JAGS SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER TO CLINCH APP STATE SERIES
BOONE, N.C. – The University of South Alabama baseball team swept a Saturday doubleheader against Appalachian State at Smith Stadium to clinch the three-game series.
USA (33-18, 19-7 SBC) took the first game of Saturday's twinbill 8-6, followed by a 24-5 win in game two. The Jaguars will go for the series sweep in Sunday's series finale, which is scheduled for a 10 a.m. (CT) first pitch.
"I thought Randy (Bell) was really good," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "They got to him a little bit there late surprisingly. It's not like they had shown signs of getting to him. It was just that one inning there in the seventh. When you have a doubleheader and you know you have to play 18 innings, you need your starters to go out and get 12 to 13 innings. I thought Randy and (Tyler) Carr did a really nice job today. Randy made some really good pitches. He made a couple of mistakes and they made him pay, but all in all it was a good day for us. I thought Matt Peacock was good. We didn't have to go to the bullpen much in a long day with a game tomorrow. Matt got hit a little bit, but that's going to happen. He hung in there and did enough, and we scored enough runs.
"Obviously in the second game I was proud of Tyler Carr's effort, and Tyler Perez coming afterwards. The offensive effort top to bottom from the whole team today – we just had great at-bats. You look at all the offensive numbers and the top 10 (nationally) in walks and on-base percentage, and we did it again today. App State has some of the better arms in this league, and we knew we couldn't give at-bats away. I thought our kids fought like crazy up and down the lineup and got some good pitches to hit. We took some walks and didn't have a lot of strikeouts. Our guys just hung in there, battled and wore their pitchers down today and I thought that was the story. We played good defense, our pitchers pitched really well and we had really good at-bats. We had a lot of guys with big offensive days today, but we got some big hits when the game was close and that's the difference between a real guy and a guy who is a poseur. We have some guys come up and get some hits when it matters, and we have a bunch of them up and down the lineup and we'll need it. We're facing another good guy tomorrow, and they (App State) still have a reliever down there in (Matt) Brill who has been up to 96 (mph), so we need to have a bunch of good at-bats and pitch and play very solid defense again tomorrow."
Game 1 - South Alabama 8, Appalachian State 6
The Jaguars pounded out 17 hits in the series opener, led by Wells Davis who went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored. Jared Barnes finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, one RBI and one run scored, and Drew LaBounty added three hits, including a double, with two RBI and one run scored.
USA broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third on a one-out RBI double to left-center field by Drew LaBounty that scored Dylan Hardy, who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning, for a 1-0 lead. Brendan Donovan followed with an RBI double down the left field line to score LaBounty and double the Jaguar lead at 2-0.
The Jaguars added two runs to their advantage in the top of the fourth inning. Wells Davis singled through the right side of the infield with one out, and Jared Barnes followed with a double to the left-center field gap to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Will Luft drew a walk to load the bases with one out for Hardy, who reached on an RBI fielder's choice that plated Davis and extended the USA lead to 3-0. LaBounty followed with a two-out RBI single to left field that scored Luft and pushed the Jaguar lead to 4-0.
Davis extended the South Alabama lead to 5-0 with a leadoff solo home run, his seventh of the year, in the top of the sixth inning on a 1-1 pitch from Mountaineer left-hander Colin Schmid.
Appalachian State answered with five runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. The Mountaineers pushed their first run of the game across on a one-out RBI single through the left side of the infield by Avery Jackson to cut the Jaguar lead to 5-1. Calev Grubbs followed with an RBI single to right field to cut the Mountaineer deficit to three runs. Jason Curtis reached on an RBI fielder's choice on grounder to second with the bases loaded to score Jackson and cut the USA advantage to 5-3. Matt Vernon followed with a two-out RBI single through the left side of the infield that plated Grubbs and cut the Jaguar lead to 5-4. Tyler Stroup then delivered an RBI double to left-center field to score Curtis and tie the game at 5-5.
