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LJS: Kubat reboots, shuts down Wolverines

After a quick tuneup to his pitching motion, Nebraska senior Kyle Kubat raced through the Michigan lineup and led the Huskers to a 5-1 victory Saturday afternoon at Haymarket Park.

The Huskers (16-6 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) have won all nine home games this season heading into Sunday's 11 a.m. game against the Wolverines.

Nebraska coach Darin Erstad said he could see a change in Kubat after the first inning.

"Early on, Kyle was OK, kind of battling himself, but by the fourth and fifth inning, he had that look in his eyes," he said. "He made some huge inside fastballs and for strike three. The ability to make a pitch in a big situation has been huge. Kyle gets a little smile on his face. He loves those situations. I just wish he wouldn't get in so many of them."

Kubat (4-0) struck out a career-high nine batters, scattered six hits and walked just the two in the first inning.

He said it was a matter of just rebooting the system after the first inning.

"I walked two early, so (I) just came back in the dugout, reset, relaxed a little bit," Kubat said. He changed his release point, kept his elbow up and didn't walk another batter. He gave up a run in the third when Carmen Benedetti doubled in a run that scored on a close play at the plate.

The next batter, Jake Bivens, singled to right, but NU right fielder Austin Darby threw a dart to Husker catcher Tanner Lubach to get Benedetti at the plate and end the inning.

"They've got a guy on second, two outs, get a base hit and you always think you might get a chance to throw to the plate," said Darby, who also led Nebraska with a pair of hits and an RBI. "Here comes the ball and you say to yourself, 'OK, here we go,' and Tanner makes a great tag."

Michigan (11-10, 0-2) didn't have another scoring chance until the ninth. Kubat gave up a double in the fourth but struck out the next three batters. He got through the fifth and sixth in order and gave up a double in the seventh before getting the next three batters in order.

"I was having fun," Kubat said. "As the game progresses, you can't get more serious, but you remember to enjoy every moment whether you pitch well or horridly. Just don't panic and make your pitch."

Nebraska jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first in similar fashion to Friday's 14-3 victory in the Big Ten opener for both teams. The first three Huskers singled, scoring Ryan Boldt. Ben Miller then walked with the bases loaded, Darby had in a run-scoring infield single, and Christian Cox singled to right to score two more runs.

Nebraska only picked up four more hits as Michigan's Ryan Nutof settled down.

"We came out ready to play and we were swinging the bat well, but after that we did not have a lot of sustainable pressure and it didn't look like we were that intent on being aggressive," Erstad said.

Briefly

Shortstop Steven Reveles broke a finger trying to bunt Friday and will probably be out 10 days to two weeks, Erstad said.

LJS: Kubat reboots, shuts down Wolverines
 
NU: Huskers Clinch Series Win over Michigan

Lincoln - Behind a five-run first inning from the Husker offense and a career-high nine strikeouts from Kyle Kubat, the Nebraska baseball team (16-6, 2-0 Big Ten) clinched a series win over the Michigan Wolverines (11-10, 0-2 Big Ten) on Saturday afternoon at Hawks Field with a 5-1 victory. The Huskers have now won nine straight games, their longest winning streak since 2008 when NU ran off 14 straight wins.

Kubat, who is 4-0 on the year, improved to 4-0 all-time against the Wolverines in five career starts. The senior lefty now holds a 19-3 career record after allowing one run on six hits and two walks over 7.1 innings of work. Kubat has gone at least 6.0 innings in all five of his starts against the Wolverines, including at least 7.0 inning in each of his last three starts against UM. Kubat's nine strikeouts bettered his previous mark of seven in a win at Indiana during his freshman year in 2012.

At the plate, eight of Nebraska's nine hitters recorded a hit on the afternoon, including a pair of singles from Austin Darby. The senior right-fielder also shined in the field, as he threw out Carmen Benedetti at the plate to end the third inning when the Michigan sophomore tried to score from second base on a base hit by Jake Bivens.

For the second straight game the Huskers jumped on Michigan's starting pitcher by scoring five runs in the first inning. Freshman right hander Ryan Nutof gave up three straight singles to start the game, including a RBI single by Blake Headley that scored the game's first run. Nutof then hit Tanner Lubach to load the bases and Ben Miller drew a four-pitch walk to put the Huskers up 2-0. Darby followed with an RBI single, before Nutof got the first out of the inning on a fielder's choice off the bat of Scott Schreiber. With the bases still loaded, Christian Cox delivered a two-RBI single that pushed NU's lead to 5-0.

Nebraska's first six batters of the game reached base and NU sent 10 batters to the plate in the first. The Huskers were held in check with only four hits the rest of the game, but the 5-0 lead as all Kubat needed.

Michigan's lone run came in the third when Kubat hit Jackson Glines with one out and the senior later scored on a two-out double by Benedetti. Michigan was never able to mount at rally the rest of the way, as they never had the tying run at the plate. After the third, UM notched a total of five base runners.

The Huskers will go for the series sweep tomorrow at 11:05 a.m., with sophomore Derek Burkamper getting the start. Michigan has yet to announce a starter for the series finale.

NU: Huskers Clinch Series Win over Michigan
 
UM: Wolverines Doomed Again by First-Inning Runs at Nebraska

Site: Lincoln, Neb. (Hawks Field at Haymarket Park)
Score: Nebraska 5, Michigan 1
Records: U-M (11-10, 0-2 Big Ten), NEB (16-6, 2-0 Big Ten)
Attendance: 4,551
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 22 -- at Nebraska (Lincoln, Neb.), 11:05 a.m. CDT

LINCOLN, Neb. -- For the second straight day, the University of Michigan baseball team yielded five first-innings runs to Nebraska in a 5-1 defeat Saturday afternoon (March 21) at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

Three straight singles opened the first frame for the Huskers and were followed by a hit-by-pitch, walk and an RBI single from Austin Darby. Christian Cox drove in the final two runs with a single to right. Nebraska had five of its nine hits in the first inning.

