trojans will face Saint Louis at 3 p.m. on Friday, North Florida at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Nicholls at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Arkansas State Series Finale Canceled Due to Impending Weather
Appalachian State Finale Canceled Due to Inclement Weather