April 19, 2008

Rankings are from CBI Composite Poll

Loyola Marymount 6, Pepperdine 5 (10)

Around the Bases
Top-ranked Miami uses 10-run sixth to win at No. 2 FSU

Oregon State scores five in ninth at No. 3 ASU; Gorgen fans 14 for No. 5 UCI

In Tallahassee, Fla., Jemile Weeks (left) had three hits and ignited a 10-run sixth as top-ranked Miami claimed the first game of its ACC series 11-4 at No. 2 Florida State Friday in front of a record crowd of 6,756 at Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles (17-2, 33-4) scored single runs in the second and third and Dennis Guinn’s two-run dinger in the fifth gave FSU a 4-0 lead. The Hurricanes (16-1, 32-3) used six hits and three errors in their 10-run sixth. Weeks started the rally with a leadoff single. Blake Tekotte’s two-run double gave Miami the lead at 6-4, and Mark Sobelewski’s two-run single capped the 10-run explosion. Weeks added an RBI single in the eighth to complete the scoring.

Oregon State 6, No. 3 Arizona State 4

In Tempe, Ariz., an RBI single by John Wallace highlighted a five-run ninth as Oregon State rallied for the win over Arizona State at Packard Stadium in the opener of their Pac-10 series. The Sun Devils (6-4, 30-5) scored three in the eighth to take a 4-1 lead before the Beavers (5-5, 17-12) bounced back. Lonnie Lechelt’s two-run triple made it 4-3 and a base hit by Chris Hopkins brought Lechelt home with the tying run. After a walk to Joey Wong, Wallace’s base hit plated Hopkins with the go-ahead run. Jason Ogata added a sacrifice fly for the final run. Kevin Rhoderick allowed a walk and a single in the bottom of the ninth before two strikeouts and a groundout gave him his seventh save. Mike Stutes fanned nine took a no-hitter into the eighth before ASU used three hits for its three-run rally. Mike Leake struck out nine in eight innings for the Sun Devils.

No. 5 UC Irvine 7, UC Riverside 2

In Irvine, Calif., Scott Gorgen fanned a career-high 14 as UC Irvine defeated UC Riverside at Anteater Ballpark in Game 1 of their three-game Big West series. Gorgen (7-2) allowed two runs on three hits and two walks. The Anteaters (6-4, 24-7) scored single runs in the first three frames and used a three-run fourth for a 6-0 advantage. The Highlanders (3-4, 9-23) got a two-run double from Ben Price in the top of the fifth. Ben Orloff and Francis Larson each had three hits for UCI, while Larson knocked in a pair.

No. 4 North Carolina 12, Boston College 3

In Cary, N.C., Kyle Seager smacked two homers and drove in five as North Carolina bounced Boston College in the opener of their ACC series at Cary’s USA Baseball National Training Complex. Tim Fedroff and Mark Fleury also went deep for the Tar Heels (14-4, 32-7), who won their seventh straight. Seager smacked two-run homers in the second and sixth and added a sac fly in the third. The Eagles (5-14, 19-19) scored a pair in the first on RBI hits by Eric Campbell and Mickey Wiswall before UNC answered with three in the second and three in the third to take control.

No. 6 Wichita State 10, Southern Illinois 0

In Wichita, Kan., Rob Musgrave struck out seven in seven innings as Wichita State run-ruled Southern Illinois in the first game of their MVC set. Musgrave (5-1) allowed four hits and walked none in registering the complete game. The Shockers (8-2, 29-6) scored two in the first and seven in the third to take command against the Salukis (3-7, 19-16). Dusty Coleman and Tyler Weber had two-run singles in the seven-run third. Dean Cademartori had two of SIU’s four hits.

No. 7 Rice 10, East Carolina 3

In Houston, Adam Zornes had four hits and three RBI to lead Rice past East Carolina in the opener of their Conference USA series at Reckling Park. The Owls (11-2, 29-10) scored three in the fourth on an RBI double by Rick Hague and a two-run single by Zornes. The Pirates (8-5, 27-11) got an RBI single by Stephen Batts in the fifth, which was answered by a run-scoring base hit by Jared Gayhart in the bottom of the frame. ECU scored again in the sixth, but Zornes went deep in a two-run sixth as the Owls pushed their lead to 6-2.

No. 8 Missouri 9, Oklahoma 4

In Norman, Okla., Missouri scored eight over the final three innings to rally past Oklahoma in the opener of their Big 12 series. Greg Folgia had three hits with two doubles and four RBI. His three-run double in the seventh tied the game at 4-4. Folgia scored the go-ahead run on a base hit by Ryan Lollis. Folgia’s RBI double sparked a three-run eighth for the Tigers (8-5, 27-9).  Aaron Crow (9-0) struck out eight in 7.2 innings to earn the victory. Jamie Johnson and Aaron Baker homered in a three-run first for the Sooners (3-9-1, 24-14-1).

