Combined Reports
(March 13, 2010)

 TEMPE, Ariz. - Auburn built a five-run lead at No. 2 Arizona State on Friday night but the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead as Auburn fell, 9-8, at Packard Stadium in Tempe. Arizona State answered Auburn’s five-run top of the fifth with six runs in the bottom half of the frame, snapping Auburn’s six-game winning streak in the process.

"We have to find a way to bridge the gap between our starter and the end of the game. I thought that was the difference today," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "We had a 7-2 lead and against a good team you have to keep the momentum in your dugout. Arizona State put some good swings together (in the fifth) and we gave them some base runners and they took the lead."

Auburn (-3) starter Cory Luckie departed after giving Auburn a solid 4 1/3 innings, leaving with Auburn up 7-4 but with a pair of runners on. Zach Blatt entered and could only retire one of the six batters he faced, leaving after allowing three hits, a walk and a hit batter, leaving with Auburn on the wrong side of an 8-7 score. Luckie was charged for six runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out three.

Kevin Patterson put some life back into Auburn when he crushed an eighth-inning, pinch-hit home run to center, tying the game at 8-8 and taking Blatt off the hook but Arizona State answered by scoring an unearned run in the bottom half of the eighth on a RBI groundout, taking the series-opening win.

Jordan Swagerty picked up his fourth save of the season by striking out the side in the top half of the ninth, going through the two, three and four hitters in Auburn’s lineup.

Tide uses five-run inning to beat Stony Brook

 TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama baseball team scored multiple runs in five of its eight innings en route to a 15-8 win over Stony Brook in the series opener for both teams Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

The Crimson Tide got off to fast start with eight runs in the first three innings and then finished even stronger with seven runs in the final two innings to post its 11th straight home win.

Alabama (9-1) snapped an 8-8 tie by scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 13-8 lead. The Tide added two more runs in the eighth for the 15-8 victory.

“I thought offensively we really came out sharp early, executed really well in the first two or three innings, built up a lead,” Alabama head coach Mitch Gaspard said.  “Another key to what we’ve done all year, we responded to their five runs by matching it in the bottom half of the inning. That’s what good teams do; they answer the call when they need to. Offensively I thought we had a good plan all night, I thought we executed well and got big hits when we needed them.”

Alabama held an 8-3 lead entering the seventh inning, but gave up five runs in the top of the frame as Stony Brook battled back to even the score at 8-8.

Stony Brook (2-3) scored all five runs off UA freshman right-hander Trey Pilkington, who was making just his second relief appearance of the season. Tanner Nivins drove in the first run with a one-out single and Justin Echevarria knocked in two more runs with a double as the Seawolves cut the lead to 8-6. Nivins led the Seawolves by going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI.

Sophomore right-hander Tyler White replaced Pilkington and got out of the inning but not before Stony Brook had tied the game.  Travis Jankowski drove in another run with a ground out as SBU closed the gap to 8-7 and Echevarria scored the tying run from third base when Chad Marshall was caught stealing second but managed to stay in a run-down long enough for the tying run to cross the plate.

Alabama answered right back with five runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 13-8 lead.  Senior first baseman Clay Jones and senior third baseman Jake Smith drew one-out walks to chase starter Tyler Johnson, who threw 122 pitches in 6 1/3 innings.

SBU relief pitcher Chris Maier hit freshman left fielder Brett Booth with his first pitch to load the bases and then walked sophomore DH Jon Kelton on four pitches to score Jones with the go-ahead run, giving Alabama a 9-8 lead.  Senior catcher Cody Trotter delivered the big hit in the inning with a two-run double to right field that scored Smith and Booth and put the Tide in front 11-8.  Freshman right fielder Andrew Miller reached on a fielder’s choice as Kelton scored on a throwing error by second baseman Maxx Tissenbaum.  Sophomore center fielder Taylor Dugas capped the inning with an RBI double that scored Trotter to give the Tide a 13-8 lead.

Alabama added two more runs in the eighth inning to make the final 15-8.  Jones delivered a one-out triple off the wall in right field and scored on Smith’s double to right-center field.  Kelton capped the scoring with a two-out single to left to chase Smith home from third.

