Friday, May 1
Mavericks Blank UALR, 12-0, to Open Series
ARLINGTON, Texas - UT Arlington opened up its series against UALR with an impressive shutout victory, while also registering a season-high 18 hits at Clay Gould Ballpark on Friday night.
"We needed that," UT Arlington coach Darin Thomas said. "We played pretty well tonight. We shut them out and had a better approach against a lefty then we've had in a while. I was proud of the effort and hopefully we can just grasp this momentum and keep going with it."
The Mavericks (18-26, 9-13 SBC) were an impressive 11-for-24 on the night with runners on base on their way to snapping a five-game losing streak. The Trojans (14-26, 10-11) dropped their seventh straight game, going 9-for-35 in the box. Every UTA player recorded a hit with six players turning in a multi-hit outing.
Travis Sibley jumpstarted the Maverick offense, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and a home run. Matt McLean also got in on the action with a 2-of-3 outing that included three RBI.
UTA kept the UALR batters on edge as Chad Nack and TJ Whidby combined for the shutout effort. Nack (4-4) went seven innings on the hill, allowing nine hits and no runs. The Sanger native also registered three strikeouts. Whidby was strong out of the bullpen as he gave up no hits or runs, while fanning four in his two innings of action.
"Our pitching staff has done a tremendous job and it's nice to see that we can finally score for them," McLean said. "Things just went right for us tonight, but it's comforting and takes some weight off your shoulders knowing that the pitching staff is going to really compete on the mound."
The Mavericks jumped out to an early lead in the opening frame with Sibley's solo shot over the left-field wall. The home run was the third of the season for Sibley.
The scoring continued in the second inning with a pair of runs putting UTA on top by three. A Trojan wild pitch brought in the first run of the inning and a Sibley single to right field brought in the second to give the Mavs a 3-0 advantage.
With a two-run third inning giving UTA a comfortable five run lead, the Mavericks added to their cushion with a three-run fifth to go on top 8-0. UT Arlington opened up the inning with six straight singles to extend its lead.
The Mavs added four runs in the seventh for good measure, setting the final margin of victory at 12 runs. With two runners in scoring position and no outs, McLean sent the ball to the right-field wall for a triple that pushed across a pair of runs. Later in the inning a Cody Farrell single to center field made room for Sibley to cross the plate as the final UTA run of the day.
"It's so much easier to coach when you have a lead because you can take some chances and you can do some things," Thomas added. "A lot of the games we've been losing hasn't been because we've been blowing leads, but because we just get down early and can't build on it."
The Mavericks will return to action on Saturday with a 2 p.m. matchup with the Trojans. The Saturday game is set to be broadcast on ESPN3 with Matt Stewart and John Gregory on the call.
Thurber, Mountaineers Snap Cajuns Win Streak
BOONE, N.C. — In perhaps the most impressive outing of his all-America caliber season, Appalachian State University’s Taylor Thurber recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts and needed only 112 pitches to go the distance in a 2-1 victory over UL Lafayette on Friday evening at chilly Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Thurber carved up the Sun Belt Conference’s top-scoring offense, limiting UL Lafayette to just one run on five hits without issuing a walk. He threw 83 of his 112 pitches for strikes and struck out eight of the nine batters in the Ragin’ Cajuns’ starting lineup at least once. His 11 strikeouts topped the previous career high of 10 that he tallied in his last home start versus first-place Georgia State on April 17.
Behind its senior ace, Appalachian State (14-33, 6-18 Sun Belt) snapped the Cajuns’ seven-game winning streak, which was tied for the longest in the Sun Belt this season, and prevented UL Lafayette (29-16, 13-8 Sun Belt) from collecting its 30th win of the campaign.
Thurber’s lone mistake of the ballgame came in the first inning. After fanning the first two batters of the game, the right-hander hung a 1-1 pitch to UL Lafayette home run leader Stefan Trosclair and Trosclair ripped it over the left-center field wall for his 11th dinger of the season to give the Ragin’ Cajuns an early 1-0 lead.
Thurber worked his way around a pair of two-out singles in the second and settled in from there, retiring 15 of the Cajuns’ next 17 batters. The only UL Lafayette hitters that reached base during that stretch did so on an infield single and an error.
While Thurber was mowing down the Ragin’ Cajuns’ high-powered lineup, Appalachian State took a 2-1 lead on Brandon Burris’ solo homer in the third inning and Dillon Dobson’s RBI double in the fifth.
Thurber ran into his only real trouble of the ballgame in the seventh inning. With the Mountaineers clinging to their 2-1 advantage, shortstop Michael Pierson made a throwing error that allowed a runner to reach base with one out. After a strikeout, UL Lafayette’s Evan Powell lined a double off the wall in left field and the Cajuns had runners on second and third with two outs. However, Thurber squelched the threat by getting pinch-hitter Brenn Conrad to ground out to second to end the inning.
Thurber easily retired the next five batters he faced but Pierson made his second throwing error of the evening with two outs in the top of the ninth, which allowed the tying run to reach base.
