BA - Saturday Roundup: Vandy Survives Santa Clara's Upset Bid
Santa Clara went just 26-30 a season ago and was picked seventh in the West Coast Conference's preseason coaches poll, but the Broncos travelled across the country and gave defending national champion Vanderbilt everything it could handle on Saturday.
The teams split a pair of one-run games in a doubleheader, which was just enough for Vanderbilt to take the series, two out of three. Led by Dansby Swanson's 4-for-4 effort, Vandy rallied from a 5-3 deficit to take a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth in the first game, only to see Santa Clara score twice in the ninth off Hayden Stone. The winning run scored when the ball bounced away from 'Dores catcher Jason Delay on what was supposed to be a suicide squeeze, as Stone was handed the first loss of his career, 7-6.
The nightcap, played in temperatures that dropped into the 20s by game's end, was another tense affair. Tyler Ferguson (2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 1 K) didn't have his control, and Vandy fell into a 5-2 hole after four innings. Rhett Wiseman's two-run homer in the fifth got the Commodores back in the game, and they added another run later in the frame to tie it. The score would remain 5-5 until the 10th, with Jordan Sheffield (3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R) starring in relief. The former standout high shool prospect was making his collegiate debut, having redshirted in 2014 following Tommy John surgery, and he set the stage for the 'Dores' winning rally in the bottom of the 10th, with two singles and a walk-off error giving them a 6-5 win.
Onto the rest of Saturday's Top 25 action, where Sunday's expected cold weather on the East Coast led to a plethora of doubleheaders and other schedule shuffling.
Top 25 Showdowns
(8) Oklahoma State at (18) Arizona State: The Sun Devils notched a second straight hard-fought win against the Cowboys by a 5-3 score, clinching the series. ASU knocked Jon Perrin (1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER) out of the game early, while Jordan Aboites led the charge for the Sun Devils both at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and on the mound, throwing 2 2/3 key innings of relief. Tim Arakawa had three hits for the Cowboys, but they stranded 10 runners and lost despite outhitting ASU 11-8 for the game.
(10) Texas at (15) Rice: Rice surged on top of the four-game series by sweeping a Saturday doubleheader. Making his first appearance on a college mound, Kacy Clemens (3 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 0 K) gave up six runs in the bottom of the first inning in the opener. Texas nearly fought back to tie it, but the Owls hung on for a 10-9 win, with Matt Ditman stranding the tying run on second in the ninth. Rice won the second game 5-2 behind freshman Ricardo Salinas (7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) and a three-hit night from Kirby Taylor.
Top 25 Upsets
Alabama State vs. (23) Cal State Fullerton: Fullerton's trip to Clearwater couldn't be going much worse. Saturday was another exercise in frustration for the Titan offense, which went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position in a 3-2 loss to Alabama State. Kyle Murray (4.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) gave the Titans a solid effort filling in for Justin Garza, who should be back next week, but the Hornets took advantage of a walk and two hit batters in the sixth, when they did all their scoring. The Titans have managed just three runs in two games against South Florida and Alabama State, and now they face the prospect of having to beat Louisville Sunday to avoid an 0-3 showing.
St. John's at (19) Kennesaw State: The Red Storm and Owls split a doubleheader, with Kennesaw moving to 2-1 at the Atlanta Challenge after Friday's win against Liberty. St. John's tagged Travis Bergen (4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) with the loss in the first game, taking it 6-2, but the Owls bounced back with a 10-5 win in the rematch. Griffin Helms and Corey Greeson each homered and combined for five RBIs as the Owls built a 10-0 lead, making a winner of Gabe Friese (5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K).
Other Top 25 Results
Kansas at (2) Louisiana State: Alex Lange (5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K), the first of LSU's big-time freshman starters to take the mound, delivered on the excitement in an 8-5 win, clinching the series. The LSU lineup also showed its depth, with eight of the Tigers' 11 hits coming from the Nos. 5-9 spots. Tigers fans get their first look at another headliner from their top-ranked recruiting class when Jake Godfrey takes the mound Sunday.
Minnesota at (3) Houston: Chris Iriart homered for the second straight day, while Jake Lemoine (5 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K) and reliever Seth Romero (4 IP, 1 H) combined on a shutout as the Cougars clinched the series with a 5-0 win.
(4) Virginia at East Carolina: The Cavaliers won both ends of a doubleheader, 9-2 and 4-2, to finish a series sweep in Greenville. In the first game, the Pirates scratched across an unearned run in the first against Connor Jones (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K), but the sophomore righty dominated the rest of the afternoon. Freshman Charlie Cody went 3-for-3 to lead the UVa. offense. The late game was much more tightly contested, as Brandon Waddell (4 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) uncharacteristically struggled, and the game was tied 2-2 through seven. The Cavs broke the deadlock with two runs in the top of the eighth, while Jack Roberts (4 IP, 1 H, 0 R) earned the win with a strong relief effort.
San Francisco at (5) Texas Tech: The Red Raiders pounded out 28 runs in sweeping a doubleheader, 15-6 and 13-5, to clinch the four-game series. Seven different TTU hitters had multiple hits in the opener, led by William Hairston's 3-for-5 day. Tech did most of its damage in two big innings, a five-run fourth and seven-run eighth. They picked up where they left off in the next game, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first, which was plenty of support for Dylan Dusek (6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K).
Rhode Island at (6) Florida: The Gators hit three home runs en route to drilling URI 22-3. Freshman catcher J.J. Schwarz-the highest-ranked prep hitter (No. 73 on the BA 500) out of last year's draft to land on a D-I roster-opened the scoring with a three-run shot in the bottom of the first, and junior outfielder Harrison Bader homered twice in the game, giving him three in two days. Sophomore righty Dane Dunning (4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) picked up the win in the first weekend start of his career.
