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LJS: Boldt, Placzek lift Huskers
There are no givens in baseball, but Nebraska came up with clutch hits and sterling pitching for the sixth consecutive home game as NU beat Indiana State 4-3 on a brisk, windy Tuesday afternoon at Haymarket Park.
Sophomore center fielder Ryan Boldt singled in a run in the seventh to put Nebraska ahead, and Jake Placzek hit an RBI single in the eighth to propel Nebraska to the win.
The hitting and pitching combination has given NU six wins in a row.
But Husker pitching coach Ted Silva knows there is more to it than winning the 19th game of a 56-plus game season.
"We'll give up runs," Silva said. "We throw strikes, so we'll get hit. But from our seniors to freshmen, starters to relievers, position players to pinch hitters, everybody is pulling on the same side of the rope.
"Starters have been good and I'm just as excited about this team as coach (Darin) Erstad and all the players," said Silva, whose pitching staff carries a 2.68 earned-run average in the 13-6 season. Closer Josh Roeder was touched for a run in the ninth inning, but that was just the fourth run the NU bullpen has allowed in the past 12 games.
Add in starting strength, like that shown by freshman Garret King, who gave up six hits and two runs in five innings Tuesday, and you have a pretty good formula for winning games.
"Garret had a good breaking ball and was pounding the fastball, and other than the one he got behind and got smoked for a solo home run, he was strong," Erstad said. "Then (Jeff) Chesnut, (Colton) Howell and Roeder did their thing."
Chesnut, Howell and Roeder have been slamming the door on everybody they've faced since a trip to Houston for a three-game set.
But Silva said it's way too early in the season to assess the pitching staff.
"We'll add and subtract and see how people do week to week, but trying to stay the course is hard," he said.
"Credit King for figuring out what it takes to win, to compete," Silva said. "We reiterate what's important and keep positive.
"Credit to the bullpen for throwing strikes and competing in the strike zone, because that is so difficult to do, and then results take care of themselves."
Nebraska scored two in the third inning when Placzek, who has been hampered by finger injuries, singled and scored on a single by Boldt. Indiana State scored when Jacob Hayes mashed a solo home run off the right-field foul pole in the fourth and the Sycamores tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth on an RBI single.
"We can do better (on offense)," Erstad said. "I don't think we put a lot of great swings on it today. But, for me, Tuesdays and Wednesdays I have a different expectation level of how to grind it out. I can't tell you how many guys (were) sprinting from class or to class after this, and to play as clean as we did and get the win is all I'm worried about."
LJS: Boldt, Placzek lift Huskers
There are no givens in baseball, but Nebraska came up with clutch hits and sterling pitching for the sixth consecutive home game as NU beat Indiana State 4-3 on a brisk, windy Tuesday afternoon at Haymarket Park.
Sophomore center fielder Ryan Boldt singled in a run in the seventh to put Nebraska ahead, and Jake Placzek hit an RBI single in the eighth to propel Nebraska to the win.
The hitting and pitching combination has given NU six wins in a row.
But Husker pitching coach Ted Silva knows there is more to it than winning the 19th game of a 56-plus game season.
"We'll give up runs," Silva said. "We throw strikes, so we'll get hit. But from our seniors to freshmen, starters to relievers, position players to pinch hitters, everybody is pulling on the same side of the rope.
"Starters have been good and I'm just as excited about this team as coach (Darin) Erstad and all the players," said Silva, whose pitching staff carries a 2.68 earned-run average in the 13-6 season. Closer Josh Roeder was touched for a run in the ninth inning, but that was just the fourth run the NU bullpen has allowed in the past 12 games.
Add in starting strength, like that shown by freshman Garret King, who gave up six hits and two runs in five innings Tuesday, and you have a pretty good formula for winning games.
"Garret had a good breaking ball and was pounding the fastball, and other than the one he got behind and got smoked for a solo home run, he was strong," Erstad said. "Then (Jeff) Chesnut, (Colton) Howell and Roeder did their thing."
Chesnut, Howell and Roeder have been slamming the door on everybody they've faced since a trip to Houston for a three-game set.
But Silva said it's way too early in the season to assess the pitching staff.
"We'll add and subtract and see how people do week to week, but trying to stay the course is hard," he said.
"Credit King for figuring out what it takes to win, to compete," Silva said. "We reiterate what's important and keep positive.
"Credit to the bullpen for throwing strikes and competing in the strike zone, because that is so difficult to do, and then results take care of themselves."
Nebraska scored two in the third inning when Placzek, who has been hampered by finger injuries, singled and scored on a single by Boldt. Indiana State scored when Jacob Hayes mashed a solo home run off the right-field foul pole in the fourth and the Sycamores tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth on an RBI single.