South Alabama responded in the top of the eighth on a two-run home run to center field by Davis, his second of the contest and eighth of the season, to take a 7-5 lead. Barnes followed with a solo home run to left field, his 11th of the season, for an 8-5 Jaguar advantage.
The Mountaineers added the game's final run on a one-out RBI single through the right side of the infield by Stroup.
USA right-hander Matt Peacock (3-2) allowed one run on six hits with four strikeouts in 2 2/3 relief innings to earn the win. App State right-hander Reed Howell (1-2) allowed two runs on four hits with one walk in one relief inning in the loss.
Game 2 – South Alabama 24, Appalachian State 5
Right-hander Tyler Carr set a new career high in strikeouts, and the Jaguars set a season high in hits in a 24-5 series-clinching win in game two.
Carr (5-1) allowed two runs on five hits while striking out a career-high of 11, bettering his previous high of 10 which came at Georgia Southern, against two walks in six innings pitched to earn his fifth win of the season. Right-hander Tyler Perez allowed two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and one walk in three innings pitched to record his first career save. Luke Watts (2-7) allowed 11 runs on 13 hits with two strikeouts and two walks in four innings in the loss.
USA (33-18, 19-7 SBC) jumped out to a one-run lead in the top of the first inning. Hardy doubled off the left-center field wall to lead off the game, and advanced to third on a groundout to shortstop off the bat of Colton Thomas. Donovan followed with a walk before Swaggerty reached on an RBI infield single to shortstop that scored Hardy for a 1-0 Jaguar lead. Donovan doubled the lead at 2-0 when he scored on a wild pitch one batter later.
The Mountaineers answered with a run in the bottom of the second on a one-out RBI single to center field by Connor Leonard to cut the Jaguar lead in half at 2-1.
The Jags responded with five runs in the top of the third to take a six-run lead. A one-out RBI single by Davis scored Donovan, who reached on a single earlier in the inning, for a 3-1 advantage. LaBounty followed with an RBI single to right field to plate Davis and push the USA lead to 4-1. Barnes then delivered a three-run home run to left field to extend the Jaguar advantage to 7-1.
South Alabama added four runs to its lead in the top of the fourth. Thomas singled to right field to lead off the top of the fourth, and moved to second on a walk by Donovan. Davis delivered a one-out RBI single through the right side of the infield later in the inning to score Thomas for an 8-1 USA lead. LaBounty delivered a two-out RBI single to left field that scored Swaggerty and extended Jaguar advantage to 9-1. Barnes followed with an RBI double to left field to score Davis for a 10-1 lead. LaBounty scored on a wild pitch one batter later to extend the lead to 11-1.
The Jags loaded the bases in the top of the fifth on consecutive singles by Hardy and Thomas, and a one-out walk by Swaggerty. Davis followed with a grand slam to left field to push the USA lead to 15-1. Hunter Stokes then delivered a pinch-hit triple off the right field wall, and LaBounty reached on a walk. Luft then singled to center field to score Stokes for a 16-1 lead. Hardy followed with a walk to load the bases for Thomas, who drew a walk to plate LaBounty for a 17-1 advantage. Donovan then cleared the bases with a three-run double down the right field line for a 20-1 Jaguar lead. Swaggerty followed with an RBI double off the right-center field wall to score Donovan for a 21-1 lead.
A pair of sacrifice flies by Barnes and Hardy to extend the Jaguar lead to 23-1 in the top of the sixth. But the Mountaineers responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Stroup to cut the USA lead to 23-2.
South Alabama added its final run of the game in the top of the eighth on an RBI groundout to second by LaBounty that scored Stokes, who led off the inning with a triple, for a 24-2 advantage.
App State (19-31, 8-18 SBC) added two runs on a two-run single back up the middle of the infield by Leonard in the bottom of the eighth inning, and scored the game's final run on a two-out solo home run to left field by Vernon.
