Georgia Walks Past Auburn 4-3
ATHENS -- A bases-loaded walk to junior Matt Olson gave Georgia a 4-3 walk-off victory over 20th-ranked Auburn Friday at Foley Field in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
With the win, the Bulldogs (6-11, 1-0 SEC) snapped a three-game losing streak while the Tigers fell to 18-4, 0-1 SEC. Junior Joshua Fields pitched two scoreless innings for his first win of the year while Tiger closer Scott Shuman dropped to 4-1.
With the score tied at 3-all in the top of the ninth, Fields retired the first two Tigers before Bruce Edwards lined a single to left and Luke Greinke drew a walk. Catcher Josh Donaldson, the league's RBI leader, followed and Fields went right after him. Donaldson flew out to center. In the bottom of the frame, freshman Mike Freeman led off with a walk. It marked the fifth straight inning that Georgia's leadoff batter reached via the free pass. Pinch-runner Miles Starr then stole second base on a close call that brought Auburn head coach Tom Slater out of the dugout. Next, Senior Jonathan Wyatt (0-2, 2 RBI) drew a walk. Then, Shuman got Ryan Peisel to bounce one back to him for the first out. The Tigers opted to intentional walk Gordon Beckham to load the bases. Shuman lost Olson on a 3-1 offering as Starr walked home with a victory.
"Auburn has been very good all year with their strikeout to walk ratio, and we've been the opposite," said Georgia coach David Perno. "Our hitters had a much better approach tonight, they were patient and it paid dividends. We finally won a close game and that's good to see. "
Four Auburn pitchers combined to walk nine Bulldogs with only two strikeouts while three Georgia hurlers recorded seven strikeouts and only one walk.
The Tigers built a 2-0 advantage in the third with a couple of two-out RBI from Greinke and Donaldson off Georgia sophomore Nathan Moreau. Georgia got one run back in the third on a RBI-groundout by Wyatt. The Tigers went up 3-1 in the fourth when Ross Smith singled and later scored. Georgia turned to Nick Montgomery in the fifth, and he tossed three scoreless innings before giving way to Fields in the eighth. Georgia got a run in the sixth and tied the game in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Wyatt. The Bulldogs threatened in the eighth, putting two on with one out when Auburn looked to Shuman in relief of Justin Bristow. He came on and struck out Luke Stewart and got Travis Parrot to groundout to keep it at 3-3.
The series continues Saturday with a 2 p.m. start. Georgia will start sophomore Trevor Holder (0-1, 3.86) while the Tigers counter with sophomore Paul Burnside (4-0, 3.86).
Smith’s Four Hits Paces UA in SEC Series Opener
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The No. 22 University of Alabama baseball team began defense of its Southeastern Conference championship with a 9-7 win over the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2007 SEC opener for both teams at Sewell-Thomas Stadium Friday night.
Alabama stroked three home runs in four innings and scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take an 8-2 lead.
Freshman third baseman Jake Smith paced the Crimson Tide’s 17-hit attack with a 4-for-4, three-RBI night in his SEC debut. Senior centerfielder Emeel Salem also added three hits and three RBI, including a solo home run in the fourth. Junior first baseman Matt Bentley added two hits and two RBI, while sophomore designated hitter Alex Avila stroked a first-inning home run.
“We swung the bats tonight,” Alabama head coach Jim Wells said. “That was a good win and good way to start SEC play. Jake Smith is a really good player. He had an excellent game tonight. For a freshman, he has really good instincts.”
Tennessee mounted a comeback against the Crimson Tide bullpen, which allowed five of seven inherited runners to score in the seventh and eighth innings, as UT cut the lead to 9-7.
Alabama then turned the game over to preseason All-American and sophomore right-hander Tommy Hunter. After allowing a two-run double to UT shortstop Tony Delmonico in the eighth inning, he struck out J.P. Arencibia and Yan Gomes to end the threat and preserve the Tide’s two-run lead.
Hunter added a scoreless ninth inning and finished the game with three strikeouts for his first career save.
“We need Hunter to come in and pitch like that at the end,” Wells added. “He is good to have in the pen when the game is on the line.”
Tennessee (12-8, 0-1 SEC) scored three runs in the seventh to cut the UA lead to 8-5. The Vols loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh inning to chase UA starter Miers Quigley. Junior right hander Josh Copeland came on in relief and allowed a two-run double to Arencibia and an RBI ground out to Shawn Griffin as the Vols pecked away at the lead.
UA left-hander Will Stroup struck out Jeff Lockwood to end the seventh inning, stranding two runners on base.
Quigley was charged with five runs and nine hits in six-plus innings. He matched his career high with nine strikeouts and walked four batters.
