TEXAS A&M 10, MISSISSIPPI STATE 6
Texas A&M (28-7, 9-5 SEC) had 17 hits Saturday and erased an early 2-0 deficit by scoring five runs in the third inning to claim a series victory over Mississippi State (24-11-1, 8-6) in front of 15,078 fans at Dody Noble Field in Starkville, Miss.
Mississippi State built the early lead on a two-run home run by Reid Humphreys in the first inning. Texas A&M countered with its five runs in the third on six base hits off MSU starter Austin Sexton (3-2), who lasted three innings.
The Aggies extended the lead to 7-2 in the fourth inning, but the Bulldogs cut the lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI groundout from John Holland.
The Bulldogs rallied in the sixth inning. Gavin Collins singled, then Cody Brown and Ryan Gridley walked to load the bases. Holland followed with an RBI single and Jake Mangum added a two-run hit to cut the lead to 7-6. The Aggies then turned to Mark Ecker, who got three consecutive outs to strand two Bulldogs baserunners.
Ecker threw three more shutout innings to close the game out, while the Aggies provided insurance with a three-run eighth inning.
AUBURN 7, TENNESSEE 6
Tennessee (20-16, 4-11 SEC) led 5-0 after 11/2 innings, but Auburn (17-19, 5-10) battled back to tie the game in the fifth and took the lead for good in the eighth at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala.
The Vols strung together four hits to take a 3-0 lead in the first inning, including a leadoff double from Benito Santiago and RBI doubles from Vincent Jackson and Jordan Rodgers. Nick Senzel hit a two-run home run to right field in the top of the second to give Tennessee a 5-0 lead.
Auburn cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the third on an RBI groundout from Niko Buentello and Melvin Gray scored when Damon Haecker was hit by a pitch. Jonathan Foster scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 5-3.
The Tigers added two runs in the fifth to tie the game. Haecker and Jackson Burgreen drew consecutive one-out walks, which chased Tennessee starter Andy Cox. Jon Lipinski relieved him and gave up a single to Foster on his first pitch to load the bases. Kyler Deese walked to score Haecker and Burgreen scored on a Lipinski balk.
Auburn took the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two runs with two outs in the inning. Buentello hit a home run to right field and Blake Logan scored on a Haecker single. Tennessee added a run in the ninth when Senzel scored on an RBI single from Leno Ramirez.
Foster was 3 for 4 to lead Auburn, while Buentello and Jordan Ebert were both 2 for 5. Santiago went 2 for 3 to lead Tennessee, while Senzel and Derek Lance were both 2 for 4.
Gabe Clobosits (2-2) got the victory for the Tigers. He allowed 1 earned run on 2 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts over 2 innings. Lipinski (2-1) took the loss, allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts in 31/3 innings.
LSU 9, MISSOURI 5
LSU (24-11, 8-6 SEC) scored five runs in the seventh inning, including a grand slam from Beau Jordan, to force a series rubber match today at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Mo.
Missouri starter Tanner Houck cruised through the first inning on 13 pitches, getting two strikeouts looking and a groundout. After Missouri (19-17, 4-10) put two men aboard against LSU starter Alex Lange in the bottom of the inning, Trey Harris struck out to end the threat. LSU scored a run on an RBI single from Jordan in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead.
Houck escaped a jam in the top of the third. With runners on the corners and no outs, Houck got two strikeouts and a flyout to center to end the inning. Missouri then scored two runs in the bottom of the inning, both coming with two outs, on an RBI single from Harris and a bases-loaded walk by Kirby McGuire.
LSU had its own two-out rally in the fourth, scoring three runs to take a 4-2 lead. Missouri got home runs from Brett Bond, his team-leading fifth home run of the season, in the fourth inning and from Harris in the fifth to tie the game at 4-4.
Houck began to struggle in the seventh inning, loading the bases with two singles and a walk. A second walk forced in a run to give LSU a 5-4 lead and end Houck's day. Reliever Liam Carter allowed Jordan's grand slam, which gave LSU a 9-4 lead. Missouri added a run in the ninth on Zach Lavy's team-leading 14th double of the season. Lavy singled in the seventh inning to extend his hitting streak to a career-high nine games.
