Here is your SEC Recap for April 9th.
#3 LSU 14 Auburn 10
AUBURN, Ala. – Third-ranked LSU struck for six first-inning runs Friday night and held off a late Auburn rally as the Tigers posted a 14-10 victory at Plainsman Park.
Game 2 of the series will start at 2 p.m. CT. The game may be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network, and audio and live stats are available at www.LSUsports.net.
Saturday’s game will be televised by SportSouth (Cable Ch. 38 in Baton Rouge), and it may also be viewed at www.ESPN3.com.
#9 Arkansas 8 Mississippi State 3
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Zack Cox was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and Brett Eibner drove in three runs to lead the No. 9 University of Arkansas baseball team to an 8-3 win over Mississippi State Friday evening at Dudy Noble Field. The victory also gives head coach Dave Van Horn his 300th win at Arkansas. Drew Smyly picked up the win on the mound for the Hogs.
"It’s a big win for us on a Friday night," Cox said. "We got a good outing from Smyly and the hitters came out to get him some runs, so it was big to come in here and get the first win (of the series) tonight."
Arkansas Recap
Mississippi State Recap
#10 Florida 4 Tennessee 2
Sophomore Alex Panteliodis (Tampa, Fla.) worked a career-high eight innings to lead No. 8 Florida (22-7/7-3 SEC) past Tennessee (15-16/2-8 SEC), 4-2, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday night. The left-hander (6-1) gave up six hits and two runs to pick up the win, while junior Kevin Chapman (Coral Springs, Fla.) collected his sixth save by registering the final three outs. Sophomore Daniel Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) drove in a pair of runs as the Gators kicked off their eight-game road trip with their first series-opening win in Knoxville since April 12, 2002.
The Gators used a sacrifice fly by Daniel Pigott off junior Bryan Morgado (2-4)in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Freshman Austin Maddox (Jacksonville , Fla.) opened the frame with a base-hit into left field and moved to second on a wild pitch. Senior Matt den Dekker (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) advanced Maddox with a fly ball to the warning track and Pigott’s pop-up in foul territory was caught on sliding catch by freshman right fielder Chris Fritts, enabling Maddox to come across with the initial run.
#16 South Carolina 3 #19 Vanderbilt 2
Nashville, Tenn. – South Carolina scored three runs with two outs in the top of the second inning and behind stellar pitching from senior right-hander Blake Cooper and three relievers held on for a 3-2 victory over Vanderbilt in game one of a three-game SEC baseball series on Friday night at Hawkins Field. The Gamecocks are now 24-6 and 8-2 in the SEC while the loss drops Vanderbilt to 25-7 and 5-5 in conference play. Game two of the series is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon with live audio broadcast on the Gamecock Radio Network and at GamecocksOnline.com.
South Carolina Recap
Vanderbilt Recap
#18 Ole Miss 4 Georgia 1
ATHENS, Ga. – Drew Pomeranz tied a season-high with 15 strikeouts and Kevin Mort hit his second career home run as No. 15 Ole Miss (22-9, 6-4 SEC) rallied to defeat Georgia (10-20, 2-8 SEC) by a score of 4-1 on Friday night at Foley Field.
Pomeranz (6-0) picked up the win as he held the Bulldogs to one run on four hits with three walks and 15 strikeouts in a season-long 8.0 innings of work. The 15 strikeouts tied a season-high set against Oakland on February 26. Brett Huber picked up his third save as he closed out the ninth for the Rebels.
Ole Miss Recap
Georgia Recap
Kentucky 7 #25 Alabama 6
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Trailing by one run entering the bottom of the eighth inning, the Kentucky baseball team posted four runs in the frame and closer Matt Little picked up his fifth save of the season to seal the victory for the Wildcats, notching a 7-6 win over No. 24 Alabama in the series opener Friday night at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Kentucky (20-11, 3-7 Southeastern Conference) found itself facing a one-run hole entering the bottom of the eighth after Alabama picked up the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning. After Alabama starter Adam Morgan got two outs to start off the bottom of the eighth, senior centerfielder Keenan Wiley got a two-out single into right-centerfield and Taylor Black drew a walk to bring pinch hitter Cory Farris to the plate and ending Morgan’s night. Farris worked the count to 1-2 and hung a high single down the left-field line, just falling in fair territory, allowing Wiley to score the game-tying run and Farris to advance to second on the throw. UK then turned to pinch hitter Lance Ray to hit for Neiko Johnson and Ray worked the count full before lacing a hard-hit ball off the chest of Alabama’s shortstop, Josh Rutledge. Rutledge attempted to gather the ball and fire to first base, but Ray was going to beat the throw to first base, with Rutledge’s throw sailing out of play, allowing Black and Farris to score, with Ray moving to second base on the error and gathering one RBI on the hit. Leftfielder Chad Wright then tacked on a big insurance run, singling into centerfield, allowing pinch runner Navarro Hall to scamper home for the eventual decisive run.
