March 8, 2009

Rankings are from CBI Composite Poll

Around the Bases
Boston College beats FSU again for ACC series win

Illinois wins series at LSU; Texas captures series at Stanford

In Tallahassee, Fla., Tony Sanchez went 3 for 3 with three walks and four RBI as Boston College won 12-5 Sunday at Dick Howser Stadium to capture its first ACC series against No. 10 Florida State. Hitters one through five drove in 11 runs and seven different pitchers took the mound for the Eagles (2-1, 10-3). Chris Kowalski (2-0) earned the victory with 3.1 scoreless, one-hit innings. Tony Sanchez led BC by going 3 for 3 with four RBI and three walks. John Gast (1-2) took the loss after surrendering five runs over 3.1 innings. Jason Stidham and Ohmed Danesh both collected two RBI for the Seminoles (1-2, 7-5).
 

Illinois 6, No. 1 LSU 2

In Baton Rouge, La., Ben Reeser held LSU scoreless for eight innings as Illinois won at Alex Box Stadium to claim the weekend series. Reeser (2-0) went 8.2 innings with six hits, two runs in the ninth, four walks and nine strikeouts. He allowed three hits over the first eight innings and retired the first two in the ninth before Sean Ochinko homered and Chris McGhee and Buzzy Haydel had consecutive pinch-hit doubles to give two runs to the Tigers (10-2). Nick Chmielewski came on to record a strikeout and end the contest. The Illini (7-2) scored two in the third, one in the fifth and three in the eighth. Aaron Johnson had three hits and a run. Casey McMurray had two hits and two RBI. Joe Bonadonna had two hits and two runs.

No. 3 Texas 5, No. 24 Stanford 1

In Stanford, Calif., Texas used a five-run fourth and seven solid innings from Cole Green to win the weekend series from Stanford at Sunken Diamond. Green (2-0) allowed three hits, one run and two walks while striking out three. Austin Wood allowed one hit over the final two innings. Jordan Etier and Brandon Loy had two-run singles in the fourth for the Longhorns (12-1). Kellen Kiilsgaard homered in the fifth for the Cardinal (3-7).

No. 2 North Carolina 9, No. 19 Clemson 8

In Chapel Hill, N.C., Greg Holt’s pinch-hit RBI single plated the game-winner as UNC nipped Clemson at Boshamer Stadium to win the ACC series. The Tar Heels (2-1, 10-2) led 7-1 after seven before Matt Sanders had a two-run single in the eighth and Jeff Schaus had a three-run homer to cap a five-run ninth as the Tigers (1-2, 6-4) took an 8-7 advantage. Kyle Seager, who had career highs with four hits and four runs, led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and moved to third when Mark Fleury’s sac bunt was thrown away at first. Ryan Graepel’s base hit brought home Seager with the tying run. Two batters later, Holt’s single plated pinch-runner Alex White with the game-winner. Graepel finished with three hits and three RBI. Schaus, Sanders and Ben Paulsen each had two hits for Clemson.

No. 4 Georgia 7, Quinnipiac 2
In Athens, Ga., the Bulldogs (12-0) scored in four consecutive innings, beginning in the third, to erase a 2-0 deficit against Quinnipiac at Foley Field. Rich Poythress finished 4 for 4 with an RBI and a run, while five other Georgia players drove in a run. Bryce Massanarri and Michael Demperio each collected two hits. Jeff Walters (1-0) threw 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. Bryn Doyle hit a two-run homer for the Bobcats (0-6) in the second to bring home Mike Marmo, who had two of Quinnipiac's four hits. Mike Oskandy (0-2) allowed seven runs on 11 hits in six innings.

No. 6 Texas A&M 12, Utah 11

In College Station, Texas, Brooks Raley and Dylan Petrich drew consecutive bases-loaded walks with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as Texas A&M edged Utah in front of 3,550 fans at Olsen Field. The Utes (6-6) scored three in the eighth and C.J. Cron’s two-run single highlighted a five-run ninth as the visitors took an 11-10 lead. Brett Parsons led off the bottom of the ninth with a single. Pinch-runner Scott Migl moved to second on a base hit by Adam Smith and both runners moved up on a sac bunt by Kevin Gonzalez. Brodie Greene was intentionally walked to load the bases. One out later, Raley worked the count to 3-1 before another ball forced in the tying run. Petrich looked at four out of the strike zone to bring home the game-winner. Petrich, Luke Anders and Joe Patterson each homered and drove in two for the Aggies (11-3). Cron, Austin Jones and Cooper Blanc each had three RBI for Utah. Cron and Blanc both went deep.