No. 9 Nebraska 7, Kansas 6

In Lincoln, Neb., Craig Corriston’s two-run single in the seventh lifted Nebraska over Kansas in Game 1 of their Big 12 series at Hawks Field. Erik Morrison’s two-run double keyed a three-run fifth as the Jayhawks (4-9, 24-17) claimed a 6-5 lead. In the seventh for the Huskers (12-3-1, 27-6-1) got a single by Jake Mort and walks to Jake Opitz and Mitch Abeita to load the bases before Corriston’s base hit gave NU the lead at 7-6. Dan Jennings struck out three in 1.1 innings to earn his fourth save.

No. 10 Texas A&M 2, Baylor 1

In College Station, Texas, Darby Brown was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and two away in the bottom of the eighth to bring in the game-winner as Texas A&M nipped Baylor in front on 6,005 fans at Olsen Field in the first game of their Big 12 set. Raynor Campbell had an RBI double in the sixth for the Bears (8-8, 23-15) before Luke Anders answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame for the Aggies (13-3, 31-7). A walk, a single and a hit batsman loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth before Brown was plunked to give A&M its 10^th consecutive win. Travis Starling retired the Bears in order in the top of the ninth for his eighth save.

No. 11 South Carolina 6, No. 20 Ole Miss 2

In Columbia, S.C., James Darnell smacked a grand slam and knocked in five to lead South Carolina past Ole Miss in the opener of their SEC series at Sarge Frye Field. Mike Cisco (5-1) limited the Rebels (9-7, 24-14) to one run in 6.2 innings with three strikeouts. The Gamecocks (10-6, 28-10) got an RBI single from Darnell in the first and his grand slam in the third gave USC a 5-0 cushion. The Gamecocks added a run in the sixth, while Ole Miss got single runs in the sixth and ninth. Justin Smoak had four hits for USC. Tim Ferguson and Brett Basham had two hits apiece for the Rebels.

No. 12 Georgia 6, LSU 3

In Baton Rouge, La., Joshua Fields set a school record with his 34^th career save as Georgia topped LSU in front of 2,243 fans at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers (6-10, 23-15) loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but Fields got a strikeout to end the contest and give him 11 saves this season. The Bulldogs (13-3, 26-12) scored twice in the eighth to take a 6-2 lead before Micah Gibbs had an RBI single for LSU in the bottom of the eighth.

No. 13 California 10, Washington 5

In Berkeley, Calif., Blake Smith had a two-run homer and drove in four as California doubled up Washington at Evans Diamond in Game 1 of their three-game Pac-10 set. Smith’s two-run shot capped a three-run third as the Golden Bears (6-4, 25-9-2) took a 5-0 lead. Brian Pearls had an RBI single in the top of the fourth for the Huskies (3-4, 23-13) before David Cooper belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame for a 7-1 advantage. Cooper finished with three hits. Tyson Ross (6-1) fanned five in seven innings to earn the win, while Matt Gorgen worked the final 1.2 innings with two strikeouts to notch his seventh save.

No. 14 San Diego 9, Saint Mary’s 2

In San Diego, Brian Matusz struck out 10 in eight innings as San Diego topped Saint Mary’s in the opener of their West Coast Conference series at Cunningham Stadium. Matusz (8-1) allowed nine hits and two unearned runs in recording his seventh straight victory. The Toreros (8-2, 29-11) put a pair on the board in the first on an RBI single by Josh Romanski and a sacrifice fly by Logan Gelbrich. Kenny Fuglerud’s two-run single in the top of the second allowed the Gaels (4-6, 24-14-1) to tie it at 2-2. USD tallied two in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good. Romanski and Kevin Muno each had three hits and an RBI for the Toreros.

No. 16 Stanford 4, UCLA 1

In Los Angeles, Brent Milleville’s two-run double keyed a three-run first as Stanford stopped UCLA in the first of a three-game Pac-10 series at Jackie Robinson Stadium. David Stringer worked 2.1 scoreless innings in relief with two hits and four strikeouts to earn the victory for the first-place Cardinal (7-3, 20-11-2). Drew Storen fanned two over the final two innings for his fourth save. The Bruins (3-4, 18-15) scored their lone run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout by Alden Carrithers.

No. 19 Oklahoma State 2, No. 17 Texas 1 (11)

In Austin, Texas, Matt Hague drove in the game-winner and earned the victory on the mound as Oklahoma State edged Texas in Big 12 play at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Making his second pitching appearance of the season, Hague (1-0) worked the final three innings. His RBI grounder in the 11^th snapped a 1-1 tie. Dean Green singled and scored in the seventh for the Cowboys (9-7, 25-11). Preston Clark homered in the bottom of the frame for the Longhorns (8-8, 23-14). Andrew Oliver started for OSU and allowed three hits and one run in eight innings with four walks and seven strikeouts. Chance Ruffin pitched 10 innings for Texas with six hits, one run, no walks and seven strikeouts.

No. 18 Cal State Fullerton 15, Pacific 4

In Stockton, Calif., Gary Brown went 3 for 3 with two doubles and a home run as Cal State Fullerton pounded Pacific in the Big West battle at Klein Family Field. The Titans (7-3, 21-13) scored in each of the first seven innings. Jared Clark added two doubles and Dustin Garneau homered for Fullerton. Matt Fuson and Mike McKeever homered for the Tigers (2-8, 8-26).