March 7, 2009

Rankings are from CBI Composite Poll

Around the Bases
Boston College beats Florida State for first time in 11 tries

Stanford hands Texas its first loss; LSU hits three grand slams vs. Illinois

In Tallahassee, Fla., Boston College scored five in both of the first two innings Saturday as the Eagles beat No. 10 Florida State for the first time in 11 meetings, 14-6 at Dick Howser Stadium. Tony Sanchez finished 4 for 6 in the third spot with a two-run homer and three RBI for the Eagles (1-1, 9-3). Hitters five through seven - Mike Belfiore, Barry Butera and Brad Zapenas - each drove in two and combined for eight hits. Jack Posey went 2 for 3 with three RBI for the Seminoles (1-1, 7-4). Jason Stidham collected three hits, while Tyler Holt and Stephen Cardullo tallied two apiece. Pat Dean (2-1) earned the win despite allowing five runs in five innings. Starter Geoff Parker (1-1) lasted just 1.1 innings after giving up nine for the loss. BC defeated FSU for the first time in 11 meetings.

No. 24 Stanford 7, No. 3 Texas 1
In Stanford, Calif., freshman Jordan Pries allowed three hits and struck out four over 7.1 innings as Stanford handed Texas its first loss. Zach Jones went 3 for 5 with a homer and three RBI, and Jeff Whitlow and Wande Olabisi each scored twice for the Cardinal (3-7), which ended a six-game losing streak. Pries (2-0) took a shutout into the eighth inning in his first collegiate start. Brandon Workman (2-1) extended his scoreless-inning streak to 20 innings to start the year before Olabisi doubled, moved up on a fly out and scored on a wild pitch.

No. 1 LSU 22, Illinois 10

In Baton Rouge, La., LSU tied an NCAA record with three grand slams in powering past Illinois at Alex Box Stadium to even their series a one game apiece. Leon Landry had a slam in a five-run second for the Tigers (10-1), his first of two homers on the day. Micah Gibbs launched his slam in the fifth as LSU took a 15-6 lead. Nicholas Pontiff’s slam came in the eighth for the Tigers. Willie Argo had three home runs for the Illini (6-2) in his first collegiate game.

No. 2 North Carolina 5, No. 19 Clemson 2

In Chapel Hill, N.C., Adam Warren allowed three hits in seven innings as UNC evened its ACC series with Clemson in front of a capacity crowd of 4,100 at Boshamer Stadium. Warren (2-0) walked two and fanned eight. Levi Michael had three hits with a double and a run for the Tar Heels (1-1, 9-2). The Tigers (1-1, 6-3) scored an unearned run in the first on Wilson Boyd’s RBI single. Kyle Seager had a run-scoring base hit in the bottom of the frame. The Tar Heels used four bases-loaded walks in the third to take a 5-1 lead. Clemson added a run in the sixth to make it 5-2. Garrett Gore saved a pair of runs in the ninth as he robbed Boyd of a home run and doubled Ben Paulsen off first. A groundout ended the contest. Brad Miller had a hit and scored both runs for the Tigers.

No. 4 Georgia 19, Quinnipiac 6
In Athens, Ga., Rich Poythress went 3 for 5 with a team-high four RBI as Georgia outscored Quinnipiac at Foley Field. Joey Lewis, Zach Cone, Chase Davidson and Michael Demperio all drove in three for the Bulldogs (11-0), who extended their program-best start to a season. John Simone hit a three-run homer in the ninth for the Bobcats (0-5). Justin Grimm (1-0) allowed one unearned run in six innings with one walk and four strikeouts to earn the victory.
 

No. 5 Arizona State 11, Holy Cross 3
In Tempe, Ariz., Mike Leake went 2 for 2 with a three-run triple as Arizona State scored eight times in the first three innings to complete a three-game sweep of Holy Cross. Jason Kipnis went 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBI, and Zack MacPhee drove in a pair for the Sun Devils (11-1). Eric Oxford ripped a two-run homer for the Crusaders (0-8).

Utah 2, No. 6 Texas A&M 0

In College Station, Texas, Jordan Whatcott, Stephen Streich and Robert Chimpky combined on the shutout as Utah blanked Texas A&M at Olsen Field. Whatcott (2-0) allowed two hits in six innings with three strikeouts. Streich worked two innings before Chimpky pitched the ninth for his second save. Austin Jones had an RBI single in the sixth and reached on an error to knock in the second run in the eighth. Corey Shimada scored both runs for the Utes (6-5). Caleb Shofner had a double for the Aggies (10-3).

