May 21, 2009

Rankings are from CBI Composite Poll

2009 Conference Tournaments

CBI Live: #2 Florida 12, #3 Ole Miss 2

CBI Live: #1 LSU 9, #4 Alabama 6

CBI Live: #6 Georgia 2, #7 Arkansas 1 (10)

CBI Live: #8 Vanderbilt 5, #5 South Carolina 4

Around the Tournaments
Koenigstein tosses no-hitter for Creighton at Wichita State

FSU clinches spot in ACC title game, Radford upsets Coastal Carolina

Missouri Valley

#4 Creighton 11, #3 Wichita State 0 (no-hitter)

#1 Missouri State 8, #5 Southern Illinois 4

#6 Illinois State 7, #2 Indiana State 3

In Wichita, Kan., Brandon Koenigstein tossed a seven-inning no-hitter as Creighton blanked host Wichita State in front of 3,983 fans at Eck Stadium. Koenigstein (5-0) fanned seven and allowed one base-runner on a hit batsman, who was erased on a double play. He threw just 73 pitches and faced the minimum 21 Shockers (28-25). It was the first no-hitter in MVC Tournament history. Robbie Knight went 3 for 5 with two doubles, two runs and three RBI for the Bluejays (30-24).

Missouri State scored three in the third to take the lead for good against Southern Illinois. Brayden Drake and Chris Playter both had three hits and one RBI for the Bears (34-19). Michael Stalter went 4 for 4 with a homer and three RBI for the Salukis (23-28).

Anthony Ruffalo had two hits and two RBI as Illinois State topped Indiana State. Matt Mirabal also knocked in two for the Redbirds (25-22). Brian Jett had a two-run homer in the sixth for the Sycamores (33-20).

ACC

#1 Florida State 4, #5 Miami 2
#6 Virginia 6, #3 Clemson 5
#8 Boston College 7, #4 Georgia Tech 3
In Durham, N.C., Tommy Oravetz hit a two-run, two-out homer in a four-run first that proved to be the difference as Florida State (42-14) defeated Miami (36-19) on the second day of the ACC Championships to secure a spot in Sunday’s championship game. Brian Busch (6-2) earned the victory after pitching six innings and allowing two runs on four hits. Both teams combined for just 10 hits.

Andrew Carraway (6-1) pitched 4.1 scoreless innings of relief with one hit and seven strikeouts for the win as Virginia (40-12-1) beat Clemson (39-18) 6-5 in game six of the ACC Championship. Kevin Arico earned his ninth save with a perfect ninth. John Hicks knocked a two-run homer as the Cavaliers scored all six runs in the fourth and fifth to come back from a 4-0 deficit.

Mickey Wiswall went 3 for 4 with two home runs and five RBI as Boston College (32-23) defeated Georgia Tech (34-17-1). Starter JB MacDonald (5-7) survived early trouble to go five innings of three-run ball for the win. Wiswall now has a team-leading 14 homers and 62 RBI. Chris House had two hits, one run and one RBI for the Yellow Jackets.

Big South

#4 Radford 11, #1 Coastal Carolina 7

#3 Liberty 20, #6 High Point 10

#2 Winthrop 8, #8 VMI 4 (VMI eliminated)

In Asheville, N.C., Reggie Keen had a two-run single with two outs in the top of the ninth to break a 7-7 tie and lift Radford past Coastal Carolina at McCormick Field. The Highlanders (26-23) trailed 7-2 before scoring nine unanswered runs over the final four innings. Keen finished with two hits and four RBI. Alex Gregory had three hits, including a homer, and three RBI for RU. David Anderson and Scott Woodward both drove in two for the Chanticleers (43-14).

Cody Brown had four hits, including a homer, and six RBI as Liberty outscored High Point, tying a Big South record for runs in a tournament game. P.J. Jimenez (2 for 3, 2 R, 4 RBI) and Errol Hollinger (4 for 6, 3 R, 3 RBI) led the offense for the Flames (33-19). Jeff Cowan had three hits, including a dinger, and six RBI for the Panthers (21-31).

