Southland Conference

Baseball: Feb. 13 Scoreboard

2/13/2015 11:18:08 PM

Houston Baptist 13, Prairie View A&M 3
Central Arkansas 8, Grambling State 3
McNeese State 6, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 5
Southeastern La. 5, Louisiana Tech 4
Sam Houston State 6, Wichita State 5
Stephen F. Austin 4, Washington State 1
A&M-Corpus Christi 6, St. Peter’s 4
Lamar 7, New Mexico State 6
Troy 6, Northwestern State 0
Stony Brook 6, Nicholls 0
Nevada 12, Abilene Christian 3
Northwestern 3, UIW 1
South Alabama 7, New Orleans 3
 
Houston Baptist 13, Prairie View A&M 3
HOUSTON, Texas – HBU senior centerfielder Zach Nehrir went 2-for-5 with a triple, four RBIs and three runs to lead the Huskies in a 13-3 rout of Prairie View A&M in the baseball season-opener Friday afternoon at Husky Field.
 
Junior shortstop Louie Payetta went 3-for-5 with a double, a pair of RBIs and a pair of runs in his HBU debut, while senior catcher Samm Wiggins went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and scored three times for the Huskies (1-0). Senior rightfielder Thomas Clay went 2-for-5 with a triple and scored a run, and junior first baseman Andrew Alvarez singled, scored three times, and made two sparkling defensive plays, in his first game as a Husky.
 
Senior righthander Taylor Wright (1-0) earned the win for HBU, allowing three runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts and a walk. Senior Chris Garza, junior Brody Toal and junior Matt Harding each tossed a scoreless inning of relief for the Huskies.
 
Cody Den Beste homered and drove in a pair of runs for PVAMU (0-1), while Walter Wells singled and drove in the other. Kevin Macias singled and scored for the Panthers.
 
Alberto Aveytia (0-1) took the loss for the Panthers, allowing seven runs, four earned, on seven hits in five innings. Cassidy Land threw the final three, giving up six runs, two earned, on seven hits.
 
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the third as Connor Wrye led off with a triple and Wells followed with a single to left, but it was all Huskies after that.
 
HBU scored three in the fourth as senior third baseman Curtis Jones drew a leadoff walk, Wiggins followed with an infield single, both runners moved up on a passed ball, then Nehrir knocked them in with a line drive in the gap in leftcenter. Nehrir scored as junior designated hitter Austin Saenz singled to right.
 
The Huskies scored four more in the fifth when Clay led off with a triple to center, then Payetta singled to left. Nehrir added a two-run triple, then scored on a throwing error as HBU took a 7-1 lead.
 
Den Beste cut the Panthers’ deficit to 7-3 with a two-run homer to right in the top of the sixth, but the Huskies answered with six runs in the bottom of the frame.
 
Payetta and Wiggins each had RBI doubles in the inning, then Alvarez delivered a three-run single to leftcenter, as the runners were moving on a full count with two outs, to put the Huskies up, 13-3.
 
The series continues Saturday with a 1 p.m. start, followed by a 2 p.m. first pitch in the finale Sunday.
 
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Central Arkansas 8, Grambling State 3
MONROE, La. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears pounded out 13 hits, including a pair of home runs by Logan Preston, and opened the 2015 season with an 8-2 victory over the Grambling State Tigers on Friday afternoon at ULM’s Warhawk Field.
 
Preston, a junior shortstop, hit a solo home run in a three-run sixth inning, then added a two-run shot in the seventh inning to give the Bears an 8-0 lead. Junior first baseman Braxton Phillips, a transfer from Butte Community College, went 3 for 4 from the leadoff spot, including a pair of walks.
 
Junior righthander Connor Gilmore (1-0) cruised through six innings of work, allowing just four hits, striking out two and walking one. 
 
