VANDERBILT RALLIES PAST SOUTH ALABAMA 7-4
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Vanderbilt rallied from a 4-2 deficit with five runs in the sixth to upend South Alabama 7-4 Tuesday afternoon at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores improved to 12-6 while the Jaguars fell to 7-11 on the year.
Jason Esposito led off the sixth with a singled, stole second and moved to third on Richie Goodenow’s grounder to first. Pinch-hitter Riley Reynolds walked and then Alex Hilliard singled up the middle to score Esposito. Brian Harris struck out for the second out and then Steven Liddle singled to right to score Reynolds to tie the game. Curt Casali walked to load the bases before Aaron Westlake grounded to short. The second baseman wasn’t covering second base allowing Westlake to reach safely while scoring Hilliard to give the Commodores a 5-4 lead. Joe Loftus then roped a double on Miles Ethridge’s first pitch offering to score Liddle and Casali to extend the lead to 7-4.
Chase Reid (2-0) was stellar in relief pitching 4.1 innings of one-hit scoreless baseball. He struck out five and has now thrown 9.1 consecutive innings of shutout baseball over his last three outings.
“Chase was one of the only bright spots of the game,” said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin. “He is throwing strikes and being aggressive. He is attacking the hitter and the difference to me is he is a guy who catches the ball and gets back on the rubber, keeping everyone in the game whether it is the umpire or the defense. He is in attack mode all the time and that is the difference.”
South Alabama took a 2-0 lead in the second on RBI singles by Derek O’Reilly and Clint Reynolds. David Doss’ RBI single in the third extended the lead to 3-0.
The Commodores rallied in the third with two runs on Jason Esposito’s double down the left field line. Steven Liddle walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on an infield single by Aaron Westlake. Esposito doubled with two outs in the inning to score both Liddle and Westlake.
USA added another run in the fourth on a RBI single by Zach Grichor to make it 4-2. That ended the day for Sean Bierman who gave up four runs, two earned, on eight hits in 3.2 innings of work with two strikeouts and a walk.
Steven Liddle, Jason Esposito and Alex Hilliard each had two hits to lead Vanderbilt, while Zach Grichor, Ryan Bohanan and Clint Reynolds each had two hits to lead South Alabama.
Miles Ethridge took the loss after giving up five runs on five hits in 3.1 innings of relief. He struck out four and walked three to drop to 0-2 on the year.
The Commodores close out a stretch of 14 of 15 games at Hawkins Field as well as a five-game homestand tomorrow against Belmont at 6 p.m. Freshman right-hander Navery Moore (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will get his first collegiate start on the mound.
TENNESSEE LOSES TO NO. 15 COASTAL CAROLINA 5-2
No. 15 ranked Coastal Carolina used two home runs and solid pitching from starter Andrew Fleet to hand the Tennessee baseball team a 5-2 loss at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
The Volunteers (8-9, 1-2 SEC) scored single runs in the sixth and seventh and outhit the Chanticleers 8-7 but left six runners on base in the loss.
“That was tough,” head coach Todd Raleigh said. “We had some hits, out him them, had some chances but left more on again. That seems to be the same kind of recurring theme. I thought we pitched pretty well. All of the little things can make a difference.”
Freshman Matt Ramsey (0-2) pitched 2-1/3 innings out of the bullpen for UT. Ramsey gave up two runs on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Tennessee starting pitcher Bryan Morgado went four innings allowing one run on one hit while striking out seven and issuing one walk. The only hit Morgado surrendered was a second-inning home run. The sophomore retired the last 10 batters that he faced.
Fleet (3-0) pitched six innings in his fourth start of the year for Coastal Carolina. Fleet allowed one run on five hits while walking one and striking out six. Junior Nick McCulley picked up his fifth save of the season, pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
The Chanticleers took a 3-1 lead with two runs in the top of the seventh inning. Designated hitter Adam Rice drove in the first run with an RBI double, followed by a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of right fielder Dan Bowman.
Coastal Carolina catcher Jose Iglesias gave the Chanticleers a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning with his fifth home run of the year, a solo shot to left field.
UT first baseman Cody Hawn tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth when he hit his eighth homer of the season over the wall in right field.
Tennessee made the score 3-2 with one run in the bottom of the seventh. Third baseman Tyler Horne hit a solo home run, his third of the season, to right field.
Coastal Carolina added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth to go ahead 5-2. First baseman David Anderson led off the inning with a home run to center field. Iglesias then scored from first on a fielding error after reaching base on a single.
