FROM PRESS RELEASE
San Diego 6 Fullerton 2
FULLERTON, Calif. – The 21st-ranked University of San Diego baseball team scored four unanswered runs in picking up a 6-2 win over No. 16 Cal State Fullerton Tuesday evening in a non-conference game at Goodwin Field.
With the win, the Toreros improve to 8-7 overall and improve to 6-1 against ranked opponents this season. With the loss, the Titans fall to 8-5, suffered their first home loss of the season and saw their five-game winning streak come to an end.
USD wasted no time in scoring as in the second inning they pushed across one run on no hits. Kevin Muno and Anthony Strazzara began the inning on back-to-back walks and each moved up one base on a Logan Gelbrich sacrifice bunt. James Meador then drove in Muno with a RBI groundout to the shortstop to give USD a 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, the Toreros doubled their lead with a run scored on a Sean Nicol sacrifice fly to right field, which scored Muno, who had singled.
The Titans then evened the score in the bottom of the third inning when they scored two runs on run-scoring doubles by Chris Jones and Christian Colon.
Two innings later, the Toreros took back the lead with three runs on three hits. Kevin Hansen led off the inning with a single through the right side and he advanced to second on a Muno infield bunt single. Each runner then moved up one base on a Victor Sanchez ground out to the second baseman and Anthony Strazzara then hit a two-out two-run double to right center to give USD a 5-2 lead.
San Diego added to their lead in the top of the seventh inning on Sanchez’s fifth home run of the season, a solo shot over the left centerfield fence to move the score to 6-2.
Offensively for the Toreros, Sanchez led the way as he went 5-for-2 with one home run, one double and one RBI. Both Muno and Hansen also picked up multiple hits on the evening with Muno going 2-for-5 and Hansen going 2-for-4.
Romanski (2-0) picks up the win on the mound for the Toreros as he allowed two runs on four hits in 5.2 innings of work. Michael Morrison (0-1) was saddled with the loss for the Titans as he allowed three runs on three hits in 1.2 innings of work.
The Toreros will return to action on Thursday as they return to Cunningham Stadium as they host Western Illinois University in a 2 p.m. game.
TCU 10 Prairie View A&M 1
FORT WORTH, Texas – The TCU Horned Frogs dominated in every aspect of the game as they drilled Prairie View A&M, 10-1, Tuesday night at Lupton Stadium. A five-run second inning helped propel the Frogs to their third straight victory. Matt Carpenter drove in three runs, while Bryan Kervin and Bryan Holaday each tallied two hits. Sean Hoelscher notched his first career victory.
Holaday got the ball rolling for the Frogs in the second inning with a lead-off single. Carpenter drilled a one-out line drive over the center fielder’s head and raced around the bases for an inside the park home run to give TCU the 2-0 lead. Hunt Woodruff was hit by the pitch, followed by a Steve Ellington base hit. Brett Medlin loaded the bases with another single. Two runs scored and Ben Carruthers ended up on third base following an errant throw by the third baseman on a ground ball down the line. A Kervin single plated Carruthers to give the Frogs a commanding 5-0 lead.
The Frogs tacked on another run in the third inning without the benefit of a hit. Matt Vern worked a one-out walk and moved to third on two wild pitches from Panther starter Derek Zapata. A Carpenter ground out to second drove in Vern for a 6-0 TCU lead.
Prairie View cracked the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. A base hit by John Villapanda was followed by back-to-back walks, loading the bases with only one out. Rashad White drove the ball to deep center field for a sacrifice fly, accounting for the Panthers lone run of the game. They had just three base runners in the final four innings.
TCU, meanwhile, continued to stretch its lead as they added two runs in the sixth inning. Kervin drew a walk and Clint Arnold followed with a base hit. Holaday doubled home Kervin and Vern followed with a ground ball to second that scored Arnold to make it 8-1.
Two more runs in the eighth accounted for the final score as the Frogs went to their bench. Kervin started things with a one-out walk. Eric Givens followed with a walk and Jimmie Pharr was hit by the pitch to load the bases. Corey Steglich drove a two-out Deston James offering through the left side for a two-run single.