Tennessee had 12 hits in the loss , including three each by Delmonico and Gomes.
Alabama added a run in the bottom of the seventh to stretch its lead back to 9-5. Sophomore second baseman Jeff Texada ripped a one-out double to left and scored on Salem’s two-out single to right field.
Aided by an Alabama error, the Vols put two runs on the board in the eighth inning to close the gap to 9-7. Andy Simunic reached on a fielders choice and Jeff Lima reached on an error by Smith at third base. Delmonico greeted Hunter with high chopper over Bentley’s head at first base for a two-run double as UT cut the lead to two runs.
Alabama (14-7, 1-0 SEC) swatted back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a quick 3-0 lead. Salem led off the game with a single to right field and scored when Smith crushed the next pitch off the top of the scoreboard in left-center to give UA a 2-0 lead. Avila followed with solo home run to right center to give Alabama an early three-run lead.
Tennessee answered in the top of the second inning when freshman Yan Gomes hit a solo home run to right center to cut the lead to 3-1.
Alabama tacked on two more runs in the second to build a 5-1 lead. Texada stroked a one-out single to right center and moved to third on Paiml’s wind-aided double to left field. Salem then delivered a sacrifice fly to right to score Texada and Smith picked up his third RBI of the game with a two-out single to left to score Paiml.
The Crimson Tide scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and built an 8-2 lead.
Salem’s fourth home run of the season with two-outs in the fourth inning gave the Tide a 6-1 lead.
UA extended the lead to 7-1 in the fifth inning when Matthes doubled down the left field line and scored on Bentley’s single to center field.
UT starter Craig Cobb (4-2), who led the SEC innings pitched this season, lasted only five innings and allowed seven runs and 11 hits in the loss.
The Vols got a run back in the sixth on Cody Brown’s RBI single to cut the UA lead to 7-2.
Smith slapped a one-out single to left in the sixth inning and scored on Bentley’s two-out base hit to make it an 8-2 game through six frames, before UT closed the gap to 9-7 in the late innings.
Razorbacks Hand Kentucky First Loss, 10-2
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- No. 9 Arkansas handed No. 12 Kentucky its first loss of the 2007 season on Friday night with a 10-2 win in the SEC opener at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
A crowd of 2,026 watched the Razorbacks (15-5, 1-0) hold the red-hot Wildcats (19-1, 0-1) to a season-low two runs and five hits. The UA win also snapped a 29-game regular-season home-winning streak for Kentucky.
UK entered the game hitting .368 as a team but the left-handed combination of Nick Schmidt and Dallas Keuchel held the Cats at bay.
Schmidt pitched five innings to improve to 5-0 on the season with a 1.47 ERA. He allowed two runs on four hits while walking four and striking out five in temperatures hovering in the mid 30s. Dallas Keuchel came on and threw four-scoreless innings of relief to earn his first save. He allowed just one single, a bunt in the ninth while striking out a career-high five.
The Razorbacks jumped on UK starter Chris Rusin in the first inning with the big blow being a three-run opposite field home run by cleanup hitter Logan Forsythe. It was Forsythe’s third home run of the season and he has now hit in 14 of his last 15 games.
Schmidt’s consecutive scoreless innings streak was quickly ended at 17 innings with one out in the bottom of the first inning when UK cleanup hitter Sean Coughlin lined a 0-2 pitch up the middle for his SEC-best 39th RBI of the season.
Rusin (2-1) absorbed his first loss of the season after allowing seven runs – all earned – on eight hits and four walks. He struck out seven over six innings and threw 123 pitches.
Sean Jones’ RBI single pushed the UA lead back to three runs with a two-strike RBI single up the middle in the top of the second inning.
Casey Coon plated the Razorbacks’ fifth run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth inning, extending the lead to 5-1.
Kentucky mounted a comeback in the sixth with the help of three straight free passes by Arkansas pitchers. Schmidt walked the first two hitters before being replaced by Keuchel, who walked the first batter he saw. A RBI ground out by Jason Kipnis plated the Wildcats’ second run.
Keuchel then walked Mike Brown but got Antone DeJesus to line out to Danny Hamblin at first base, who stepped on the bag to double off Brown and end the inning.
The Hogs answered once again with three runs in the top of the eight to extend the lead to 10-2. Hamblin got the scoring started with a deep sacrifice fly to center field and Tschepikow followed with another two-out two-RBI single. He went 2 for 2 off the bench with a career-high-tying four RBI. Tschepikow has had back-to-back four RBI games and is 5 for his last 6.
