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SEC 8-0 In NCAA Baseball Action Friday
Carolina Kat Sat Jun 05, 2010 5:23 am
SEC Friday Baseball Roundup
Posted: June 5, 2010 | Last updated: June 4, 2010 at 11:41 PM
Crimson Tide Cruises Past Elon, 11-2
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Alabama baseball team had a big day on offense at the 2010 NCAA Atlanta Regional and cruised past Elon with an 11-2 win at Russ Chandler Stadium on Friday.
Alabama (38-22), winners of nine of its last 10 games, advances to Saturday’s winner’s bracket final, where it will meet the Georgia Tech-Mercer winner at 6 p.m. (CDT).
Against Elon, the top of the order provided most of the offensive damage against Elon, as sophomore center fielder Taylor Dugas, junior shortstop Josh Rutledge, junior second baseman Ross Wilson and senior first baseman Clay Jones were a combined 12-for-15 with eight runs scored, two home runs and 10 RBI in the victory. The quartet accounted for 10 of the 11 runs and nine of the 17 hits.
Dugas (4-for-5, 3 R, 2B, RBI) and Rutledge (4-for-5, 2 R, HR, RBI) were a combined 8-for-10 with five runs scored, one double, one home run and five RBI.
Junior right-hander Nathan Kilcrease and freshman right-hander Tucker Hawley held the Phoenix to two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
"I thought for us it was just a complete game," Alabama head coach Mitch Gaspard said. "I thought Nathan was outstanding from the first inning on, and we really got the offense going. We did a nice job executing early in the game, getting some bunts down and hit-and-runs and then some power showed up with Josh and Clay. I thought we played really well for nine innings today."
Alabama scored two runs in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead as the Crimson Tide put four straight runners on base with no outs. Junior catcher Brock Bennett started the inning with a two-strike single up the middle and moved to third on Dugas’ single down the left field line. Rutledge followed with a line drive single to center that scored Bennett to give Alabama a 1-0 lead. Wilson then walked to load the bases before Jones plated Dugas with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 2-0.
Alabama then broke open a close game with a six-run fourth inning to take an 8-0 lead. The six-run inning was highlighted by Rutledge’s ninth home run of the season and first career postseason home run.
Freshman right fielder Andrew Miller drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on freshman DH Brandt Hendricks’ sacrifice bunt. Bennett drew a five-pitch walk, Dugas lined a double to left that scored Miller and chased Bennett to third as the Tide held a 3-0 lead. Rutledge then followed with a three-run home run to left to put Alabama in front 6-0.
Wilson kept the momentum going with a base hit to right field and followed the single up with a stolen base. Jones then lined a 2-0 pitch back up the middle to score Wilson and make it 7-0.
Jones’ RBI single chased Elon starter Jimmy Reyes, who worked 3 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs on eight hits with one strikeout and three walks. Reyes, who had allowed only one run in his last two starts, saw his seven-game winning streak come to a close.
Left-hander J.D. Reichenbach replaced Reyes on the mound and gave up a base hit to Smith as the Tide had runners on the corners with one out. Smith’s one-out single to right was the sixth straight Alabama batter to reach base in the inning. Kelton then laid down a safety squeeze bunt that scored Miller from third base as the Tide stretched its lead to 8-0.
Elon and Alabama traded solo home runs in the sixth inning. Elon first baseman Ryan Adams hit a two-out home run to center field for the Phoenix only run in the game. Jones answered for Alabama in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Tide a 9-1 lead. It was Jones’ team-leading 16th home run of the season.
Kilcrease (7-2) held Elon in check through seven innings as he allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts and two walks. He left the game after an 81-minute rain delay after throwing 99 pitches.
Following the delay, Alabama added two more runs for an 11-1 lead. Dugas and Rutledge led off the inning with back-to-back singles off Elon’s third pitcher of the day, Dylan Clark. Clark unleashed a wild pitch that moved both runners into scoring position and Wilson posted his first RBI of the game with a ground out that scored Dugas. Jones followed with a line-drive double into the right field corner that scored Rutledge.
Elon scored an unearned run in the ninth against Hawley to make the final 11-2. Chris Bresnahan had a one-out, pinch-hit single and Grant McCoury followed with a pinch-hit double to send Bresnahan to third. An error in left field by freshman Brett Booth allowed Bresnahan to score.
Vanderbilt Outlasts Illinois State 8-7 In 13 Innings
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Sophomore Jack Armstrong’s pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the 13th inning lifted Vanderbilt to an 8-7 win over Illinois State in the first game of the NCAA Louisville Regional Friday afternoon at Jim Patterson Stadium.
The Commodores (42-17) will play the winner of the Louisville-Saint Louis game tomorrow at 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET.
With one out in the 13th Andrew Giobbi doubled off of ISU relief ace Kenny Long. The southpaw had come on in relief in the seventh and held the VU offense scoreless for six innings. The Redbirds chose to intentionally walk Curt Casali to set up the force out in addition to setting up a left vs. left matchup at the plate.
Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin had used up the normal right-handed pinch hitters and went to pitcher/designated hitter Jack Armstrong, the Commodores third weekend starter. Armstrong was 1-for-2 at the plate this season in limited duty and laced a single to right, allowing Giobbi to round third and race for home. He slid past the catcher Matt Mirabal’s tag to score the game-winning run.
"Coach (Josh) Holliday told me to get ready by the 7th or 8th inning," said Armstrong. "Mentally I was trying to get prepared. Actually I visualized that exact hit. I don’t know how it happened but it was kind of fate to be honest with you. I listened to the other guys to figure out what the pitcher was doing and took a nice opposite field approach and let fate turn out that way."
The contest was VU’s longest in NCAA postseason play, besting the 11 inning game against Austin Peay in 2007.
Drew Hayes pitched two innings of one-hit relief with three walks to pick up the win to move to 6-0 on the year. Twice he got out of jams with the go-ahead run in scoring position by inducing double play balls.
In all Commodore relievers threw 9.2 innings of six-hit relief, allowing one run with 12 strikeouts and five walks.
Long (4-4) took the tough-luck loss for ISU, allowing one run on five hits while striking out seven and walking three.
Fifth-year seniors Brian Harris and Andrew Giobbi led the Commodores with three hits while Anthony Gomez and Jason Esposito each added two hits in the win.
"Tough ballgame," said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin. "Sometimes they’re not easy. It’s good to get the first one and get in that winner’s bracket. I would just have to say the highlight of it was the pitching that we received after the third inning. I thought our relief pitching was outstanding. The defense during the course of the game; two double plays. Those were the difference right there."
"Our offense just battled, and it was good to see a kid come off the bench who hits every day and doesn’t necessarily get the repetitions on the field. He got a big hit when we needed it most. He drove the ball down the right field line and Andrew made a very nice slide at the plate. It was a tough, tough ballgame. Tough for Illinois State and good for us. We have to go home and rest and look forward to tomorrow."
The Redbirds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first with the help of two Commodore miscues. Lead off batter Kevin Tokarski was hit by Taylor Hill, Jake Thornton singled to left and Matt Mirabal walked to load the bases. Hill got Anthony Ruffolo to pop out before Ryan Court hit a deep fly to center that Connor Harrell misjudged and ran in and then ran back on to make the catch. He was in position to make the catch, but dropped it allowing three runs to score.
The Dores got on the board in the third scoring two runs off of Illinois State starter Corey Maines. Andrew Giobbi had a RBI single and Bryan Johns walked with the bases loaded to plate another.
The Redbirds plated three more runs in the fourth to extend the lead to 6-2. ISU knocked Hill out of the game scoring on a sacrifice fly RBI by Chad Hinshaw and a RBI double by Brett Kay. Grayson Garvin came on in relief and gave up a RBI single to Jake Thornton to close out the scoring in the frame.
Hill allowed six runs, three earned, on four hits in 3.1 innings with two strikeouts and three walks.
VU cut into the lead in the fourth with two runs to make it 6-4. Brian Harris led off with a walk and after a pop-up by Anthony Gomez, Aaron Westlake walked. Jason Esposito then barely missed a line drive three-run homer to left that hit the top of the wall and bounced back in for a double. Harris scored and then Joe Loftus grounded to the right side to score Westlake to make it 6-4.
A two-run homer by Aaron Westlake and a solo homer by Joe Loftus gave the Commodores a 7-6 lead in the sixth inning. Anthony Gomez roped a lead-off double to left-center before Westlake crushed a two-run homer to left-center to tie the game at 6-6. After Jason Esposito grounded out to short on a close call at first, Loftus lofted a solo homer to right-center to give the Dores their first lead of the game.
Matt Mirabal’s solo homer in the top of the seventh tied the game back up at 7-7.
Garvin allowed one run on four hits in 4.1 innings with six strikeouts and a walk. Chase Reid threw three innings of hitless relief with five strikeouts and a walk. Richie Goodenow threw a third of an inning with a strikeout before giving way to Drew Hayes in the 12th.
Long ball sends Hogs past Grambling, 19-7
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Aided by a school-record nine home runs, the No. 15 University of Arkansas downed Grambling, 19-7, Friday in game one of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional at Baum Stadium. Brett Eibner became the ninth player in program history to hit three home runs in one game, while Collin Kuhn, James McCann and Andy Wilkins each posted two home runs. Arkansas’ 19 runs are the second most scored by the program in an NCAA postseason game (20 vs. Eastern Kentucky, 1985).
