May 30, 2008

For the first time ever, four Conference USA teams were victorious on the opening day of NCAA Regional play. Houston, Rice, Southern Miss and Tulane each won their opening game at their respective regionals. Houston's 9-5 victory over Dallas Baptist was its 40th season, marking the first time in league history that four schools have reached the 40-win mark in the same season.

HOUSTON 9, DALLAS BAPTIST 5
Senior second baseman Ryan Lormand and junior first baseman Jimmy Cesario each went 4-for-5 to lead the University of Houston baseball team to a come-from-behind, 9-5 win over No. 2 seed Dallas Baptist during the first game of the 2008 NCAA College Station Regional at Olsen Field.

After falling behind 3-0 in the first inning, the Cougar offense rallied to take the lead with five runs in the fourth inning. After Patriots knotted the game at 5-5 with two runs in the seventh inning, the Cougars put the game away with four runs in the final two frames, including a three-spot in the eighth inning.

Playing in their first NCAA postseasons, Cesario went 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs, while Lormand batted 4-for-5 with a double, two runs and two RBIs to pace a Cougar offense that outhit the Patriots 14-10. Freshman shortstop Blake Kelso also went 2-for-4 with a walk.

Dallas Baptist (37-18) appeared to grab the game's momentum in the seventh inning, scoring two runs to tie the game at 5-5. After leading off with a double and moving to third following a sacrifice bunt, Ryan Thompson scored from third on a wild pitch. Ryan Enos then launched a solo home run to right field to tie the game.

However, the Cougars, who are competing this weekend as the No. 3 seed, regained the lead in the eighth inning by sending nine men to the plate. Cesario led off with a double off the wall in left center and scored easily when Lormand slapped a double of his own down the left-field line. After Zak Presley's sacrifice bunt put Lormand at third and a DBU pitching change, Bryan Tully laid down the first pitch he saw from DBU reliever Tyson Bagley to score Lormand on a safety squeeze.

The rally continued when Caleb Ramsey drew a walk, and Chris Wallace lined a single into center field to put runners on the corners. After Blake Kelso drew a walk to load the bases, Jake Stewart was hit by a pitch to force Ramsey home for an 8-5 Cougar lead.

That would be all the offense that Cougar closer Chase Dempsay needed. The Baytown native threw the final 2.2 shutout innings, allowing only one run with a strikeout to improve to 7-3. With that, Dempsay tied Shane Nance's 1997 for the most wins by a Cougar freshman pitcher. Dempsay already owns the Cougar freshman record for saves with 11 this season.

Enos went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, while Austin Knight batted 2-for-5 with a run to lead Dallas Baptist. Nick Santos batted 2-for-4 with a run, and Trevor Head led all players with three RBIs in the losing effort.

With the win, the Cougars won for the 10th time in their last 11 games to improve to 39-22 and will face the winner of the No. 1 seed Texas-No. 4 seed Illinois-Chicago game in a winner's bracket game at 6:30 p.m., Saturday. The Cougars also enjoyed the 11th 40-win season in school history but the first since the 2002 squad tied a UH record with 48 wins.

Fans can hear all Cougar Baseball games live at UHCougars.com by clicking the appropriate links. Jeremy Branham will call the play-by-play action while former letterwinner Pat Cauley provides color analysis.

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The Patriots struck for the game's first runs when Head blasted a two-out, three-run homer over the wall in left field.

The score remained that way until the fourth inning when the Cougars grabbed their first lead with five runs off four hits and a pair of errors. Jake Stewart, Bryan Pounds and Cesario rapped out three straight hits to lead off and load the bases before Lormand's single through the left side plated Stewart for the Cougars' first run.

Two batters later, Bryan Tully laced a ground ball that was misplayed at third base, allowing Pounds to score. Caleb Ramsey then laced a sharp ground ball to pitcher Jordan Meaker, but his throw to catcher Brandon Bantz to retire Cesario at the plate sailed high to the backstop, allowing Cesario to score and Lormand to race in from second base. Chris Wallace then grounded out to third base, allowing Tully to score from third for a 5-3 Cougar lead.

For the second straight inning, Cesario led off the ninth with a looping double into shallow center field and moved to third following Lormand's single to right field. Presley followed with a sharp single up the middle to plate Cesario for the final margin of victory.

RICE 3, SAM HOUSTON STATE 2
The Rice baseball team scored three runs on seven hits and the pitching tandem of Ryan Berry and Bobby Bell made it stand up as the Owls defeated longtime rival Sam Houston State 3-2 in the squad's opening game of the NCAA Houston Regional Tournament Friday evening at Reckling Park.