No. 7 Rice 9, Notre Dame 0

In Houston, Ryan Berry tossed his second straight two-hit shutout as Rice blanked Notre Dame at the Academy Sports & Outdoors Rice Invitational in front of 4,338 fans at Reckling Park. Berry (2-0) allowed a pair of singles with no walks and eight strikeouts. He faced one over the minimum, as one base-runner was caught stealing. Berry went to a three-ball count on one batter. Diego Seastrunk’s two-run double highlighted a five-run third for the Owls (8-3). Rice put the game away with four in the fourth. Seastrunk had two hits and three RBI. Rick Hague and Craig Manuel both had two hits and two RBI. Evan Sharpley and Cameron McConnell had hits for the Irish (4-4).

No. 8 Cal State Fullerton 11, Southern Miss 6

In Hattiesburg, Miss., Khris Davis went 3 for 5 with two RBI as Cal State Fullerton outscored Southern Miss at Pete Taylor Park for its seventh straight win. Davis had a two-run single and scored in a four-run first for the Titans (8-2). The Golden Eagles (8-3) pulled to within one in the fifth before a three-run sixth by Fullerton added some distance. Nick Ramirez added a two-run homer in the seventh for the Titans. Gary Brown had three hits and two runs for Fullerton. Taylor Walker (2-3, 3 R, 1 RBI) and Kameron Brunty (2-5, 1 R) led the offense for Southern Miss. James Ewing knocked in two for the Golden Eagles.

No. 9 Miami (Fla.) 4, NC State 0
In Coral Gables, Fla., starter David Gutierrez (2-0) threw six scoreless innings and two relievers pitched another three hitless as Miami blanked NC State at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. Starter Jack Buchanan (1-1) took the loss as he allowed four runs in a complete game. Leadoff hitter Nathan Melendres went 2 for 4 with an RBI and extended his hit streak to 11 to start his collegiate career. Chris Herrmann knocked a solo shot for the Hurricanes (2-0, 9-2) in the cleanup spot. Kyle Wilson, Pratt Maynard and Cameron Connor had the only hits for the Wolfpack (0-2, 7-4).

No. 13 Baylor 4, No. 11 UC Irvine 3

In Waco, Texas, Dustin Dickerson had a game-winning RBI single, his fifth hit of the contest, in the bottom of the ninth as Baylor nipped UC Irvine in the QTI Baylor Classic. The Bears (9-2) are 6-1 in one-run games and have four wins in the last at-bat. With two outs and none on in the ninth, Brooks Pinckard fouled off a pair of 2-2 pitches before reaching on an infield single and moving to second on a wild pitch. Joey Hainsfurther walked before Dickerson’s base hit brought home Pinckard with the game-winner. Dickerson homered in the first and added an RBI single in the third as Baylor built a 3-1 lead. Ryan Fisher went deep for the Anteaters (6-4) in the second and Brock Bardeen added a solo shot in the fourth. Eric Deragisch had an RBI double in the seventh for UCI that knotted the score at 3-3.

No. 12 Georgia Tech 24, Maryland 3
In Atlanta, Ga., Matt Simonds and Jeff Rowland each collected five RBI as the Yellow Jackets (2-0, 8-1) pounded out five home runs and 21 hits in a thumping of the Terrapins (0-2, 4-6) at Russ Chandler Stadium. Zach Von Tersch (3-0) earned the victory by pitching five innings of one-run ball. The 24 runs were the most Georgia Tech has scored since 2006, when the team beat Rutgers 25-8. Ian Schwalenberg (0-2) surrendered seven runs, four earned in two innings. Mike Rozak blasted a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the ninth for the Terps.

No. 14 Oklahoma State 6, San Francisco 4

In Palm Springs, Calif., Tyler Blandford fanned 10 as OSU got past USF at the Palm Springs Invitational. Blandsford (2-0) worked six innings with three hits, three runs and three walks. Randy McCurry struck out the side in the ninth for his fifth save, halfway to the season record for the Cowboys (9-1). Tom Belza and Neil Medchill both drove in two for OSU. Belza’s sac fly capped a four-run fifth for the Cowboys. Derek Poppert had two hits and Zach Kim drove in two for the Dons (4-9).

No. 15 TCU 9, Wichita State 4

In Fort Worth, Texas, Corey Steglich drove in three as TCU got past Wichita State at Lupton Stadium. Matt Vern and Ben Carruthers both homered as the Horned Frogs (8-2) built a 4-0 lead after four. Clinton McKeever had a two-run double for the Shockers (6-3) in the sixth and Will Baez added an RBI single in the seventh to make it a one-run game. Steglich’s three-run double keyed a four-run seventh for TCU. Vern and Carruthers both finished with two hits, two runs and two RBI. Baez had three hits and knocked in two for WSU.

No. 16 Coastal Carolina 8, Creighton 7

In Conway, S.C., Dan Bowman went 2 for 3 with a homer and three RBI, and David Anderson had two hits, two runs and two RBI as Coastal Carolina edged Creighton in the Caravelle Resort Classic. The Chanticleers (11-1) turned four double plays and escaped in the ninth when Nick McCully struck out two batters with two runners on. Coastal led 6-5 when Anderson and Taylor Motter delivered RBI singles in the eighth. Darin Ruf (3 for 4, 4 RBI) ripped a two-run homer in the ninth to bring the Bluejays back (2-9).