Oral Roberts 5, No. 7 Rice 3

In Houston, Kyle Price had an RBI double in the top of the ninth that snapped a 3-3 tie and lifted ORU past Rice at the Academy Sports & Outdoors Rice Classic at Reckling Park. Michael Notaro led off the ninth with a single for the Golden Eagles (7-2). Pinch-runner Nikko Wong was sacrificed to second, moved to third on a wild pitch and came home on Price’s double. Price moved to third on an error and scored an insurance run on a Danny Duffy double to make it 5-3. Seth Furmanek drove in two for ORU. Chad Mozingo had two hits and an RBI for the Owls (8-4).

No. 8 Cal State Fullerton 11, Southern Miss 3

In Hattiesburg, Miss., Gary Brown had three hits and five Titans homered as Cal State Fullerton completed the series sweep at Southern Miss. Khris Davis had a two-run homer to cap a three-run first for the Titans (9-2). Tyler Koeling had a two-run double in the second for the Golden Eagles (8-4) to make it a one-run game. Nick Ramirez had a two-run homer in the fourth and Jared Clark added a two-run dinger in the fifth. In the sixth, Dustin Garneau had a solo blast and Christian Colon added a three-run shot to complete the scoring for Fullerton, which won its eighth straight game. James Ewing went deep for Southern Miss in the sixth.

No. 9 Miami (Fla.) 9, NC State 7
In Coral Gables, Fla., trailing 7-0 heading into the fourth, the Hurricanes (3-0, 10-2) rallied with nine unanswered runs, including a seven-run fifth, to sweep the ACC series with NC State at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. Jason Santana (1-0) threw 3.2 scoreless innings to relieve starter Iden Nazario, and Kyle Bellamy earned his fourth save in 1.1 innings. Scott Lawson and Jason Hagerty each drove in two and seven different Hurricanes produced an RBI. Devon Cartright went 2 for 4 with a three-run homer and five RBI for the Wolfpack (0-3, 7-5).

No. 11 UC Irvine 6, South Alabama 5

In Waco, Texas, Casey Stevenson had a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth as UCI rallied to edge USA at the QTI Baylor Classic at Baylor Ballpark. Francis Larson and Dillon Bell had consecutive singles in the ninth followed by an intentional walk to Ryan Fisher to load the bases for Stevenson’s heroics. Larson homered in the second as the Anteaters (7-4) got a 2-0 lead. Jake Overstreet had a two-run single in the sixth as the Jaguars (5-7) built a 5-2 lead. UCI tallied two in the seventh and Tony Asaro had an RBI single in the eighth to tie it at 5-5. Larson, Dillon Bell and Tommy Reyes each had two hits for the Anteaters. Adam Heisler had two hits and two RBI for USA.

No. 12 Georgia Tech 10, Maryland 7
In Atlanta, pinch-hitter Chase Burnette blasted a three-run shot on a 3-2 pitch in the eighth to break a 7-7 tie and lift Georgia Tech past Maryland at Russ Chandler Stadium. Tony Plagman and Cole Leonida each homered for the Yellow Jackets (3-0, 9-1), who swept the ACC series. Reliever Mark Pope (2-0) notched the win with 1.1 scoreless innings as the sixth Tech pitcher. Dan Gentzler (1-1) allowed three runs in 1.1 innings and took the loss in a game which saw two ties and four lead changes. Gerry Spesserd and Mike Murphy both drove in two runs for the Terps (0-3, 4-7).

No. 13 Baylor 11, UAB 8

In Waco, Texas, Aaron Miller’s grand slam tied it and Adam Hornung’s RBI double plated the game-winner as Baylor battled back from a seven-run deficit to outscore UAB in the final game of the QTI Baylor Classic. Digger Towe had a two-run homer in the fifth as the Blazers (4-6) built a 7-0 lead in the sixth. Shaver Hansen’s two-run homer capped a three-run sixth for the Bears (10-2). UAB pushed its lead to 8-3 with a run in the seventh. In the bottom of the frame, a bases-loaded walk and Miller’s slam tied it at 8-8. Also in the seventh, Hansen was hit by a pitch and Hornung’s double made it 9-8. Baylor added two in the eighth as Raynor Campbell went deep and Joey Hainsfurther doubled and scored to make it 11-8. Brint Hardy went 4 for 5 with three RBI for the Blazers.

UC Riverside 7, No. 14 Oklahoma State 0

In Palm Springs, Calif., Paul Applebee tossed a three-hit shutout as UCR blanked OSU. Applebee (3-0) fanned six in recording his second complete game. The Highlanders (10-3) scored two in the first and three in the fourth for a commanding 5-0 lead. Ryan Goetz knocked in three for UCR. Kevin David had a double for the Cowboys (9-2).