The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Phillips singled up the middle, went to second on a ground out, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Nate Ferrell’s fly ball to foul territory down the right-field line. UCA made it 3-0 in the fourth on designated hitter James Lacy’s sacrifice fly that scored Christ Townsend. Phillips then singled to left field to bring in Preston, who reached on an error.
 
Senior left fielder Wesley Hoover added a two-run single to Preston’s home run in the sixth inning. In the seventh, Townsend was hit by a pitch and Preston brought him in with his shot to left-center.
 
Senior Josh Markel replaced Gilmore in the seventh and set the Tigers down in order before allowing a pair of unearned runs in the eighth. Junior Bo Stitch pitched the ninth for the Bears. 
 
Junior center fielder Tyler Langley finished 2 for 3 with a run scored, while Hoover had a pair of RBI. GSU managed eight hits, led by catcher Roger Siaz who went 3 for 4. Edwin Drexler went 2 for 4 and scored a run. Ike O’Bear allowed 6 runs, 4 earned, to take the loss.
 
UCA returns to action at 6 p.m. Saturday against the host Warhawks.

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McNeese State 6, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 5
LAKE CHARLES, La. –The McNeese State baseball team ditched the old “Friday the 13th” myth and instead battled past a salty Arkansas-Pine Bluff squad to score a 6-5 season opening win at the newly renovated Cowboy Diamond.
 
The victory gave the Cowboys (1-0) their second consecutive season opening win under head coach Justin Hill and their first back-to-back triumph since the 2009-2010 seasons.
 
The Cowboys used 10 hits to the Lions’ five to gain the advantage while both teams committed one error during the game.
 
Starting pitcher Kaleb Fontenot (1-0) picked up his ninth career quality start after having worked six innings and allowed only two earned runs. His eight strikeouts tied a career high that he set against Houston Baptist in 2014.
 
After a rocky start in the top of the first frame, McNeese chopped away at a 2-0 UAPB (0-1) lead in the bottom frame as junior Billy Sommers’ single up the gut drove in a James Cantu run. Sommers finished the night with two hits and two RBI.
 
McNeese tied the lead in the second inning due to a sacrifice fly from senior Andrew Guillotte who drove in senior Lucas Quary.
 
Fontenot found his routine in the progression of the first inning as he retired seven straight batters before giving up a hit in the top of the third inning. However, the feisty Lions would not go down without a fight after they turned in a sacrifice hit to score a runner from third, making it a 3-2 lead for the visiting team in the third frame.
 
However, the Cowboy bats awoke in the fourth inning and with a little help from the UAPB fielding errors, McNeese used a ground out from freshman Joe Provenzano and another fly out from Guillotte to take its first lead of the game with a 4-3 mark over the Lions.
 
Guillotte’s hit and two RBI would help propel the Cowboys to their season opening victory while the Moss Bluff native continued to climb the all-time stolen base list. His two swipes on the night now gives him 58 career stolen bases and needs just one more to tie Lee Orr for fifth all-time.
 
The Cowboys tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth frame when a bases loaded hit by pitch allowed Guillotte to cross the dish. On the next play, Sommers’ ground out to second allowed Cantu to score and up the McNeese lead to a 6-3 advantage.
 
UAPB put together one last plan of attack in the eighth inning using two runs to cut the lead to just one score but the Lions were unable to mount in offense in the last frame.
 
Sophomore Collin Kober entered the game to relieve Fontenot and tossed a perfect 1.1 innings and was credited with his first career save. 
 
The Cowboys continue their three-game series on Saturday when they take on Arkansas-Pine Bluff with the contest slated for a 3 p.m. start.
 
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Southeastern La. 5, Louisiana Tech 4
HAMMOND, La. – Freshman Kade Granier tossed three scoreless innings in relief Friday and Southeastern Louisiana scored single runs in the fifth through eighth innings to rally for a 5-4 season-opening win over Louisiana Tech at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
 
Granier (1-0), a right-hander from Destrahan, Louisiana, entered in the seventh with the Lions down by one and faced just one over the minimum in his three inning stint, earning the win in his collegiate debut.
 
