FROM PRESS RELEASES
JMU 8 Georgia State 3
PANTHERSVILLE, Ga., March 9, 2008 – James Madison University took command with a six-run fourth inning and sophomore Kyle Hoffman (Reading, Pa./Twin Valley) pitched eight innings in an 8-3 victory to complete a Colonial Athletic Association sweep of Georgia State University on Sunday afternoon at The Field at Panthersville.
JMU won its fourth in a row to improve to 8-3 overall while also running its CAA mark to 5-1. The sweep was the first for the Dukes in conference play since May of 2006. JMU improved to 11-2 all-time against GSU, which fell to 9-4 overall for the season and 0-3 in the CAA.
James Madison Recap
Georgia State Recap
Kentucky 3 Purdue 2
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Sophomore Keenan Wiley’s single through the left side of the infield – with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning – scored Neiko Johnson from second base, giving the No. 9 Kentucky baseball team a dramatic, come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Purdue Boilermakers, on Sunday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Kentucky (11-0) strolled to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with its 7-8-9 hitters due up. Senior catcher Tyler Howe, whose two passed balls in the fourth inning allowed Purdue’s two runs to score, led off the inning with a single into left field. The speedy Johnson was immediately inserted to pinch run for Howe, and Ryan Wilkes, the UK season and career record holder for sacrifices, moved Johnson into scoring position with a perfectly-placed sacrifice bunt. After Wade struck out, Wiley booted a 0-2 offering from Purdue ace closer Josh Lindblom – thought by some to be a future first-round MLB draft pick – through the left side of the infield. Johnson, leading off at second, had to jump high in the air to avoid being struck by Wiley’s line-drive single, scampering home to score the winning run.
Kentucky Recap
Purdue Recap
South Florida 9 Savannah State 8 (10 innings)
TAMPA, Fla. – With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, down by three, the University of South Florida baseball team tied the game, then went on to beat Savannah State 9-8 in 10 innings Sunday afternoon at Red McEwen Field.
USF is now 2-0 in extra inning games, and 6-5 overall.
In the ninth, freshman Ryan Lockwood singled to left field, then junior Brandon Smith was hit by a pitch and junior Addison Maruszak drew a walk to load the bases. Junior Brian Hobbs then belted a single to left field, scoring two. Freshman Jonathan Koscso stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, reaching on an error by the Tiger shortstop, which allowed USF to score the tying run.
In the 10th, junior Trey Manz led USF to its sixth win of the season by sending a two-out single up the middle to score Lockwood, who drew a walk to lead off the inning.
USF set two school records in the game, along with the NCAA record (tie) for two grand slams in an inning during Saturday’s game. On Sunday, the Bulls were hit by nine pitches in the game, updating the old mark of six, which was set on May 6, 2007 against Georgia Tech. USF also tied school record for walks drawn (16), which was set on Feb. 8, 2000 against Stetson.
Combined, 24 walks were issued in the game as USF drew 16 and SSU took eight bases on balls.
USF loaded the bases eight times in 10 innings and left 19 runners on base throughout the game. SSU also had trouble cleaning off the bags, leaving 13 on base.
In his first start, freshman Kevin Quackenbush opened the game with a strikeout and ended his first collegiate inning with a second K. Freshmen Doug Wagner, Zach Pietrzyk and Junior Carlin all took the mound before sophomore Shawn Sanford came in to close the game, striking out five and allowing one run from five hits in 4.2 innings.
Six Bulls had hits in the game, including Lockwood, Smith, Hobbs (2), Manz, Mike Consolmagno and Joey Angelberger.
South Florida Recap
Savannah State Recap
Gonzaga 16 University of the Pacific 7
STOCKTON, Calif.- Ryan Wiegand recorded four multiple-hits to drive in six runs ast the Gonzaga University baseball team posted a 16-7 victory over the University of the Pacific Sunday at Klein Family Field in Stockton, Calif.. The win provided the Zags with a series sweep of the Tigers as Gonzaga had won the first two games of the three-game series.
Wiegand posted a big weekend for the Bulldogs (6-5), as the junior hit at a .467 clip going 7-for-15 with three doubles, a triple and two home runs. Wiegand also led the Zags with 10 runs batted in during the series. In total, the entire Zag roster enjoyed a strong weekend at the plate as seven Bulldogs hit over .300 including Marcus McKimmy who hit .583 for the weekend.
Cory Powell (2-1) earned the victory Sunday as the senior held the Tigers (2-10) to four runs on eight hits over 6.0 innings. CJ McClure and Jake Adkins saw time out of pen for GU, highlighted by two-innings of perfect ball by McClure. Pacific’s Cory Kohnke (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits over the opening two frames.
The Bulldogs scored in every inning, except the fifth frame. In the first, GU jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on run-scoring hits by McKimmy, Brett Nicholas and Grant Kveder. Gonzaga doubled its run total to six in the second inning with a three-run home run to right field by Wiegand.
In the third, Kveder added another run as the junior doubled down the right field line to scored Mark Castellitto, who had recorded a double to left field. Castellitto would finish the afternoon going 3-for-5 with a double and a triple.
Gonzaga posted two more runs in the fourth to extend its lead to 9-0, as Nicholas recorded his first home run of his collegiate career – a two-run shot that scored McKimmy. McKimmy led GU for runs scored on the afternoon with five.
The Tigers got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with four runs. Sending 10 batters to the plate, Pacific scored its four runs on six hits, including a two-run double to left center by John Joines.
In the sixth, GU added another run when McKimmy scored on Wiegand’s second double of the afternoon. Wiegand drove home two more in the seventh as the Bulldogs scored three runs. The first run of the frame was scored by Jason Chatwood on a one-run single by McKimmy.
Evan Wells drove home the lone run of the eighth inning as the junior drew a bases loaded walk to score Bryan Winston. GU added two more runs in the ninth as pinch hitter Shawn Wayt scored on an error and Brandon Blank was plated on a single by Anthony Synegal.
Pacific added three runs in the bottom of the ninth to narrow the score to 16-7. Joe Oliveira, J.B. Brown and Joines scored runs thanks to a two-run double by Adam Ching and a ground out by Kurt Wiedman.
Gonzaga will return to the field Monday as it opens the 2008 Pepsi/Johnny Quick Classic in Fresno, Calif. The Zags will play six games in the next days as they wrap-up a nine-game spring break trip. A.J. Proszek is expected to get the starting nod for GU on Monday as the open the tournament against Indiana University at 10 a.m.
Gonzaga Recap
University of the Pacific Recap
