Friday, May 6
Trojans Claim 14th Sun Belt Win in Victory vs. UTA
LITTLE ROCK – Two multi-run homers in the bottom of the fourth inning powered Little Rock baseball (23-20, 14-8 Sun Belt) past UT Arlington (23-24, 9-13 Sun Belt) as the Trojans picked up a 5-3 victory in the series opener on Friday night at Gary Hogan Field.
Little Rock now has 14 conference wins for the year, the second-most in a single season in program history.
Nik Gifford and Kyle Kirk each homered with Gifford picking up two RBIs and Kirk picking up three.
Dalton Thomas was the only Trojan with multiple hits as he went 2 for 4 with a run scored. Thomas now 24 multiple hit games for the year, second-most on the team behind Ryan Scott's 25.
Scoreless heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, Dalton Thomas single up the middle with one out. This set Gifford up for a two-run homer to center, his sixth of the season. With two outs, Zach Baker and Ty Gunter walked to put runners on first and second. Kirk then drilled a three-run shot to right for his first-career homer and put Little Rock up 5-0.
With the bases full of Mavericks and one out in the top of the fifth, R.J. Williams hit an RBI single through the left side to plate UTA's first run.
The Mavericks put two more runs across in the top of the seventh. With two on and one out, Williams hit an RBI double to left to score Cody Farrell from third. With runners in scoring position, Brady Cox hit an RBI ground out to first as Matt McLean scored to cut UT Arlington's lead to 5-3.
Trojan pitcher Matt McDowell (3-1) ended the night after the seventh inning as he threw four strikeouts and allowed nine hits, three runs (all earned) and one walk while hitting two batters on 107 pitches. McDowell went on to pick up the win after Cody Daylor came on to begin the eighth. In the final two innings, Daylor struck out two and only allowed a hit and walk to pick up his fourth save of the season.
"The keys for me were only striking out one time and walking them twice," head coach Chris Curry said. "Those are details inside the game we set before the game as in-game goals. That's how you win the game within the game. That was a great win late in the season against a really solid club."
Little Rock will go for its sixth Sun Belt series win tomorrow at 2 p.m., at Gary Hogan Field.
Cajuns Baseball Blanks App State To Open Series, 7-0
LAFAYETTE, La. – The 19th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team posted its fifth shutout of the season on Friday night as the Cajuns blanked Appalachian State 7-0 in the series opener as it's Ron Guidry Weekend at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.
The Cajuns wore commemorative jerseys in honor of Guidry, and 15 of the jerseys were auctioned off after the game. The program will auction off 15 more jerseys tomorrow night with all proceeds to go to the Ragin' Cajuns baseball program.
The win improves the Cajuns to 30-16 overall and 15-7 in Sun Belt play. Louisiana is now 18-4 at home in 2016.
"We pitched, we played defense and we got good timely hitting. That's what we have been trying to do all year," head coach Tony Robichaux said. "We just have to play our best baseball right now. We don't have many games left."
Gunner Leger, Evan Guillory and Will Bacon combined to strikeout a season-high 14 batters in the contest. Leger (6-3) notched his sixth victory of the year in the contest scattering four hits in five innings with six strikeouts. Guillory equaled a career-high with seven strikeouts in three innings of work.
Appalachian State starter Bobby Hampton (1-7) was chased in the fourth inning after giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits in 3.1 innings.
Offensively, the Cajuns outhit the Mountaineers (14-32, 8-17 Sun Belt) 11-6 led by three-hit efforts by Kyle Clement and Nick Thurman. Clement extended his hit streak to 11 games on a two-out double in the first inning.
Junior Alex Pinero matched a career-high with three RBI on the night going 2-for-4 at the plate with a double.
After two scoreless innings, the Ragin' Cajuns broke the game open in the bottom of the third scoring five runs on four hits and an App State error. Thurman got the scoring started with a leadoff solo home run down the right field line. Clement made the score 2-0 on an RBI single to left field. With the bases loaded and two outs, Pinero drove a double down the left field line to clear the bases and give Louisiana a five-run edge.
Pinero added a run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single to left scoring Clement to increase the Cajuns advantage to 6-0.
Brad Antchak scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth as he came home on a throwing error by Mountaineers reliever Dallas DeVrieze.
Louisiana and App State return to action tomorrow at 6 p.m. at The Tigue. Sophomore right-hander Wyatt Marks (3-5, 5.14 ERA) will take the mound for the Cajuns, while freshman right-hander Breydan Gorham (2-4, 4.68 ERA) will make the start for the Mountaineers.