"We came out aggressive offensively," head coach Dave Van Horn said. "We put up six in the first and jumped ahead of them. We basically got to work quickly on doing all the things we had been practicing during the week. We laid off a lot of borderline pitches and got into good hitting counts."
Wilkins is now tied with Jeff King with 42 home runs on Arkansas’ career list, while Eibner now sits fifth with 41 home runs while wearing the Cardinal and White. Eibner’s seven RBI are a career high and are the high mark for a Razorback this season. Eibner has 21 home runs this season, the third-highest total in program history. Arkansas’ 17 hits are the most by the club since collecting 12 hits against Louisiana Tech on May 11.
Behind three home runs, Arkansas (41-18) jumped out to the early lead with six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kuhn opened the scoring with a solo shot into the Razorback bullpen, his second leadoff home run of the season. Zack Cox, making his first start since May 21, singled up the middle and Eibner followed with a two-run blast to left field off Grambling starter Odingo Davila to give the Hogs a 3-0 lead.
With one down, Monk Kreder doubled and came around to score on a two-out RBI double by Travis Sample. McCann stepped to the plate and capped the Razorbacks’ frame with his seventh home run of the season, a two-run dinger to left. The Hogs have now won 22 of the 24 games in which they’ve scored first this season.
Cox finished the day 1-for-2 at the plate and now has 93 hits this season. The hits total ties Jeff King for fifth on Arkansas’ single-season list. Three players in program history—Matt Erickson (1997), Jeremy Jackson (1997) and Jim Kremers (1987)—are tied for second with 94 hits while Erickson holds the record with 97 hits during the 1996 season.
In the bottom of the second, Eibner picked up his second hit in as innings with a double to left. After a walk to Wilkins, Kreder lifted a fly ball to deep center field that was caught at the wall but Eibner motored around to score from second to push Arkansas’ lead to seven runs. Bo Bigham knocked in the team’s next run with a base hit through the left side of the infield; Wilkins scored on the play.
Grambling (22-31) broke through on the scoreboard with its first run of the ballgame in the top of the third. With one out in the inning, Chris Wolfe singled to left field off Arkansas starter TJ Forrest. Arthur Mazierski plated the Tigers’ score with a double down the line in left field. Forrest struck out Milton Jeffery Barney to get out of the inning and limit the damage to one run.
Arkansas responded with three runs in its half of the third to move ahead, 11-1. After retiring the first hitter, Grambling reliever Eric Zagone hit Kuhn with a pitch and then walked Derrick Bleeker, who replaced Cox in the lineup. Eibner belted an opposite-field three-run shot.
After four strong innings on the mound, Forrest ran into trouble in the top of the fifth. He walked Wolfe on four pitches to lead things off and then surrendered a base hit to Anthony Clifton. Mazierski earned his second RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to center. On the play, the Tigers’ third baseman lined a shot toward the gap in left center but Eibner made a diving catch for the out but Wolfe did tag up from third to score. Alvin Simmons and Jeremy Shelby each had an RBI single as Grambling scored three runs to cut into Arkansas’ lead.
"TJ Forrest came out for a few innings and did a good job of moving the ball around the strike zone," Van Horn said. "I’m proud of him. It’s hot out there and that’s hard on a pitcher. I’m just glad it’s over."
Sam Murphy came in to record the final out of the fifth and in his first full inning of work, he allowed a run in the sixth. Grambling left the bases loaded in the frame but Simmons delivered another RBI single before Murphy pitched himself out of trouble.
The Razorbacks posted a three spot in the bottom of the seventh to stretch its lead. Kuhn drew a walk to lead off the inning and Eibner was hit by a pitch ahead of Wilkins. The Hogs’ first baseman hit a monster shot over the scoreboard to give his team the 15-5 advantage. It was Wilkins’ first home run since May 9 at Ole Miss
Grambling tacked on two runs of Hogs’ reliever Jason Fuqua in the eighth. With runners on first and second, Barney doubled to left center past a diving Matt Vinson, who entered the game for Sample at the beginning of the frame. Fuqua hit the next hitter, Steve Kletke, but was the recipient of a double play for the first two outs. Mychal Roby fouled out to Bleeker to end the inning.
McCann led off the Hogs’ half of the eighth with his second home run of the game. The two homers for McCann were his first since April 17 vs. Georgia and marked the first two-homer performance of his career. Later in the inning with a man on first, Eibner capped his power display with a two-run shot to center. Arkansas went back-to-back as Wilkins followed with the club’s ninth long ball of the game.
"I felt great out there," Eibner said. "I hurt (my wrist) a little on that slide but that’s just from moving around and putting my hand down on the ground. More than anything, I was just excited to be back out there. I was down after missing two games in the SEC Tournament but regionals are the most important thing and I’m glad to be back."
With the win, Arkansas moves into the winner’s bracket and will play at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Baum Stadium. The Hogs will face the winner of the Washington State-Kansas State game. Grambling will play in an elimination game on day two. For more information, log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com
Watkins' Double Lifts LSU to Thrilling Regional Win Over UC Irvine
LOS ANGELES – Pinch hitter Trey Watkins scorched a walk-off double in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the No. 2 seed LSU Tigers to a 11-10 victory over third-seeded UC Irvine in the opening round of the NCAA Los Angeles Regional Friday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
After UC Irvine scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th on a suicide squeeze, the Tigers were down to their final out before Anteater reliever Eric Pettis walked Austin Nola, gave up a single to Alex Edward and walked Leon Landry to load the bases for Watkins, who pinch ran for Matt Gaudet the inning before. With a 1-2 count, Watkins ripped a fastball over right fielder Sean Madigan’s head to score Nola and Edward, giving the Tigers an 11-10 win.
With the win, the Tigers (41-20) improved to 23-1 all-time in NCAA Regional opening games. LSU will face the winner of Friday night’s game between top-seeded UCLA and No.4 seed Kent State Saturday at 6 p.m. PT in Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Anteaters (37-20) will face the loser of the UCLA-Kent State game at 2 p.m. PT Saturday.
LSU reliever Ben Alsup (5-0) earned the victory after pitching the final two innings and allowing one run on one hit. Tiger starter Austin Ross enjoyed another solid outing as the junior right-hander threw 6.1 innings, allowing five runs with no walk and five strikeouts. Pettis (9-4) was charged with the loss after allowing the double to Watkins.
Leading LSU offensively in the game was catcher Micah Gibbs, who finished 2-for-5 with a home run and five RBI. Landry and left fielder Mason Katz also contributed with three hits apiece.
"I’m so proud of our kids for making two comebacks with two out and nobody on in the ninth inning and again in the last inning," said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. "It was a great effort, and we played the way that championship teams are supposed to play when they faced adversity. UC Irvine is such a difficult team to play; they’re relentless and they slap the ball all over the field. It’s a credit to the determination of our players that we were able to win this game."
UC Irvine took a 2-0 lead in the second after designated hitter Drew Hillman was hit by a pitch and catcher Francis Larson followed two batters later with a two-run homer off Ross. The homer was Larson’s sixth of the season.
In the third, LSU cut the deficit to 2-1 when Mikie Mahtook lifted a deep sacrifice fly to left to score Matt Gaudet from third. Gaudet reached third after a single by Mason Katz, who moved up to second on Mahtook’s sacrifice. The next batter, Micah Gibbs singled to the left side to score Katz from second and tie the score at 2-2.
The Tigers took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when third baseman Alex Edward launched a solo homer to left off UC Irvine starter Daniel Bibona. Edward’s homer was his second of the season; his first was against Mississippi State on May 20.
The Anteaters tied the score at 3-3 in the fifth when left fielder Ryan Fisher hit a solo homer to right. The homer was Fisher’s fourth of the season. Ross had retired nine-straight batters before facing Fisher.
LSU broke the tie and went ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the frame when Tyler Hanover roped an RBI single through the right side to score Katz, who doubled to lead-off the inning. Mahtook, who also singled in the inning, advanced to third on Hanover’s single.
The next batter, Gibbs, blasted a three-run homer to center off Bibona to give LSU a 7-3 lead with no outs in the fifth. After Bibona retired Blake Dean with a groundout, UC Irvine brought in right-hander Evan Brock to pitch.
Ross left the game after forcing one out in the seventh. Senior right-hander Paul Bertuccini came on in relief of Ross with runners at the corners and one out. The first batter he faced, third baseman Brian Hernandez, singled up the middle to plate one run and cut the deficit to 7-4. First baseman Jeff Cusick followed with a bloop single to center to score another run making the score 7-5.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers added another run when Gibbs lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Mahtook and extending the LSU lead to 8-5.
UC Irvine responded in the eighth when Larson led off the inning with a solo homer to left, his second homer of the game, to make the score 8-6. Later in the inning, Casey Stephenson beat out an infield single off reliever Zach LaSuzzo and a run scored from third to pull UC Irvine within one at 8-7. LaSuzzo forced the next hitter, Hernandez, to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to escape the Anteater rally in the eighth.
In the top of the ninth, pinch hitter Jordan Leyland ripped an RBI double to tie the score and Ryan Fisher followed with a go-ahead RBI single to give UC Irvine a 9-8 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.
After UC Irvine took a 9-8 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, first baseman Blake Dean singled with two outs and Johnny Dishon came in to pinch run for Dean at first. The next batter, Austin Nola ripped a single to right in front of a diving Sean Madigan. The ball skipped past Madigan allowing Dishon to round third and beat Madigan’s throw to the plate, tying the score 9-9 and forcing extra innings.