Barnes went 3-for-5 with a double, one home run, a career-high five RBI and one RBI to lead the Jaguars at the plate, and Luft finished with a career-high four hits, one RBI and one run scored. Davis added three hits, including a home run, four RBI and three runs.
LR Sweeps Doubleheader to Take Series Win Over GSU
LITTLE ROCK – A doubleheader sweep was capped off with a walk-off three-run homer in extra innings by Nik Gifford as Little Rock beat Georgia State by scores of 8-3 and 6-4 on Saturday afternoon at Gary Hogan Field.
The series win by Little Rock (20-30, 10-16) was the third straight against Georgia State (20-30, 8-18) at Gary Hogan Field dating back to 2014.
If Little Rock completes the series sweep on Sunday, the Trojans will be headed to their second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
GAME 1 RECAP
Little Rock picked up an 8-3 win as it received a strong outing from starter Cory Malcom (4-5) while the Trojans' offense tallied 11 hits for the game.
In his final start at Gary Hogan Field, Malcom went eight innings, struck out six and allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and four walks while throwing a career-high 125 pitches. Georgia State's Bryan White (1-3) took the loss as he went two innings, struck out one and allowed four runs on three hits and four walks.
"I think that game was a picture of Cory's career," head coach Chris Curry said. "He's just a bulldog, and on days where he doesn't have his best stuff, he kept the game right there for us. When Georgia State created some big innings, he got a couple of double play balls, worked out of it and got us to the ninth inning. He had the opportunity to leave the program three years ago, but he stuck with us. He's been a big force for us down the stretch."
Dalton Thomas went a perfect 4 for 4 with two runs, an RBI, a double and a walk. Riley Pittman picked up three RBIs, a home run and a walk while going 2 for 4. Nik Gifford also went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run.
"We did a great job early of working some at-bats into walks and setting the table," Curry said. "It was really good to see Dalton turn in a game like he's used to having. Four hits isn't uncommon for him when he's going good. Riley is doing an unbelievable job down the stretch, and I think a lot of players are building off what he's doing."
Georgia State's Will Kilgore was a perfect 3 for 3 with an RBI, a run and a walk. Romero Greer went 2 for 3 with an RBI, a run and a walk.
The Trojans began the scoring with a four-run inning in the bottom of the second. With the bases juiced and one out, Christian Reyes walked on a 3-1 count to score Thomas. Ty Gunter then hit a two-run double to put the Trojans up by three. An RBI single by Pittman capped off the inning and put Little Rock up 4-0.
Georgia State put together back-to-back innings with a run scored in the fourth and fifth. A one-out RBI single in the fourth by Greer cut the Trojans' lead to three before Kilgore scored on a Little Rock error in the bottom of the fifth.
Little Rock had two consecutive two-run innings in the bottom of the fifth and sixth. An RBI double by Thomas and an RBI single by Gifford gave the Trojans a four-run lead heading into the sixth. Pittman nailed his team-leading eighth homer of the year in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run shot off the scoreboard.
Trailing 8-2 entering the ninth, Georgia State score one more run on an RBI single by Kilgore, but it was too little, too late as Little Rock took the day's first game.
GAME 2 RECAP
Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the 10th, Nik Gifford ended the game with a three-run walk-off homer to give Little Rock the series win over Georgia State.
Gifford finished the game 2 for 5 with three RBIs, two runs and a homer. Riley Pittman went 2 for 3 with two runs, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Dalton Thomas had a couple of RBIs and tallied his league-leading 19th double.
"It was an absolutely huge day for the program and for our team," Curry said. "I'm proud because it's been a long time since we've gotten down, came back, given up the lead and came back again."
Trojan reliever Justin Garcia (2-0) picked up the win after he threw 2.2 innings, struck out five and allowed one run on two hits and two walks. Dylan Slayton picked up three Ks in one inning of relief and allowed only one hit. Starter Ryan LeMoine threw 6.1 innings, struck out two and allowed three runs on eight hits and three walks.