With the win Rice advances to play St. John's (a 2-1 winner over the Texas Longhorns in the first game of the day) in the Regional's winner's bracket game. That contest is slated for 6 pm on Saturday at Reckling Park. Texas meets Sam Houston State in an elimination game Saturday at 2 pm.

Sam Houston State jumped on a the scoreboard for a run in the top of the first inning. Todd Sebek started the game off with a base hit through the left side and advanced to second base on a ground out. He scored on a single up the middle by Bobby Verbick to make the score 1-0.

Rice put together a couple of hits to take the lead. Jimmy Comerota led it off with a single through the right side and he moved into scoring position with a walk to Derek Myers. Jared Gayhart singled to right to score Comerota and tie the game. Myers scored on a ground out that moved the Owls in front 2-1.

The Bearkats came right back and tied the game in the fourth. Nick Zaleski reached on a two-base Rice fielding error and scored on an RBI single by Braeden Riley to make it 2-2.

The Owls answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. Rick Hague stroked a double down the left field line and moved to third on ground out. The freshman from Spring, Tex., hustled home on a sacrifice fly by Chad Mozingo to put Rice back in front 3-2.

That was all the room the Rice pitchers would need. Berry allowed just one earned run in 6.0 innings to earn his eighth win of the season. The sophomore from Humble, Tex., scattered seven hits and a walk while striking out four. Bell did not allow any hits or walks for the final three frames to earn his second save of the season. After sitting out almost all of 2007 with an injury, it was Bell's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2006.

Hague and Comerota led the Blue & Gray with two hits each to help the team improve to 43-13 on the season. It was the Owls 10th-straight win in an NCAA Regional game dating back to the 2005 season. Sam Houston fell to 37-24. Todd Sebek paced the Bearkats with a pair of hits and a run scored.

SOUTHERN MISS 13, NEW ORLEANS 6
Trey Sutton, Drew Carson and Michael Ewing each homered in a five-run seventh inning to lift Southern Miss to a 13-6 NCAA opening-game victory over New Orleans here Friday night at Alex Box Stadium.

USM (41-20) won its opening game in the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year, downing Troy 14-1 a year ago in the Oxford Regional. The Golden Eagles advance in the winner's bracket to face No. 7 national seed LSU in a 6 p.m., contest.

After a great start from Southern Miss pitcher Barry Bowden in which he did not allow a hit over the first five-plus innings, the Privateers finally collected a double that kicked off the glove of USM first baseman Trey Sutton into the corner.

That led to six runs in the frame by the Privateers, which chased Bowden from the game. An RBI single by Ryan Eden, followed by a two-run single by Johnny Giavotella and a three-run home run, his 13th, off of reliever Wade Weathers to tie the score at 6-6.

Southern Miss then took the lead for good on Bo Davis RBI triple, before Brian Dozier drove him home with a single.

The Golden Eagles put the game out of reach in the seventh on consecutive homers by Trey Sutton and Drew Carson. It was the first time this season USM has hit back-to-back homers this year. Michael Ewing, who along with Davis and Dozier had three hits apiece, blasted a three-run homer to complete the Golden Eagles score en route to a five-RBI night.

Weathers (4-1) threw 1 1/3 innings of relief allowing a run on two hits to get the win. Bowden allowed five runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

UNO starter Justin Garcia (6-2) got tagged with the loss by allowing eight runs (five earned) on eight hits with two strikeouts.

The Golden Eagles used small ball to get things going offensively in the third inning to plate the first run. With one out, Davis executed a perfect drag bunt just past the pitcher on the first-base side.

Dozier then laced a single into centerfield on a hit-and-run play that allowed Davis to reach third and then score when Privateer leftfielder Joey Butler bobbled the ball to allow the game's first run.

The Privateers looked liked they would tie the game in the fourth, but Southern Miss leftfielder Drew Carson snagged a potential home run off the bat of T.J. Baxter to keep the nation's No. 5 offensive team scoreless.

Carson led off the home half of the fourth with a slow rolling single to third base. Kyle Maxie executed a hit- and-run with a ground ball to the shortstop, but the flip to second base was not in time to retire Carson. After Chris Matesich laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, Keith Winstead was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.

Michael Ewing followed with a deep fly ball to the fence in right field that was dropped by Mark McGonigle and scored a hit to score Carson and Maxie. Dozier continued the rally with an infield single to load the bases for the second time in the inning.