Earlier in the day, Bryn Henderson homered in the seventh to snap a 2-2 tie as Winthrop eliminated VMI. Kevin Nolan and Eddie Rohan both had three hits for the Eagles (33-24). A.J. Yoder homered for the Keydets (18-35). Matteo D’Angelo (8-2) allowed three earned runs in seven innings with no walks and two strikeouts to earn the victory.

America East
#2 Albany 8, #3 Stony Brook 1
#1 Binghamton 10, #4 Vermont 7

In Endicott, N.Y., Sean Donovan had three hits and two RBI, and Dave Kubiak tossed eight innings with no earned runs and eight strikeouts as Albany rolled past Stony Brook. The Great Danes (25-29-1) scored four times in the sixth inning then added on with a run in the seventh and three in the eighth. Dave West went 3 for 3 with two runs for Albany. Brian Witkowski had two hits, including a double, and scored the lone run for the Seawolves (29-22).
 

Jim Calderone had three hits and three runs as Binghamton outscored Vermont. C.J. Lekaszewski had two hits and two RBI for the Bearcats (27-25). Corey Moylan and Brad Currier both had two hits and two RBI for the Catamounts (22-32).

Atlantic Sun
#4 Belmont 6, #5 Mercer 5
#6 East Tennessee 4, #3 Stetson 2
In DeLand, Fla., after leading 2-0, Belmont (29-28) scored three runs in the eighth to take back the lead and held on against Mercer (23-23) in a single-elimination game in the first round of the Atlantic Sun Championships. Daniel Wagner drove in two for the Bruins. Jon Ivie (3-3) picked up the win after pitching 1.1 innings of relief and allowing one run on three hits.

East Tennessee (25-27) capitalized on three errors to upset host Stetson (27-30) in a single-elimination game. Hitters two and three - Bo Reeder and Troy Mendez - had the two RBI for the Buccaneers. Starter Chas Byrne (6-4) went 6.1 innings and gave up two runs on five hits for the win. Darren Caldwell pitched 2.1 scoreless and one-hit innings for his fourth save.

Atlantic 10

#1 Dayton 9, #4 Massachusetts 5

#2 Rhode Island 7, #3 Xavier 6

#4 Massachusetts 6, #6 Charlotte 5 (10) (Charlotte eliminated)

In Dayton, Ohio, Adam Dunsmore went 4 for 5 with two doubles and three RBI as Dayton topped UMass at Fifth Third Field. Marshall MacDonald had three hits, three runs and two RBI for the Flyers (38-17), who face the winner of the Xavier-Rhode Island  game at noon on Friday. The Minutemen (26-25) meet Charlotte later this evening in an elimination game. Mike Gedman had two hits and two runs for UMass.

Oliver Palmer had a grand slam in a five-run fifth as URI nipped Xavier. Zoey Angulo had two hits, one run and one RBI for the Rams (36-18-1). John McCambridge, who had three hits, delivered a two-run single in the ninth for the Musketeers (34-19).

Matt Gedman had a two-run single in the top of the 10th as UMass eliminated Charlotte. Mike Gedman had three hits, including a homer, for the Minutemen (27-25). Grant Bomann knocked in three for the 49ers (33-22).

Big East

#1 Louisville 12, #5 Notre Dame 2

#3 West Virginia 20, #7 Pittsburgh 8 (Pitt eliminated)

In Clearwater, Fla., Andrew Clark had a three-run homer and Jeff Arnold added a two-run dinger in a five-run first as Louisville defeated Notre Dame Thursday morning for its second win in the tournament. Arnold had three hits for the Cardinals (42-14). Jeremy Barnes had a two-run homer in the third for the Fighting Irish (34-22), who face St. John’s in an elimination game later today at 7 p.m.

Austin Markel went 4 for 6 with two triples, one homer and a tournament-record six RBI as WVU pounded Pitt in seven innings. The Mountaineers (37-17) put up crooked numbers in all but one inning in setting a tourney record for runs in a game. Jedd Gyorko also had four hits with four RBI for WVU. Morgan Kielty and Frank Mercurio both went 2 for 3 for the Panthers (28-21).

