Tuesday, April 28
Thomas Homers to Lift Eagles to Road Win at JU
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hunter Thomas hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie and lift the Georgia Southern Eagles to a 5-3 win at Sessions Stadium on Tuesday.
Thomas led off the seventh inning and homered over the scoreboard in right field for his 9th long ball of the season to break open a 3-3 tie.
The Eagles (27-18) tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning on a two-RBI single from Aaron Mizell. Mizell plated Andrew Kelley and Cody Landford, who started a string of three-straight singles, with a bouncing ground ball through the right side of the defense.
Jason Richman tossed two scoreless innings and left the bases loaded in the sixth inning to pick up the win. Richman (6-0) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out a batter.
Andrew Ciocia was tagged with the loss after allowing the long ball to Thomas. Ciocia (0-2) worked one inning and struck out two batters.
The Dolphins (19-24) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Byron Yelverton retired the first two batters he faced via the strikeout but walked the bases loaded before allowing a two-RBI single to Seth Dewitt.
Connor Marabell extended JU's lead to 3-0 with a one-out double in the third inning. Marabell plated a lead off double from Angelo Amendolare.
17-year Navy veteran Brian Holcomb made his career debut on the mound and started the game for JU. Holcomb faced one batter and allowed a single to Kody Adams.
Yelverton made his first career start on the mound for the Eagles and allowed three runs on five hits over 2.1 innings.
Baseball returns home to host the South Alabama Jaguars for the final Sun Belt Conference home series of the year. The Eagles will honor their six seniors on Senior Day Sunday.
No. 3 A&M Survives Scare from Texas State
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas State pushed No. 3 Texas A&M to the very edge in Tuesday night's 11-inning thriller. Unfortunately for Texas State, the Aggies survived with a walk-off RBI single from Logan Nottebrok in the bottom of the 11th inning to win, 8-7.
Tyler Giovanoni put together an outstanding outing in relief to keep the Bobcats in the game. The freshman from Schertz, Texas, has been making good appearances lately, but Tuesday's may have been his best. He entered the game in the seventh inning to tally six strikeouts and only give up one hit with no walks until the final inning.
At the plate, the Bobcats showed their offensive ability with 11 hits against Texas A&M's strong pitching staff. Granger Studdard, Tanner Hill, Colby Targun, and Ben McElroy all struck two hits in the game with Studdard and McElroy plating two RBI each. Cory Geisler, Cedric Vallieres and Targun each added an RBI as well. The Bobcat bats would work through Texas A&M's starter in just the first inning and eventually force the Aggies to throw eight different pitchers.
The Bobcats grabbed an early 3-0 lead, but the Aggies were able to tie the game in the third. Then, in the sixth inning, Texas A&M scored four runs to go up, 7-3. Texas State, however, answered with a seven-hit, four-run inning to tie the game again at 7-7. It would stay that way until Nottebrok's walk-off hit.
Texas State started the game hot. After a Vallieres walk, his 24th of the year, Studdard knocked a single through the middle. Hill followed with a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Targun knocked a single down the left field line to plate the first run of the game.
After that, McElroy hit a double down the line to score two more and put the Bobcats up 3-0 early. Two pitches into the next at bat, Texas A&M called the team's first reliever on the night and was able to get the third out. Unfortunately, after that, the Aggies retired 16 consecutive Bobcat batters. Texas State would not get another hit until David Paiz led off the seventh inning with a single to left field to begin a four-run rally.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Aggies used back-to-back walks and two singles to score one run. With the bases loaded though, the Bobcats turned the first of three double plays to close out the inning. Texas A&M added two more runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game. After two walks and a balk to start the inning, a groundout plated one runner and a sacrifice fly tied the game, 3-3.
Both teams played two scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, but Texas A&M was able to score four in the sixth. The Aggies reached on an error and a walk, and then leadoff man Blake Allemand knocked a single to left field. Studdard made an outstanding throw home to ensure a play at the plate, but the umpire called the runner safe to put Texas A&M up, 4-3.
With two outs in the inning, the two base runners for Texas A&M were running on everything. The Aggies hit an infield single in just the right gap. While the Bobcats were worried about the man running to first, both base runners scored to put Texas A&M up, 6-3. Texas A&M would drive in one more run before the end of the inning.