The Wolverines got on the board in the top of the third. Senior Jackson Glines was hit by a pitch with one out and scored on sophomore Carmen Benedetti's double to the gap in left. Kyle Kubat kept Michigan off the scoreboard for the rest of the day. Kubat struck out nine and allowed six hits with two walks in 7.1 innings pitched.

Freshman Ryan Nutof gave up five runs in the first, then he settled down to pick up a career-high seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings. He gave up eight hits and walked a pair. Senior Donnie Eaton allowed just one hit in 2.1 innings of relief.

Senior Kyle Jusick had two hits, including a double, on the day.

The three-game series at Nebraska and the 22-game road trip end Sunday morning (March 22) at 11:05 a.m. at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

UM: Wolverines Doomed Again by First-Inning Runs
 
D1 - Ten Thoughts: Saturday, March 21

1. Perfection

Drew Rasmussen's college career is only six weeks old. But already, he has ensured that it will be remembered.

Rasmussen, a freshman righthander for Oregon State, has been a dynamo since the season began. But Saturday he did something truly amazing: He threw the first perfect game in Oregon State history, and just the fourth in Pac-12 history (the last one came in 1973). It was also just the third Division I perfect game in the last dozen years (Miami's Javi Salas threw one last year, and Virginia's Will Roberts threw one in 2011).

Oregon State's Drew Rasmussen (Scobel Wiggins)
Oregon State's Drew Rasmussen (Scobel Wiggins)
Rasmussen struck out 10 and needed just 103 pitches to complete his perfect game against Washington State, and the Beavers needed a strong outing from him against Joe Pistorese, who threw a complete game of his own in a 3-0 loss. Rasmussen recorded six flyball outs and 11 groundball outs and improved to 3-0, 1.36 with 40 strikeouts and just five walks in 39.2 innings this year. Afterward, he was in a state of shock, as one might imagine.

"Unreal," he said after the game. "It's been an unreal day. It's been awesome. It's been so much fun. Not much more I can say. Pretty surreal right now."

We already knew Rasmussen had a chance to be special. He might wind up being even better than anyone could have imagined.

2. The end of perfection

Texas AM logoPerhaps college baseball's biggest story over the first six weeks of the season has been Texas A&M's undefeated start. The Aggies clinched a road series at Alabama by storming back from a 5-3 deficit with seven runs over the final two innings in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, improving them to 24-0 on the season.

But A&M's incredible streak was finally snapped in the nightcap, as Alabama scored four in the first inning to chase freshman Turner Larkins and went on to a 6-2 win behind Geoffrey Bramblett (7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER). The Aggies fell two wins shy of matching the best start in program history (26-0 in 1989).

Alabama showed some resilience by taking the rubber game after two tough losses in the first two games of the series. The Crimson Tide were in position to win all three games, and had to settle for one. The Aggies, meanwhile, passed their first out-of-state road test of the season.

3. More upsets in the topsy-turvy SEC

Sikes Orvis (Ole Miss athletics)
Sikes Orvis (Ole Miss athletics)
The D1Baseball Top 25 rankings will have a new No. 1 team Monday, as top-ranked Florida dropped its first series of the year at Ole Miss. The Rebels clinched the series with a 5-2 win in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, as Sikes Orvis blasted a three-run homer in the first inning against A.J. Puk, and Ole Miss never looked back. Brady Bramlett (6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) pitched well to earn the win for Ole Miss, which really needed this series. The Gators bounced back to salvage the nightcap, getting three RBIs apiece from freshmen Dalton Guthrie and Mike Rivera. Both teams are 3-3 in the SEC after two weeks, but Ole Miss is just 13-10 overall, albeit against a fairly rigorous schedule.

Missouri Tigers logoNo. 6 South Carolina also dropped a road series against an unranked team, as Missouri clinched the series with a 4-3 win in 10 innings Saturday. Freshman Tanner Houck (8 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K) was strong in a no-decision for Mizzou, which pounded out 14 hits and answered South Carolina's run in the top of the 10th with two in the bottom of the frame to win it. The Tigers had that one hiccup weekend when they were swept at home by Milwaukee, but other than that their season has been very strong. They are now 18-5 overall and 5-0 in the SEC, with a big series win against a top-10 opponent now under their belts.

The team that Missouri swept last weekend - Georgia - rebounded with a series win at Tennessee. The Bulldogs clinched the series with a 12-7 win Saturday, dropping the Volunteers to 9-10 overall and 1-4 in the SEC. A preseason Top 25 team, Tennessee has been one of the nation's most disappointing teams thus far. The Vols need to get hot in a hurry.

University of Kentucky logoAnd Kentucky clinched its series against Mississippi State - a team that was ranked as recently as last weekend - with a 9-7 win Friday. Kyle Barrett had four hits to lead the UK attack. The Wildcats had struggled against good competition this year and had lost four straight heading into the weekend, but they have scored 19 runs in two games against a suddenly beleaguered MSU pitching staff. Since starting 13-0 against a fairly soft, home-baked schedule, the Bulldogs are just 6-7. This weekend marked MSU's first road games of the season - and they fell on their faces. Perhaps there is some value in playing a few road games before the SEC schedule begins.

4. Two other SEC heavyweights pass road tests

LSUInterlockingNo. 3 LSU and No. 4 Vanderbilt both dropped the first game of their road series this weekend, but both teams rallied to win their series. LSU took Friday's rubber game at Arkansas 7-4, as Chris Sciambra (4-for-5, 2 R) spearheaded a 15-hit attack in support of Jake Godfrey (5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K). The Tigers are now 21-3 overall, 4-2 in the SEC, and could move up to No. 1 in this week's rankings, especially if TCU loses its rubber game against Oklahoma State.

