| BASEBALL RESULTS |
Florida Atlantic 9, Alabama 2
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South Carolina 3, VMI 2
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South Carolina 13, VMI 1
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Kentucky 10, EMU 2
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Arkansas 13, Villanova 1
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Georgia 5, Presbyterian 4
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Florida 5, Cal-State Fullerton 2
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Stanford 9, Vanderbilt 5
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Tennessee 10, Northern Illinois 5
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Tennessee 7, Northern Illinois 2
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Missouri at Auburn, ppd.
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Washington State at Mississippi State, ppd.
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Ole Miss at TCU, cancelled
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LSU 19, Alcorn State 0
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Alabama Baseball Drops Second Game to FAU, 9-2
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama baseball team dropped its second consecutive game to the Florida Atlantic Owls, losing 9-2 on a rainy afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Alabama drops to 0-2 on the season, while FAU improved to 2-0.
“We were outplayed in every area of the game,” UA head coach Mitch Gaspard said. “Florida Atlantic has played really well for the first two games, and I thought we were sloppy today. We have to regroup, get back together, and get our offense rolling, because that’s what really provides energy for you.”
Senior centerfield Taylor Dugas led the Tide offensively, going 3-for-3 with a double and a triple while scoring both of the Alabama runs. Senior shortstop Jared Reaves went 2-for-4, while junior second baseman Kenny Roberts went 2-for-4 with a run batted in.
Alabama junior right-hander Charley Sullivan (0-1) took the loss in his first start of the season. Sullivan threw four innings, allowed four runs on six hits with two strikeouts.
After Florida Atlantic opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning for starter Jake Meiers (1-0), the Tide answered in the bottom half. Dugas led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a Reaves single. Dugas scored Alabama’s first run on junior designated hitter Cameron Carlisle’s first career hit, an RBI single to right field.
“They’ve been making us earn everything and they’ve been defending well,” Gaspard said. “We’ve just kind of rolled with it, and it’s time a group of guys step up and make a change to get this thing moving.”
Florida Atlantic was able to push across two more runs in the top half of the fifth inning, chasing Sullivan, who gave way to freshman pitcher Spencer Turnbull. In the bottom of the inning, Dugas hit a double down the left field line, but was stranded at second base.
After the Owls added another run in the top of the sixth to push the score to 5-1, the Tide tried to answer in the bottom half, but were held scoreless in the inning. Reaves led off with a single, and sophomore first baseman Austen Smith followed with another single. With runners on first and second and no outs, a double play by the Owls stalled UA’s hopes for a big inning.
FAU added two more runs in the seventh, before the Tide attempted to rally in the bottom of the eighth inning. Dugas led off with a triple, his third hit of the day. The next batter, junior second baseman Roberts, knocked Dugas in with an RBI single to make the score 7-2, but Alabama could not continue the momentum.
The Owls scored two more runs in the top of the ninth for the final margin. Kevin Alexander threw the final three innings for FAU to pick up his first save of the season.
Alabama and Florida Atlantic will finish off the three-game series on Sunday from Sewell-Thomas Stadium, with first pitch coming at 12:05 p.m. Freshman left hander Justin Kamplain will start for the Tide against junior right hander Jeremy Strawn.
Gamecocks Take Game One of Doubleheader with 3-2 Win over VMI
Columbia, S.C. – Dante Rosenberg went 2-for-4 with two doubles including a game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning and Matt Price and Ethan Carter combined for 13 strikeouts as South Carolina (2-0) defeated VMI (0-2) 3-2 in game one of a doubleheader at Carolina Stadium. The series finale is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. and can be heard on the Gamecock IMG Network at the conclusion of the men’s basketball game.
With the score deadlocked at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning Joey Pankake singled with two outs and would score all the way from first base on Dante Rosenberg’s double. Rosenberg launched a deep fly to left field that went off the top of the wall, just missing a homer, and scoring Pankake to give the Gamecocks a one-run cushion.
That was all that Carter needed in relief of Price as he picked up his first win of the year. Carter hurled four scoreless relief innings and allowed just two hits while striking out six batters. VMI reliever Reed Garrett suffered the loss after going four innings and allowing one run on four hits.
South Carolina held the early lead as they took advantage of a VMI miscue in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 advantage. Evan Marzilli led off with a walk, stole second base and reached third on a muffed throw by first baseman George Piccirilli. With runners at the corners, Christian Walker grounded into a 6-4-3 double play scoring Marzilli. That lead extended to 2-0 in the third inning as Rosenberg doubled to lead off the frame and scored on Tanner English’s RBI base hit to right field.