The game will be broadcast live on News Talk 96.5 KPEL-FM with Jay Walker making the call. Live stats and video are available on RaginCajuns.com.
Bennett’s Complete Game Lifts Troy Past ULM in Series Opener
TROY, Alabama – Grant Bennett tossed his first complete game of the season – fifth of his career – and struck out seven leading Troy to a 5-3 victory over ULM on Friday night at Riddle-Pace Field.
"Grant was great tonight, like he always is," Mark Smartt said. "He is such a big time guy and he loves the competition. He was terrific tonight, he mixed his pitches well, kept them off balance and made key pitches when he had to."
Bennett (8-2) only allowed three runs – two earned – and faced 35 batters only throwing 102 pitches in a winning effort for the Trojans (27-19, 12-10 Sun Belt). With the win, he moves into a tie for ninth place in career wins at Troy with 17.
Offensively, Troy pounded out 11 hits and scored all the runs it needed early in the game. Brandon Lockridge had a team-high three hits in a 3-for-5 night, while Justin Friend drove in three of the Trojans' five runs.
Friend drove in his first run in the first inning when he drew a walk with the bases loaded and gave Troy a 1-0 lead.
The other four runs came in the second inning on three hits. With the bases loaded and one out in the inning, the Trojans took a 2-0 lead when a run scored on an error by the ULM (17-30, 7-15 Sun Belt) third baseman. Troy's third run scored on a passed ball with Friend at the plate. Later in the at-bat, Friend singled up the middle and plated two giving Troy a 5-0 lead.
ULM fought back and scored three unanswered runs, one in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Joey Denison and Peyton Fuller had two hit nights; both going 2-for-4 and a run scored each. Cameron Sanders and TJ Binder rounded out the hits for Troy as both players had a hit each.
Lucas Brown will get the start for the Trojans on Saturday, while reigning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week Brayden Bouchey will get the start for the Warhawks. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
All youth wearing a Rec League uniform get in FREE for Saturday and Sunday's game. Sunday's game will feature FREE flowers for the first 75 mothers in attendance.
Bobcats Open Series with Third Consecutive Win
SAN MARCOS – With a 6-2 lead in the eighth inning Friday night, closer Pasquale Mazzoccoli took over. He was slingin' fuzz, as they say, and had Georgia State twisted up in the batter's box. Mazzoccoli touched 94 mph as he struck out four and did not give up a hit to secure his 11th save of the season, tying Hunter Lemke for the Texas State record for single-season saves. He ensured the 20th win of Lucas Humpal's career as the Bobcats improved to 25-22 on the season and 12-10 in the Sun Belt Conference with the 6-2 victory over the Panthers.
In addition to the pitching performance from Mazzoccoli and Humpal (seven innings, six strikeouts and just one earned run), Texas State's hitting showed up too. Senior Cory Geisler led the Bobcats with three hits, two doubles, two RBIs and two runs while Tanner Hill was 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run. Jaylen Hubbard went 2-for-3 while three others struck a hit in the game to give Texas State 10 total hits.
After giving up a run in the first, the Bobcat defense buckled down and held Georgia State without a run until the eighth. Meanwhile, the Bobcats scored two in the third on a double from Geisler, three in the sixth on a double from Hill and a Ryan Newman single, and a run in the seventh on another Hill double.
The sixth inning broke the game open for the Bobcats. After back-to-back doubles from Geisler and Hill added one run, Texas State loaded the bases with no outs to bring in more. Newman's two-RBI single pushed the Bobcat lead to 5-1 and Texas State never looked back.
While the bats popped, Texas State's pitching kept Georgia State off balance throughout as Humpal and Mazzoccoli combined for 10 strikeouts.
Seniors Humpal, Mazzoccoli, Hill and Geisler, four huge contributors Friday night, will be honored along with Justin Dellinger, Jeremy Hallonquist, Chase Hodson and Cody Lovejoy for Senior Day before Saturday's game, scheduled for a 3 p.m. first pitch.
Eagles Down No. 22 South Alabama to Open Weekend Series
MOBILE, ALA. – Georgia Southern Baseball handed No. 22 South Alabama its first home loss in conference play, taking a 4-3 win over the Jaguars in 10 innings. Logan Baldwin hit a sacrifice fly to center in the 10th, driving in CJ Ballard from third to give the Eagles the crucial win. Game Two of the series is set for Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. (ET)/6:30 p.m. (CT) from USA's Eddie Stanky Field.