Vanderbilt University logoVanderbilt bounced back from Friday's loss to Auburn by sweeping Saturday's doubleheader, 10-5 and 7-6 (10 innings). Zander Wiel and Bryan Reynolds each had two hits in both ends of the twin bill and combined for eight RBIs in the two games. Auburn scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth in the nightcap to force extra innings, but the resilient Commodores answered with a run in the 10th to win it. Auburn falls to 1-5 in the SEC after having faced two of the nation's best teams, but the Tigers stood toe-to-toe with the Commodores, which should give them the confidence that they can compete with any team in the SEC.

5. Arizona State notches another big series win

Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State)
Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State)
The Sun Devils are ranked seventh in the country largely because of their strength of schedule. ASU has already won home series against Oklahoma State, Long Beach State and Oregon State, and lost a home set against TCU. But like Mississippi State and Texas A&M, the Devils did not make a real road trip until this weekend. And like the Aggies, they passed it.

Arizona State clinched a big series at No. 15 Oregon with a 2-1 win Saturday. Lefthander Ryan Kellogg, one of the most seasoned and polished pitchers in the Pac-12, threw a complete-game three-hitter, allowing just a run while walking two and striking out seven. Colby Woodmansee - who else? - delivered a tie-breaking RBI single in the eighth to help Kellogg improve to 4-0 on the season. The Sun Devils are 15-6 overall, 4-1 in the Pac-12, and you can make a strong case that they are the team to beat in the conference at this early point in the season.

6. Monarchs knock off C-USA royalty

Old Dominion logoODU lost a number of key pieces from last year's regional team, and they looked like a middle-of-the-pack Conference USA club after the first five weeks of the season. After losing a series at Western Kentucky last weekend, the Monarchs carried an 8-7 record into this week, but their offense caught fire this week, leading them to a pair of midweek wins against VMI followed by two huge wins against C-USA juggernaut Rice. After scoring 12 runs in Friday's series opener, Ole Dominion outslugged Rice 9-8 on Saturday to clinch the series. Taylor Ostrich went 3-for-4 with four RBIs to lead the way for the Monarchs, who have scored 36 runs in four games this week.

7. Maryland enters the Big Ten with a bang

Mike Shawaryn (Maryland)
Mike Shawaryn (Maryland)
The 14th-ranked Terrapins played their first Big Ten games on Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader against Minnesota 5-1 and 12-9. Mike Shawaryn, our preseason choice to win Big Ten pitcher of the year honors, shined in his conference debut, allowing just an unearned run over eight innings in Maryland's 5-1 victory in the opener. Emerging freshman Willie Rios (2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER) was hammered in the second game, but the Maryland offense picked him up, scoring 12 runs on 13 hits to win a 12-9 slugfest. The Terps are now 16-4 overall and look to be worthy of the preseason Big Ten favorite status we bestowed upon them.

8. Watch out for the Huskers

Nebraska Cornhuskers logoWe've said it repeatedly since the preseason: The Big Ten race is going to be one of the most compelling in college baseball this season. The conference has three teams in the Top 25 currently (with Illinois and Indiana joining the Terrapins), and preseason Top 25 club Nebraska looks ready to return to the rankings after clinching its Big Ten-opening series against Michigan. The Cornhuskers have won nine straight games - all at home, after playing their first 13 games on the road. Kyle Kubat (7.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K) was very strong in Saturday's 5-1 series-clinching victory. The Wolverines are off to a disappointing 11-10 start, but don't be surprised if they make a second-half surge to insert themselves into the Big Ten race as well.

9. Frogs, Sooners bounce back

Oklahoma's Alec Hansen couldn't have been much better on Saturday. (Kendall Rogers)
Oklahoma's Alec Hansen couldn't have been much better on Saturday. (Kendall Rogers)
The tireless Kendall Rogers attended games in Norman, Okla., and Forth Worth, Texas on Saturday and will have coverage of both, so we won't go into too much detail here. But in both Big 12 showcase series, the home team responded to Friday losses with a series-leveling win Saturday. Consummate winner Preston Morrison (7.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K) turned in a workmanlike outing to improve to 5-0 on the season for TCU, which beat Oklahoma State 7-4. With another win Sunday, the Frogs would likely assume the No. 1 ranking on Monday, unless LSU jumps over them. Oklahoma, meanwhile, got four hits and three RBIs from Kolbey Carpenter and a complete-game gem from bazooka-armed sophomore Alec Hansen (9 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K) in a 5-2 win against Texas Tech. Be sure to check out Kendall's report on the electrifying Hansen, who looks to be on the verge of stardom.

10. Gut-check weekend in the ACC

UNC's Trent Thornton
UNC's Trent Thornton
North Carolina and Clemson were both scuffling mightily heading into road series this weekend, and both clinched big series wins Saturday. UNC had lost five of its last seven heading into a road series at surging Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels won Friday's opener 5-3 by punching back after the Yellow Jackets tied the score in the late innings. In the first game of Saturday's twin bill, the Jackets came from behind in the late innings again, this time winning 6-5 in walk-off fashion to even the series. But UNC responded with a 5-1 win in the finale behind a strong start by Benton Moss (6 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K) and three hitless innings of relief from Trent Thornton. Thornton and Trevor Kelley were the only relievers UNC used in the series, and it is important that they develop additional trustworthy bullpen options, to keep that duo fresh for the second half. But for now, the Tar Heels (14-9) should just be pleased with a gritty series win.