Auburn Hits Three Home Runs In 9-7 NCAA Regional Opening Win Over Jacksonville State
AUBURN, Ala. – Playing in front of a jam-packed Plainsman Park, Auburn used three home runs and the reliable relief pitching of Slade Smith and Austin Hubbard to pick up a 9-7 win over Jacksonville State in Auburn’s NCAA Regional opening game on Friday night. The win pushed top-seeded Auburn into the winner’s bracket, where it will face second-seeded Clemson at 6pm CT on Saturday.
"We knew coming into this ballgame that we were going to be challenged by a very good Jacksonville State squad. I told our players that this game is going to come down to the little things that happen during a game," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "Nothing came easy for us tonight. Jacksonville State, as they did the first time, gave us everything we could handle."
The three homer game was Auburn’s 34th multi-homer game of the season as Auburn improved to 41-19 on the season and 13-5 all-time in NCAA Regional-opening games.
Smith (4-0) picked up the win after entering in the fifth with a man on second and two down. Though he would allow his inherited runner to score, just the fourth of 12 he has allowed this season, he would throw the next 2 1/3 innings allowing only two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk as Auburn went from down 4-3 to up 8-5 when he gave way to closer Austin Hubbard with a man on first in the eighth.
The reason for the turnaround in the score came in many different ways for the top hitting team out of the Southeastern Conference. In the fifth Auburn used a Justin Hargett (1-for-3, BB, 2 R) walk and a two-run home run off the bat of Justin Fradejas (2-for-4, 3 R, 2 RBI) to take a 5-4 lead, used a solo home run by Dan Gamache (1-for-3, 2 RBI) to go up 6-5 in the sixth and then scored two in the seventh on a pair of bunts, a groundout and a RBI infield single by Tony Caldwell (1-for-2).
"One of the things we talked about going into the season was finding different ways to score runs. Although we did hit some home runs today, if you really break the game down it, came down to some short things, some little things," Pawlowski said. "I thought (Justin) Hargett put down a nice base-hit bunt and Justin (Fradejas) put down another one where it forced a little action on (Jacksonville State's) pitcher (Austin Lucas), and we got some momentum going that inning…In a close ball game like this, I think it comes down to little things, and we were fortunate obviously to find a way to win today."
Those five runs enabled Hubbard to pick up his 10th save of the season and the 22nd of his career. His run of six consecutive outings without giving up a run was snapped in the eighth when he allowed back-to-back singles and a RBI groundout but that didn’t prevent him from successfully converting a sixth straight save opportunity.
"It was very emotional because it was a big win," Hubbard said. "It was hot, there was a huge crowd, and it was back-and-forth all game which made the atmosphere that much bigger. It was a huge win, and we are all pumped to get that victory."
Auburn found itself down 1-0 after three as Jacksonville State scored a run in the first on Andrew Edge’s (2-for-5) RBI single through the left side and was held to three consecutive 1-2-3 innings to start the for the first time this season.
Fradejas changed that when he dropped down a bunt base hit, his 15th bunt base hit of the year, to start the fourth. Trent Mummy (1-for-4, R, RBI) followed with a stand-up double to the base of the wall in left-center, scoring Fradejas from first to tie the game at 1-1.
"We were struggling in the first three innings and had to get something going there. I was looking to get on base, and I got a good bunt down. Thankfully, that sparked a little rally and got us going offensively," Fradejas said.
Following Mummey’s double, Brian Fletcher (1-for-3, BB, RBI) and Kevin Patterson (0-for-1, BB) each drew walks, setting the stage for Gamache. Having hit six of his seven home runs since April 27, Gamache appeared to have his eighth of the season, and his first career grand slam, when he sent a blast to almost dead-center. Only a perfectly timed, leaping grab by Jacksonville State center fielder Daniel Adamson turned the slam into a sacrifice fly, giving Auburn a 2-1 lead.
"I thought I had the grand slam. I rounded first base and, I didn't realize that the centerfielder had the ball. It was a heck of a play," Gamache said. "Coming back to win that game was a great confidence booster. We were able to collect some big hits and pull out this victory."
Ryan Jenkins (1-for-3) followed the sacrifice fly with a RBI single to put Auburn up 3-1.
Jacksonville State answered with three runs in the top of the fifth to go up 4-3 as Todd Cunningham (3-for-5, 4 RBI) hit a two-run home run and Kyle Bluestein’s (2-for-5) RBI single off of Smith scored Edge.
That’s when Fradejas belted his first home run since opening day over the wall in left to put Auburn back up on top, 5-4.
Again Jacksonville State responded with a run when Blake Seguin (3-for-3, 3 R) doubled down the line in left and went to third when Fradejas couldn’t pick it up cleanly. A Cunningham single to left scored Seguin to make it 5-5 after the top of the sixth.
Gamache finally was able collect his eighth home run as he sent a 0-1 Cody Ponder (0-1) pitch over the monster in left, giving Auburn a lead it wouldn’t relinquish to end the sixth up 6-5.
Auburn scored twice more in the seventh as Hargett dropped down a bunt base hit and went to third when Fradejas tried to sacrifice him to second, but instead reached on an error that allowed both runners to move into scoring position. A RBI groundout by Fletcher scored Hargett and Caldwell’s infield single put Auburn up 8-5.
Jacksonville State scored two times in the eighth to get within a run at 8-7 as Orrin McFadden (0-for-3, R) led off the inning with a walk, prompting the move to Hubbard. He allowed back-to-back singles to Seguin and Cunningham but then retired the next six hitters to pick up the save.
Casey McElroy’s (1-for-4) seventh home run of the year with one out in the eighth added an insurance run for Auburn.
Neither starting pitcher could make it out of the fifth as Lucas allowed five runs on five hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings for Jacksonville State and Cory Luckie allowed four runs on six hits and three walks in the same amount of time.
The game was played in front of a sellout crowd of 4,096, with many more fans taking in the game from the parking deck adjacent to the field down the left field line and a cluster of people on the hill beyond the wall in center. The sellout was Auburn’s first since the 2008 season.
Ole Miss Downs St. John's to Open NCAA Regional
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Rebel offense exploded with three home runs and Drew Pomeranz held the Red Storm scoreless through into the eighth inning as No. 22 Ole Miss (39-22) powered past St. John’s (40-19) by a score of 10-5 in the opening game of the NCAA Regional at the University of Virginia.
Pomeranz (9-2) worked 7.0 innings and allowed two runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts. The southpaw left the game with two men on and the Rebels holding to a 7-0 lead but was charged with the two earned runs as the first batter faced once he left the game hit a two-run home run to get St. John’s on the board.
Kyle Hansen (8-2) suffered the loss for the Red Storm as he allowed six runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.
Three Rebels homered on the night as Miles Hamblin and Alex Yarbrough both hit solo shots and Tim Ferguson hit a two-run shot to push Ole Miss out to the early 7-0 lead.
"After nine days of rest between outings, Drew might not have been as sharp with his command, but he just doesn’t give up runs," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. "We were very efficient offensively tonight. We got the bunts, some key base hits and some home runs in a very big park. We played well."
Ole Miss got on the board first, pushing a pair of runs across to take an early 2-0 lead on the Red Storm. Back-to-back singles from Zach Miller and Taylor Hashman put two men on before a sac bunt down the third base line from Alex Yarbrough advanced both runners to scoring position. A groundout to short from Kevin Mort scored Miller and advanced Hashman, before a triple to center from Tanner Mathis scored Hashman.
Miles Hamblin homered to right center to open the third inning and extend the Rebel lead to 3-0 before the Rebels used two more home runs in the fourth inning to push the lead out to 6-0. Yarbrough hit a solo shot before a Kevin Mort double and a Tim Ferguson home run gave the Rebels the six run lead.
Three straight walks loaded the bases in the fifth inning before Yarbrough came up with a sac fly to left field to score Matt Snyder and push Ole Miss out to a 7-0 lead.
Following a single and a walk to open the eighth inning, the Rebels turned to the bullpen for Eric Callender. The junior right-hander gave up a home run on the first pitch thrown to Jeremy Baltz that got St. John’s on the board and cut the lead to 7-3. Callender then got the next three batters out with a pair of fly outs and a groundout to send the game into the bottom of the eighth and the Rebels up by four.
Ole Miss pushed the lead back out to seven with an answering rally in the bottom of the frame. With one out on the board, the Red Storm intentionally walked Matt Smith to load the bases. Matt Snyder then drew a walk to push a run across before Hashman came up with a two-RBI single to right field that put Ole Miss on top 10-3.
St. John’s answered again in the top of the ninth, loading the base with one out before Matt Wessinger hit a sac fly to center field to cut the lead to 10-4. Another walk loaded the bases for a second time before a second straight walk pushed a fifth Red Storm run across the plate and sent Ole Miss to the bullpen for senior right-hander Rory McKean.
McKean got a groundout from the first batter faced to end the game and pick up his first save of the season.
No. 4 Florida Takes NCAA Opener Over Bethune-Cookman, 7-3
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Freshman right-hander Hudson Randall (Atlanta, Ga.) notched a career-high 10 strikeouts over 7.1 innings as top-seeded Florida (43-15) defeated fourth-seeded Bethune-Cookman (35-21), 7-3, on Friday night at McKethan Stadium. In his NCAA Regional debut, the rookie (8-3) did not allow a hit until the fifth inning in picking up his sixth-straight victory.