For a team that has squandered three ninth-inning leads in conference play this season, the error could have signaled another late-game collapse. However, Thurber was undeterred and induced a routine groundout to second base to end the game.
The complete game was Thurber’s third of the season and marked the fourth time that he threw at least nine innings in a contest this year (he also worked nine frames in the Mountaineers’ eventual 4-3, 12-inning loss to Georgia State two Fridays ago).
With the 11-strikeout, no-walk performance, he upped his incredible strikeout-to-walk ratio to 10-to-1 this season (70 strikeouts, seven walks). He also lowered his ERA to 2.36 and his opponents’ batting average to .215. Despite the spectacular numbers, the senior only moved to 4-8 on the campaign with Friday’s win.
Offensively, Appalachian State managed only seven hits against Leger (5-3) but the freshman southpaw suffered a tough-luck loss despite striking out six, walking none and surrendering just one earned run in 7.2 innings of work.
The top of the order did the majority of the damage for the Mountaineers, with their first five hitters — Burris, Dobson, Pierson, Conner Leonard and Matt Brill — combining for six of the club’s seven hits. Brill reached base for the 16th-consecutive game with a fourth-inning single.
Conversely, the first six batters in UL Lafayette’s order combined to go 1-for-24. Leadoff man Blake Trahan, the Sun Belt’s second-leading hitter with a .365 batting average coming into the game, went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Thanks in large part to no walks in 70 total plate appearances, the contest took only 2:02 to play, which was Appalachian State’s second-fastest game of the season (its 4-0 loss at Georgia on March 11 was played in 1:55).
Appalachian State and UL Lafayette continue their three-game Sun Belt series on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Smith Stadium.
Humpal, Hot Bats Heat Up for Bobcats in Win over Panthers
ATLANTA – Texas State piled up season highs in hits and runs and received great pitching from Lucas Humpal to dominate Sun Belt Conference leader Georgia State in the series opener by a score of 12-2 Friday night. The Bobcats scored 12 runs on 16 hits without an error on an evening in which everything came together in a complete performance for Texas State to improve to 19-25-1 on the year and 11-11 in the SBC. The Bobcats scored in every inning but the second and fourth.
Eight Texas State batters knocked a hit in the game while six of them finished with multiple hits. Both Cory Geisler and Tanner Hill finished with three hits apiece while Hill sent out his sixth home run of the season. David Paiz knocked the second home run of his Texas State career as well as a first-inning single for a team-high three RBI. Both Hill and Ben McElroy finished with two RBI apiece.
In one of the more interesting stat lines of the game, Cedric Vallieres scored three runs and was never retired in six trips to the batter's box, but finished with one hit. He piled up three walks and reached twice on a hit by pitch.
Meanwhile, on the mound, Lucas Humpal dominated one of the better offensive teams in the Sun Belt. He went 7.1 innings, but through seven he had not given up a run and had tallied six strikeouts with just five hits. He would finish with seven hits and a run allowed, but seven strikeouts on 109 pitches.
Humpal handled the nation's leading home run hitter, striking out Matt Rose twice and forcing a groundout. In four at bats, Rose only knocked a double in the eighth. In the first seven innings, Humpal only gave up a single to the top three hitters in the lineup.
After Braden Pearson came in to force consecutive groundouts to end the eighth, Justin Dellinger closed the game out with solid pitching in the ninth inning. He added a strikeout to give Texas State eight for the night.
The Bobcats jumped out early, led by a leadoff single from Geisler. He had to leg out an infield bouncer, but it proved to be big for Texas State. Vallieres followed with his first hit by pitch of the night. Studdard moved both runners into scoring position with a deep fly ball, then Hill loaded the bases with a walk. McElroy knocked in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly, and Paiz brought in Vallieres with a base hit through the left side.
Humpal and the Bobcat defense sat down Georgia State, 1-2-3, in both the first and second innings. Then, in the top of the third, Texas State pushed the lead to 5-0. Vallieres jumped on base with a walk and stole second. He went to third on a fly ball, and McElroy knocked him in with a single through the right side. With McElroy on base, Paiz sent his homer out to right centerfield to complete a three-run inning. Up, 5-0, Texas State never looked back.
In the fifth, Hill led off with a rocket double down the left field line and came in on a two-out double from Colby Targun. He finished with two hits, two runs, a walk and an RBI. McElroy and Hill also added two runs. Targun was able to score a batter later off Jared Huber's first single of the day.
The Bobcats went on to score a run in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, capped by Hill's solo home runs in the eight. In the ninth, Georgia State walked Targun, Huber and Vallieres and gave up a single to Geisler. Vallieres picked up an RBI on a bases-loaded walk, and Granger Studdard knocked in another run with a single.
Georgia State scored a run each in the eighth and ninth innings, but that's all the Panthers could manage against the Bobcats on a night in which everything went right.
Both teams play Saturday at 1 p.m. CST/2 p.m. EST with Scott Grist on the mound for the Bobcats.
Warhawks Down Trojans in Series Opener
MONROE, La. – Alex Hermeling logged a quality start on the mound and eight of the starting nine Warhawk batters tallied a hit as ULM picked up a 4-2 win over Troy on Friday night at Warhawk Field.
