Tuesday, April 5
Georgia Southern Swings Past No. 24 College of Charleston 13-10
STATESBORO, GA. – Georgia Southern Baseball notched a 13-10 win over No. 24 College of Charleston on Tuesday night, opening a five-game week by snapping a four-game skid. A seven-run third inning, followed by four innings of stellar relief from Anthony Paesano helped the Eagles improve to 16-12 on the year. It was the second win this season over College of Charleston who falls to 20-8. The Eagles will be right back at it, hosting Savannah State on Wednesday night in Statesboro.
QUOTEABLES
HEAD COACH RODNEY HENNON
"We're proud of our team, we really needed that win coming off a tough weekend. Things didn't start off well, but re responded well as a team to get that big inning in the third. I thought Anthony Paesano really stepped up out of the bullpen, he was outstanding. We were able to string together some at bats and the guys that came in off the bench contributed positively as well. It wasn't all pretty tonight, but it was good to get the win."
CO-PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Ryan Cleveland // 1B // JR // Toccoa, Ga.
3-for-5 // 3 Runs // 2 RBI // 1 2B // 1 HR
Ryan Cleveland took home co-player of the game honors with seven total bases and three runs scored on a three-hit night. He clubbed a solo home run in the ninth that helped spark four insurance runs in the frame which ultimately helped salvage the win.
Kent Rollins // 3B // SR // Snellville, Ga.
3-for-6 // 1 Run // 4 RBIs // 2 2B
Kent Rollins matched a career-high with three hits in the Eagles' 13-10 win. He drove in four runs and legged out two doubles to set a new career high.
Anthony Paesano // LHP // JR // Canton, Ga.
WP // 4.0 IP // 2 Hits // 0 Runs // 5 Strikeouts
Anthony Paesano delivered four innings of two-hit ball to pick up his third win of the season on Tuesday night. He fanned a career-high five batters in his longest career outing. The Eagles have scored 10 or more runs in each of his three victories on the mound.
SCORING RECAPS
BOTTOM 1ST – College of Charleston opened the day with three runs in the opening frame off three hits, two walks and a hit batter to post an early 3-0 advantage.
TOP 3RD – Georgia Southern recorded its most productive inning of the season in the third, scoring seven runs and batting around for the first time this season. Doubles from Ryan Cleveland, Kent Rollins and Cal Baker drove in runs along with a single from CJ Ballard and a sacrifice fly from CJ Brazil. Ultimately the Eagles tallied five hits in the frame and drew three walks while stranding one in the frame.
BOTTOM 3RD – The Cougars answered in the home half of the third with three runs off four singles and an Eagle error to slice the advantage to 7-6. The Eagles, however, got out of the jam with a 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded to strand two.
TOP 6TH – Two errors for the College of Charleston in the sixth allowed Eagle runners to move up a station. Ultimately it was Will Hudgins pinch hit single up the middle that plated two with two outs in the inning to extend the lead to 9-6.
TOP 9th – Ryan Cleveland hit his seventh home run in the 9th to give the Eagles another insurance run. Later in the inning the Eagles took advantage of a wild pitch and a two-run double from Kent Rollins to make it a 13-6 lead.
BOTTOM 9th – Four walks in the ninth brought in a run in the 9th with two outs in the frame. A two-run single, followed by a wild pitch accounted for the four-run inning as the Cougars mounted a late rally.
NOTES
- Georgia Southern improved to 11-0 this season when scoring more than six runs in a game.
- Anthony Paesano was awarded the win, allowing two hits over four innings of work. He struck out five batters on the night to improve to 3-0 on the season.
- Georgia Southern's 19 hits in the game was their highest total of the season and the most since tallying 20 last season at Texas State on March 14th.
- The Eagles' 13-run game tied the team's highest scoring output of the season, matching the 13-3 win over Appalachian State to open the series.
- Ryan Cleveland, Cal Baker and Kent Rollins each recorded three hits in the game. Cleveland was 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs. Baker went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI while Rollins was 3-for-6 with four RBIs off a pair of doubles.