Price, in his first start since 2009, was pretty solid through five innings as he did not yield a hit and struck out seven batters. The junior right-hander ran into a little trouble in the sixth though as he walked a pair of batters and hit one as well to load the bases. VMI would score a run on another walk and also added a RBI base hit to tie the game. Tanner English had a big play on the one-out single though as he gunned out George Piccirilli, who was trying to score from second to home on the play. English threw a laser to home plate that catcher Dante Rosenberg corralled and they tagged Piccirilli out to keep the game at 2-2.
Gamecocks Sweep Doubleheader and Series with 13-1 Win over VMI
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina’s bats exploded for 16 hits in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader and six pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts as the Gamecocks defeated VMI 13-1 to sweep the doubleheader and the three-game series vs. the Keydets. LB Dantzler tallied a three-run homer and TJ Costen added a two-run shot as five players tallied multi-hit games in the series finale.
After a tight 3-2 win in game one of the doubleheader, South Carolina’s offensive output was plenty for the Gamecocks in game two. Junior right-hander Colby Holmes earned the win with five scoreless innings of work. He allowed just one hit and struck out six batters. VMI starter Jeremy Brown suffered the loss after allowing one run on four hits in three innings of work.
South Carolina broke ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning. With one out and Tanner English on first base, Christian Walker drilled a single into the gap in right-center to give the Gamecocks runners on the corners. English would eventually score on LB Dantzler’s RBI sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field.
Carolina batted around in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 8-0. Freshman catcher Grayson Greiner led off with a double and scored on freshman first baseman Kyle Martin’s RBI base hit. After loading the bases, Martin scored on a bases loaded walk to freshman second baseman Connor Bright. With two outs and runners on second and third base, Walker drilled a two-run single to plate home Bright and Tanner English. Dantzler followed with a three-run bomb to right field, his first homer of the year that gave the Gamecocks an eight-run cushion. Dantzler finished the afternoon with four RBI as well as five for the entire series.
South Carolina added three more runs in the seventh inning as well as two more in the eighth inning. Evan Marzilli would connect with a two-run triple with English driving him home with a sacrifice fly. TJ Costen stepped up in the eighth and drilled a two-run homer as well.
Kyle Martin’s 3-for-5 day at the plate with two runs scored led the Gamecocks. Marzilli, Walker, Greiner and Adam Matthews all had two hits as well. Marzilli was solid in the leadoff role the entire weekend batting .500 (6-for-12) with a pair of RBI and three runs scored.
The Gamecock pitching staff picked up where it left off last season with a strong effort the entire first weekend on the mound. South Carolina had 11 pitchers that saw action. They combined for 36 strikeouts and just four walks allowed in 27 innings pitched along with a 1.33 ERA. The VMI hitters hitting just .121 for the weekend with only one extra base hit and 11 total hits.
Grundy Spotless in Debut as UK Beats Eastern Michigan, 10-2
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Southpaw Jerad Grundy didn’t allow a run in his first career start and the Kentucky offense exploded for 13 hits in a 10-2 win over Eastern Michigan, on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon at USC Upstate’s Harley Park.
Kentucky (2-0) rode the strong pitching performance from the junior Grundy, a transfer from Miami (Fla.) and Heartland CC, and the explosive offensive performance to the second consecutive win. The Wildcats exploded for 10 runs in back-to-back games for the first time since facing Ole Miss and Xavier in 2010.
UK’s offensive attack was speared by a club-high three-hit game from Lucas Witt and three-RBI outings from each A.J. Reed and Matt Reida. Catcher Luke Maile launched his first homer of the year as part of a 2-for-4, two-RBI game. Witt finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs, with Reida charting a 2-for-4 game with a career-high three RBI, with all of his RBI coming with two outs. Witt extended his hitting streak to a team-high eight games.
“We were pretty pleased (with the offense),” UK head coach Gary Henderson said. “We swung it really well today; we hit a lot of balls on the nose. They made three great catches in the outfield that would have changed the game even more. I was really pleased. A lot of guys got hits but more important than that they got hits when it mattered, including Matty’s (Matt Reida) ball there in the sixth that changed the game.”