Senior Danny Wiltz pitched the final 2-2/3 innings for UT, surrendering two runs (one earned) on three hits. Wiltz did not issue a walk and struck out five.
The Volunteers return to action Wednesday as they host Tennessee Tech at 4 p.m. Eastern time. Wednesday’s game concludes Tennessee’s 12-game homestand. The Vols continue Southeastern Conference play this weekend when they travel to Gainesville, Fla., for a three-game weekend series with the Florida Gators.
All rankings based on weekly poll published by Baseball America.
GAMECOCKS EARN FOURTH SHUTOUT OF THE YEAR WITH 6-0 WIN OVER DAVIDSON
Columbia, S.C. - South Carolina sophomore right-hander Parker Bangs pitched seven scoreless innings in his first career start and combined with freshman reliever Matt Price to hurl a three-hit shutout as South Carolina defeated Davidson 6-0 on Tuesday evening at Carolina Stadium. The win marked Carolina's fourth shutout of the year and improved the Gamecocks to 12-4 while the loss drops the Wildcats to 8-7 for the season. South Carolina returns to action on Wednesday evening vs. Furman at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. First pitch is 7 pm with live audio broadcast available at GamecocksOnline.com. The game can also be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network.
In his third appearance on the mound this season, Bangs limited the Wildcats to two hits and two walks while tying a career-high with seven strikeouts. He is now 1-0 on the season. Bangs also helped himself out with the bat as he went 2-for-2 with a RBI at the plate. Price followed and allowed just one hit in two innings with three strikeouts to preserve the Gamecock shutout. Davidson starter Chris Kennedy suffered the loss and is 1-2 for the season. He allowed four runs on three hits in 2.1 innings with five walks and four strikeouts.
South Carolina got on top early with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Adam Matthews drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on a RBI double from Whit Merrifield. Carolina added a single run in the second inning as Casey Rihn also led off with a walk and scored on a one-out double from Matthews.
With a 2-0 lead, Carolina doubled its advantage with two more runs in the fourth inning. Bangs helped his cause with a one-out RBI single and Andrew Crisp tallied a RBI with a sacrifice fly. South Carolina increased the lead to 5-0 in the fourth inning with Ebert knocking a two-out solo home run to left center. Ebert now has an eight-game hitting streak and seven homers on the year. He briefly tied DeAngelo Mack for the team lead but that ended in the bottom of the fifth inning when Mack launched his eighth home run of the season over the right centerfield wall for a 6-0 Gamecock lead.
Along with Bangs' two hits, Carolina also received a 2-for-4 day from Mack, who also scored two runs. Andrew Crisp also tallied a hit and is one shy of reaching the career total of 200 in a Gamecock uniform. Ebert went 1-for-2 with two runs scored as well for Carolina. South Carolina finished with nine hits on the evening.
NO. 12 OLE MISS RACES PAST ARKANSAS STATE 7-1
JONESBORO, Ark. -- Brett Bukvich came out and turned in another solid start for the Rebels, pitching 5.0 innings and holding the Red Wolves to only one unearned run on two hits as No. 12 Ole Miss (12-4) defeated Arkansas State (7-10) by a score of 7-1 on Tuesday.
Bukvich (3-0) picked up the win, the third of the season for the senior southpaw. Bukvich struck out seven and walked only three in the outing.
Kevin Mort led the Rebels at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Tim Ferguson also came up with a 3-for-4 night with a run scored. The Ole Miss offense was also solid on the base path as the Rebels came up with six steals on the night, including four from Ferguson.
Jacob Lee (0-1) suffered the loss for the Red Wolves as he allowed two runs on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.
“It was all about the pitching tonight,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. “We gave up only one unearned run. Offensively it wasn’t a bad night either. Brett Bukvich was tremendous and gave us what we were looking for. That will move him into the Sunday role for this weekend against Alabama.”
The Rebels got on the board in the second when Kevin Mort was hit in the head by a pitch with the bases loaded, pushing Logan Power across the plate and giving Ole Miss the lead. Power reached on a lead-off walk before a single to right center from David Phillips moved Power to third. Kyle Henson then drew a walk to load the bases before Mort was hit by the pitch. Henry then hit a sharp grounder up the middle, but a diving save by the Red Wolves second baseman ended the rally as Arkansas State got out of the inning.
Ole Miss added a second run in the third when Ferguson scored from third on a groundout to first by Phillips. Ferguson singled then stole second before moving to third on a balk.