- Clocking in at 4:26, it was the longest regulation game of the season for Georgia Southern and the third to go over four hours. The Eagles 16-inning loss to Georgia Tech went 4:45 while the 12-inning win over Kennesaw State lasted 4:50.
NEXT GAME
Georgia Southern hosts Savannah State on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. This weekend the Eagles host UL Lafayette for a three-game set with the Ragin' Cajuns. First pitch on Friday is set for 7 p.m.
Guillory Shines in One-Hit Shutout of Northwestern State
LAFAYETTE, La. – Sophomore right-hander Evan Guillory was masterful on the mound posting a complete game, one-hit shutout Tuesday night as the 26th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team blanked Northwestern State 4-0 at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.
"Evan was really in control of his pitches, moving them in and out, up and down and commanding all three pitches," head coach Tony Robichaux said. "When a guy goes out and does something like that, a lot of people forget about the catcher. You have to give a lot of credit to Nick Thurman too. He called that game and was good rhythm with him for nine innings. That's not easy to do. They both did an exceptional job tonight."
Guillory (2-3) retired the last 15 batters that he faced seeing just one runner reach second base in the contest. The Jennings, La., native had six strikeouts with just one free pass in the win. The lone hit in the contest for NSU (16-13) came in the first inning with one out, and Guillory responded retiring the next 10 batters he faced.
The complete-game, one hit shutout is the first since April 9, 2010 when Zach Osborne achieved the feat against Troy. The last Ragin' Cajuns complete game shutout came in 2014 at Arkansas State when Carson Baranik posted a two-hit shutout against the Red Wolves.
Offensively, Brenn Conrad was perfect at the plate for the Cajuns (19-10, 8-4 Sun Belt) going 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Sophomore Steven Sensley posted two hits in the contest and scored a run.
Louisiana grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Thurman hammered a double down the right field line to score Conrad from first.
After three scoreless innings, the Ragin' Cajuns got a little breathing room in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out, two-run single to right field by Conrad to extend the Cajuns advantage to 3-0.
Joe Robbins tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh scoring Kennon Fontenot on safety squeeze bunt to make the score 4-0. Fontenot led off the inning with a double to right center.
Louisiana returns to action on Friday at 6 p.m. as the team heads to Statesboro, Ga. to face Georgia Southern in a three-game conference series at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Warhawks Drop Tigers, 10-7
MONROE, La. – Nathan Pugh’s homer in the bottom of the fifth, his first of the season, gave ULM the lead for good in a 10-7 win over Jackson State Tuesday night at Warhawk Field.
Jackson State (17-12) made an early move with four runs in the top of the second, all after the first two batters were retired. Three straight singles brought in the game’s first run and a hit-by-pitch followed. Cornelius Copeland then doubled down the left field line to make it a 4-0 game.
The Warhawks (11-18) came right back with their own two-out rally. Brian Barefoot’s first career homer cut the deficit in half before three straight singles, the last by Spencer Hemphill, scored another run. A bases-loaded balk deadlocked the contest.
Barefoot singled to lead off the fourth and scored on Nathan Reynolds’ sacrifice fly to give ULM a 5-4 lead, but Jackson State returned the favor two batters into the top of the fifth on a CJ Newsome triple and David Burke groundout.
ULM added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings thanks to a passed ball and Jacob Stockton RBI single.
The Tigers had the tying run on deck in their last at-bat thanks to Copeland’s second double and a wild pitch.
Clutch Late Pitching Seals Victory for Troy Baseball Over Samford
TROY, Alabama – With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth, Corey Childress fielded a ground ball and threw it to first for the final out to seal 5-3 victory for the Trojans on Tuesday night at Riddle-Pace Field.
Troy (17-13) has continued its success with answer innings and did the same tonight scoring four in the bottom of the third inning after Samford (16-13) took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the inning.
