Sunday, May 10
Brown's Late Single Lifts A-State to Series Sweep of Texas State
SAN MARCOS, Texas (5/10/15) – The Arkansas State baseball team blew a late lead, but Jeremy Brown singled home Stuart Levy in the top of the ninth inning as the Red Wolves were able to sweep Texas State with an 11-10 victory in the series finale.
Ty White walked with one out in the top of the ninth, but was erased on a fielder’s choice by Levy to put two outs on the scoreboard for Texas State (20-29-1, 12-15 SBC). A wild pitch allowed Levy to advance to second to set up Brown’s heroics when the freshman from Festus, Mo., hit a line drive past the diving shortstop to score Levy and put A-State (23-26, 10-16 SBC) on top 11-10.
The Bobcats threatened with back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the ninth to put runners on the corners, but a safety squeeze attempt by Mickey Scott was fielded by pitcher Tyler Zuber, who flipped to Levy to get the runner out at the plate. Zuber then struck out Theodore Hoffman and got Jared Huber to ground out to second base to end the game and give A-State its first SBC road sweep since sweeping UALR in Little Rock during the 2013 season.
Offensively, Zach George reached base all five times with three hits and two HBPs, while also driving in two runs. Brown and Matt Burgess also had two hits apiece and each had two RBIs. Zuber earned his team-high sixth victory on the mound, while Colton Kibler tossed four innings out of the bullpen.
Cory Geisler and Ben McElroy led Texas State with three hits each, while Braden Pearson was solid out of the bullpen after having to enter the game in the top of the first inning. Pearson threw 5.1 innings and allowed four runs (all earned) on seven hits.
The Red Wolves began the game with the first five hitters reaching base with two hits, two hit-by-pitches, and one walk with a Burgess single plating the first run and a Tanner Ring walk scoring the second for a 2-0 lead. Texas State starter Jeremy Hallonquist got White to ground into a double play, but another run scored to make the tally 3-0.
Levy added an RBI single and George singled through the right side in his second at-bat of the inning to plate Levy and Brown for a 6-0 A-State advantage. Braden Pearson came in to relieve Hallonquist and got Joe Schrimpf to ground out to shortstop to end the inning after the Red Wolves sent 11 batters to the plate.
A-State starter Jon Glidewell loaded the bases with no outs and Texas State got on the board with a sacrifice fly to right field to cut into A-State’s lead at 6-1. Glidewell struck out the next batter, but his second walk of the inning loaded the bases with two outs. The Red Wolves made a pitching change to Derek Birginske and the junior right-hander threw one pitch and got a ground out to shortstop to get out of the jam.
The Bobcats loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the second off Birginske with two walks and a HBP and got within 6-2 on a RBI ground out to third base. The home team closed the gap even further when Tanner Hill doubled down the left-field line to score two more runs to make the score 6-4, but a ground out to short by the next batter ended the inning.
A-State threatened again in the top of the third inning when White singled to center field to begin the inning and was sacrifice-bunted to second base by Levy. A strike out by Brown put two outs on the board, but Lucas Feddersen singled to shallow center field to score White to make the score 7-4.
George led the top of the sixth inning off with a single to right field and after being bunted over the second base, he scored on a single by Austin Baker for an 8-4 lead. Baker advanced to second on a balk and to third on a passed ball before Burgess hit a sacrifice fly to left field to make the score 9-4. Texas State’s Geisler answered quickly in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer off of Kibler to cut into the A-State lead at 9-6.
The Bobcats continued to stay close when Hill homered to left field to start the bottom of the seventh inning to make the score 10-7. Kibler allowed a double to McElroy during the next at-bat and A-State turned to Coulton Lee to preserve the lead. Lee gave up a single that put runners on the corners with no outs, but got a 4-3 double play when Schrimpf made a fantastic play on a short hop. However, a run did score to make it 10-8, but a fly out to center ended the frame.
Texas State entered the bottom of the eighth down 10-8, but Lee walked pinch-hitter Jared Huber and Geisler followed with his second, two-run homer of the game to tie things up at 10-10. The next hitter flew out to center field, but a walk ended Lee’s afternoon and Zuber came on to get a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and send it to the ninth.
Troy Completes Sweep of Georgia State
TROY, Alabama – The Troy University baseball team won its 10th straight Sun Belt Conference game at home and finished the 2015 regular season 13-2 in league play at Riddle-Pace Field after completing a three-game sweep of Georgia State with a 2-0 win on Sunday.
The Trojans last weekend loss at home came on March 21 in the front end of a doubleheader against UALR. Since that time, Troy has swept Alabama A&M, Arkansas State, Texas State and Georgia State on its home turf.
