Baseball: May 3 Scoreboard
McNeese State 7, Stephen F. Austin 6 (11)
Sam Houston State 3, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 2
Nicholls 7, Houston Baptist 2
UIW 10, Central Arkansas 5
Abilene Christian 12, New Orleans 5
Southeastern Louisiana 6, Lamar 0
Northwestern State 8, Notre Dame 4
McNeese State 7, Stephen F. Austin 6 (11)
LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese State baseball team used another walk-off win Sunday afternoon that completed a Southland Conference series sweep over Stephen F. Austin as senior Connor Lloyd knocked in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning to help propel the Pokes to a 7-6 victory.
With the ballgame knotted up for the third time in the eighth inning, the game eventually entered extra frames with neither team able to concoct something in the first free inning. In the bottom of the 11th, with one out and two runners standing in scoring position, Lloyd remained patient and eventually eyed the perfect pitch as he sent a two-strike single through the left side and scored the winning run.
Lloyd’s walk-off single comes a few days after helping his team score a mid-week win at Southern with spectacular performances at the plate and on the mound. On the week, he batted .526 (10-for-19) with three doubles, a triple, two stolen bases, four RBIs, and five runs scored for a .524 on-base percentage as well as a 0.00 ERA along with a strikeout.
The win gave McNeese (28-20, 17-10) its fifth straight victory on the season while the contest was the third in the last four games that the Pokes used a walk-off win against their opponents. SFA dropped to 15-33 and 9-17 in league play.
The extra-inning affair was McNeese’s eighth this season with the Pokes holding a 5-3 record in that category.
Sophomore Collin Kober (6-1) put forth a great relief effort once again and picked up his second win on the weekend. He tossed the final 1.2 innings of the contest and allowed no hits or runs during the session.
The McNeese bullpen limited its opponents to just one run on three hits and two walks in four innings of work. Senior Cole Prejean pitched the most innings among the relievers and shut down the Jacks for two innings with just one hit allowed.
Senior James Cantu was one of the most effective at the dish for the McNeese offense as he batted 2-for-2 with two RBIs, two walks, and two runs scored. Lloyd and junior Lewis Guilbeau also recorded a pair of hits in the ballgame while junior Billy Sommers knocked in two runs.
Stephen F. Austin held a three-run lead over the Pokes following the first two innings of play before McNeese fired off three runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth frame. The inning was highlighted by Sommers’ third homer of the season that started things off while Cantu and Guilbeau each knocked in a run to knot up the score.
The Jacks took the lead once again with runs in the fifth and sixth innings before the Cowboys but the score to just one run with an RBI-single from Guilbeau in the sixth.
McNeese looked to have the series clinched in the seventh inning following RBI plays from Sommers and junior Connor Crane before SFA used a run in the eighth frame to tie the game again for the third time.
The Cowboys will step out of conference action when it travels to Houston for a mid-week game on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. followed by a three-game home series against Grambling on the upcoming weekend. McNeese will finish conference play at Central Arkansas May 14-16.
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Sam Houston State 3, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 2
HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- A third inning solo home run by first baseman Spence Rahm proved to be the game-winner as Sam Houston defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3-2 Sunday to pick up the Bearkats’ fifth Southland Conference series win of the season.
The Kats won the opening game 3-2 Friday but lost 4-2 to the Islanders Saturday. Sam Houston now stands 26-23 for the year and 15-9 in conference action. A&M-Corpus Christi drops to 21-13 for the year and 11-13 in the league.
Sam Odom (4-4) allowed only five hits in seven innings, striking out five Islanders. Odom faced 27batters. Ryan Brinley picked up his fourth save of the year, facing seven batters in the final two innings. He struck out two Islanders.
After the Islanders pulled within a run in the top of the fifth inning, Sam Houston’s pitchers and defense retired 12 A&M-Corpus Christi batters in a row.
Left fielder Bryce Johnson went 3-for-4 at the plate and Rahm and designated hitter Spence Rahm each had two hits as the Kats out-hit the Islanders 9-6.
Catcher Collin Yelich started things in the second inning for the Bearkats with a double down the right field line. The hit moved second baseman Miles Manning who walked to third base.
Manning scored on a ground out to shortstop by right fielder Travis Lee. Johnson singled to center field to score Yelich and put Sam Houston up 2-0.
The Islanders struck back with a run in the third inning as, with two out, center fielder Tyler Ware doubled to right field then scored on a single up the middle by right fielder Kyle Danford.
