BASEBALL: Feb. 21 Scoreboard
UIW 7, LIU-Brooklyn 4
Lamar 5, Southeast Missouri State 2
Abilene Christian 6, UT Rio Grande Valley 5
McNeese State 8, Southern Illinois 4
New Orleans 9, Louisiana Tech 6
Northwestern State 8, Alabama State 4
Nicholls 13, Mississippi Valley 3
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6, Chicago State 2
Stephen F. Austin 5, Oklahoma State 4 (10)
UT Arlington 13, Stephen F. Austin 7
La.-Monroe 6, Southeastern La. 5 (10)
La.-Lafayette 13, Sam Houston State 3
UIW 7, LIU-Brooklyn 4
Recap to follow.
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Lamar 5, Southeast Missouri State 2
BEAUMONT, Texas – Reid Russell's two-run smash over the left field wall put the Lamar University baseball team up 3-2 in the fourth inning, and from there LU pitching took over and shut down the Southeast Missouri bats to get the Cardinals a 5-2 win for the series sweep Sunday at Vincent-Beck Stadium in non-conference action.
It was the first time since 2013 that LU (3-0) swept the first opponent on the season, which came against Northern Kentucky in a four-game series. The Cardinals will play host to Arizona (2-1) on Monday at 6 o'clock before LSU pays visit to The Beck on Wednesday at 6 o'clock.
"I feel really good about this weekend. We didn't swing the bats as good as I thought we would, but a lot of that has to do with (Southeast Missouri)," said head coach Jim Gilligan. "That felt like a Southland-type weekend with the arms they had. They were very good.
"It's always good to win close games, and we won three of them this weekend," he said. "It's the close ones that make up the ranking at the end of the year."
Lamar jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a score in the second, but the Redhawks (0-3) answered with two in the third frame with back-to-back RBI-base knocks from Branden Boggetto and Garrett Gandolfo. To start off the fourth, Cutter McDowell singled up the middle and sat there when Russell turned on a pitch to make it 3-2.
McDowell led off a frame three times in the ball game, all three times he singled and later scored. He was the score in the second inning after a single up the middle, wild pitch and RBI-single to center field from catcher Bryndan Arredondo. He also led off the sixth with a single to center field and scored with on a sacrifice fly from Arredondo again.
McDowell was 4-of-4 in the game, he also doubled in the eighth, with three runs and a run batted in. Russell was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI while Arredondo was 2-of-3 and knocked two in.
Lamar pitching had another good day on the mound. Fernando Martinez took his first Division I win with five innings of work and two runs allowed on five hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. Billy Love closed out the game and earned his first career save on four innings of shutout work. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out five.
"I was pleased with our pitching. Our starting pitching was great, and we looked good in the late innings," said Gilligan. "Martinez is usually a guy that is 86-87 (miles per hours), but today he was up to 91. We had some physical development taking place there. We know he can pitch."
"Having Billy Love come in and do what he did was big. That gives us another starting-type pitcher. It was a really good weekend confidence wise for our staff," he said.
Through the first three games, Lamar pitching accounts for 12.3 strikeouts per game.
After LU took the lead in the fourth, SEMO tried to rally for another in the top of the fifth with a walk and single to lead off the frame, but Martinez was able to undo the threat with a strikeout, fly out to left and groundout. From there, Love allowed a single to the first batter he faced, rolled him up in a double play and sat down seven in a row.
Robert Beltran took the loss Sunday afternoon in five innings of work and four runs allowed. He, nor any other SEMO pitcher, did not walk a batter. Jake Busiek took over in the sixth and pitched two frames before Adam Pennington entered in the eighth. Pennington gave up the RBI-double to McDowell that scored Jake Nash, who reached on a double, in the eight.
Matthew Wade finished the game for the Redhawks and allowed hit.
Chaneng Varela and Stijn van der Meer added hits to Cardinals' 11-hit performance, more than LU produced in the first two games combined (10).
After the midweek contests with LSU and Arizona, Lamar will continue its 14-game homestand to start the season with a four-contest tilt with North Dakota State starting Friday. For ticket information, contact the ticket office at 409-880-1715.
