Baseball: Feb. 24 Scoreboard
McNeese State 5, La.-Lafayette 4 (17)
Sam Houston State 10, Prairie View A&M 3
No. 14 Texas A&M 4, Houston Baptist 1
UTSA 12, UIW 0
Tulane 9, New Orleans 0
McNeese State 5, La.-Lafayette 4 (17)
LAFAYETTE, La. – When it comes to a rivalry game between McNeese State and Louisiana-Lafayette, there is nothing short of an exciting ballgame, which was the case Tuesday night as the Pokes battled through and defeated the Cajuns, 5-4, in seventeen innings at “Tigue” Moore Field.
The extra inning affair was not the only time that the two squads had danced past the nine inning limit. The Pokes’ 17 inning game was the second longest game in the series and came close to matching a 23-inning contest played against ULL in 1971.
The victory over Louisiana-Lafayette was McNeese’s first in the previous six meetings against its I-10 rival. The last time that the Pokes scored a win against ULL was in a 5-4 victory in Lake Charles during the 2010 season.
In a contest that involved over 500 pitches, nine total runs, 29 total hits and 6 errors between both teams, the stakes couldn't have been any higher. The Pokes were looking to snap a four game losing skid while ULL’s head coach Tony Robichaux sought his 1,000th career win.
To say the least, McNeese was happy to see one of its players cross the plate for the final time during the game.
Nearly five hours after the first pitch was thrown, senior Connor Lloyd’s RBI-single in the top of the 17th inning was enough to drive in junior Connor Crane from third base to put the Cowboys ahead of their rivals with a 5-4 advantage on the scoreboard.
The lead would never be relinquished as junior Austin Briggs was brought in the bottom of the 17th inning with one out. With the game on the line, Briggs delivered a spectacular performance, retiring the final two batters and securing the win for the Pokes.
Tyler Day (1-0) picked up the first win of his career as a Cowboy after tossing 1.1 innings and allowed no runs to score on no hits along with a strikeout.
Briggs was credited with the save following his game-ending putouts.
Combined, the McNeese pitching staff struck out 17 batters and allowed just four runs through the 17 frame stretch. ULL’s staff fanned 16 batters and walked seven in the process.
Six Cowboys recorded multiple hits in the contest which was highlighted by Lloyd and junior Lewis Guilbeau who each turned in three hits. Andrew Guillotte, Billy Sommers, Connor Crane and James Cantu each hit twice in the game.
It wasn’t pretty but a throwing error at first caused by the Cajuns was enough to allow Billy Sommers to score from third and break the Cowboys’ 28 consecutive scoreless inning streak in the top of the first inning. After a triple deep to right field, Sommers was allowed to cross the plate as Guilbeau reached first base following a misthrow from the ULL catcher.
ULL responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the third inning as single and a throwing error committed by the Cowboys allowed the Cajuns to plate the tying run. Greg Davis’ RBI-double to left center in the latter part of the inning gave Louisiana-Lafayette a 2-1 lead over McNeese.
Another set of unusual events played out in favor of the Cowboys in the top of the fourth inning when an RBI-hit from Matt Gallier drove in one run for McNeese as well as another fielding error from the ULL outfield which scored Kris Molter and give the Pokes another one run lead over the Cajuns with a 3-2 score.
The Cowboys’ second miscue of the game in the bottom of the fifth frame allowed ULL left fielder Dylan Butler to advance from second to third followed by a ground out RBI-sac bunt and bring Louisiana-Lafayette back into the game as the Cajuns knotted up the score 3-3.
McNeese survived a scare in the bottom sixth as reliever Collin Kober worked out of a bases loaded situation and prevented the Cajuns from unknotting the three run all tie. The Pokes used a grounder to third baseman Matt Gallier who stepped on the bag to end the inning.
