Texas State evens GSU series in walkoff fashion
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team topped Georgia State 10-9 in walkoff style in a Sun Belt Conference game Saturday evening at Bobcat Ballpark.
The Bobcats (24-24, 10-13 SBC) snapped a seven-game conference losing streak, while the Panthers dropped to 18-28 overall and 7-16 in league action.
TXST entered the ninth inning trailing 9-8, and the game looked to be all done and dusted after GSU closer Rhett Harper sat down the first two batters he faced. Junior Travon Benton kept the Bobcats alive with a four-pitch walk, however, sending classmate Derek Scheible to the plate. He ripped a 2-2 pitch to right center for a double that moved sophomore Jacob Almendarez, pinch-running for Benton, over to third.
That brought Jonathan Ortega to the dish. The sophomore calmly drove a 1-0 pitch back up the middle to bring home Almendarez and Scheible, tying the weekend series one game each in the process.
Texas State initially pushed ahead with a pair of second-inning runs, but the visitors knotted the score at 2-2 with solo markers in the fourth and fifth frames. TXST erupted for four runs in the home half of the fifth, but Georgia State countered with four in the sixth and three in the seventh to pull ahead 9-7.
The maroon and gold cut the deficit in half on an RBI single from sophomore Jaylen Hubbard in the bottom of the eighth, and that set the stage for the game-winning rally in the last half-inning.
The victory was the 13th come-from-behind triumph for Texas State this season. The win was also the fifth this year and second this week (UTSA) when TXST was trailing heading into the ninth.
Ortega, Scheible and junior Dylan Paul all finished with three hits. Ortega posted three RBIs and two runs scored, while reaching the three-hit plateau for the first time since April 4 against Prairie View A&M. Scheible scored the game-winning run and tallied three hits for the first time since March 31 against Arkansas State. Paul had two RBIs and one run scored, while extending his career-best hitting streak to nine games.
Hubbard drove in one run, and both he and Benton scored twice. Hubbard extended his own personal-best hitting streak to eight games. Junior Luke Sherley saw his career high nine-game hitting streak come to an end after finishing 0-for-1, but he was still productive with a sacrifice RBI and three walks.
True freshman Nicholas Fraze collected a no-decision on the mound after allowing five runs on six hits in 5.2 innings. Sophomore Brayden Theriot (3-1) earned the win after conceding three runs on three hits across the final 3.0 frames.
Georgia State burned through seven pitchers overall, beginning with Hunter Gaddis. The starter lasted 2.0 innings and was pulled after allowing two runs on two hits. Devin Vainer was next up and conceded three runs on four hits in 2.1 frames. Logan Barnette was in line for the win after giving up two runs on three hits in 2.2 innings, but Harper (1-1) blew the save in the ninth and took the loss after allowing two runs on two hits in 0.2 frames.
Nick Gatewood was the lone Panther with multiple hits, as he finished 2-for-4. Luke Leonard drove in three runs, and Will Kilgore scored twice.
The two teams will compete for the series victory at noon May 7 at Bobcat Ballpark.
TEXAS STATE COACH TY HARRINGTON
On the two-out hitting in the ninth inning…
"All three of the at-bats (from Travon Benton, Derek Scheible and Jonathan Ortega) were huge for us, there's no question about it. That was Benton's fourth time getting on base today. Derek sat in there and battled. He was able to hit the breaker the other way to get two guys into scoring position. Now we're one swing away at that point and time with JO coming up. He had some pretty good looks at the baseball all long. This was one of his better days in a couple weeks. You never know what's going to happen in that situation, and today he came through for us and got the big hit when we had to have it."
On the sixth walkoff win of the season…
"This is a pretty resilient bunch. There have been other times where we got close but could not complete a comeback, like against Arkansas State. They've had that resilient trademark all year long. We have to put ourselves in a little better situation where we can start saving games instead of having to win at the end. But they've been able to do that. It's a character trait that they have. Hopefully they'll continue it going forward.