Heading into this weekend, Clemson had gone just 2-7 since winning its series against South Carolina, and they had to travel to Blacksburg, Va., where Virginia Tech just swept Virginia last weekend. The Tigers won the series opener 4-0 in 10 innings, then got their bats going with a 15-8 win Saturday to clinch the series. Reed Rohlman (3-for-4, 3 R, 4 RBI) lead a balanced 21-hit barrage for the Tigers, who climbed back above .500 at 11-10, and improved to 4-4 in the ACC. It has become fashionable to write off Clemson when it struggles, but this team still has time to right the ship and make a run in the ACC. It was imperative for the Tigers to reverse their negative trajectory this weekend, and they have done so.

D1 - Ten Thoughts: Saturday, March 21
 
BA - Saturday Roundup: Oregon State's Rasmussen Is Just Perfect

Oregon State freshman Drew Rasmussen knew something was up from how Andrew Moore was acting.

Moore, the Oregon State junior righthander, flirted with a perfect game on Feb. 27. So when Rasmussen would return to the dugout Saturday after each spotless inning against Washington State, Moore epitomized baseball superstition by doing the same thing each time.

Whatever it was must have worked as the righthander Rasmussen pitched the Beavers' first-ever perfect game, striking out 10 and needing only 103 pitches to whitewash the Cougars, 3-0.

Rasmussen said his teammates' behavior changed as the game went on.

"They went from talking to me a lot to just kind of leaving me alone," the Spokane, Wash., native told the Corvallis Gazette Times. "I would get high fives walking in and then as soon as I sat down not really anything except Andrew (Moore). Andrew came up did the same thing between every single inning. That was the hint."

In addition to the first Oregon State perfect game, it was just the fourth perfect in Pac-12 history and the first since Washington State's Joe McIntosh turned the feat in 1973.

Rasmussen improved to 3-0, 1.36 and he's walked only five and struck out 40 in 39 2/3 innings.

"Unreal," Rasmussen told osubeavers.com. "It's been an unreal day. It's been awesome. It's been so much fun. Not much more I can say. Pretty surreal right now. It was a fun game and I had a lot of help behind me and let's go get a series sweep (Sunday)."

K.J. Harrison gave the Beavers a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI single and OSU added two runs in the seventh on a RBI single by Michael Gretler and a squeeze bunt by Trever Morrison.

Top 25 Showdowns

(13) Florida State at (14) Virginia


Freshman Dylan Busby ripped a two-run, go-ahead homer off Virginia closer Josh Sborz in the ninth inning and Danny De La Calle added an insurance run with a solo shot in Florida State's 12-10 win Saturday. "Our freshmen are beginning to come of age," Florida State head coach Mike Martin told seminoles.com. "So many things transpired in today's game but we showed the mental toughness to hang in there and battle until the very end." Junior lefthander Dylan Silva (3-1) got the final five outs, working around a walk and a single to close out the win. John Sansone hit a grand slam and D.J. Stewart also homered for the Seminoles. Virginia starter Connor Jones (4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 BB, 3 K) did not allow a hit through four innings before the Seminoles erupted for six runs in the fifth.

(16) Arizona State at (15) Oregon


Junior lefthander Ryan Kellogg allowed only three hits and struck out seven to outduel touted freshman David Peterson in Arizona State's 2-1 win. It was the third career complete game for Kellogg (4-0). Shortstop Colby Woodmansee broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth with a RBI single. Peterson (7.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K), who was drafted by the Red Sox in the 28th round last June but opted to go to Oregon, fell to 2-2.

Top 25 Splits

(2) Florida at Mississippi: The Gators dropped Game One to Ole Miss 5-2 as the Rebels clinched the series, but rebounded in the nightcap as freshman Dalton Guthrie had three hits and three RBIs in an 8-4 win. Florida senior lefthander Bobby Poyner pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the win. In Game One, Sikes Orvis hit a three-run homer off A.J. Puk in the first as Ole Miss jumped out to a 5-0 lead and cruised to the win.

(5)Texas A&M at Alabama: After the Aggies extended their season-opening win streak to 24 games in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday, Alabama bounced back to hand Texas A&M its first loss in the nightcap, 6-2. In the opener, Alabama led 5-3 entering the eighth, only to see the Aggies score four times en route to a 10-5 win. Game Two saw Tide sophomore righthander Geoffrey Bramblett (7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K) improve to 4-1 as Chandler Avant had three hits for the winners. Catch all the highlights here.

North Carolina at (23) Georgia Tech: Benton Moss pitched for the first time since March 8 after dealing with a forearm issue and struck out eight in six innings as the Tar Heels split a doubleheader with Georgia Tech by winning the second game 5-1. Korey Dunbar homered for UNC in Game Two. Georgia Tech won the first game 6-5, rallying from a 5-0 deficit against touted freshman J.B. Bukauskas and the Heels' bullpen after Alex Raburn's grand slam gave UNC the early lead. Georgia Tech lost star freshman Kel Johnson to a leg injury in the fifth inning of the second game.

Top 25 Upsets

(6) South Carolina at Missouri: The Tigers rallied twice, including scoring twice in the 10th inning capped by freshman Trey Harris' game-winning single, to beat South Carolina 4-3. The win clinched Missouri's first series win over a top-10 team since May 16, 2008, when the Tigers swept fifth-ranked Nebraska. Some 2,032 fans packed Taylor Stadium on Saturday, the largest crowd since the stadium had been remodeled prior to the 2013 season.

Presbyterian at (7) UCF


The Knights scored four times in the first, but Presbyterian came roaring back with seven runs in the third and held off UCF 8-6 Saturday. The Blue Hose got two hits and two RBIs from Ryan Hedrick and Jay Lizanich to back junior David Sauer (6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 K). Erik Barber homered twice, including a three-run homer in the four-run first for UCF.