The fourth-ranked Gators will meet third-seeded Oregon State (32-22) in a winner’s bracket game at 7 p.m. tomorrow live on Sun Sports, while the Wildcats face second-seeded Florida Atlantic (35-23) in an elimination game at 1 p.m. The Beavers edged the Owls, 6-4, earlier this afternoon.
"Hudson Randall was outstanding on the mound," third-year head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. "We knew Bethune-Cookman would be a tough opponent. We jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but like we expected, they battled and gave it everything they had. It was hard to pull away from them. Bethune is always tough and they proved it again tonight."
The Gators seized a 4-0 advantage with five hits in the second inning against sophomore Ali Simpson (6-2). Freshman Austin Maddox (Jacksonville, Fla.) (2-for-5, two runs) led off with a single into center field and went to second on a one-out bunt single by sophomore Daniel Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) (1-for-3, run). Junior Josh Adams (Jacksonville, Fla.) drew a walk to load the bases and freshman Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) followed with a single into left field to open the scoring. Simpson uncorked a wild pitch that enabled Pigott to score and then fanned freshman Cody Dent (Boynton Beach, Fla.) for the second out. Freshman Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.) (2-for-4), who had led off the first stanza with a base-hit, delivered a two-run single into center field to bring across Adams and Zunino. Junior Bryson Smith (Watkinsville, Ga.) (2-for-4, run) sliced a two-out single into left field, but Fontana was cut down at the plate on a bullet from junior DJ Leonard to end the frame.
In the fourth, Dent earned a free pass with two down and moved into scoring position with his first career stolen base. After Fontana drew a walk, Simpson (3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 BB) was replaced by junior Joey Munoz. The Gators executed a double steal, with Dent taking third and Fontana moving to second, and Smith walked to fill the sacks. However, Munoz worked out of the jam with a strikeout.
The Wildcats used a two-out RBI single by sophomore Alejandro Sanchez (2-for-4) to narrow the gap to 4-1 in the fifth. Leonard had come through with Bethune-Cookman’s first hit with a one-out double just out of the reach of senior center fielder Matt den Dekker (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Although Randall had junior Emmanuel Castro fly out, Sanchez lined a single into left field that eluded a diving Pigott to score Leonard.
Helped by a fielding error from Munoz, UF tacked on three unearned runs in the sixth to build a 7-1 advantage. Munoz notched the first two outs before Smith and sophomore Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) (2-for-4, run) had back-to-back singles. Maddox hit a ground ball to first base that junior Ryan Durrence fielded, but Munoz mishandled the relay, allowing Smith to score. den Dekker (2-for-4) then launched a two-run triple to the base of the wall in left center to clear the bases and provide the Gators with a six-run margin. Over two innings, Munoz gave up five hits and three unearned runs, with four strikeouts.
Leonard drove in sophomore Peter O’Brien with an RBI single in the seventh to reduce the Wildcats’ deficit to 7-2. O’Brien had registered his 14th double with one down and came home on Leonard’s second hit of the night. A two-out single by Sanchez left runners on the corners but Randall induced an inning-ending pop up by junior Matt WrightFreshman Brandon Turner opened the eighth with a double and Randall punched out junior Juan Perez to become the first Gator pitcher with 10 K in an outing since Bryan Augenstein had 10 against Alabama on May 5, 2007. Senior Jeff Barfield (Perry, Ga.) whiffed senior Jeremy Davis for the second out but then yielded an RBI single to Durrence to bring B-CU within 7-3. Barfield worked the final 1.2 innings for the Gators, which held a 12-7 edge in hits.
Late-Inning Rally Gives Gamecocks 9-5 Win Over Bucknell
COLUMBIA, S.C. - A five-run rally in the eighth inning, propelled by a pair of home runs from Jackie Bradley Jr. and Adrian Morales, helped South Carolina overcome a four-run deficit and defeat Bucknell 9-5 in Friday's second game of the NCAA Columbia Regional. The Gamecocks scored eight runs in their final three at-bats to secure their 12th-consecutive home postseason victory before 6,712 fans at Carolina Stadium.
Approximately 2,000 tickets (500 bleacher, 1,500 standing room only) are available for Saturday's winner's bracket game between South Carolina and The Citadel, which begins at 7 p.m. The Carolina Stadium ticket office opens at 12:30 p.m. Saturday with an elimination game between Bucknell and Virginia Tech slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch.
Bucknell (25-34) led 5-1 heading to the bottom of the sixth, and the Gamecocks appeared to be reeling. But slowly, South Carolina (44-15) chipped away at the Bison lead with two runs in the sixth, another in the seventh, and a five-run explosion in the eighth to secure the victory.
Sophomore Michael Roth (1-1) earned his first win of the season, shutting down Bucknell over the final 3.1 innings, allowing just one runner to reach base (who was thrown out advancing to second on an error) and striking out five of the 10 batters he faced. Sam Dyson got the start for South Carolina, going five-plus innings while allowing four runs - three earned - on four hits while walking two and posting seven strikeouts. For Bucknell, Steve Carlin (3-6) was charged with the loss after giving up five earned runs in one inning of relief. Bison starter Dylan Seeley went 5.2 innings, giving up three runs on nine hits while striking out and walking two apiece.
Offensively, it took the Gamecocks a while to get going, but they got big hits from multiple sources. Morales led the way with a 3-for-5 night, including his three-run homer in the eighth to put the game away. His three RBI tied a season- and career-high for the junior. Evan Marzilli, Whit Merrifield and Adam Matthews had two hits apiece, with Marzilli and Bradley each driving in two runs. Bucknell was led by Andrew Brouse with a 2-for-3 effort while scoring a pair of runs, and four other Bison had one hit apiece.
The game was delayed for just more than an hour in the fourth inning by rain and lightning in the area. Play was halted at 7:57 p.m. and resumed shortly after 9 p.m.
South Carolina left 13 runners on base in the game, including six in the first three innings. And the first batter of the Bucknell fourth made South Carolina pay for its missed opportunities. Second baseman Ben Yoder led off the inning with a home run - his 11th of the year - that just cleared the left-field wall to give the BIson a 1-0 lead. The next hitter, Andrew Brouse, was hit by a pitch. Shortly thereafter, the game was halted due to weather, but Dyson returned to the hill when play continued more than an hour later. Brouse stole second on the first pitch once play resumed then moved to third on a wild pitch with two out. On a 2-1 pitch, the ball got by the Carolina catcher, but Brouse held between third and home. However, Thomas' throw back to home plate got past the covering Dyson, allowing Brouse to score on the error to put Bucknell ahead 2-0. Dyson, however, would respond by striking out Drew Constable to end the inning.
South Carolina was finally able to string together some hits with two out in the fourth. No. 9-hitter Bobby Haney started things with a single to left, and Marzilli followed with nearly a carbon-copy hit to put runners at first and second. Merrifield then came through with a double down the left-field line to plate Haney and cut the deficit in half. With two runners in scoring position, Bradley popped up to end the inning.
Bucknell extended its lead in the sixth by methodically moving runners and taking advantage of a South Carolina miscue. A leadoff walk by Yoder and a base hit from Brouse chased Dyson from the game and brought on Jose Mata. With two strikes on the Bison's leading hitter, Doug Shribman laced a double off the left-field wall to bring in Yoder and make it 3-1. After a groundout, a seeing-eye single through a drawn-in Carolina infield from Constable made it 4-1, and an error in the infield that should have ended the inning two batters later allowed Shribman to score, making it 5-1.
Once again, the Gamecocks would cut the Bison lead in half with another two-out rally in the sixth. A one-out double from Morales set the table, and he stole third as Haney struck out for the second out. After watching the first five pitches of the at-bat to work the count full, Marzilli lined Seeley's 95th pitch over the right-field wall to bring in two runs and reduce the deficit to 5-3. It would be the penultimate pitch for Seeley as Merrifield laid down a perfect bunt to reach first on an infield single to chase the Bucknell righthander from the game. The new pitcher, Ryan Ebner, walked Bradley to put a pair of runners on with two out, but Christian Walker flew out to the warning track in right to end the frame.
After a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, the Gamecocks kept the momentum going as a pair of infield bunt singles from Matthews and pinch-hitter Scott Wingo sandwiched around a walk to new catcher Kyle Enders loaded the bases with no outs. After Morales struck out, pinch-hitter Robert Beary lifted a deep fly ball to center field, scoring Matthews on the sacrifice fly. But one run would be all South Carolina could manage as another pinch-hitter, Parker Bangs, struck out to end the inning with Bucknell still leading 5-4.
The Carolina offense finally exploded in the eighth inning. Bradley put South Carolina on top for the first time all night with one swing of the bat, launching a home run just over the left-field wall to score Merrifield in the bottom of the eighth, giving the Gamecocks a 6-5 lead. A walk to Matthews and a hit batter for Wingo put runners at first and third with two out. Morales - who made up for the third Gamecock error of the game with a sliding grab and throw to second in the top of the inning - blasted a three-run homer to left to give the Gamecocks a 9-5 lead they would not relinquish as Roth would retire the side in order in the ninth.
South Carolina joined the rest of its in-state brethren and also its fellow conference schools in winning its opening game of the NCAA Tournament; all five teams from the state (The Citadel, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston and South Carolina) and the other seven SEC teams (Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Mississippi, Vanderbilt) each won their games on Friday.
Complete coverage of the entire NCAA Columbia Regional is available through NCAA.com and GamecocksOnline.com.