"I thought Slayton, Garcia and LeMoine did a wonderful job of keeping Georgia State at bay," Curry said. "They held them down and kept us in the game."
Georgia State reliever Rhett Harper (1-2) took the loss after allowing Gifford's three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning. Starter Hunter Gaddis struck out seven and allowed two runs on five hits in six innings.
The Panthers got on the board right out of the gate with an RBI single by Jarrett Hood in the top of the first. Two innings later, they went up 3-0 thanks to an RBI ground out by Justin Jones and an RBI single by Nick Gatewood.
Still down 3-0 entering the bottom of the sixth, the Trojans began their march back with two runs on three hits. Thomas hit a two-run double down the left field line to cut the deficit to one.
Coming into the bottom of the ninth with a 3-2 deficit, Gifford singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a ground out. Ty Gunter then plated the tying-run with an RBI double to right. The Trojans left the winning run on second as two fly outs ended the inning.
With two outs in the top of the 10th, Will Kilgore hit an RBI single through the left side to score the go-ahead run from second.
After Pittman walked and Thomas was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the 10th, Gifford's sixth home run of the year on the first pitch he saw game Little Rock the 6-4 win.
"What I like about tomorrow is that our fate is in our own hands," Curry said. "If you win, you get in. That's kind of been the motto all year. We have to dominate the little things and take care of our business. We won't have to scoreboard watch and wait for other things to happen. I want our team to handle our business and seal our own fate."
The Trojans will look to complete the series sweep and land a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Sunday at noon. All 13 Trojan seniors will be honored prior to tomorrow's game at 11:15 a.m.
No. 29 Coastal Rallies for 4-1 Win at No.24 UTA
ARLINGTON, Texas - After allowing a run in the seventh, Coastal Carolina scored two in the eighth and two in the ninth to claim a 4-1 win at UTA Saturday afternoon to clinch the series win over the Sun Belt West Division leader.
The 29th-anked Chanticleers improve to 33-17-1, 18-7-1 Sun Belt, while the 24th-ranked Mavericks fall to 29-20, 19-7. The series concludes Sunday at 1 pm (CT)/2 pm (ET).
UTA's lone run came with the help of a CCU error. Otherwise, Andrew Beckwith showed what made him the College World Series MVP last season. The senior, who was 15-1 last year, improved to 7-1 this season, including a 7-0 mark in league play. He left after allowing a leadoff single in the ninth, scattering five hits and four walks with three strikeouts. Austin Kitchen came on to relieve Beckwith and the junior lefty retired all three batters he faced to earn his team-best fifth save.
While Coastal only scored four runs, the Chants out-hit the Mavericks 14-5. Jordan Gore (3-for-5) and Kevin Woodall Jr., (3-fo-5 with his league-leading 17th home run) each had three hits, while Kieton Rivers and Cory Wood each added two.
UTA broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the seventh. Noah Vaughan drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on a single by Aaron Funk. However, a throwing error on the play allowed Vaughan to score for the 1-0 lead.
Coastal responded with two runs in the top of the eighth. Gore hit a leadoff double and later scored on a two-out double down the left field line by Rivers. UTA loaded the bases with walks to Seth Lancaster and Josh Crump. Wood then cued an infield single to bring home Rivers for the 2-1 lead. With the RBI, Wood has now contributed nine CCU wins as he has scored the game-winner five times and driven in the game winner four times.
The Chants added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth, all with two outs. First, Woodall hit his 17th home run of the season to move into 11th on the CCU single-season list (record is 22). UTA left fielder Quinton Rohrbaugh nearly robbed the ball, but the ball was just out of his reach. Wood Myers followed with a single, stole second and scored on a Rivers' RBI past the UTA third baseman.
Jackson Cofer’s Walk-Off Homer Lifts Troy Past ULM
TROY, Alabama – Jackson Cofer blasted a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to push Troy past ULM, 10-9, in game two of the conference series Saturday at Riddle-Pace Field.