Evansville 2-2, No. 17 Pepperdine 0-4

In Malibu, Calif., Pepperdine rallied for three in the seventh in Game 2 to earn a split in its doubleheader with Evansville and a 3-1 series victory. In the opener, Wade Kapteyn and J.R. Carbonell combined on the seven-inning shutout. Kapteyn (2-1) allowed two hits in four innings with no walks and three strikeouts. Carbonell earned his first save with one hit over three innings with no walks and six strikeouts. Cody Fick and Tom Heithoff both drove in runs for the Purple Aces (3-8). Bobby Cozine had two of the three hits for the Waves (9-3). In the nine-inning nightcap, Ryan Van Amburg had a single and scored the go-ahead run in the three-run seventh for Pepperdine. Colin Rooney and Denny Duron both had two hits for the Waves. Fick knocked in both runs for Evansville.

San Diego State 6, No. 18 San Diego 5

In San Diego, Brandon Meredith had two hits and a RBI, and Tyler Lavigne worked six innings as San Diego State won its third straight against San Diego. The Aztecs (7-5) scored three times in the top of the sixth, with T.J. Thomas delivering a RBI double and Matt Parker and Brandon Decker contributing RBI singles. In the bottom of the eighth, Craig Rasmussen fielded a suicide squeeze bunt off the bat of Bryan Haar and nailed the runner at the plate to preserve the lead. Sean Nicol had three hits for the Toreros (7-6).

No. 20 Ole Miss 15, Vermont 3

In Oxford, Miss., Matt Smith homered twice and drove in four as Ole Miss defeated Vermont at Oxford-University Stadium. Smith went 3 for 4 with three runs. Kevin Mort was 4 for 4 with two RBI for the Rebels (6-3). Michael Hubbard was 2 for 3 with three runs and three RBI for Ole Miss. Smith went deep in the first to put the Rebels on top for good. Zach Miller’s two-run double keyed a three-run third. Smith had a two-run blast and Hubbard added a three-run shot in the fourth as Ole Miss took a 10-0 lead. Mike McCarthy homered for the Catamounts (0-5).

No. 21 Florida 5, Duquesne 3

In Gainesville, Fla., Nick Maronde (1-1) earned his first collegiate win and allowed two unearned runs in six innings as Florida edged Duquesne at McKethan Stadium. Jeff Barfield fanned two with the bases loaded in the ninth to pick up his first save. Ryan Juran (0-3) surrendered all five runs over 6.2 innings for the Dukes (0-10). Duquesne took an early 2-0 lead when Bill Torre, who finished 2 for 4, singled in a run. The Gators (8-4) bounced back with four runs in the second, including a bases-clearing triple by Avery Barnes. Mike Mooney went a season-best 3 for 3 with an RBI and a run for Florida.

No. 22 Oklahoma 7, UCLA 6

In Norman, Okla., Garrett Buechele’s two-run single capped a four-run eighth as Oklahoma nipped UCLA in front of 1,034 fans at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The Bruins (2-9) scored five in the top of the eighth to take a 6-3 lead. Aaron Baker scored twice and drove in two for the Sooners (11-3). Justin Uribe had two hits and three RBI for UCLA.

No. 23 East Carolina 5, Indiana 3

In Statesboro, Ga., Chris Heston fanned eight in six innings as ECU edged Indiana in the Holiday Inn Eagle Invitational at J.I. Clements Stadium. Heston (2-0) allowed six hits, three runs, two earned, with three walks. Dustin Harrington had a run-scoring double in the first and Kyle Roller’s two-run single in the third gave the Pirates (8-1) a 3-0 lead. Stephen Batts homered in the fifth to give ECU a four-run lead. Cody Webber doubled and scored in the bottom of the frame for the Hoosiers (3-6). Alex Dickerson homered in the sixth for IU. Jerrud Sabourin’s RBI single in the seventh made it a one-run game before Brandon Henderson’s sac fly in the ninth gave ECU an insurance run. Eric Arnett (2-1) went the distance for the Hoosiers with 10 strikeouts.

No. 25 Cal Poly 13, Houston 9
In Houston, Ryan Lee went 3 for 5 with three runs and a two-run homer, and Matt Jensen went 2 for 5 with a two-run blast as Cal Poly won for the eighth straight time. Wes Dorrell contributed two hits and two RBI for the Mustangs (8-1), who scored three apiece in the seventh and eighth innings. Codey Morehouse went 3 for 5 with three RBI, and John Cannon blasted a three-run homer for the Cougars (2-10), who dropped their eighth straight.