Big Ten
#3 Indiana 12, #2 Minnesota 3
#1 Ohio State 7, #4 Illinois 4

#6 Purdue 12, #5 Michigan State 9 (MSU eliminated)
In Columbus, Ohio, Matt Bashore allowed two hits and struck out nine in seven scoreless innings, and Alex Dickerson drove in three runs as Indiana routed Minnesota to advance to a semifinal date with Ohio State. Leadoff man Brian Lambert and Jake Dunning had three hits, two runs and two RBI, and Josh Phegley added two hits and two runs as the Hoosiers (30-25) pounded out 18 hits. Minnesota fell to 35-16.
 

After trailing 4-1, OSU scored a pair in the sixth, seventh and eighth to rally past Illinois. Zach Hurley had two hits, including a triple, and one RBI for the Buckeyes (39-15). Aaron Johnson went 3 for 4 with a homer, two runs and three RBI for the Illini (34-19).

Earlier, Brandon Haveman went 4 for 6 with two doubles and three RBI as Purdue eliminated Michigan State. Dan Black, Barrett Serrato and Alex Jaffee contributed two RBI apiece for the Boilermakers (25-35), who advance to meet Minnesota in a losers' bracket game. Eli Boike went 3 for 5 with a homer and three RBI for the Spartans (23-31).

Big 12
#1 Texas 9, #5 Kansas 3
#4 Kansas State 9, #8 Baylor 4

In Oklahoma City, Chance Ruffin tossed a complete game, and Brandon Belt had another big game with two hits, including his eighth homer, two runs and three RBI as Texas improved to 1-1 at the Big 12 Tourney. Ruffin (9-2) allowed three runs on four hits and struck out six. Texas (39-13-1) scored twice on Belt's two-run homer in the first and has outscored opponents 41-7 in the opening frame this season. Cameron Rupp added a three-run homer to center to make it 6-0 in the fourth. Kansas fell to 37-21 and 0-2 in the tourney.

Justin Bloxom had two hits, including a home run, and three RBI as Kansas State topped Baylor. Jason King knocked in two for the Wildcats (41-15-1). Dustin Dickerson had three hits and a run for the Bears (28-24).

Colonial

#6 Delaware 9, #5 Northeastern 5 (NU eliminated)

#1 George Mason 11, #4 Old Dominion 5 (ODU eliminated)

#2 Georgia State 8, #3 UNC Wilmington 5

In Wilmington, N.C., Pat Dameron, Jared Olson and Kyle Davis each went deep as Delaware stayed alive against Northeastern at Brooks Field. Olson’s three-run shot in the sixth gave the Blue Hens (28-19) a 9-3 advantage. James Donaldson had a dinger for the Huskies (28-25).

Ryan Soares had a grand slam to highlight a nine-run third as Mason eliminated ODU.  The Patriots (42-10) won on the 52nd birthday of head coach Bill Brown. Spencer Wiggins went 3 for 6 with two doubles, one homer and five RBI for Mason. Max Most and Gerard Hall both had two hits for the Monarchs (22-27).

Will Palmer (5-5) fanned eight in 7.2 innings as Georgia State topped UNCW. Justin Malone retired the final four hitters to record his sixth save. Bradley Logan had a three-run homer in the fifth for the Panthers (37-20). Bobby Leeper had three hits for the Seahawks (29-22).

Conference USA

#2 Rice 8, #6 UAB 1
#5 Southern Miss 5, #1 East Carolina 2

#3 Houston 4, #7 Marshall 1 (MU eliminated)

#4 Tulane 7, #8 UCF 3 (UCF eliminated)
In Hattiesburg, Miss., Ryan Berry, injured with a muscle strain in his shoulder for a chunk of the season, fired a complete game with two hits, one earned run and seven strikeouts as Rice won a winners' bracket game with UAB, which took two of three from Rice last weekend. The Owls (37-15) have not lost a game that Berry has started this season. Diego Seastrunk had a double and three RBI, and Brock Holt and Craig Manuel each contributed two hits and a RBI for Rice. UAB fell to 31-25.
 

B.A. Vollmuth had a two-run homer in the seventh to tie the game, and Joey Archer’s two-run single capped a three-run eighth as Southern Miss rallied past ECU. Corey Steven had a sac fly to snap a 2-2 tie in the eighth for the Golden Eagles (34-22). Brandon Henderson drove in both runs for the Pirates (42-16).

