May 21, 2014

A day of mercy in SEC

By John Whittle

Special to CollegeBaseballInsider.com

HOOVER, Ala. - After a day of play-in games, double-elimination play in the SEC Tournament got underway on Wednesday beginning with LSU’s 11-1 thumping of Vanderbilt in the first mercy rule game since 2011 and ended with Mississippi State smacking South Carolina down to the losers’ bracket with a 12-0 win that also came in only seven innings.

GAME 5: LSU 11 - Vanderbilt 1 (7)

For the first time since 2011, a team was mercy ruled in the SEC Tournament, and Vanderbilt, the No. 6 seed, found itself on the wrong end of an 11-1 defeat by four-seed LSU. The Tigers (41-14-1) jumped all over a trio of Commodores (41-17) to give their NCAA Regional hosting resume a boost.

LSU slugged 15 hits and was led by shortstop Alex Bregman, who was 3 for 4 with a run and five RBI in the game. Right fielder Mark Laird went 3 for 4 with four runs, and second baseman Conner Hale also notched a three-hit day.

Tigers starting pitcher Jared Poche’ picked up a rare seven-inning complete game. He allowed only a single run, which came in the first inning, on five hits and a walk. Poche’ struck out three and allowed only three base runners over the final six innings.

“It was a great, solid victory for the Tigers today,” LSU head coach Paul Mainieri said. “It was an outstanding performance in every phrase. Poche’ set the tone pitching around some trouble in the first inning. It was one of those days where we swung the bat great and played really good defense.”

LSU scored nine runs over the final four innings, including a four-spot in the fourth. Hale doubled down the left-field line to start the inning, and then Vanderbilt started to get in its own way. Three wild pitches and a pair of walks set the stage for a home run by Bregman, who pulled a pitch down the left-field line.

The home run capped the scoring in the fourth, but an RBI ground out by Tyler Moore in the fifth and RBI from Bregman and Jake Fraley in the sixth put the game out of reach. Three runs in the seventh inning ended the game with Bregman putting the final nail in the coffin with what amounted to a walk-off double.

“The inning for us that changed the complexion of the game was the fourth,” Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin said. “What could have been a fly-ball out early converted into a double and so on. You have to credit LSU. They played well.”

Commodores starting pitcher Jared Miller fell to 6-2 after allowing four earned runs on five hits in 3.2 innings. Second baseman Dansby Swanson was the only Vandy player with a multi-hit game, going 2 for 3 with a double and a run.

LSU will take on Arkansas in the winners’ bracket game at 5:30 p.m. EST. Vanderbilt will play Ole Miss in the 10:30 a.m. EST elimination game.

GAME 6: Arkansas 2 - Ole Miss 1

After an offensive explosion the first game of the day, it was a pitchers’ duel in the second with Arkansas knocking off Ole Miss 2-1 at the Hoover Met. Razorbacks (37-21) starting pitcher Chris Oliver allowed only one run, which was unearned, on four hits in 6.2 innings to put his team in the winners’ bracket.

The Rebels (40-17), fighting for one of eight national seeds in the NCAA Tournament, put the leadoff runner on base in six of nine innings but could only parlay that success into one run.

The Razorbacks scored a run in the first inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Brian Anderson to score Clark Eagan. They doubled their lead in the sixth when Eric Fisher, who singled to begin the inning, later scored on a wild pitch.

“I thought the pitching for both teams was outstanding,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “We were fortunate to win. We have played a lot of one-run games this year so we were comfortable with it.”

The Razorbacks are 7-12 in their 19 one-run games this season.

The Rebels got their only run in the seventh when Chris Bortles singled to right field. The run was unearned though, and the hit was allowed by reliever Michael Gunn. After he pitched an inning, Gunn gave way to Jacob Stone, who picked up his second save of the year.

“We had a few opportunities,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. “We couldn’t string hits together. When you face a guy like Oliver, you have to do some things to get runs across but he makes it so difficult.”

Ole Miss starting pitcher Chris Ellis was the tough-luck loser, allowing two earned runs while scattering seven hits over 6.1 innings. He suffered his first loss of the year dropping his record to 9-1.