The Frogs sent five pitchers to the mound as they combined to limit the Panthers to just three hits, while tallying 12 strikeouts. Hoelscher (1-0) was brilliant in his three innings of work. He faced the minimum nine batters and tallied four strikeouts. Paul Gerrish surrendered the lone run on two hits in two innings.
Matt Coburn tossed two scoreless innings with no hits allowed and two strikeouts. Dillon Farish and Andrew Cashner pitched the final two innings, with Farish notching one strikeout, while Cashner struck out the side around a two-out walk.
The Frogs improve to 8-5 on the season. They will wrap up the series with Prairie View A&M Wednesday night at Lupton Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m.
Maryland 5 Delaware 1
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Senior Brett Tidball pitched four shutout innings in his first start of the season and Gerry Spessard hit his fourth home run this year as the University of Maryland baseball team snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory against the Delaware Blue Hens Tuesday evening at Shipley Field.
The Terps (6-7, 0-3) never trailed in the game, plating two runs in the bottom of the second via small ball.
Third baseman Mike Murphy (Silver Spring, Md./Georgetown Prep) led off with a double to left-center field. First baseman Will Greenberg (Gaithersburg, Md./Washington College) followed with a single through the left side, advancing Murphy to third and taking second on the throw.
Maryland then came through with two productive outs to score the runners. AJ Casario (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook) grounded out to first to bring in Murphy and Nick Jowers (Beltsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic) grounded out to short to score Greenberg.
Jowers made it 3-0 Terps in the bottom of the fourth, blasting his first home run of the season over the wall in dead-center field.
Tidball (Bethesda, Md./Georgetown Prep) left the game after four shutout innings and was replaced by freshman Brett Harman (Westminster, Md./Westminster).
Harman pitched two scoreless innings before getting into a jam in the top of the seventh.
Delaware (3-10, 0-3) put two on with no outs against Harman via an infield single and a walk. Harman was then replaced by freshman Matt Quinn (North Wales, Pa./North Penn).
Quinn induced a potential double-play ball off the bat of Blue Hens slugger Adam Tsakonas, but shortstop Steve Braun (Granada Hills, Calif./Pierce CC) struggled to transfer the ball from his glove to throwing hand and all runners reached safely, loading the bases with still no outs for All-American candidate Alex Buchholz.
Buchholz got Delaware on the board with a sacrifice fly to right field, but Quinn avoided further damage with a strikeout and ground-out to the next two batters.
Up 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Spessard (Hagerstown, Md./Smithsburg) added some insurance, launching a two-run homer to right field. It was Spessard’s fourth home run of the season, tying his career high and giving him the team lead this season.
Tidball earned the win, while starter Dan Richardson took the loss for Delaware. Quinn earned his first career save as he entered the game in the seventh with the tying run at the plate.
Senior Chad Durakis (Cockeysville, Md./St. Pauls) was hit by a pitch for the fifth time this season. Greenberg had two hits for the Terps.
The Terps and Blue Hens meet again tomorrow for a 3 p.m. game at Shipley Field. Admission is free and WMUCSports.com will broadcast the game online.
UNC-Wilmington 6 Campbell 4
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Seniors Daniel Hargrave, Jes Snyder and Jason Appel had two hits apiece and senior closer Larry Salefsky escaped a bases loaded jam in the ninth inning as UNC Wilmington edged Campbell, 6-4, in college baseball action Tuesday at Taylor Field.
The Seahawks raised their record to 10-4 with their ninth straight win and also extended their winning streak to nine straight against the Camels. Campbell saw its record even at 6-6 with the loss and had a 3-game winning streak also halted.
Senior Allen Flood (1-0) earned the win for the Seahawks while Salefsky earned his fourth save of the season. The Seahawk bullpen combined for 5 1/3 innings of shutout baseball.
Senior Ryan Hamme (0-1), who also finished with three hits, was tagged with the loss in his first start of the season. Hamme, a native of Wilmington, allowed four runs on three hits and a pair of walks in 3 1/3 innings.