"We can do better (on offense)," Erstad said. "I don't think we put a lot of great swings on it today. But, for me, Tuesdays and Wednesdays I have a different expectation level of how to grind it out. I can't tell you how many guys (were) sprinting from class or to class after this, and to play as clean as we did and get the win is all I'm worried about."
LJS: Boldt, Placzek lift Huskers
NU: Huskers Hold On for 4-3 Win Over Indiana State
Lincoln - The Indiana State Sycamores (8-8, 0-0 MVC) had the tying run on base in the top of the ninth, but Josh Roeder closed out a 4-3 win with a strikeout for his sixth save of the season. It was the Huskers' sixth straight victory, as they improved to 13-6 on the year.
The Huskers were outhit on the day, 8-6, but worked eight walks off the Sycamores' pitching staff, while Nebraska's staff issued just one free pass and struck out eight. Junior Jeff Chesnut earned the win and improved to 3-0 on the year following two innings of perfect relief with four strikeouts.
Ryan Boldt and Jake Placzek each notched two hits, with Boldt chipping in a pair of RBIs.
Placzek picked up NU's first hit of the game in the bottom of the third with a leadoff single and later scored the game's first run on a RBI single by Boldt. The Huskers pushed their lead to 2-0 when Jake Schleppenbach scored on a wild pitch from Indiana State starter David Stagg.
The Sycamores tied the game with a run in both the fourth and fifth innings, including a solo home run from Jacob Hayes in the fourth that bounced off the right-field foul pole.
After Chesnut retired the Sycamores in order in both the sixth and seventh innings, the Huskers regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out single by Boldt that scored Jake Meyers. Meyers got the two-out rally started when he worked a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a balk. After Boldt's single the Huskers loaded the bases with another single and a walk before Greg Kuhlman put an end to the threat with a ground out.
Colton Howell retired the Sycamores in order in the eighth and then the Huskers added an important insurance run on a one-out single by Placzek that put the Huskers in front 4-2.
Roeder took the mound in the ninth and got a pop out from the first batter he faced, but then Andy Young gave the Sycamores life when he doubled off the left-field wall. Roeder bounced back and struck out Andy DeJesus looking for the second out of the inning. Down to their last out, Indiana State got a RBI single from Kaden Moore and then had the tying run at first base, but Roeder struck out Connor McClain swinging to end the game.
The Huskers and Sycamores wrap up their two-game midweek series tomorrow at 1:35 p.m. Freshman Zack Engelken is scheduled to start for the Huskers, while lefty Trent Lunsford is scheduled to start for Indiana State.
NU: Huskers Hold On for 4-3 Win Over Indiana State
Lincoln - The Indiana State Sycamores (8-8, 0-0 MVC) had the tying run on base in the top of the ninth, but Josh Roeder closed out a 4-3 win with a strikeout for his sixth save of the season. It was the Huskers' sixth straight victory, as they improved to 13-6 on the year.
The Huskers were outhit on the day, 8-6, but worked eight walks off the Sycamores' pitching staff, while Nebraska's staff issued just one free pass and struck out eight. Junior Jeff Chesnut earned the win and improved to 3-0 on the year following two innings of perfect relief with four strikeouts.
Ryan Boldt and Jake Placzek each notched two hits, with Boldt chipping in a pair of RBIs.
Placzek picked up NU's first hit of the game in the bottom of the third with a leadoff single and later scored the game's first run on a RBI single by Boldt. The Huskers pushed their lead to 2-0 when Jake Schleppenbach scored on a wild pitch from Indiana State starter David Stagg.
The Sycamores tied the game with a run in both the fourth and fifth innings, including a solo home run from Jacob Hayes in the fourth that bounced off the right-field foul pole.
After Chesnut retired the Sycamores in order in both the sixth and seventh innings, the Huskers regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out single by Boldt that scored Jake Meyers. Meyers got the two-out rally started when he worked a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a balk. After Boldt's single the Huskers loaded the bases with another single and a walk before Greg Kuhlman put an end to the threat with a ground out.
Colton Howell retired the Sycamores in order in the eighth and then the Huskers added an important insurance run on a one-out single by Placzek that put the Huskers in front 4-2.
Roeder took the mound in the ninth and got a pop out from the first batter he faced, but then Andy Young gave the Sycamores life when he doubled off the left-field wall. Roeder bounced back and struck out Andy DeJesus looking for the second out of the inning. Down to their last out, Indiana State got a RBI single from Kaden Moore and then had the tying run at first base, but Roeder struck out Connor McClain swinging to end the game.