James Ewing hit a rocket right at first to Joey Butler but the ball skipped right past him into right field to score Winstead and Michael Ewing. McGonigle attempted a play at the plate as Michael Ewing reached third but his throw skipped past the catcher, allowing Dozier to score the fifth run of the inning for a 6-0 lead.

LSU defeated Texas Southern, 12-1, in the other regional game Friday. Southern Miss will face LSU at 6 pm CDT on Saturday.

TULANE 7, FLORIDA 4
Junior left fielder Scott Powell and sophomore shortstop Josh Prince combined to go 6-for-8, and rookie right-hander Nick Pepitone pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief as the third-seeded Tulane University baseball team defeated No. 2 seed Florida, 7-4, in game one of the 2008 NCAA Tallahassee Regional Friday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium.

Tulane trailed 4-1 after six innings, but the Green Wave offense took advantage of six hits, two wild pitches, a walk and a sacrifice fly to plate six in the seventh to account for the final score. With the win, Tulane (38-20-1) advances to the winner's bracket where it will play the Bucknell on Saturday at 6 p.m. (CDT). Florida (34-23), meanwhile, drops into the loser's bracket and will take on Florida State on Saturday at Noon.

Florida erased a 1-0 deficit with a four-run sixth which included an RBI-double by Brandon McArthur and two-run homer off the bat of Jon Townsend. Unfazed, Tulane stormed right back in the top of the seventh with five consecutive singles to take control of the ballgame.

"We played as close to a complete game today as we could play," Tulane head coach Rick Jones said. "We had good starting pitching and we pitched really well out of the bullpen. With the exception of one play, we really played well defensively. We had a lot of quality at-bats, especially in RBI situations there in the sixth were we capitalized. I thought our short game today was really special and had a lot to do with our win."

After dropping three straight games to end the regular season and going 1-2 in the Conference USA Tournament, Jones and his staff looked for something or someone to give the Green Wave baseball a spark. Tulane found that spark - plus some - in a familiar, if surprising, place. Powell started his first game of the season in left and first overall since April 9, and responded by going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Prince, meanwhile, went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored from the ninth spot in the batting order.

"Scotty has given us a lot of good situational performances, but what we were able to do starting Monday was reevaluate some guys in intrasquad and simulated-game situations," Jones said. "Scotty really showed up in that. We talked about it as a staff yesterday and I wanted to sleep on it a little bit. I just felt like we needed a spark, and if Scotty could give us that spark, he would make a big difference. He certainly did. He had a single, got those two bunts down and beat them out, and made two really good plays in the outfield.

"Josh was the same thing. He had a really good day offensively. He handles left-handers well. Defensively, he made a big difference - having the plays that he made along with Seth (Henry) in the middle. You just don't know. That's why you play the games - find out. You say this guy can't or that guy can't but things change. Today, we just played a very complete ballgame."

Down 4-1 after six, Tulane got things going in the top of the seventh when junior Aja Barto ripped a pinch-hit single to shallow center to lead off the stanza. Prince followed with a single to right to chase Florida starter Stephen Locke from the ballgame. The Gators called on Billy Bullock to thwart the rally, but Tulane had other ideas.

Powell kept the pressure on with a bunt single up the first base line to load the bases, and the Wave cut the lead to two on a wild pitch. From there, junior centerfielder Anthony Scelfo singled home Prince to make it a one-run affair, and junior second baseman Seth Henry came through with an RBI-single of his own to plate Powell from third and tie the game at 4-all.

Bullock's second will throw of the inning gave Tulane the lead, but the Green Wave kept the rally going as freshman third baseman Rob Segedin walked, junior catcher Jared Dyer lifted a sacrifice fly to left and junior right fielder Drew Allain laced a two-out, RBI-single to center to drive home what proved to be the game's final run.

Taking the mound with the lead in the bottom of the seventh, Pepitone (4-1) faced the minimum in the inning with a walk, a strikeout and a double-play grounder, and pitched his way around a one-out double in the eighth. Florida put the leadoff runner on in the ninth when reserve catcher Hampton Tignor walked but Segedin made the move from the hot corner to the mound to get a line-out to shortstop and a 6-4-3 double play to earn his fifth save of the season.

"When I went out to the mound, (Tulane starting pitcher) Shooter (Hunt) gave me some words of encouragement," Pepitone said. "He just told me to keep them where they were and our team would be able to continue to get on their pitchers and we'd be fine. I just had to keep it close and that was my only job."

