FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Texas State 13, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 8
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Andrew Stumph was a double shy of hitting for the cycle and spearheaded an 18-hit outing from Texas State that nearly matched the team’s past two games combined at the plate, leading to a 13-8 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to clinch the first Southland Conference series of the season Sunday afternoon at Bobcat Field.
Texas State (5-5, 2-1 Southland) recorded a combined 20 hits in the first two games of the series, and exploded for the double-digit tally this afternoon. Stumph went 4-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and a single RBI that included a leadoff homer in the third to give Texas State an 8-1 edge.
The Bobcats grew the lead in the bottom of the first off seven hits for six runs and tacked on the seventh run in the second frame. Kyle Kubitza singled up the middle and an Islander balk shifted him to second base, but the stay was short. Jason Martinson followed up with an RBI double belted to right field to send the sophomore home.
Along with Stumph’s homerun in the third, Laurn Randell landed on base after being hit by a pitch. The senior used his speed to take second base, moved to third on a wild pitch and before the next pitch reached the plate, stole home for the Bobcats eighth run of the game.
“I told the team two things before we took the field,” Texas State coach Ty Harrington said. “We need to have a better game plan and tougher at bats. The last couple of games we’ve gone through some quick innings, so we need to change that around.”
The Bobcat kept Harrington’s pregame speech in mind as they rattled off eight more hits for five runs to seal the game. An RBI single from Randell brought in Stumph in the bottom of the fifth, and a two-run homer from Martinson in the bottom of the sixth gave Texas State a dozen runs. Texas State’s final run of the game came in the eighth on an RBI single from Kyle Livingstone.
Martinson finished with a game-high four RBI on a 3-for-5 effort. Randell went 2-for-3 with three RBI on the day.
A&M-Corpus Christi scored a single run in the second and seventh, and put two three-run innings on the Bobcats in the sixth and ninth. Chris Vergne and Weston Montgomery collected three hits each to lead the Islanders 17-hit tally.
Lee Colon (2-1) earned his second-career win after a solid 5 1/3 stay on the mound. The junior collected six strikeouts, including back-to-back K’s to open the game, and retired the side in order in the third and fourth inning. Colon allowed eight Islander hits and four runs.
Marc Damon took the loss for A&M-Corpus Christi, going 2/3 of an innings and allowing the Bobcats seven hits and six runs.
“This was a very important series for us,” Harrington said. “When you have a chance to win the series, you have to take advantage of the opportunity and I really feel like this team did that today.”
Texas State will step back from league play this Tuesday when they travel to No. 3 Texas for a non-conference tune-up. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. The Longhorns will send right-handed pitcher Austin Dicharry to the mound. The Bobcats starter will be announced Monday.
Lamar 8, Penn State 3
BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar Eric Harrington and Cory Holley combined on a seven-hitter, and Joey Latulippe and Ted Zentek drove in two runs each Sunday as the Cardinals concluded the 2010 YMBL/Cardinal Classic with an 8-3 victory over Penn State.
Harrington, a sophomore right-hander from Port Neches-Groves, held the Nittany Lions to four hits and two runs over the opening 5.2 innings to earn his second victory in as many decisions this season. He struck out four batters and walked two.
Holley, a senior right-hander from Houston, notched his third save by working the final 3.1 innings. He allowed three hits and one run and had no strikeouts or walks.
Both Latulippe and Zentek went 2-for-4 to account for half of the Cardinals’ eight hits. Latulippe, a junior catcher from League City, ripped a two-run single to help highlight the Cardinals’ six-run fifth inning that broke open the game. Zentek, a junior outfielder from Simsbury, Md., followed that hit with a two-run double to centerfield.
The victory was Lamar’s second in as many days over the Nittany Lions, and it improved their early-season record to 9-2. It also made the Cardinals the only three-game winners in the four-team, four-day tournament.
The Nittany Lions, who went 2-2 in the tournament, fell to 4-3 on the season. They will move on to College Station for a two-game series against Texas A&M and then to San Marcos for a three-game set against Texas State before returning to Pennsylvania.