The Huskers and Sycamores wrap up their two-game midweek series tomorrow at 1:35 p.m. Freshman Zack Engelken is scheduled to start for the Huskers, while lefty Trent Lunsford is scheduled to start for Indiana State.
NU: Huskers Hold On for 4-3 Win Over Indiana State
ISU: Hayes Homers in Loss at Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. - The Indiana State baseball team dropped the first game against Nebraska 4-3 on Tuesday evening at Hawks Field in Lincoln, Neb. Indiana State drops to 8-8 on the season, while the Nebraska Cornhuskers improve to 13-6. The game was the first of a five-game road trip against Nebraska and Missouri State.
The Huskers scored first in the bottom of the third inning. Jake Placzek got on with a lead-off single, and then was driven home on a single from Ryan Boldt to give Nebraska the early lead. Jake Schleppenbach then scored on a wild pitch to make the score 2-0 in favor of the Cornhuskers.
The Sycamores cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth inning when Jacob Hayes hit his second homer of the season off the right field foul pole. After four innings, Indiana State trailed 2-1.
In the fifth, the Sycamores tied it up when Andrew Gutierrez singled to start the inning and scored on a Tyler Friis single.
Nebraska scored solo runs in the seventh and eighth innings to lead 4-2 heading into the final frame.
The Sycamores rallied in the ninth, scoring one run. Andy Young started the one-out rally with a double off the left field wall. After a strike out, Kaden Moore delivered a single up the middle to bring the score the final mark of 4-3.
On the mound, David Stagg started and went 5.2 innings, gave up two hits, two runs, both earned, walked four and struck out four. Michael Eberle (1-1) worked in relief and picked up the loss. Eberle finished 1.0 innings surrendering one run and gave up three walks. Greg Kuhlman and Nick Kolarik also worked in the game, with Kolarik giving up a run in the eighth.
At the plate, ISU was led by Moore and Young who finished with two hits each. Moore was two-for-three with an RBI, while Young finished two-for-four with an RBI and a run scored. Hayes and Friis finished the game one-for-four with an RBI each. Hayes and Gutierrez each scored a run.
The Sycamores face off against Nebraska again tomorrow, Mar. 18th at 2:35 p.m. (ET).
For the latest information on the Sycamore Men's Baseball team, make sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.
ISU: Hayes Homers in Loss at Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. - The Indiana State baseball team dropped the first game against Nebraska 4-3 on Tuesday evening at Hawks Field in Lincoln, Neb. Indiana State drops to 8-8 on the season, while the Nebraska Cornhuskers improve to 13-6. The game was the first of a five-game road trip against Nebraska and Missouri State.
The Huskers scored first in the bottom of the third inning. Jake Placzek got on with a lead-off single, and then was driven home on a single from Ryan Boldt to give Nebraska the early lead. Jake Schleppenbach then scored on a wild pitch to make the score 2-0 in favor of the Cornhuskers.
The Sycamores cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth inning when Jacob Hayes hit his second homer of the season off the right field foul pole. After four innings, Indiana State trailed 2-1.
In the fifth, the Sycamores tied it up when Andrew Gutierrez singled to start the inning and scored on a Tyler Friis single.
Nebraska scored solo runs in the seventh and eighth innings to lead 4-2 heading into the final frame.
The Sycamores rallied in the ninth, scoring one run. Andy Young started the one-out rally with a double off the left field wall. After a strike out, Kaden Moore delivered a single up the middle to bring the score the final mark of 4-3.
On the mound, David Stagg started and went 5.2 innings, gave up two hits, two runs, both earned, walked four and struck out four. Michael Eberle (1-1) worked in relief and picked up the loss. Eberle finished 1.0 innings surrendering one run and gave up three walks. Greg Kuhlman and Nick Kolarik also worked in the game, with Kolarik giving up a run in the eighth.
At the plate, ISU was led by Moore and Young who finished with two hits each. Moore was two-for-three with an RBI, while Young finished two-for-four with an RBI and a run scored. Hayes and Friis finished the game one-for-four with an RBI each. Hayes and Gutierrez each scored a run.
The Sycamores face off against Nebraska again tomorrow, Mar. 18th at 2:35 p.m. (ET).
For the latest information on the Sycamore Men's Baseball team, make sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.
ISU: Hayes Homers in Loss at Nebraska
BA - Tuesday Roundup: Gators Take Long And Winding Win
Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan could not have said it any better.
"They are not all going to be 2-1 ballgames," he told gatorzone.com.
The No. 2 Gators and No. 13 Seminoles combined for 22 runs, 25 hits and nearly four hours of baseball before Florida emerged with a 14-8 win over Florida State in front of 5,827 at McKethan Stadium, the fifth-largest home crowd in school history.