Posted: June 5, 2010 | Last updated: June 4, 2010 at 11:41 PM
| Alabama 11, Elon 2 |
| Vanderbilt 8, Illinois State 7 (13 innings) |
| Arkansas 19, Grambling State 7 |
| LSU 11, UC Irvine 10 (11 innings) |
| Auburn 9, Jacksonville State 7 |
| Ole Miss 10, St. John's 5 |
| Florida 7, Bethune-Cookman 3 |
| South Carolina 9, Bucknell 5 |
Crimson Tide Cruises Past Elon, 11-2
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Alabama baseball team had a big day on offense at the 2010 NCAA Atlanta Regional and cruised past Elon with an 11-2 win at Russ Chandler Stadium on Friday.
Alabama (38-22), winners of nine of its last 10 games, advances to Saturday’s winner’s bracket final, where it will meet the Georgia Tech-Mercer winner at 6 p.m. (CDT).
Against Elon, the top of the order provided most of the offensive damage against Elon, as sophomore center fielder Taylor Dugas, junior shortstop Josh Rutledge, junior second baseman Ross Wilson and senior first baseman Clay Jones were a combined 12-for-15 with eight runs scored, two home runs and 10 RBI in the victory. The quartet accounted for 10 of the 11 runs and nine of the 17 hits.
Dugas (4-for-5, 3 R, 2B, RBI) and Rutledge (4-for-5, 2 R, HR, RBI) were a combined 8-for-10 with five runs scored, one double, one home run and five RBI.
Junior right-hander Nathan Kilcrease and freshman right-hander Tucker Hawley held the Phoenix to two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
"I thought for us it was just a complete game," Alabama head coach Mitch Gaspard said. "I thought Nathan was outstanding from the first inning on, and we really got the offense going. We did a nice job executing early in the game, getting some bunts down and hit-and-runs and then some power showed up with Josh and Clay. I thought we played really well for nine innings today."
Alabama scored two runs in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead as the Crimson Tide put four straight runners on base with no outs. Junior catcher Brock Bennett started the inning with a two-strike single up the middle and moved to third on Dugas’ single down the left field line. Rutledge followed with a line drive single to center that scored Bennett to give Alabama a 1-0 lead. Wilson then walked to load the bases before Jones plated Dugas with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 2-0.
Alabama then broke open a close game with a six-run fourth inning to take an 8-0 lead. The six-run inning was highlighted by Rutledge’s ninth home run of the season and first career postseason home run.
Freshman right fielder Andrew Miller drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on freshman DH Brandt Hendricks’ sacrifice bunt. Bennett drew a five-pitch walk, Dugas lined a double to left that scored Miller and chased Bennett to third as the Tide held a 3-0 lead. Rutledge then followed with a three-run home run to left to put Alabama in front 6-0.
Wilson kept the momentum going with a base hit to right field and followed the single up with a stolen base. Jones then lined a 2-0 pitch back up the middle to score Wilson and make it 7-0.
Jones’ RBI single chased Elon starter Jimmy Reyes, who worked 3 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs on eight hits with one strikeout and three walks. Reyes, who had allowed only one run in his last two starts, saw his seven-game winning streak come to a close.
Left-hander J.D. Reichenbach replaced Reyes on the mound and gave up a base hit to Smith as the Tide had runners on the corners with one out. Smith’s one-out single to right was the sixth straight Alabama batter to reach base in the inning. Kelton then laid down a safety squeeze bunt that scored Miller from third base as the Tide stretched its lead to 8-0.
Elon and Alabama traded solo home runs in the sixth inning. Elon first baseman Ryan Adams hit a two-out home run to center field for the Phoenix only run in the game. Jones answered for Alabama in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Tide a 9-1 lead. It was Jones’ team-leading 16th home run of the season.
Kilcrease (7-2) held Elon in check through seven innings as he allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts and two walks. He left the game after an 81-minute rain delay after throwing 99 pitches.
Following the delay, Alabama added two more runs for an 11-1 lead. Dugas and Rutledge led off the inning with back-to-back singles off Elon’s third pitcher of the day, Dylan Clark. Clark unleashed a wild pitch that moved both runners into scoring position and Wilson posted his first RBI of the game with a ground out that scored Dugas. Jones followed with a line-drive double into the right field corner that scored Rutledge.
Elon scored an unearned run in the ninth against Hawley to make the final 11-2. Chris Bresnahan had a one-out, pinch-hit single and Grant McCoury followed with a pinch-hit double to send Bresnahan to third. An error in left field by freshman Brett Booth allowed Bresnahan to score.
Vanderbilt Outlasts Illinois State 8-7 In 13 Innings
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Sophomore Jack Armstrong’s pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the 13th inning lifted Vanderbilt to an 8-7 win over Illinois State in the first game of the NCAA Louisville Regional Friday afternoon at Jim Patterson Stadium.
The Commodores (42-17) will play the winner of the Louisville-Saint Louis game tomorrow at 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET.
With one out in the 13th Andrew Giobbi doubled off of ISU relief ace Kenny Long. The southpaw had come on in relief in the seventh and held the VU offense scoreless for six innings. The Redbirds chose to intentionally walk Curt Casali to set up the force out in addition to setting up a left vs. left matchup at the plate.
Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin had used up the normal right-handed pinch hitters and went to pitcher/designated hitter Jack Armstrong, the Commodores third weekend starter. Armstrong was 1-for-2 at the plate this season in limited duty and laced a single to right, allowing Giobbi to round third and race for home. He slid past the catcher Matt Mirabal’s tag to score the game-winning run.
"Coach (Josh) Holliday told me to get ready by the 7th or 8th inning," said Armstrong. "Mentally I was trying to get prepared. Actually I visualized that exact hit. I don’t know how it happened but it was kind of fate to be honest with you. I listened to the other guys to figure out what the pitcher was doing and took a nice opposite field approach and let fate turn out that way."
The contest was VU’s longest in NCAA postseason play, besting the 11 inning game against Austin Peay in 2007.
Drew Hayes pitched two innings of one-hit relief with three walks to pick up the win to move to 6-0 on the year. Twice he got out of jams with the go-ahead run in scoring position by inducing double play balls.
In all Commodore relievers threw 9.2 innings of six-hit relief, allowing one run with 12 strikeouts and five walks.
Long (4-4) took the tough-luck loss for ISU, allowing one run on five hits while striking out seven and walking three.
Fifth-year seniors Brian Harris and Andrew Giobbi led the Commodores with three hits while Anthony Gomez and Jason Esposito each added two hits in the win.
"Tough ballgame," said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin. "Sometimes they’re not easy. It’s good to get the first one and get in that winner’s bracket. I would just have to say the highlight of it was the pitching that we received after the third inning. I thought our relief pitching was outstanding. The defense during the course of the game; two double plays. Those were the difference right there."
"Our offense just battled, and it was good to see a kid come off the bench who hits every day and doesn’t necessarily get the repetitions on the field. He got a big hit when we needed it most. He drove the ball down the right field line and Andrew made a very nice slide at the plate. It was a tough, tough ballgame. Tough for Illinois State and good for us. We have to go home and rest and look forward to tomorrow."
The Redbirds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first with the help of two Commodore miscues. Lead off batter Kevin Tokarski was hit by Taylor Hill, Jake Thornton singled to left and Matt Mirabal walked to load the bases. Hill got Anthony Ruffolo to pop out before Ryan Court hit a deep fly to center that Connor Harrell misjudged and ran in and then ran back on to make the catch. He was in position to make the catch, but dropped it allowing three runs to score.
The Dores got on the board in the third scoring two runs off of Illinois State starter Corey Maines. Andrew Giobbi had a RBI single and Bryan Johns walked with the bases loaded to plate another.
The Redbirds plated three more runs in the fourth to extend the lead to 6-2. ISU knocked Hill out of the game scoring on a sacrifice fly RBI by Chad Hinshaw and a RBI double by Brett Kay. Grayson Garvin came on in relief and gave up a RBI single to Jake Thornton to close out the scoring in the frame.
Hill allowed six runs, three earned, on four hits in 3.1 innings with two strikeouts and three walks.
VU cut into the lead in the fourth with two runs to make it 6-4. Brian Harris led off with a walk and after a pop-up by Anthony Gomez, Aaron Westlake walked. Jason Esposito then barely missed a line drive three-run homer to left that hit the top of the wall and bounced back in for a double. Harris scored and then Joe Loftus grounded to the right side to score Westlake to make it 6-4.
A two-run homer by Aaron Westlake and a solo homer by Joe Loftus gave the Commodores a 7-6 lead in the sixth inning. Anthony Gomez roped a lead-off double to left-center before Westlake crushed a two-run homer to left-center to tie the game at 6-6. After Jason Esposito grounded out to short on a close call at first, Loftus lofted a solo homer to right-center to give the Dores their first lead of the game.
Matt Mirabal’s solo homer in the top of the seventh tied the game back up at 7-7.
Garvin allowed one run on four hits in 4.1 innings with six strikeouts and a walk. Chase Reid threw three innings of hitless relief with five strikeouts and a walk. Richie Goodenow threw a third of an inning with a strikeout before giving way to Drew Hayes in the 12th.
Long ball sends Hogs past Grambling, 19-7
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Aided by a school-record nine home runs, the No. 15 University of Arkansas downed Grambling, 19-7, Friday in game one of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional at Baum Stadium. Brett Eibner became the ninth player in program history to hit three home runs in one game, while Collin Kuhn, James McCann and Andy Wilkins each posted two home runs. Arkansas’ 19 runs are the second most scored by the program in an NCAA postseason game (20 vs. Eastern Kentucky, 1985).