Hamblin, Sean Jones and Jake Dugger also had two hits each to pace the Razorbacks’ 11-hit attack. Arkansas will go for the series win at noon(CDT) on Saturday.
NINE-RUN SEVENTH POWERS BULLDOGS PAST GATORS, 12-9
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Mississippi State erupted for nine runs in the seventh inning Friday night at McKethan Stadium/Perry Field and went on to defeat Florida 12-9 on opening night for Southeastern Conference baseball competition.
The Bulldogs (11-3, 1-0 SEC) trailed 5-1 heading into the inning but sent 13 batters to the plate to face a trio of Gator pitchers. For the 12th time in 14 games the Bulldogs reached double figures in hits, pounding out 17 hits in the game, nine during the season-largest seventh-inning uprising.
Freshman Connor Powers, who turned in a career-best 4-for-5 plate performance, singled twice in the frame, as did pinch-hitter Joseph McCaskill. Andy Rice singled and scored one run and doubled in another while Brian LaNinfa capped a three-RBI evening with a two-run single in the seventh. The inning also included three of the Gators’ five errors, though none of the miscues in the inning resulted in runs scoring.
“There were a lot of mistakes in the game tonight by both teams,” said MSU skipper Ron Polk. “I thought we hit the ball hard and we managed to score enough runs to win the game.”
Bulldog sophomore Aaron Weatherford (3-0) picked up the win, out-dueling Gator starter Bryan Augenstein. Both hurlers worked 6-1/3 innings, with Weatherford allowing eight runs (four earned) on nine hits with four walks, six strikeouts and one hit batsman.
Weatherford was touched for a pair of unearned runs in the first inning. After striking out Jon Townsend to open the game, walked Avery Barnes and Matt LaPorta followed with a single to right. Both runners advanced on Edward Easley’s errant pick-off throw to first base, and after Weatherford fanned a second batter, Austin Pride beat out an RBI infield single to third base, with LaPorta beating a relay tag at the plate for Florida’s second run.
The Bulldogs, held scoreless the first three frames, got to Gator starter Bryan Augenstein for a run in the fourth when Brandon Turner singled and later scored on Brian LaNinfa’s two-out double to right.
Florida matched that run in the bottom of the fourth. Brian Leclerc was struck by a pitch and scored when Cody Neer’s two-strike double found the gap in rightfield. The Gators added two more runs on two hits and two walks an inning later to extend its lead to 5-1. The first run scored on the first of two wild pitches by Weatherford and Cole Figueroa singled in another.
But the Bulldogs got back into the game in a big way with the nine-run uprising. Four of the runs in the inning were charged to Augenstein, four more to Steven Porter (0-1) and another to Josh Edmondson. Clint Franklin pitched the final two innings for Florida, giving up two Bulldog runs in the eighth.
Florida answered State’s nine-run burst with a three-run surge. The Gators chased Weatherford from the game with a single, a misplayed one-out infield grounder and a walk. With the bases loaded, one out in the inning and MSU holding a 10-5 lead, junior John Lalor entered the game. Brian Leclerc greeted Lalor with a two-run single and Cody Neer followed with a sacrifice fly that narrowed the lead to 10-8. Lalor then struck out Chris Petrie to end the inning and allowed just one run, a season-first home run by Jon Townsend, the remainder of the game. Lalor notched his first career save in the game.
State scored twice in the eighth to close out its 12-run offensive show.
Seven Bulldogs registered multiple-hit games while Brian LaNinfa drove in a game-high three runs. Mitch Moreland, who drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, extended his career-best and SEC-leading hitting streak to all 14 games with an eighth inning single. Bulldog catcher Edward Easley saw his impressive season-opening hitting streak end at 13 games.
Matt LaPorta and Brian Leclerc each posted 3-for-4 outings to pace the Gators’ 12-hit attack.
The two teams combined for eight SEC opening-night errors.
The second game of the three-game series is set for a 3 p.m. (CT) first pitch, with MSU junior lefty Justin Pigott (2-1, 4.03) facing Florida lefty Stephen Locke (2-2, 5.40).
GAMECOCKS EARN 5-0 WIN OVER LSU IN SEC OPENER
Columbia, S.C. -- Juniors Harris Honeycutt and Curtis Johnson combined on a three-hit shutout as South Carolina opened up SEC play with a 5-0 win over LSU on Friday evening at Sarge Frye Field.
Honeycutt tied a season-high with nine strikeouts to improve to 5-0 on the season. Carolina is now 16-2 and 1-0 in the SEC while LSU is 12-8 and 0-1 in conference play. Both teams continue the series on Saturday at 4:07 pm ET at Sarge Frye Field with the game televised on the Jumbo Sports Network and CSS-TV. It can also be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network.