The Seminoles committed five errors-three by third baseman Dylan Busby-and starter Alec Byrd surrendered six earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings. FSU scored first, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the first, but the Gators came back with five in the bottom half of the inning. Florida State tied it at 7-7 in the top of the fifth, but the Gators regained the lead again in the bottom half and pulled away.
Touted freshman J.J. Schwarz hit a three-run homer, his fifth, for Florida, and Harrison Bader drove in three.
"It was a frustrating game, I'm sure, to watch from the fans' perspective because every time each team scored the other team went back out and gave it back up," O'Sullivan said. "It's just one of those nights."
Top 25 Showdowns
(10) Rice at (22) Houston
Freshman lefthander Seth Romero struck out nine in 6 1/3 strong innings and the Cougars scored five runs in the fourth to secure their sixth straight win, 8-3 over Rice in the Silver Glove Series. The Cougars have beaten the Owls four consecutive times, the longest streak in the series since 1990-91. Juco transfer Chris Iriart had two hits and freshman Connor Wong had a two-run double.
Top 25 Upsets
Winthrop at (6) South Carolina: Winthrop scored four times in the 11th inning and withstood a South Carolina rally to beat the Gamecocks for the first time in 19 years, 7-5. The Eagles snapped the Gamecocks' 10-game win streak and have beaten Clemson and South Carolina in the same season for the first time in school history.
"We came out and did what we had to do in the beginning," coach Tom Riginos told winthropeagles.com. "Our pitchers did an outstanding job and we got big hits when we needed them."
Babe Thomas had the big hit for Winthrop with a two-run single in the 11th. The Gamecocks brought the tying run to the plate in the 11th but fell short when Marcus Mooney popped up to end it.
Fresno State at (8) Southern California: Junior Taylor Ward hit a three-run homer and drove in five runs as Fresno State built a big lead early and pulled away for a 14-7 win at Dedeaux Field. A.J. Ramirez homered to bring USC within 8-4 in the fourth and the Trojans later got within 10-7, but the Bulldogs scored four times in the eighth for the final margin. The Bulldogs used nine pitchers, with William Munro pitching 2 2/3 innings for the win. Fresno State had 17 hits, doing damage against starter freshman righthander Mason Perryman (2.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 2 K) and four relievers.
Oral Roberts at (12) Texas Tech: Oral Roberts rallied from a 6-0 deficit and took advantage of two Texas Tech errors in the 11th to upend the Red Raiders 9-7. Matt Whatley and Derrian James each had three hits and Matt Brandy knocked in three runs for the winners, who used seven pitchers. Eric Gutierrez helped Texas Tech build its big lead with a homer and four RBIs. Ty Damron (5 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K) kept Oral Roberts in check but the Golden Eagles rallied in the sixth against freshman lefthander Parker Mushinski.
(21) Texas at Texas Arlington: Texas Arlington rallied from three runs down in the ninth-with freshman Will Olson's two-run single the big hit-and won it on a wild pitch in the 10th to beat the Longhorns in front of a crowd of 4,123 at Globe Life Park, the home of the Texas Rangers.
Olson was hitting just .111 before his two-run single.
"I was just waiting for my opportunity to help this team out and I got it," Olson told utamavs.com. "I got a fastball to hit and I didn't miss it."
Eric Tate was 4-for-4 for UTA, while C.J. Hinojosa was 3-for-5 and Tres Barerra was 2-for-3 for Texas.
Other Top 25 Results
(1) LSU at Southern
The Tigers scored twice in the 10th to escape with a 4-2 win. Sophomore Jake Fraley began the winning rally with a double and moved to third on junior Mark Laird's single. Junior Alex Bregman's grounder brought in the go-ahead run and Laird then scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Chinea. Six LSU pitchers held Southern to six hits with sophomore righthanded starter Russell Reynolds (4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K) and sophomore righthander Hunter Newman (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) doing the bulk of the work.
"I'm very proud of our players for competing in a tough road environment and leaving here with a victory," LSU coach Paul Mainieri told lsusports.net. "It wasn't an artistic success, but our kids play under a lot of pressure because they're expected to win every time they step on the field. Southern was loose and relaxed and they played a great game, but our players managed to find a way to win."
Texas-Pan American at (3) Texas Christian: The Horned Frogs won their seventh in a row, blanking UTPA 5-0 behind sophomore righthander Brian Howard (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) and four relievers. Derek Odell led TCU's offense with three hits and two RBIs.
Tennessee Tech at (4) Vanderbilt
The Commodores scored four times in the first, highlighted by Tyler Campbell's two-run single, and didn't look back in a 9-1 win. Redshirt freshman lefthander Ryan Johnson (6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K) was sharp and has allowed only one run in his past 12 1/3 innings.