On Georgia State…
"You can't let the stats fool you. If you go in and look at what they were doing coming into the series offensively, we haven't slowed them down. They've had great at-bats. They don't give up at-bats. They don't have one thing glaring that we can take advantage of. Tomorrow is the third game, and a lot of different things can happen. Certainly we need to get back on it again."
Coastal Carolina Takes 10-5 Victory ULM to Win Series
MONROE, La. - Kevin Woodall Jr., hit his 15th home run, driving in three, and Billy Cooke had three hits, including his seventh home run, to lead Coastal Carolina to a 10-5 victory over ULM Saturday afternoon to win the weekend series.
The Chanticleers (29-16-1, 15-7-1 Sun Belt) will go for the series sweep over the Warhawks (12-36, 6-17) Sunday at 1 pm.
Overall, all nine Chanticleers had at least one hit, including two each by Wood Myers and Josh Crump. Andrew Beckwith improved to 6-1 as he allowed four runs over five innings. Austin Kitchen earned his fourth save of the season, pitching the final four innings with no walks and three strikeouts.
Coastal raced out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the second and forced an early pitching change by the Warhawks. Kieton Rivers stated things with a one-out single. Peyton Isaacson and Seth Lancaster followed with walks to load the bases. Crump, playing for the injured Dalton Ewing, singled back up the middle to bring home both Rivers and Isaacson. On the next pitch, Matt Beaird lined an RBI double down the right field line to score Lancaster and put Crump on third. Cooke duplicated Crump's effort with an 2-run single back up the middle. Cooke stole second and third before scoring CCU's sixth run on a Woodall RBI single to left field.
In the fifth, ULM got on the scoreboard and then some, sending nine men to the plate and scoring four runs to make it a two-run contest, 6-4. Nathan Reynolds hit a leadoff double and scored on a one-out single by Cade Stone. Stone advanced to second on a ground out and scored on an RBI single by Anthony Herrera. Turner Francis, Chad Bell and Spencer Hemphill had consecutive hits, the last being an RBI single. Cade Harper then hit a pop fly that fell between three Chants down the left field line to bring home Bell.
Coastal regained the momentum in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs to take a 9-4 lead.. Jordan Gore reached on an infield single and Woodall launched his 15th home run of the season over the left field wall to give the Chants an 8-4 lead. Myers followed with a bunt single, took second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single to center by Isaacson.
Cooke put the Chants up 10-4 in the eighth with a two-out, solo shot to left field for his seventh home run of the season.
The Warhawks capped the scoring with a run in the ninth. Blake Buckman hit a leadoff double and eventually scored on a double play to provide the 10-5 final score.
Mountaineers Respond, Rip Trojans with 17 Hits
BOONE, N.C. – After a disappointing offensive outing on Friday night, Appalachian State University baseball came out with a purpose and an aggressive mindset from the get-go, blasting Troy 12-2 on Saturday afternoon at Riddle-Pace Field.
The Mountaineers (19-28, 8-15 Sun Belt) exploded out of the Game Two gates, getting seven runs in the first two innings against the Trojans (25-21, 11-12 Sun Belt). Through the first three innings, App State was 8-for-9 when putting the ball into play and 5-for-6 with runners in scoring position, improving on Game One's 0-for-6 effort.
Keeping Troy in line offensively was Colin Schmid, who received his usual Saturday start. Schmid threw seven scoreless innings in the game, holding the Trojans to six hits while striking out six batters on the day.
On the other side at the plate, having the most hits (17) since Feb. 27, 2016 (17 vs. Quinnipiac), Appalachian was led by Matt Brill with a 4-for-5 effort (a double, home run, one RBI). Avery Jackson was one of four batters to get two hits, going 2-for-4 with a game-high three RBI. Tyler Stroup went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI while Conner Leonard had an RBI off two hits.
Jason Curtis continued his impressive weekend of play as well, going 2-for-6 on the day.