Zak Presley had a bunt single to plate Jake Runte with the tie-breaking run to spark a three-run eighth as Houston eliminated Marshall. Presley’s hit made it 2-1. Chase Dempsay and Chris Wallace drew bases-loaded walks for the final two runs. Dempsay drove in two for the Cougars (26-30). Kenny Socorro had two hits and a run for the Thundering Herd (22-32).

Josh Prince went 5 for 5 five stolen bases with three runs, and Scott Powell and Jeremy Schaffer drove in two runs apiece as Tulane eliminated Central Florida. Prince became the first player to post five hits and five stolen bases in C-USA tourney history. The Green Wave (33-24) led 2-0 before scoring four times in the top of the seventh, thanks in part to Schaffer's two-run single. Brandon Romans drove in two runs, and Colin Arnold went 3 for 4 with a RBI for the Golden Knights (22-35).

Horizon

#1 Illinois-Chicago 16, #5 Cleveland State 6

#3 Wright State 20, Milwaukee 4

#4 Valparaiso 4, #7 Butler 2 (BU eliminated)

In Lorain, Ohio, Brett Schaefer homer and drove in four as UCI outscored CSU at The Pipe Yard. Andy Leonard had four hits and three RBI for the Flames (27-21). Kyle Shaffer went deep and knocked in three for the Vikings (21-30).

Kory Twede went 5 for 6 with two homers, three runs and six RBI as WSU manhandled Milwaukee. Jeff Mercer also homered twice and drove in five for the Raiders (31-27). Josh Groves knocked in two for the Panthers (26-26).

Bryce Shafer (7-3) worked 8.1 innings with five hits, two walks and seven strikeouts as Valparaiso bounced Butler. Dan DeBruin and David Klein both had two hits for the Crusaders (28-23). Grant Fillipitch and Jason Jamerson both had a pair of hits for the Bulldogs (13-41).

Metro Atlantic

#3 Marist 7, #2 Canisius 6
#1 Manhattan 2, #4 Rider 1

In Trenton, N.J., Jon Schwind had a two-run triple to left center in the top of the eighth as Marist knocked off defending champ Canisius. Ricky Pacione tripled, had a two-run homer and drove in three, and Brian McDonough added three hits and a RBI for the Red Foxes (29-25). Branson Joseph drove in three, and Steve McQuail had a two-run homer for the Golden Griffs (33-21).
 

Kevin Nieto went 2 for 3 as Manhattan nipped Rider. Austin Sheffield homered in the fifth for the Jaspers (35-16). Ryan Masters added a run-scoring single for Manhattan to snap a 1-1 tie. Mason Heyne had a run-scoring single in the first for the Broncs (26-22).

Mid-American

#4 Kent State 17, #8 Central Michigan 2

#6 Toledo 7, #7 Eastern Michigan 6

#8 Central Michigan 6, #1 Bowling Green 2

#3 Ohio 15, #2 Ball State 6 (BSU eliminated)

#5 Miami 17, #1 Bowling Green 4 (BGSU eliminated)

In Chillicothe, Ohio, Anthony Gallas had two hits, including a home run, and five RBI as Kent State thumped CMU at VA Memorial Stadium. Chris Tremblay had four hits and four runs for the Golden Flashes (40-15). Scott Phillion had three hits and one RBI for the Chippewas (28-29).

Chris Dudics had three hits, including a dinger, and two runs as Toledo edged EMU. Dan Sherwood had two hits and two RBI for the Rockets (23-29). Jim Gulliver had two hits and two RBI for the Eagles (24-34).

CMU completed its upset of BGSU in the resumption of Wednesday’s suspended game that was called due to a power outage, reportedly caused by a raccoon biting through the wires of an electrical transformer. Robbie Harman went 3 for 4 with two runs and four RBI for the Chippewas (28-28). Harman had a two-run single in the first, and Matt Faiman went deep in the third to give CMU a 3-0 lead. T.J. Blanton (3 for 3) homered in the bottom of the third for the Falcons (28-21). Harman homered in the fourth for a 4-1 lead before the lights went out. Derek Spencer had a dinger for BGSU when play resumed on Thursday. The Chippewas added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth.