The Camels jumped in front in the first inning taking advantage of a pair of Seahawk throwing errors, a hit batter and a single for a 3-0 lead. Zach Johnson, who was hit by Braxton’s first pitch of the game, came around to score on a throwing error by Hargrave and the second run came across the plate on a throwing error by senior third baseman Nate Hall.
Brandon Scott pushed the Camels lead to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to right in the bottom of the third.
UNCW broke through in the top of the fourth against Hamme, who held the Seahawks hitless over the first three innings. The Seahawks collected five runs on five hits off Hamme and CU reliever Hunter Ford to take a 5-3 lead. Snyder doubled inside the third base bag off Ford to give UNCW a 4-3 lead and senior Justin Barefoot knocked in the fifth and final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.
After retiring the first two Camels on three pitches in the bottom of the fourth, Braxton walked the next two batters forcing him out of the game for Flood. Johnson followed with a RBI single to left to narrow CU’s deficit to 5-4.
Carver delivered a 2-out RBI single in the top of the fifth to make 6-4 Seahawks.
Campbell, who stranded 12 runners on base on the evening, loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth without aid of a hit, but Salefsky struck out two, including the final out to end the threat.
The Seahawks return to Colonial Athletic Association action this weekend with a 3-game series at Hofstra. The series is slated to begin on Friday with a 3 p.m. start.
Game 1: Kentucky 18 Eastern Michigan 5
Game 2: Kentucky 8 Eastern Michigan 6
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior Brian Spear ripped his second homer of the season, to complement four-RBI, as the No. 4 Kentucky baseball team put the finishing touches on a doubleheader with Eastern Michigan, claiming game one, 18-5 and game two, 8-6, on Tuesday at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Spear led UK offensively with a 2-for-5 game, ripping a towering bomb and later adding the game-deciding double. Senior second baseman Ryan Wilkes, currently batting .500 (17-for-34), finished a club-best 3-for-4 in the second game, also drawing a walk. Preseason All-American outfielder Collin Cowgill added a 1-for-3, one run, one RBI, one-walk game. Cowgill ripped a double and stole his team-best 10th base of the season.
Keenan Wiley and Chris Wade extended their team-high hit streaks to 13 games and senior right fielder Sawyer Carroll added a 1-for-2, two-walk game. Wade added two RBI to his season total of 25, ranking second on the club.
With the game tied at 5-5 entering the bottom of the seventh, UK utilized a three-run rally, sparked by back-to-back doubles from Wilkes and Spear and a two-RBI single from shortstop Wade, to take a lead it would not surrender.
Kentucky (15-0) returns to action with its Southeastern Conference opening series with Alabama on Friday. First pitch at Cliff Hagan Stadium is slated for 4 p.m. ET.
Sophomore righty Clint Tilford picked up the win, working 1 2/3 innings with the contest in question, striking out two for his first win of the season. Tyler Henry got the start, lasting five innings and allowing five runs. Jesse Yano worked a 1/3 of an inning and Baber relieved Tilford in the seventh, setting the table for senior catcher and closer Tyler Howe. Howe, who caught the entire game before emerging from behind the dish to get the save and the final out of the game, appeared in his fourth career game on the mound, notching his first career save.
EMU starter Robert Wendzicki got the start, allowing five runs in 5 2/3 innings. Ace closer Matt Shoemaker took the loss, allowing the decisive three runs in the final 2 1/3 innings.
Kentucky (15-0) wraps up its pre-conference schedule undefeated for the second consecutive season, rolling through its opening 15 games, outscoring the opposition, 175-39. UK is hitting for a .374 average, with 49 doubles, seven triples, 20 homers, and 159 RBI, stealing 30-of-36 bases. Pitching wise for the Wildcats, the team has posted a 2.10 ERA, striking out 138 in 133 innings, walking only 23.
For the day at the plate, several Wildcats excelled in the twinbill, as Carroll, Wilkes and Spencer Korus each batted 4-for-7 during the day, with Korus scoring a team-high five times. Carroll and Spear each added four-RBI games.