Penn State third baseman Jordan Steranka blasted a solo home run – his first of the season – over the scoreboard in right field to account for the Nittany Lions’ first run off Harrington in the fourth inning. They added single runs in the sixth and ninth but never seriously threatened.
The Cardinals will take a break Monday then host Prairie View A&M in a two-game series Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon before going on the road to open their 2010 Southland Conference schedule with a three-game weekend series at Nicholls.
Sam Houston State 4, Northern Colorado 3 (15 innings)
Sam Houston State 11, Creighton 10
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Catcher Doug Oney’s solo home run in the bottom of the 15th powered Sam Houston to a 4-3 victory over Northern Colorado at the Bearkat Baseball Invitational at Don Sanders Stadium.
The contest was only the sixth in Sam Houston baseball history to go 15 or more innings. The longest game ever for the Bearkats was a five-hour 19 inning 6-4 loss to the Houston Cougars in 1956.
Both teams had repeated opportunities to win the contest. Sam Houston left 15 runners stranded and the Bears left 14 on base.
In the bottom of the 9th inning, Sam Houston had the bases loaded with no outs but could get no one home.
Second baseman Braden Riley, first baseman Taylor Davis and shortstop Ryan Mooney led the Bearkats at the plate. Riley went 2-for-3 with a double, Davis was 2-for-3 with two RBI and Mooney was 3-for-6 with a solo home run.
Sam Houston (2-9) used six pitchers with Michael Hillard getting the victory in relief. Northern Colorado completed play in the tournament with a 2-2 record and stands 3-5 for the season.
In the Bearkats’ second game of the day, right fielder Greg Olson hit a walk-off two-run single as Sam Houston scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth for an 11-10 victory over Creighton in the final game of the Bearkat Baseball Classic at Don Sanders Stadium Sunday.
In a game in which the lead changed four times, Creighton (5-3) totaled 12 hits and Sam Houston (3-9) produced 15. Sam Houston, Creighton and Northern Colorado all ended tied with two wins and two losses in the tournament.
Matt Shelton (1-2) was the winning pitcher for the Bearkats, striking out four batters in two innings. Olson, Ryan Mooney, Braeden Riley and Taylor Davis each had two hits for the Bearkats. Davis hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning.
Sam Houston’s next action is a Tuesday night visit to Houston to play Rice.
Central Arkansas 6, Nevada 4
RENO, Nev. – After dropping the first two games of the series, Central Arkansas came back to defeat Nevada 6-4 at Peccole Park on Sunday afternoon. The Bears outhit the Wolfpack 12-9 in the final game.
UCA freshman first baseman Ethan Harris extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a solo home run in the top of the first. Nevada tied the game in the bottom of the third when shortstop Kevin Rodland doubled and scored on Westley Moss single.
The Bears (4-6) regained the lead in the fourth when junior second baseman Zack Dickson doubled in Tye Throneberry and Jake Fuller. The Wolfpack cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the frame when Garrett Yrigoyen doubled and later scored on a Brett Hart grounder.
Sophomore left fielder Jordan Getchell led off the fifth with a single and stolen base and scored on a base hit from catcher Michael Pair. Pair plated senior Bobby Pritchett, who led off the seventh with a double, with another single, giving the Bears a 5-2 lead.
Nevada (7-4) first baseman Shaun Kort hit a two-run homer in the seventh, cutting the lead to 5-4. The Bears tacked on one more run in the eighth when Fuller doubled and scored on Throneberry hit.
Pair led the Bear offense by going 4-for-5 with two runs batted in. Fuller and Dickson had two hits each. Moss led the Wolfpack with three hits.
UCA sophomore Dustin Ward (1-0) picked up his first win of the year, striking out six and allowing eight hits, two runs and three walks over seven innings. Senior Michael Ward earned a two-inning save. Nevada’s Brock Stassi (2-1) gave up seven hits, four runs, three walks and struck out five in 5.1 innings.
