Trojans Split Sunday Doubleheader at Tennessee Tech
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Little Rock baseball splits Sunday's doubleheader games against Tennessee Tech on the road to drop the season-opening series at Bush Stadium.
In game one, the Trojans (1-2) evened the series with a 7-4 victory over the Golden Eagles (2-1). They were lead behind the hitting at the bottom of the order who combed for six RBIs. Troy Alexander in the seven spot went 3-4 at the plate with three runs and one RBI while Eldrige Figueroa hit behind him going 2-3 with 3 RBIs and Christian Reyes finishing off with 2 RBIs off of 1-3 hitting.
"On a day where the top of the lineup didn't do as much, the bottom of the lineup did a great job," head coach Chris Curry said. "I thought Troy Alexander was very good with an aggressive bat at the plate and I'm very happy with the play of freshman Figueroa who got a bunt down early to set up a Reyes sac-fly. He also got a big two out, two RBI base hit late in the game."
Justin Garcia completed a near three-inning save striking out four hitters and letting up zero hits on 11 batters faced, including a huge eighth inning where he struck out the side in 1-2-3 fashion.
Cole Townsend started the game off solid for the Trojans throwing 4.1 innings — giving up three runs off five hits, striking out three, walking one and giving up a solo homerun.
Donavin Buck (1-0) gained the win for Little Rock after coming into the game in the fifth inning only up 4-3 after Townsend gave up the solo homerun to right. Buck gave up a single to the first batter but retired the next two to get them out of the inning.
"Once again our bullpen was lights out starting with combination of Buck, Brown and Daily," Curry said. "And then Garcia was unbelievable making big time pitches out there for close to three innings."
The story was turned in game number three of the series as the Tennessee Tech offense really show its firepower in scoring nearly every inning, beating Little Rock 17-7.
The power bats of the Trojans were not dormant though as they were able to get seven runs off nine hits. Riley Pittman, Kale Emshoff, and Alexander each smashed two-run home runs which were the first for each on the season.
"What was encouraging in game three was the way our team never stopped fighting, never stopped swinging and never stopped answering," Curry said. "I don't know if in the past we would have done that."
The struggle was with the pitching for the Trojans where the Golden Eagles went off for 15 hits. It started with sophomore McKinley Moore who got the loss throwing just three innings and giving up five hits and four walks.
"We had to go to the bullpen early and some guys were not able to find the strike zone," Curry said. Tennessee Tech took advantage of it with big hits with multiple runs in multiple innings."
Little Rock will continue its four game road trip to open the season against in-state opponent Central Arkansas on Tuesday, Feb. 20 for game one of the Rock "n" Roar Rivalry series.
PANTHERS CAP WINNING WEEKEND WITH 9-6 WIN OVER MINNESOTA
ATLANTA -- Jake Corso and Enrique Ferrer drove in two runs each to back a combined pitching effort by Jordan Lee, Brandon Baker and Jansen Acton as Georgia State downed Minnesota 9-6 in Game 3 of the Atlanta Challenge Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex.
The Panthers moved to 2-1 on the season with wins over the Golden Gophers and Bradley on the Opening Weekend.
Minnesota started quickly with two runs in the top of the first, but GSU responded with five runs of their own in the bottom of the frame, capitalizing on Gophers' freshman starter Sam Thoresen's inability to find the stroke zone. After Thoresen hit or walked the first four batters and threw a wild pitch, the Panthers quickly tied the game at 2-2. Then Jake Corso ripped a double to the gap in right center to bring home two more runs. After another hit batter and then a walk chased Thoreson, Romero Greer's sacrifice fly put GSU ahead 5-2.
The Gophers (2-2) managed one more run in the second to pull within 5-3, but that was all they would get off starter Jordan Lee (1-0). Lee rolled an inning-ending double play, started by shorstop Justin Jones, and then retired nine of the next 10 batters. His final line saw him allow three runs on five hits with two strikeouts and just one walk.
Meanwhile, Minnesota reliever Patrick Frederickson blanked the Panthers until the sixth inning, when Georgia State parlayed four straight hits into three runs. After Will Kilgore led off with a single, Romero Greer and Luke Leonard both beat out bunt singles while attempting to sacrifice. That loaded the bases for Enrique Ferrer, who singled up the middle to plate two runs. The Panthers added another run on a wild pitch to up their lead to 8-3.
After the Gophers inched closer with two runs in the seventh, Ferrer hit his second double of the day with one out in the eighth, and Jones delivered a key insurance run with a single up the middle to send the Panthers to the ninth inning with a 9-5 lead.