Evan Challenger went 6.1 innings and gave up two runs while scattering five hits. He was in line for the win until the Jaguars tied the game in the 9th, forcing the extra frame. Landon Hughes worked the final two innings, first blowing the save by giving up run before working a clean 10th to take his third win of the season.
The Eagles improve to 28-18 on the year and 13-12 in the Sun Belt. South Alabama falls to 35-13 and 18-4 in the league.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Rodney Hennon
"It was definitely a good start to the weekend. I thought we battled all night long as a team. Evan Challenger competed for us and both Connor (Simmons) and Landon (Hughes) battled well out of the bullpen. We were able to find a way to hang in there and get the win in 10 innings. Now we've got to come out ready to compete tomorrow."
CRUCIAL MOMENTS
TOP 5TH – Cal Baker worked a leadoff walk and worked his way around to third with small ball and a ground ball to third. A wild pitch with two outs allowed Baker to scamper home, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead before posting their first hit of the night.
BOTTOM 5TH – South Alabama's response was quick, posting two runs in the home half of the fifth. The Jaguars played small ball to set the table for their first run, but three-straight hits loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly to right gave the Jaguars a 2-1 lead with five innings in the books.
TOP 7TH – A Jordan Wren hit batter followed by a nifty hit and run put runners on the corners for Hunter Thomas. The Eagle designated hitter tied the game at 1-1 with a safety squeeze single that handcuffed the South Alabama pitcher. A swinging bunt later in the inning by CJ Ballard gave the Eagles a 3-2 lead.
BOTTOM 9TH – South Alabama tied the game by taking advantage of a leadoff single in the ninth. A pair of stolen bases moved the runner around to third, but a sharply hit single with the infield in squared the game at 3-3. The Jaguars loaded the bases later in the inning, but a strikeout and a fly out to right sent the game to extra innings.
TOP 10TH – CJ Ballard got on base with a hit to second and moved up with a throwing error. Small ball and a sacrifice fly by Logan Baldwin put the Eagles up 4-3
NOTES
- The Eagles got three runs off Preseason Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Kevin Hill. He took a no-hitter into the seventh despite the Eagles' run in the fifth inning. The two-run seventh inning scuttled his no-hit bid. The Eagles were two outs from handing Hill his first Sun Belt loss since 2014, but the Jaguars' run in the ninth got him off the hook.
- Hunter Thomas and CJ Ballard each had two-hit games on Friday night with a run scored. Ballard drove in a run in the seventh while Thomas exited for a pinch runner in the eighth.
- Georgia Southern entered the game with 58 sacrifice bunts this season and added three to that total on Friday. The Eagles rank fourth in the nation for sacrifice bunts.
- The Eagles are now 2-2 this season against opponents ranked in the Top-25. The Eagles defeated No. 24 College of Charleston on April 5, but dropped two games to Georgia Tech when they were ranked No. 17 and No. 18.
UP NEXT
Georgia Southern and South Alabama will reset for game two of the series, set for Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. (CT)/7:30 p.m. (ET). Chase Cohen will get the ball for the Eagles on the mound.
@AStateBaseball Drops Series Opener to Demons
JONESBORO, Ark. (5/6/16) – The Arkansas State baseball dropped the opening of a three-game series against Northwestern State by a score of 8-3 Friday evening at Tomlinson Stadium.
The Demons starting pitch Adam Oller held A-State (20-24) without a hit through 6.1 innings until Tony Ortiz delivered a 1-out infield to break-up the no-hitter. Despite being held hitless through the first six innings, the Red Wolves pushed across a run in the fifth inning to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Oller struck out seven and gave up three run (one earned) in 6.1 innings.
Jake Bakamus scored on wild pitch when Ty White struck out swinging but reached base on the errant throw to allow the inning to continue. Bakamus led off the inning with a walk and then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher to get into scoring position.
Northwestern State added a run in the sixth to push the lead to three runs and then added three more runs in the seventh inning to make it a 7-1 lead. A-State scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI groundout by Daltan Lovell and an RBI ground out by White.
White finished the night with an RBI and two stolen bases, while Bakamus had three walks and scored a run. Lovell added an RBI and J.D. Rainwater had an extra base with a double in the ninth inning.
The Demons tagged Cody Jackson for three runs on six hits through 4.1 innings before giving way to Tyler Zuber who gave up four runs on four hits. Bo Ritter also pitched an inning 1.2 and gave up a run, while Brady Welsh got an out against the only he faced in the ninth.
The series continues Saturday afternoon at 6 p.m. at Tomlinson Stadium. The game can be heard locally on 95.3FM The Ticket and online at AStateRedWolves.com.