Tuesday, February 17
Roach's Two Home Runs Proprel Panthers Past Mercer, 14-1
Macon, Ga. -- Joey Roach homered twice and drove in seven runs and Caden Bailey went 5-for-5 with three runs batted in as Georgia State defeated Mercer 14-1 in a seven-inning game on a cold night at Claude Smith Field in Macon.
Georgia State (2-2) starter Marc-Andre Habeck struck out eight to to earn the victory in his debut in a Panther uniform. The junior college transfer from Canada allowed just one run on five hits in four innings while walking just one. He struck out two batters in each of the first four innings.
Roach, a preseason all-conference selection, went 3-for-4 with a run-scoring single in the first inning, a grand slam in the second and a two-run homer in the fourth. That is the first career grand slam and first two-homer game for the junior catcher.
"Marc set the pace, I thought we really hit, and we played great defense," head coach Greg Frady said. "I like where the team is right now, and I love the way Joey Roach hit the ball tonight. He was amazing."
Bailey, the senior infielder, had five consecutive singles. He also scored three runs, the third one giving him 100 runs for his career.
"I'm excited about what took place tonight. We lost a total heart-breaker on Saturday, and the only way to past that is to play again," Frady said. We felt like we needed to have some toughness coming down here because Mercer has a great program. When you put up 14 runs, you make no errors and you pitch like we did, that's an A-plus game.
The Panthers jumped on Mercer (1-3) from the outset. After Roach's RBI-single gave GSU a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Georgia State erupted for seven runs in the second, highlighted by Roach's grand slam to right center.
"I was just trying to have a good approach and put a good swing on it," Roach said. "I had two strikes, so I was just trying to put the ball in play and hit it hard somewhere."
Georgia State pitchers combined for 11 strikeout in the game, which was ended after seven innings with the Panthers ahead by more than 10 runs.
"Marc was comfortable on the mound," Roach said. "Coach [Adam] Scott called a great game to keep Mercer off balance, and Marc just had every pitch today. He could have pitched with his eyes closed."
Mercer starter Ben Lumsden (0-1) surrendured 10 runs on 10 hits in 3.2 innings.
Bembnowski Pitches Jags Past Auburn
MOBILE, Ala. – Austin Bembnowski tossed eight scoreless relief innings to lead the University of South Alabama baseball team to a 7-4 win over Auburn Tuesday at Stanky Field.
Bembnowski (1-0) retired 13 of the first 14 Auburn batters he faced, and allowed just three hits while striking out six and issuing a pair of walks.
"We were down early and we needed to get something going," Bembnowski said. "I was able to just come in and do my job. It was a little cold tonight. I really didn't have my offspeed stuff, so I stuck with my fastball most of the time and I was able to pound it for strikes."
South Alabama (4-0) scored six unanswered runs en route to the win, highlighted by a three-run sixth inning. After the Jaguars tied the game 4-4 in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Jared Barnes, and took a one-run advantage in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single to center field by Bud Collura that scored Ryan Raspino. A sacrifice fly by Garrett DeGallier and a bases-loaded walk by Barnes pushed across the final two runs of the game.
"It was tough falling behind early like that," head coach Mark Calvi said. "But our guys kept fighting and we put some good at-bats together. They kept playing hard and we got back into it. We had one strikeout tonight, which was outstanding. We made them (Auburn) work for everything, and made them field every ball.
"Bembnowski was really good; he settled the game down for us. I didn't plan to use him that long. It was going to be a long-relief role but he kept going out there and getting back in on offense. He's an extremely strong kid, and he was ready to go out there and compete."
Auburn jumped out to a three-run lead in the top of the first inning. USA starter Jared Gates issued consecutive walks to Anfernee Grier and Damon Haecker to start the game, and each moved up one base on a sacrifice bunt by Jordan Ebert. Bo Decker then delivered a two-run double down the left field line for a 2-0 Tiger advantage. Cody Nulph followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield to plate Decker and push the Auburn lead to 3-0.