With seven shutout innings, Honeycutt extended his scoreless inning streak to 21 innings. He allowed just three hits and walked only two batters. Johnson pitched two hitless innings for the Gamecocks and struck out four batters while walking one to close the game out for Carolina. LSU starter Charlie Furbush suffered the loss and is now 3-2 on the year. He went 6.1 innings and allowed five runs, three earned on six hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks.
Carolina jumped right out of the gates to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning as leadoff hitter Harley Lail hit a solo home run to left field off Furbush. It was Lail's second straight homer in as many games. He finished the afternoon 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.
The game was a pitcher's duel into the seventh inning as both Honeycutt and Furbush kept each team's offense at bay. The Gamecocks then struck with a four-run seventh inning. Andrew Crisp led off with a walk and after pinch runner Steven Reinhold was brought in, the Gamecocks put two runners on base with a bunt base hit from Travis Jones. The Gamecocks continued to play small ball and scored their second run on a sacrifice bunt from Reese Havens. On the play, first baseman Jordan Mayer dropped the throw from third baseman J.T. Wise allowing Reinhold to score from second base and giving USC a two-run lead. That was followed by Lail's RBI fielder's choice and a RBI double from Trent Kline. Kline also had two hits for the Gamecocks.
Honeycutt is now 13-0 in his career with the Gamecocks and Carolina has now won eight straight contests vs. LSU dating back to the 2004 season.
South Carolina will honor its College World Series teams on Saturday afternoon. The pre-game ceremonies are set to begin at 3:50 pm. Former coaches Bobby Richardson and June Raines will throw out ceremonial first pitches with former letterwinners from the College World Series also to be announced in front of the crowd.
VANDERBILT RALLIES LATE TO DEFEAT OLE MISS 3-2 IN 10 INNINGS
NASHVILLE - Jonathan White’s RBI single in the bottom of the 10th lifted Vanderbilt to a 3-2 win over Ole Miss in both teams SEC opener in front of 2,561 fans Friday night at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores (20-0, 1-0 SEC) rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Shea Robin singled with one out off of Ole Miss starter Will Kline to start things off and advanced to second on a single by Andrew Giobbi. Matt Meingasner then hit a soft liner to right that dropped for a single and Robin came into score, avoiding the tag from catcher Brett Basham in the process, to tie the game.
Pedro Alvarez had a one out double in the 10th and after a Ryan Flaherty line out and a Robin walk, White came up and delivered the game winning hit into right to score Alvarez.
“I felt like at some point, as tough as it was to score off of Kline (Will), that we were going to tie the game and eventually win it,” said head coach Tim Corbin. “Tonight’s game is why you come to play college baseball. It’s all about the enthusiasm, the close games and the near misses and it was a good game to watch.”
David Price (5-0) pitched his third straight complete game of the season, this one a 10-inning performance. He allowed two runs on four hits with 14 strikeouts and two walks in his fifth straight game with double digit strikeouts.
“I just told Coach (Corbin), I wanted to go out in the 10th and finish the game,” said David Price. “I want to tip my hat to Will Kline and Ole Miss, they played a great game and deserved to win as well. This game was a battle. We just keep pitching, playing good defense and getting hits when we need it, that’s a sign of a good team.”
Price held Ole Miss hitless until the fifth when Logan Power roped a two-out double to right-center. Zach Miller followed with a double of his own to right-center as well to give Mississippi a 1-0 lead.
Ole Miss plated another run in the sixth to make it 2-0. Jordan Henry walked to lead of the inning and Justin Henry reached base when he was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on a balk by Price and Jordan Henry then scored on a sacrifice fly by Zack Cozart to push the lead to 2-0. Justin Henry stole third and after another hit batter he tried to steal home but was thrown out at the plate by Price to end the inning.
Vanderbilt got on the board in the sixth when Dominic de la Osa blasted a solo homer to left, his fifth of the year, to cut the lead to 2-1.
Shea Robin led the Commodores with two hits, while four different players led Ole Miss with a hit each.
Reliever Scott Bittle (1-2), who came on in relief in ninth, failed in his attempt to record his SEC best seventh save of the year and took the loss. He gave up one run on four hits in 1.1 innings of work.
Ole Miss starter Will Kline matched Price for eight innings before getting lifted in the ninth. He gave up two runs on four hits in 8.1 innings with six strikeouts and three walks in the no-decision.
The Commodores and Ole Miss will play the second game of the three game set tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. It will be a battle of sophomore right-handers on the mound as Nick Christiani (4-0, 2.05 ERA) will take the hill for VU, while Lance Lynn (1-2, 2.67 ERA) will start for the visitors.