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Abilene Christian 6, UT Rio Grande Valley 5
ABILENE, Texas - What looked to be a routine victory for ACU baseball turned into an emergency save situation in the ninth as UT Rio Grande Valley loaded the bases down four runs and with nobody out. But junior right-hander Brandon Lambright came on to get the save he and his team needed to escape Crutcher Scott Field Sunday with a 6-5 win and a four-game sweep of the Vaqueros.
The Wildcats entered the final frame ahead 6-2 and had blanked the Vaqueros in six of the previous eight innings; however, their No. 7 and 8 hitters worked consecutive walks off reliever Caleb Dougherty to begin the ninth and then Caden Rosholt loaded the bags with a single through the right side.
ACU called in Lambright from of the bullpen and after giving up another ground-ball single, he retired the next three batters in order and left the game-tying run stranded at third base.
Lambright's second save of the season made a deserving winner out of sophomore Drew Hanson, who scattered three hits over 6.0 innings with six strikeouts.
Hanson stared the game in a 1-0 hole after surrendering a solo home run to Cole Loncar with two outs in the fourth. Afterward he allowed only four additional base runners and struck out two to end the fifth inning with runners at first and second base.
ACU's offense provided Hanson with all six runs between the fourth and fifth innings. The Wildcats tied the score at 1-1 on a one-out Braxton Wilks' RBI single that scored Hunter Markwardt, and then Wilks came home on a hit by designated hitter Dalton DeVries.
The Wildcats sent eight men to the plate in their four-run fifth and were helped along the basepaths by a passed ball, stolen base, fielding error and balk. After leadoff hitter Aaron Draper scored on a balk by starter Pablo Ortiz, Wilks delivered his second RBI of the game with a double to the right-center gap.
David Ruot singled off reliever Matt Rigby to drive in Wilks and scored on the next play after right fielder Manny Loredo dropped a fly ball off the bat of DeVries.
UT Rio Grande Valley used four relievers after Rigby who combined for 3.0 scoreless innings of work, allowing three hits and two walks. ACU threatened to score again in the ninth with the bases loaded and one out but Zach Martinez induced an inning-ending 6-3 double play.
Colin Dudley pitched a scoreless seventh in relief of Hanson, and in the eighth, Zach Kornely got a ground ball to bail out Bryce Welborn, who had just given up a walk and a RBI single to Scott Mercer that cut ACU's lead to 6-2.
Wilks and Ruot went a combined 5-for-8 with three runs and three RBI from the No. 4 and 5 spots, while multi-hit games for the Vaqueros were registered by Mercer and Rosholt.
The Wildcats return to action Tuesday for a 3 p.m. game at Oklahoma. Next weekend they'll play host to Northeastern for a four-game series starting Friday at 4 p.m.
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McNeese State 8, Southern Illinois 4
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Despite a sluggish start at the beginning of Sunday afternoon’s rubber match, the McNeese baseball team settled in and rolled off eight runs in three late innings to roll to an 8-4 series win over Southern Illinois at Cowboy Diamond.
The series victory is the third consecutive under McNeese head coach Justin Hill as the Pokes have now won eight of nine season opening weekend contests under the three-year skipper.
“I thought that their pitcher (Baird) was good with a 88-91 pitching speed and good breaking ball,” said Hill. “He was tough but we were able to get him out of their and expose some things. When we did get some opportunities our guys executed really well to get it out to a 2-0 lead.”
It was the effort of senior pitcher Ethan Stremmel (1-0) that helped the Cowboys secure the series as the right-hander tossed 5.1 grueling innings on the mound. Stremmel’s five strikeouts and four hits scattered positioned gave McNeese the chance to settle in and take advantage of a late start.
“The biggest thing is that I thought Ethan Stremmel gave us a chance to win the game,” said Hill. “He was matching them inning-for-inning and gave our offense a chance to get going.”
The Pokes used four relievers who combined for four strikeouts and five hits surrendered during the game. Freshman Aidan Anderson performed well on the bump in 1.2 innings of work where he gave up no runs and just one hit.
McNeese plated two runs in the bottom of the fifth to break the scoreless tie. The Pokes used an RBO-single from junior Will Fox while a sacrifice bunt drove in sophomore Joe Provenzano.
Designated hitter Jake Cochran let his name be known during Sunday’s contest as the Moss Bluff native collected two hits and drove in three runs on the day. His biggest moment of the day came in the bottom of the sixth as he laced a two-RBI double down the right field that upped the McNeese lead to a comfortable 4-0 lead.