(10) Rice at Old Dominion: The Monarchs upended Rice for the second straight day, scoring six runs in the fourth to overcome a 5-1 deficit. Senior Mike Perez homered and senior Taylor Ostrich cleared the bases with a double in the uprising. The rally came against Blake Fox (3.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 3 K) who was knocked out but did not get the loss, thus keeping his 20-0 career record intact. Old Dominion reliever Thomas Busbice got the win despite allowing seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.

(20) Mississippi State at Kentucky


Ka'ai Tom homered in the first inning and Kyle Barrett tied his career high with four hits as Kentucky beat Mississippi State for the second straight day, 9-7. Kentucky starter Dustin Beggs (6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K) improved to 3-2 and senior Spencer Jack got the final out after the Bulldogs scored four times in the ninth to close to 9-7. The Bulldogs have gone just 4-8 since starting the year 13-0 and have lose two straight SEC series and three straight overall.

Other Top 25 Results

(1) Louisiana State at Arkansas


Jared Foster and Conner Hale homered to back freshman righthander Jake Godfrey as LSU beat Arkansas 7-4.

Godfrey (5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K) improved to 5-0 and Jesse Stallings got the final five outs for his 10th save.

"This was a great win for us in a very tough place to play," LSU coach Paul Mainieri told lsusports.net. "I'm very proud of the way our guys competed to come back and win this series after we fell short in the first game on Thursday night. We faced some very good pitching from Arkansas today, and we came through with several big hits. Jake Godfrey did a tremendous job in his first SEC road start, giving us the five innings we need from him, and we played excellent defense throughout the game."

Arkansas junior righthander Trey Killian (6 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K) took the loss.

Oklahoma State at (3) Texas Christian: Preston Morrison (7.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 9 K) became TCU's leader in career innings pitched and improved to 5-0 and Derek Odell doubled home a run and scored in a two-run first as the Horned Frogs beat Oklahoma State 7-4. With the second out in the sixth inning, Morrison became TCU's leader in innings pitched, passing Clayton Jerome's (2001-04) career mark of 386 innings.

(4) Vanderbilt at Auburn


The Commodores bounced back from Friday's loss to take two games from Auburn on Saturday. In Game One, Vandy racked up 12 hits-including two each from Zander Wiel, Bryan Reynolds, Will Toffey and Tyler Campbell-to back Walker Buehler, who muddled through 5 2/3 innings (8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K) for the win. In Game Two, Vandy ran out to a 5-1 lead, but Auburn tied it at 6-6 in the ninth with three runs off reliever Ben Bowden. The Commodores completed the sweep on Reynolds' sacrifice fly in the 10th.

"My heart really hurts for our guys, it really does," Auburn head coach Sunny Golloway told auburntigers.com. "What I told the guys, I said, `Look, my heart is broken for you, I feel for you, but please don't hang your head.'

Utah at (9) UCLA: Senior righthander Grant Watson (6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K) and three relievers combined on the Bruins' fourth shutout this season in a 3-0 win over Utah. David Berg struck out two in the ninth for his fourth save this season and the 40th of his career. Luke Persico was 2-for-3 and Christoph Bono, Chris Keck and Ty Moore each drove in a run.

(11) Louisville at Notre Dame: Sophomore Corey Ray led off the 18th inning with his third homer of the season as Louisville outlasted Notre Dame 6-4 Saturday, matching the longest game in Cardinals' history in terms of innings played. Ray went 4-for-8 in the marathon contest.

"Coach McDonnell challenged me before the final at-bat to not try to do too much and to instead to just put a good swing on it," Ray told gocards.com. "As the game got deeper and deeper, our focus was on having good at-bats, stuffing on defense and for the pitchers to throw strikes. We knew we'd have a chance to break through for the win if we stayed mentally tough. Our pitchers did a great job today and we feel like our pitching staff can stand up against any in the country."

Freshman righthander Sean Leland got his first win with two scoreless innings. Making his second collegiate start, freshman Brendan McKay had 12 strikeouts while allowing three runs on three hits in seven innings. The runs were the first allowed in the short career for McKay, who had his scoreless streak snapped at 22 2/3 innings with Notre Dame's two runs in the fourth.

(8) Southern California at Cal Poly: The Trojans rebounded from Friday's loss by pounding out 15 hits to back a strong Kyle Twomey in a 13-0 blanking of Cal Poly. Twomey, the junior lefthander, allowed only two hits and walked one with four strikeouts over six scoreless innings. Six Trojans had multi-hit games, led by Bobby Stahel's three and David Oppenheim drove in four runs as USC pulled away with seven runs in the eighth.

(12) Texas Tech at Oklahoma

Sophomore righthander Alec Hansen pitched the Sooners' first complete game since Jon Gray in the 2013 Blacksburg regional in a 5-2 upset of Texas Tech. Hansen struck out 10 and allowed three hits and three walked.

"I think guys have to grow up and the only way to grow up is to push through the tough times," head coach Pete Hughes told soonersports.com. "It could backfire on you too; but (Hansen) did it against Oregon State, we left him in there when he was just a bit uncomfortable and he fought through and he got to a really good performance level. We did it last weekend at Hawaii, same thing. Let him pitch through some tough times so it's not new to him, so it doesn't speed up to him when he sees it out there like today. He did. I thought he stepped back, regrouped, and executed."

Junior first baseman Kolbey Carpenter, hitting leadoff for the first time in his career, went 4-for-4 and hit a three-run homer in the fifth.

(17) Miami at Wake Forest: The Hurricanes had 15 hits for the second straight game, led by freshman Carl Chester's three hits and homer, as they ripped Wake Forest 12-7. Miami scored enough to get the win for redshirt junior lefthander Andy Suarez (5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K).