For the second consecutive game, Eastern Michigan jumped all over the Wildcat starter in the first inning, plating three runs on four hits. After Henry struck out the leadoff man and Zack Leonard singled to left field, Aaron Powell ripped a single to third base. Right fielder Jeff Davis came through with a two-RBI single through the right side. Josh Ivan followed with a groundout that scored Powell.
In the third inning, Kentucky plated three runs courtesy of Spear’s no-doubt shot. Cowgill led off with a double down the left-field line. Wilkes drew a walk, setting the stage for Spear. Spear sent the first pitch he saw soaring over the left-field fence, sending the ball bouncing into the back neighborhood fence, about 100 feet behind the 340-foot left-field fence.
The Wildcats pushed across a run in the fourth inning, as Howe led off with a hit by pitch, stealing second base. Wiley made a productive out, moving Howe to third with a groundout. Cowgill lofted a sacrifice fly into left field, scoring Howe.
In the fifth inning, Carroll ripped a two-out single to centerfield and Korus scored Carroll with a double into right field.
EMU tied up the game in the sixth inning with two runs on four hits and a Wildcat error. Steve Bradshaw and Aaron Powell singled to lead off the inning and Bradshaw moved to third on a fielding error charged to Carroll. Ivan ripped a two-run double into right center, scoring Bradshaw and Powell.
UK took the lead in the seventh, scoring the three decisive runs on three hits. Wilkes led off with a double down the left-field line and Spear scored him with a doubled of his own. Carroll drew a walk and Korus moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Bryan Rose came on to pinch hit, reaching on a fielders choice and Tyler Howe walks. Wade came through with a two-RBI single through the left side, scoring Spear and Rose.
EMU narrowed the UK lead in the eighth, pushing across one run to make the margin tight for the final few outs. Davis led off with a double to right and catcher Matt Skirving scored him with a fielders choice.
GAME 2 RECAP
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Sawyer Carroll’s three-run homer – his sixth of the season – highlighted a season high 22-hit afternoon, as the No. 4 Kentucky baseball team pounded Eastern Michigan, 18-5, in game one of a doubleheader at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Carroll, a member of the Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Watch List, had a 3-for-5 opening game, with a club-high four RBI. UK also got three-hit performances from Collin Cowgill and Spencer Korus, with Korus going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and two walks. Cowgill tallied a 3-for-5 game, with his second triple of the season, as well as swiping his ninth bag of the year. Chris McClendon, Bryan Rose, Chris Wade, and Troy Frazier each added two hits. Wade ripped his ninth and 10th double of the season, bringing his average on the season to .365 with 23 RBI.
On the mound, UK got three innings from starter Mike Kaczmarek, who struck out three and allowed two earned runs. Tommy Warner got the win, working four innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs. Jonathan Huff closed out the game, working two hitless innings. EMU starter Bobby Henderson took the loss, lasting 3 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and 11 runs.
EMU got the scoring started in the first inning, as Zach Leonard reached with a one-out single and Steve Bradshaw followed with a single through the left side, just out of the reach of UK shortstop Chris Wade, who was moving towards the second-base bag to cover for a potential pickoff attempt. Todd Graves drew a walk to load the bases, setting the stage for the EMU leading hitter, Jeff Davis, to hit a hard-liner at UK’s first baseman Brian Spear. The ball skidded under Spear’s glove, allowing Leonard to score. The error was the first in seven games for the Wildcats. With one out, UK trailing 1-0 and the bases juiced, EMU catcher Andrew Marshall roped what looked like a run-scoring single into right field, but Carroll came charging into shallow right-field to make a diving play to save multiple runs from scoring.
In the top of the second, Eastern Michigan added to its lead, as Kaczmarek started the inning off with a strikeout, before allowing the on-out base runner, as Jim Gulliver drew a walk. Rhoad drove in Gulliver with a double into left-center field. Steve Bradshaw completed the EMU scoring in the second inning, laying down a bunt single that scored Rhoad from third.