The Cowboys opened their lead in the next frame scoring four runs, highlighted by a two-run homer from senior Connor Crane. Cochran and Fox also drove in a run each in during their at-bats.
“I really like this offense and what we are going to do,” said Hill. “I think it’s just a matter of me figuring out what the best combination is going to be four our guys. The only way we are going to do that is to keep putting them in there.”
Southern Illinois would not leave without a fight, however, scoring four runs in the top of the eighth inning that cut McNeese’s lead to an 8-4 score. It was the pitching of Austin Briggs who came in and shut down the rally with two strikeouts on four batters faced.
The Cowboys collected eight hits on the day while the Salukis led with nine and committed an error. Both squads each left seven stranded on base.
McNeese will be back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 23 when it makes the trip to take on nationally ranked Houston. First pitch is slated for a 6:30 p.m. start.
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New Orleans 9, Louisiana Tech 6
NEW ORLEANS – Preston Marsh collected four hits and Kyle Bracey and Dakota Dean each homered as the University of New Orleans baseball team (3-0) finished off the opening weekend with a 9-6 win over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (2-1) on Sunday at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark.
Daniel Martinez also picked up his second save in as many games. After recording the last two outs against Grambling to preserve the win, Martinez recorded the final seven outs on the mound. Martinez entered the game with the tying run at the plate, but was able to finish off the frame. The eighth and ninth went by in routine fashion.
"Daniel can close, and he can give us three or four innings if we need," said Coach Blake Dean. "We've got to have a guy like Daniel who can come in and shut the game down and if we can continue to do that, we'll win a lot of ball games."
The game got tight in the seventh inning. With the Privateers ahead 8-2, Louisiana Tech stormed back with four runs to cut the lead to two. Jordan Washam and Chase Lunceford both drove in runs on a ground out and a sac fly respectively. Raphael Gladu followed with an RBI triple and Marshall Boggs drove in a run with a single. The inning eventually ended when Taylor Love grounded out.
Each time Louisiana Tech scored, the Privateers had a response of their own in the ensuing frame. That held true in the seventh when Dean led off the inning with his first home run of the season, an opposite field shot that accounted for the final run of the game.
The Privateers fell to an early 1-0 deficit in the second, but it didn't last long. New Orleans came back with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Back-to-back triples by Preston Marsh and Chaz Boyer accounted for the first two runs and Jay Robinson drove in the first of his three on the day with an RBI ground-out.
UNO added two more to the lead in the fourth when Bracey went yard for his first homer on the season. Bracey capped a three-day total in which he went 8-for-11 with four RBIs and a team-leading six runs.
On the mound, Jordan Priddle was in command having allowed just two hits through the first five innings. Priddle wound up lasting six innings and pitched to two batters in the seventh and threw 48 strikes in 74 pitches while only issuing one walk.
"The pitchers are throwing well, but what stems off of them saving pitch counts is the defense making the plays they need to make so if we can continue to do that, our pitchers are going to be alright," said Dean.
Marsh was one of the big stand-outs at the plate on the day. After being moved to the seven spot in the lineup, Marsh responded with a 4-for-4 day at the plate and had a triple, an RBI and two runs scored on the afternoon.
"We had to get him out of the four hole just to let him be at ease a little more and let him get up there and do what he does," said Dean. "All it took was a little shift in the lineup and the bottom of the order is producing with runners in scoring position. The biggest thing is we give up a four spot and we come back in and punch them right back with a home run, and that's what championship teams have to do."
The Privateers six through nine hitters pulled most of the offense on the day. Bracey, Marsh, Robinson, and Chaz Boyer combined to account for eight of the Privateers' nine hits, eight of nine RBIs, and seven of nine runs. Bracey went 2-for-3 on the day and drew a walk while adding two RBIs and three runs.
Louisiana Tech was led by lead-off hitter, Bryce Stark who went 2-for-5 with two runs. Boggs drove in two runs and Cody Daigle went 2-for-4 with a run. Braden Bristo took the loss as he got hit for five runs (all earned) in three innings.
New Orleans will face their first road test of the season on Wednesday when they travel to Southern Miss. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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Northwestern State 8, Alabama State 4
NATCHITOCHES – The first two games of Northwestern State’s season-opening baseball series with Alabama State played out like traditional conference games.
Sunday’s did as well, which meant it was time for the Demons’ bats to awaken.
