Baseball: April 17 Scoreboard
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3, New Orleans 1
Southeastern Louisiana 4, McNeese State 2 (10)
Central Arkansas 2, Northwestern State 1
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3, New Orleans 1
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team won its fifth-consecutive game after scoring two runs in the top of the ninth to defeat New Orleans, 3-1 at Maestri Field Friday night.
It was a pitching duel through and through as neither team was able to push a run across the plate. Matt Danton improved to 3-5 on the season after going eight complete innings and striking out six batters. While on the mound the Conroe, Texas native induced 12 ground balls in the first six innings.
The Privateers (11-25, 2-14 SLC) had just three hits through four innings, all of which were singles grounded up the middle. It wasn't until the sixth until they were able to put a real offensive threat together. Two consecutive singles by New Orleans put a runner in scoring position for the first time in the game. With the bases loaded UNO's Hezekiah Randolph grounded to second where the Islanders looked to the double play but were only able to turn the out at second as the go-ahead run crossed the plate.
Sophomore second baseman Brett Burner led off the seventh inning with a liner out to left field that was just out of the reach of a diving Ryan Calloway to pick up his first triple of the year. Burner made his way home to tie the game after Lukas Hermanson lined a ball to the third baseman that ricocheted off his glove of Parker Jones into the outfield.
That would mark the end of the night for the Privateers' starting pitcher Alex Smith as Seth Laigast closed the door for the Islanders in the inning. The Islanders would attempt to score on a ball hit up the first base line, but a heads up play by UNO's Preston Marsh would catch Hermanson in a rundown eventually tagging out the catcher.
A&M-Corpus Christi (18-15, 8-8 SLC) opened the eighth with a leadoff walk by Kyle Danford, who then advanced to third off two-straight wild pitches. The Islanders missed a chance to go ahead in the game after UNO was able to retire the next three batters to strand Danford at third.
After coming in to pinch run in the seventh, Brandon Guilford opened the ninth inning with a walk and later advanced on a wild pitch. Jordan Lee then drove a ball deep to center field, good enough to allow Guilford to tag up and move to third. Casey Thomas walked to the plate and fell behind 0-2 in the count, but the Phoenix, Ariz. native put a ball in play up the middle to score the go-ahead run and pick up his second hit of the game.
Keller, Texas native Zacarias Hardy added an insurance run as he drilled a ball to left center field. The ball went just over the outstretched glove of Sam Carriere to score Thomas from second.
The Islanders had an opportunity in the top of the fourth to put a run on the board after a one-out double by Justin Perales and a walk by Brett Burner. The threat would end prematurely as Lukas Hermanson lined out to UNO third baseman Parker Jones who delivered a quick throw to second to double up Perales to end the frame.
Kevin Kelleher took the loss for the Privateers after allowing both ninth inning runs. Alex Smith went six and a third innings for the home team, allowing just one run and striking out four.
The team will look to return to the diamond Saturday at 1 p.m. for the second game of the series. Trevor Belicek will have the call for the Islanders as first pitch is slated for 1 p.m. weather permitting.
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Southeastern Louisiana 4, McNeese State 2 (10)
HAMMOND, La. – Julian Service cranked a two-run home run to left field with two outs in the tenth inning Friday as Southeastern Louisiana walked off with a 4-2 Southland Conference win over McNeese State at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Service's first homer as a Lion spurred Southeastern (28-11, 12-4 Southland) into sole possesion of first place in the conference.
The Lions took an early 2-0 lead in the first on Daniel Midyett's conference-leading seventh home run of the season.
Jacob Seward led off the bottom of the first with a single into left-center. With one out, Midyett blasted a two-run shot to right giving him a Southland-high 34 RBIs on the season.
Southeastern starting pitcher Tate Scioneaux corralled the Cowboys through five innings, allowing just one hit, but McNeese got to the right-hander for a pair in the sixth to tie the game.
Cowboy center fielder Andrew Guillotte led off the inning with a single to left. With two outs he stole second base and then scored on James Cantu's double to left-center. Cantu scored when designated hitter Billy Sommers followed with a single to center.
The game remained tied until Service's heroics in the tenth. In between, pitching dominated.
Lion reliever Kade Granier stranded the potential go-ahead run in scoring position twice and Domenick Carlini (1-0) fanned the side in extra innings.
Reliever Cole Prejean (1-2) was equally impressive for McNeese, fanning six of the first seven batters he faced. The right-hander had Seward down in the count, 1-2, when he pulled the ball back of first base for a two-out single in the 10
th to keep the inning alive for Service.
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Central Arkansas 2, Northwestern State 1
CONWAY, Ark.— Junior Connor Gilmore pitched another gem Friday night and the University of Central Arkansas Bears got a key pinch-hit infield single from Wesley Hoover and downed the Northwestern State Demons 2-1 in their Southland Conference series opener at Brown-Stroud Field.
Gilmore won his fourth straight start, going 8 1/3 innings, allowing six hits, one run and striking out eight and walking none to improve to 6-2 on the season. Junior righthander Derek Beier earned his second save, striking out the only two batters he faced to end it.
Northwestern State’s ace Adam Oller (5-2) held the Bears in check for five innings before the Bears struck for two runs in the sixth and chased him. Matt Anderson and Travis Hull drew walks to start the inning, and after Braxton Phillips was called out on batter's interference, Hayden Steele loaded the bases with another walk. Hunter Duvic replaced Oller and Logan Preston's fielder's choice scored Anderson for a 1-0 lead.
Hoover, who did not start after arriving in town late due to a class project in Conway on Friday afternoon, hit a pinch-hit single to second base that brought in Hull with the eventual winning run.
The Demons finally figured out Gilmore in the bottom of the ninth inning when third baseman Chase Daughdrill hit his fourth home run of the season to left center and designated hitter C.J. Webster followed with a base hit. But Beier came on and struck out Matthew Alford and Caleb Dugas on a combined seven pitches.
Hull, a junior catcher from Danville, Calif., went 2 for 4 for the Bears, while Anderson drew four of UCA's eight walks.
Game two is scheduled for 2 p.m. but may be pushed back to a doubleheader on Sunday because of expected rain.
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