Southeastern (1-0) fell behind early as Tech (0-1) leadoff hitter Taylor Love jumped on the first pitch of the game from junior right-hander Tate Scioneaux and deposited it over the fence in right-center field. A Preseason All-Conference USA player, Love reached base all four times he came up to the plate in the game.
 
The Lions answered with two outs in the bottom of the first when designated hitter Daniel Midyett yanked one out to right for a solo home run. It was the first career homer for the junior from Shreveport, Louisiana.
 
In the fifth, Tech took advantage of some uncharacteristic wildness by Scioneaux. After retiring the leadoff hitter, the right-hander hit three of the next five batters. The Bulldogs sprinkled in three hits and pushed across three runs for a 4-1 lead.
 
Southeastern started to chip away at the lead immediately. Ryan Byers drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth, stole second base and eventually scored on a bases-loaded error by Bulldog second baseman Thomas Simoneaux.
 
Midyett scored in the sixth when Tech left fielder Colby Johnson misplayed a fly ball off the bat of Brett Hoffman. Byers scored again in the seventh, to tie the game, on an RBI-ground out by Jacob Seward.
 
Pinch runner Drew Avans, a freshman from Alabaster, Alabama, scored the winning run on a bases-loaded walk by shortstop Brooks Morse, a sophomore from Sulphur, Louisiana, in the bottom of the eighth.
 
All four Lion runs that scored late in the game reached bases on a walk. Tech pitching walked eight in the game.
 
Reliever Laetten Galbreath (0-1) was tagged with the loss. There was no save.
 
Saturday's game, which includes baseball-themed bingo, is slated for 2 p.m. against Tech. The Lions will send junior right-hander Jake Johnson (8-4, 3.89 - JUCO), a transfer from Neosho County (Ks.) C.C, to the mound against Tech left-hander Tyler Clancy (3-2, 3.82 – JUCO).
 
Fans can keep up with the game through live statistics or by following SLUathletics on Twitter. A link for live stats is available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
 
Individual game tickets are currently on sale and may be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets or through the baseball box office which opens one hour before first pitch.
 
 
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Sam Houston State 6, Wichita State 5
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Matt Deggs era of Sam Houston baseball got started with an 8-5 win over Wichita State in front of the largest Opening Night crowd in Don Sanders Stadium history of 1,257. The series will continue Saturday at 3 p.m. and wraps up Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Senior outfielder Colt Atwood was 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Atwood never had more than three hits in a game last season. His RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth capped off a four-run eighth inning that sealed the win.
 
In a back-and-forth game that saw the lead change three times, the Bearkats trailed 5-4 going into the eighth inning.
 
Junior first baseman Spence Rahm worked a walk to start the bottom of the eighth and Zach Smith came in to pinch run for him. Senior shortstop Jake MacWilliam singled through the left side of the infield and Smith advanced to third.
 
Transfer catcher Colin Yelich, making his first start for the Bearkats, chopped a ball up the middle that the Shocker second baseman couldn’t field, allowing Smith to score and tie the game 5-5.
 
Senior second baseman Ryan Farney came through with the go-ahead hit up the middle, driving in MacWilliam, to make the score 6-5.
 
After Yellich came around to score on a wild pitch, Atwood delivered the dagger with a base-hit to right field that scored Farney and extended the lead to 8-5.
 
Ryan Brinley, who started at third base and went 1-for-4 with a double, came in to close the game. He pitched a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts for his first save of the season.
 
Senior reliever Alex Bisacca pitched a perfect eighth inning and picked up the win on the mound.
 
Andrew Godail, who started and pitched 4 2/3 innings, fanned the first batter of the season on four pitches to get the game started. The senior lefthander finished with five strikeouts and two walks. He allowed two runs on five hits.
 