Tulane out-hit Florida, 15-8, including two-hit performances by Henry, Dyer and Allain. Hunt did not factor in the decision after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out five in 5.1 innings of work.

After battling to a scoreless tie over the first four innings of play, Tulane drew first blood in the fifth when Prince hit a leadoff double to right central, Powell followed with a bunt single and Scelfo was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Locke got Henry to bounce into a 5-4 fielder's choice, double play to erase the runners at second and third, but it was good enough to bring Prince home to give Tulane a 1-0 advantage.

Florida had a chance to answer in the home half of the frame as Gator right fielder Riley Cooper opened the stanza with a single to left and stole second base with nobody out. From there, however, Hunt sandwiched strikeouts around a fly ball to center to get out of the inning unscathed.

In the sixth, Florida's Cole Figueroa and McArthur opened the inning with a single and a double, respectively, to tie the game, and McArthur scored during the ensuing at-bat when Josh Adams dropped down a sacrifice bunt back to the mound that Hunt threw wide of the bag for a three-base error. Following a fly-ball out to right off Bryson Barber's bat, Townsend hammered a two-run homer off the scoreboard in left to give the Gators a 4-1 lead and set up Tulane's six-runs seventh.

"They came out and they answered big - put up a four spot," Scelfo said. "They put us in a whole quickly and they did it with Shooter on the mound. They had a big inning and a big rally, but we came in averaging seven runs a ballgame. We were down three and we had three at-bats left. We just relaxed and went out and played the game.

"We had a lot of hits at that point, we had guys on base, but we just weren't getting them in. In that inning, we just happened to put the bat on the ball a little bit starting with Aja and we just kept it going. It got contagious - single after single, line drive after line drive. The next thing you know, we put up a six spot."

Barber and Cooper were the only two Gator players to post multiple-hit ballgames, both going 2-for-4. Bullick (4-5) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on three hits and a walk in one-third of an inning of relief. Locke pitched admirably, allowing three runs on 10 hits while striking out three in a 6.0-inning start, but Tulane's big seventh proved to be the difference in the ballgame.

ALABAMA 16, EAST CAROLINA 3
Jake Smith and Matt Bentley each hit three-run home runs to help propel third seed Alabama to a 16-3 win over second seed East Carolina in the night cap of the Conway Regional at Charles Watson Stadium.

With the win the Tide (35-26) advances to the winner's bracket and will face top seed Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m. on Saturday night, while ECU (40-20) will face-off against Columbia in the elimination game at 1 p.m.

Austin Hyatt improved to 5-4 on the year after going 8.0 innings where he allowed three runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and four walks. Josh Copeland worked the ninth allowing a hit and a strikeout.

Seth Maness dropped to 9-2 on the season after working the shortest outing of his young Pirate career working 2.2 innings allowing eight runs (all earned) on nine hits with a walk before being lifted for Brad Mincey. Mincey worked 0.2 innings allowing three runs on four hits with one walk. Matt Laney made his ninth appearance of the season throwing a career-high 4.2 innings. He allowed one run on four hits with three punch outs. Bailey Daniels 15th appearance out of the bull pen surrendering four runs on four hits in one inning.

ECU wasted little time in getting on the board when Jamie Ray smacked his fifth home run of the season in the bottom first giving the Pirates 1-0 lead.

Smith's three-run bomb in the second gave Alabama a 3-1 advantage. Bentley doubled to right-center to start the frame, which was followed by a Kent Matthes single putting runners on the corners. Tyler Odle reached on a fielder's choice that saw Drew Schieber gun Bentley out at the plate. Smith, the next Tide batter, then took a Maness pitch deep to left field clearing the bases.

Bentley's 11th home run of the season highlighted a five-run third pushing Alabama's lead to 8-1. Ross Wilson led off with a walk then touched home on Alex Avila's single up the middle. Brandon May followed with another single and came home with Avila on Bentley's homer to left field. Josh Rutledge singled up the middle scoring Smith for the final run of the inning.

Alabama pushed three runs across in the fourth to take a 11-1 lead.

Brandon Henderson smacked his 10th home run of the season in the fourth inning to left field making the score 11-2.

Kyle Roller's one-out double to left-center plated Henderson from first cutting into the Tide's lead, 11-3.

The Tide added to its lead in the eighth and ninth innings on a solo home run by Mathhes and a pair of two-run homers from Rob Wilson and Wes Henderson to cap the Tide run total