TJ Binder tied the game with one swing of the bat with a leadoff home run to right field. The solo shot was his third homer of the season, and his third in the past four games. Justin Friend doubled to right center field, following Binder and advanced to third on a Tripp Calhoun single up the middle.
The next batter, Peyton Fuller, drove in Friend from third with a double off the wall in right center field that gave the Trojans a 2-1 lead. Chase Smartt lined out to right field, but Calhoun scored on the play and gave Smartt his 16th RBI of the season. After a strikeout, Joey Denison hit his eighth double of the year and drove in Fuller and put Troy on top 4-1.
Samford answered in the fourth inning with an RBI double off the bat of Richard Greene. The Bulldogs threatened in the ninth inning down 5-2. T.J. Dixon loaded the bases with a one out single up the middle. The final run scored for the Bulldogs on a groundout to first immediately following the single. However, the nations leading home run hitter, Heath Quinn, was intentionally walked to load the bases once more with two outs in the inning.
Quinn finished the night 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout. Samford had eight pitchers pitch in the game, but Mikhail Cazenave (0-1) suffered the loss for the Bulldogs. He pitched two innings and gave up four runs on four hits.
Evan Hebert (3-2) earned the win for the Trojans. He pitched four innings, gave up two runs on five hits and struck out two. Marc Skinner was solid in relief with three innings pitched, two hits and two strikeouts. Trey Johns and Childress each pitched an inning. Johns allowed one run on two hits with one strikeout. Childress picked up his sixth save of the season and only allowed one hit.
Binder and Friend had two hits on the night with Binder having the lone RBI between the two. Denison was the only Trojan who had two RBIs on the night.
The win for the Trojans tonight put an end to Samford defeating in-state opponents. The Bulldogs were 10-0 against teams in the state of Alabama before the loss tonight.
Troy will return to the diamond on Friday at 6 p.m. as they play host to Appalachian State for a three-game conference series.
Big Bats Propel Bobcats Past UTSA
SAN MARCOS, Texas – In an offensive back-and-forth Tuesday night, Texas State prevailed over UTSA, 13-10. The Bobcats blasted four home runs, including two from freshman Ryan Newman, and struck 14 hits. Then Quinn Atwood, Chase Hodson and Pasquale Mazzoccoli shut down the Roadrunners in the final three innings to secure the win and improve the Bobcats to 19-10 on the season.
In addition to Newman's two home runs, he added two singles, two walks, three RBIs and four runs on a 4-for-4 night. He was not retired in the game. He wasn't the only Bobcat to show up in a big way though as Tanner Hill and Theodore Hoffman also sent out home runs and combined for seven more RBIs. Hill finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs, two walks and two runs scored while Hoffman was 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs. Hill entered Tuesday night's game 10th in the nation in home runs and pelted one more.
Luke Sherley joined the multiple-hit group on a 2-for-4 night while Cody Lovejoy, Jaylen Hubbard and Cory Geisler each added a hit on Texas State's 14-hit night.
The offense started fast for both teams as the Bobcats scored nine runs in the first two innings while UTSA scored eight in the first three. From there, though, the Texas State defense settled in to only allow two runs in the final six innings and both of those came on a home run.
Jonathan Hennigan struck out three in the game but Atwood, Hodson and Mazzoccoli were able to clinch the game. Atwood earned the win with a strikeout and just one hit in an inning and a third while Hodson gave up one hit and struck out one in the eighth. In the ninth, Mazzoccoli retired three consecutive, capping the game with a strikeout en route to the senior's seventh save of the season. He is now tied for the fifth most saves in a season by a Bobcat.
It was a tough start for the Bobcats as UTSA scored four runs on four hits and two errors in the top of the first inning. Three of the four runs were unearned for the Roadrunners as they grabbed an early lead.