Overall, the Trojans are 22-10 at Riddle-Pace Field this season and play host to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament May 20-24.
Troy (29-23, 17-10 Sun Belt) took a 1-0 lead in the third inning courtesy of a pair of Panther miscues. Clay Holcomb singled to start the frame before Bert Givens chopped a ball to GSU first baseman Jack Thompson who made a wide throw to the pitcher covering the base. Holcomb scampered to third and a poor throw sailed into foul territory behind third allowing him to score.
Austin Crook was solid for the Trojans in his eighth start of the year, pitching 4 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out four. Marc Skinner took over with two on and two outs in the fifth and ended the threat with a pop out. Skinner (2-3) earned the victory after tossing 3 1/3 innings. Senior Ben Tidwell pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his second save of the season.
The Trojans had an opportunity to blown the game open in the sixth but settled for just one run on Trevin Hall's sacrifice fly. Matt Sanders walked to start the innings and advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Reid Long. Logan Hill was then hit by a pitch and David Hall drew a walk to load the bases. Hall's fly ball was deep enough to score Sanders but Georgia State escaped without allowing any more damage.
The Panthers (28-23, 14-11) were effective defensively as Troy led off three of the first four innings with a base hit and had runners on base in six of eight innings. But, Georgia State turned three double plays in the game and finished the weekend with five total.
Troy will head to Mobile to face South Alabama in a #1 vs. #2 matchup for the Sun Belt Conference regular season title and will need a sweep to claim the league's top spot. The Trojans jumped from fifth to second in the league standings with the sweep of Georgia State. South Alabama leads the conference and took 2-of-3 games from UL Lafayette over the weekend. Troy's last two regular season Sun Belt titles have been won while playing at Stanky Field.
Warhawks Earn Win on Sunday, Take Series from UALR
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Keelin Rasch posted a perfect 5-for-5 effort at the plate, while Nathan Pugh and Justin Stawychny each had two hits and two RBI to propel ULM to a 6-1 victory over UALR Sunday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field.
After the two teams traded zeros and a total of three hits over the first four innings, the Warhawks broke through with a pair of runs in the top half of the fifth inning. With two outs and Dalton Todd standing on first base, Pugh smacked his sixth homer of the season off of the scoreboard in right center to put the Warhawks ahead, 2-0. Rasch followed with his second double of the game, but ULM was unable to increase the lead.
Two innings later the Warhawks were able to add to their lead as the pushed across a trio of runs to take a 5-0 lead. After Pugh walked on four pitches with one out, Rasch gave the Warhawks two runners on base. Danny Springer then picked up a RBI as he singled up the middle to plate Pugh and put the visitors up 3-0. Stawychny drove in a pair as he doubled just inside the left field line, allowing Rasch and Springer to race home and put the Warhawks ahead, 5-0.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Trojans pushed one run across to trim the Warhawk lead to four runs (5-1). Tanner Rockwell drove in Petr Sila with a sacrifice fly to right field.
ULM set the final tally at 6-1 as the Warhawks got a single run in the top of the ninth. After Pugh doubled to right center, Rasch record his fifth hit of the game and tied his career high. Rasch’s single to center field allowed Pugh to race home.
Brandon Bell (4-5) earned the win for the Warhawks as he logged six shutout innings. During his 91-pitch outing, Bell allowed three hits and two walks while fanning six Trojan batters. Payton Coddou and Anthony Herrera combined to hold the lead as the duo pitched the final three innings.
Rasch led the Warhawks with his 5-for-5 effort and he added one run and one RBI. Pugh registered two hits, three runs (tied career-high) and two RBI, while Stawychny tallied two hits and two RBI.
Cameron Allen (3-6) was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five innings.
The Warhawks will close out the regular season with a three-game series against UL-Lafayette beginning Thursday night (6 p.m.). Game two of the series is set for Friday night at 6 p.m., followed by the home finale and Senior Day on Saturday (1 p.m.).
Conrad Lifts Cajuns to 3-2 Victory over South Alabama
LAFAYETTE, La. – Junior Brenn Conrad's two-out, two-run single in the eighth lifted the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team to a 3-2 victory over South Alabama in the final home game of the season on Sunday at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.
The Senior Day victory improves the Ragin' Cajuns to 31-19 on the year and 15-11 in conference play, while the first place Jaguars drop to 34-18 overall as they were handed their eighth loss in Sun Belt play.