Appalachian actually began the game with back-to-back strikeouts but didn't let it affect its energy as Stroup doubled down the left field line to set things in motion. Jackson then knocked one to left field to reach, bringing home Stroup.
Jackson then went to second on a wild pitch before Brian Bauk doubled down the right field line to score him. Smart base-running then allowed Bauk to score as he advanced to third on a wild pitch and then caught the Trojan defense napping and took home right after to be the third and final run of the inning.
An aggressive Mountaineer attack continued in the second when Leonard led things off with a single to left field. Calev Grubbs then drew a five-pitch walk before Curtis loaded the bases with a shot to left field.
A good eye from Matt Vernon brought Leonard home on a RBI walk before Stroup fired one down the right field line fair to score Curtis and Grubbs. Jackson then hit a sacrifice fly to score Vernon and push the lead to 7-0.
In the third inning, a Brill rocket to center field put him on second base to set up the Leonard RBI single to right field. The Black and Gold wouldn't score in the fourth but would capitalize off base hits from Brill and Grubbs, giving Chandler Seagle the RBI when he shot one up the middle to score Brill.
App State would go to small ball tactics in the sixth extend its lead as Vernon walked and then was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Stroup. Jackson then lined one through the left side to bring home Vernon. Brill got his third-straight hit of the day before Leonard's four-pitch walk loaded the bases. Grubbs then used a fielding error by Troy to reach first and that allowed Jackson to score, making the lead 11-0.
Appalachian would tack on the final run of the game with a Brill jack to center field – his third home run of the week.
The Trojans would avoid the shutout with two runs in the eighth inning, but not before Matt Schaeffer struck out two batters of his own.
The Mountaineers will try to carry momentum into Sunday's rubber match. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and available at WatchESPN.com and on the ESPN app.
Trojans' 14 Hits Help Snag 11-5 Win at South Alabama
MOBILE, Ala. – An early six-run inning gave Little Rock baseball the momentum it needed to take an 11-5 victory over Sun Belt East Division leader South Alabama on Saturday night at Stanky Field.
The Trojans' win was their first against South Alabama since head coach Chris Curry's first Sun Belt game in 2015. Little Rock's 14 hits were their most against South Alabama since 2014, and it was the 20th time this season that the Trojans tallied at least 10 hits in a game.
"I'm proud of our team because it's hard to come down here and win a game against a perennial power like South Alabama," Curry said. "We challenged our guys after last night's game to come out, score in waves and be relentless, and they did that."
Dalton Thomas had a huge night for the Trojans (17-29, 8-15 Sun Belt) as the senior went 3 for 5 with four RBIs, three runs, a home run and his league-leading 17th double of the season. Cameron Knight also went 3 for 5 with an RBI, a run and a double. Riley Pittman was 2 for 5 with two RBIs, two runs and a home run, and Kale Emshoff was 2 for 5 with an RBI. Zach Baker finished the night 2 for 3 with three runs, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
Travis Swaggerty and Will Luft each went 3 for 4 for the Jaguars (29-18, 16-7) while Swaggerty tallied two RBIs and a home run. Colton Thomas and Jared Barnes each came up with home run and two hits.
Little Rock starter Cory Malcom (3-5) earned the win after he threw six innings, struck out five and allowed five runs on nine hits. His season strikeout total now stands at 94 — 15 shy of breaking the program's single-season record.
South Alabama starter Thomas Huston (5-3) took the loss after allowing seven runs (six earned), six hits and two walks in 2.1 innings. Things didn't get much better in the Jaguars' bullpen as they allowed a combined four runs on seven hits.
South Alabama opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a solo shot to right by Colton Thomas.
Little Rock matched South Alabama's run in the top of the second. With Thomas on third and two outs, Emshoff tied the game with an RBI single through the left side.