"We came out aggressive offensively," head coach Dave Van Horn said. "We put up six in the first and jumped ahead of them. We basically got to work quickly on doing all the things we had been practicing during the week. We laid off a lot of borderline pitches and got into good hitting counts."
Wilkins is now tied with Jeff King with 42 home runs on Arkansas’ career list, while Eibner now sits fifth with 41 home runs while wearing the Cardinal and White. Eibner’s seven RBI are a career high and are the high mark for a Razorback this season. Eibner has 21 home runs this season, the third-highest total in program history. Arkansas’ 17 hits are the most by the club since collecting 12 hits against Louisiana Tech on May 11.
Behind three home runs, Arkansas (41-18) jumped out to the early lead with six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kuhn opened the scoring with a solo shot into the Razorback bullpen, his second leadoff home run of the season. Zack Cox, making his first start since May 21, singled up the middle and Eibner followed with a two-run blast to left field off Grambling starter Odingo Davila to give the Hogs a 3-0 lead.
With one down, Monk Kreder doubled and came around to score on a two-out RBI double by Travis Sample. McCann stepped to the plate and capped the Razorbacks’ frame with his seventh home run of the season, a two-run dinger to left. The Hogs have now won 22 of the 24 games in which they’ve scored first this season.
Cox finished the day 1-for-2 at the plate and now has 93 hits this season. The hits total ties Jeff King for fifth on Arkansas’ single-season list. Three players in program history—Matt Erickson (1997), Jeremy Jackson (1997) and Jim Kremers (1987)—are tied for second with 94 hits while Erickson holds the record with 97 hits during the 1996 season.
In the bottom of the second, Eibner picked up his second hit in as innings with a double to left. After a walk to Wilkins, Kreder lifted a fly ball to deep center field that was caught at the wall but Eibner motored around to score from second to push Arkansas’ lead to seven runs. Bo Bigham knocked in the team’s next run with a base hit through the left side of the infield; Wilkins scored on the play.
Grambling (22-31) broke through on the scoreboard with its first run of the ballgame in the top of the third. With one out in the inning, Chris Wolfe singled to left field off Arkansas starter TJ Forrest. Arthur Mazierski plated the Tigers’ score with a double down the line in left field. Forrest struck out Milton Jeffery Barney to get out of the inning and limit the damage to one run.
Arkansas responded with three runs in its half of the third to move ahead, 11-1. After retiring the first hitter, Grambling reliever Eric Zagone hit Kuhn with a pitch and then walked Derrick Bleeker, who replaced Cox in the lineup. Eibner belted an opposite-field three-run shot.
After four strong innings on the mound, Forrest ran into trouble in the top of the fifth. He walked Wolfe on four pitches to lead things off and then surrendered a base hit to Anthony Clifton. Mazierski earned his second RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to center. On the play, the Tigers’ third baseman lined a shot toward the gap in left center but Eibner made a diving catch for the out but Wolfe did tag up from third to score. Alvin Simmons and Jeremy Shelby each had an RBI single as Grambling scored three runs to cut into Arkansas’ lead.
"TJ Forrest came out for a few innings and did a good job of moving the ball around the strike zone," Van Horn said. "I’m proud of him. It’s hot out there and that’s hard on a pitcher. I’m just glad it’s over."
Sam Murphy came in to record the final out of the fifth and in his first full inning of work, he allowed a run in the sixth. Grambling left the bases loaded in the frame but Simmons delivered another RBI single before Murphy pitched himself out of trouble.
The Razorbacks posted a three spot in the bottom of the seventh to stretch its lead. Kuhn drew a walk to lead off the inning and Eibner was hit by a pitch ahead of Wilkins. The Hogs’ first baseman hit a monster shot over the scoreboard to give his team the 15-5 advantage. It was Wilkins’ first home run since May 9 at Ole Miss
Grambling tacked on two runs of Hogs’ reliever Jason Fuqua in the eighth. With runners on first and second, Barney doubled to left center past a diving Matt Vinson, who entered the game for Sample at the beginning of the frame. Fuqua hit the next hitter, Steve Kletke, but was the recipient of a double play for the first two outs. Mychal Roby fouled out to Bleeker to end the inning.
McCann led off the Hogs’ half of the eighth with his second home run of the game. The two homers for McCann were his first since April 17 vs. Georgia and marked the first two-homer performance of his career. Later in the inning with a man on first, Eibner capped his power display with a two-run shot to center. Arkansas went back-to-back as Wilkins followed with the club’s ninth long ball of the game.
"I felt great out there," Eibner said. "I hurt (my wrist) a little on that slide but that’s just from moving around and putting my hand down on the ground. More than anything, I was just excited to be back out there. I was down after missing two games in the SEC Tournament but regionals are the most important thing and I’m glad to be back."
With the win, Arkansas moves into the winner’s bracket and will play at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Baum Stadium. The Hogs will face the winner of the Washington State-Kansas State game. Grambling will play in an elimination game on day two. For more information, log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com
Watkins' Double Lifts LSU to Thrilling Regional Win Over UC Irvine
LOS ANGELES – Pinch hitter Trey Watkins scorched a walk-off double in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the No. 2 seed LSU Tigers to a 11-10 victory over third-seeded UC Irvine in the opening round of the NCAA Los Angeles Regional Friday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
After UC Irvine scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th on a suicide squeeze, the Tigers were down to their final out before Anteater reliever Eric Pettis walked Austin Nola, gave up a single to Alex Edward and walked Leon Landry to load the bases for Watkins, who pinch ran for Matt Gaudet the inning before. With a 1-2 count, Watkins ripped a fastball over right fielder Sean Madigan’s head to score Nola and Edward, giving the Tigers an 11-10 win.
With the win, the Tigers (41-20) improved to 23-1 all-time in NCAA Regional opening games. LSU will face the winner of Friday night’s game between top-seeded UCLA and No.4 seed Kent State Saturday at 6 p.m. PT in Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Anteaters (37-20) will face the loser of the UCLA-Kent State game at 2 p.m. PT Saturday.
LSU reliever Ben Alsup (5-0) earned the victory after pitching the final two innings and allowing one run on one hit. Tiger starter Austin Ross enjoyed another solid outing as the junior right-hander threw 6.1 innings, allowing five runs with no walk and five strikeouts. Pettis (9-4) was charged with the loss after allowing the double to Watkins.
Leading LSU offensively in the game was catcher Micah Gibbs, who finished 2-for-5 with a home run and five RBI. Landry and left fielder Mason Katz also contributed with three hits apiece.
"I’m so proud of our kids for making two comebacks with two out and nobody on in the ninth inning and again in the last inning," said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. "It was a great effort, and we played the way that championship teams are supposed to play when they faced adversity. UC Irvine is such a difficult team to play; they’re relentless and they slap the ball all over the field. It’s a credit to the determination of our players that we were able to win this game."
UC Irvine took a 2-0 lead in the second after designated hitter Drew Hillman was hit by a pitch and catcher Francis Larson followed two batters later with a two-run homer off Ross. The homer was Larson’s sixth of the season.
In the third, LSU cut the deficit to 2-1 when Mikie Mahtook lifted a deep sacrifice fly to left to score Matt Gaudet from third. Gaudet reached third after a single by Mason Katz, who moved up to second on Mahtook’s sacrifice. The next batter, Micah Gibbs singled to the left side to score Katz from second and tie the score at 2-2.
The Tigers took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when third baseman Alex Edward launched a solo homer to left off UC Irvine starter Daniel Bibona. Edward’s homer was his second of the season; his first was against Mississippi State on May 20.
The Anteaters tied the score at 3-3 in the fifth when left fielder Ryan Fisher hit a solo homer to right. The homer was Fisher’s fourth of the season. Ross had retired nine-straight batters before facing Fisher.
LSU broke the tie and went ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the frame when Tyler Hanover roped an RBI single through the right side to score Katz, who doubled to lead-off the inning. Mahtook, who also singled in the inning, advanced to third on Hanover’s single.
The next batter, Gibbs, blasted a three-run homer to center off Bibona to give LSU a 7-3 lead with no outs in the fifth. After Bibona retired Blake Dean with a groundout, UC Irvine brought in right-hander Evan Brock to pitch.
Ross left the game after forcing one out in the seventh. Senior right-hander Paul Bertuccini came on in relief of Ross with runners at the corners and one out. The first batter he faced, third baseman Brian Hernandez, singled up the middle to plate one run and cut the deficit to 7-4. First baseman Jeff Cusick followed with a bloop single to center to score another run making the score 7-5.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers added another run when Gibbs lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Mahtook and extending the LSU lead to 8-5.
UC Irvine responded in the eighth when Larson led off the inning with a solo homer to left, his second homer of the game, to make the score 8-6. Later in the inning, Casey Stephenson beat out an infield single off reliever Zach LaSuzzo and a run scored from third to pull UC Irvine within one at 8-7. LaSuzzo forced the next hitter, Hernandez, to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to escape the Anteater rally in the eighth.
In the top of the ninth, pinch hitter Jordan Leyland ripped an RBI double to tie the score and Ryan Fisher followed with a go-ahead RBI single to give UC Irvine a 9-8 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.
After UC Irvine took a 9-8 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, first baseman Blake Dean singled with two outs and Johnny Dishon came in to pinch run for Dean at first. The next batter, Austin Nola ripped a single to right in front of a diving Sean Madigan. The ball skipped past Madigan allowing Dishon to round third and beat Madigan’s throw to the plate, tying the score 9-9 and forcing extra innings.