GSU senior left-hander Brandon Baker relieved Lee in the sixth and pitched 3.1 innings before senior closer Jansen Acton recorded the final two outs for the 9-6 victory.
The win over Minnesota gives Georgia State at least one victory over a Power Five conference foe in seven of the last eight seasons. The Panthers will try for another one Tuesday when they play at Auburn in a 5 p.m. ET game that will air on SECN+ and 1340 AM/103.7 FM.
Batty Ropes Longhorns In Series Finale
AUSTIN, Texas – True freshman Brock Batty was stellar in relief for the 18th-ranked Louisiana baseball team against the 14th-ranked Texas Longhorns as the left-hander guided the Ragin' Cajuns to a 2-1 win in the series finale on Sunday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Batty came in on short notice due to an early exit for starter Hogan Harris and tossed 6.0 strong innings in relief limiting the Longhorns (2-1) to one run on two hits. The Denham Springs, La., native retired nine straight batters in the game to pick up his first collegiate victory in his Louisiana debut.
The Cajuns (1-2) outhit Texas in the contest 6-4 as both teams played error free baseball for the second time in the series.
LEADING THE CAJUNS
Junior Gavin Bourgeois went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and drove in the winning run, while Daniel Lahare scored the Ragin' Cajuns only runs of the game. Newcomer O'Neal Lochride also had a two-hit day with a double.
Senior Logan Stoelke notched his first career save coming in with two outs in the ninth to close out the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Louisiana struck first as freshman Hayden Cantrelle delivered a two-out single to left field to plate Lahare and give the Cajuns a 1-0 advantage in the top of the fifth. Texas was quick to answer though as Austin Todd brought home David Hamilton on a sacrifice fly to even the game at 1-all in the bottom half of the inning.
The Ragin' Cajuns regained the lead 2-1 in the top of the seventh on a two-out RBI double down the right field line by Bourgeois.
Batty went on to retire eight straight hitters after the Cajuns went back in front before turning the ball over to Stoelke to seal the victory.
UP NEXT
The Ragin' Cajuns head to Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. contest at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field. Following the matchup with Lions, Louisiana opens its 2018 home schedule on Feb 23 at 6:30 p.m. against Wright State at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park in the first of three games. The first game of the series will be broadcast live on Cox Sports Television.
Timely Hitting, Effective Pitching Give Baseball Win At UNCG
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Multi-run hits from Kendall McGowan, Drew Beck and Riley Smith propelled Appalachian State to its first win of the season, a 6-4 victory at UNCG on Sunday.
Closing out its series against a team that won the Southern Conference tournament and appeared in an NCAA Regional last season, App State jumped ahead 2-0 on a fourth-inning home run from McGowan. Beck's two-run homer gave App State a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning, and it increased the margin to 6-1 on Smith's two-run double in the sixth.
Starting pitcher Travis Holden and another senior, Luke Watts, handled the mound duties for the Mountaineers (1-2). Holden picked up the win, and Watts earned the save by pitching the final four innings against the Spartans, who scored three times in the seventh inning.
In the 27 innings played over three days, App State held the lead after its at-bat 14 times, was tied after seven of its at-bats and trailed after only six of its at-bats. It either led or was tied until the bottom of the seventh inning Friday and led or was tied until the bottom of the fifth inning in Game 2.
"I think our starters did a really good job, and it was great to see (reliever) Will Herman back on the mound (in Game 2) — he did a very good job in his first game back from injury," said second-year App State coach Kermit Smith, who had Andrew Vaccacio and Colin Schmid start the first two games. "We got some timely hits. Summing up the weekend, we have to find a way to be a little bit more consistent offensively."
The Mountaineers followed up an 11-6 loss in Sunday afternoon's completion of a suspended game with effective pitching and clutch hitting — in addition to the three extra-base hits, the team's other hit was a single by Bailey Welch.
Of App State's six runs, the four scoring baserunners all reached on walks to set up productive swings from McGowan, Beck and Smith. That offense provided a lead for Holden, who was pitching at UNCG for the first time since he saved the final game of the 2014 state championship series as a West Forsyth High School senior.
Holden allowed one unearned run on eight hits in five innings, totaling two strikeouts and just one walk. UNCG had runners at the corners in the fifth when Holden induced a foul-out to first baseman Conner Leonard, and a hit batter loaded the bases before center fielder Alex Leshock chased down a liner for the third out.
"Credit to our infielders and outfielders — (UNCG) really scattered me pretty well," Holden said. "They hit it at some guys, and we made some plays, like Riley throwing some people out (from catcher) and a great play in center field."