Freshman Austin Cousino continued his stellar collegiate debut, batting 2-for-5 at the top of the lineup with a double and a triple. J.T. Riddle finished 1-for-4 with an RBI, while Michael Williams added a hit. Third baseman Thomas McCarthy, a 2011 first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection, had his 11-game hitting streak snapped after drawing a walk and getting hit by a pitch in a 0-for-3, one run scored game.
Grundy (1-0) turned in a strong outing, tossing 5.2 shutout innings, allowing only three hits and three walks with four strikeouts. He was relieved by Alex Phillips with two runners on base in the bottom of the sixth inning, with Phillips getting a strikeout to end the frame.
“I liked a lot of things,” Henderson said about Grundy. “He was pretty amped up in the first inning and walked a couple guys and got in a jam. He got out of it and then he found his rhythm and did a really nice job of throwing a lot of strikes. He kept them off balance with more than one pitch for a strike. I thought at one point he had 12 guys out in a row. He found a rhythm and pounded the strike zone.”
In addition to the explosive offensive production and the solid pitching, UK’s defense has been perfect through two games, the first two-game stretch without errors since Henderson’s club won the series vs. Georgia at Cliff Hagan Stadium last year.
“Well, 18 innings and no errors, nothing even close yet, is pretty nice,” Henderson said. “Obviously we will run into one down the road, but really pleased with how well we are playing defensively. Our infield defense has been pretty sharp. We made some really nice plays in the outfield. Obviously (Austin) Cousino’s catch there late in the game was outstanding and then that double play that we turned there in the eight was a special one. That was a nice one.”
Eastern Michigan (0-2) starter Joe Battistelli (0-1) worked 5.2 innings, allowing 10 hits and five runs, walking one and striking out three. He was relieved by Collin Taylor, who got one out and allowed two runs on two walks, before Tyler Vavra took over.
Kentucky returns to action on Sunday in the finale of its trip to South Carolina, facing USC Upstate at 3 p.m. ET at Harley Park. The game will be broadcast live on the UK IMG Network, with the Voice of UK Baseball, Neil Price, calling the action. Fans in Lexington can hear the game live on WLAP 630-AM and online at UKathletics.com.
The Wildcats got on the board in the top of the second inning, as Maile led off with a towering home run over the left centerfield fence, his first of the year and the 13th of his two-year career. Maile led UK with nine homers as a sophomore in 2011.
UK added two runs to its lead with two runs on four hits in the third inning. Cousino led off with a triple painted down the rightfield line. Riddle then scored Cousino with a single through the right side. After a deep fly out from McCarthy, Maile ripped a hard-hit single up the middle, bouncing off the arm of the shortstop and sailing into the outfield, with Riddle motoring around from first base to score.
“It was a 3-0 game and if they got out of that (jam) they would have some momentum,” Reida said about his two-out double. “I was just looking for something to hit, got a good pitch and scored two. That was big for us.”
The Wildcats plated two runs on two hits in the sixth inning to stretch their lead to 5-0. After a fly out to lead off, A.J. Reed drew a walk. Cameron Flynn followed and struck out, with Witt pushing Reed to scoring position with his second hit of the day. Matt Reida then delivered another clutch hit with a double smacked to the wall in leftfield, scoring Reed and Witt.
UK broke open the game in the seventh inning, plating five runs on three hits. Riddle, McCarthy and Williams each drew walks to load the bases with one out. Reed then cleared the bags with a 3-2 double down the right-field line. After a second out, Witt singled up the middle to score Reed from second. Witt wisely stole second base when the EMU defense wasn’t alert, scoring on Reida’s RBI single up the middle.
EMU got on the board off Shepherd in the ninth inning, getting four hits and one walk for two runs to cut the UK lead to the final margin, 10-2.
Offense continues to shine in 13-1 win
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For the second straight day, No. 4 Arkansas lit up the Baum Stadium scoreboard, scoring 13 times, while five Razorback pitchers combined to allow just one run as Arkansas defeated Villanova 13-1 on Saturday afternoon.
Arkansas runs its early-season record to 2-0, while Villanova is now 0-2 on the season.
The Razorbacks scored six times in the second inning and didn’t look back en route to the win. Eight different Arkansas players had at least one hit, while four players had multi-hit games.
Sam Bates led the offensive charge for Arkansas, setting career highs with three hits and five RBI. Three of Bates’ five RBI came on a sixth inning homer, the first round tripper of his Razorback career.
Jacob Morris, John Clay Reeves and Matt Reynolds had two hits each. Reeves drove in a pair of runs and also scored once, while Reynolds added a stolen base.