Arkansas State got on the board in the fifth when Giovanni Garcia scored on a throwing error from the catcher trying to get him out on a steal at third. Garcia walked to open the inning before stealing second and then scoring on the throwing error on the steal of third.
Ole Miss extended he lead in the seventh when Kevin Mort scored on a passed ball. Mort singled to open the inning before moving to second on a throwing error from the pitcher on a sac bunt attempt from Henry, allowing Henry to reach base safely. Henry moved to second on the passed ball that scored Mort before moving to third on a fly out to right from Ferguson. Power then singled up the middle to score Henry and move the lead out to 4-1 in favor of Ole Miss.
Ole Miss pushed two more runs across in the eighth and a single run across in the ninth to move the Rebels out to a 7-1 lead. Kyle Barbeck would hold the Red Wolves off the board in both frames to secure he win for the Rebels.
Ole Miss will return to action on Wednesday when the Rebels host Memphis at 6:30 p.m. at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
The Rebels will face Arkansas State for a third time this season when Ole Miss hosts the Red Wolves on March 30 in Oxford at 6:30 p.m.
GIBBS’ NINTH-INNING SINGLE LIFTS LSU TO 2-1 WIN OVER NORTHWESTERN STATE
BATON ROUGE -- Sophomore Micah Gibbs drove in the game-winning run on a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead No. 5 LSU past Northwestern State, 2-1, Tuesday in Alex Box Stadium.
Coming in to pinch hit for first baseman Buzzy Haydel with one out and the bases loaded, Gibbs drilled a 2-2 offering into the gap in right center field to break open a 1-1 tie and bring senior Derek Helenihi home for the victory.
LSU improved to 14-4 on the season with the victory, while Northwestern State fell to 10-6 with the loss.
Right-hander Matty Ott (2-1) earned the win in what turned out to be a fantastic game by the LSU pitching staff, which combined to allow only six hits and one earned run. The Demons’ DD Lott (0-1) was charged with the loss.
“Sometimes a tough, hard-fought win like this is better than a 15-run win,” LSU head coach Paul Mainieri said. “This type of a win can do wonders for a team because it teaches them how to win a close game.
“Blake (Dean) came through with a big hit to lead off the inning when the team needed it most. Leon Landry pinch hits against a left-hander and shows a good eye at the plate, and Micah Gibbs, with two strikes on him, wins the ball game for us. There are three guys who have been struggling, and maybe this gets them going and reminds them that they’re pretty good ball players.”
The Tigers and Demons traded runs in the first and second innings to tie the game at 1-1 after two. Left fielder Blake Dean drove in a run for LSU on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first, and the Demons returned the favor with a sacrifice fly to plate a run in the top of the second.
LSU left-hander Chris Matulis struck out seven through five innings to hold Northwestern State to one run. The Tigers then put runners on first and third with two outs in the bottom of the frame but couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity. Catcher Sean Ochinko hit a grounder back to the Northwestern State starter Ryan Zimmerman to end the inning.
The Tigers’ relief trio of Jordan Nicholson, Daniel Bradshaw and Ott kept the Demons off the scoreboard after the fifth as the three combined to strike out five and did not surrender a hit or a walk in the final four innings.
The LSU offense came alive in the bottom of the ninth. Dean led off the frame with a base hit to right, and Helenihi entered as a pinch runner. Second baseman Ryan Schimpf drew a walk one batter later, and pinch hitter Leon Landry followed with another walk to load the bases before Gibbs delivered the game-winner.
LSU returns to action Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. (CDT) as the Tigers host McNeese State. The game can be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network (98.1 FM), and live video, audio and stats will be available in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net.
Baseball Team Ties Home Run Record with Lopsided Win
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama enjoyed a record-setting night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, posting a lopsided 24-0 win in seven innings over Alabama A&M. The Crimson Tide hit six home runs in the game to tie the school record with a home run in 17 straight games and head coach Jim Wells notched his 600th win as the UA skipper to become the seventh coach to win 600 games at an SEC school.
Alabama batted around in the first and second innings, scoring eight runs in each inning to grab a 16-0 lead. The margin ballooned to 21-0 after four innings before the Tide emptied the bench. The 24-run win is the sixth-largest margin of victory in school history.
Junior third baseman Jake Smith hit two home runs, while Kyle Moore, Josh Rutledge, Clay Jones and Ryan Rhoden also homered in the win. The Crimson Tide has hit 36 home runs this season, the third-highest total nationally.