Auburn Hits Three Home Runs In 9-7 NCAA Regional Opening Win Over Jacksonville State
AUBURN, Ala. – Playing in front of a jam-packed Plainsman Park, Auburn used three home runs and the reliable relief pitching of Slade Smith and Austin Hubbard to pick up a 9-7 win over Jacksonville State in Auburn’s NCAA Regional opening game on Friday night. The win pushed top-seeded Auburn into the winner’s bracket, where it will face second-seeded Clemson at 6pm CT on Saturday.
"We knew coming into this ballgame that we were going to be challenged by a very good Jacksonville State squad. I told our players that this game is going to come down to the little things that happen during a game," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "Nothing came easy for us tonight. Jacksonville State, as they did the first time, gave us everything we could handle."
The three homer game was Auburn’s 34th multi-homer game of the season as Auburn improved to 41-19 on the season and 13-5 all-time in NCAA Regional-opening games.
Smith (4-0) picked up the win after entering in the fifth with a man on second and two down. Though he would allow his inherited runner to score, just the fourth of 12 he has allowed this season, he would throw the next 2 1/3 innings allowing only two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk as Auburn went from down 4-3 to up 8-5 when he gave way to closer Austin Hubbard with a man on first in the eighth.
The reason for the turnaround in the score came in many different ways for the top hitting team out of the Southeastern Conference. In the fifth Auburn used a Justin Hargett (1-for-3, BB, 2 R) walk and a two-run home run off the bat of Justin Fradejas (2-for-4, 3 R, 2 RBI) to take a 5-4 lead, used a solo home run by Dan Gamache (1-for-3, 2 RBI) to go up 6-5 in the sixth and then scored two in the seventh on a pair of bunts, a groundout and a RBI infield single by Tony Caldwell (1-for-2).
"One of the things we talked about going into the season was finding different ways to score runs. Although we did hit some home runs today, if you really break the game down it, came down to some short things, some little things," Pawlowski said. "I thought (Justin) Hargett put down a nice base-hit bunt and Justin (Fradejas) put down another one where it forced a little action on (Jacksonville State's) pitcher (Austin Lucas), and we got some momentum going that inning…In a close ball game like this, I think it comes down to little things, and we were fortunate obviously to find a way to win today."
Those five runs enabled Hubbard to pick up his 10th save of the season and the 22nd of his career. His run of six consecutive outings without giving up a run was snapped in the eighth when he allowed back-to-back singles and a RBI groundout but that didn’t prevent him from successfully converting a sixth straight save opportunity.
"It was very emotional because it was a big win," Hubbard said. "It was hot, there was a huge crowd, and it was back-and-forth all game which made the atmosphere that much bigger. It was a huge win, and we are all pumped to get that victory."
Auburn found itself down 1-0 after three as Jacksonville State scored a run in the first on Andrew Edge’s (2-for-5) RBI single through the left side and was held to three consecutive 1-2-3 innings to start the for the first time this season.
Fradejas changed that when he dropped down a bunt base hit, his 15th bunt base hit of the year, to start the fourth. Trent Mummy (1-for-4, R, RBI) followed with a stand-up double to the base of the wall in left-center, scoring Fradejas from first to tie the game at 1-1.
"We were struggling in the first three innings and had to get something going there. I was looking to get on base, and I got a good bunt down. Thankfully, that sparked a little rally and got us going offensively," Fradejas said.
Following Mummey’s double, Brian Fletcher (1-for-3, BB, RBI) and Kevin Patterson (0-for-1, BB) each drew walks, setting the stage for Gamache. Having hit six of his seven home runs since April 27, Gamache appeared to have his eighth of the season, and his first career grand slam, when he sent a blast to almost dead-center. Only a perfectly timed, leaping grab by Jacksonville State center fielder Daniel Adamson turned the slam into a sacrifice fly, giving Auburn a 2-1 lead.
"I thought I had the grand slam. I rounded first base and, I didn't realize that the centerfielder had the ball. It was a heck of a play," Gamache said. "Coming back to win that game was a great confidence booster. We were able to collect some big hits and pull out this victory."
Ryan Jenkins (1-for-3) followed the sacrifice fly with a RBI single to put Auburn up 3-1.
Jacksonville State answered with three runs in the top of the fifth to go up 4-3 as Todd Cunningham (3-for-5, 4 RBI) hit a two-run home run and Kyle Bluestein’s (2-for-5) RBI single off of Smith scored Edge.
That’s when Fradejas belted his first home run since opening day over the wall in left to put Auburn back up on top, 5-4.
Again Jacksonville State responded with a run when Blake Seguin (3-for-3, 3 R) doubled down the line in left and went to third when Fradejas couldn’t pick it up cleanly. A Cunningham single to left scored Seguin to make it 5-5 after the top of the sixth.
Gamache finally was able collect his eighth home run as he sent a 0-1 Cody Ponder (0-1) pitch over the monster in left, giving Auburn a lead it wouldn’t relinquish to end the sixth up 6-5.
Auburn scored twice more in the seventh as Hargett dropped down a bunt base hit and went to third when Fradejas tried to sacrifice him to second, but instead reached on an error that allowed both runners to move into scoring position. A RBI groundout by Fletcher scored Hargett and Caldwell’s infield single put Auburn up 8-5.
Jacksonville State scored two times in the eighth to get within a run at 8-7 as Orrin McFadden (0-for-3, R) led off the inning with a walk, prompting the move to Hubbard. He allowed back-to-back singles to Seguin and Cunningham but then retired the next six hitters to pick up the save.
Casey McElroy’s (1-for-4) seventh home run of the year with one out in the eighth added an insurance run for Auburn.
Neither starting pitcher could make it out of the fifth as Lucas allowed five runs on five hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings for Jacksonville State and Cory Luckie allowed four runs on six hits and three walks in the same amount of time.
The game was played in front of a sellout crowd of 4,096, with many more fans taking in the game from the parking deck adjacent to the field down the left field line and a cluster of people on the hill beyond the wall in center. The sellout was Auburn’s first since the 2008 season.
Ole Miss Downs St. John's to Open NCAA Regional
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Rebel offense exploded with three home runs and Drew Pomeranz held the Red Storm scoreless through into the eighth inning as No. 22 Ole Miss (39-22) powered past St. John’s (40-19) by a score of 10-5 in the opening game of the NCAA Regional at the University of Virginia.
Pomeranz (9-2) worked 7.0 innings and allowed two runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts. The southpaw left the game with two men on and the Rebels holding to a 7-0 lead but was charged with the two earned runs as the first batter faced once he left the game hit a two-run home run to get St. John’s on the board.
Kyle Hansen (8-2) suffered the loss for the Red Storm as he allowed six runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.
Three Rebels homered on the night as Miles Hamblin and Alex Yarbrough both hit solo shots and Tim Ferguson hit a two-run shot to push Ole Miss out to the early 7-0 lead.
"After nine days of rest between outings, Drew might not have been as sharp with his command, but he just doesn’t give up runs," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. "We were very efficient offensively tonight. We got the bunts, some key base hits and some home runs in a very big park. We played well."
Ole Miss got on the board first, pushing a pair of runs across to take an early 2-0 lead on the Red Storm. Back-to-back singles from Zach Miller and Taylor Hashman put two men on before a sac bunt down the third base line from Alex Yarbrough advanced both runners to scoring position. A groundout to short from Kevin Mort scored Miller and advanced Hashman, before a triple to center from Tanner Mathis scored Hashman.
Miles Hamblin homered to right center to open the third inning and extend the Rebel lead to 3-0 before the Rebels used two more home runs in the fourth inning to push the lead out to 6-0. Yarbrough hit a solo shot before a Kevin Mort double and a Tim Ferguson home run gave the Rebels the six run lead.
Three straight walks loaded the bases in the fifth inning before Yarbrough came up with a sac fly to left field to score Matt Snyder and push Ole Miss out to a 7-0 lead.
Following a single and a walk to open the eighth inning, the Rebels turned to the bullpen for Eric Callender. The junior right-hander gave up a home run on the first pitch thrown to Jeremy Baltz that got St. John’s on the board and cut the lead to 7-3. Callender then got the next three batters out with a pair of fly outs and a groundout to send the game into the bottom of the eighth and the Rebels up by four.
Ole Miss pushed the lead back out to seven with an answering rally in the bottom of the frame. With one out on the board, the Red Storm intentionally walked Matt Smith to load the bases. Matt Snyder then drew a walk to push a run across before Hashman came up with a two-RBI single to right field that put Ole Miss on top 10-3.
St. John’s answered again in the top of the ninth, loading the base with one out before Matt Wessinger hit a sac fly to center field to cut the lead to 10-4. Another walk loaded the bases for a second time before a second straight walk pushed a fifth Red Storm run across the plate and sent Ole Miss to the bullpen for senior right-hander Rory McKean.
McKean got a groundout from the first batter faced to end the game and pick up his first save of the season.
No. 4 Florida Takes NCAA Opener Over Bethune-Cookman, 7-3
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Freshman right-hander Hudson Randall (Atlanta, Ga.) notched a career-high 10 strikeouts over 7.1 innings as top-seeded Florida (43-15) defeated fourth-seeded Bethune-Cookman (35-21), 7-3, on Friday night at McKethan Stadium. In his NCAA Regional debut, the rookie (8-3) did not allow a hit until the fifth inning in picking up his sixth-straight victory.