Villanova managed five hits in the game, with five different players having one hit apiece.
Ryne Stanek started on the mound for Arkansas and earned the win, giving up one run and striking out four in four innings of work. Cade Lynch, Brandon Moore, Ty Wright and Chris Oliver each had scoreless outings in relief.
Pat Young took the loss for the Wildcats on the mound. Young allowed eight runs, five earned, on six hits and struck out two in three innings.
The Razorbacks put together a six-run second inning to start the scoring. Jimmy Bosco walked to lead off the inning and then moved to second on a base hit to left field by Matt Vinson. A bunt single by Morris loaded the bases with nobody out. Reeves drove home two with a double down the right field line. After a ground out by Tim Carver, Bo Bigham hit a grounder to third. The third baseman’s throw to first was dropped, allowing Morris to score, advancing Reeves to third and allowing Bigham to reach second. Reynolds then walked to load the bases for the second time in the inning. A wild pitch allowed each runner to move up and put Arkansas in front 4-0. A ground out by Dominic Ficociello scored Bigham for the fifth run of the inning. Another wild pitch scored Reynolds to close the scoring in the inning.
Villanova dented the scoreboard with a run in the top of the fourth. Steve Schrenk led off with a walk and moved to second on a single by Matt Fleishman. Connor Jones’ single loaded the bases with one out. Kevin Wager drove home Schrenk on a sacrifice fly to cut the Arkansas lead to 6-1.
The Razorbacks responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Carver started the inning with a walk and then stole second base. An RBI single to center field by Bigham scored Carver. Bigham then reached second on a wild pitch and Reynolds walked. Ficociello flew out to deep left field, advancing Bigham to third base. A sacrifice fly to center field by Bates scored Bigham to make the score 8-1.
Arkansas crossed home plate three times in the sixth. Reynolds started the rally with a leadoff bunt single and then moved to second when the first baseman dropped the throw to first on a pickoff attempt. Ficociello then drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Bates cleared the bases with a three-run home run over the right field bullpen to put Arkansas in front 11-1.
A two-run bottom of the seventh closed the scoring in the game. With one out, Reynolds reached on an infield single. After a Ficociello walk, Bates singled into right field, scoring pinch runner Brian Anderson from second base and advancing Ficociello to third. Bosco brought home Ficociello on a sacrifice fly to left field.
Arkansas and Villanova conclude the three-game series on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. Sophomore righty Barrett Astin (5-2, 2.72) will start on the mound for the Razorbacks, while sophomore right-handed pitcher Max Almonte (2-0, 4.63) is the scheduled starter for the Wildcats. Single-game tickets for Sunday’s game are $10 for reserved and $8 for general admission.
Georgia Wins In Walk-Off Fashion
Athens, Ga. --- Pinch hitter Brett DeLoach delivered a two-out, two-run double for a 5-4 walk-off victory over Presbyterian Saturday at Foley Field.
Presbyterian (0-2) struck first in the second inning off back-to-back base hits by Brandon Paul and Billy Motroni and then a two-run single Jay Lizanich. After stealing second base, Lizanich plated the third run of the inning off another single by Tony Micklon. Senior Michael Palazzone escaped a bigger inning by striking out the last two batters to end the outburst.
Georgia (2-0) was held scoreless until the the 4th inning thanks to an effective outing by Presbyterian starter Chandler Knox who gave up two runs on six hits in 5.1 innings and was aided by solid defense behind him. After a Colby May walk and singles by Joey Delmonico and Curt Powell, Conor Welton's fielder's choice scored May and moved Delmonico to third. Senior Levi Hyams followed with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Delmonico to make it 3-2.
Georgia went to its bullpen to start the fifth. The Blue Hose added a run off true freshman Jarrett Brown in his Bulldog debut for a 4-2 advantage. After Brown, Georgia junior Earl Daniels, redshirt freshman Ross Ripple, true freshman Luke Crumley and junior Blake Dietrich held Presbyterian scoreless for the remainder of the game.
In the bottom of the ninth, trailing 4-3, Georgia got it started with one out after Hyams was hit-by-pitch from Gabe Grammer. The Blue Hose senior started the game in centerfield and made three diving catches to thwart scoring chances earlier in the contest. Hyams advanced to second off of a bloop to right field by Kyle Farmer. Grammer retired freshman Hunter Cole on three pitches for the second out. Georgia turned to DeLoach. On an 0-1 count, the Bulldog junior crushed a line drive double into left-center, scoring Hyams and Farmer and giving the Bulldogs a win in walk-off fashion.
