Sunday, March 22
Big Innings Propel ULM Past Appalachian State
BOONE, N.C. -- ULM totaled 13 hits including nine for extra-bases (eight doubles, one homer) in a 10-2 victory over Appalachian State in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Smith Stadium.
The Warhawks (12-9, 2-4 Sun Belt Conference) struck first and took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning for its first lead of the weekend. Kodie Tidwell hit a double down the right field line and came around to score on a two-out RBI single to left by Nathan Pugh.
Appalachian State (7-16, 2-7 SBC) evened the contest at 1-1 in the bottom of the second as Michael Pierson tripled to lead off the inning and came in to score on a RBI groundout by Noah Holmes.
Warhawks exploded for three runs in the top of the third inning as the visiting squad took a 4-1 lead after two-and-a-half innings. Tidwell got things going with his second double of the contest with one out in the inning. Keelin Rasch reached on an infield single, Nathan Pugh picked up his second RBI of the game as he reached on an error allowing Tidwell to score. Danny Springer followed and tallied two RBI with a double to right center to put the Warhawks ahead by three runs.
After Trey Setzer retired the Mountaineers in order in the bottom of the third, the Warhawks returned to the plate and scored another run to push lead to 5-1. Justin Stawychny led off the fourth with a double and was able to score later in the inning thanks to a sacrifice fly to center.
The Mountaineers trimmed the Warhawk lead to three runs as Dillon Dobson tallied a solo homer to right center in the bottom of the fourth.
After the two teams traded zeros in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings, the Warhawks broke through for five runs in the top of the ninth. Anthony Herrera led off the inning with a single and Justin Stawychny followed with a two-run homer that snuck inside the left field foul pole to put ULM ahead, 7-2.
Robbie Podorsky followed with a double and came in to score when Cody Stone singled and moved to second on a fielding error by center fielder Bradley Morton. Tidwell followed with a double down the left field line, allowing Stone to score and push the ULM lead to seven runs. With two outs in the ninth, Pugh reached on a strikeout/wild pitch and Tidwell scored to give ULM a 10-2 advantage.
Tidwell and Stawychny led the Warhawks at the plate as the duo combined for seven hits (all extra bases [Tidwell, four doubles; Stawychny, two doubles and one homer]), five runs and three RBI.
Setzer picked up the win and improved to 3-0 on the season after allowing two earned runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts in seven innings. Josh Leone earned his first save of 2015 after recording the final six outs of the game including three outs on five pitches in the eighth. In two innings, Leone allowed two hits and struck out one.
McElroy's Homer Helps Bobcats Fend off Jags
MOBILE, Ala. – Texas State had been looking for the bats to pop all weekend, and they finally did in the series finale Sunday. The Bobcats knocked 11 hits, including a three-run homer from Ben McElroy, to outlast a late surge from South Alabama and win it, 8-7. With the win, Texas State improves to 6-3 in conference play, tied atop the Sun Belt, setting up a showdown of two first place teams at Bobcat Ballpark next weekend.
The Bobcats scored first with two runs in the third inning. Luke Sherley led off the inning with a single to start a strong offensive day for the freshman. He was only retired once in the game and it took an impressive diving play from the South Alabama right fielder to do it. After his single, he walked and reached base on a hit by pitch. In the ninth he added a single to left center. He finished the day with two runs scored.
Sherley's first run came in off the bat of Cedric Vallieres. The senior knocked a double to left centerfield to plate Sherley as part of a strong day for himself as well. He finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Vallieres scored his first run of the day on an infield single from Theodore Hoffman. Hoffman was able to leg out a slow grounder for the hit and the RBI.
The Jaguars answered in the fourth with three runs, two of which scored on passed balls to go ahead. Texas State, however, would not go away. Seniors Vallieres and David Paiz were the reason why. In the sixth inning, freshmen Derek Scheible and Sherley were both hit by a pitch. Then, with two outs, Vallieres and Paiz hit consecutive singles to plate Scheible and Sherley and put the Bobcats up, 4-3.
After South Alabama erased a 1-0 deficit in the ninth inning of Saturday's game, Texas State was looking for some insurance runs late in the game. In the eighth, they were able to score four. Vallieres knocked a double down the left line with one out. Paiz and Granger Studdard followed with consecutive walks to load the bases.
Colby Targun brought in Paiz with a groundout to make it, 5-3. After that, McElroy came up big with a home run down the right field line for three runs to bust the game open, 8-3. Turns out, Texas State would need every bit of that five-run cushion in the ninth.
The Jaguars scored four runs in the ninth on two walks, a hit by pitch and three singles to close the gap. But, with runners at first and second, Paiz corralled a grounder and dove for the force out at third base to clinch the win for the Bobcats.
Next, Texas State hosts No. 14 Texas at 6 p.m. Tuesday, and will follow with a three-game series against Georgia Southern over the weekend in San Marcos.
Mavs Rally in Seventh to Claim 3-2 Victory over Dartmouth
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UT Arlington relied on a seventh-inning rally to push past Dartmouth 3-2 in the final game of a three-game road swing on Sunday afternoon.
"I knew it would be a tough one after we lost a tough one yesterday in extra innings, but we just had to bounce back today," UT Arlington coach Darin Thomas said. "It didn't look good early, but we found a way to win and I'll take it. It's another two-out-of-three weekend so I'm proud of our guys."
The Mavericks got a gem out of freshman right-handed pitcher Daniel James, who pitched in relief for 3.0 innings with three hits and no earned runs allowed while fanning one. James picked up his first career win while holding opposing batters to .230 in the box.
Colin Tornberg picked up his seventh save of the season after recording strikeout and keeping the Big Green off the bases.
Darmouth got on the board first putting one across in the opening inning with a double to left-center field.
The Mavericks got their first run of the day in the third inning with runners on the corners and Levi Scott up to bat. Scott's sacrifice fly to center field that cleared the way for Matt McLean to cross the plate and tie the game.
After a fourth inning solo shot put Dartmouth back on top 2-1, UTA looked to even the game back up in the sixth after a Jackson Morris single to right field put runners on the corners with one out. Darien McLemore hit a ball to the pitcher, who caught Travis Sibley stuck between third and home for the second out of the inning.
The Mavericks would get another chance as an Eric Tate single up the middle loaded the bases. UT Arlington would come up empty after RJ Williams's ground ball to the shortstop ended the sixth.
The Mavericks played small ball in the seventh inning as Christian Hollie walked and made his way to third base on back-to-back sacrifice bunts. Sibley drove in UTA's first run of the day with his single to right-center field.
Not satisfied with simply tying the game, Scott came to the plate in the next at-bat and sent a deep ball to the right center field wall for a double that pushed Sibley across for the go-ahead run. It looked as though the Mavs would extend their lead to two runs with McLemore's single through the right side, but the Big Green right fielder made a great throw to home plate to get Scott and end the inning.
"I'm just proud of our guys all weekend of how we battlled and how we competed," Thomas added. "We didn't come out here and get complacent after having a big week. We've played a lot of games and the one day we didn't play we traveled all day, so we're a little beat down and tired, but I'm proud of how we competed."
Tate came away from the Sunday matchup with a 2-of-4 performance. Sibley's day ended going 3-of-4 with one run and one RBI.
The Mavericks will return to action this week with a pair of midweek home games against Big 12 foes Baylor and West Virginia. The matchup on Tuesday against Baylor is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., while the Wednesday matinee is set for a 2 p.m. first pitch.