USA loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first when DeGallier singled through the right side, Cole Gleason reached on a hit by pitch and Martinez reached on an error by Auburn center fielder Anfernee Grier. The Jags then pushed their first run of the game across on a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of Barnes.
Auburn increased its lead to 4-1 in the top of the second when Kyler Deese led off the inning with a walk, and later scored on a wild pitch by Bembnowski.
USA answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut its deficit back to one run. Barnes and Connor Hawthorne reached on consecutive singles to lead off the inning, and moved up one base each on a groundout to third by Raspino. Adam Ballew followed with a two-run single to left field to cut the Tiger lead to 4-3 before the Jags added four runs over the next two frames.
Barnes went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored to lead South Alabama at the plate. Ballew finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Collura added two hits – extending his hitting streak to nine games – along with an RBI and a run scored, and Raspino finished with two hits and a run scored.
Grier went 3-for-4 with a run scored to lead Auburn at the plate. Auburn right-hander Keegan Thompson (1-1) allowed six runs on eight hits with one walk in 5 1/3 innings pitched in the loss.
South Alabama will return to action this weekend when it hosts Arkansas, No. 13 Maryland and Central Florida to Stanky Field as part of a round-robin tournament. USA will open the weekend tournament Friday evening against Maryland at 6:30 p.m.
Mavericks Drop 4-1 Decision to Top-Ranked TCU
FORT WORTH, Texas - Despite a difficult night in the box for UT Arlington against top-ranked TCU, the Mavericks brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning before a ground out ended the game with the UTA on the wrong end of a 4-1 decision.
"We had our chances," UT Arlington coach Darin Thomas said. "We were just one hit away, but when you're facing a good club with good pitching, sometimes if you don't take advantage of those opportunities you won't get them again, but I was proud of the way we battled even into the ninth."
Trailing 4-1 entering the ninth inning, the Mavs kept their hopes alive when the Horned Frogs pitcher committed a balk that put Travis Sibley and Darien McLemore on second and third base respectively with one out. After a strikeout by Will Olson brought the Mavericks down to their last chance to extend the game, a wild pitch by TCU made room for McLemore to cross the plate for UTA's first run of the day. Then after Matt McLean advanced to first on a walk, Eric Tate came up to bat as the tying run in the game that last just over two and a half hours. Tate fought off the pitcher with a 1-2 count before grounding out to the pitcher in the game's last at bat.
Kyle Laberge got the start against the Horned Frogs, throwing five strikeouts while giving up six hits and three earned runs in 4.1 innings on the mound. Laberge was charged with the loss in his first career start for the Mavs.
TCU got on the board early when a single and a walk put runners on first and second with no outs in the bottom of the first. After a double steal by the two runners, Laberge looked to pitch his way out of the jam as he laid down the third batter of the night. The Horned Frogs brought in a pair of runs during the next at bat thanks a single through the right side of the field.
The Mavericks looked to shake off the offensive rust in the top of the fifth inning as Jerame Littell led off with a single to the pitcher. Sibley, who finished the day 2-of-3 at the plate, then advanced Littell to second with a powerful single through the left side, putting two runners on. After McLean reached on a fielder's choice that sent Littell to first, Christian Hollie grounded out to third base to end the inning with the Mavericks trailing 2-0.
After a Blake Korthauer walk with the bases loaded in the fifth inning forced the Mavericks second pitching change of the day, Justin Schnedler came in and had an excellent showing in his season debut on the mound, striking out a pair of Horned Frogs' batters with the bases loaded to end the inning with UTA trailing by three runs. Schnedler ended the day with four strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched while allowing only two hits and no earned runs.
The final run of the day for TCU came in the seventh when a double down the left field line brought in one unearned run.
UT Arlington scored its one run on six hits with one error while TCU registered its four runs on eight hits with no errors.
"We're going to face some good clubs this weekend," Thomas said. "Southeastern won the Southland last year and Michigan State beat TCU two out of three here last year. They're a good club and are off to a good start. Houston Baptist always gives us trouble. We've got our hands full no matter who we play all year long. Every night we have to strap it on and use these games to get ready for conference play."