Watts retired the final two batters of the eighth with a runner on base and pitched a perfect ninth.
Holden and Watts are two of the six seniors on App State's roster. McGowan, Beck and Smith are among the team's 18 newcomers, and McGowan and Beck delivered the Mountaineers' first two homers of the season in back-to-back innings.
A freshman left fielder, the right-handed McGowan followed a walk to Leonard and a balk with a two-run shot that snuck inside the left-field foul pole. The balk was called as McGowan saw a first-pitch fastball.
"I thought, 'Here comes another one,' and I swung for it," McGowan said. "I found it, and it felt really good coming off the bat."
Smith's leadoff walk in the sixth set up a no-doubt homer to left from the right-handed Beck, the starting third baseman as a transfer from Howard College in Texas.
"I was being a little timid, so that at-bat I just tried to let loose and cut loose with my swing," Beck said. "It was a good feeling."
Smith, who went 4-for-4 with a walk in Game 2, came to the plate with two runners on base in the sixth thanks to walks drawn by CJ Brown and Leshock. The junior catcher and transfer from Catawba Valley Community College lined a double past UNCG's diving third baseman for a 6-1 lead that help up against the Spartans' powerful offense.
"This was a great win for us," McGowan said. "Hopefully it'll make everything we've been working for a reality for us."
App State returns to action Friday for the start of a weekend series at UNCW.
CCU Baseball Walks Off Again with 4-3 Win Over Kansas State
CONWAY - For the second straight game, Coastal Carolina (3-0) scored a run in the 10th inning to secure a 4-3 win, defeating Kansas State (0-3) on Sunday afternoon at Springs Brooks Stadium in the third day of the 19th annual Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach.
On Saturday versus #18 Oklahoma, CCU's Cory Wood delivered the game winning hit in the 10th. On Sunday, Wood came up with a one-out, hustle double in the 10th before scoring the game winner.
After Wood's double and a fly out gave CCU two outs, Kansas State elected to intentionally walk Seth Lancaster to put runners on first and second. Kevin Woodall Jr., made the Wildcats pay by lining a single down the third-base line to easily score Wood and set off the celebration.
Coastal was pushed to extra innings as Kansas State scored two runs in the top of the ninth. A nice diving catch my Cameron Pearcey in the top of the 10th with a KSU runner in scoring position kept the game tied at 3-3 and set the stage for the dramatic end in the bottom of the 10th.
Both Wood and Woodall were 2-for-5 in the win with Woodall driving in the first run of the game as well as the game winner. Kieton Rivers also had two hits.
Matt Eardensohn (1-0) got the win in relief. The junior college transfer from Omaha worked the final 2.2 innings and allowed three hits, two run and two walks with four strikeouts. Anthony Veneziano started on the mound for CCU. He scattered eight hits over 5.1 innings, allowing one run with no walks and three strikeouts.
Coastal Carolina will close the Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach on Sunday by hosting #17 Indiana at 11 am.
The Chants jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first. Lancaster hit a two-out double off the right field wall and scored one pitch later on when Woodall delivered an RBI single to left field.
Coastal extended its lead to 3-0 in the second frame. Rivers reached on an infield single to third. Kyle Skeels followed with a single and Parker Chavers loaded the bases with a bunt single. Pearcey jumped on the first pitch he saw and dumped it into right field for an RBI single. Skeels then later scored on a ground out.
The Wildcats trimmed their deficit to two, 3-1, in the top of the sixth. Cameron Thompson hit a leadoff double, moved to third on a Hanz Harker infield single and scored on a single to left field by Kyle Barfield. K-State looked as if it would add at least one more run but, with runners on first and third, CCU's Chavers made an impressive diving catch in centerfield for the third out.
K-State also had runners on first and third in the seventh, but Dylan Gentry recorded a strikeout to end the threat.
The Wildcats did not waste their scoring opportunity in the ninth inning. Brett Owen and Will Brennan started the frame with singles. After a sacrifice bunt, Cameron Thompson singled to left to plate both runners and tie the game.
In the top of the 10th, John Sorenson reached on an error. After a sac but and foul out, Coastal intentionally walked Will Brennan. Jake Biller nearly came through with a clutch hit but Pearcey's diving catch ended the threat.
Kansas State pitcher Jared Marolf (0-1) was the tough-luck loser. He did strikeout seven in 3.2 innings, while allowing just three hits, one run and one walk.
Troy Dominates in Finale to Complete Sweep
TROY, Alabama – Troy launched five home runs and clinched the four-game sweep, blowing past UT Martin, 12-1, in Sunday's series finale at Riddle-Pace Field.