Kentucky answered in the bottom of the second inning, beginning with Carroll’s leadoff single into centerfield. Korus followed with a double into deep centerfield, moving Carroll to third. McClendon lofted a fly ball deep into right field, allowing Carroll to score with a sacrifice fly. After a Marcus Nidiffer walk, Wade scored Korus with his club-high ninth double of the game, a shot off the wall in left field. Troy Frazier, UK’s left-fielder got under a deep fly ball to centerfield for a sacrifice fly, easily scoring Nidiffer from third. With the speedy Wade on second, UK’s extremely aggressive third-base coach Brad Bohannon waved Wade home, beating the throw to the plate to give the Wildcats an early 4-3 lead.
In the third, UK added three runs on three hits and two EMU errors. Spear reached on a one-out walk and Korus followed a quick out with a single to left field. McClendon plated to two with a single into left field, with Korus coming around to score after the EMU left fielder bobbled the ball. Nidiffer ripped a single deep in between second and third and EMU shortstop Jim Gulliver threw high of the first baseman, allowing McClendon to score from second.
UK added five runs in the fourth inning, on four hits and an error. Frazier led off the frame with a single to left field, advancing to second after the EMU pitcher misfired on a pickoff attempt. Cowgill ripped a single through the left side and then promptly stole second, his ninth steal of the year. With Frazier on third, Wilkes drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center. Spear drew his second consecutive walk of the game putting two runners on for UK’s slugging cleanup hitter, Carroll. Carroll boosted the ball towering off the very top of the 30-foot monster in left field, rounding the first base bag while watching the ball bounce off the top of the wall and over the fence for his sixth homer of the year.
EMU tacked on a run in the sixth inning, as Gulliver and Rhoad each led off with singles. Leonard followed, ripping a line-drive that was snagged by Wilkes behind second base. Wilkes flipped the ball back to Wade, covering the bag, who completed the double play. Bradshaw got EMU on the board in the inning, with an RBI double down the left-field line.
In the seventh, UK added to its lead, plating four runs on five hits. Keenan Wiley got it started with a single to left field, extending his hit streak to a team-best 12 games. Chris Bisson doubled down the left-field line and Carroll scored Wiley with an RBI single up the middle. Korus singled and Bryan Rose emptied the bases of two runners with a triple deep into centerfield.
NIU 6 UTSA 1
SAN ANTONIO, Texas * Dave Reynolds earned the win with a strong performance in his first collegiate start as Northern Illinois topped Texas-San Antonio 6-1. The Huskies (3-7) ended a five-game skid with a victory over a UTSA squad that was a NCAA Regional participant in 2007 and received votes in the this week’s National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll.
Reynolds (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg), who entered the game with only three collegiate appearances and 4.1 innings under his belt, worked 6.2 innings and allowed only three hits, one walk and one earned run. The lefthander faced just three hitters over the minimum on his way to his first career victory.
“Dave was excellent out there today,” said head coach Ed Mathey.
“He threw first pitch strikes and threw all three of his pitches for strikes. He got ahead of the hitters, threw the ball on and off plate well, and got a pretty good result.”
The game went scoreless through the first three innings before the Huskies struck first and put up three runs in the fourth. Bobby Stevens (Chicago, Ill./Guerin Prep) led off with a walk and came around to score on a throwing error after a bunt single by Jordin Hood (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich). Jeff Thomas (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem) scored on a RBI single by Danny Reed (Lindstrom, Minn./North Iowa Area CC) and Reynolds helped himself with a sacrifice fly that scored Hood to put NIU up three.
After UTSA got within 3-1 in the sixth on a solo home run by James Keithley, the Huskies reclaimed their three-run advantage when a single by Joe Buonavolanto (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale South) scored Justin Behm (Downers Grove, Ill./North) to make it 4-1 in the seventh.
Northern Illinois added insurance runs in the ninth when Thomas drove in two on a RBI single that extended his hitting streak to 10 games and made it a 6-1 Huskie lead.