And awaken they did.
The Demons notched double-figure hits for the first time in 2016, and Bret Underwood drilled his first career home run as Northwestern State finished a sweep of the Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason favorites with an 8-4 victory at Brown-Stroud Field.
“The anxiety is the unknown when you go into the first series of the year,” fourth-year head coach Lane Burroughs said. “I thought our guys handled it very well. We faced a great pitcher out of the gate in (Joseph) Camacho. As the weekend progressed, our guys loosened up and took some good swings. We had some great swings today.”
The Hornets (0-3) got their share of swings in early against NSU left-hander Chase Hymel (1-0), taking a 3-0 lead on Yamil Pagan’s two-run home run in the second inning.
However, the Demons (3-0) answered with a four-run second inning to take a lead they would not relinquish.
Kelsey Richard drove in the first two runs of his career with a game-tying single off Austin Bizzle (0-1) and Daniel Garner’s bases-loaded grounder produced the go-ahead run.
After Hymel delivered a shutdown inning in the third, Underwood drilled a 2-0 pitch from Bizzle to the left-field side of straightaway center field for his first home run of the season.
“It’s great, especially hitting a leadoff home run to start an inning,” Underwood said.
“It got the team fired up. You can’t thank Cheese (Hymel) for going out there and doing what he was doing, so it felt great.”
Underwood’s blast capped a weekend series that saw him hit .364 and slug .909 with a double, a triple and Sunday’s home run.
Hymel strung together three straight scoreless innings before running into a bit of trouble in the sixth inning. A wild pitch that inning cut the Demons’ lead to 5-4, but NSU had an answer.
Back-to-back, two-out singles by Cort Brinson and Daniel Garner gave Northwestern State a three-run lead after six innings.
From there, freshmen right-handers Austin Reich and Cullen McDonald extended the Demons’ run of bullpen excellence, combining for three scoreless innings. McDonald worked the final two innings to earn his first career save.
Along with Brandon Stane’s scoreless inning of work, the trio gave the NSU pen a weekend line of 12 1-3 scoreless innings in the sweep.
“Our freshmen did great on the mound, and our bullpen was outstanding this weekend,” Burroughs said. “I can’t say enough about them.”
The Demons return to action Tuesday when they host Sacramento State at 6 p.m. in the first of a two-game midweek series at Brown-Stroud Field.
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Nicholls 13, Mississippi Valley 3
THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University baseball team earned a 13-3 victory on Sunday afternoon, completing a four-game season-opening sweep of Mississippi Valley State at The Did.
The Devils (0-4) took their first lead of the weekend after scoring a run in the opening frame, but the Colonels (4-0) quickly answered in the bottom of the inning with a Kyle Reese double that sent Ethan Valdez home.
Nicholls added a run in the second, two in the third and four in the fourth, to pull out to an 8-1 advantage.
MVSU scored a pair on a two-run home run from Drew Wheeler in the fifth, but the Colonels responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
Nicholls scored three insurance runs in the eighth before closing out the game.
Statistically, Kyle Reese had his worst game of the weekend, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs, three runs and a double to lead the Colonels offensively. Reese’s “off day” brings his four-game totals to 12 RBIs, eight runs, two doubles, a triple, a stolen base and a sac fly, while batting .800 with a 1.067 slugging percentage. Gavin Wehby contributed a 3-for-4 outing with two RBIs and a run scored. Brandon Herigel went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and Alex Shermer hit 2-for-4 with two runs. Dylan Manichia finished 2-for-4 with a two-run double, and Quade Smith turned in a 1-for-2 day with an RBI. Alex Tucker went 1-for-3 and scored twice, while Devin Morrill was a perfect 1-for-1 with a run scored in the victory.
Wheeler finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run to lead the Devils offensively.
Alex Ernestine (1-0) earned the win, tossing six strikeouts through five innings and allowing three runs on four hits. Daniel Goff tossed two scoreless, hitless innings in relief, while Christian Suk and Luke Leblanc combined to fan three batters and allow just one hit over the final two.
Fredrick Spencer II (0-1) took the loss, surrendering eight runs, seven earned, on nine hits through 3 2/3 innings of work.
Nicholls will next head to Tuscaloosa, Ala. for a battle with the University of Alabama at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24.