Southern Illinois at (7) Texas Christian: The Horned Frogs unleashed a 22-hit barrage, clinching the series with a 16-4 win. Freshman catcher Evan Skoug-the No. 96 player on the BA 500 a year ago-gave a first glimpse of his considerable potential with a three-run homer in the first, and the Frogs scored 13 runs in the first four innings. Senior shortstop Keaton Jones even hit the first home run of his college career, a two-run shot in the third.
Rutgers at (9) Miami: Miami clinched the four-game series by sweeping a doubleheader, 9-5 and 9-3. Reigning Freshman of the Year Zack Collins, who went hitless Friday, cracked a bases-clearing double in the second inning of the first game, and the Canes stretched it out from there. Junior Thomas Woodrey (6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) earned the win in his first start since 2013. Then in the nightcap, junior Enrique Sosa (5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K) dominated in the first start of his career, while David Thompson (3-for-4) paced a 15-hit attack for the Miami offense.
Hofstra at (11) UCLA: The Bruins continued their offensive onslaught against overmatched Hofstra, winning 18-1 to clinch the series. UCLA has scored 32 runs in two games, and Saturday's 18 were the most the Bruins have scored in a game since 2010. Luke Persico (4-for-5, 5 RBI) drilled two home runs and Kevin Kramer added another, while Grant Watson (7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K) held down the Pride's bats.
(12) Louisville vs. South Florida: The Cardinals moved to 2-0 in advance of their Sunday matchup with Cal State Fullerton with a 7-3 win against South Florida. Drew Harrington (4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K) starred in relief of Anthony Kidston (4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 7 K), at one point striking out seven consecutive Bulls hitters, while the Cards took the lead for good with a four-run rally in the top of the third.
College of Charleston at (13) South Carolina: The Gamecocks bounced back from their Opening Day loss in impressive fashion, sweeping a doubleheader to take the series. South Carolina cruised behind Wil Crowe (6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K), who set a career high for strikeouts, to a 7-1 win in the first game. In the second game, Alex Destino broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, and the Gamecocks pulled away late to win 8-3.
Miami (Ohio)/Cincinnati at (14) Mississippi State: The Bulldogs improved to 3-0 by sweeping a split doubleheader with Miami (Ohio) and Cincinnati. MSU jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings against the Redhawks in the first game and went on to win 7-1, with Ross Mitchell (5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K) getting the win with a strong relief effort. The Bulldogs offense erupted in the nightcap against Cincinnati, piling up 12 hits and 11 walks in a 19-5 rout. Jacob Robson (3-for-4, 3 R, 2 BB) led the way against UC, reaching base five times.
(16) Maryland vs. Canisius/Old Dominion: Maryland finished its weekend tournament in Conway, S.C.-its Sunday game with host Coastal Carolina has already been cancelled-with a pair of wins Saturday. Canisius nearly rallied from a five-run deficit in the first game before the Terps got some insurance late to win 8-4. Hulking DH Nick Cieri (2-for-4) had five RBIs, including a two-run homer in the seventh, while Brandon Lowe homered for the second straight day. Lowe hit only one home run as a freshman in 2014. The Terps trailed Old Dominion 2-1 after six in their second game, but a pair of ODU errors opened the door for them to take the lead in the seventh, going on to win 5-2.
Seton Hall at (17) North Carolina: UNC swept a doubleheader to finish a three-game sweep for the weekend. The Heels routed the Pirates 10-4 in the first game, keyed by a seven-run third inning. Landon Lassiter and Adrian Chacon had three hits apiece in support of Benton Moss (5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K). Touted freshman J.B. Bukauskas (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) made his collegiate debut in the late game and didn't disappoint, while Chacon had two more hits to lead the offense in a 9-5 win.
(20) Oregon at Hawaii: The Ducks have won the first two in their four-game series at Hawaii after a 3-2 win Saturday. Prized recruit David Peterson (6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K) gave Oregon a strong start in his debut, and he and two relievers held Hawaii to just two hits for the game. However, the Ducks trailed 2-1 until Nick Catalano's two-run homer in the top of the eighth put them on top. It was the first homer of the junior's career and the saving grace for Oregon on a night it stranded 13 runners.
Oakland at (21) Florida State: A day after needing to rally in the seventh inning to beat Oakland, the Seminoles left nothing to chance Saturday, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first on their way to drilling the Golden Grizzlies 15-2. Danny De La Calle (2-for-3) and freshman Dylan Busby (3-for-4) each had four RBIs, while fellow freshman Boomer Biegalski (5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K) picked up the win in his first college start.
Siena at (22) Central Florida: UCF scored in five straight innings from the second through the sixth to cruise to a series-clinching 13-4 win. Freshman second baseman Kyle Marsh continued his hot weekend, going 4-for-5 with a two-run homer, while leadoff man Dylan Moore had five RBIs.
West Virginia at (24) Clemson: The Tigers, who were shut out by WVU on Friday, found enough offense Saturday to come up with a 4-2 win and even the series. Steven Duggar's sac fly in the fifth gave Clemson the lead for good, breaking a 1-1 tie, while Zack Erwin (6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) picked up the win with a quality start.
(25) Liberty at Georgia State: Becker Sankey's pinch-hit three-run homer with two outs in the ninth tied the first game of Liberty's doubleheader at Georgia State, and the Flames went on to score four runs in the 11th to take a 10-7 win. They had to overcome a rough outing from two-way star Ashton Perritt (3.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) in his introduction to starting after two years anchoring the bullpen. The second game was far less stressful as the Flames won 9-1, while Perritt redeemed himself by hitting a second-inning grand slam.
BA - Saturday Roundup: Vandy Survives