No. 15 TCU 12, Wichita State 3

In Fort Worth, Texas, Matt Vern’s three-run homer capped a five-run first as TCU swept a three-game series from Wichita State at Lupton Stadium. The Shockers (6-5) got a run in the top of the first before the outburst by the Horned Frogs (9-2) in the bottom of the frame. Jason Coats had a two-run double before Vern’s blast made it 5-1. After WSU added two in the third, TCU plated two in the third, four in the fifth and one in the seventh for its 12-3 lead. Chris Ellington and Bryan Holaday both had two hits, two runs and an RBI for the Horned Frogs. Ryan Jones and Taylor Brown both had two hits  for the Shockers.

No. 16 Coastal Carolina 36, Stony Brook 3

In Conway, S.C., Coastal Carolina scored 11 in the first and set a school record for runs in a game in overwhelming Stony Brook at the Caravelle Resort Classic. The Chanticleers (12-1) added eight in the third and 10 in the fourth in building a 36-0 lead after six. All the runs were earned. Dustin King came off the bench to go 4 for 6 with a homer, four runs and six RBI. Taylor Motter went 5 for 7 with three doubles, five runs and three RBI. Brian Witkowski and Keith Fier both had two hits and a run for the Seawolves (2-6).

No. 18 San Diego 10, San Diego State 7

In San Diego, USD used a seven-run fourth to outscore SDSU at Tony Gwynn Stadium and salvage the final game of the four-game set. Steven Chatwood and Sean Nicol both had two-run doubles in the fourth as the Toreros (8-6) built a 10-1 lead. Brandon Meredeth had a two-run double in the fourth and Cory Vaughn’s three-run homer capped a four-run fifth as the Aztecs (7-6) pulled to within three. Nicol had three hits, two runs and two RBI for USD. Vaughn and Meredith both drove in three for SDSU.

No. 20 Ole Miss 3, Vermont 2

In Oxford, Miss., Phillip Irwin allowed two runs in 6.2 innings as Ole Miss completed a three-game sweep of Vermont in front of 5,889 fans at Oxford-University Stadium. Irwin (2-0) allowed six hits and one earned run with two walks and four strikeouts. Scott Bittle struck out the side in the ninth for his second save. Matt Smith had a sac fly and Logan Power added an RBI single in the first as the Rebels (7-3) built a 2-0 lead. The Catamounts (0-6) got a run in the second as Jeff Nolet singled and scored. Ole Miss pushed the lead back to two in the bottom of the frame on Kevin Mort’s RBI single. Ethan Paquette had a run-scoring single in the fifth for Vermont to make it 3-2. Power and Jordan Henry both had two this for the Rebels. Brad Currier had two hits and a run for the Catamounts.

No. 21 Florida 12, Duquesne 2
In Gainesville, Fla., Clayton Pisano went 2 for 3 with a triple, a home run and six RBI as Florida completed the three-game sweep of Duquesne at McKethan Stadium. Jonathan Pigott and Riley Cooper also had two hits apiece for UF. Patrick Keating (2-2) allowed two runs and scattered seven hits in five innings. The Gators (9-4) led 4-2 heading into the sixth and broke the game open by plating six in the inning. Johnny Elms (0-1) went two innings and gave up two runs on two hits for the Dukes (0-11). Chris Kimmeth finished 2 for 4 with a solo shot for Duquesne.

No. 22 Oklahoma 6, UCLA 4

In Norman, Okla., Jamie Johnson and Garrett Buechele both drove in two as OU completed a three-game sweep of UCLA. The Sooners (12-3) scored four in the second to take control. Chris Ellison had two hits and two runs for OU. Eddie Murray had three hits for the Bruins (2-10). Justin Uribe homered for UCLA.

Georgia Southern 14, No. 23 East Carolina 4

In Statesboro, Ga., Griffin Benedict tied an NCAA record with two home runs in an eight-run seventh as GSU knocked off ECU at J.I. Clements Stadium. Benedict went 5 for 5 with three runs and six RBI for the Eagles (11-1). Matt Miller was 2 for 4 with three runs for GSU. Kyle Roller homered and had two RBI for the Pirates (8-2).

Houston 3, No. 25 Cal Poly 2

In Houston, Michael Goodnight pitched seven strong innings as Houston edged Cal Poly at Cougar Field to snap an eight-game losing streak. Goodnight (2-0) allowed three hits and two runs with no walks and six strikeouts. Blake Kelso doubled and scored on a base hit by Chase Dempsay in the third for the Cougars (3-10). Zak Presley singled and scored in the fourth as UH took a 2-0 lead. The Mustangs (8-2) tied it in the seventh as Adam Melker doubled and scored on a wild pitch, and Matt Jensen homered to make it 2-2. The Cougars broke the tie in the bottom of the frame as Taylor White had a leadoff triple and scored on Kelso’s base hit. Kelso had three hits for UH. Melker had a pair of hits for Cal Poly.

Congratulations to VCU's Paul Keyes, who recorded win No. 500 on Sunday, and to Loren Hibbs at Charlotte, who reach No. 500 on Saturday.