Central Arkansas pitcher Jeremy Cloud allowed only one hit in a 9-0 win at Stephen F. Austin. He faced 27 batters and struck out five without a walk.-Courtesy: Southland.org
Central Arkansas 9, Stephen F. Austin 0
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Central Arkansas senior pitcher Jeremy Cloud was dominant in the Southland Conference opener for the Bears on Friday, tossing a one-hitter in a 9-0 victory over Stephen F. Austin at Jaycees Field.
Cloud (2-0) faced only 27 batters, striking out five and walking none as the Bears won their fifth consecutive game, their longest winning streak since moving to NCAA Division I. UCA improved to 7-3 overall and 1-0 in SLC play.
Cloud, a right-hander from North Little Rock, allowed a single in the fifth inning to designated hitter Joe Staley for his lone hit. The shutout was the first in Cloud’s career and only UCA’s second in Southland play.
Sam Houston State 8, UT Arlington 2
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Shortstop Ryan Mooney went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and Tyler Knight hit a solo home run to lead Sam Houston State to an 8-2 victory over UT Arlington in the Bearkats’ Southland Conference opening baseball game at Don Sanders Stadium Friday.
The victory upped Sam Houston’s season mark to 8-4 while the UTA dropped to 5-6.
Junior right hander Jacob Howard (2-0) spread seven hits over seven and one third innings for the win in his first start of the 2009 season. The 2007 All-Southland Conference pitcher who missed most of the 2008 season with an injury struck out seven Mavericks.
UTSA 11, Southeastern Louisiana 10
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Senior left fielder Jose Hernandez tied a UTSA single-game record with three home runs, including a walk-off two-run shot with two down in the ninth, and the Roadrunners rallied for their fifth comeback win of the year in a thrilling 11-10 victory against Southeastern Louisiana on Friday night at Roadrunner Field. The contest was the Southland Conference opener for both teams.
Hernandez’ historic night began with a three-run blast in the first, which gave UTSA a 4-2 lead. The Anaheim Hills, Calif., native then hit a solo shot in his next at-bat with two outs in the third to pull the Bids within one at 6-5. He now has seven long balls in just 10 games of action this spring and his six-RBI performance pushed his season total to 17.
Northwestern State 8, McNeese State 6
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Three days after setting a school record with six hits in a game, Chase Lyles was at it again Friday night against McNeese State when he tied a school record with three doubles and helped lead Northwestern State to an 8-6 Southland Conference season opening win over the Cowboys.
Lyles finished the game 3-for-5 with a run batted in and two runs scored as the Demons walloped 13 hits. Right fielder Tyler Baisley went 3-for-4 from the plate with a RBI and a run scored.
The win was the fifth in the last six games for the Demons as they improve to 7-4 on the season and 1-0 in league play. McNeese falls to 7-2 on the year and 0-1 in the conference. The teams will play game two of the series on Saturday at 3 p.m. with Demon righty Kyle Broughton slated to take the mound.
Nicholls State 9, Lamar 5
BEAUMONT, Texas – Behind a 4-for-5 performance at the plate from junior Josh Labiche, Nicholls State opened Southland Conference play on a good note, claiming a 9-5 win over Lamar at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Senior Ross Larson picked up the win, improving to 1-0 on the season, scattering four hits through 3.1 innings of relief. The right-hander walked three and did not allow a run after entering the game in the fourth inning.
“We didn’t get the start out of (Lance) Dupuis that we normally get,” Colonel skipper Chip Durham said. “That happens sometimes. But our bullpen did a great job. Ross Larson came in and pitched really well and Lance Guidroz came in and backed him up.”
For Lamar (10-2, 0-1 Southland), Matt Gore took the loss, falling to 1-1 on the year with two Colonel runs on four hits and a walk through 0.2 innings of work.
Texas State 9, Purdue 2
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Freshman Tyler Sibley belted his first-career home run to complete a 3-for-3 night with three runs scored and lead the Texas State Bobcats to a 9-2 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers Friday night at Bobcat Field.
The win improves Texas State to 7-3 on the season and marks the first victory in the new Bobcat stadium. The Boilers are now 2-5.
Game two of the series is set for a 2 p.m. start with Kane Holbrooks and Matt Jansen expected on the mound.
Texas State erupted at the plate for seven hits over the first three innings to take a 6-0 lead. Sibley was the first run across after a leadoff single and the freshman shifted to second on a bunt from Bret Atwood. Paul Goldschmidt notched the RBI on a base hit to right field.