The Bears will play at Wichita State on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Nicholls 5, Southern 1
THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls lineup put together a five-run second inning and freshman left-hander Brent Bonvillian threw six shutout innings to lead the Colonels to a 5-1 win over the Southern Jaguars at Lee Hines Field on Sunday.
The win extended the Colonels winning streak to eight games and completed a three-game sweep of the Jags.
Bonvillian kept the Jaguar lineup handcuffed all day. The Thibodaux, La., native allowed just three hits and four walks while striking out six and keeping Southern (1-5) off the board.
Bonvillian retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced before the Jaguars could mount a serious threat. In the fourth, Southern put runners at second and third after a walk, base hit and a double steal. However, Bonvillian escaped the jam by coaxing an inning-ending groundout.
Bonvillian dodged another bullet in the sixth after allowing a pair of walks, and another double steal put runners and second and third with two outs. This time, Bonvillian’s sixth and final strikeout of the day helped him escape unscathed.
With Bonvillian cruising, the Colonel offense broke the game open in the second. Nicholls strung together three hits and took advantage of one Jaguar error and two walks to plate five runs against Southern’s Kyle Wahl. Ray Eureste and Chase Jaramillo each had two-run singles in the inning.
That would be all the Colonels (8-3) would need as Tyler Minto and Drew Erwin came on in relief to help nail things down. In his first action of the season, Minto delivered 2.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits. Erwin came on in the ninth and delivered a three-up three-down inning to wrap things up.
The Colonels will return to action when they host LSU-Alexandria on Tuesday at Ray E. Didier Field.
Northwestern State 13, Murray State 3
NATCHITOCHES, La. – A four-run fifth inning capped by a six-run eighth helped ignite Northwestern State to a 13-3 win over Murray State on Sunday and capping a three-game weekend series sweep.
The win was the ninth straight for the Demons (9-2), who now await a Wednesday meeting with No. 1 LSU at Fair Grounds Field in Shreveport.
Shortstop Trent Grondin led a 13-hit attack by going 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored and designated hitter Chase Lyles and third baseman Josh Gardiner each had two hits.
Starting pitcher Ryan Zimmerman (1-1) picked up his first win of the season after he allowed just one unearned run on one hit while tying a career-high with eight strikeouts.
Five Demon pitchers combined to strikeout 11 Murray State batters. It’s the fourth straight game and the fifth time this season Northwestern has struck out double-digit hitters.
Murray State (4-6) lost for the sixth consecutive time and was swept in a three-game series for the first time since the 2007 season.
Murray State managed just three hits in the game and finished with just 14 in the series.
Thoroughbred starting pitcher Dan Huff (0-2) took the loss after he allowed seven runs, four of them earned, on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
Murray State jumped on the board first when first baseman Wes Cunningham reached on a one-out throwing error by Demon second baseman Chris Hebert. He later scored on a throwing error by right fielder Tyler Baisley.
Northwestern tied the game in the third inning when Hebert hit a one-out single, advanced to second on an error by Murray State right fielder Daniel Hill, then scored on a single by Gardiner to make it 1-1.
In the fourth, Northwestern left fielder Colin Bear hit a 2-run, 2-out single to plate Grondin and Lyles to put the Demons up 3-1, then in the fourth, Northwestern scored four runs, two of them unearned, to make it 7-1.
After Murray State closed the gap to 7-3 in the top of the eighth inning, the Demons got five runs in the bottom of the frame with all five runs coming off of RBI singles by catcher Aaron Munoz, Matt Farmer, Gardiner, Grondin, and Lyles.
UTSA 2, San Francisco 1
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Junior southpaw D.D. Towler tossed a complete game three-hitter and UTSA got out of the Bay Area with a split of this weekend’s four-game series at San Francisco with a 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Benedetti Diamond.
The Roadrunners improved to 7-4 with their second consecutive win, while the Dons saw their season record drop to 5-6.
Towler (1-1) was dominant in just his second start as a Roadrunner.