"It's a great feeling to get a big hit like that; I knew the guys were running on contact and when I saw it go in the gap, I knew we had a chance to win it," said DeLoach.
It was the first walk-off win for Georgia since the 2011 NCAA Corvallis (Ore.) Regional against No. 25 Creighton. On Sunday, Dieterich picked up the victory, going two innings and allowing just one hit while Grammer got the loss to fall to 0-1.
"It was shaping up to be a one-run game, and it feels a lot better to be on the winning side," said Georgia coach David Perno. "I told the guys that a lot of times your season is defined by one-run games, and it was good to win that first one. Presbyterian played well, and it was nice to see Brett come through. He struggle a bit Friday but came out early today and worked on some things, and he was ready when he got the call."
No. 1 Florida Clinches Series Over No. 16 Cal State Fullerton, 5-2
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 1 Florida (2-0) used a four-run fourth inning and solid relief pitching by junior Austin Maddox (Jacksonville, Fla.) to secure its weekend series with a 5-2 victory over No. 16 Cal State Fullerton (0-2) on Saturday afternoon in front of 4,951 fans at McKethan Stadium.
After sophomore starter Karsten Whitson (Chipley, Fla.) (1-0) yielded two runs over five innings to the Titans, Maddox fired four scoreless innings, retired the first 10 Titans he faced and surrendered just one hit with three strikeouts to earn the save. Freshman Taylor Gushue (Boca Raton, Fla.) (1-for-3) put the Gators ahead with a two-run triple in the fourth, freshman Justin Shafer (Lake Wales, Fla.) had a sacrifice fly in his collegiate debut and senior Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) (2-for-4) added an insurance RBI single in the eighth inning as Florida defeated CSF for the second-straight day.
“It’s early in the season and everyone is obviously not in midseason form yet,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “But, I thought Karsten (Whitson) battled. I thought he threw some really quality pitches when he needed to, and he’s always been able to do that. It was good to get him out there through five full innings. Overall, it’s something good to start with and I’m pleased with how we threw.”
“I didn’t have my best stuff, but I was just trying to get back in there every batter, trying to get first-pitch strikes,” Whitson said. “I knew that we were going to score runs, it was just a matter of when, so I was trying to put a zero on the board and tried to keep the damage down to a minimum. My game plan coming in was to try and jump in there and go right after their hitters. Early, I wasn’t really doing that well but I kind of picked it up there in the third and fourth. I was able to get some good ground balls for double plays, so that kind of helped me out. “
“I felt like I had everything working today,” Maddox said. “My (off-speed) was working well and it just felt good all around. I’ve been working on my off-speed pitching between last year and this year and it’s paid off. I went from a two-seam grip to a four-seam grip and I feel that I can locate it better and throw harder.”
Cal State Fullerton jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double by redshirt junior Carlos Lopez. Whitson opened the game with a strikeout of junior Richy Pedroza and freshman Derek Legg followed with a single through the left side of the infield. Lopez doubled to left center to bring in Legg and Whitson stranded the runner in scoring position by having sophomore Michael Lorenzen fly out and junior Anthony Hutting ground out.
The Titans threatened again in the second, as sophomore Chad Wallach drew a one-out walk, redshirt junior Austin Kingsolver (2-for-3) doubled down the left-field line and senior Anthony Trajano was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Whitson worked out of the jam by having Pedroza hit into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
Hutting increased Fullerton’s lead to 2-0 in the third inning with an RBI grounder to second base that brought in Lopez, who had drawn a one-out walk and taken third on a double by Lorenzen just inside of the chalk line in right field.
Freshman Casey Turgeon (Palm Harbor, Fla.) collected the Gators’ initial hit off redshirt freshman Grahamm Wiest (0-1) with a two-out single in the home part of the frame. However, Turgeon was caught stealing by Wallach to end the inning.
Florida erupted for four runs on four hits in the fourth inning to seize a 4-2 advantage, highlighted by a two-run triple by Gushue. Seniors Daniel Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) and Tucker had consecutive one-out singles and junior Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) (2-for-3) put the Gators on the board with a base-hit into right center field that scored Pigott. Gushue rifled a triple into the right-field corner to clear the bases and move the hosts in front and Shafer followed with a sacrifice fly into left field to bring home Gushue for a two-run lead.