“This was a great win for us after a couple of bad games over the weekend. We played well defensively, turned a couple of key double plays and were opportunistic on offense,” said Mathey. “When you are on the road in Texas you are facing some real good teams and UTSA is one of them. They’ve been at the top of the Southland Conference the past couple years and were a NCAA Tournament team last season.”
Behm led NIU with three hits on the afternoon to pace an attack that featured nine hits, all singles.
Dave Nykiel (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew), Dan Atkenson (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) and Andy Deain (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) combined to hold the Roadrunners hitless over the final 2.1 innings.
J.P. Holton (0-1) took the loss for UTSA, who fell to 9-5.
NIU returns to action Wednesday with a 3 p.m. contest against No. 25 Oklahoma at Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. The Huskies will wrap up their spring trip with a three-game series at Dallas Baptist beginning Thursday.
Nevada 11 St. Mary’s 10
Reno, Nev. – The University of Nevada(6-6) baseball team held on for an 11-10 victory over Saint Mary’s College(8-4-1) Tuesday afternoon at Peccole Park to even its record at 6-6 on the season while the Gaels dropped to 8-4-1. After starting the season 0-5 the Wolf Pack has now won five of their last six games.
With the game tied at 7-7 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning the Pack exploded for four runs to take an 11-7 lead. Right fielder Terry Walsh walked to get the inning started and moved to second base on a balk. With one down shortstop Kevin Rodland was hit by pitch and pinch hitter Mike Hale followed with an RBI single to put Nevada on top 8-7. Second baseman David Ciarlo laced a single up the middle to score Rodland to make it a two run contest. A sacrifice fly by center fielder Jason Sadoian scored Hale and Ciarlo scored the fourth run of the big inning on a wild pitch.
SMC would not go away scoring two runs in the eighth to make the score 11-9. Third baseman Michael Cipolla drove in one of the runs and pinch hitter Justin Fazio plated the other with an RBI single. In the top of the ninth inning right fielder Kyle Jensen hit a two-out solo home run to make it a one run game at 11-10. Designated hitter Anthony Aliotti was caught looking for the final out of the game as the Pack held on for the 11-10 victory.
The Gaels scored a run in the top of the first but Nevada struck for two in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead after an inning of play. SMC got an RBI single from Cipolla in the second inning to tie the game and scored two more in the third to go in front 4-2.
In the bottom of the fourth the Pack scored four runs on three hits to regain the lead 6-4. Third baseman Jason Rodriguez drove in the last two with his second home run of the year. SMC tied the game with two in the top of the fifth when first baseman Geoff Byrnes hit a two-run homer.
Again the Pack scored a run to go back in front in the bottom of the fifth when Rodland’s single scored Walsh, who reached on a double. The Gaels got a home run from Cipolla in the sixth to knot the game at 7-7 where it remained until the Pack scored four in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the lead for good.
Sammy Miller(1-0) the fourth of five Pack pitchers in the game got the win allowing two runs, one earned in 1.1 innings on the mound. Miller struck out three and did not walk a batter to earn his first victory at Nevada. Freshman left-hander Brock Stassi(1) recorded his first save in the Silver & Blue pitching the final 1.2 innings and gave up one run on two hits. Justin Kuks(0-1) was tagged with the loss for SMC giving up two runs on one hit but walked two in 1.1 innings of action.
Rodriguez(3-for-5,2R,3RBI) and Walsh(3-for-4,2R,RBI) led the Pack with three hits on the day. Sadoian(2-for-4,R,RBI), left fielder Matt Bowman(2-for-4), Rodland(2-for-3,2R,RBI) and Ciarlo(2-for-3,2R,RBI) added two hits apiece. Ciarlo extended his career-high hit streak to 11 games while Sadoian and catcher Tyson Jaquez had their streaks reach eight games. Rodriguez drove in a team-high three runs in the game.
For SMC Cory Miller(3-for-3,2R), Ryan Mulligan(3-for-3,2R,RBI) and Cipolla(3-for-3,R,3RBI) had three hits each. Cipolla and Byrns had three RBI apiece.
The Pack next host UC Davis tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.
