Saturday, March 7
Eagles Take Series with Appalachian State
STATESBORO, Ga. – Tripp Sheppard pitched into the sixth inning and Aaron Mizell scored two runs to help the Georgia Southern Baseball team to a 3-1 victory and a series win over the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Saturday.
Mizell tied the game with his second home run of the year in the first inning and tripled to lead off the third inning. The junior later scored on a Hunter Thomas sac fly to put Georgia Southern (10-5, 2-0) ahead 2-1.
Tripp Sheppard allowed a first inning run on back-to-back base hits but settled in to hold Appalachian State (5-8, 0-2) to one run over 5.1 innings. Sheppard (1-1) allowed six hits, no walks and struck out five batters for his first win of the season.
"Tripp did a great job for us today. They got a quick one there early and put a couple good swings on some balls. He settled in and really pitched well after that. For his second start to go as deep as he did was huge," Head Coach Rodney Hennon said.
Ryan Frederick followed with 2.2 scoreless frames and struck out two batters before giving way to Chris Brown in the ninth inning. Brown (6) picked up his sixth save of the season and struck out two batters in a perfect frame.
Travis Holden took the loss after allowing three runs – two earned – on five hits. Holden (0-1) pitched into the sixth inning and struck out three batters.
The Eagles tacked on to their one-run lead in the fifth inning after Bradon Sharpe plated Chase Griffin with a single to center field. The RBI was the first of his Eagle career.
"I thought we took some better swings today. We would still like to get that big hit and extend the lead. We were unable to do that today but overall it was a much better approach by our hitters," Hennon said.
The series concludes on Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch. The Eagles will send freshman lefthander Connor Simmons to the mound. The Mountaineers will counter with righthander Matt Brill.
Jags Even Series with UALR on Saturday
MOBILE, Ala. – A trio of Jaguar pitchers combined to shut out Arkansas-Little Rock Saturday at Stanky Field to lead the University of South Alabama baseball team to a 1-0 win.
Right-handers Ryne Long, Hunter Soleymani and Cody Van Aken allowed just three combined hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts. Long tossed seven scoreless innings, and allowed three hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts. Soleymani (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings to earn the win, while Van Aken tossed two-thirds of an inning to record his first career save at USA.
"Long was very good," head coach Mark Calvi said. "Soleymani came in and did a nice job for us, and Van Aken was outstanding at the end. But I am super-proud of Ryne Long and Soleymani. This is Soleymani's third year in the program. He was one of the first high school kids I offered here, and in a game like this I was willing to go down to the wire as long as the game dictated it. I felt great bringing in a guy who has been in the program as long as anyone in him, so my hat's off to Soleymani and Van Aken."
UALR (4-6, 1-1 SBC) threatened in the top of the fourth. Tanner Rockwell and Kyle Kirk reached on consecutive singles to lead off the inning. A sacrifice bunt by Sam Vogel moved both runners into scoring position with one out. Hayden Martin then reached on a hit by pitch from Long to load the bases for the Trojans. Long induced a fielder's choice off the bat of Drew Merten, which Bud Collura fielded at third and threw home for the force out at the plate. The right-hander then fielded a grounder off the bat of Joseph Paulino behind his back and threw to first for the final out of the frame and escape the jam without allowing a run.
"I don't know how the ball ended up going in Ryne Long's glove, but it did and I'm not going to ask any questions," Calvi said. "When we do pitchers' fielding practice (PFPs), Long is one of our best guys. He is big and burly, but he moves around really well. If anyone was going to make a play like that, it doesn't surprise me that it was Long. (Danny) Martinez did a really nice job at first base moving around and giving those pitchers good feeds. We needed every good play we could get today."
USA (10-5, 1-1 SBC) scratched the game's lone run across in the bottom of the eighth. UALR right-handed reliever Dyllon Brownmiller hit Cole Billingsley with a pitch to lead off the inning. Garrett DeGallier then singled through the right side of the infield with two outs to put runners at the corners. Ryan Raspino drew a walk to load the bases for Danny Martinez, who drew a walk from UALR right-hander Reed Willenborg to plate Billingsley with the eventual game-winning run.
UALR left-hander Jarrid Garcia (0-1) tossed six scoreless innings, allowed six hits and struck out six while issuing two walks without factoring in the decision. Brownmiller (0-1) took the loss in 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit with a strikeout and a walk.
Martinez went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a pair of walks to lead the Jags at the plate. Rockwell, Kirk and Sam Vogel had one hit apiece for UALR.
