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The 2019 SEC Baseball Tournament rolls on after four great games on the first day of the tournament. We’ll keep you up-to-date with everything going on in Hoover with this live thread.
Game 1 – Texas A&M vs. Georgia
- Pitching matchup: Chris Weber (Texas A&M) vs. Tim Elliott (Georgia)
- The best scoring chance in the game to this point came in the 6th when Georiga starter Tim Elliott walked the first two batters and later loaded the bases by hitting a batter with one out. The Bulldogs went to the bullpen and got a 3-2-3 double-play to get out of the jam.
- Texas A&M starter Chris Weber took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before giving up a one-out single. He left the game allowing no runs on 1 hit and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts over 7.1 innings.
- Georgia shortstop Cam Shepherd hit a two-run, walk-off home run in the 9th.
Cam Shepherd walk-off home run
- FINAL SCORE: Georgia – 2 Texas A&M – 0
- With the win — Georgia likely locks up a top-eight seed in the NCAA Tournament.
- With the loss — Texas A&M’s grip as regional host slips a little. They may need one more win in the SEC Baseball Tournament to lock that up.
Game 2 – Ole Miss vs. Arkansas
- Pitching matchup: Zack Phillips (Ole Miss – 4.73/51.1IP/48K/22BB vs. Patrick Wicklander (Arkansas – 4.69/55.2/77/34)
- Arkansas got on the board first thanks to a one-walk and an RBI single by Dominic Fletcher. They added another run in the third after a leadoff double by Jacob Nesbit.
- The Ole Miss defense was unable to make a couple of plays in the first and third innings that led to that pair of Arkansas runs. In the first, first baseman Tim Elko was unable to field a groundball cleanly that could have turned into a double-play. And then in the third, third baseman Tyler Keenan was unable to handle a slow-roller.
- Ole Miss finally broke though in the fifth inning with an RBI single from Thomas Dillard and then a sacrifice fly by Grae Kessinger to score Jacob Adams and tie the game at 2. They would take the lead in the sixth thanks to a wild pitch on a strikeout that later came around to score on a groundout by Kevin Graham.
- Arkansas starter Patrick Wicklander was very impressive allowing just 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk over 4.1 innings with 4 strikeouts. The freshman could be a key piece of the Arkansas pitching going forward, and especially going into next season.
- The Razorbacks answered back in the bottom of the sixth to reclaim the lead after a two-out, 2 RBI single from Jack Kenley to score Casey Martin (reached on walk) and Dominic Fletcher (hit by pitch).
- Ole Miss starter Zack Phillips was equally impressive holding the Arkansas offense to just 4 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in 5.2 innings.
- Arkansas would add another run in the eighth and then closer Matt Cronin closed out the game striking out all four batters he faced, including getting Arkansas out of a jam in the eighth.
- FINAL SCORE: Arkansas – 5 Ole Miss – 2
- With the win — Arkansas just even more so solidifies there spot in the top eight.
- With the loss — Ole Miss is a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but their chances of hosting took a hit.
Game 3 – Auburn vs. Vanderbilt
- Pitching matchup: Kyle Gray (Auburn – 4.87/20.1IP/16K/15BB) vs. Mason Hickman (Vanderbilt – 2.26/67.2/89/15)
- Vanderbilt is all over Auburn early with a 6-0 lead after three innings. J.J. Bleday already has two hits with a run scored, while Pat DeMarco has a pair of doubles, an RBI, and 2 runs scored.
- Auburn is clearly out of pitching with all their injuries. They’ve used four pitchers to get through the first three innings.
- Vandy is up 6-1 after three-and-a-half and it looks like we could have our first run-rule game of the 2019 SEC Baseball Tournament.
- FINAL SCORE: Vanderbilt – 11 Auburn – 1 (8 innings)
- With the win — Doesn’t mean much for Vandy as they are a lock for a top-eight national seed.
- With the loss — Doesn’t really mean much for Auburn either as they are a lock for the NCAA Tournament and don’t have a shot at hosting.
Game 4 – LSU vs. Mississippi State
- The Bulldogs had all the momentum early as they scored two in the first on an RBI single by Tanner Allen and a sacrifice fly By Skelton.
- Jordan Westburg drove in a run in the second, and they plated another one in the third on a questionable hit-by-pitch). It could have been a lot more for Mississippi State, but a couple of double-plays helped LSU get out of a few jams.
- All the air had bee sucked out of the huge LSU fanbase until the fifth inning when they scored a couple of runs after loading the bases with one out. Antoine Duplantis drove in a run on a bases-loaded walk, and then Beloso drove one in on a sac fly to make it 4-2.
- Giovanni DiGiacomo tied the game up for LSU in the eighth with a two-run home run off Jared Liebelt.
- The game remained scoreless until the 16th inning when DiGiacomo struck again with a sacrifice fly to drive in a run.
- Mississippi State answered back in the bottom half thanks to an LSU error that kept the game tied.
- Finally, in the bottom of the 17th inning, Mississippi State got a walk-off RBI single from Gunner Halter.
- FINAL SCORE: Miss. St. – 6 LSU – 5 (17 innings)
- With the win — Mississippi State pretty much locks up a top-eight seed
- With the loss — LSU’s chances of hosting a regional take a hit