The Trojans' bats exploded in the top of third inning as they scored six runs on five hits and a South Alabama error. An RBI single to center by Pittman began the scoring with one out. Thomas then hammered a three-run homer to left for his fifth of the season. After a double by Knight, a walk by Gifford and an infield error by the Jaguars, Christian Reyes earned two RBIs with a single through the left side.
The Jaguars earned a run back in the bottom of the third with a two-out RBI single by Swaggerty.
Pittman put Little Rock up 8-2 in the top of the fourth with a leadoff homer to right for his fifth of the season.
After Baker doubled to lead off the sixth inning, Hunter Owens drove him in with an RBI single to left and gave Little Rock a 9-2 lead.
South Alabama put up a three spot in the bottom of the sixth to cut Little Rock's lead to 9-5. Swaggerty got the frame started with a leadoff homer to center before Barnes blasted a two-run homer to left with two outs.
The Trojans went up by six again in the top of the eighth thanks to an RBI double by Thomas and an RBI single by Knight.
The Jaguars tried to get something going in the bottom of the ninth with a double and a single, but Justin Garcia allowed nothing else as he picked up three consecutive strikeouts to end the game.
"I'm so proud that these guys are still fighting and battling because we can still accomplish our goal of going to the Sun Belt Tournament," Curry added.
Little Rock will go into Sunday's series finale looking for its first-ever series win at South Alabama. First pitch is set for 1 p.m., at Stanky Field.
No. 23 Mavs Rout A-State To Clinch Series
JONESBORO, Ark. -- Trae Patterson worked six innings without allowing an earned run and Will Olson went 4-for-4 with six RBI, leading No. 23 UTA to a 15-3 rout at Arkansas State to clinch the series win, on Saturday night at Tomlinson Stadium.
UTA (28-18, 18-5 Sun Belt) improved its overall lead in the Sun Belt by two games. The Mavs have now won nine consecutive conference games, are 10-1 on the road in league action and set a new program record with its 15th win on the road in 2017. UTA has now won seven of its eight conference series and own a two-game lead over Eastern Division leader South Alabama (16-7).
The Mavs exploded for the first 10 runs of the game over the first five innings, allowing just three unearned runs to Arkansas State in the fifth inning.
UTA's 21-hit attack marked a season-best as the Mavs have outscored the Red Wolves 26-10 over the first two games in the series. UTA has now scored in double-digit runs in six of its last 11 games.
ON THE MOUND
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Patterson (6-3) earned his team-leading ninth quality start of the year, working six strong innings, allowing seven hits and no earned runs, not issuing a walk and striking out eight. He started 18 of the 27 hitters he faced with first-pitch strikes and exited the game with a 13-3 lead in the seventh inning.
Logan Austin took over for Patterson to open the seventh inning, tossing a shutout frame before Adam Meyer took over to open the eighth, working around a leadoff error. Jordon West worked the ninth inning.
Arkansas State (22-23, 10-13 Sun Belt) starter Bradey Welsh (3-2) worked four innings, allowing 11 hits and eight runs – seven earned – walking two and striking out two. Collin Cahill, Zachary Patterson and Derek Birginske each worked in relief.
LEADING THE MAVS
Olson set new career highs in hits and RBI, ripping a pair of doubles. Omar Salinas also added a productive game, going 3-for-4 with a two-run homer – his eighth of the year. UTA also got a three-hit outing from Aaron Funk, who doubled twice. Noah Vaughan and RJ Williams each had two-hit games and Zac Cook, Brady Cox, Colton Turner and Quintin Rohrbaugh helped each UTA starter earn a hit.
HOW THEY SCORED
UTA opened the scoring in the top of the second inning, plating five runs on five hits. Vaughan and Williams led off with singles and Hollie scored Vaughan with a single, spanked off the top of the mound and sailing up the middle. Funk then scored Williams with a chopping infield single. After a pair of outs, Salinas drew a walk to load the bases for Olson. Olson lofted a deep fly ball into the left-centerfield gap that fell for his second double of the game, scoring all three runs for a 5-0 UTA lead.