The series will conclude with the rubber match at 1 p.m. Sunday at Stanky Field.
Bobcats Take Series, Split Doubleheader on Saturday
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State won the team's first series of the season and the first of conference play, taking down UL Monroe in two of the three games played this weekend. Saturday, the Bobcats won, 5-1, in the opener, but fell, 7-4, in the final game of the weekend.
Both Scott Grist and Blake Whitter accounted well for themselves throughout the series. Whitter closed out the first game of the day with three consecutive strikeouts in the ninth and added another one in the final inning of the day. Grist, meanwhile, went eight full innings and only gave up four hits and no earned runs. He walked three and struck out two batters in 112 pitches.
3/7/2015 Baseball vs. UL Monroe (March 7, 2015) Baseball vs. UL Monroe (March 7, 2015)
At the plate, Granger Studdard led the Bobcats on a 3-for-7 day with a run scored. The leading RBI-hitters were Tanner Hill and Cedric Vallieres, both finishing with two apiece. Hill hit his in the first game to give Texas State some breathing room, while Vallieres knocked a two-run homer in a comeback effort. David Paiz also tallied two hits on the day while Luke Sherley, Theodore Hoffman and Colby Targun each added a hit.
The Warhawks opened the game with a run in the top of the first inning. The leadoff man reached on an error and ULM's second hitter followed with a double to right centerfield. Keelin Rasch brought in Robbie Podorsky, the runner at third, with a sacrifice fly to put ULM on top early, 1-0.
In the second inning, Texas State went ahead in the game. Targun reached on an error and Hill followed with a single to left field. After that, Hoffman earned a walk to load the bases for Sherley. He knocked the first Texas State RBI of the game with a single through the right side. Next, Cory Geisler brought in Hill with a sacrifice fly to put the Bobcats up, 2-1.
The Bobcats did damage in the fifth inning, pushing the lead to 5-1. Ben McElroy walked and Studdard followed with a two-out single through the right side. After that, Cody Lovejoy loaded the bases with a walk, and ULM starter Brandon Bell walked Targun with bases loaded for the first run of the inning. Next, Hill plated two runners with a shot to right field to give Texas State some breathing room with a four-run lead. That would be all the Bobcats needed for the win in the first game of the day to clinch the series.
The second game started the same way the first did with an early ULM run. In the top of the second, Nathan Pugh led off with a single and took second on a passed ball. Spencer Hemphill knocked a ground-rule double over the left center wall to plate Pugh and put the Warhawks up, 1-0 early. In the fourth inning, UL Monroe added two more runs, one on an RBI and one on a passed ball, to go up 3-0 in the game.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Bobcats almost answered in a big way, but left three stranded on a bases loaded strikeout. Texas State almost had another opportunity for a run in the bottom of the fourth. The Bobcats pushed Studdard all the way to third base after he singled. Trey Setzer, the ULM starter, threw a wild pitch and Studdard headed home to take advantage of it. Catcher Spencer Hemphill was able to get the ball back to Setzer covering home in time for the out. The Bobcats wouldn't score in the inning, but busted out in the fifth.
Texas State stormed back to tie the game on the bat of Vallieres. Hoffman sent a rocket down the left line for a double, and was able to score later on a ULM error when Geisler put the ball in play. After Geisler, Vallieres knocked his second home run of the season, a two-run shot to tie the game, 3-3.
The Warhawks regained the lead with a run in the seventh inning on two hits. Nathan Pugh knocked Kodie Tidwell in for a 4-3 ULM lead late in the game. Danny Springer extended ULM's lead with a solo home run in the eighth to put the Warhawks up, 5-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, after his homer, Vallieres kept it up with a leadoff double down the left line. After he went to third base on a groundout, Vallieres scored on a passed ball to pull the Bobcats within one, 5-4. Unfortunately, UL Monroe added two more runs in the ninth for a three-run lead, 7-4. That would be the final.
Next up for the Bobcats will be in-state rival Rice at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Texas State will travel to Houston to face the Owls, ranked between 10th and 16th nationally in various polls, and follow with a road trip to Appalachian State for the team's second conference series of the season. The Bobcats will return to San Marcos after that to host UTSA for a midweek game at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17.
Cajuns Win Fifth Consecutive to Take Series Against Troy
LAFAYETTE, La. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team picked up a 6-2 victory against Troy on Saturday afternoon to win its fifth straight contest on the year and claim the Sun Belt opening series a M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field. The win is also the fifth straight against the Trojans in the series, and the eighth straight in Sun Belt Conference play.