Wichita State jumped ahead 1-0 in the second inning. Shocker designated hitter Ryan Tinkham singled sharply to lead off the second inning before swiping second base. Godail was nearly out of the frame but MacWilliam made an errant throw that would have ended the inning. Instead Tinkham was able to score on the play and give the Shockers a 1-0 lead.
 
The Shockers would double their lead with two outs in the third inning. Left fielder Daniel Kihle hit an infield single, advanced to second on a passed ball and moved to third on a wild pitch. He scored when Tinkham singled just out of the reach of Lee in right field.
 
Sam Houston got on the board in the fourth when Atwood and Johnson each singled into right field to start the frame. Both runners advanced on a bad pickoff throw by the pitcher Sam Tewes. Senior designated hitter Hayden Simerly drove Atwood in with a groundout to first base.
 
The Bearkat narrowly escaped giving up more runs in the fifth inning when the Shockers got runners to second and third with two outs, prompting a pitching change. The Kats turned to junior Juan Cortina who got a strike out on three pitches to end the threat.
 
SHSU grabbed its first lead of the game in the fifth inning. With one out Yellich singled into right field. Farney then reached on an infield single on a hit-and-run play. Lee also singled to left field to load the bases with one out.
 
For the second time in the game the Shockers’ pitcher threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt, but this time it allowed Yelich to score from third and tie the game 2-2.

Atwood gave the Bearkats their first lead of the game, 3-2, when he singled to right field to score Farney.
 
The Bearkats improved to 6-4 in home openers at Don Sanders Stadium. The previous attendance record for a home opener was 1,145 against Rice in 2008.
 
 
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Stephen F. Austin 4, Washington State 1
Recap to follow.
 
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A&M-Corpus Christi 6, St. Peter’s 4
Recap to follow.
 
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Lamar 7, New Mexico State 6
BEAUMONT, Texas - It was tight, but a cast of characters led the Lamar baseball team to a 7-6 win over New Mexico State in the 2015 season opener, but more importantly led Cardinal skipper Jim Gilligan to his 1,300th career win on Friday night at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
 
One player who could stake claim to a spot on that list is freshman CJ Moore. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native was 3-of-5 on the day with a double, home run and three runs batted in. He had one out double in the first inning and ended up at third base, but was stranded.
 
Moore crushed a three-run dinger on a 2-0 pitch in the fifth inning that pushed the score to then 6-2 in the Cards' favor. He rounded out his day with a single and stolen base in the eighth inning, and was again stranded at third.
 
Another important piece to Gilligan's milestone win was newcomer Galen Andrews (1-0) who completely shut down the Aggie lineup after they tied the contest at 6-6. He finished his night with 4.1 hitless and shutout innings of work and had six strikeouts.
 
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Troy 6, Northwestern State 0
TROY, Ala. – On a 43-degree night, Northwestern State’s Adam Oller and Troy’s Corey Childress locked up in a season-opening pitchers’ duel Friday night at Riddle-Pace Field.
 
Unfortunately for Oller, the Trojans’ bats found some life on a night where NSU could not produce much offensively, as the Demons dropped the season opener, 6-0.
 
Childress (1-0) worked seven scoreless innings in his collegiate debut, allowing just two hits and striking out five.
 
After being held hitless for the first 4 1-3 innings, the Demons (0-1) got a one-out single from C.J. Webster that was followed by a Matthew Alford double.
 
Garrett Logan then dropped a squeeze bunt that Childress made a tough play on to get the out at the plate and keep the game scoreless.
 
Troy (1-0) used the momentum from Childress’ escape in their half of the fifth inning.
 
After allowing back-to-back singles to start the game, Oller settled in and retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced before Tripp Calhoun poked a one-out single through the right side.
 
Clay Holcomb followed with a double and Matt Sanders snapped the scoreless tie with an RBI single to right field. After Nick Masonia drew a walk, David Hall delivered the biggest hit of the inning, a two-run single to right field that made it 3-0.
 