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Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6, Chicago State 2
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – In his first career appearance at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, freshman starter David Worrell rattled off an impressive six innings of one-run baseball to lead the Islanders to a 6-2, series-clinching victory over Chicago State Sunday afternoon.
"We talked about it after the game, said head coach Scott Malone. "Looking at where we were Friday night after the first inning and where we were at the end of the night getting outplayed pretty well to bounce back and see the way we responded Saturday and Sunday was great. I thought we played good baseball and played a really clean game today."
Taking to the mound at Chapman Field for the first time, Worrell (1-0, 1.50 ERA) showed no signs of nerves as the rookie scattered six hits while striking out five Cougars (1-2) to deliver his first quality start. Worrell filled the zone all afternoon and did not issue a single walk, as the freshman pitched to contact.
"I trusted my defense wholeheartedly," said Worrell. "I've been playing with these guys all fall and all spring and I just trusted them to go out there and do what they do best and that's get outs."
The defense responded by turning in a host of spectacular plays behind the young hurler, beginning with a diving grab by fellow rookie Nick Anderson in right field for the first out of the third. The next inning, shortstop Casey Thomas made a sliding backhanded stop in the hole to deny Chicago State a leadoff single.
"Seeing my guys do that for me was huge," said Worrell. "Especially early on, seeing your defense work like that is great."
"I thought we had three web gems today," said head coach Scott Malone, echoing the sentiment of his starting pitcher, "Nick Anderson on the dive, CT in the six-hole and Jozwiak diving down the line. The thing about those were they all started an inning, so they never let Chicago State get off the mat today and get going."
With Worrell and the defense stifling the Cougars, the Islanders (2-1) churned out runs in five different innings to steadily build the lead.
SHARING THE LOAD
A&M-Corpus Christi did not waste opportunities Sunday, scoring in five of the six innings which runners reached scoring position. The Islanders also spread the workload out as six players each produced a single RBI in the win.
After the middle of the order carried the Blue and Green Saturday, the six through eight hitters produced five of the Islanders eight hits Sunday.
"I thought Guilford giving us two great at-bats early on set the tone for this to be a great offensive day," said Malone. "We turned our lineup over every time we got to the bottom today. I thought Guilford had a great day, Jozwiak had some good at-bats and it was nice to see those guys at the bottom have a good day."
Zacarias Hardy went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Hardy scored the initial run after doubling in the second, stealing third and crossing home on Cullen Jozwiak's RBI ground out. The Islanders tacked a second run on in the frame as Brandon Guilford (2-for-4, RBI) singled and later scored on Casey Thomas' two-out knock.
After a quiet third, the Blue and Green scratched across runs in each of the next four frames, building a 6-1 advantage. Jozwiak picked up his first hit of the season and came around to score on a Guilford single in the fourth. Then, freshman Nick Anderson doubled to lead off the fifth before scoring on a sac fly from Zack Gibson.
In the sixth, the Islanders manufactured a run without a single hit as Lukas Hermanson squeezed home Jozwiak, who walked with one away. The Islanders' final run came in the seventh when Hardy laced a two-out single to left field, plating Gibson from second.
HOLLAND SNAGS SECOND SAVE
With a 6-2 lead heading into the ninth, the Islanders turned to Garrett Harris to finish out the game. After a rocky outing Saturday, Harris allowed a pair of singles before recording two outs on a fly ball and punch out. The senior then issued a 3-2 walk to Cody Freund to load the bases.
That's when the Islanders turned to junior closer Nolan Holland. For the second time in as many days, Holland entered in a bases loaded jam with two outs. Facing the Cougars' most prolific hitter, Andy Gertonson, Holland induced a grounder to short, which Thomas handled to finish off the game and grab a second-straight save to open the season.
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Stephen F. Austin 5, Oklahoma State 4 (10)
UT Arlington 13, Stephen F. Austin 7
ARLINGTON, Texas – Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the 10th inning against No. 7-ranked Oklahoma State, the Stephen F. Austin baseball team sent seven men to the plate, including junior Tyler Kendrick whose one-out, two-run single with the bases loaded served as the proverbial knockout punch in a wild 5-4 comeback victory for the ‘Jacks.
Exactly half of SFA’s eight hits in the extra-innings affair were racked up in the bottom of the tenth and those base knocks took place after an top of the frame that saw the Cowboys take what appeared to be a comfortable three-run lead with three hits and one of the four SFA errors on the day.