Texas State, however, answered back in the bottom of the opening inning with two homers to tie it up, 4-4. After Newman drew a walk, Hill sent out his 10th homer of the year to cut UTSA's lead in half, 4-2. Next, Hoffman knocked a solo home run, his fifth homer of the year, to pull the Bobcats within one, 4-3. Hubbard followed with a walk and Geisler doubled to left field. From third, Hubbard scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.
The Roadrunners tried to show off their big bats in the second inning with a two-RBI home run to go up 6-4, but the Bobcats responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning for a 9-6 lead. After a walk for Jonathan Ortega, Newman jumpstarted the inning with a two-run homer, his fifth of the season to match Hoffman. Both Granger Studdard and Hill walked after that to set up Hoffman for more RBIs. He sent a big double to left centerfield to plate both runners and put the Bobcats up, 8-6. Hoffman proceeded from second base to third base to home on consecutive groundouts to push the lead up to 9-6.
In the third, UTSA used a hit and an error to put two Roadrunners on base, and brought them in with a Ryan Stacy single through the right side to close the Bobcat lead down to 9-8. Later, Newman added his second homer of the night, a solo shot, in the fifth inning. Then, UTSA answered with the sixth home run of the game between both teams. It scored two runs to tie the game, 10-10.
In the top of the seventh, UTSA tried desperately to break the tie with an attempt at an inside-the-park home run, but the Bobcats threw Ben Brookover out. Lovejoy rifled the ball in from right centerfield to Ortega who relayed it into Hill for the out to keep the game tied, 10-10.
After the defense retired UTSA in the top of the seventh inning, 1-2-3, the Bobcats took the lead. Newman led off the inning with his fourth hit of the night, a single through the right side, and Studdard followed with his 26th walk of the season. Both runners advanced a bag due to an error on the pitcher, then Hill brought them both in with a single just over the shortstop for a 12-10 Texas State lead. In the eighth, Studdard plated Mickey Scott on a sacrifice fly to finish the scoring on the night.
Texas State continues a busy week with the second meeting of the season against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 6 p.m. Wednesday. After that, Nevada will travel to Bobcat Ballpark for a non-conference weekend series.
NO. 28 JAGS FALL AT ALABAMA STATE
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama State used a six-run sixth inning to defeat No. 28 University of South Alabama baseball 12-7 Tuesday at Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
ASU (20-12) plated eight runs in its final three at-bats, aided by its six-run sixth, and pounded out 14 hits in the game led by Eriq White who went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
USA (21-8) pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the second to take the game's first lead. Jared Barnes broke a scoreless tie with a one-out solo home run – his fifth of the season – to left field on a 2-1 pitch from ASU right-hander Darren Kelly. Ben Gann followed with a double off the left-center field wall, then Adam Wolfe reached on a fielding error by Hornet third baseman Ray Hernandez. Travis Swaggerty followed with a single through the left side of the infield to load the bases with one out. Gann scored on a wild pitch from Kelly later in the inning to double the Jaguar lead at 2-0.
ASU answered with its first run of the contest in the bottom of the third. White singled with one out in the inning, and then stole second. Yamil Pagan delivered a two-out RBI single to right-center field later in the inning to score White and cut the Jaguar lead to one run.
The Hornets then took a two-run lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Carlos Ocasio reached on a hit by pitch from Long to lead off the bottom of the fourth, and then stole second with one out. Chris Biocic followed with a one-out RBI single to center field to score Ocasio and tie the game 2-2. Hunter Phillips then delivered an RBI double off the right field wall to score Biocic for a 3-2 Hornet lead. White followed with an RBI single to right field to plate Phillips and double the ASU lead to 4-2.
USA responded with four runs in the top of the sixth to take a two-run lead. Wolfe and Swaggerty reached on consecutive singles to start the inning. A wild pitch allowed both runners to move into scoring position with no outs. Cole Billingsley then drew a walk to load the bases, but a wild pitch from ASU right-hander Burke Echelmeier allowed Wolfe to score and cut the ASU lead to 4-3. A second wild pitch scored Swaggerty and tied the game 4-4. Drew LaBounty then drew a walk to put runners at the corners with no outs. Danny Martinez followed with a walk to load the bases for Carter Perkins, who reached on a hit by pitch to force home Billingsley for a 5-4 Jaguar lead. Brendan Donovan then reached on a fielder's choice on a shallow fly ball to center field that scored LaBounty for a 6-4 USA advantage.
