|
| Sul Ross State score 21 runs as they split a doubleheader with University of Dallas on Saturday in the opener for both teams. Sul Ross State athletics photo |
Emory walked it off on Wednesday, on a throwing error by the LaGrange shortstop, for their first win of the season. Also on the day, Berry, William Peace, and Piedmont came out winners. On Tuesday, Texas-Tyler shutout Henderson State and Centenary (La.) was one run better than Millsaps.
- Scores: Tuesday | Wednesday
- D3baseball.com on-line schedule
Emory 2, LaGrange 1
The Emory University Baseball team opened the 2019 season Wednesday afternoon in walk-off fashion, defeating the LaGrange College Panthers, 2-1, on a walk-off error at Chappell Park in Atlanta.
With two outs in the bottom ninth and the score tied at 1-1, sophomore Jack Rubenstein smacked a ball to deep short. LC's Rhett Hollon fielded the ball cleanly but his throw to first was off line, allowing junior Ryan Adelman to score the winning run. Rubenstein finished the afternoon 2-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch.
The two programs were matched in a pitcher's duel for most of the afternoon with junior Richard Brereton and Gibson Bittner matching score lines inning for inning.
Emory was the first to score, scraping across the game's first run in the home half of the third. With runners on the corners following singles by Brereton and Rubenstein, junior Jacob Greene hit into a fielder's choice at second with Brereton able to score on the play.
The game remained 1-0 until the top of the seventh when LaGrange finally broke through against the otherwise tremendous outing by Brereton, scoring the tying run on a RBI triple to right by Trey Pearce.
Brereton concluded his season debut with a line of one earned run on four hits, spanning eight innings of work. He struck out eight and did not issue a free pass. Freshman Jack Brodsky earned the first win of his collegiate career, pitching a scoreless ninth frame with one strikeout.
The victory snaps a three-game losing skid for the Eagles against LaGrange. Emory has now won nine straight season openers including three consecutive home openers.
Piedmont 10, Oglethorpe 4
In dominating, come-from-behind fashion, the Piedmont College baseball team earned a 10-4 win over Oglethorpe on Wednesday. It was a game that was all Oglethorpe, then all Lions to close it out.
In the first two innings, the Stormy Petrels scored two runs in each inning to lead 4-0, but once the Piedmont bullpen entered, it was seven innings of shutout ball. The Piedmont offense got rolling in the third inning as an Andrew Burden RBI triple sparked the scoring for the Lions.
It was the fifth inning that saw Piedmont take control of the contest as the Lions scored five runs on four hits to claim the lead. Included in the fifth inning were a Brady Ballstadt 2-RBI double and a 2-run home run by Burden.
Piedmont led 7-4 heading into the sixth inning and would add two more runs in the sixth, again from Ballstadt and Burden, before tacking on their final run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
David Craft accounted for four of Piedmont's 12 strikeouts as a staff including three straight to end the seventh and he left the bases loaded in the eighth inning. Carter Ballstadt closed out the contest once again with a pair of strikeouts in the five batters he faced.
Texas-Tyler 4, Henderson St. 0
Texas-Tyler (1-0, 0-0 ASC) earned a 4-0 victory over NCAA Division II opponents Henderson State University (3-3, 0-0 GAC) Tuesday evening at Irwin Field. The game marked the first for their Patriots since winning the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship last May.
After a three-up, three-down top of the first inning, senior outfielder Graham Welch (Plano, Texas) made Patriot history when he tripled to lead off the bottom half. With the 16th triple of his, Welch took sole possession of the Patriots' career triples record breaking a tie with former UT Tyler baseball player Sam Lane.
The very next batter, senior outfielder Josh Burns (Center, Texas) singled to drive Welch in as the first run of the game. The 1-0 Patriot lead would hold through two full innings with junior right-handed pitcher Austin Schneider (Keller, Texas) allowing no hits and striking out five of his six batters faced.
Despite having two outs in the bottom of the third, senior infielder Blake Wilson (Midlothian, Texas) reached on a walk before advancing to third and coming to home plate via a balk. In the home half of the fourth inning, junior outfielder Kolten Forsythe (Oak Ridge, Texas) singled to lead off the inning. Two batters later, senior infielder Henry Sanchez (San Antonio, Texas) singled to drive in the third Patriots runner of the game and bring in Forsythe.
UT Tyler added a fourth run in the sixth inning when sophomore outfielder Tanner Roach (Whitehouse, Texas) walked with one out in the inning. He went on to steal second base before being brought home by a senior catcher Zach Pavelock (Iola, Texas) single to right field two batters later. The run would be the final score of the game with the Patriots going on to claim the 4-0 victory.
Coming in to relieve Schneider, who earned the win, on the mound was freshman right-handed pitcher Matthew McMillan (Pflugerville, Texas). He tossed three innings and struck out five Reddies with junior left-handed pitcher Ethan Cherry (Dallardsville, Texas) also striking out a four over a pair of innings. The final two pitchers of the night were senior right-hander Turner Givens (Spring, Texas) and Welch with both striking out two batters.
Centenary 3, Millsaps 2
After taking a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth, the Diamond Gents' pitchers made it interesting in the final innings, but Centenary (3-2) made the lead hold up in a 3-2 win at Millsaps (1-2) Tuesday afternoon, February 12.
With Centenary holding a slim 3-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth, the Majors loaded the bases with one out. However, sophomore Joshua Gatewood induced a groundball to third to get a force out at home. A groundout back to the mound gave Gatewood his first collegiate save of his career.
After Millsaps scored an unearned in the bottom of the first, Centenary struck for a pair of runs in the third. Senior Andrew Russell led off the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second. Junior Cody Crowder followed with an RBI single and moved up to second on the throw home. He then stole third and scored on Preston Ludwick's sacrifice fly.
A single by Millsaps' Brennan Ducote and an RBI double by Jimmy Fondren tied the game at two in the bottom of the fifth, but Centenary manufactured the winning run. With two outs and one on base, senior Cameron Guin moved up on a wild pitch and stole third on freshman Jake Ryan's walk. Ryan stole second, and Millsaps meant to cut the ball off on a throw down, but an errant throw allowed Guin to score what would be the winning run.
Russell led the Gents offensively with three hits in as many at-bats and a run scored. Senior Kyle Barron (2-0) picked up his second collegiate win in relief, allowing two hits and two walks with one earned run in an inning pitched.
The Majors threatened with a pair of base runners in each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings before the Gents allowed the bases loaded in the ninth, but Millsaps could not plate the tying run.