Cody Adams (1-0) earned his first win of the season while his counterpart Remey Reed (0-1) was charged with the setback.
SFA’s morale had already taken a serious hit when the ‘Jacks loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth and failed to score, but as soon as Zach Michener’s double on a 1-1 count hit grass in the 10th SFA received a rejuvenating jolt.
Conner Fikes followed with a single before Garrett McMullen started the comeback by lacing a triple to the deepest portion of center field to make it a 4-3 score. Both pinch hitter Slayton Vaughan (hit by pitch) and Matthew Dickey (walk) didn’t need to make contact with the ball to load the bags. A strikeout set the table for Kendrick and pinch runner Brandon Smith touched home plate to represent the winning run.
Until the 10th, the game played out as a pitcher’s duel with the game’s first two runs coming in the first. A bases-loaded walk with no outs pushed the first Oklahoma State run across before Patrick Ledet settled down and sat down six of the next seven Cowboys he faced.
Kendrick made it a 1-1 game in the home half of the first. SFA’s leadoff man was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a wild pitch followed by a Kyle Thornell flyout. Ben Leeper’s second wild offering of the frame helped Kendrick scamper home and tie the game.
Ledet gave up six of the Cowboys’ nine hits in his four innings of work, but also struck out four and walked two. Austin Hagy and Anthony Soriano combined to hold Oklahoma State hitless through the next 2 2/3 innings before Adams too the hill for the final 3 1/3. Those arms helped strand 10 Cowboy runners on base and SFA’s defense turned three double plays in the win.
Michener and McMullen each went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored.
GAME TWO
UT Arlington scored nine of its 13 runs through the first three innings, providing a six-run lead that was too much for the ‘Jacks to overcome in their final game of the Clay Gould Classic.
SFA trailed 9-3 through the first third of the non-conference tilt and 12-3 at the end of the seventh before mounting a minor comeback in the top of the eight. McMullen led off the four-run SFA eighth with a solo home run – the ‘Jacks first of the year – and Brent Patane added a one-out, two-run single to right field that trimmed SFA’s deficit to 12-7.
Eric Polivka (0-1) took the loss, giving up nine runs on 11 hits and a walk in 2 2/3 innings of work. Austin Garder (1-0) was credited with the win following a five-inning afternoon on the bump.
McMuller and Michener each has a pair of hits for SFA in the loss.
A trip to College Station, Texas, is next up on the ‘Jacks agenda. SFA is scheduled to meet No. 4-ranked Texas A&M at Blue Bell Field on Tuesday evening. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m.
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La.-Monroe 6, Southeastern La. 5 (10)
HAMMOND, La. – ULM rallied from a 3-run deficit in the ninth inning Sunday for a 6-5, non-conference win over Southeastern Louisiana in 10 innings at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field, preventing the Lions from sweeping the series.
Southeastern (2-1) led ULM (1-2), 4-1, entering the ninth inning, but the Warhawks scratched across three unearned runs to tie the game off Lion reliever Derrick Mount (0-1).
Pinch hitter Vincent Dellocono knocked a single inside the left-field line leading off the inning. With one out, ULM sandwiched a walk to Nathan Pugh between a pair of Lion errors to pull within one run. Pugh scored from third to tie the game on a sacrifice fly by designated hitter Dalton Todd.
In the 10th, Warhawk first baseman Danny Springer opened up the action with a single to center field. Pinch hitter Cody Stone dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw to second on Springer went into center and allowed both runners to move into scoring position.
After Mount struck out the next two hitters, Cade Stone, who had already fanned three times in the game, singled up the middle to drive in the go-ahead runs.
Southeastern first baseman Jameson Fisher, a junior from Zachary, Louisiana, smashed a solo home run to right field on the first pitch of the 10th, but that was all the Lions would get off ULM reliever Anthony Herrera (1-0).
The Lions had taken the lead with four unearned runs in the third inning.
Sam Roberson knocked a leadoff single, later advancing to second base on Jacob Seward's 1-out, bunt single. With two outs, Fisher ripped a single to right. Jacob Stockton's throw home beat Roberson to the plate, but Warhawk catcher Spencer Hemphill muffed the throw.