Hall’s single knocked Oller from the game after 4 1-3 innings. Oller allowed six hits and four runs (all earned) Friday but tied a career high with six strikeouts.
  
The Trojans added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, while NSU never solved Childress or relievers Jeremy McGowan and Robert Harris, who threw scoreless eighth and ninth innings to complete the two-hitter.
 
Northwestern State had three relievers make their collegiate debuts Friday, as Chase Hymel, Brandon Stane and Jordan Shaffer worked the final 3 2-3 innings in relief of Oller.
 
Hymel allowed one earned run in one inning, Stane allowed an unearned run in 1 1-3 innings and Shaffer worked a perfect eighth inning.
 
Sanders and Holcomb combined to go 5-for-9 with three runs scored and an RBI. The pair notched half of Troy’s 10 hits on the night.
 
The series continues Saturday with a doubleheader. NSU is scheduled to pitch senior right-hander Josh Oller (3-2, 4.06 ERA in 2014) in Game 1 and sophomore right-hander Evan Tidwell (3-0, 5.74) in Game 2. Troy is expected to pitch left-hander Ben Tidwell (1-3, 4.02) in Game 1 and right-hander Grant Bennett, a junior college transfer. First pitch of Game 1 is set for 1 p.m.
 
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Stony Brook 6, Nicholls 0
 
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Nevada 12, Abilene Christian 3
ABILENE, Texas -- Nevada hit three home runs and scored in six of nine innings Friday night as the Wolfpack spoiled the Wildcats' season-opener with a 12-3 win at Crutcher Scott Field.

Austin Byler -- ranked as the top senior player in college baseball by Perfect Game earlier this winter -- hit a towering three-run to highlight a five-run seventh inning that capped the Wolfpack scoring. Also homering for the Wolfpack were Ryan Howell (solo home run following Byler's shot in the seventh) and Trenton Brooks hit a two-run shot to highlight a three-run first inning.

The Wolfpack scored three runs in the first and single runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings before putting up a seven-spot in the seventh.

ACU starting pitcher Thomas Altimont (0-1) was tagged with the loss after making it through five innings and allowing seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits while striking out six Nevada hitters. Four other ACU pitchers combined to allow four hits and five runs over the final four innings of the game.

Nevada did a lot of its damage against the Wildcats with two strikes. Five times the Wolfpack came up with two-strike hits, and three of those drove in runs. Nevada also had a two-strike sacrifice fly that plated a run.

The Wildcats' only offense came in the middle innings as they pushed across a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to cut Nevada's lead to 7-3.In the fourth, freshman third baseman Brayden Gomez -- who finished the night 3 for 4 -- got a two-out single, went to second on a single by transfer shortstop Kyle Carroll and scored on a single to center field by transfer catcher Alex Copeland to make it 7-1.

Then in the fifth, Taylor Fajardo reached on an error by Nevada starting pitcher Michael Fain, went to second on a walk by Jordan Forrester, and then both runs scored on a double into the left-field corner by second baseman Aaron Draper. But with Draper standing on second and the Wildcats' with a chance to cut further into the lead, new pitcher Cameron Rowland got the  next three Wildcats in order to stem the tide.

Rowland (1-0) would three innings of one-hit baseball in relief of Fain to pick up the victory for Nevada.

The teams will continue their three-game series Saturday at 2 p.m. with the series finale set for 1 p.m. Sunday.
 
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Northwestern 3, UIW 1
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team opened the season with a well-pitched 3-1 loss to Northeastern University on Friday night, at Sullivan Field.
 
The Huskies (1-0) got on the board first on a Joey Scambia single through the right side bringing in Cam Hanley in the fourth inning. Hanley led off the inning with a walk before advancing to third on a ground out and a single.  Pat Madigan then doubled the Huskies' lead with a solo homerun to lead off the sixth inning.
 