Rahm blasted his solo home run high over the left field fence with one out in the bottom of the third to extend the Bearkat lead to 3-1.
Third baseman Brandon Guilford led off the fifth inning with a double down the left field line, moved to third on a fly out to center field then scored on a ground out to pull the Islanders to within one, 3-2.
Sam Houston will break for final exams then return to Southland Conference action next weekend at Houston Baptist.
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Nicholls 7, Houston Baptist 2
THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University baseball team scored seven runs on 16 hits in the series-finale against Houston Baptist, picking up a 7-2 win and completing a 3-0 series sweep of the Huskies at Ray E. Didier Field.
Justin Holt put an exclamation mark on the series with a 3-for-5 effort, scoring two runs and driving in two on Sunday. Through the three games against the second-ranked pitching staff of Houston Baptist (22-23, 12-12 SLC), Holt hit .571 (8-for-14) with five runs scored and two RBIs.
The Huskies grabbed an early lead in the finale, turning three first-inning singles into a run.
The Colonels (28-16-1, 14-10 SLC) punched back in the bottom of the frame, scoring a run when Holt singled to right center, advanced to third after consecutive wild pitches and scored on a Tanner Vandevere single to center.
Nicholls blew things wide open in the second, scoring four runs to take a 5-1 stranglehold on the game. Justin Smith and David Zorn each singled before a Joey Morales single to right field scored Smith. Holt subsequently singled to the shortstop, sending Zorn home. The following batter, Darius Knight, attempted a sacrifice bunt, but Morales was thrown out at home. Knight reached on the play. On the next at bat, Kyle Reese stepped to the plate and launched a double off the wall in right field, scoring Holt and Knight.
The Colonels turned three singles and an error into an unearned run in the third to pad their advantage.
Houston Baptist responded with three singles of its own in the fourth, sending a run in and bringing the score to 6-2.
Nicholls notched a final run in the eighth when Zorn singled to center, advanced to second on a Joey Morales ground out and came home on a Holt single to left center.
Justin Sinibaldi (9-1) earned the win, allowing two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts through five innings on the mound. Marc Frazier was flawless in relief, fanning four batters through three hitless innings. Stuart Holmes closed out the final frame, tossing one strikeout and giving up one hit.
Curtis Jones (4-6) took the loss, surrendering five runs on seven hits, while fanning one batter in 1 2/3 innings.
Zorn finished 3-for-4 at the plate, scoring twice. Reese turned in a 2-for-4 effort with two RBIs and Smith went 2-for-4 with two runs. Vandevere hit 2-for-4 with an RBI and Morales was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Samm Wiggings paced the Huskies’ offense with a 3-for-4 day and a run scored.
Tuesday’s matchup with Southern University has been canceled due to scheduling conflicts. The Colonels will face Alabama A&M at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. The game will be broadcast live on KTIB 640 AM.
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UIW 10, Central Arkansas 5
Recap to follow.
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Abilene Christian 12, New Orleans 5
Recap to follow.
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Southeastern Louisiana 6, Lamar 0
HAMMOND, La.
– Southeastern Louisiana shut out Lamar, 6-0, in Southland Conference action Sunday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
It was the second time in the series Southeastern (36-13, 20-4 Southland) tossed a shutout and it extended the Lions' winning streak in conference play to 11-consecutive victories. Southeastern also swept Lamar (19-28, 8-16 Southland) for the first time in school history.
Kennon Menard got the Lions going in the second inning, ripping a one-out single to left field. He advanced to second base on a passed ball before Julian Service was hit by a pitch. Chris Eades followed with a single to left, loading the bases with one out.
Cardinals' starting pitcher Eric Foshee (2-6) tossed a wild pitch, allowing Menard to score and the other runners to advance. Ryan Byers, who was at the plate, then cranked a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Service for a 2-0 Lion lead.
Kyle Cedotal (7-2) scattered seven hits over five shutout innings, exiting with runners at second and third and no outs in the sixth. Head coach Matt Riser brought in right-hander Kyle Keller, a senior from New Orleans, Louisiana, to work out of the jam with the potential tying run in scoring position.
Keller induced a comebacker to the mound out of pinch hitter Cutter McDowell and then fanned the final two batters of the inning, stranding the runners at second and third.
Spurred on by Keller's pitching, the Lions padded their lead in the bottom half of the inning.