The walkon from Alice, Texas, struck out six and walked three in the 117-pitch (70 strikes) gem. He allowed only one hit after the sixth, a Stephen Yarrow solo home run with one down in the ninth, and retired 10 of final 12 hitters he faced. Towler was two outs shy of throwing the first nine-inning shutout by a Roadrunner in 85 games.
“There’s not much you can say about what D.D. did today,” UTSA coach Sherman Corbett said. “The performance speaks for itself, but I thought he did a tremendous job of throwing strikes and keeping their hitters off balance. We had just enough offense to get him the win today.”
Sophomore Matthew James broke open a scoreless deadlock in the sixth with his two-out single to left center. That brought home junior Ryan Hutson, who drew a one-out walk, stole second and moved to third on a ground out to second base.
UTSA added an insurance run two innings later on a Hutson RBI single to left that plated senior Lance Brown, who reached on an infield base hit to start the frame.
That run proved to be the game-winner, as Yarrow left the park for the third time in the series and for the fifth time this spring overall. However, Towler was able to get back-to-back fly outs to end the contest.
Connor Bernatz and Derek Poppert were the only other two Dons to get hits off the Roadrunners’ starter and those both were infield singles.
Brown, who was hitless in his first dozen at bats of the series, led UTSA with two safeties.
The Roadrunners are now 3-2 in games decided by one run this spring.
“Leaving here with two consecutive wins after losing four in row shows the mental toughness of this team and it gives us something to build on when we go to Hammond next weekend to face the league’s top team,” Corbett said.
UTSA returns to action on Friday night when it opens the 33-game Southland Conference slate with a 6:30 p.m. contest at No. 29 Southeastern Louisiana, which is off to its best start in school history at 11-1.
No. 17 Oklahoma 5, Stephen F. Austin 4
NORMAN, Okla. – Four Stephen F. Austin errors and No. 17 Oklahoma¹s Cameron Seitzer proved to be just the formula the Sooners needed to get a pair of runs in the ninth inning and pull out a 5-4 win over the Lumberjacks, spoiling a stellar start by Justin Braddock in the finale of the Sooner Classic at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
Seitzer hit his second home run of the day on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and an SFA (7-4) error one batter later led to an unearned run that proved to be the winning margin.
The Sooners (11-1) managed just eight hits off of SFA pitching with Seitzer being the only one that was able to have any type of success against Braddock who allowed just seven hits through eight innings with two strikeouts on just 106 pitches.
Braddock did not factor in the decision as Jason West was credited with his first loss of the season while Jeremy Erben moved to 5-0 on the year for OU with 2.0 shutout innings for the Sooners.
Bobby Loveless drove in three of the four SFA runs on the day with a home run a double in four at bats, but no other Lumberjack had more than one hit and the Sooner bullpen allowed just two hits over the final six innings of the game.
SFA jumped out in front of the Sooners in first inning as Tanner Hines and Darren Crabtree delivered a pair of one-out singles that set up an RBI double by Loveless. One batter later Jarid Scarafiotti made it 2-0 as he brought Crabtree in from third with a ground out.
Braddock sat the Sooners down in order in the first, but Cameron Seitzer knotted it up with the first of his three hits on the day, a two-run homer to the opposite field, in the bottom of the second.
But the tie did not last long as the ‘Jacks re-took the lead one inning later on Loveless’ third home run of the season, a two-run shot to center field that was enough to drive Oklahoma starter Ryan Gibson from the game.
OU answered with an unearned run in the third, and from there Braddock only allowed three Sooners to reach base on singles and just one runner to reach second base. But OU reliever Jason Chowning matched him along the way, throwing 4.1 shutout innings with six strikeouts to keep the game within reach for the Sooners.
That proved to be just what OU needed as Seitzer erased SFA’s one-run lead on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth with a line-drive home run to right field that tied the score at four apiece. Johnny Cardenas then went to Jason West out of the bullpen, who got immediately got in a jam as Caleb Bushyhead reached on an error and Casey Johnson singled to give the Sooners runners at first and second and nobody out. A sacrifice bunt pushed the runners over and the ‘Jacks loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Danny Black. Chris Ellison then got the winning run home with a chopper to short that Hines could not field cleanly, allowing Bushyhead to cross the plate for the 5-4 win.