The Trojans (29-21, 14-12 Sun Belt) trailed by three runs in the bottom of the eighth before battling back to take the game and the series in dramatic fashion.
Down a run in the ninth inning, Chase Smartt led off with a single through the left side of the infield – he finished 3-for-4 with a home run. Cofer then missed two sacrifice bunt attempts before barreling up a 1-2 pitch and blasting a no-doubter deep over the 27-foot wall in right field.
Brandon Lockridge – 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored – pulled Troy within a run with a two-run homer of his own in the eighth inning off Anthony Herrera (1-5), who was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs on four hits in an inning of work.
Matt Sanders and Justin Friend also turned in multi-hit games to spark the Trojan offense. Sanders finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, while Friend ended 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.
ULM (12-39, 6-20 Sun Belt) came out blazing, scoring nine runs in the first four innings before being held scoreless by Cory Gill, Lance Johnson and Corey Childress in the final five innings.
Troy's Gill struck out five and scattered only three hits before handing the ball over to Johnson, who worked a perfect eighth inning on the mound. Childress (3-3) earned the win for Troy after a shut down top of the ninth.
QUOTABLE
"I'm so proud of our guys," Troy head coach Mark Smartt said. "It was a hard fought win. I went to congratulate Cofer after the game and he apologized for missing the two bunts. He's a great kid and a great competitor. We've got to finish strong here at home tomorrow to carry us into this tough road stretch next week."
"I'm still shaking right now," Jackson Cofer said about the walk-off home run. "It's great to come through in that moment. I didn't want to go back in the dugout after missing those bunts. I knew he was going to give me something good to hit and I did what I could."
"Always believe no matter what the score is," reliever Cory Gill said about the comeback victory. "Our team has bought into that. It doesn't matter how much we're losing by, we're going to keep fighting."
SOUND "SMARTT" WITH YOUR FRIENDS
• Jackson Cofer's walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning was his second walk-off hit of the week. He ended Troy's 11-inning affair with Alabama State on Wednesday with a walk-off single to left field.
• Brandon Lockridge belted his sixth home run of the season and fourth since last Sunday with a 2-run shot in the bottom of the eighth inning. He finished the game 2-for-5 and has hit safely in 46-of-50 games this year and has multiple hits 26 different games.
• Chase Smartt homered in the fifth inning snapping a streak of 43 games and 164 at-bats without hitting a home run. It was the sophomore catcher's third home run of the season. Smartt finished the game 3-for-4 with a walk for his second 3-hit game of the weekend and his 10th multi-hit game of the season.
• Troy's three home runs in the game marked a new season high; the Trojans had homered twice in a game six times this season. Troy has now hit a home run in three consecutive games.
• Justin Friend had a pair of doubles in the game to push his season total to 12 and his career total to 18 … Friend now has 17 extra-base hits this season.
WHAT'S UP NEXT?
Troy will go for the series sweep on Sunday with first pitch set for 1 p.m; RHP Daren Osby (4-4, 4.67) will get the start. The Trojans will honor their seniors as well as all mothers before the game.
Late Rally Propels Texas State Past Cajuns To Even Series
LAFAYETTE, La. – Texas State rallied for five runs in the final two innings on Saturday night as the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team fell 8-4 to the Bobcats to even the series at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
The Bobcats (25-26, 11-15 Sun Belt) outhit the Ragin' Cajuns (31-20-1, 15-10-1 Sun Belt) 14-6 in the contest with Jonathan Ortega and Jaylen Hubbard each going 3-for-5 at the plate. Hubbard had a game-high three RBI, while Ortega scored three runs and drove in two more. Junior Zach LaFleur led Louisiana offensively going 2-for-5 and scored a run.
"I thought Colten (Schmidt) gave us a chance to win tonight, but the back end of the bullpen let the game get away from us," head coach Tony Robichaux said. "Give them credit, they got a couple critical hits late in the game off of some good arms. Now we are going to have to try and win the series tomorrow."