(18) Dallas Baptist at Evansville: Justin Wall had four hits, including a three-run homer in the first, and David Martinelli also homered as Dallas Baptist won its 12th in a row-matching its best streak since joining Division I in 2004-in a 10-2 win Saturday. Six-foot-2, 252-pound junior righthander Cory Taylor (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K) worked out of a third-inning jam to help secure the win.

Texas-Arlington/Dartmouth at (19) UC Santa Barbara: Junior Robby Nesovic-who also pitched three scoreless innings-broke a 1-1 tie with the game-winning single in the 11th inning in a 2-1 win over Texas-Arlington in the opener before the Gauchos erupted for 17 runs in the nightcap to blast Dartmouth 17-2 to sweep the split doubleheader. In the second game, senior Scoutt Quinlan went 4-for-6 with a homer and redshirt sophomore Paddy O'Brien hit his first career homer and drove in five runs. Sophomore Andrew Calica had four hits over the two games for the winners.

Kansas State at (21) Texas: Junior righthander Chad Hollingsworth allowed just one run in 7 1/3 innings and Kirby Bellow-who got the win in the first game-retired all five batters he faced as Texas completed a doubleheader sweep with a 3-1 win. In the first game, the Longhorns rallied with three runs in the eighth to overcome a 3-2 deficit for a 5-3 win as Michael Cantu tied the game with a double and Kacy Clemens singled in the go-ahead run.

(22) Houston at New Mexico: Juco transfer Chris Iriart led a balanced Houston offense with two hits and the Cougars won their eighth in a row, 6-5 over New Mexico. Houston starter Kyle Dowdy (6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3K) was solid enough to get his second win and Aaron Garza hung on after allowing a run to close out his third save in the past three games.

South Florida at (25) Illinois


Redshirt senior righthander Drasen Johnson pitched solidly into the eighth inning and senior David Kerian and sophomore Matthew James hit back-to-back homers in Illinois' 5-2 win. Senior Casey Fletcher added a three-run homer for the Illini and closer Tyler Jay got his fifth save with a scoreless ninth.

Other Notable Games

Charlotte at Florida International: Junior Edwin Rios hit three homers to tie a school record and drove in six runs as FIU blasted Charlotte 23-1 in a game halted after seven innings due to the Conference USA mercy rule (15-run lead after seven innings). Rios' three homers matched Mike Martinez's FIU record (May 8, 2010 against Arkansas State) and Rios was the first Conference USA player with three long balls since Rice's Anthony Rendon on June 5, 2010. Freshman righthander Andres Nunez (6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K) took advantage of the 20-hit attack for his third win.

Minnesota at Maryland: Jose Cuas homered three times in the doubleheader as the Terps got their first Big Ten wins as they swept the Gophers 5-1 and 12-9, rallying from down 7-0 in the second game. Cuas hit two homers in the nightcap as Maryland rallied after Minnesota scored twice in the first and five times in the second inning. Maryland junior righthander Kevin Mooney got the final five outs in game two to break the school's career saves record with 24, eclipsing major leaguer Brett Cecil's mark.

San Diego at Santa Clara: Junior lefthander PJ Conlon allowed only three hits and a walk over eight strong innings as the Toreros pounded out 10 hits for their 10th win in the past 11 games, 10-1 over Santa Clara.

Pitt at Duke


Sophomore Nick Yarnall homered twice-including the go-ahead shot in the 10th inning-and redshirt freshman Frank Maldonado homered as Pitt knocked off Duke 4-3 Saturday. Duke senior righthander Andrew Istler struck out 12 in 6 1/3 innings but did not figure in the decision. Duke scored once in the 10th to close within 4-3 but Pitt left fielder Jacob Wright threw out Andy Perez-the potential tying run-at the plate to end the game.

Georgia at Tennessee: Georgia broke open a close game with seven runs in the ninth to clinch the SEC road series with a 12-7 win. Andrew Lee had hit a three-run homer for the Vols in the eighth as they closed within 5-4, but Georgia responded with seven runs on six hits and two errors to increase the lead to 12-4 and hung on despite Christian Stewart's three-run homer for Tennessee in the ninth.

Cincinnati at Nevada


Ryan Howell went 4-for-5 with a grand slam and six RBIs as Nevada scored its most runs in nearly five years in a 17-6 win over the Bearcats. The Wolf Pack (20-4) improved to 13-1 in scored their most runs since scoring 18 in an 18-1 victory over Louisiana Tech on May 22, 2010.

N.C. State at Boston College: Logan Ratledge became the first N.C. State player in nine years to hit three doubles in a game, including two in the decisive 15th inning, as the Wolf Pack outlasted Boston College 9-4 at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass. N.C. State wriggled out of three bases-loaded jams in a row on its way to the 15th, when Ratledge led off with his second double of the game. After scoring the go-ahead run, Ratledge batted again in the inning as the Wolf Pack scored six runs and drove in two runs. The previous Wolf Pack player with three doubles in a game was Aaron Cone on March 15, 2006 against UNC Greensboro.

BA - Saturday Roundup
 
CBI: Around the Bases (3/21)

Rasmussen Pitches Perfect Game for Oregon State
UL outlasts ND in 18, FSU outscores Virginia, ASU edges Oregon

Oregon State 3, Washington State 0
In Corvallis, Ore., Drew Rasmussen tossed the first perfect game in Oregon State history in a 3-0 win over Washington State. Rasmussen (3-0) struck out 10 and totaled 103 pitches in silencing the Cougars (1-4, 12-10) with six fly balls and 11 ground outs. Joe Pistorese was terrific for WSU, allowing three runs (one earned) in a complete game. KJ Harrison, Michael Gretler and Trever Morrison drove in runs for the Beavers (3-2, 17-5). (photos by Scobel Wiggins)

No. 13 Louisville 6, Notre Dame 4 (18)
In Notre Dame, Ind., Corey Ray went 4 for 8 with a leadoff homer in the top of the 18th to snap a 6-6 tie and lead Louisville to an ACC series win over Notre Dame. Nick Solak had three hits and two RBI for the Cardinals (7-1, 17-6), who stranded 20 in the contest and matched the longest game in program history. Sean Leland (1-0, 2 IP, 2 K) earned the victory for UL. Brendan McKay (7 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB) fanned 12 for Louisville. Ricky Sanchez drove in a pair for the Irish (3-5, 15-6).