A Cowboys used another reliever in senior Cory LaPeze to get McNeese out of a bases loaded situation for the second time in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Cajuns led off the inning with a double and juiced the bags on an intentional walk and a hit by pitch. LaPeze entered the game with the difficult task of getting the last two outs but buckled down and sent the last two batters away swinging.
Both teams each scored a run in the 10th to knot the score up at four runs apiece and would continue to battle in limbo until the 17th inning of the contest.
McNeese will return home to take on UTSA in a weekend series that is slated to begin on Friday, Feb. 27 at 6 o’clock.
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Sam Houston State 10, Prairie View A&M 3
The Bearkats had to dig out of an early hole against Prairie View A&M on their way to a 10-3 win Tuesday night at Don Sanders Stadium. Sam Houston State finished the game with 17 hits and eight stolen bases.
After trailing 3-0, Sam Houston tied it in the third, took the lead in the sixth and scored insurance runs in the seventh and eighth.
Senior pitcher Derrick Hadley got the start and made his first career appearance for Sam Houston. He was pitching for the first time in more than two years.
Hadley struck out four batters in two innings pitched. He got into a little trouble in the second and allowed the first three runs of the game on a bases-clearing double down the left field line.
First baseman Spence Rahm had a second straight big game at the plate. He was 3-for-5 with three doubles and four RBI. Catcher Collin Yelich had his biggest day at the plate for Sam Houston, going 4-for-4 with two RBI.
The Bearkats got two runs back in the bottom of the second inning. Third baseman Jake MacWilliam and designated hitter Ryan Farney each singled with one out. MacWilliam scored on an errant pickoff throw and Farney came home on Yelich’s first hit of the game.
Sam Houston turned to reliever Alex Bisacca with one runner on and no outs in the top of the third and the senior got three groundouts to get out of the jam. He tossed three scoreless innings and allowed just one hit.
First baseman Spence Rahm tied the ballgame in the third with a two-out double to right field that plated second baseman Zach Smith. Smith was 2-for-5 with a run scored in his second start.
Freshman pitcher Reid Garrett made his first career appearance for Sam Houston and struck out two batters in the sixth. He earned the win after the Kats took the lead in the next half inning.
With one out in the sixth Farney was hit by a pitch and Yelich doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third. Senior Colt Atwood came into the game as a pinch hitter and loaded the bases with a walk.
Left fielder Hayden Simerly delivered the game-winning hit with a two-run double into the right field gap that gave SHSU a 5-3 lead.
In the seventh inning right fielder Travis Lee walked, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. He scored on another double by Rahm. The 6’5 first baseman then stole third base and scored on a squeeze bunt by MacWilliam.
Farney kept the inning alive with a single to right field. He stole second base and scored on Yelich’s fourth hit of the game to make the score 7-3.
Rahm smacked his third double of the game in the eighth inning to drive in two more runs and make the score 10-3.
Seth Holbert pitched scoreless frames in the seventh and eighth and Hayden Nixon tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bearkats are scheduled to travel to Louisiana-Monroe for a three-game weekend series starting Friday at 6 p.m.
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No. 14 Texas A&M 4, Houston Baptist 1
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The HBU baseball team struck first but was unable to hold on in a 4-1 loss to No. 14 Texas A&M at Blue Bell Park on Tuesday evening.
Three Huskies (5-3) recorded multi-hit games against the Aggies (8-0). Seniors Thomas Clay and Zach Nehrir, and junior Louie Payetta all recorded two hits against TAMU. Clay scored the team’s lone run and added his team-leading fifth stolen base. Nehrir recorded his third triple of the season and also swiped a bag.
Senior Curtis Jones (0-1) took his first loss of the season, surrendering three runs (all earned) over five and one-third innings pitched. Jones fanned two and walked one across 23 batters faced. Seniors Josh Martinez and Chris Garza both logged scoreless outings in relief.
Clay led off the game with a two-strike single to second base, before Payetta advanced him to second on a sac bunt one pitch later. Following a strikeout, senior Samm Wiggins plated Clay with a single to center field for the early 1-0 advantage.