VANDERBILT 3, KENTUCKY 2
A two-run single from Bryan Reynolds in the eighth inning extended his hitting streak to seven games and rallied Vanderbilt (28-7, 9-5 SEC) past Kentucky (22-12, 8-6) to clinch the series at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn.
The Commodores entered the seventh inning with a 1-0 lead lead, thanks to Jason Delay's first home run of the season in the fifth. The Wildcats tied the game in the seventh when Dorian Hairston doubled to lead off the inning, moved to third on a wild pitch from Vanderbilt starter Kyle Wright and scored on a passed ball. Kentucky took the lead in the eighth inning against reliever Matt Ruppenthal on a leadoff single and two Vanderbilt errors before Ruppenthal could strike out the side to strand the bases loaded.
Tyler Campbell led off the bottom of the eighth with a single up the middle off Kentucky reliever Zach Strecker. Connor Kaiser followed with a bunt single to put runners at first and second. A sacrifice hit from pinch hitter Penn Murfee moved the runners to second and third, and Kentucky intentionally walked Jeren Kendall to load the bases for Reynolds.
Ruppenthal got the victory with his inning of relief despite allowing one unearned run. Strecker took the loss, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and recording 1 out.
ALABAMA 2, MISSISSIPPI 0
Alabama (21-14, 7-7) scored single runs in the fifth and eighth innings Saturday to even its weekend series with Mississippi (26-9, 7-7) and force a rubber match today.
The Crimson Tide's run in the fifth inning came with two outs. Georgie Salem singled to right field on a 2-1 pitch, then stole second base. Hunter Webb walked, and Cobie Vance hit an RBI single to left field for a 1-0 lead.
Webb singled to start the eighth inning for Alabama and advanced to second on Vance's groundout. He tried to score on Chandler Avant's double but was thrown out at the plate, which allowed Avant to advance to third. Avant scored when Connor Short reached on an error by Mississippi second baseman Tate Blackman.
Vance, Avant and Chance Vincent all went 1 for 4 to lead Alabama, which had seven hits as a team. Mississippi had just five hits, led by Ryan Olenek, who went 2 for 4. Alabama starter Jake Walters got the victory, allowing 4 of Mississippi's 5 hits with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts in 7 innings. David Parkinson took the loss for Mississippi after allowing 1 earned run on 6 hits with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts over 7 innings.
GEORGIA 13, SOUTH CAROLINA 4
Georgia (19-17, 5-9) used an eight-run third inning to beat South Carolina (29-7, 11-3) on Saturday in Athens, Ga.
Nick King flied out to start the third inning for the Bulldogs. Skyler Weber then singled to right field and stole second base. After Trevor Kieboom walked, Keegan McGovern singled to center field and scored Weber. Michael Curry and Daniel Nichols followed with consecutive RBI singles to give Georgia a 3-0 lead. Stephen Wrenn then hit a bunt single, followed by a two-run single by LJ Talley, who advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Mitchell Webb walked and King reached on a fielder's choice that scored Wrenn for a 6-0 lead. Weber followed with a two-run double to center field to give the Bulldogs an 8-0 lead.
Georgia added a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Wrenn, a home run from Curry in the sixth and a sacrifice fly from King in the seventh. Wrenn and Adam Sasser hit RBI singles in the eighth inning, giving the Bulldogs a 13-1 lead. South Carolina got a run in the seventh inning on an RBI single by DC Arendas, who added an RBI groundout in the ninth. Gene Cone hit a two-run home run in the ninth for South Carolina to complete the scoring.
Curry was 4 for 5 to lead Georgia, while Wrenn was 3 for 4 and Weber was 3 for 5. Madison Stokes was 2 for 5 for South Carolina, which managed seven hits as a team. Connor Jones got the victory for the Bulldogs after allowing 1 earned run on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts and 4 walks over 62/3 innings. South Carolina starter Braden Webb took the loss after allowing the eight runs in the third inning. He allowed 9 hits with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts while lasting 21/3 innings.
-- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Sports on 04/17/2016