ASU answered with six runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a four-run lead. Pagan reached on a fielding error by Jaguar right-hander Mike Dolloff that allowed Phillips to score and cut the USA lead to one run, and Diandre Amion followed with an RBI single back up the middle to score White and tie the game 6-6. Ocasio then delivered a two-out, two-run to left-center field for an 8-6 ASU advantage. Dillon Cooper followed with an RBI double down the right field line to score Ocasio for a 9-6 Hornet lead. Biocic then singled back up the middle to plate Cooper for a 10-6 ASU advantage.
USA responded with its final run of the game in the top of the seventh. Swaggerty led off the top of the inning with a single to center field, and moved to second on a groundout to first by Billingsley. LaBounty followed with an RBI single back up the middle to plate Swaggerty and cut the Hornet lead to three runs.
The Hornets scored the game's final runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI double by Amion and a sacrifice fly by Ocasio.
Swaggerty recorded a career-high three hits, and finished 3-for-6 with two runs scored to lead USA at the plate. Barnes added a home run, one RBI and one run scored, and Donovan and LaBounty added a hit and one RBI apiece.
ASU right-hander Michael Tellado (1-1) allowed one run on two hits with one strikeout and one walk in 1 2/3 innings pitched to earn his first win of the season. Jaguar right-hander Mike Dolloff (1-3) allowed one earned run on six hits with two strikeouts and one walk in two relief innings in the loss.
"We didn't get the big hit," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "We didn't put their (Alabama State) hitters away with two strikes; they battled with two strikes and got the big hit when it mattered tonight and we didn't. They played better baseball than we did. They walked a lot of guys – luckily for us we didn't walk a lot of guys – and we could not come through with the big hit when it really mattered. That bases-loaded double was a dagger, but what hurt was we put up a four-spot in the top of the sixth to go two runs ahead and then we give up six. I give a lot of credit to Alabama State; they worked. They earned the victory tonight. We got outplayed in all facets.
"We have less than 24 hours before we turn around and line up against another really good team. We have to play much better tomorrow if we expect to be in the ballgame, much less win it, against a very good New Orleans team."
South Alabama will return to action Wednesday when it hosts New Orleans at 6:30 p.m. at Stanky Field.
Georgia State's Roach Homers Twice in 7-4 Loss at Auburn
AUBURN, ALA. -- Joey Roach homered twice, but Georgia State fell at Auburn 7-4 Tuesday at Plainsman Park. Roach's two-run blast gave GSU an early 2-0 lead, and the Panthers (14-15) were within 4-3 in the seventh inning when the Tigers (14-15) scored two insurance runs.
Roach, the senior catcher, now has seven homers on the season and 21 in his career. In addition to his two-run in the third, he belted a long solo shot in the eighth inning for three RBI on the night. This is the third multi-homer game of his career.
After Roach's first homer put the Panthers ahead 2-0 in the third inning, Auburn pushed across a run in the fourth and then scored three in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.
Georgia State put together a two-out rally in the seventh, started by Jaylen's Woullard's triple to right center. He came home on Justin Jones' infield single to pull the Panthers within 4-3. Ryan Blanton followed with a single, his third hit of the day, but the inning ended on a strikeout.
Then Auburn scored two in the seventh to move ahead 6-3, and then an unearned run in the eighth.
Jones, the sophomore shortstop, also turned two double plays and made two diving plays to save runs.
GSU starter Garrett Ford (2-4) kept his team in the game, pitching into the seventh inning, his season-long outing, for the Panthers' depleted staff.
Georgia State managed eight hits on the night, but three Auburn pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts.