A pitcher’s duel between HBU’s Curtis Jones (no decision) and Aggie Turner Larkins (no decision) spanned the next two innings, before TAMU took advantage of consecutive singles to open up the bottom of the fourth and even the game one-all.
HBU threatened to retake the lead in the next at bat, but left the bases loaded and then stranded two more in the top of the sixth, before the Aggies added two more runs in the bottom frame to go up 3-1.
The Huskies will return to Husky Field for a three-game series with Arkansas State beginning Friday, Feb. 27.
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UTSA 12, UIW 0
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team was kept in check by UTSA Tuesday, as they lost to the Roadrunners 12-0 at Roadrunner Field.
The Roadrunners (6-2) open the scoring early getting four runs in the bottom of the first inning with help from a 2-out, 2-RBI double down the left field line from Mitchell Matulia. He finished with two hits, one run and three RBI to lead the team to their sixth win of the season. Tyler Straub and Geonte Jackson collected three hits apiece, while Straub hit a solo homerun in the fourth inning. J.T. Gilmore hit a triple in the eighth and drove in three runs for the Roadrunners.
Aaron Burns earned the win for the Roadrunners going five strong innings allowing only a hit, a walk and no runs while striking out three.
The Cardinals (4-5) used six pitchers in the loss and starter
John Shull (San Antonio/Churchill HS) was tabbed with the loss.
Adam Hunter (Yoakum/Yoakum HS) ended his streak of four straight scoreless appearances in the fifth inning when he gave up a run on a fielder's choice groundout to second base.
Tyler Miller (Conroe/Oak Ridge HS) pitched a scoreless seventh inning retiring the side in order and striking out one.
UTSA's pitching staff held the Cardinals' offense to no runs and just two hits. The first hit for UIW came in the third inning on a single up the middle by Will Triebes (Pflugerville/Hendrickson HS), but was quickly erased on a 1-6-3 double play.
Braden Martin (Andrews/Andrews HS) collected the only other hit for UIW, an infield single in the ninth inning.
The Cardinals are back in action on Wednesday, as they travel to College Station to face No. 23 Texas A&M at 6:35 p.m.
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Tulane 9, New Orleans 0
NEW ORLEANS, La.
– The New Orleans Privateers baseball team (4-4) fell behind early and were limited to just five hits in a 9-0 loss to the Tulane Green Wave (7-1) on Tuesday night at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark.
The Green Wave started the scoring early after a lead-off single by Stephen Alemais. After Alemais was moved to second on a bunt, he stole third and the throw from behind the plate was sailed into left which brought Alemais home and gave Tulane a 1-0 lead in the first.
Tulane added another run that was aided by an error in the third. Richard Carthon laid down a bunt and reached on an error to put two on with no outs. John Gandolfo then got an RBI ground out to push the Green Wave lead to 2-0.
The big inning came in the fourth as Tulane pounded out seven hits and plated six runs to put the game out of reach. The Green Wave added another run in the sixth on back-to-back doubles to cap off the scoring while pounding 16 hits on the night.
“We were sleepwalking. We didn’t play today. We weren’t ready,” said Coach Ron Maestri. “They’re a good ball club and they made the adjustments. They took the ball the other way with two strikes.”
Mitchell Cohen entered with two outs in the fourth and was able to go 3.1 innings out of the pen while limiting the Green Wave to one run while striking out two. Nick Halliday and Keaton Brewer each pitched shutout innings to end the game.
Tulane had three players go for three hits. Alemais went 3-for-4 with two runs while Gandolfo had three hits and two RBIs. Lex Kaplan also went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Patrick Duester threw six shutout innings with only three hits allowed. Jackson Johnson went the final three innings for the save.
The Privateers will finish the mid-week series against Tulane at Greer Field on Wednesday with a first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.
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