March 4, 2009

Rankings are from CBI Composite Poll

Around the Bases
Fleury's slam helps UNC's Fox get 1,000th career win

UNF wins at FSU; NC State fans NCAA-record 31 in 18 innings

In Chapel Hill, N.C., Mark Fleury had a grand slam and drove in five as No. 2 North Carolina defeated Gardner-Webb 10-3 Wednesday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. It was the 1,000th career win for Mike Fox, who is the 51st head coach in NCAA history to reach this plateau. He ranks 10th among active Division head coaches in victories. Fleury had a run-scoring double after Garrett Gore knocked in two with a two-base hit in the third as the Tar Heels (8-1) took a 4-1 lead. Fleury’s slam came in a six-run sixth for UNC. Ben Bunting had three hits and two runs for the Heels. Justin Loyd had three hits for the Bulldogs (3-4). Bubbie Spake homered for Gardner-Webb.

UNF 5, No. 10 Florida State 4

In Tallahassee, Steve Hillan homered in the eighth to snap a 4-4 tie and lift UNF past FSU for the first time. The dinger was the first collegiate hit for the freshman Hillan. Ty Pryor (2-1) held the Seminoles (6-3) hitless over the final 2.1 innings with four strikeouts. The Ospreys (4-6) scored three in the third to take a 4-1 lead. FSU got a two-run double from Rafael Lopez in the fourth and an RBI single by Stuart Tapley in the seventh to tie it at 4-4. Preston Hale and Andrew Karmeris both had two hits and a run for UNF. Tyler Holt had two hits and two runs for the Seminoles.

NC State 15, Villanova 0

NC State 5, Akron 4 (18) click here for box score

In Lake Worth, Fla., NC State played the equivalent of three games to win two in beating Villanova and outlasting Akron in 18 innings. Eleven Wolfpack pitchers, two shy of the NCAA record for a single game, combined to strike out 31 Zips, breaking the Division I mark of 26 by Murray State in 15 innings against Austin Peay on April 12, 1987. Five Akron pitchers fanned 20 NC State hitters and the 51 combined strikeouts is also a Division I record. In the top of the 18th, Kyle Wilson drew a one-out walk for the Wolfpack (7-2), stole second and third and scored on a throwing error by the catcher. NC State scored an unearned run in the 16th, but Ryan Frazee’s home run in the bottom of the frame extended the contest. John Turk had a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth for the Zips (1-8) to tie the game at 3-3 and force extra innings. In the opener, Wilson’s grand slam highlighted a 10-run fifth as the Wolfpack whipped the Wildcats (2-6). Chris Schaeffer had three hits, including a triple and home run, and five RBI. Andrew Ciencin had three hits, including a homer, and four RBI.

No. 13 Baylor 2, No. 15 TCU 1

In Fort Worth, Texas, Logan Verrett got a strikeout and a flyout in the bottom of the ninth to leave the potential tying run at second as Baylor nipped TCU at Lupton Stadium. The Bears (7-2) have won five of six one-run games. Taylor Featherston was hit by a pitch to start the ninth for the Horned Frogs (6-2) and was sacrificed to second. But a strikeout and a flyout ended the contest. Verrett allowed one hit and one run in two innings with three strikeouts to earn his first save. Adam Hornung had an RBI triple in the first, and Hansen walked and scored in the second as BU took a 2-0 lead. Matt Carpenter doubled and scored on a balk in the eighth for TCU. Brooks Pinckard had two hits and a run for the Bears. Matt Vern had two hits for the Horned Frogs. Aaron Miller (1-0) tossed five scoreless innings with three hits, four walks and three strikeouts to earn the victory.

Florida Atlantic 7, No. 21 Florida 6

In Gainesville, Fla., Nick Delguidice had a two-run single to highlight a six-run sixth as FAU edged Florida at McKethan Stadium. The Gators (6-4) tied it with a pair in the bottom of the sixth. The Owls (8-1) took the lead on the eighth on a sac fly by Nick Criaris. Florida got its first two hitters on in the ninth, but Hugh Adams retired the next three batters for his third save. Delguidice finished with two hits and a run. Avery Barnes and Riley Cooper both had two hits and a run for the Gators. Matt den Dekker had a three-run homer for Florida in the fifth.

No. 1 LSU 10, Mississippi Valley State 4

In Baton Rouge, La., Sean Ochinko hit a grand slam for the second straight day as LSU rallied to defeat MVSU at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers (9-0) trailed by a run in the eighth when Ochinko’s slam put LSU on top for the first time. Ochinko drove in five, giving him 20 RBI in the past five games. Micah Gibbs had three hits for the Tigers. Chris Herron had two hits and an RBI for the Delta Devils (2-4).

No. 4 Georgia 13, Wofford 6

In Athens, Ga., Colby May went 2 for 3 with a homer and five runs as Georgia outscored Wofford at Foley Field. The Bulldogs matched the 1911 team with the best start in school history at 9-0. Joey Lewis had two hits and three RBI for Georgia. Rich Poythress had a two-run homer in the third that gave the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead. Alex Lee, Josh McKinney and Michael Gilmartin each had two hits for the Terriers (3-4).