Sophomore right-hander Tyler White (2-0) pitched the final 2 2/3 innings for his second win of the season.  He allowed two hits, struck out two and walked one.

Stony Brook starter Tyler Johnson (1-1), who was the America East Pitcher of the Week last week, allowed 10 runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings and took the loss.  He walked six and had no strikeouts.  In fact, three Stony Brook pitchers combined for seven walks, two hit batters and no strikeouts.

Alabama finished the game with 14 hits and eight of the nine starters had at least one hit.  All nine starters scored at least one run in the series opener. Dugas went 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Miller was 2-for-4 with three RBI, including a two-run single in the third inning. Wilson, Jones and Trotter had two hits each.

Junior second baseman Ross Wilson got the offense started with a two-run home run in the first inning that staked the Alabama to a 2-0 lead. It was Wilson’s first home run of the season. Dugas opened the game with a double and scored ahead of Wilson.

Stony Brook answered with two runs in the top of the second to tie the game at 2-2.  Nivins drove in the first run with an RBI double and Justin Echevarria knocked in the second run with an infield single.

The Alabama offense added four more runs in the second inning to take a 6-2 lead. Kelton drew a leadoff and moved to third base on Trotter’s perfectly executed hit-and-run single through the left side of the infield. Miller followed with a bunt single to scored Kelton and put the Tide back in front 3-2.  After a sacrifice bunt by Dugas, junior shortstop Josh Rutledge stroked a two-run double to left-center to score Trotter and Miller and put Alabama in front 5-2.  Jones drove in Rutledge with an RBI single for the 6-2 Alabama lead.

The Crimson Tide scored two more runs in the third to build an 8-2 lead. Booth reached on a fielder’s choice and Kelton was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with one out.  After a ground out by Trotter, Miller drove in two runs with an infield single up the middle that scored Booth and Kelton, who hustled home from second on the infield hit.

Stony Brook took advantage of a pair of walks to plate a run in the fifth inning to cut the Alabama lead to 8-3.  Nivins stroked a two-out RBI single to left that scored Chad Marshall, but Robert Dyer was gunned down at the plate by left fielder Brett Booth to hold SBU to one run.

Troy loses to FAU

Troy and Florida Atlantic combined to score 15 runs in the first three innings, but it was FAU getting out to the big early lead and then holding on for a 13-8 victory over Troy.

The Owls improve to 7-4 overall on the season and are 1-0 in league play while the Trojans fall to 5-6 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Neither starting pitcher fared well in the game, with Troy starter Drew Hull (0-2), who filled in for sophomore Tyler Ray who is ill, giving up nine earned runs in just two innings of work.

The Trojans answered with a five run second inning to chase FAU starter Taylor Everist. The Owls turned to sophomore Ryan Garton (2-0) and the right-hander slammed the door on the Trojans into the ninth inning.

Garton worked a total of seven innings, throwing 122 pitches to get the win. He scattered four hits, allowing three runs while allowing three walks and recording a career-high 11 strikeouts.

“I appreciate our kids effort for continuing to battle (after getting down early), but the middle part of the game I wasn’t excited about,” Trojans coach Bobby Pierce said. “We struck out way too much, which is something we worked on all week.”

After Hull gave up four runs in the first on five hits, he gave up four more in the second inning on one big blow, Dan Scheffler’s grand slam.

The Trojans scored five in the bottom of the inning – a two-run homer from Miles Hoyle and a three-run shot from Adam Bryant – but then managed only single runs in the third, eighth and ninth innings. The Trojans left a total of 11 runners on base in the game.

HS: LAMP earns first area win

Jalen Spraggins and Bryan Young each homered in LAMP’s 9-6 victory over Montgomery Academy in the first game of Class 3A, Area 5 play at Bowman Field on Friday.

Young picked up the victory by pitching a complete game for the Golden Tigers (9-6). He gave up six hits.

Spraggins and Timothy Simpkins each had two hits. Young and Spraggins combined for five RBIs. Brent Bishop had two hits and three RBIs for MA (5-8).

Other High School scores from Friday (A denotes area games)
Opp 11, St. James 1 (A)

Sweet Water 4, Billingsley 1 (A)

Macon-East 12, Hooper 5

Edgewood 9, Hooper 0

Edgewood 6, Autauga Academy 3