Hayden Johnston went 5 for 5 with three doubles and a grand slam as OU stayed alive against Ball State. Johnston had three runs and four RBI. The Bobcats (29-23) scored 12 over the final four innings to pull away. Jeremie Rehak had two hits, including a homer, and two RBI for OU. Kolbrin Vitek had two hits and three RBI for the Cardinals (26-25).

Jordan Petraitis went 3 for 4 with four runs and five RBI as Miami eliminated Bowling Green. Tommy Nurre, who homered twice, and Eric Darlage both drove in four for the Redhawks (29-24). Derek Spencer homered and knocked in two for the Falcons (28-21).

Mountain West
#4 San Diego State 9, #6 Utah 8

#1 TCU 9, #3 BYU 2 (BYU eliminated)
#3 BYU 5, #2 New Mexico 1 (New Mexico eliminated)
In Fort Worth, Texas, Pat Colwell’s RBI double capped an eight-run eighth as SDSU shocked Utah at Lupton Stadium. The Aztecs (40-19) trailed 8-1 and had only five hits through seven before having nine consecutive batters reach on six hits and three walks. Erik Castro had two hits and three RBI, including a two-run single in the eighth for SDSU. Ryan O’Sullivan also had two hits and drove in two for the Aztecs. Corey Shimada and Michael Beltran both had two hits for the Utes (23-29).

Freshman Kyle Winkler tossed his first career complete game, and Matt Vern went 4 for 5 with a homer, two RBI, two stolen bases - including a steal of home - and three runs as TCU eliminated BYU. Matt Curry and Brance Rivera contribute two runs apiece for the Horned Frogs (36-15). The Cougars fell to 30-24.

In the day's first game, Sean McNaughton homered twice and drove in four, and Marc Oslund shut down New Mexico as BYU won an elimination game. Oslund (7-1) pitched his first complete game of the year, allowing four hits to a team that boasts five .400 hitters. The Lobos dropped to 37-20.

Northeast

#4 Monmouth 14, #1 Wagner 8

#2 Sacred Heart 16, #3 Central Connecticut State 13

In New Britain, Conn., Monmouth used a pair of six-run innings and a triple play to get by Wagner at New Britain Stadium. The Hawks (30-23) put up six in the second and ninth. Ryan Terry (2 for 5, 3 R, 3 RBI), Chris Collazo (3 for 6, 1 R, 3 RBI) and Paul Bottigliero (2 for 3, 1 R, 3 RBI) each knocked in three for Monmouth. Matt Logan had two hits and three RBI for the Seahawks (30-20).

Mike Drowne smacked a two-run homer in the eighth to snap a 13-13 tie and propel Sacred Heart past CCSU. Robert Griffith had four hits and three RBI for the Pioneers (28-25-1). Richie Tri (4 for 6, 3 R) had six RBI for the Blue Devils (26-21), tying a NEC Tournament record.

Ohio Valley
#5 Tennessee Tech 7, #2 Murray State 2
#6 Jacksonville State 11, #1 Eastern Illinois 5

#3 Morehead State 7, #4 Southeast Missouri 5 (11) (SEMO eliminated)
In Paducah, Ky., Ben Burgess and Evan Webb had two-run singles in the top of the eighth as Tennessee Tech won for the second straight day. Chad Oberaker had a two-run homer in the first to give the Golden Eagles (28-22-1) an early lead, and A.J. Kirby-Jones (18) also homered. Ryan Dennick tossed a complete game with five hits and four strikeouts as Tech handed Chris Craycraft (10-3) his third loss. Bryan Probst had two hits and two RBI for the Thoroughbreds (32-20-1).
 

Daniel Adamson had a two-run double in a three-run third as JSU outscored EIU. Adamson added a two-run single in a five-run fifth for the Gamecocks (30-24). Zach Borenstein had an RBI double for the Panthers (36-13).

In an elimination game, Travis Redmon doubled in Luke Bainer, and J.D. Ashbrook singled in Redmon in the top of the 11th inning as Morehead State knocked off Southeast Missouri. Michael Bottoms allowed two runs over 4.2 innings of relief to pick up the win for the Eagles (20-31). Kenton Parmley had four hits, and Trenton Moses drove in two for the Redhawks (26-25).