No. 6 Texas A&M 8, Stephen F. Austin 3

In College Station, Texas, Ross Hales fanned a season-high nine as Texas A&M completed a two-game sweep of Stephen F. Austin in front of 3,143 fans at Olsen Field. Hales (3-0) allowed three hits, one run and one walk in six innings. Luke Anders had an RBI single in the first and Brett Parsons homered in the second as the Aggies (9-2) took the early lead. Brooks Raley added a two-run double in the third to give A&M a 4-0 advantage. Tanner Hines tripled and scored for the Lumberjacks (3-6) in the fourth before a pinch-hit, two-run triple by Caleb Shofner ignited a four-run sixth for the Aggies. Adam Smith homered for A&M to cap the rally. Ryan Sinclair went deep in the seventh and Bo Coffman homered in the ninth for SFA.

No. 7 Rice 13, Dallas Baptist 6

In Frisco, Texas, Rice used four home runs to power past Dallas Baptist at Dr. Pepper Ballpark. Anthony Rendon’s two-run dinger in the seventh gave the Owls (6-3) the lead for good at 5-4. Chad Mozingo, Diego Seastrunk and Rick Hague hit consecutive homers in the eighth as Rice pulled away. Mozingo finished with three hits and four RBI. Hague and Rendon both had three hits and two RBI. Austin Knight (2 H, 3 RBI) and Clay Kelly (2 H, 3 R) led the offense for the Patriots (5-3).

No. 9 Miami (Fla.) 14, Mount St. Mary’s 3

In Coral Gables, Fla., Harold Martinez went 2 for 3 with a homer, four runs and three RBI as Miami manhandled the Mount at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. The Mountaineers (0-5) scored their three in the top of the third before the Hurricanes (7-2) tallied three in the third, two in the fourth, four in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the seventh. Dave DiNatale homered and knocked in three for Miami. Buddy Fields and Jacob Darr both had a hit and an RBI for MSM.

No. 16 Coastal Carolina 3, The Citadel 1

In Conway, S.C., Bobby Gagg allowed one run in seven innings as Coastal Carolina edged The Citadel. Gagg (1-1) did not give up a hit until the sixth. He surrendered three hits and one run while striking out five. Chance Gilmore singled and scored in the fourth for the Chanticleers (7-1). The Bulldogs (2-5) evened it in the sixth as Johnny Dangerfield singled and scored on a base hit by Bryan Altman. Coastal reclaimed the lead in the seventh as Tyler Bortnick reached on an infield single and eventually scored on a double play. The Chants plated their final run in the eighth on Gilmore’s RBI triple. Gilmore and Bortnick both finished with two hits, while Dangerfield had two hits for The Citadel.

No. 19 Clemson 17, UNC Asheville 2

In Clemson, S.C., Ben Paulsen had three hits and three RBI as Clemson clobbered UNC Asheville in front of 3,338 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tigers (5-2) scored four in the first, three in the second and five in the third in building a 12-0 lead. Matt Sanders had a two-run single in the first, Kyle Parker drove in two in the second with a base hit and Mike Freeman had a two-run triple in the third. The Bulldogs (2-7) scored their two runs in the fourth. Mike Vaughn went 2 for 3 for UNCA.

No. 23 East Carolina 8, Old Dominion 3

In Greenville, N.C., Jared Avchen and Trent Whitehead both had three hits as East Carolina defeated Old Dominion in front of 2,527 fans at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. Whitehead’s RBI single in a three-run sixth put the Pirates (6-1) ahead to stay. John Malbon had an RBI double and scored in a three-run fourth for the Monarchs (3-5). Brad Mincey (2-0) pitched four scoreless innings in relief to earn the victory, allowing three hits and one walk while fanning four.

Kentucky 9, Eastern Kentucky 8

In Lexington, Ky., after losing a 7-3 lead in the top of the ninth, Chris Bisson belted a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give Kentucky the thrilling win over EKU in front of 1,620 fans at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Bisson finished with three hits and three runs for the Wildcats (6-2). Matt Davis and Joey Stevens both had three hits for the Colonels (3-3). An RBI single by Stevens capped a five-run ninth, giving EKU an 8-7 lead.

USC Upstate 1, Tennessee 0

In Knoxville, Tenn., Jimmy Tanner’s RBI double in the top of the ninth gave USC Upstate the win over Tennessee, its first victory over an SEC team in its Division I era. Blake Green had a leadoff single in the ninth for the Spartans (3-3). Following a strikeout, Tanner’s two-bagger brought in Green with the game’s lone run. Tanner and Green both finished with two hits for Upstate. The Vols (2-5) used a walk and an error to put two on with no outs in the bottom of the ninth. Barrett Stover, the last of seven hurlers, then retired the side to earn his first save. Teddy Fallon (1-1) pitched the eighth to earn the victory. Ty’Relle Harris (0-1) was the tough-luck loser for UT, tossing six innings in relief with four hits, one run, no walks and seven strikeouts.