The Panthers travel to Little Rock this weekend for a three-game Sun Belt series beginning Friday.
Late Home Run Downs A-State against SEMO
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (4/5/16) – The Arkansas State baseball team pushed the go-ahead run across the plate in the top of the eighth inning, but a pinch-hit home run by Chris Osborne gave Southeast Missouri a 4-2 victory Tuesday night at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
A-State (13-15) took a 2-1 advantage over the Redhawks (21-8) in the top of the eighth inning after Jake Bakamus walked to lead off the inning. Bakamus stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Matt Burgess single with two outs in the frame.
However, the lead was short-lived after Arkansas State went to Tanner Ring for a two-inning save. Ring got a fly out to begin the bottom of the eighth, but a walk and single later SEMO had runners on the corners. The Red Wolves thwarted a safety-squeeze bunt attempt when Ring pounced on the attempt and threw the runner trying to score out at the plate. Southeast Missouri quickly took the momentum back when pinch-hitter Chris Osborne laced a three-run homer over the right-field fence to give the home team a 4-2 advantage.
Neil Lambert and Ty White reached in the top of the ninth inning to bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but Garrett Rucker flew out to left-center field to end the game as SEMO extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 11 games.
Justin Murphy picked up the win for Southeast Missouri State after tossing 1.1 innings out of the bullpen and allowing no runs on two hits. Ring took the loss for the Red Wolves.
Both starters were fantastic as Bryan Ayers went six innings and allowed just one run (earned) on six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts to tie a career high. SEMO’s Jacob Lawrence went 6.2 innings and allowed just one run (earned) on five hits with three walks and five punch outs. Zachary Patterson struck out the side in the seventh inning in only his third appearance of the year for A-State.
Offensively, Burgess and Joe Schrimpf led the visitors with two hits apiece and one RBI each. Southeast Missouri was led by Garrett Gandolfo’s three hits and Osborne’s three RBIs.
Southeast Missouri struck first in the game with a solo home run by Dan Holst over the right-field fence with two outs in the bottom of the third. The Red Wolves responded quickly in the top of the fourth with back-to-back doubles by Burgess and Schrimpf that evened the score at 1-1.
Arkansas State returns to action April 8-10 for a three-game league series against No. 28 South Alabama. First pitch Friday night from Stanky Field in Mobile, Ala., is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., while Saturday’s game is set for a 6:30 p.m. start time as well. Sunday’s series finale will begin at 1 p.m.
Mountaineers Drop 9-4 Decision to Campbell
HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. — Tanner Mann-Fix drove in three runs but assorted miscues proved to be the difference in Appalachian State University baseball’s 9-4 loss to Campbell on Tuesday evening at the North Main Park Complex.
Appalachian State (8-21) committed two errors, threw five wild pitches, left 12 runners on base and had another runner thrown out at the plate in the loss, its third-straight at the hands of Campbell (16-14).
Thanks primarily to Mann-Fix’s two-run triple in the second inning and RBI single in the fourth, App State led 4-3 after four innings, despite the fact that Campbell plated three runs on just one hit in the third.
The Camels retook a 6-4 lead with single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, then broke the game wide open with three unearned runs (courtesy of two Mountaineer errors) in the eighth.
Campbell also got 5.2 innings of scoreless relief from Phil Stokes (1-0), Erik Dowse and Junior Snow to close the ballgame.
Mann-Fix’s three RBI were a career high and his two hits paced Appalachian State’s seven-hit attack. The Mountaineers were without the services of red-hot Tyler Stroup (Thomasville, N.C./East Davidson), who had 10 RBI in the last six games but was a late scratch from Tuesday’s lineup after sustaining an injury during pregame warmups.
Freshman starting pitcher Seth Hardin struck out a career-high seven in 4.1 innings of work while allowing four earned runs on three hits and just two walks.
Winners of three of their last four Sun Belt Conference games, the Mountaineers return to conference action on Friday when they open a three-game series at Troy. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. ET.