Southern

#1 Elon 15, #4 Western Carolina 7

#2 Georgia Southern 6, #6 Appalachian State 5

#8 Furman 6, #5 College of Charleston 5 (CofC eliminated)

#3 The Citadel 9, #7 Davidson 8 (DC eliminated)

In Greenville, S.C., Bennett Davis hit for the cycle and Chase Austin blasted two home runs as Elon outscored WCU at Fluor Field. Austin had three hits and six RBI, while Davis drove in four. Mike Melilli added three hits and two RBI for the Phoenix (39-14). J.C. Lyons had a three-run homer for the Catamounts (35-21).

Kyle Blackburn went deep twice as Georgia Southern nipped Appalachian State. Ty Wright and Griffin Benedict both homered and drove in two for the Eagles (40-15). Jerod Faggart went 4 for 4 with a triple and two RBI for the Mountaineers (33-20).

Bobby Lyne (2-3) pitched four scoreless innings of relief with one hit, one walk and three strikeouts as Furman eliminated CofC. Marcus Rose had two hits, including a homer, and two RBI for the Paladins (23-30). Ryan Daniels had two hits and three RBI for the Cougars (35-22).

Chris McGuiness homered in the top of the ninth to break an 8-8 tie as The Citadel edged Davidson. Bryan Altman went 4 for 5 with two runs for the Bulldogs (35-21). McGuiness, Sonny Meade and Richard Jones each drove in two for The Citadel. Zach Kayne went 5 for 6 with two RBI for the Wildcats (18-31), tying a SoCon Tournament single-game record for hits.

Southland

#1 Texas State 10, #4 Lamar 1

#7 Sam Houston State 8, #3 UTSA 6 (11)

#5 Texas-Arlington 7, #8 Stephen F. Austin 4 (SFA eliminated)

#2 Southeastern Louisiana 9, #6 Northwestern State 7 (NSU eliminated)

In Corpus Christi, Texas, Texas State used a six-run third to beat Lamar at Whataburger Field. Spenser Dennis went 3 for 5 with three runs and one RBI for the Bobcats (40-14). Kyle Livingstone also knocked in three for Texas State. Anthony Moore tripled and scored in the seventh for the Cardinals (37-21).

Mark Wyatt had a two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th to lift SHSU past UTSA. Michael Rockett had a two-run double in a three-run seventh as the Roadrunners (32-23) took a 6-4 lead. Adam DeLaGarza had a two-run double in the eighth for the Bearkats (34-23) that tied it at 6. Nick Zaleski had four hits for SHSU. Rockett finished with three hits, including a homer, and four RBI.

Nathan Long fanned eight in seven innings as UTA eliminated SFA. Matt Otteman went 2 for 3 with a two-run homer and three RBI for the Mavericks (30-25). Brian Ferguson had three hits and two RBI for the Lumberjacks (23-32).

In Corpus Christi, Texas, Southeastern Louisiana led 7-0 after two and held on to eliminated NSU at Whataburger Field. The Lions (36-21) scored two in the first and five in the second. Brandon Street had three hits and three RBI for SLU. Eric DeBlanc had three hits, two RBI and one run for the Demons (26-26).

Summit

#1 Oral Roberts 9, #4 Centenary 1

#2 Southern Utah 11, #3 South Dakota State 8

In Tulsa, Okla., Jerry Sullivan (7-3) tossed a one-hitter with one walk and 10 strikeouts as ORU overwhelmed Centenary at J.L. Johnson Stadium. Johnny Roberts went 3 for 3 with three RBI, and Colby Price had two hits and drove in three for the Golden Eagles (29-13. Jeff Schaffert had an RBI single in the second for the Gents (33-18).

Keli’i Zablan had an RBI double to cap a five-run fifth as SUU took the lead for good against SDSU. Jesse Sawyer had a two-run homer in the eighth for the Jackrabbits (24-29). Chester Wilson went 3 for 3 with a homer, two runs and four RBI for the Thunderbirds (27-22). Bo Cuthbertson added three hits for SUU. Sawyer had two hits and two runs for SDSU.