The Mavericks will return to action this weekend as they host the UTA Hilton Invitational at Clay Gould Ballpark. UTA will start the invitational by taking on Southeastern Louisiana on Friday, Feb. 20 with first pitch slated for 3 p.m.
Grand Slam Lifts Georgia Tech Past Eagles
STATESBORO, Ga. – Kel Johnson hit a two-out grand slam as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets rallied to defeat the Georgia Southern Eagles 7-4.
Georgia Tech (3-1) combined for six runs over the final two innings to erase a 4-1 deficit. The Yellow Jackets finished with 9 hits and took advantage of six walks and two hit batters to score five two-out runs.
"Give Georgia Tech credit. They got the big hit and did some good things to battle back and take the lead from us," Head Coach Rodney Hennon said.
After Tripp Sheppard hit Thomas Smith to load the bases in the seventh inning with two outs, Johnson laced a 2-2 pitch off the scoreboard in left field for his third home run of the season.
Sheppard (0-1) allowed three runs on two hits and tallied a third of an inning in his first loss of the season.
The grand slam handed Zac Ryan (1-0) his first victory of the season. Ryan scattered four hits over 3.1 scoreless frames and struck out four batters on 60 pitches.
Georgia Southern (3-1) tallied 10 or more hits for the second-straight game. Kody Adams, Spencer Duffie and Jordan Howard all tallied two hits each. Duffie plated three runs with a pair of singles, while Howard recorded his first two hits of his Eagle career.
"I thought our defense much cleaner tonight than it was on Sunday and that was good to see. We have to pick ourselves up," Hennon said. "We are going to play another good team this weekend."
The Eagles erased an early 1-0 deficit and led 3-1 after Hunter Thomas drove in a run with an infield single, and Duffie plated two runs with a bloop single to right field.
GS extended their lead to 4-1 with another RBI single from Duffie in the sixth inning.
Ryan Frederick got the start for the Eagles and allowed one run on two hits and a pair of walks over 2.2 innings.
The Eagles continue a season-opening eight game homestand this weekend against the West Virginia Mountaineers. First pitch Friday is set for 6 p.m.
Bobcats Fall to Sam Houston State, 10-0
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Sam Houston State, a 2014 NCAA Tournament team that went to the regional final, took down Texas State by a score of 10-0 as the Bobcats left 13 runners on base Tuesday night at Bobcat Ballpark.
Cory Geisler continues to hit well for the Bobcats, going 2-for-4 on the night. Meanwhile, Cody Lovejoy, Granger Studdard and Theodore Hoffman all tallied hits in the game while Lovejoy added a walk. David Paiz also worked the count for a walk while Ben McElroy helped his on-base percentage with two walks for the night.
Texas State threw four pitchers Tuesday with Montana Parsons making the best showing. He only gave up one hit without an earned run in two innings of play. Quinn Atwood only gave up one earned run with one walk in three innings of work.
Atwood faced his brother, Colt, from Sam Houston State for the first time in their collegiate careers. After two impressive strikes on the first two pitches of the at bat, Colt was able to strike for a hit.
Sam Houston State jumped on the Bobcats with three runs in the first two innings and added six more runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to put the game out of reach.
With 13 runners left on base, the Bobcats did have opportunities throughout the game. In the second inning, Studdard knocked a single through the left side and McElroy worked the count for his first walk of the night. After that, Hoffman reached on an SHSU error, one of four for the Bearkats. Unfortunately, a pop up and a strikeout left three stranded.
In the fourth, McElroy earned his second walk of the night and Hoffman followed with a single to centerfield. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a grounder, but a strikeout ended the opportunity for the Bobcats.
Finally, in the fifth inning, Lovejoy got on base with a walk and, after a pop up out, Geisler followed with an infield single. Paiz walked to load the bases but consecutive strikeouts after that doomed the Bobcats.
Next, Texas State takes to the road for the team's first travel of the season. The Bobcats will play at Wichita State for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. Friday followed by a 1 p.m. first pitch on Saturday before returning to host No. 3 Houston on Tuesday at Bobcat Ballpark.