No. 12 Florida State 12, No. 10 Virginia 10
In Charlottesville, Va., Dylan Busby belted a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to erase a 10-9 deficit as Florida State evened its ACC series at Virginia. John Sansone smacked a grand slam to highlight a six-run fifth for the Seminoles (6-2, 18-6). Busby and DJ Stewart (2 for 3, HR, 2 R) both drove in three for FSU. Kenny Towns (2 for 3, 2B) drove in four, while Daniel Pinero added three hits and three runs for the Cavaliers (3-5, 14-6).

No. 14 Arizona State 2, No. 16 Oregon 1
In Eugene, Ore., Ryan Kellogg tossed a three-hitter as Arizona State edged Oregon to secure a Pac-12 series victory. Kellogg (4-0) allowed one earned run with two walks and seven strikeouts. Colby Woodmansee (2 for 4) had an RBI single in the top of the eighth for the Sun Devils (4-1, 15-6). Phil Craig-St. Louis had two hits and one RBI for the Ducks (1-4, 14-8).

No. 1 TCU 7, Oklahoma State 4
In Fort Worth, Texas, Preston Morrison fanned nine over 7.2 innings as TCU evened its Big 12 series with Oklahoma State. Morrison (5-0) allowed six hits and four runs (three earned) with three walks. Trey Teakell rolled three groundouts in the ninth for his first save. Connor Wanhanen went 3 for 4 with a double, a run and two RBI to lead the offense of the Horned Frogs (4-1, 17-3). Dustin Williams homered and drove in a pair for the Cowboys (1-1, 15-7).

No. 2 LSU 7, Arkansas 4
In Fayetteville, Ark., Chris Sciambra went 4 for 5 with a double and two runs as LSU won its SEC series at Arkansas. Mark Laird (2 for 5, R), Alex Bregman (1 for 3, 2B, R) and Conner Hale (1 for 5, HR) each drove in a pair for the Tigers (4-2, 21-3). Jake Godfrey (5-0, 5 IP, 5 H, R, 3 BB, 5 K) picked up the win, while Jesse Stallings (1.2 IP, H, BB) registered his 10th save. Joe Serrano went 2 for 5 with a homer and three RBI for the Razorbacks (1-5, 11-11).

Ole Miss 5-4, No. 3 Florida 2-8
In Oxford, Miss., Brady Bramlett surrendered one unearned run over six innings in the opener as Ole Miss earned an SEC series win over Florida. Bramlett (3-1) scattered six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Wyatt Short fanned two of the final four batters for his second save. Sikes Orvis (2 for 2, 2B, 4 RBI) had a three-run homer in the first for the Rebels (3-3, 13-10). Mike Rivera had two hits and one RBI for the Gators (3-3, 20-5). In the nightcap, Rivera (2 for 5) and Dalton Guthrie (3 for 5, 2B, R) both drove in three as UF salvaged the series finale. The Gators scored five over the first three innings to take control. Joe Wainhouse had two hits for Ole Miss.

No. 4 Texas A&M 10-2, Alabama 5-6
In Hoover, Ala., Geoffrey Bramblett allowed one earned run over seven innings in the nightcap for Alabama to hand Texas A&M its first loss of the season. Bramblett (4-1) scattered seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Ray Castillo gave up one hit over the final two frames with three punchouts to register his third save. Chance Vincent had a two-run triple to cap a four-run first for the Crimson Tide (3-3, 13-9). Chandler Avant was 3 for 5 with a double and two RBI for Bama. Nick Banks went 2 for 3 with a double and a run for the Aggies (5-1, 24-1). In Game 1, Ryne Birk had two hits and two RBI to pace the A&M offense. The Aggies erased a 5-3 deficit with four in the eighth and three in the ninth. Kyle Simonds (6-0, 5 IP, 2 H, 1 UE, 4 K) earned the win in relief. Avant had two hits and a run for the Crimson Tide.

No. 5 Vanderbilt 10-7, Auburn 5-6 (Game 2 - 10 innings)
In Auburn, Ala., Bryan Reynolds delivered a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th in the nightcap as Vanderbilt swept a doubleheader at Auburn to win the SEC series. Reynolds had two hits, one homer and three RBI for the Commodores (5-1, 19-5). The Tigers (1-5, 15-9) scored three in the bottom of the ninth and had the bases loaded with no outs before Ben Bowden (4-1, 2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, BB, K) got a popout, a strikeout and a lineout to force the extra frame. He retired Auburn in order in the bottom of the 10th to secure the victory. Daniel Robert went 4 for 5 with a homer and two RBI for Auburn. In the opener, Zander Wiel (2 for 5, 3 RBI) had a two-run single to cap a four-run third and homered to spark a three-run seventh for Vanderbilt. Jordan Ebert (3 for 5, R, RBI) had two doubles and Robert added two hits and two RBI for Auburn.

Missouri 4, No. 6 South Carolina 3 (10)
In Columbia, Mo., Trey Harris had an RBI single to cap a two-run rally in the bottom of the 10th as Missouri clinched an SEC series win over South Carolina. Josh Lester (2 for 4, R) had a sacrifice fly in the 10th that knotted the score at 3-3. Jake Ring had three hits for the Tigers (5-0, 18-5). Breckin Williams (4-0, 2 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 3 K) won in reliev of Tanner Houck (8 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 8 K). Elliott Caldwell (2 for 5) had a run-scoring single in the top of the 10th as the Gamecocks (3-2, 17-6) took a 3-2 lead. Connor Bright had two hits and two runs for South Carolina.