Prairie View A&M at (5) Texas A&M
The Aggies won their 22nd in a row to start the season-the second-best start in their history next to 1989′s 26-0-as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead en route to an 11-2 win. J.B. Moss and Ronnie Gideon each had two hits and Mitchell Nau drove in two. Texas A&M used six pitchers to get 4 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen after Brigham Hill (4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K) started.
(7) Central Florida at Bethune-Cookman
Senior Tommy Williams went 6-for-7 with a homer and two doubles and UCF rapped a season-high 20 hits in an 18-13 win. Williams' six hits were the most by a Knights player since Eric Riggs did it against Stetson on April 10, 1998.
"Over the course of a 56-game regular season, every team in the country is going to go through highs and lows and ups and downs," head coach Terry Rooney said. "Right now, our offense is incredible and is doing a terrific job this season. Our pitching is struggling over the past couple of games, but we are going to get better. The bottom line is our guys are finding ways to win."
JoMarcos Woods and Erik Barber also homered for UCF. Standout two-way freshman Kyle Marsh pitched three scoreless innings in the start but did not figure in the decision.
Purdue at (11) Louisville: Junior righthander Anthony Kidston-moved out of the weekend rotation after early season struggles-was solid (5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 6 K) as the Cardinals beat Purdue 5-3 to finish a 15-game homestand at 12-3. Senior Sutton Whiting had two of Louisville's seven hits and freshman righthander Kade McClure got the final six outs for his first save. With freshman Brendan McKay moved into the rotation and closer Zack Burdi just back from injury, McClure is the fourth Cardinal to get a save this season. You can see all the highlights here.
Towson at (14) Virginia: Senior Kenny Towns went 4-for-4 with three doubles to back sophomore Alec Bettinger (5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K) and three relievers as the Cavaliers ended a four-game slide with an 8-0 win. Freshman center fielder Ernie Clement had two hits and made a terrific diving play that he turned into a double play in the fifth.
Army at (17) Miami: David Thompson, the reigning ACC player of the week, continued a blazing stretch with two homers-including a grand slam-as Miami defeated Army 9-1. Thompson now has six homers and the junior has 18 RBIs in the past six games.
"I was feeling comfortable at the plate, like I have been the last couple of weeks," Thompson told hurricanesports.com. "Just putting good swings on some pitches. Hopefully I can stay hot the rest of the year."
There was little doubt that both of Thompson's shots would leave the park. "I knew they were gone when I hit them," Thompson said.
Sophomore lefthander Danny Garcia (7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K) was the beneficiary of Thompson's prowess to improve to 4-0.
Eastern Illinois at (20) Mississippi State
Senior lefthander Lucas Laster threw Mississippi State's second complete game in three games in a 5-2 win. Laster (9 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K) improved to 3-0 as MSU moved to 17-6. Wes Rea had the big hit with a bases-clearing double in a four-run third.
(23) Georgia Tech at Kennesaw State: Yellow Jackets freshman sensation Kel Johnson tied the game with a two-out single in the ninth, and Tech took the lead in the 11th and hung on to beat Kennesaw State 7-6. The Yellow Jackets took a 7-5 lead in the 11th when Grant Wruble, who walked, scored on a throwing error and Matt Gonzalez added a sacrifice fly. Kennesaw State loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with three straight one-out singles, but Zac Ryan escaped with two groundballs to end it.
Valparaiso at (24) Indiana
Seven Indiana pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts as the Hoosiers won their 11th in a row, 4-0. Junior righthander Scott Effross, recovering from arm soreness, pitched for the first time since Feb. 27 and threw a scoreless inning but freshman righthander Brian Hobbie (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 K) did the bulk of the work and got his third win. Brad Hartong had a two-run single in the seventh to break open a 1-0 game.
Other Notable Games
Liberty at Virginia Tech: Fresh off a sweep of Virginia, the Hokies got stunned early as Liberty scored four times in the second and Becker Sankey homered twice, including a grand slam, in Liberty's 12-5 win. Joey Sullivan got roughed up (2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K) in the start for Virginia Tech. Freshman lefthander Michael Stafford (7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K) was the beneficiary of Liberty's 14-hit attack.
Clemson at Coastal Carolina: David Parrett's grand slam capped a five-run third inning as Coastal Carolina beat Clemson 9-5, dropping the Tigers to 2-7 since they took two of three from South Carolina. Tyler Chadwick also homered for the Chanticleers.