Troy (4-0) won its ninth straight home game dating back to the 2017 season. The Trojans have outscored their opponents 84-28 over that nine-game stretch.
The Trojan bats were led by Matt Sanders' three-hit day at the plate. Sanders hit his third home run already this season and extended his career-long hitting streak to 12 games. He finished the series 8-for-16 with six RBIs and eight runs scored.
Brody Binder drove in a career-high five runs and got back on his extra-base hit kick with a double and an inside-the-park homer – seven of Binder's 13 hits last season went for extra bases. He and a duo of veterans in Brandon Lockridge and Joey Denison all finished the game 2-for-4 to aid the 13-hit afternoon for Troy.
Three other Trojans hit their first career homers in the game – freshman Hunter Kamplain, freshman Manning Early and sophomore Hunter Mercer.
Homegrown RHP Rush Hixon (1-0) earned his first start and first win on the mound in the matchup. Hixon, a native of Banks, Ala., allowed only one run – no earned – and scattered three hits around five strikeouts in five innings of work.
UT Martin (0-4) struck early but were not able to withstand the strong Trojan offense. The Skyhawks were led by Blake Davis who drove in the lone run and reached base twice more via the walk. Peyton Cain (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing six runs – five earned – on six hits in four innings of work.
Quotable – Troy head coach Mark Smartt
"Rush (Hixon) dominated today, we botched a play and gave up a run while he was up there. Really proud of the work, 4-0, couldn't ask for anything more this weekend. It's a testament to our players, we have good players up and down our lineup. Every one of these kids work their tails off and I'm proud of them for doing that."
Sound "Smartt" With Your Friends
Troy hit five home runs on Sunday to raise its season total to 10; the Trojans didn't hit their 10th home run of the 2017 season until their 16th game. It marked the first time since May 12, 2013, vs. Arkansas State that Troy hit at least five home runs in a game.
Noteworthy
• Troy has now won nine straight home games dating back to the 2017 season.
• Matt Sanders extended his career-best hitting streak to 12 games with a single to leadoff the third inning; he finished the game 3-or-5 and the series 8-for-16. Sanders finished the weekend with a pair of multi-hit games to raise his career total to 54 games – it was also his 17th three-hit game of his career.
• Hunter Kamplain and Matt Sanders hit back-to-back home runs on back-to-back pitches in the fifth inning; it was the first hit of Kamplain's career as the true freshman made the first start of his career. It was the first back-to-back home runs for the Trojans since Feb. 19, 2017, when Brody Binder and Chase Smartt did so against Xavier.
• Brody Binder and Manning Early also went back-to-back for the Trojans in the seventh inning; it was the first home runs of the season for both players.
• Brody Binder drove in a career-high five runs in the game, including an inside-the-park home run in the seventh inning. He also hit a 3-run double in a 5-run Troy fifth inning.
• Troy's 5-run fifth inning marked the sixth time in just four games this season that the Trojans scored four or more runs in an inning.
On Deck
Troy will hit the road for a short four-game road stretch, starting with in-state rival Auburn. First pitch for Wednesday's battle is set for 4 p.m. at Plainsman Park.
Bulldogs Take Series with Sunday Walk-Off
ATHENS, GA. – Georgia Southern Baseball dropped Sunday's series finale to Georgia, 4-3 on a walk-off sacrifice fly. The Eagles carried a 3-2 lead into the ninth, but two late runs by the Bulldogs handed the series to Georgia for the third-straight season. Next up for the Eagles is a midweek clash with in-state rival Georgia Tech. First pitch against the Yellow Jackets is set for 6 p.m. in the 2018 home opener on ESPN3.
QUOTEABLES
Head Coach Rodney Hennon
"I think we settled in and played better baseball over the last two days. We had a lot of guys in these situations for the first time, and the more experience that we get them, the better I think guys are going to perform. I think you saw guys performing more to the level that they are capable of over the last two days. We were able to get a lot of guys involved over the weekend and we're going to learn things about our ball club. We played really good baseball today for eight innings, but we didn't close things in the ninth. That is something that you have to do if you want to be a championship team, and I have no doubt that we will learn from this experience and continue to get better."
SCORING SUMMARY
Bottom 7th - A leadoff single came good for Georgia when Keegan McGovern hit a two-run home run off the batters eye in centerfield to give Georgia its first lead of the day.