Southeastern took full advantage of the opportunity. Daniel Midyett followed by ripping a 2-run triple past the left fielder, plating Seward and Fisher. It was the fifth career triple for the senior from Shreveport, Louisiana. Midyett later scored on a wild pitch.
The ULM rally spoiled a quality start by left-hander Domenick Carlini. The senior from Nesbit, Mississippi, allowed just one run in six innings of work, scattering four hits. Carlini walked three and fanned four.
Kade Granier tossed a pair of scoreless innings in relief, fanning three, before yielding to Mount.
Fisher led Southeastern at the plate, going 3-for-5 with one RBI and a pair of runs scored. Taylor Schwaner and Julian Service picked up a pair of hits each for the Lions.
Southeastern returns to action Wednesday, hosting Alcorn State as the Lions continue a season-opening, 8-game homestand. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
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La.-Lafayette 13, Sam Houston State 3
LAFAYETTE, La. – For a majority of two straight games, Sam Houston had kept No. 6 Louisiana’s potent offense at bay. The Ragin’ Cajuns bats awoke in the series finale to the tune of 17 hits in a 13-3 win against the Bearkats at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field in Lafayette.
“It was a great experience for us coming over here and playing a top 10 team,” second-year head coach Matt Deggs said. “They are a weathered group and they respond very well. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile and I think that’s what you saw over the course of the series.”
Louisiana (3-0) scored in five innings, including a five-run fifth, after Sam Houston (0-3) had twice cut the deficit to one with single runs in the fourth and fifth frames. The Bearkats committed four errors on the day, the most since May 8 last season at Houston Baptist.
“We’re in a 4-3 game and we don’t take the out there and second and we aren’t able to take a double play and the floodgates opened,” Deggs said. “On the weekend, if you can take back two or three innings, we’re right there with them. We’re young but this was a good test for our guys. We didn’t just put them in the deep end, we threw them in the deep end.”
As was the case Saturday, UL leadoff batter Joe Robbins set the tone, starting the game with a triple to left. The hit was one of four in an opening frame that saw the Ragin’ Cajuns score three times, a taxing day for Sam Houston starter Cody Brown (0-1), who lasted two innings, allowed five hits and two earned runs.
In the third, Lance Miles reached on a hit by pitch and moved to third on a Taylor Beene double. He came around to score on the Riley McKnight groundout to deep shortstop, at the time cutting the lead to 3-1. One inning later, Robie Rojas picked the right time for his first hit, scoring Zach Smith, who reached on a one-out double down the right field line, and making it 3-2.
The Cajuns struck back for a two-out rally in their half of the fourth. UL’s Robbins led off the frame with a walk and was followed by two straight singles from Brenn Conrad and Stefan Trosclair, to push the lead back to two at 4-2.
The Kats manufactured a run in the fifth thanks to three hits. Beene led off the frame with a single to left and moved to second on a well-place Riley McKnight sacrifice bunt. Then, Bryce Johnson extended his hit streak to 16 games with an RBI single up the middle.
However, the Cajuns followed up with four hits and five runs of their own, including a pair of hits from Kyle Clement who finished the day with a school-record tying 5-for-5 performance along with six RBI. Sam Houston went through three pitchers in the fifth and seven total for the day.
Meanwhile, Louisiana starter and highly-touted freshman Nick Lee tossed four innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs while striking out three and walking two. The Bearkats teed off for three hits in as many innings off reliever Eric Carter, who allowed one run and struck out three.
“We have a resilient group,” Deggs said. “This is a group that likes to work. We’ll continue to improve. This is a process for us.”
On the mound, Sam Houston’s Austin Woyt proved to be a bright spot, pitching the final 1 2-3 innings, striking out four and allowing a pair of hits in his freshman debut. Alongside a pair of hits from Beene and Smith, the Kats are hoping to draw from the positives entering the upcoming week.
“There are a lot of moving parts right now,” Deggs said. “The lineup that we played this weekend is probably not the lineup in April and May. There was a lot of us identifying a pinpointing. Until you get until an actual game situation in a hostile environment, you really don’t know where you’re at. I look at the series with mixed emotions.”
Sam Houston opens home play on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. against UTSA. The game will be the 300th career at Don Sanders Stadium with the Bearkats owning an impressive 194-105 record. Tickets are on sale now for the opener with grandstand seating priced at $8 and general admission available for $6 by calling (936) 294-1729 or visiting GoBearkats.com.
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