The Bobcats stormed back in the seventh. Paiz knocked his leadoff hit, and McElroy and Jared Huber followed with consecutive singles to load the bases. Geisler slid one through the left side to plate the first run of the inning. Vallieres followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-5. Studdard kept the rally going after a pitching change with a base knock up the middle to plate both base runners and tie it up again, 7-7. The Bobcats struck seven hits in the seventh inning to score four runs and tie it up.
In the ninth inning, after two strikeouts, Hill knocked a two-out double to keep the inning alive, but the Bobcats couldn't bring him in. A fly out ended the opportunity. Defensively, Texas State sat down the Aggies, 1-2-3, with a fly out and two strikeouts from Giovanoni, to push the game to extra innings.
Nothing came easy for either team in extras. Finally, in the bottom of the 11th, Texas A&M put two runners on with a walk and a hit by pitch. A sacrifice bunt moved them both into scoring position with just one out. The Bobcats decided to take advantage of the free base and intentionally walk the next batter, then Giovanoni responded with a strikeout to bring the Bobcats within one out of seeing a 12th inning. Nottebrok, though, ended the game with his base knock.
The Bobcats will travel to Atlanta this weekend for a Sun Belt Conference series at SBC leader Georgia State and follow that up with a game at Texas in the midweek before hosting Arkansas State and UT Arlington in the final two series of the regular season.
Walks Prove Costly for Mountaineers at VT
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Appalachian State University baseball traveled to Virginia to take on Virginia Tech on Tuesday for the first of two mid-week road games this week. The Hokies (21-24, 9-14 ACC) were fueled by a five-run fourth inning and went of to defeat The Mountaineers (13-32, 5-18 Sun Belt), 13-4.
With the game tied at 1-1 after the second inning, The Mountaineers hit two solo home runs to take a 3-1 lead over the Hokies. Michael Pierson launched the first pitch he saw over the right field wall, for his seventh home run of the year. Two batters later the designated hitter, Matt Brill, hit his second homer in as many games to give the Apps a two-run lead.
The Hokies would start to pull away in the third and fourth innings, scoring three runs in the third and tacking on five runs in the fourth to open up a 9-3 advantage. Mountaineer starting pitcher, Blake Burkett, gave way to Ryan Ross after pitching three innings and giving up five earned runs and walking five. Burkett suffered the loss and fell to 0-2 on the season.
In all, the Mountaineer pitching staff hit season-highs in walks (10) and hit batters (4), and tied a season-high in wild pitches (4). The Mountaineers’ offense also struggled, leaving 14 men on base and going 0-for-5 with the bases loaded.
The Apps tried to rally in top of the seventh inning with Noah Holmes, Brill, and Drake Zupcic all hitting singles to load the bases, but Carson Jones lined out to the shortstop to end the inning. The Mountaineers added a run in the ninth when Zupcic drew a bases-loaded walk, but the game ended two batters later with Hamel grounding out to first base.
Appalachian will be back in action tomorrow to face ETSU in Johnson City, Tenn. to make up a game that was originally schedule for April 19 but was postponed due to rain. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
A-State Drops 8-3 Decision to No. 24 Memphis
JONESBORO, Ark. (4/28/15) – The Arkansas State baseball team took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, but allowed No. 24 Memphis to score five runs in the top of the seventh as the Tigers went on to win the midweek contest 8-3 at Tomlinson Stadium Tuesday night in Jonesboro.
The game was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Matt Burgess led off with a hard line drive to left field for a base hit. Burgess was sacrifice-bunted over to second and advanced to third on a Ty Michelotti single with Michelotti advancing to second on the throw home. Burgess scored on a wild pitch to give A-State (18-24) a 2-1 edge after Colton Hathcock entered the game for Memphis (30-13) starter Alex Gunn with one out in the inning. Michelotti was later plated on a Jeremy Brown infield single to give the Red Wolves a 3-1 advantage going into the seventh inning.
Chandler Hawkins, who had entered the game for starter Derek Birginske an inning before, got the first out of the inning, but allowed two straight base hits for the Tigers to begin a threat. Hawkins was able to get Darien Tubbs to fly out to right field for the second out, but the runners moved up a base after a passed ball.