Maddox took over for Whitson (5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 K, 2 BB) prior to the sixth and retired the Titans in order with a couple of strikeouts. Redshirt junior Dimitri DeLaFuente replaced Wiest (5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 6 K) in the bottom of the sixth and notched the first two outs before Zunino picked up his second hit of the contest with a single into left field. Zunino moved into scoring position with his first stolen base of the year and Gushue drew a free pass for two runners aboard. Sophomore Christian Coronado was summoned from the bullpen for DeLaFuente (0.2 IP) and kept the Titans down by a pair of runs by having Shafer fly out to right field.
Maddox set down the side 1-2-3 in both the seventh and eighth innings, bringing the Gators’ run to 13-consecutive Titans retired dating back to the fourth inning. Junior Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.) started UF’s eighth with a single into right field and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Pigott. Tucker came through with a base-knock up the middle that plated Fontana for a 5-2 lead. Tucker’s third RBI of the season leaves him three shy of matching Brad Wilkerson’s school-record total of 214.
Maddox had registered 10-straight outs before Hutting doubled to right center with one down in the ninth inning. The right-hander had freshman J.D. Davis fly out to left field and then fanned freshman pinch hitter Matt Chapman to close the game. Florida had an 8-6 advantage in hits and neither club committed any errors.
Cardinal clip Commodores, claim series
Palo Alto, Calif. – Third-ranked Stanford topped Vanderbilt 9-5 Saturday afternoon at Sunken Diamond in Palo Alto, Calif. to claim the series.
The 10th-ranked Commodores defense failed in the loss, committing four errors on the day. The team’s first error came in the first inning and cost the Dores a run with two outs. Anthony Gomez misplayed a ground ball that allowed Stephen Piscotty to score for an early Cardinal lead. Vandy bounced back to tie the game in the third inning with Chris Harvey driving in a run on a double play. But for the second straight day the third inning doomed the Dores as the Cardinal scored four runs on three hits and two VU errors sending eight men to the plate. RBI-singles from Brian Ragira and Kenny Diekroeger contributed to the rally. Stanford added a run in the fourth and chased Vanderbilt starter Tyler Beede in the fifth scoring three more runs to make the score 9-1 after five frames. For the second straight game Ragira led the Cardinal with three hits with Eric Smith knocking in two runs.
Vanderbilt made the game interesting down the stretch thanks to Connor Harrell’s two, two-run home runs. Harrell launched his first round tripper of the season in the sixth inning with a mammoth shot over the left field fence. He added another two-run shot in the eighth with a towering home run to left-center field to bring the Commodores within 9-5. Anthony Gomez added three hits and Mike Yastrzmeksi scored twice and went 2-for-3.
Stanford starter Brett Mooneyham picked up the win, working six innings and allowing three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts. Beede took the loss in his VU debut, giving up nine runs, five earned, on nine hits over 4.1 innings. Freshman Philip Pfeifer made his collegiate debut recording two outs and walking two. Steven Rice worked a career-best two scoreless innings.
Fritts' Six RBIs Lead UT Past NIU, 10-5
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Junior Chris Fritts pounded out a career-high six RBIs with a bases-loaded double and a three-run home run to lead Tennessee to a series-clinching, 10-5, victory over Northern Illinois in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Fritts' first blow came as part of a six-run UT second inning in which the Vols sent 11 batters to the plate. His second helped fend off a Husky rally after they cut the lead to just one with five unanswered runs in the fifth through seventh frames.
Fellow classmate Drew Steckenrider also had a strong day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a single, double, RBI, run scored and two walks, while senior Wes Walker drove in a pair of runs, both coming on safety squeezes. Freshman Parker Wormsley added an RBI single in his first collegiate at-bat to round out the scoring.
Making his first career start as a Vol, junior Zack Godley twirled four shutout innings to pick up the win, striking out three and allowing just three hits on an ultra-efficient 40 pitches, including 29 strikes.
"I had a little bit of anxiousness before I started stretching and throwing but when I got on the bullpen mound and started warming up coach said he could tell that I started to settle down and started throwing good low strikes and I just took that out to the mound with me," Godley said.
Sophomore Nick Williams closed out the contest with 2.2 innings of perfect relief to pick up his fifth career save.
UT Completes Sweep with 7-2 Win Over NIU
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee finished off the series sweep of Northern Illinois with a 7-2 victory in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
"I was proud of the way we played," Tennessee head coach Dave Serrano said. "Doubleheaders are hard to sweep. Sweeps are tough to come by, no matter who you are playing. This is our first series, our first weekend of the year and we have a lot to get to. Some stuff came out that we will have to get back to the drawing board and fix, but we still walk away with three wins and are excited about that.