The Cardinals' lone run came in the bottom of the seventh inning off the bat of catcher Colton Bessett (Cedar Park/Vista Ridge HS). Bessett drove a long fly ball to left field for his first home run of the season.  The Cardinals only managed five hits off the Northeastern pitching staff.
 
Nick Berger hurled seven innings of one run baseball for the visitors walking one Cardinal and striking out nine.  He earned the first win of the season for the Huskies.
 
 
In the bottom of the eighth, the Cardinals could have threatened relief pitcher Mike Fitzgerald after Blake Woosley (Corvalis/Philomath HS) got on base on an error to lead off the inning. Mark Whitehead (San Antonio.Johnson HS) started his at bat with a 3-0 count, but would eventually look at a called third strike with Woosley on the move for a strike-him-out-throw-him-out double play. The next batter, Matt Morris (Scottsdale, AZ/Saguaro HS), got hit on the first pitch, which could have meant bases loaded with no outs if Whitehead had walked, but instead the Cardinals were unable to rally.
 
The Huskies brought in Aaron Civale to close out the game in the ninth inning. Civale gave up a one-out double to Ethan McGill (Penn Valley, CA/Nevada Union HS), but then got Bessett and Brance Kahle (Colleyville/Grapevine Faith HS) to fly out to end the game.  Civale was credited with a save.
 
Cody Richey (Comfort/Comfort HS) pitched a great game for the Cardinals (0-1) giving up two earned runs in  7.0 innings, while striking out six and walking two in the losing effort.
 
The Cardinals will look to get the bats going in the second game of this three-game series against the Huskies on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Sullivan Field. The series finale is Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
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South Alabama 7, New Orleans 3
MOBILE, Ala. – The New Orleans Privateers baseball team (0-1) committed five errors and allowed four unearned runs in a 7-3 loss to the South Alabama Jaguars (1-0) on Friday evening at Stanky Field in the season opener.

The Privateers got out to an early 2-0 lead, and then wrestled the lead back after South Alabama tied the game in the third. However, three runs in the fourth, all coming with two outs, gave the Jaguars a lead they would never relinquish.

Drew LaBounty drew a two-out walk and Bud Collura reached on a fielding error to set up a Cole Billingsley single to right that tied the game. The bases were loaded again when Daniel Martinez hit a grounder to second that was booted, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Hunter Medine was charged with a balk that brought another run in to give the Jaguars a 5-3 lead.

South Alabama would add to that advantage with two more runs in the fifth. The Jaguars loaded the bases with one out, but Alex Smith came in and got a strikeout for the second out of the inning. With Bilingsley at the plate, Smith threw a wild pitch that brought in the first run of the frame. The second came in on another error to finish the South Alabama scoring.

Cody Van Aken came in as the first call out of the pen for South Alabama starter, Austin Stephens and allowed just one hit in the final 4.1 innings. Van Aken struck out four while issuing just one walk on 56 pitches and picked up the win.

The Privateers got solo runs in the second, third, and fourth. Ray Veit just beat out a turn for a double play attempt and picked up an RBI fielder’s choice. In the third, Preston Marsh hit a sac fly RBI to push the Privateers’ early advantage to 2-0. The final run of the game came on an RBI infield single from Chaz Boyer.

Medine (0-1) took the loss, allowing five runs (one earned) in relief. Six different pitchers were used after starter, Nick Halliday went 2.2 innings. The Privateers got seven hits at the plate and two stolen bases. New Orleans used six different pitchers on the night.

Jared Barnes went 4-for-5 in his first collegiate game, collecting four singles. Cole Gleason went 2-for-5 with a two-run double. LaBounty scored twice, drew two walks, and was hit by a pitch in another plate appearance.

The two teams will meet for the second game of the series on Saturday at 12 p.m. Shawn Semple will take the ball for the Privateers and will be opposed by Ryne Long.
 
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