Sun Belt
#8 Florida Atlantic 16, #4 FIU 6 (8 innings) (FIU eliminated)
#7 ULM 13, #6 South Alabama 8 (USA eliminated)
#5 Louisiana-Lafayette 5, #1 Middle Tennessee 4
#2 Western Kentucky 14, #3 Troy 11

In Troy, Ala., Jeremy Griffiths led the Owl offense, which scored in every inning by the third, by going 3 for 5 with a homer, three runs and five RBI as Florida Atlantic (30-25) eliminated FIU (34-23). Mike Gipson (4-5) pitched all eight innings and gave up six runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts for the win.

Wade Nick led a Warhawk offense that had four different players drive in two by going 3 for 5 with three RBI as ULM (29-26) beat South Alabama (25-30). Graham Drew (3-2) took over for starter Justin Anderson, and gave up three runs, two earned, over 4.2 innings for the win. ULM trailed 6-0 before outscoring USA 13-2 over the final six innings.

Starter Justin Robichaux (3-3) scattered nine hits and one run over seven innings with three strikeouts as ULL (27-28-1) held off MTSU (38-16). Five different Ragin' Cajuns drove in a run. Luke Wagley picked up his fourth save in 1.2 innings.

Trailing 9-5 in the seventh, Western Kentucky (39-16) reeled off nine runs in three innings, including a six-run eighth, to beat Troy (33-22). Hitters one through four collected all 12 Hilltopper RBI. Leadoff batter Jared Andreoli knocked a home run and had a game-high four RBI, while cleanup batter Chad Cregar hit two homers for three RBI. Bart Carter (7-1), the seventh pitcher for WKU, pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the win.

SWAC

4W Texas Southern 6, 2W Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0

1W Southern 5, 3W Grambling State 2

3E Alcorn State 8, 1E Mississippi Valley State 7 (MVSU eliminated)

2E Jackson State 17, 4E Alabama A&M 7 (A&M eliminated)

In Baton Rouge, La., Charles Derkowski had a three-run homer in the eighth as defending champion Texas Southern blanked UAPB (21-24). Brandon Mikell had an RBI double for the Tigers (24-27).

Greg Whitfield had an RBI single in the fourth as Southern took the lead for good against Grambling State. Jarrett Maloy went the distance for the Jaguars (27-14) with eight hits, two runs, three walks and eight strikeouts. Sam Keller had a run-scoring single in the sixth for the Tigers (15-36).

Kenneth Rowan had a two-run homer to cap a five-run eighth as Alcorn State eliminated MVSU. Eduardo Gonzales had a two-run triple to pull the Tigers within one before Rowan’s blast put ASU on top. Collin Arnold (5-5) pitched the final two innings to record the victory. He tossed a perfect ninth with two strikeouts. Sean Bard had a three-run double in the sixth for the Delta Devils (20-29).

Jamaal Thelwell had a two-run homer in a seven-run fifth as JSU took a 10-6 on its way to the win over A&M. Willie Wesley had a three-run double in the sixth for the Tigers (35-20). Jerome Tyes had three hits for JSU. The Bulldogs (14-31) scored five in the first and one in the second, but had only two hits over the final seven innings.

WAC
#1 San Jose State 5, #6 Nevada 3

#4 New Mexico State 7, #3 Fresno State 4

#2 Louisiana Tech 4, #5 Hawaii 3

In Honolulu, Kyle Bellows went 3 for 4 with a homer, three runs and two RBI, and Corey Valine added two hits, including a homer, and two RBI as San Jose State knocked off Nevada. Ryan Shopshire allowed three earned runs in pitching into the eighth inning as the Spartans improved to 40-18. Nick Melino had two RBI for Nevada (25-30).

Steven Anderson, who pinch-ran and scored in the eighth, hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth to lift NMSU over FSU. The Aggies (42-15) scored a pair in the eighth to take a 4-3 lead before the Bulldogs (28-28) tied it in the bottom of the frame. Nate Shaver had three hits and a run for NMSU. Danny Muno had three hits, one run and one RBI for FSU. Dusty Robinson had a two-run homer in the first and knocked in three for the Bulldogs.

Clint Ewing hit a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth as Louisiana Tech edged host Hawaii in front of 2,935 fans at Les Murakami Stadium. Kevin Winn had three hits for the Bulldogs (29-20). Kevin Fujii had two hits, one run and one RBI for the Rainbows (31-25).