"We had pitching and defense, and we finally got the timely hitting," head coach Tony Robichaux said. "We felt somewhere along the line he (Brenn) could help win a ballgame for us, and he did that. All of our seniors did a great job today. (Greg) Milhorn gave us two rock solid innings and that helps."
Freshman starter Wyatt Marks gave the Cajuns their third quality start of the weekend as he held the potent South Alabama offense to two runs on eight hits in six innings. Marks struck out three and did not allow a free pass in the outing.
Milhorn earned his second victory of the season throwing two scoreless innings in relief and faced the minimum despite giving up a hit. Freshman right-hander Dylan Moore recorded his eighth save of the season in the contest with a scoreless inning in the ninth to close out the game.
Starter Jared Gates took the loss for the Jags to fall to 4-3 on the season as he gave up three runs on seven hits in seven innings. Gates struck out five on the afternoon and walked two.
Offensively, South Alabama had a 10-8 edge in hits with shortstop Ryan Raspino going 3-for-3 at the plate. The Jaguars had four players post multi-hit efforts on the day.
Right fielder Dylan Butler led the way for the Ragin' Cajuns going 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Conrad had a game-high two RBI.
Catcher Davis Knapp put South Alabama in front 1-0 in the top of the third on a leadoff solo homer down the left field line off of Marks.
The Jaguars extended their advantage to 2-0 in the top of the fifth. Knapp doubled down the left field line to start the inning. Knapp advanced to third on a single to left by Raspino and then scored on a safety squeeze by first baseman Ben Gann.
Louisiana answered with a run in the bottom half of the fifth as first baseman Greg Davis doubled with one out and then scored on a single up the middle by Butler to cut the Jags lead to 2-1. Butler would move to third on a single by shortstop Blake Trahan. In the next at bat, Gates threw out Butler at the plate on a safety squeeze attempt by left fielder Brian Mills.
After two scoreless innings, the Cajuns threatened in the bottom of the eighth as pinch hitter Kennon Fontenot singled and designated hitter Tyler Girouard walked to open the frame. Junior second baseman Stefan Trosclair moved the runners up on a sac bunt for the first out in the inning. Following a strikeout by reliever Justin Flores against centerfielder Kyle Clement, Conrad delivered the game-winning hit sending a hard hit ball through the right side of the infield to score Fontenot and Girouard.
Louisiana returns to action on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the first of four road contests as the Cajuns head to Thibodaux, La. to face Nicholls State. Following the game with the Colonels, the squad will close out the regular season with a three-game series at ULM starting Thursday at 6 p.m.
Cleveland's Big Day Helps Eagles Take Finale From Clemson
CLEMSON, S.C. – Ryan Cleveland tallied four hits and drove in five runs including the eventual game-winner in the 9th inning as the Georgia Southern Eagles rallied for a 7-4 win over the Clemson Tigers in the series finale.
The Eagles (28-23) took their first lead of the game in the seventh inning on a RBI ground out from Chase Griffin and a RBI single from Cleveland. Cal Baker and Kody Adams both reached base to start the frame on a walk and a bunt single, respectively.
Cleveland added a three-run homer off the batter's eye in center field in the 9th inning to give the Eagles a four-run lead. The sophomore first baseman doubled in the fourth inning, tallied a pair of two-out RBI singles in the fifth and seventh innings before hitting his 9th homer of the year in the 9th inning.
"It was a big day for Ryan Cleveland. He put up some big hits for us and made a couple of big defensive plays," Head Coach Rodney Hennon said.
The Tigers (27-25) got a run back in the bottom of the 9th on a double from Steven Duggar, but Anthony Paesano struck out Reed Rohlman to end the game.
"I am proud of our team. It had been a rough stretch," Hennon said after the Eagles snapped a five-game losing streak. "We got down early today but our guys kept fighting. I am proud of the effort."
Paesano (3) faced just the one batter and stranded a runner in scoring position to pick up the save.
Pat Krall was tagged with the loss after allowing both base runners in the seventh. Krall (1-3) worked 1.2 innings, walked one and struck out three batters.
Jason Richman inherited a pair of base runners in the sixth inning and retired one on a pick off at third base and left the other stranded after he struck out Steven Duggar to end the frame.
Richman (7-1) picked up the win after working a scoreless 1.1 innings with two strikeouts.
Clemson led 2-0 early after scoring two first inning runs on a Chris Okey sacrifice fly and a Weston Wilson single.
Georgia Southern tied the game in the fifth inning after Chase Griffin hit a sacrifice fly, and Cleveland tallied the first of two RBI singles.
The baseball team returns home to host the Kennesaw State Owls Tuesday at J.I. Clements Stadium. First pitch in the final home game of the season is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN3.