Kevin Carr smacked his third home run of the season high off the light pole in left field. The one-out, solo shot put Southeastern up, 3-0. Menard picked up his second hit of the game, a two-out single, to chase Foshee. Service grounded to shortstop, but Stijn van der Meer's throw to first was too low to be easily handled by the first baseman. Eades followed with an RBI single through the right side.
Jacob Seward ripped a triple to right-center leading off the seventh and scored when Carson Crites hit a sacrifice fly to right, putting the Lions on top 5-0 over Lamar.
Seward drove in the final run of the game with a two-out single in the eighth.
Cedotal picked up the win for Southeastern. Keller tossed three scoreless innings in relief, fanning six, and Domenick Carlini work the ninth for the Lions. Foshee was tagged with the loss.
Carr (2-for-3), Eades (2-for-4), Menard (2-for-4) and Seward (2-for-5) led the Lions at the plate.
Southeastern wraps up its non-conference slate Wednesday at 6 p.m., traveling to face Southern in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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Northwestern State 8, Notre Dame 4
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Northwestern State baseball team’s business trip started roughly but had a very successful ending.
For the second straight game, the Demons jumped to an early six-run lead and held off a late charge to score an 8-4 win against Notre Dame on Sunday.
The victory was NSU’s second straight and gave the Demons their first non-conference series victory of the season.
“I just told our guys, Florida State comes up here highly ranked on the same field and Notre Dame sweeps them,” third-year coach Lane Burroughs said. “We come in and win a series. I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. We probably played our best baseball of the year the last two days, and what a time to do it. I just told them this is a trip I’ll never forget, not just on the field.”
Northwestern State (26-19) took advantage of Notre Dame starter Scott Tully’s inability to find the strike zone in the first inning. Tully (3-4) walked the first three batters of the game before Caleb Dugas lined an RBI single to left field to put NSU ahead 1-0.
The Demons added another run on a David Fry sacrifice fly before busting things open in the second inning.
With one out in the second, Joel Atkinson drew a walk before Cort Brinson launched a high-arcing drive down the left-field line that cleared the netting beyond the fence for his seventh home run of the season. Two batters later, Dugas followed a Chase Daughdrill single with another two-run blast to left field, the second of the year for Dugas.
Dugas and Brinson combined to drive in six of the Demons’ eight runs Sunday.
“I thought it was foul off the bat,” said Brinson, who went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and extended his hitting streak to 27 games, one shy of tying Eric DeBlanc’s school record.
“The wind kept it and it stayed inside the (foul pole). I got a little lucky. I put the barrel on it, and it went a long way.”
The early lead went a long way in backing Demons right-hander Jeffrey Stovall (5-4), who limited the Irish to one run on three hits in six strong innings, turning in his second consecutive quality start. In those 13 innings, Stovall has allowed just two earned runs.
The only damage the Irish (30-18) did against Stovall came on Cavan Biggio’s solo home run in the fifth inning that just eluded the glove of a leaping Kwan Adkins in right-center field.
“Every starting pitcher wants run support, and I got it today, thankfully,” Stovall said. “It makes pitching so much easier, and I was able to get comfortable and shake the nerves off. My offspeed was working today. Last week, I couldn’t throw my curve ball for a strike, and today, I was able to throw my curve ball and my change-up for a strike and get my slider over when I needed to.”
Once the Demons went to the bullpen, the Irish put together a three-run seventh inning against four Demons relievers.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, Burroughs went to his closer, Brandon Smith. Smith induced an inning-ending fielder’s choice off the bat of Ryan Lidge to end the inning.
Smith then turned into two more perfect innings, picking up his eighth save of the season and the 10
th of his career. Smith is now tied for sixth on the school single-season list and is tied for fourth on the career chart.
The Demons added an insurance run in the eighth inning when Adkins (2-for-4) notched the first multi-hit game of his career with a one-out double and Joel Atkinson followed with an RBI triple to produce the final margin.
“Kwan Adkins continues to play well – the bunt for a hit and then the double,” Burroughs said. “Then Joel comes up with the big hit to extend the lead. We went to the pen, and those guys didn’t throw strikes, and they weren’t trying to do that. Brandon Smith just proved, all you have to do is put the ball in the zone. He didn’t have his best stuff, and he wasn’t throwing hard, but he found a way to get it done.
“We came up here and showed some resiliency and some toughness. I couldn’t be more proud.”
The Demons continue their three-week, 10-game road trip Friday when they open a three-game Southland Conference series at Abilene Christian.
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