North Carolina State at UNC Greensboro: Senior Eric Kalbfleisch hit a two-run homer during a five-run second inning and UNC Greensboro went on to a 7-3 win over the Wolfpack. Freshman righthander Andrew Wantz (4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 2 K) improved to 3-0 for UNCG.
Davidson at North Carolina:
Davidson ran out to a 10-0 lead but had to hold on as left fielder Ty Middlebrooks made a juggling catch at the wall for the final out of a 12-11 victory at Boshamer Field. Alec Acosta had a three-run double and David Daniels had a three-run homer for Davidson as it built an early lead and beat the Tar Heels for the first time since April 2, 1987, and the first time in Chapel Hill since 1972. Korey Dunbar and Brian Miller each had four hits for UNC, which also got homers from Alex Raburn and Logan Warmoth. With the potential winning runs on base in the ninth, Warmoth hit a shot to left that Middlebrooks ran down to end the game.
Columbia at Duke
Senior Andy Perez homered and freshman Jack Labosky drove in two runs as Duke beat Columbia 5-2 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Freshman Chris McGrath (2-0) struck out five in three scoreless innings in relief for the win.
Maryland at Elon: Sophomore Brandon Lowe had four hits and knocked in three runs as Maryland rallied from a 5-1 deficit for a 15-5 win. Ryan Selmer (4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) picked up the Terps in relief of Brian Shaffer (2.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 0 K). Kevin Martir homered for Maryland. Chris King and James Venuto homered for Elon to provide the early support.
California at San Francisco: Freshman lefthander Sam Granoff (7 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K) kept the Dons in the game and Nico Giarratano broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run double in the eighth as San Francisco won its seventh of the past nine games. The Dons entered the eighth inning with only two hits but Ryan Matranga singled to center. After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk to Connor Hofmann, Giarratano delivered his winning hit.
Arkansas-Little Rock at Missouri State: Missouri State scored six times in the third inning to give coach Keith Guttin his 1,100th career win in a 10-3 victory. Guttin became the 33rd NCAA Division I head coach to reach the 1,100 win mark. Guttin has been at Missouri State-formerly Southwest Missouri State-since 1983 and has led MSU to regionals eight times and the College World Series once in 2003. His career record stands at 1,100-702.
BA - Tuesday Roundup
Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan could not have said it any better.
"They are not all going to be 2-1 ballgames," he told gatorzone.com.
The No. 2 Gators and No. 13 Seminoles combined for 22 runs, 25 hits and nearly four hours of baseball before Florida emerged with a 14-8 win over Florida State in front of 5,827 at McKethan Stadium, the fifth-largest home crowd in school history.
The Seminoles committed five errors-three by third baseman Dylan Busby-and starter Alec Byrd surrendered six earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings. FSU scored first, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the first, but the Gators came back with five in the bottom half of the inning. Florida State tied it at 7-7 in the top of the fifth, but the Gators regained the lead again in the bottom half and pulled away.
Touted freshman J.J. Schwarz hit a three-run homer, his fifth, for Florida, and Harrison Bader drove in three.
"It was a frustrating game, I'm sure, to watch from the fans' perspective because every time each team scored the other team went back out and gave it back up," O'Sullivan said. "It's just one of those nights."
Top 25 Showdowns
(10) Rice at (22) Houston
Freshman lefthander Seth Romero struck out nine in 6 1/3 strong innings and the Cougars scored five runs in the fourth to secure their sixth straight win, 8-3 over Rice in the Silver Glove Series. The Cougars have beaten the Owls four consecutive times, the longest streak in the series since 1990-91. Juco transfer Chris Iriart had two hits and freshman Connor Wong had a two-run double.
Top 25 Upsets
Winthrop at (6) South Carolina: Winthrop scored four times in the 11th inning and withstood a South Carolina rally to beat the Gamecocks for the first time in 19 years, 7-5. The Eagles snapped the Gamecocks' 10-game win streak and have beaten Clemson and South Carolina in the same season for the first time in school history.
"We came out and did what we had to do in the beginning," coach Tom Riginos told winthropeagles.com. "Our pitchers did an outstanding job and we got big hits when we needed them."
Babe Thomas had the big hit for Winthrop with a two-run single in the 11th. The Gamecocks brought the tying run to the plate in the 11th but fell short when Marcus Mooney popped up to end it.
Fresno State at (8) Southern California: Junior Taylor Ward hit a three-run homer and drove in five runs as Fresno State built a big lead early and pulled away for a 14-7 win at Dedeaux Field. A.J. Ramirez homered to bring USC within 8-4 in the fourth and the Trojans later got within 10-7, but the Bulldogs scored four times in the eighth for the final margin. The Bulldogs used nine pitchers, with William Munro pitching 2 2/3 innings for the win. Fresno State had 17 hits, doing damage against starter freshman righthander Mason Perryman (2.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 2 K) and four relievers.