No. 7 UCLA 3, Utah 0
In Los Angeles, Grant Watson and three relievers combined on a three-hit shutout as UCLA clinched a Pac-12 series win over Utah. Watson (3-2, 3 H, BB) fanned four in six innings. Tucker Forbes (K), Grant Dyer and David Berg (2 K) each pitched a hitless innings as Berg recorded his fourth save. Luke Persico had two hits and a run for the Bruins (4-1, 16-5). Cody Scaggari, Wyler Smith and Josh Rose each had a hit for the Utes (2-3, 7-14).

Old Dominion 9, No. 8 Rice 8
In Norfolk, Va., Taylor Ostrich had three hits and four RBI as Old Dominion edged Rice to clinch a Conference USA series victory. Ostrich had a three-run double to cap a six-run fourth for the Monarchs (3-2, 12-7). Mike Perez went 2 for 4 with a homer and three RBI for ODU. Thomas Busbice (3-0, 3.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 3 K) earned the win in relief, while Jake Josephs recorded the final out for his first save. Kirby Taylor went 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBI, while Leon Byrd was 3 for 5 with three runs and two RBI for the Owls (6-2, 15-9).

No. 9 USC 13, Cal Poly 0
In San Luis Obispo, Calif., Kyle Twomey allowed two hits over six scoreless innings as USC evened its series with Cal Poly. Twomey (4-1) walked one and struck out four. The Trojans (18-5) scored two in the fourth, four in the sixth and seven in the eighth. David Oppenheim had two hits and drove in four, while Blake Lacey went 2 for 5 with a double, two runs and three RBI for USC. Brian Mundell went 1 for 4 with a double for the Mustangs (7-12).

Presbyterian 8, No. 11 UCF 6
In Orlando, Fla., Jay Lizanich had a two-run single to highlight a seven-run third as Presbyterian leveled its series with UCF. Ryan Hedrick also drove in a pair for the Blue Hose (15-8). David Sauer (3-1, 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 K) earned the win, while Brian Kehner (3 IP, 2 H, R, 2 BB, 3 K) registered his second save. Erik Barber homered twice and drove in four for the Knights (19-5).

Oklahoma 5, No. 15 Texas Tech 2
In Norman, Okla., Alec Hansen was brilliant, tossing a complete-game three-hitter with 10 strikeouts, and Kolbey Carpenter went 4 for 4 with a homer, two runs and three RBI as Oklahoma evened its Big 12 series with Texas Tech. Hansen (3-2) allowed a pair of runs in the fifth inning, but Carpenter hit his fifth homer, a three-run shot, in the bottom of the frame for the Sooners (1-1, 16-9). The Red Raiders fell to 1-1, 16-7.

No. 17 Texas 5-3, Kansas State 3-1
In Austin, Texas, Chad Hollingsworth and Kirby Bellow combined on a six-hitter in the nightcap as Texas took two from Kansas State to secure a Big 12 series win. Hollingsworth (3-1) allowed six hits and a run in 7.1 innings with one walk and four strikeouts to earn the victory. Bellow retired the final five batters, two by strikeout, to record his second save. Ben Johnson went 2 for 4 with a triple, a run and one RBI for the Longhorns (4-1, 15-8). Shane Conlon had an RBI double in the fourth for the Wildcats (0-2, 11-11). In the nightcap, Michael Cantu (1 for 3, 2 RBI) had a run-scoring double to tie the score at 3-3 and sparked a three-run eighth for Texas. Pinch-runner Taylor Stell scored the go-ahead run on an error. Tyler Moore had two hits and one RBI for KSU.

No. 18 Miami 12, Wake Forest 7
In Winston-Salem, N.C., Garrett Kennedy homered and drove in three, and George Iskenderian added three RBI as Miami topped Wake Forest in the ACC for the second straight day. Every starter had at least hit, with Carl Chester going 3 for 6 with a homer, two runs and two RBI and Christopher Barr adding three hits and two runs as the Hurricanes (6-2, 18-6) won their eighth straight. Will Craig had two hits, including his eighth homer, two runs and two RBI at the plate, but was tagged for seven runs (five earned) in 2.1 innings in falling to 0-1 for the Demon Deacons (3-5, 14-10).

No. 19 UCSB 2, UT Arlington 1 (11)
No. 19 UCSB 17, Dartmouth 2
In Santa Barbara, Calif., Robby Nesovic tossed three hitless innings of relief and delivered the game-winning single in the 11th inning as UCSB edged UT Arlington. Later, Paddy O'Brien went 3 for 4 with a double, homer, two runs and five RBI as the Gauchos (16-5) routed Dartmouth. Justin Jacome tossed eight strong innings with one earned run before turning the ball over to Nesovic (1-0), who drove in both runs. Matt McLean went 3 for 5 with a run for the Mavericks (11-9). In the second game Scott Quinlan went 4 for 6 with a homer, three runs and two RBI for UCSB.

No. 20 Illinois 5, USF 2
In Champaign, Ill., David Kerian and Matthew James hit back-to-back homers, and Casey Fletcher added a three-run homer as Illinois scored all of its runs on home runs in clinching its series with USF. Drasen Johnson (3-1) allowed two earned runs and struck out six, and Tyler Jay picked up his fifth save for the Illini (17-4-1). Casey Mulholland (3-3) tossed a complete game for the Bulls (15-8-1) in a game that lasted one hour and 51 minutes.

CBI: Around the Bases (3/21)
 
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