Top 8th - The Eagles got the eighth inning started with a double, singe and a walk to load the bases with no outs. Mitchell Golden drove in a run with a bloop single to center, while Jason Swan wore a pitch to drive in another run and tie the game at 2-2. Chandler Corley walked later in the inning with two outs to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead.
Bottom 9th - A leadoff single on the first pitch of the ninth started a frame which was helped by a fielding error. The Eagles got an out with a sacrifice bunt, but the next batter walked to load the bases. Power hitter Keegan McGovern walked as well to tie the game at 3-3. Cam Shepard lifted a fly ball to right which was deep enough to score Cole Tate from third and give the series to the Bulldogs.
NOTES
- Mitchell Golden went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to pace the offense at the plate.
- David Johnson got the call for his first collegiate start. He got through a rocky start to retire the final eight batters he faced in order.
NEXT GAME
Georgia Southern plays host to Georgia Tech on Tuesday in the 2018 Home Opener. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. against the Yellow Jackets. Watch the game live on ESPN3 or listen on the Georgia Southern Sports Network.
Red Wolves Drop Doubleheader to Illinois State
JONESBORO, Ark. (2/18/18) – The Arkansas State baseball team dropped a pair of games to Illinois State Sunday afternoon to finish the opening weekend of the season with a 1-2 record. The Red Wolves fell to the Redbirds 18-3 in the day’s first game and then dropped game two 11-4.
Grant Hawkins led A-State at the plate on the day with four hits and two runs scored, while Jeremy Brown had three base hits and an RBI. Logan Andersen also had a solid afternoon with three hits and a RBI.
In the day’s first game the Red Wolves’ jumped out to early lead in the first inning when Brown and Andersen each produced RBI hits. Brown added to the lead in the third inning when he scored on a wild pitch to push the A-State advantage to 3-1.
Illinois State (2-1) took the lead in the fourth inning when they plated four runs, including a three-run home run by Noah Sadler. The Redbirds added two more runs in the fifth and then two in the seventh, five in the eighth and four in the ninth.
Brown finished the game 2-for-3 with an RBI to pace A-State.
In game two Illinois State scored two runs in the first inning off Peyton Culbertson when Noah Sadler and Collin Braithwaite each singled in a pair of runs. The Red Wolves responded in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single by Drew Tipton to cut the deficit in half.
The Redbirds added a run in the second inning, but the Red Wolves answered in the third when Brown stole home to close the margin to 3-2.
Illinois State broke the game open with three runs in the fourth inning and added two more in the sixth and three in the ninth. A-State added a run in the sixth inning when Tipton was hit-by-a-pitch with the bases loaded and Hawkins singled in a run in the eighth inning to close out the scoring for A-State.
Arkansas State returns to the field for a midweek contest against SEMO on Tuesday, Feb. 20. First-pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Tomlinson Stadium.
For the latest on A-State baseball follow the team by logging onto the Arkansas State Baseball Facebook page or by following the team on Twitter (@ASTATEBaseball) and Instagram (arkansasstatebaseball).
Cowboys claim series victory over Texas State
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team dropped a narrow 6-5 contest to Oklahoma State in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Bobcat Ballpark.
The Bobcats (1-2) outhit the reigning Big 12 Conference champions 11-9 and had more hits than their visiting counterparts in all three games of the opening weekend.
Leading the way in the last game of the series were seniors Derek Scheible and Dylan Paul, who both had two hits. Junior Jaylen Hubbard registered his first home run of the season, and senior Jared Huber scored twice.
OSU (2-1) squeezed on top in the first but the Bobcats countered a three-spot in the bottom of the second. The Cowboys moved ahead with a three-run home run in the third and did not trail again. The two sides exchanged individual tallies in the fourth, and Oklahoma State moved ahead 6-4 in the sixth. Texas State plated one in the eighth but could not take further advantage of a bases-loaded, no-out situation.
Junior Brandon Lewis (0-1) suffered the loss after conceding four runs on four hits in 2.2 innings. Sophomore Broc Bosse and juniors Brayden Theriot and Anthony Pagano all saw time on the mound.
Andrew Rosa paced Oklahoma State with a 3-for-4, 3-RBI effort. Matt Kroon went 2-for-3 and Colin Simpson hit a three-run homer.
Relief pitcher Joe Lienhard (1-0) earned the win after allowing one run on two hits in 1.2 innings. He struck out two and walked three. Starter Mitchell Stone was pulled after conceding three runs on six hits in the first 1.1 frames. Carson Teel earned the save after giving up one run across the final 2.0 innings.
Texas State heads out on the road for the first time of 2018 when the maroon and gold take on Rice at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 20 in Houston.