Oral Roberts at (12) Texas Tech: Oral Roberts rallied from a 6-0 deficit and took advantage of two Texas Tech errors in the 11th to upend the Red Raiders 9-7. Matt Whatley and Derrian James each had three hits and Matt Brandy knocked in three runs for the winners, who used seven pitchers. Eric Gutierrez helped Texas Tech build its big lead with a homer and four RBIs. Ty Damron (5 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K) kept Oral Roberts in check but the Golden Eagles rallied in the sixth against freshman lefthander Parker Mushinski.
(21) Texas at Texas Arlington: Texas Arlington rallied from three runs down in the ninth-with freshman Will Olson's two-run single the big hit-and won it on a wild pitch in the 10th to beat the Longhorns in front of a crowd of 4,123 at Globe Life Park, the home of the Texas Rangers.
Olson was hitting just .111 before his two-run single.
"I was just waiting for my opportunity to help this team out and I got it," Olson told utamavs.com. "I got a fastball to hit and I didn't miss it."
Eric Tate was 4-for-4 for UTA, while C.J. Hinojosa was 3-for-5 and Tres Barerra was 2-for-3 for Texas.
Other Top 25 Results
(1) LSU at Southern
The Tigers scored twice in the 10th to escape with a 4-2 win. Sophomore Jake Fraley began the winning rally with a double and moved to third on junior Mark Laird's single. Junior Alex Bregman's grounder brought in the go-ahead run and Laird then scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Chinea. Six LSU pitchers held Southern to six hits with sophomore righthanded starter Russell Reynolds (4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K) and sophomore righthander Hunter Newman (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) doing the bulk of the work.
"I'm very proud of our players for competing in a tough road environment and leaving here with a victory," LSU coach Paul Mainieri told lsusports.net. "It wasn't an artistic success, but our kids play under a lot of pressure because they're expected to win every time they step on the field. Southern was loose and relaxed and they played a great game, but our players managed to find a way to win."
Texas-Pan American at (3) Texas Christian: The Horned Frogs won their seventh in a row, blanking UTPA 5-0 behind sophomore righthander Brian Howard (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) and four relievers. Derek Odell led TCU's offense with three hits and two RBIs.
Tennessee Tech at (4) Vanderbilt
The Commodores scored four times in the first, highlighted by Tyler Campbell's two-run single, and didn't look back in a 9-1 win. Redshirt freshman lefthander Ryan Johnson (6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K) was sharp and has allowed only one run in his past 12 1/3 innings.
Prairie View A&M at (5) Texas A&M
The Aggies won their 22nd in a row to start the season-the second-best start in their history next to 1989′s 26-0-as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead en route to an 11-2 win. J.B. Moss and Ronnie Gideon each had two hits and Mitchell Nau drove in two. Texas A&M used six pitchers to get 4 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen after Brigham Hill (4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K) started.
(7) Central Florida at Bethune-Cookman
Senior Tommy Williams went 6-for-7 with a homer and two doubles and UCF rapped a season-high 20 hits in an 18-13 win. Williams' six hits were the most by a Knights player since Eric Riggs did it against Stetson on April 10, 1998.
"Over the course of a 56-game regular season, every team in the country is going to go through highs and lows and ups and downs," head coach Terry Rooney said. "Right now, our offense is incredible and is doing a terrific job this season. Our pitching is struggling over the past couple of games, but we are going to get better. The bottom line is our guys are finding ways to win."
JoMarcos Woods and Erik Barber also homered for UCF. Standout two-way freshman Kyle Marsh pitched three scoreless innings in the start but did not figure in the decision.
Purdue at (11) Louisville: Junior righthander Anthony Kidston-moved out of the weekend rotation after early season struggles-was solid (5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 6 K) as the Cardinals beat Purdue 5-3 to finish a 15-game homestand at 12-3. Senior Sutton Whiting had two of Louisville's seven hits and freshman righthander Kade McClure got the final six outs for his first save. With freshman Brendan McKay moved into the rotation and closer Zack Burdi just back from injury, McClure is the fourth Cardinal to get a save this season. You can see all the highlights here.
Towson at (14) Virginia: Senior Kenny Towns went 4-for-4 with three doubles to back sophomore Alec Bettinger (5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K) and three relievers as the Cavaliers ended a four-game slide with an 8-0 win. Freshman center fielder Ernie Clement had two hits and made a terrific diving play that he turned into a double play in the fifth.
Army at (17) Miami: David Thompson, the reigning ACC player of the week, continued a blazing stretch with two homers-including a grand slam-as Miami defeated Army 9-1. Thompson now has six homers and the junior has 18 RBIs in the past six games.