Hollie added to UTA's lead with his third homer of the year with two outs in the third inning, a no-doubt blast over the leftfield fence.
UTA stretched its advantage in the top of the fourth inning, getting one-out singles from Salinas and Olson. Rohrbaugh then drew a walk to load the bases with one out for Vaughan, who hung a deep sac fly to centerfield to score Salinas. With two outs, Williams reached on a throwing error, allowing Olson to score.
In the top of the fifth, UTA plated two runs on two hits to take a 10-0 lead. Funk doubled to leadoff the inning and Cook singled him home with a knock up the middle. After Cook scampered to third with one out, Olson hung a sac fly to centerfield to give the Mavs a 10-run lead.
Arkansas State plated a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Drew Tipton reached on a leadoff error and scored on an RBI single from Joe Schrimpf. After the second out, Garrett Rucker doubled home a pair to cut the UTA lead to 10-3.
The Mavs added three runs in the seventh inning, getting a two-run homer from Salinas and a two-out RBI knock from Williams for a 13-3 lead.
NEXT
The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT at Tomlinson Stadium. UTA will start junior southpaw Jakob Hernandez (5-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. Arkansas State sophomore righty Peyton Culbertson (4-5, 7.22 ERA).
Eagle Baseball Pushes Past Louisiana 6-5 on Saturday Night
LAFAYETTE, LA. - Three runs in the third and three in the sixth were enough for Georgia Southern to down Louisiana, 6-5 on Saturday and even the weekend series at one game each. Ryan Cleveland smashed his 12th home run of the season while Tyler Martin drove in two more to lead the Eagle offense. Chase Cohen earned the win on the hill while Landon Hughes got six outs for his seventh save of the season. The Eagles and Ragin' Cajuns close out the weekend series on Sunday at 1 p.m. (ET) / Noon (CT).
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Rodney Hennon
"It was a hard-fought win tonight. I felt like we swung the bats better and we got some big hits from Ryan Cleveland, Tyler Martin and C.J. Brazil. We got a nice effort from Connor Simmons and Landon Hughes to close it out in the final three innings. We've got to come out ready to be at our best tomorrow."
SCORING PLAYS
Top 3rd - GS 3 - UL 0 - Steven Curry delivered an RBI single into short centerfield that drove Jordan Wren in from third. Wren reached on a leadoff double to open the three hit frame. Ryan Cleveland hit a colossal two run home run to right to extend the lead to 3-0.
Bot 3rd - GS 3 - UL 3 - A leadoff walk and a hit batter set the table for UL's Steven Sensley to tie the game with a three-run bomb to left.
Top 6th - GS 6 - UL 3 - Two singles followed by a CJ Brazil RBI single through the right side brought in the inning's first run. After an intentional walk to Cleveland loaded the bases, Tyler Martin drove in a pair with a lined single up the middle that found the turf, driving two and giving the Eagles a 6-3 lead.
Bot 6th - GS 6 - UL 5 - Two hits and a walk with two outs in the sixth gave the Cajuns their first run of the frame. A throwing error on a pickoff throw to first allowed a second run to score as the UL made it a one run game.
GAME NOTES
- Ryan Cleveland's third inning home run was his 43rd career long ball which ties him with Craig Cooper (1983-86) for 10th place in school history. He has 12 this season to lead the Eagles in that department.
- Chase Cohen earned his fourth win of the season with five and two thirds innings of work. He was charged with five runs, four earned off five hits and five walks. He struck out a career-high 10 batters to improve to 4-3 on the year.
- Landon Hughes got six outs in the eighth and ninth innings to nail down his seventh save of the season. The senior gave up a hit and a walk with two strikeouts.
NEXT UP
Georgia Southern wraps-up the weekend series on Sunday with a midday matinee at Louisiana. First pitch is set for Noon (CT) / 1 p.m. (ET). Georgia Southern sends Seth Shuman to the bump for his first weekend start while the Ragin' Cajuns call on Hogan Harris for the finale.