Arkansas will take on LSU in the winners’ bracket game at 5:30 p.m. EST. Ole Miss will play Vanderbilt in the 10:30 a.m. EST elimination game.

GAME 7: Kentucky 4 - Florida 2

Kentucky jumped out to a two-run lead in the first inning and never trailed in a 4-2 victory over top-seeded Florida in the third game of the day at Hoover Met. Wildcats (34-22) starting pitcher Kyle Cody carved up the Gators (37-20) early, and reliever Chandler Shepherd polished off the win with his first save of the season.

Florida starting pitcher Logan Shore, in his first career appearance in the SEC Tournament, allowed four earned runs on six hits and two walks lasting 5.2 innings.

“Beyond the fact that it was a really good win for our kids, I was proud of our effort,” Kentucky head coach Gary Henderson said. “I think [Cody’s performance] was a shot of adrenaline for the kids. It was a good win, now we have to find a couple more games of pitching.”

The four early runs would be all Cody would need. Ka’ai Tom notched an RBI double in the top of the first inning, and Max Kuhn came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Thomas Bernal to give Kentucky a two-run lead.

The Wildcats doubled their lead in the third inning when Kuhn, who was 2 for 5, lofted a home run deep to left field. It was Kuhn’s eighth home run on the season.

“Kentucky got off to a great start,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “The bottom line was we didn’t hit well enough but credit Kentucky’s pitchers. Kyle Cody’s fastball had life to it and Shepherd did a nice job coming out of the bullpen.”

Cody gave up two runs, one in the second and another in the sixth, on four hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out four before giving way to Shepherd for the final 3.2 innings. He allowed two hits and a pair of walks.

To Shepherd’s credit, Kentucky improved to 30-2 when leading after six innings. The Wildcats also have taken three of four games from the Gators this season.

Florida will take on South Carolina on Thursday in the second game of the morning session with the loser heading home. Kentucky will play Mississippi State in the fourth game of the day.

GAME 8: Mississippi State 12 - South Carolina 0

Mississippi State jumped all over South Carolina starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, scoring runs in three of the first four innings en route to a commanding 12-0 victory to conclude the second day of the SEC Tournament with the second mercy-rule defeat.

The Bulldogs (36-21) put an exclamation point on the lopsided victory by scoring eight runs in the seventh inning off of a quartet of Carolina relievers. It was part of a 14-hit night for head coach John Cohen’s club, and it was the first time that South Carolina has been run-ruled since 2006 as the game was called after just seven innings.

MSU put up a run in the second inning, two more in the third and another in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. The Gamecocks had a couple of opportunities early but failed to capitalize. When Grayson Greiner led off the second inning with a double but was thrown out trying to go to third base on an infield ground ball, the Gamecocks (42-15) should have known it wasn’t going to be their night.

“I’m really pleased with our kids tonight. We were ready to play,” Cohen said. “We have a lot of guys in that dugout who have won a lot of SEC Tournament baseball games. They clearly understand what’s at stake and know what it takes to get it done.”

While the Bulldogs were able to have a big night offensively, perhaps the best player in an MSU uniform was relief pitcher Jacob Lindgren. After a sacrifice bunt to put two runners in scoring position, the southpaw proceeded to strike out the Gamecocks’ top hitters, Greiner and first baseman Kyle Martin, to end the fourth inning.

“[Lindgren] was one of the best pitchers we’ve faced all year,” Greiner said. “They got four runs in the first four innings and brought in their guy. He’s one of the best guys we’ve faced all year and he kept us at bay. We mustered two hits and couldn’t win that game.”

The three straight outs recorded in the fourth started a run of 12 South Carolina hitters retired in a row by Lindgren. After striking out six of the 12 he faced, Lindgren was removed in favor of Myles Gentry, who registered the final three outs of the game.

The Gamecocks tallied a season-low two hits, which was one fewer than the team had on May 2 loss to Georgia. It was the first time since April 5 against Arkansas that South Carolina was shut out.

Florida will take on South Carolina on Thursday in the second game of the morning session with the loser heading home. Kentucky will play Mississippi State in the fourth game of the day.