The ‘Jacks next travel to Little Rock, Ark., for a midweek game against UALR on Tuesday at 6 p.m. with Zack Taylor tentatively scheduled to get the start. SFA will then get a short break before heading back to Arkansas when it opens up Southland Conference play at Central Arkansas on Friday.
Texas Southern 6, No. 29 Southeastern Louisiana 1 (12 innings)
HAMMOND, La. – Ray Hernandez fueled a five-run 12th inning for visiting Texas Southern as he delivered a bases-clearing triple that snapped a 1-1 tie and the Tigers snapped Southeastern Louisiana’s school-record 11-game winning streak with a 6-1 victory Sunday afternoon at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Corbin Smith went 3-for-5 and scored a run while Dakota Laufenberg pitched 4.1 innings to earn the win in relief as Texas Southern (6-8) broke open a scoreless game on Brandon Mikell’s solo home run in the 11th inning.
Hernandez, who finished 1-for-5, laced a triple to left-center field off Southeastern reliever Tyler Watkins (1-1) after the Tigers loaded the bases with no outs. Jeffery Nelms opened the inning with a single up the middle before Smith reached on a bunt single up the first-base line.
Jorge Castillo reached after his attempted sacrifice bunt was bobbled by third baseman Chad Livingston and Hernandez hit the next pitch to give TSU a 4-1 lead. Hernandez later scored on a wild pitch for a 5-1 lead and Mikell added a sacrifice fly that scored Kerry White.
Southeastern (11-1) trailed 1-0 in the 11th before staying alive off Laufenberg (1-0). Jeff Harkensee led off the inning with a single through the left side before Chad Gough-Fortenberry was hit by a pitch. After Philip Freeman moved the runners over on a sacrifice bunt, Livingston was intentionally walked to load the bases before Josh Cryer lifted a sacrifice fly to right that scored pinch-runner James Abraham.
Chris Franklin, who went 2-for-5 in his first start at third base, nearly ended the game for the Lions on their next at bat, but his liner to right was caught by Nelms who had entered earlier in the inning as a defensive replacement.
Neither team was able to cross the plate early as Southeastern starter Tanner Lorenz and Texas Southern starter Abel Flores were locked in a pitching duel. Lorenz went 7.1 innings, scattering five hits and fanning seven before giving way to Franklin in the eighth.
Texas Southern produced the first scoring threat of the game in the fifth inning after loading the bases with no outs. Michael Norris led off the inning with a single up the middle before Steven Lopez was hit by a pitch and Joseph Bryant followed with a single through the left side.
Lorenz got out of the jam as he fanned Smith and Castillo before getting Hernandez to fly out to right to end the inning.
The Tigers stranded runners at second and third in the eighth inning after Hernandez drew a walk that chased Lorenz and Terrel Jones hit a two-out double to left off Franklin before Mikell struck out to end the threat.
Smith led off the 10th with a triple off Franklin, who pitched 3.2 innings and fanned three. But the right-hander got out of the jam as he retired the next three batters to keep the game scoreless.
Southeastern threatened in the 10th as Franklin singled through the left side and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brock Hebert. Cass Hargis then delivered a single through the left side and nearly got caught in a run-down between first and third. Franklin then attempted to score from third, but Norris’ throw from second base beat Franklin to the plate for the second out and Justin Boudreaux flied out to center to end the inning.
Boudreaux added two hits, including a first-inning double, for Southeastern. The Lions collected seven hits in the game with four coming in the last three innings. Texas Southern relievers Joshua Long and Mathias Meintie kept the Lions hitless in 2.2 innings of relief before giving way to Laufenberg after the Lions put runners on first and second in the eighth inning.
Southeastern will return to action on Tuesday when it travels to Baton Rouge to face in-state rival Southern University in a 6 p.m. contest at Lee-Hines Field. The game will be televised live on Cox Sports Television.