Junior left-hander Del Howell (1-0) struck out a career-high 14 batters in six innings for the win. He threw six shutouts innings and allowed A&M’s only hit, a one-out single, in the first inning.
“The best thing about this game is that Del Howell pitched well,” Wells said after his 600th win. “He located. He really pitched well. I am so happy for him. We swung the bats well and a lot of guys got in the game, but the story line for me is that Howell pitched well for six innings, which is something we need him to do again.”
Alabama (12-5) sent 13 men to the plate in an eight-run first inning and never looked back. Kent Matthes started the scoring spree with a two-run single and Brandon May followed with a two-run double to make it 4-0. Moore and Smith launched back-to-back home runs for a 7-0 lead. Rutledge, who had a school-record tying two hits in the first inning, capped the scoring with an RBI single.
The Crimson Tide sent 12 batters to the plate in the second inning and scored eight more runs to take a 16-0 lead. Smith, May and Moore had RBI singles in the inning, while Rutledge and Matthes added RBI doubles in the frame.
Alabama put four more runs on the board in the third inning to take a 20-0 lead on a pair of two-run home runs by Rutledge and pinch-hitter Clay Jones. Rutledge’s home run was the first of his career for the Tide, spanning 339 at-bats.
Smith’s second home run of the game gave UA a 21-0 lead.
The Tide added three more runs in the fifth on a two-run home run by Rhoden and a sacrifice fly by backup second baseman Jon Kelton.
Bernard McKinney II had the only hit of the game for Alabama A&M. The Bulldogs fell to 5-5 on the season.
Alabama A&M starter Chris Jennings (1-1) allowed eight runs and seven hits in the first inning and took the loss.
Alabama and Alabama A&M will conclude their three-game series with a double header on Wednesday, March 18, at 12:05 p.m. (CST). The teams will play two seven-inning games. Tickets are available for both games two hours prior to first pitch at Sewell-Thomas Stadium or at www.RollTide.com.
BASEBALL BULLDOGS FALL TO SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
PEARL, Miss. -- A furious rally fell short for the Mississippi State baseball team. The Bulldogs scored the game’s final six runs, before falling short to in-state rival Southern Mississippi 10-7 at Trustmark Park.
A crowd of 7,947 watched the activity at the minor league home of the Class AA Mississippi Braves. It is the second largest crowd ever at Trustmark. Ironically, it was also the Bulldogs’ first loss at Trustmark, as MSU fell to 5-1 all-time in the three-year-old facility.
With the victory, Southern Miss improved to 12-5 and also won its third straight in the series. Meanwhile, MSU lost its second straight and fell to 12-6. The teams play again April 8 at Dudy Noble Field.
The Bulldogs trailed 10-1 before scoring once in the seventh inning, three times in the eighth inning and twice more in the ninth inning. MSU also left the bases loaded in their final at-bat.
In the eighth inning, Justin Bussey reached as a hit batsman. After back-to-back-outs, Cody Freeman singled and Nick Hardy walked to load the bases. Frank Rawdow followed with a two-run single to center field. An additional run scored on that hit thanks to an error.
The ninth inning rally started when USM reliever Collin Cargill walked the bases loaded. Wade Weathers then entered in relief was touched for an RBI infield hit by Ryan Duffy. Weathers then closed out the contest, but not before allowing a sacrifice-fly to Freeman and also hitting Nick Hardy to reload the bases.
The Golden Eagles chased MSU starter Ricky Bowen during a four-run first inning. Bo Davis had a two-run single and Joey Archer had an RBI-single during that big inning. The lead then grew to 10-1 thanks to three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. A two-run single by Corey Stevens was the big blow in the fourth inning, while Josh Fields swung the big stick an inning later with a towering three-run home run - his first of the season.
The Bulldogs totaled eight hits in the contest. Rawdow had two hits and two RBIs to pace the MSU offensive attack.
The Golden Eagles finished with 12 hits. Archer had three hits, while Fields and Travis Graves had multiple hits for Southern Miss.
The teams combined to use 12 pitchers. Todd McInnis (3-1) started and worked the first five innings for Southern Miss. McInnis allowed five hits and one run (earned), with two walks and three strikeouts. Weathers retired three of the five batters he faced to earn his first save. Bowen (1-1) lasted only 1/3 of an inning. Michael Busby, Greg Houston, Forrest Moore, Caleb Reed, Paxton Pace and David Hayes threw in relief for the Bulldogs. MSU returns home for a Wednesday night contest with UAB. The Bulldogs and Blazers are set for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Dudy Noble Field. MSU then returns to the road for a Southeastern Conference series this weekend at Georgia.