After the two teams traded zeros in the first two innings, the Warhawks broke through with their first run as Justin Stawychny reached on an error and Keelin Rasch scored to put ULM ahead, 1-0, in the bottom of the third. Rasch was one of two hits in the frame as he singled and was followed by a double by Kodie Tidwell to put two runners in scoring position. ULM was only able to get one run as batter interference and a fly out ended the frame.
An inning later the Warhawks were able to push their lead to 3-0 thanks to RBI by Anthony Herrera and Rasch. Nathan Pugh led off the inning with a single to right field and was able to move 180 feet thanks to a sac bunt by Jacob Stockton and a single through the left side by Dalton Todd. Herrera followed as he tallied a sac bunt RBI, allowing Pugh to score. Rasch then notchedp his third triple of the season and second of the week as he drove home Todd to push the ULM advantage to three runs (3-0).
ULM tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth to extend its lead to 4-0. With one out in the frame, Danny Springer drew a walk and Spencer Hemphill tallied a single through the left side to give ULM two on. Later in the inning, Jacob Stockton delivered a RBI single to right center as Springer raced home.
In the top of the eighth inning, Troy trimmed the Warhawk lead as Logan Hill tallied a RBI groundout and Nick Masonia delivered a RBI single to right field to bring the visitors to within two runs (4-2).
In the ninth, the Trojans put a pair on with one out but ULM turned its third double play of the night to end Friday’s contest.
Hermeling (4-6) logged his fifth quality start of the season as he allowed two runs on nine hits and four walks with three strikeouts in eight innings of work. Herrera closed out the game, tossing a scoreless ninth, as he notched his fifth save of the 2015 season.
Rasch led the Warhawks with two hits (one triple) with one RBI and one run scored, while Hemphill added two hits in the series-opening win.
Trojan starter Grant Bennett was tagged with the loss and he dips to 8-3 on the season. In eight innings of work, the right-hander allowed four runs on 10 hits and three walks while striking out two. Reid Long led ULM at the plate, going 3-for-5 with one run scored.
ULM and Troy will continue its three-game Sun Belt Conference series tomorrow night at 6 p.m.
Hill Tosses Another Complete Game, Leads Jags to Win over Eagles
STATESBORO, Ga. – Jaguar right-hander Kevin Hill fanned 12 batters in his second complete game in as many starts to lead the University of South Alabama baseball team to a 7-1 series-opening win Friday against Georgia Southern.
Hill (8-0) allowed one run on five hits, and issued two walks to go with his 12 strikeouts to earn his eighth consecutive win. It also marked his third consecutive complete game against Sun Belt Conference opponents. GSU left-hander Evan Challenger (5-1) allowed four runs on six hits with three strikeouts and four walks in 5 2/3 innings to take his first loss of the season.
"Kevin really got stronger the deeper he pitched into the game," Jaguar pitching coach Bob Keller said. "He works so hard week-to-week, he's worthy of every good result he gets out there. I'm really proud of him. You can't ask for a better effort. Once he gets a little run support, it's over. He can smell the finish line. The fact that he has pitched three complete games in a row in conference games is a really special thing he has done. But tonight he got the fastball up to 93 late in the game. He is a four-pitch mix guy, and tonight he was able to throw any pitch in any count."
Georgia Southern (27-19, 16-9 SBC) threatened in the bottom of the first. Kody Adams led off the inning with a double to right field, and advanced to third on a flyout to right field by Aaron Mizell. But Hill induced a popup to Jared Barnes in foul territory near the backstop for the second out of the frame, and ended the threat with a flyout to center field off the bat of Hunter Thomas.
GSU scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the third. Adams reached on a one-out triple, and scored one batter later on an RBI single to right-center field by Mizell for a 1-0 Eagle advantage.
USA answered with four runs in the top of the sixth to take a three-run lead. Ryan Raspino reached on a leadoff walk from Challenger, advanced to second on a single by Ben Gann and scored one batter later on a one-out RBI single to right field by Bud Collura to even the score at one run apiece. Adam Ballew followed with a RBI sacrifice fly to right field to plate Gann and give the Jags a 2-1 lead. Cole Gleason then delivered a two-out RBI single to right field to score Collura for a 3-1 USA lead. The Jaguars loaded the bases later in the inning on a two-out walk by Barnes. DeGallier then drew a walk to score Bolger, who reached on a walk earlier in the inning, for a 4-1 advantage.
South Alabama (30-17, 15-7 SBC) extended its lead in the top of the eighth. The Jags put two runners in scoring position with two outs on a single by Barnes and double down the left-field line by DeGallier. Raspino followed with a two-run single to right-center field to score both runners and extend the USA lead to 6-1. Cole Billingsley then singled to right-center to plate Raspino with the final run of the game.
Gleason went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI, and Billingsley finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases to lead the Jaguars offensively. Collura added two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
South Alabama will attempt to clinch the series in game two Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT). Each of the final two games of the series will be streamed live on ESPN3.
A-State Defeats Kansas State, 11-6
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