The fourth-ranked Gators will meet third-seeded Oregon State (32-22) in a winner’s bracket game at 7 p.m. tomorrow live on Sun Sports, while the Wildcats face second-seeded Florida Atlantic (35-23) in an elimination game at 1 p.m. The Beavers edged the Owls, 6-4, earlier this afternoon.
"Hudson Randall was outstanding on the mound," third-year head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. "We knew Bethune-Cookman would be a tough opponent. We jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but like we expected, they battled and gave it everything they had. It was hard to pull away from them. Bethune is always tough and they proved it again tonight."
The Gators seized a 4-0 advantage with five hits in the second inning against sophomore Ali Simpson (6-2). Freshman Austin Maddox (Jacksonville, Fla.) (2-for-5, two runs) led off with a single into center field and went to second on a one-out bunt single by sophomore Daniel Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) (1-for-3, run). Junior Josh Adams (Jacksonville, Fla.) drew a walk to load the bases and freshman Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) followed with a single into left field to open the scoring. Simpson uncorked a wild pitch that enabled Pigott to score and then fanned freshman Cody Dent (Boynton Beach, Fla.) for the second out. Freshman Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.) (2-for-4), who had led off the first stanza with a base-hit, delivered a two-run single into center field to bring across Adams and Zunino. Junior Bryson Smith (Watkinsville, Ga.) (2-for-4, run) sliced a two-out single into left field, but Fontana was cut down at the plate on a bullet from junior DJ Leonard to end the frame.
In the fourth, Dent earned a free pass with two down and moved into scoring position with his first career stolen base. After Fontana drew a walk, Simpson (3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 BB) was replaced by junior Joey Munoz. The Gators executed a double steal, with Dent taking third and Fontana moving to second, and Smith walked to fill the sacks. However, Munoz worked out of the jam with a strikeout.
The Wildcats used a two-out RBI single by sophomore Alejandro Sanchez (2-for-4) to narrow the gap to 4-1 in the fifth. Leonard had come through with Bethune-Cookman’s first hit with a one-out double just out of the reach of senior center fielder Matt den Dekker (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Although Randall had junior Emmanuel Castro fly out, Sanchez lined a single into left field that eluded a diving Pigott to score Leonard.
Helped by a fielding error from Munoz, UF tacked on three unearned runs in the sixth to build a 7-1 advantage. Munoz notched the first two outs before Smith and sophomore Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) (2-for-4, run) had back-to-back singles. Maddox hit a ground ball to first base that junior Ryan Durrence fielded, but Munoz mishandled the relay, allowing Smith to score. den Dekker (2-for-4) then launched a two-run triple to the base of the wall in left center to clear the bases and provide the Gators with a six-run margin. Over two innings, Munoz gave up five hits and three unearned runs, with four strikeouts.
Leonard drove in sophomore Peter O’Brien with an RBI single in the seventh to reduce the Wildcats’ deficit to 7-2. O’Brien had registered his 14th double with one down and came home on Leonard’s second hit of the night. A two-out single by Sanchez left runners on the corners but Randall induced an inning-ending pop up by junior Matt WrightFreshman Brandon Turner opened the eighth with a double and Randall punched out junior Juan Perez to become the first Gator pitcher with 10 K in an outing since Bryan Augenstein had 10 against Alabama on May 5, 2007. Senior Jeff Barfield (Perry, Ga.) whiffed senior Jeremy Davis for the second out but then yielded an RBI single to Durrence to bring B-CU within 7-3. Barfield worked the final 1.2 innings for the Gators, which held a 12-7 edge in hits.
Late-Inning Rally Gives Gamecocks 9-5 Win Over Bucknell
COLUMBIA, S.C. - A five-run rally in the eighth inning, propelled by a pair of home runs from Jackie Bradley Jr. and Adrian Morales, helped South Carolina overcome a four-run deficit and defeat Bucknell 9-5 in Friday's second game of the NCAA Columbia Regional. The Gamecocks scored eight runs in their final three at-bats to secure their 12th-consecutive home postseason victory before 6,712 fans at Carolina Stadium.
Approximately 2,000 tickets (500 bleacher, 1,500 standing room only) are available for Saturday's winner's bracket game between South Carolina and The Citadel, which begins at 7 p.m. The Carolina Stadium ticket office opens at 12:30 p.m. Saturday with an elimination game between Bucknell and Virginia Tech slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch.
Bucknell (25-34) led 5-1 heading to the bottom of the sixth, and the Gamecocks appeared to be reeling. But slowly, South Carolina (44-15) chipped away at the Bison lead with two runs in the sixth, another in the seventh, and a five-run explosion in the eighth to secure the victory.
Sophomore Michael Roth (1-1) earned his first win of the season, shutting down Bucknell over the final 3.1 innings, allowing just one runner to reach base (who was thrown out advancing to second on an error) and striking out five of the 10 batters he faced. Sam Dyson got the start for South Carolina, going five-plus innings while allowing four runs - three earned - on four hits while walking two and posting seven strikeouts. For Bucknell, Steve Carlin (3-6) was charged with the loss after giving up five earned runs in one inning of relief. Bison starter Dylan Seeley went 5.2 innings, giving up three runs on nine hits while striking out and walking two apiece.
Offensively, it took the Gamecocks a while to get going, but they got big hits from multiple sources. Morales led the way with a 3-for-5 night, including his three-run homer in the eighth to put the game away. His three RBI tied a season- and career-high for the junior. Evan Marzilli, Whit Merrifield and Adam Matthews had two hits apiece, with Marzilli and Bradley each driving in two runs. Bucknell was led by Andrew Brouse with a 2-for-3 effort while scoring a pair of runs, and four other Bison had one hit apiece.
The game was delayed for just more than an hour in the fourth inning by rain and lightning in the area. Play was halted at 7:57 p.m. and resumed shortly after 9 p.m.
South Carolina left 13 runners on base in the game, including six in the first three innings. And the first batter of the Bucknell fourth made South Carolina pay for its missed opportunities. Second baseman Ben Yoder led off the inning with a home run - his 11th of the year - that just cleared the left-field wall to give the BIson a 1-0 lead. The next hitter, Andrew Brouse, was hit by a pitch. Shortly thereafter, the game was halted due to weather, but Dyson returned to the hill when play continued more than an hour later. Brouse stole second on the first pitch once play resumed then moved to third on a wild pitch with two out. On a 2-1 pitch, the ball got by the Carolina catcher, but Brouse held between third and home. However, Thomas' throw back to home plate got past the covering Dyson, allowing Brouse to score on the error to put Bucknell ahead 2-0. Dyson, however, would respond by striking out Drew Constable to end the inning.
South Carolina was finally able to string together some hits with two out in the fourth. No. 9-hitter Bobby Haney started things with a single to left, and Marzilli followed with nearly a carbon-copy hit to put runners at first and second. Merrifield then came through with a double down the left-field line to plate Haney and cut the deficit in half. With two runners in scoring position, Bradley popped up to end the inning.
Bucknell extended its lead in the sixth by methodically moving runners and taking advantage of a South Carolina miscue. A leadoff walk by Yoder and a base hit from Brouse chased Dyson from the game and brought on Jose Mata. With two strikes on the Bison's leading hitter, Doug Shribman laced a double off the left-field wall to bring in Yoder and make it 3-1. After a groundout, a seeing-eye single through a drawn-in Carolina infield from Constable made it 4-1, and an error in the infield that should have ended the inning two batters later allowed Shribman to score, making it 5-1.
Once again, the Gamecocks would cut the Bison lead in half with another two-out rally in the sixth. A one-out double from Morales set the table, and he stole third as Haney struck out for the second out. After watching the first five pitches of the at-bat to work the count full, Marzilli lined Seeley's 95th pitch over the right-field wall to bring in two runs and reduce the deficit to 5-3. It would be the penultimate pitch for Seeley as Merrifield laid down a perfect bunt to reach first on an infield single to chase the Bucknell righthander from the game. The new pitcher, Ryan Ebner, walked Bradley to put a pair of runners on with two out, but Christian Walker flew out to the warning track in right to end the frame.
After a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, the Gamecocks kept the momentum going as a pair of infield bunt singles from Matthews and pinch-hitter Scott Wingo sandwiched around a walk to new catcher Kyle Enders loaded the bases with no outs. After Morales struck out, pinch-hitter Robert Beary lifted a deep fly ball to center field, scoring Matthews on the sacrifice fly. But one run would be all South Carolina could manage as another pinch-hitter, Parker Bangs, struck out to end the inning with Bucknell still leading 5-4.
The Carolina offense finally exploded in the eighth inning. Bradley put South Carolina on top for the first time all night with one swing of the bat, launching a home run just over the left-field wall to score Merrifield in the bottom of the eighth, giving the Gamecocks a 6-5 lead. A walk to Matthews and a hit batter for Wingo put runners at first and third with two out. Morales - who made up for the third Gamecock error of the game with a sliding grab and throw to second in the top of the inning - blasted a three-run homer to left to give the Gamecocks a 9-5 lead they would not relinquish as Roth would retire the side in order in the ninth.
South Carolina joined the rest of its in-state brethren and also its fellow conference schools in winning its opening game of the NCAA Tournament; all five teams from the state (The Citadel, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston and South Carolina) and the other seven SEC teams (Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Mississippi, Vanderbilt) each won their games on Friday.
Complete coverage of the entire NCAA Columbia Regional is available through NCAA.com and GamecocksOnline.com.
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