Munroe’s Walk-Off Single Lifts No. 25 Florida Past No. 17 FSU, 5-4
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida junior Buddy Munroe (Miami, Fla.) delivered a game-winning single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to propel the No. 25 Gators (10-7) to a 5-4 victory over No. 17 Florida State (9-7) in front of 3,369 fans at McKethan Stadium on Tuesday night. Munroe (3-for-5) had a career-high three hits and notched two RBI as Florida ended a three-game slide. Junior Tony Davis (Cooper City, Fla.) (1-0) earned the win after inheriting a bases-loaded situation in the ninth and limiting the high-powered Seminoles to just a run.
After the Seminoles had tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the inning, junior Matt den Dekker (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) led off with a walk from senior Jimmy Marshall (1-1) and took second on a wild pitch. Senior Brandon McArthur (Seffner, Fla.) (2-for-5, two runs) legged out a bunt single for runners on the corners and Marshall struck out sophomore Riley Cooper (Clearwater, Fla.). Freshman pinch runner Daniel Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) moved to second without drawing a throw and the Seminoles elected to walk junior Clayton Pisani (Naples, Fla.) intentionally to fill the sacks. Munroe sent a 2-2 offering from the right-hander into right field to bring home den Dekker with the decisive run as UF captured the first of three meetings between the Sunshine State rivals.
“This team has been down on itself and it was a tough weekend at Arkansas,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “Baseball is a really difficult game because of a lot of mental stuff going on so we just tried to wipe the slate clean. I thought that we dealt with the adversity really well tonight. We go to (Patrick) Keating in the ninth and he gives up two (runs). Then, we go to Tony (Davis) and he does a heck of a job limiting the damage. He gives up the tying run but then he buckles down.
“We get the go-ahead run up to the plate and we have to battle back. We had Matt (den Dekker) stick his nose on a ball to the left side, which he hasn’t done in awhile. There were a lot of positives. Although we certainly have a long way to go, I think that we needed a win in the worst way. I’m real proud of the way they battled tonight.”
McArthur opened the scoring with a two-out single up the middle in the third off FSU freshman Brian Busch. Sophomore Josh Adams (Jacksonville, Fla.) had drawn a walk with one down and was sacrificed into scoring position by den Dekker. McArthur roped a single into center for his team-leading 16th RBI and took second on the relay throw to the plate. Sophomore Geoff Parker replaced Busch (2.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R) and fanned Cooper.
Florida State’s bid to tie the game in the fourth was denied when junior Jason Stidham (2-for-3) was thrown out at the plate to end the frame. Freshman Alex Panteliodis (Tampa, Fla.) had retired the first two hitters before Stidham lashed a single into right field just above the outstretched arm of freshman second baseman Jerico Weitzel (Ridgway, Pa.) (2-for-4). Sophomore Jack Posey followed with a double into the left-field corner but Stidham was gunned down on a relay from senior Avery Barnes (High Springs, Fla.) to Adams to Munroe.
Junior Stephen Cardullo (2-for-4) opened the fifth with a double down the left-field line and Panteliodis registered his career-high fifth strikeout before giving way to junior Clint Franklin (Orlando, Fla.). Panteliodis allowed five hits over 4.1 shutout innings. Franklin struck out freshman pinch hitter James Ramsey and had Lopez ground out to strand the runner and preserve the tenuous one-run margin.
Florida State seized a 2-1 lead in the sixth and had the bases full with one out, only to have the Gators turn an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Sophomore Tyler Holt (3-for-5, two runs) led off with a double, senior Tommy Oravetz (2-for-4) walked on four pitches before sophomore Stuart Tapley laid down a sac bunt to move his teammates into scoring position. Sophomore Kevin Chapman (Coral Springs, Fla.) took over for Franklin (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R) and issued a free pass to Stidham on four pitches before being replaced by freshman Greg Larson (Longwood, Fla.). Posey dropped a Texas Leaguer into shallow right center to even the game and then Larson plunked Cardullo to move the Seminoles in front. The rookie reliever had junior Ohmed Danesh tap into a double play that was started by Adams to prevent further trouble.