Starter Colten Schmidt went 5.1 innings allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts in a no decision. Reliever Jevin Huval (0-2) took the loss for the Cajuns giving up two runs on three hits with a strikeout in two innings of work.
Reliever Brayden Theriot (4-1) claimed the victory for Texas State tossing 2.1 scoreless innings to close out the game. Theriot held Louisiana hitless with a walk and two strikeouts. Starter Nicholas Fraze was touched for four runs on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
The Bobcats grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second on a two-out RBI single through the left side of the infield by Mickey Scott.
The Ragin' Cajuns answered with a three-run third inning to go in front 3-1. Handsome Monica brought home the first run of the inning on an RBI groundout to shortstop. Louisiana picked up its other two runs in the inning on a two-out single through the right side of the infield by Brenn Conrad followed by an RBI double down the left field line by Steven Sensley.
The Cajuns would hold on to the lead until the top of the sixth when Schmidt gave up a pair of RBI singles to Ortega and Theodore Hoffman to even the contest at 3-all.
Louisiana went back in front 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch by Theriot that scored Hunter Kasuls. The Ragin' Cajuns threatened for more in the inning, but left fielder Jacob Almendarez snagged a Joe Robbins line drive with two outs and the bases loaded.
Texas State responded in the top of the eighth with a bases-loaded, two-run double off of the wall in left by Hubbard to take the lead, 5-4. The Bobcats added another run in the inning on a bases-loaded walk to Felipe Rodriguez before plating two more runs in the ninth to make the final 8-4.
The Cajuns and Bobcats close out the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. with the rubber game at Russo Park. Sophomore left-hander Hogan Harris (3-2, 2.62 ERA) will make the start for Louisiana, while Texas State will counter with junior right-hander Cam Baird (1-5, 5.32 ERA).
Georgia Southern Drops Game Two to Arkansas State, 1-0
STATESBORO, GA. - Georgia Southern Baseball dropped a 1-0 loss to Arkansas State on Saturday night as the Red Wolves drew even in the weekend series. Chase Cohen threw six shutout innings with 11 strikeouts, but a single run in the ninth was the difference. Georgia Southern and Arkansas State play the rubber match on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Eagles will honor 12 seniors for their contribution to Eagle Baseball in a pregame ceremony.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Rodney Hennon
"That was a well-pitched game on both sides. We had opportunities, but we didn't get it done. Their starter pitched really well and then Tyler Zuber came in and threw some good pitches. A couple times we had chances to take the lead, put the game away, but we just didn't get it dome and you've got to credit Arkansas State. Now we've got to pick ourselves up and get ready to play tomorrow."
SCORING PLAYS
Top 9th - ASU 1 - GS 0 - Arkansas State scored the only runs in the ninth inning off a walk and a hit batter with two outs. Those two plays put runners on first and second for Drew Tipton who hit a wounded duck single behind first base. Jordan Wren was unable to make the sliding catch as the eventual winning run came in to score.
GAME NOTES
- Starting pitcher Chase Cohen threw a gem for the Eagles, working six shutout innings while allowing just three hits. He struck out a career-high 11 batters in the game including the first eight outs of the game.
- Arkansas State's starter Bradley Welsh also threw six shutout innings, scattering three hits. He allowed three walks and struck out five.
- The Red Wolves closer, Tyler Zuber earned the win, striking out nine Eagles to win his fourth game of the season in three innings of work.
- Steven Curry went 2-for-3 on Saturday with a walk. He got a leadoff single in the first, but was stranded at second. His walk in the fifth loaded the bases with two outs, but a ground out to first would end the frame. Curry picked up a leadoff single in the eighth, but three strikeouts after Ryan Cleveland's walk dismissed the Eagles in the frame.
NEXT UP
The Eagles face Arkansas State on Sunday for Senior Day. The pregame ceremony to honor the 12 Georgia Southern seniors will start at 12:40 p.m. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.