"I was feeling comfortable at the plate, like I have been the last couple of weeks," Thompson told hurricanesports.com. "Just putting good swings on some pitches. Hopefully I can stay hot the rest of the year."
There was little doubt that both of Thompson's shots would leave the park. "I knew they were gone when I hit them," Thompson said.
Sophomore lefthander Danny Garcia (7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K) was the beneficiary of Thompson's prowess to improve to 4-0.
Eastern Illinois at (20) Mississippi State
Senior lefthander Lucas Laster threw Mississippi State's second complete game in three games in a 5-2 win. Laster (9 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K) improved to 3-0 as MSU moved to 17-6. Wes Rea had the big hit with a bases-clearing double in a four-run third.
(23) Georgia Tech at Kennesaw State: Yellow Jackets freshman sensation Kel Johnson tied the game with a two-out single in the ninth, and Tech took the lead in the 11th and hung on to beat Kennesaw State 7-6. The Yellow Jackets took a 7-5 lead in the 11th when Grant Wruble, who walked, scored on a throwing error and Matt Gonzalez added a sacrifice fly. Kennesaw State loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with three straight one-out singles, but Zac Ryan escaped with two groundballs to end it.
Valparaiso at (24) Indiana
Seven Indiana pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts as the Hoosiers won their 11th in a row, 4-0. Junior righthander Scott Effross, recovering from arm soreness, pitched for the first time since Feb. 27 and threw a scoreless inning but freshman righthander Brian Hobbie (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 K) did the bulk of the work and got his third win. Brad Hartong had a two-run single in the seventh to break open a 1-0 game.
Other Notable Games
Liberty at Virginia Tech: Fresh off a sweep of Virginia, the Hokies got stunned early as Liberty scored four times in the second and Becker Sankey homered twice, including a grand slam, in Liberty's 12-5 win. Joey Sullivan got roughed up (2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K) in the start for Virginia Tech. Freshman lefthander Michael Stafford (7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K) was the beneficiary of Liberty's 14-hit attack.
Clemson at Coastal Carolina: David Parrett's grand slam capped a five-run third inning as Coastal Carolina beat Clemson 9-5, dropping the Tigers to 2-7 since they took two of three from South Carolina. Tyler Chadwick also homered for the Chanticleers.
North Carolina State at UNC Greensboro: Senior Eric Kalbfleisch hit a two-run homer during a five-run second inning and UNC Greensboro went on to a 7-3 win over the Wolfpack. Freshman righthander Andrew Wantz (4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 2 K) improved to 3-0 for UNCG.
Davidson at North Carolina:
Davidson ran out to a 10-0 lead but had to hold on as left fielder Ty Middlebrooks made a juggling catch at the wall for the final out of a 12-11 victory at Boshamer Field. Alec Acosta had a three-run double and David Daniels had a three-run homer for Davidson as it built an early lead and beat the Tar Heels for the first time since April 2, 1987, and the first time in Chapel Hill since 1972. Korey Dunbar and Brian Miller each had four hits for UNC, which also got homers from Alex Raburn and Logan Warmoth. With the potential winning runs on base in the ninth, Warmoth hit a shot to left that Middlebrooks ran down to end the game.
Columbia at Duke
Senior Andy Perez homered and freshman Jack Labosky drove in two runs as Duke beat Columbia 5-2 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Freshman Chris McGrath (2-0) struck out five in three scoreless innings in relief for the win.
Maryland at Elon: Sophomore Brandon Lowe had four hits and knocked in three runs as Maryland rallied from a 5-1 deficit for a 15-5 win. Ryan Selmer (4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) picked up the Terps in relief of Brian Shaffer (2.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 0 K). Kevin Martir homered for Maryland. Chris King and James Venuto homered for Elon to provide the early support.
California at San Francisco: Freshman lefthander Sam Granoff (7 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K) kept the Dons in the game and Nico Giarratano broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run double in the eighth as San Francisco won its seventh of the past nine games. The Dons entered the eighth inning with only two hits but Ryan Matranga singled to center. After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk to Connor Hofmann, Giarratano delivered his winning hit.
Arkansas-Little Rock at Missouri State: Missouri State scored six times in the third inning to give coach Keith Guttin his 1,100th career win in a 10-3 victory. Guttin became the 33rd NCAA Division I head coach to reach the 1,100 win mark. Guttin has been at Missouri State-formerly Southwest Missouri State-since 1983 and has led MSU to regionals eight times and the College World Series once in 2003. His career record stands at 1,100-702.
BA - Tuesday Roundup