The Gators countered with a two-out RBI single by Munroe off sophomore Mike McGee in the bottom of the inning to even the game. Cooper had drawn a one-out walk from Parker (2.2 IP, 0 H, season-high five K), prompting a pitching change. After McGee had Pisani go down swinging, Cooper swiped his second base of the year and scored on Munroe’s hit into right field. Weitzel collected his second single of the contest to give UF runners on the corners and sophomore John Gast was summoned from the bullpen. The southpaw had a grounder from Barnes force Weitzel at second base for the final out.
The Seminoles loaded the bags with one down in the seventh against Larson (1.0 IP, 4 H) and were foiled by junior Billy Bullock (Balm, Fla.), who had Tapley hit into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to keep the game tied. Lopez and Holt had back-to-back infield singles and Oravetz hit a shot that ricocheted off Weitzel’s glove which filled the sacks.
Three errors in the bottom of the seventh allowed the Gators to take a 4-2 advantage. Junior pinch hitter Jonathan Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) started the frame with a walk and took second on a throwing error by Gast. Pigott advanced to third on a passed ball and den Dekker also earned a base on balls before McArthur’s ground ball eluded Posey and brought in the go-ahead run. Senior Bo O’Dell replaced Gast (0.2 IP) and had Cooper ground out to short. However, Cardullo missed the ball and den Dekker came across with another unearned run.
In the eighth, junior Mike Msechke delivered a pinch-hit single and Cardullo followed with a liner into left to give the Seminoles a pair of runners with one down. Bullock struck out Danesh and freshman pinch hitter Sean Gilmartin to close the inning.
Lopez and Holt began the ninth with consecutive singles off senior Patrick Keating (Harrisburg, Ill.) and Oravetz followed with a ground-rule double to narrow the gap to 4-3. A walk to Tapley loaded the bases with none out and Davis replaced Keating. After Stidham tied the game with a sacrifice fly into left field that brought in Holt, Davis rebounded to strike out Meschke and had Cardullo fly out to right field. FSU held a 15-10 advantage in hits and committed four errors, compared to zero for the hosts.
The Gators will travel to Orlando tomorrow for a 6:30 p.m. matchup against UCF (7-11). The game will be carried live on CSS and is the first meeting between the clubs since a 6-2 victory for the Knights on April 10, 2007.
Auburn Escapes With 7-6 Win Over Charleston Southern In 13 Innings
AUBURN, Ala. – Brian Fletcher was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 13th inning on Tuesday night, sending Auburn to a 7-6 win over Charleston Southern at Plainsman Park. The Auburn pitching staff combined to strikeout 21 Charleston Southern hitters in the extra-innings affair, four off the school record set in 1995 in a 17-inning win over Arkansas, while issuing just one walk while the Auburn hitters collected 15 strikeouts of their own.
“We didn’t play very good baseball today. We made a lot of mistakes and we did several things that I would consider uncharacteristic of the team so far, but to the kids’ credit, they overcame some mistakes that we made and we found a way to win,” Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. “It’s a good win for us. We had to go extra-innings and we had to come back, which is another good sign that this team is capable of winning close ballgames.”
Trent Mummey led off the final frame with a single to right and moved to second on Joseph Sanders sac bunt. An intentional walk to Ben Jones, the fourth walk of the night for the three-hole hitter, brought Dan Gamache to the plate. Making just his fourth plate appearance of the season, the freshman walked on five pitches to bring Fletcher to the plate. The sophomore outfielder, who finished the night 1-for-4 with two walks and two RBI, was plunked in the back on a 1-1 pitch, sending Auburn to its 12th win in the 13 games.
Auburn (14-5) had to rally in the 12th just to get the game to the 13th as Charleston Southern (8-9) used a single, an Auburn error and a pair of fly balls to center to take a 6-5 lead with Bradley Hendrix (3-2) on the mound. In the bottom half of the frame, Auburn countered with three walks and a single to tie it at 6-6, with Tony Caldwell drawing a bases-loaded, one out walk to push the game-tying RBI across. Auburn drew 13 walks in the contest, with Caldwell drawing three.
Caldwell finished the game 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored as the bottom three in the Auburn order (Caldwell, Casey McElroy and Justin Hargett) were a combined 6-for-12 with five walks, four runs and four RBI.
Auburn held a 5-3 lead after six complete innings only to allow Charleston Southern to score single runs in the eighth and ninth off of relievers Zach Blatt and Austin Hubbard.
Auburn took a 1-0 lead in the second on a Hargett RBI single to right. Charleston Southern answered with a run in the top of the third on a Tyler Thornburg RBI single to center before taking a two-run lead in the top of the fourth as Jake Cox singled in Kory Morian and Nick Chinners to go up 3-1.