"This was a big step and answers some questions. I saw some really good things and I saw some things that we are going to have to clean up a little bit. I got to see where our shortcomings are, but I am really excited about what I see materializing in this young pitching staff."
On the mound, junior Nick Blount tallied the victory with four scoreless frames. With his effort, Tennessee's three starters this weekend combined for 12.0 shutout innings.
Sophomore Carter Watson also added four strong innings of relief, striking out a career-high four batters while allowing just one run on two hits.
Leading the way offensively were junior Zach Luther who scored two runs and collected three hits, including a pair of doubles, and senior Chris Pierce who drove in three runs and stole a base. First-year Vols Will Maddox and Steve Weaver each had two hits as well.
After posting six RBIs in the first game of the day, junior Chris Fritts added another in the nightcap to give him seven on the day, exactly half of his entire total from the 2011 campaign.
"There was really nothing different at the plate for me except mentally, the sense of togetherness we have as a unit," Fritts said. "When I get in the batter's box, it's never one-on-one. Being in the right-handed batter's box, I have a direct view of the dugout and I feel like I have my teammates in the batter's box with me.
"It's really cool because I have never experienced that before and it's a really cliché thing to explain, but I know that if I don't get it done someone behind me is going to get it done. There is just faith in our teammates that we are a unit and the togetherness the coaching staff is bringing us is paying dividends for us now and will in the long run. We put so much work into our off season and our game as a team and really learning the system and buying into what out coaching staff brings to the table. It feels great to get a taste for how effective it is and understand that."
Tennessee put at least one runner on base in all 16 innings in which it came to bat in Saturday's doubleheader and has done so in 20 straight frames dating back to Friday's season opener. Over the first three games combined, the Big Orange offense was retired in order just twice.
"In a new system with a lot of new guys there is still a lot we have to get ironed out," Serrano said. "We had a lot of breakdowns, but still come away with three wins. We won't brush it under the rug and say we're 3-0. There is work still to be done and there will always be work to be done."
The Vols will be back in action on Tuesday when they host Western Kentucky at 3 p.m.
Saturday’s Auburn Baseball Game Postponed; Sunday 11 AM Doubleheader
AUBURN, Ala. – Saturday’s Auburn vs. Missouri baseball game scheduled for 3pm at Plainsman Park has been postponed due to inclement weather in the area. The game has been rescheduled as part of a Sunday doubleheader with the first pitch coming at 11am.
The teams will play two nine-inning games, with 30 minutes between each game. The second game cannot start later than 3pm and no inning can begin later than 4:45pm due to Missouri’s travel plans.
All tickets purchased for Saturday’s game will be honored on Sunday. Reserved seats purchased for Saturday will have seating preference for the first game over Sunday tickets.
The All In Ticket package sold for Saturday’s game will be honored on Sunday or for any future non-conference home game.
Both games will air live on WKKR-FM 97.7 in the Auburn/Opelika area as well as on-line at www.auburntigers.com. Sunday’s first game will be internet only for the first hour and will be joined in progress at noon.
Auburn opened the 2012 season with a 5-2 win on Friday night.
MSU, WSU Postponed Due To Rain; DH Set For Sunday
STARKVILLE, Miss. - In advance of impending inclement weather conditions, Saturday's scheduled second game of Mississippi State's season-opening baseball series with Pac-12 Conference foe Washington State has been rescheduled as part of a Sunday doubleheader at Dudy Noble Field.
The first game of Sunday's twinbill begins as scheduled at 1:30 p.m., with the second of the two nine-inning games set to begin approximately 30 minutes following the opener. Season ticket holders are advised to use Sunday's Game 3 ticket for the doubleheader.
The Bulldogs successfully opened their 2012 campaign Friday night with a 6-2 win over WSU.
Ole Miss Baseball Game Tonight At TCU Cancelled
FORT WORTH, Texas – Ole Miss’ baseball game tonight at TCU has been cancelled due to inclement weather in the area.
A single game will be played at 1 p.m. on Sunday to close out the series.
The No. 22 Rebels won the opening game of the series, 7-4, over the No. 10 Horned Frogs Friday night.
Fans can follow the action on Gametracker or watch the game on RebelVision at www.OleMissSports.com.