"Our pitchers came in an executed well and we got a big lick. That's what you want to do against a good team," head coach Tony Robichaux said. "We will have to come back and play a full nine innings if we want to get a win tomorrow. We are finally building some depth in our bullpen, and I think we are sitting good right now."
The Cajuns (9-5, 2-0 Sun Belt) outhit Troy (7-7, 0-2 Sun Belt) 8-3 in the game with junior centerfielder Joe Robbins posting the only multi-hit effort of the game for either team going 2-for-3 and scored twice. Senior Dylan Butler had a game-high three RBI on his first home run of the season.
Junior Will Bacon had a strong outing in relief as he earned his first victory of the year tossing five scoreless innings. The Baton Rouge, La., native held Troy hitless while recording six strikeouts and three walks.
Grant Bennett was tabbed with his first loss of the season for the Trojans. Bennett was roughed up for five runs on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
In the bottom of the first, junior shortstop Blake Trahan scored on a wild pitch to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 1-0 advantage. Trahan led off the inning with a double down the left field line and then moved to third on a sac bunt by Brenn Conrad.
Troy pulled even in the top of the second when Trevin Hall scored from third on a ground ball hit to third by David Hall. Trevin Hall got into scoring position on a leadoff tripled down the left field line.
Logan Hill gave the Trojans a 2-1 edge in the top of the third on a two-out RBI single up the middle.
Louisiana tied the contest at 2-all in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI bunt single by Brian Mills scoring Robbins from third. The bunt single was the third of the inning for the Cajuns as Robbins led off the inning with a bunt single.
Two batters later, Conrad lifted a sac fly to left field to plate Kyle Clement and give the Ragin' Cajuns a 3-2 edge.
Butler provided Louisiana with three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth as he launched a three-run homer over the fence down the left field line to make the final 6-2.
Louisiana goes for the sweep tomorrow at 1 p.m. as freshman left-hander Gunner Leger takes the mound for the Cajuns. Leger is 2-0 on the year with a 2.50 ERA in 18 innings and has 14 strikeouts. Troy has yet to name a starter for the contest.
Rose Drives in Two, Earns Save in 5-4 Win over Eastern Michigan
ATLANTA -- Matt Rose drove in two runs and earned his second save of the season to lead Georgia State to a 5-4, series-clinching win over Eastern Michigan Saturday at the GSU Baseball Complex. The Panthers (9-5) have won five of their last six games.
The series concludes with a 1 p.m. game Sunday.
Rose, the Preseason All-American, broke a 3-3 tie with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to score Ryan Blanton, who led off with a single and had two hits on the day.
Eastern Michigan (5-10) threatened in the top of the eighth, putting runners at first and third with no outs. But right-hander Alex Hegner came on in relief and induced an easy ground ball to third baseman Caden Bailey, who looked the runner back at third and then started the 5-4-3 double play. Hegner then ended the inning by getting Michael Mioduszewski to fly out.
The Panthers added a key insurance run in the bottom of the eighth by executing a double steal for the second straight day. With runners at first and third and two outs, Ryan Blanton broke from first and stayed in a run down long enough to allow David Levy to slide home ahead of the tag for the Panthers' fifth run.
"The game probably turned when Alex Hegner came in when they had first and third with nobody out and he induced a double play and then got the third out to put up a zero. Then we were able to come right behind him and put up another run to give us that cushion," head coach Greg Frady said.
Rose came on for the ninth, and Dennison led off with a single. Rose then snagged a ball hit back at him and got the lead runner at second base, but the Panthers were unable to complete the double play. With two outs, Rose hit Lett to put runners at first and second, and then Rubino reached on an error to load the bases with two outs.
Wilson hit a ball to the hole at short that Justin Jones managed to knock down, holding the Eagles to one run. Then Rose struck out Peterson looking with the bases loaded to end the game and seal the victory.
Frady said. "This game came right down to the end. Matt Rose showed toughness, and when you've got a veteran on the mound, you always feel confident. The play Justin Jones made in the six-hole probably saved the game for us. But all in all, that's what it takes to be a winner."
Georgia State took a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning. Rose delivered a two-out double down the left field line to bring home Blanton, and then Joey Roach followed with a run-scoring single to center.
But Eastern Michigan tied the game with two unearned runs in the sixth off GSU starter Kenny Anderson, who allowed three runs but just one earned on four hits in 5.2 innings.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and we worked really hard for this win," Frady said.
UT Arlington Tops Arkansas State, 6-4
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