Auburn drew to within a run at 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth on Caldwell’s leadoff home run, a blast into the netting in front of the scoreboard in left-center, his third of the season.
A Fletcher RBI triple in the fifth tied the game at 3-3 before RBI singles by Hargett and Mummey in the sixth put Auburn up 5-3.
Hubbard finished the night with nine of Auburn’s 21 strikeouts, a career-high, tossing three innings, allowing a run on four hits and a walk.
Dexter Price also had a career-high in strikeouts, fanning six in 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits while Blatt had three Ks in 3 2/3 innings, also allowing a run.
Hendrix picked up the win with two innings of relief, allowing an unearned run on two hits with three strikeouts.
Thornburg (3-2) threw the final 1 1/3 innings for Charleston Southern, entering with the bases loaded and none out in the 12th, allowing an inherited runner to score to send the game to the 13th inning before pitching himself into trouble and a loss in the 13th.
Charleston Southern starter Jesse Cadenhead and reliever Brandon Roberts each fanned seven Auburn hitters in the game.
The two teams will be back on the field for a 3pm CT first p Wednesday. Auburn will send Jr. RHP Taylor Thompson (0-1, 15.43) to the hill for his first start of the season while Charleston Southern is expected to counter with Sr. RHP Eric McGough (0-1, 8.49).
Razorbacks Go Green, Defeat Cornhuskers
FAYETTEVILLE – Redshirt freshman Collin Kuhn had two hits for the 15th-ranked Arkansas baseball team including the game winner in the Razorbacks 7-3 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers Tuesday night at Baum Stadium.
The Razorbacks (13-3) wore green caps with their signature ‘A’ in honor of St. Patrick’s Day and won their fourth straight game while Nebraska (11-6-1) continues a tough road trip where it has lost three of four games starting last Friday.
For the second straight game, Kuhn, the reigning Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week led off with an extra-base hit when he lined a double to right-center field. Two batters later he would come around to score when senior Ben Tschepikow belted a two-run home run to left field, his sixth of the season, and put the Hogs up 2-0.
Tschepikow’s home run extends his current hitting streak to 11 games where he is batting a robust .442 with 19 hits, 13 runs scored, four home runs and 16 RBI.
Nebraska would come back with a single run in the top of the second inning when it capitalized on three Razorback walks, but the Hogs returned the favor in the bottom half of the inning with two more runs, one scoring on a wild pitch and the second on Kuhn’s second double of the game.
The four Arkansas runs would be all that the Razorbacks needed in the contest, although they did tack on three more in the seventh for good measure, as the pitching staff kept Nebraska off kilter almost the entire game.
Sophomore Brett Eibner was the Razorbacks starter and tossed two innings while giving up a single Nebraska run on no hits. He was replaced by eventual winner Mike Bolsinger who went four innings and allowed just a single base runner on a walk and struck out six while also surrendering no hits. Scott Limbocker carried Arkansas’ potential no hitter into the eighth inning until Jeff Tezak singled through the left side with one out. Another single up the middle would be all the offense Nebraska would muster in the inning. Junior Jeremy Heatley finished up the game with 1.1 innings of work.
Nebraska would score two runs in the ninth on a pair of doubles to narrow the score, but could not overcome the six-run deficit it found itself in.
Arkansas’ final three runs came in the bottom of the seventh inning leading off with a walk by James McCann. With one out Kuhn was hit by a pitch and with two outs and first base open, Nebraska chose to intentionally walk Tschepikow. Arkansas’ next batter, designated hitter Travis Sample, stroked a double down the right-field line to clear the bases and give Arkansas a sizeable lead.
The Razorbacks would pound out eight hits in the game on way to their seven runs and commit just a single error. Seven different Razorbacks had at least one hit including senior Scott Lyons who now possesses a career best six-game hitting streak.
The Razorbacks and Cornhuskers conclude their two-game series on Wednesday at Baum Stadium beginning at 3:05 p.m. For more information regarding Razorback baseball or University of Arkansas athletics please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.
WADE HITS GAME-WINNING HOME RUN IN 11TH INNING AT UNO
NEW ORLEANS -- Sophomore shortstop Chris Wade belted a one-out, game-winning home run in the top of the 11th inning, giving Kentucky a dramatic, come-from-behind 5-4 win at New Orleans, on a beautiful Tuesday evening at Maestri Field.