LSU Posts 19-0 Victory over Alcorn State
BATON ROUGE, La.— Eighth-ranked LSU (2-0) jumped out to an early lead Saturday night and never looked back in a 19-0 victory against Alcorn State (1-1) at Alex Box Stadium.
The 19 runs in a game was highest total for LSU since the Tigers defeated Centenary 25-8 on Feb. 20, 2010. The last time LSU defeated an opponent by 19 runs was Feb. 21, 2001 against Duquesne in a 24-5 victory.
LSU concludes its opening weekend by playing host to Air Force at 2 p.m. Sunday. Sophomore right-hander Kurt McCune will start the game on the mound for the Tigers.
Alcorn State will face Air Force at 10 a.m. Sunday in Alex Box Stadium.
Sophomore pitcher Ryan Eades (1-0) provided the Tigers with the team’s second dominating pitching performance in as many nights and posted a career high eight strikeouts. Four pitchers combined to allow five hits in the shut out.
Eades fired five innings of work and surrendered one walk and one hit while recording a career-high eighth strikeouts. He struck out the side in the top of the first on 11 pitches.
“I thought Ryan Eades was outstanding tonight; he looked like a big-league pitcher,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “He was dominant from the start, and I thought the pitchers that followed him also threw very well.”
Alcorn State starter Troy Williams was charged with the loss as he worked two innings. He allowed nine runs, six earned, three walks and fanned two.
LSU totaled five extra base hits, 14 total hits, drew seven walks and were hit by six pitches. Mason Katz led the way for the Tigers with a bases clearing triple and tied his career high with four RBIs. Six Tigers plated two runs and four touched home at least twice.
“We looked like a much more relaxed team tonight,” Mainieri said. “Last night, I think we had to work through some first-game jitters, but tonight I thought we played with a lot of energy and confidence.”
JaCoby Jones, Raph Rhymes and Ty Ross each added two base hits. Jared Foster chipped in his first three RBIs as a Tiger, and Beau Didier smacked his first home run on the year.
The Tigers’ offense produced in the first inning for the second consecutive game. LSU put three on the board, all of them unearned.
Tyler Hanover led off the game and was hit by a pitch. Casey Yocom hit a dribbler to second that was mishandled for an error. Rhymes hit a hard ground ball to the left side and Hanover was forced out at third.
Jones proceeded to slash one under the second baseman’s glove into right field to plate Yocom. Jones and Rhmyes advanced to second and third on the throw to plate.
Rhymes darted home on a wild pitch and Jones advanced to third. Tyler Moore grounded to short, but the throw to first was high and Jones raced home to put LSU up 3-0.
In the second inning, the Tigers jumped on Williams and added two more. Grant Dozar led off the inning with a laser up the middle before Hanover singled under the outstretched first baseman to move Dozar to third.
After Yocum struck out swinging, Rhymes roped a single to right center, plating Dozar and moving Hanover to third. Hanover scored on Katz’s sacrifice fly to deep center.
LSU pushed the game out of reach in the bottom half of the third and chased Williams after he failed to record an out in the frame.
Nola drew a leadoff walk. Moore ripped a single to left and moved to second on a throw to third that did not catch Nola at third. Ross hit a pop up single that dropped in for a hit along the right field line, which plated Nola.
Dozar walked to load the bases, which ended William’s day. Alcorn’s Kevin Gonzales recorded two outs, but walked Rhymes to bring home Moore.
Katz cleared the bases with an emphatic triple down the left field line. Jones drove Katz home on a double to the left center gap, increasing the lead to 11-0.
Didier produced LSU’s first long ball of the season in the bottom of the fifth. He slammed a Earl Burl delivery into the right field bleachers to put the Tigers up 12-0. The home run was Didier’s second career dinger and first since the 2009 season.
The Tigers went back to work in the bottom half of the sixth. Ross hit an infield single and moved to second on a passed ball. Dozar walked and Powell was hit to load the bases. Didier drove in Ross and was safe on a fielder’s choice and an error on the throw from first.
Foster scored Dozar and Evan Powell on a first pitch double to the right center gap. Chris Sciambra arched a one-out triple to the right field wall to bring home Didier and Powell.
Nola drove in Sciambra on a ground out to short to increase the lead to 18-0.
In the bottom of the seventh, Powell’s line drive single to left moved Snikeris to second. Didier and Foster were both hit by pitches, the latter driving in Snikeris.
Joe Broussard, Chris Cotton and Nick Rumbelow combined to toss four innings and allowed four hits while striking out seven.