Hawkins walked the next hitter after Tubbs, but uncorked a wild pitch on ball four to put the score at 3-2. Tanner Kirby entered the game for A-State and walked the first hitter he faced before the Tigers’ Tucker Tubbs hit a grand slam over the left-field fence, his 13th homer of the season, to give Memphis control of the game at 6-3.
The Red Wolves got two runners on in the bottom of the seventh to lead off the frame, but neither could come around to score. Memphis added two more runs in the top of the ninth for an 8-3 lead and A-State couldn’t plate any runs in the bottom of the ninth despite runners advancing to second and third.
Hathcock earned the win for Memphis after pitching two-thirds of an inning and allowing no runs on one hit. Trey McNickle earned his first save of the season after coming on in the eighth inning and not allowing a hit in two innings of work. Hawkins took the loss for A-State after allowing three runs (all earned) on three hits in 1.1 innings or action. Birginske turned in a solid start after tossing 5.1 innings and only allowing one earned run on four hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Offensively, A-State got two hits from Zach George and Joe Schrimpf atop the lineup, while Brown had the only RBI for the home team as the other two runs scored on wild pitches. George extended his nation-high on-base streak to 59 games and hit streak to nine games. Kane Barrow had three hits for Memphis, while Tubbs had two including five RBIs.
A-State began the scoring in the top of the first off Memphis starter Alex Gunn after George led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. He stole third before scoring on a wild pitch for the 1-0 edge. Memphis responded to tie the game in the top of the fourth on a RBI ground out by Jake Little.
The Red Wolves travel to Kansas State to take on the Wildcats in a three-game nonconference series May 1-3.
Mavericks Drop Midweek Contest To HBU
HOUSTON, Texas - UT Arlington dropped its midweek matchup against Houston Baptist on Tuesday afternoon, falling to the Huskies 10-4 at Husky Field.
"Baserunning mistakes and errors were really the story of the day," UT Arlington coach Darin Thomas said. "When we had chances to score we weren't able to convert. We have got to play better than that. We've known that and we've talked about it. It's just a matter of going out and doing it."
Despite being tagged with the loss, Justin Schnedler (0-1) had a strong showing on the mound, allowing four hits and no earned runs in his four innings on the hill. Schnedler also struck out a pair, while allowing just one extra-base hit.
Offensively the Mavericks were spurred by Eric Tate who finished the day 2-for-2 with one run scored, while also being walked twice. Travis Sibley did his part to drive in runs as the senior shortstop went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Levi Scott was also impressive with his 2-for-4 outing that included a pair of doubles.
UTA scored its four runs off of 10 hits, while committing a season high five errors. HBU's ten runs came off of 13 hits, while committing a pair of errors. The Mavs also left 13 on base compared to seven left on for the Huskies.
HBU took the lead early lead with a pair of unearned runs crossing in the opening frame.
The Mavericks were in position to score in the third inning when Scott and Tanner Houston teamed up for back-to-back hits, putting runners on the corners. However, UTA ultimately came up empty as a ground out ended the inning with no runs.
HBU extended it's lead in the middle of the game with a pair of single-run innings in the fourth and fifth to go on top 4-0.
The top of the fifth inning positioned UTA to make a comeback as it loaded the bases with two outs, but the Huskies caught the Mavs off guard, closing out the inning with a pickoff at second.
UT Arlington got on the board in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to three runs at 4-1. With singles by Christian Hollie and Tate putting runners on the corners with one out, TJ Hillman stepped into the box and delivered with his first career RBI on a single to left-center field. A ground out and a fly out ended the inning with runners stranded on second and third.
A late rally attempt by the Mavericks came in the eighth as they cut the Huskies' lead to two runs at 6-4 . With the bases loaded and one out, Sibley came up with an RBI single to right-center field that pushed across a pair of runs, cutting the Huskies' lead to three. A wild pitch in the next at-bat cleared the way for Matt McLean to trot home, cutting the HBU lead to two. After a Scott walk put two runners on with one out, a strike out and a pickoff ended the inning with the pair stranded.
HBU responded swiftly in the bottom half of the eighth, bringing in four runs to set the final margin at six runs.
The Mavericks will return to action this weekend as they host UALR in a three-game series set to start at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.