Wade’s third homer of the year came in clutch fashion, as UK trailed throughout the game and got single runs in the top of the eighth and ninth to force extra innings. The 2008 freshman All-America shortstop got a 2-0 offering and ripped it over the left-field fence, giving Kentucky its only lead of the game.
Kentucky (13-4) faced a 4-3 deficit in the top of the ninth inning, and down to its last strike and its last out, UK scored the game-tying run on a two-out wild pitch off New Orleans closer Donnie White. Sophomore second baseman Chris Bisson got the ninth-inning rally started to lead off, ripping a single to the opposite field, and plating from third on the misfire from White.
After UK starter Mike Kaczmarek got chased from the game before recording an out in the second inning, the Wildcats got solid pitching performances from their bullpen, using Tyler Henry, Clint Tilford, Logan Darnell and Sean Bouthilette. Darnell and Bouthilette shined the most, with Bouthilette picking up his second career victory, tossing the final 1.1 innings without allowing a base runner and striking out two. Bouthilette, a freshman from Elizabethtown, Ky., performed well with the game on the line, striking out the first two hitters he faced in the bottom of the 11th. Darnell turned it a career performance as well, hurling 3.2 scoreless innings while UK was trailing, keeping Kentucky in the contest. Henry worked 3.2 innings, allowing five hits, while striking out five, but left the game without allowing a run, before Tilford allowed the inherited runners to score.
Outfielder Troy Frazier turned in a breakout performance at the dish, batting 4-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI. Catcher Marcus Nidiffer, who started the game with the day off and freshman Michael Williams behind the plate, came off the bench to bat 3-for-4 with two RBI.
UK’s win improves its non-conference record over the last two seasons to 40-3. The Wildcats entered the game with the 10th-best RPI in the nation, according to Boydsworld.com.
The Wildcats return to action with its first Southeastern Conference home series of the year, facing conference power Vanderbilt, in a three-game set, beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The game can be heard live on the Big Blue Sports Network (radio), with the Voice of UK Baseball, Neil Price, calling the action.
UNO, a traditional Sun Belt Conference power and back-to-back NCAA Regional team, was led at the dish by Jerad Comarda’s 4-for-5 game. Reliever Matt Brown, the final of eight pitchers used in the game, suffered the loss, allowing Wade’s decisive homer.
Kentucky mounted a one-run rally to force the bottom of the ninth inning, evening the game at 4-4. Bisson led off with a hard-hit single into left field, advancing to second on Wade’s perfect sacrifice bunt. With the game-tying run on second, Keenan Wiley delivered what looked like a single down the left-field line but UNO’s left fielder, the highly-athletic Rodarrick Jones, made a long run and a spectacular diving catch, robbing UK of the go-ahead run and the base hit. Braden Kapteyn followed, and down to his last strike, Kapteyn ripped a single up the middle, but it hit White’s leg and bounced back towards the plate, leaving Kapteyn with only an infield hit and the game-tying run at third. With Chad Wright facing a 0-1 count, White sailed a pitch past the catcher for a wild pitch, the first ball White threw in his first 13 pitches, allowing Bisson to scamper home for the game-tying run.
Wade and Bisson’s heroics were set up by an eighth-inning rally, which began when Frazier ripped a one-out double into the gap, his second two-bagger of the contest. Nidiffer, a native of Bristol, Tenn., scored Frazier with a single up the middle, putting the Wildcats in striking distance.
New Orleans (5-12) got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning, as Kaczmarek allowed a lead-off hit to Ryan Eden. After Justin Edwards bounced into a fielder’s choice, with Eden out on the play, Nick Schwaner popped up to the shortstop. Clean-up hitter Jerad Comarda followed with a home run to left field – his team-best fifth of the year – making it 2-0 UNO.
Kentucky responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, evening the game at 2-2. Freshman Cory Farris worked a one-out walk, advancing to second on a wild pitch. Frazier, a Louisville, Ky., native, scored Farris with a hard-hit line drive into the left-center field gap, his third double of the season. With Frazier on second, Nidiffer battled in a 2-2 count, belting an RBI single into right field, scoring Frazier and evening the game.
UNO took a two-run lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, chasing Henry from the game and roughing up Tilford. After Henry got the first two hitters, Comarda bounced a single off the plate, skipping high and into center field. Nick Mitchell followed and did the same thing, bouncing a ball into the plate and high over a leaping Andy Burns at third base. UK called on Tilford, who proceeded to immediately walk Jones to load the bags. Tilford allowed the go-ahead runs, with Craig Schnell notching his first career RBI, a single through the left side, making it 4-2 Privateers.