Dave Riggert – Page 752 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Blue Jays use big first inning to rout Royals 12-2

Posted on May 31, 2014

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto’s booming offense made life easy for Marcus Stroman in his first major league start.

Juan Francisco had three hits and four RBIs, Adam Lind went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and the Blue Jays used a seven-run first inning to rout the Kansas City Royals 12-2 on Saturday.

Stroman said having Toronto’s potent lineup behind him was “like playing a video game with a cheat team.”

“Everyone is like a 100 level,” he said.

The AL East-leading Blue Jays snapped a two-game losing streak and finished May with a 21-9 record. Toronto has won 15 of its past 19.

Stroman (2-0) allowed one run and five hits in six innings. The right-hander walked none and struck out six.

“I thought he was terrific,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “He showed us something.”

Kansas City’s batters were impressed with Stroman, too.

“Power fastball, good slider,” Royals catcher Brett Hayes said. “He got ahead. He’s got good stuff, let’s be honest. That slider is pretty filthy.”

Gibbons said Stroman is certain to get another turn in Toronto’s rotation

“We’d be crazy not to,” he said.

Todd Redmond worked the final three innings for his first save.

The Blue Jays gave Stroman all the support he would need with a 12-batter first inning against Royals right-hander Aaron Brooks, who was also making his first career start. Toronto set a team record when the first eight batters reached safely against Brooks. The Blue Jays had seven straight reach safely to begin a win over Baltimore on Sept. 15, 2007.

Jose Reyes led off with a walk, Melky Cabrera was hit by a pitch, Jose Bautista hit an RBI double, Edwin Encarnacion walked to load the bases and Adam Lind hit an RBI single before Brett Lawrie brought home another run when he was hit by a pitch. Juan Francisco hit a two-run double and Dioner Navarro walked before Brooks finally retired a batter, getting Anthony Gose to ground into a 1-2-3 double play.

Reyes and Cabrera added RBI singles before Michael Mariot came out of the bullpen, getting Bautista to foul out to the catcher on the first pitch to finally end the inning.

“It’s tough, you know, coming up and facing a club like this,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “You’re really kind of hoping for a Cinderalla story, he comes up and give you five good innings. There was just nothing we could do. We knew that we had to try to get as far as we could with him but it just got tough.”

Brooks (0-1) allowed seven runs and five hits in 2/3 of an inning, raising his ERA to 43.88. He walked three and struck out none.

“I just couldn’t control the zone,” Brooks said. “I wasn’t getting ahead of batters. I was trying to do a little too much, I guess.”

Hayes hit an RBI single in the second, but the Blue Jays answered in the bottom half when Lawrie singled home Lind’s one-out double.

Toronto tacked on three more against Mariot in the fourth. Lind hit an RBI double, Lawrie followed with a sacrifice fly and Francisco added an RBI single.

Nori Aoki drove in Kansas City’s second run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Francisco capped the scoring with an RBI double off Louis Coleman in the eighth.

— Associated Press —

Taveras homers in debut as St. Louis defeats San Francisco

Posted on May 31, 2014

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Michael Wacha wasted no energy pondering the weather. The St. Louis Cardinals pitcher concentrated on shutting down the opposition, waiting for the big swing that decided the outcome.

“I felt going out there and felt good going back out there after the rain delay,” the 22-year-old right-hander said after a 2-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. “It’s pretty crazy how much it rains, actually. I’m pretty used to it.”

Oscar Taveras’ talent is immense, and he has hit at every level of the Cardinals organization. The time to pick him up in your fantasy league is now, Christopher Crawford writes. Story

The experience was brand new for rookie Oscar Taveras, who made the Giants pay for a hanging curveball, then made a curtain call during his major league debut.

“What a great day for him, one I’m sure he’ll never forget, and neither will we,” manager Mike Matheny said. “For him to come up and do it in that situation, it’s kind of mind-boggling.”

Wacha worked six innings of three-hit ball in his fifth rain-delayed start of the season and Taveras homered in his second career at-bat.

“Everybody knows it’s gone,” Taveras said. “That was a good swing right there. I’m so happy right now.”

Yusmeiro Petit (3-3) gave up two hits in six innings for the Giants, but one of them was Taveras’ 418-foot drive in the fifth. Petit subbed for injured Matt Cain, placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring injury, for the second straight start.

“Our guy did a good job,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “We just didn’t do anything offensively.”

The Cardinals have piled up 6 hours, 30 minutes of idle time in Wacha’s starts, with delays of 51 and 47 minutes Saturday. The total includes a 61-minute weather delay before the first pitch against the Yankees his last start for a storm that failed to materialize, and the Cardinals lost in 12 innings.

Wacha’s debut a year ago against the Royals was delayed more than 4 1/2 hours after the bullpen gave up the lead and finished at 3:14 a.m.

“This guy’s going to be tough as nails, if he’s not already,” Matheny said of last fall’s NLCS MVP. “You can’t put a young pitcher through much more than what he’s been put through.”

Jhonny Peralta added an RBI double off George Kontos in the seventh for St. Louis, which ended a three-game losing streak and snapped the Giants’ four-game winning streak.

Rain began to fall heavily during Taveras’ at-bat with one out in the fifth while fans opened umbrellas or headed for cover. The game was halted for the first time after the 21-year-old outfielder, the team’s prized prospect, hammered a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall.

“That kid’s a stud,” said Wacha, who’s just one year older. “Everyone knows what he’s capable of. That was a big-time homer for us.”

Petit was impressed after seeing Taveras for the first time.

“He’s got a good swing, you know,” Petit said. “He pulls everything. I tried to stay away and I missed one.”

Wacha (4-3) gave up one hit and dealt with just one base runner the first five innings, a double by Michael Morse leading off the second. He returned after a 47-minute delay to work a scoreless sixth, allowing two-out, two-strike hits to Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval before striking out Morse, the cleanup man, on three pitches — the last a changeup.

The St. Louis bullpen retired the last nine in order. Sam Freeman and Pat Neshek worked a scoreless inning apiece, combining for three strikeouts, and Trevor Rosenthal struck out the side in the ninth for 16th save in 18 chances.

Matt Carpenter had a single and walk and is batting .367 (21 for 57) during a 13-game hitting streak, the longest current run in the National League. Matt Holliday walked in the eighth and has reached base in all 27 home games.

— Associated Press —

Early errors costly for Kansas in loss to Louisville

Posted on May 31, 2014

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s hard to put up a crooked number in the error column and win a ballgame, and that is what the Kansas baseball team faced Saturday night, as the Jayhawks recorded three errors en route to picking up their first loss in NCAA postseason play against regional host Louisville, 6-3, inside Jim Patterson Stadium.

Four defensive miscues, which included the three errors, dug KU (35-25) into a hole early and couple that with the Jayhawks’ poor offensive approach early in the game, made it nearly impossible to amount a comeback.

“I didn’t think it (our offensive approach) was very good,” Kansas head coach Ritch Price said. “That was the one thing I addressed with our guys afterwards. (Then) we made four bad plays defensively and got ourselves in a hole we couldn’t dig ourselves out of.”

The hole came in the first four innings when senior right-handed hurler Frank Duncan (6-4) gave up five runs off seven hits, with a little help of his team’s miscues on defense. To his credit, Duncan managed to regain his composure and toss the fifth complete game of the season to save the Kansas bullpen.

“I’ll be honest guys, I didn’t think he was going to get out of the sixth inning. To his credit, he went back out there and put zeroes up after that. The whole thing with him is you look at his line score he only walked one, he hit one and he struck out two. So you wonder how he gave up 11 hits and only threw 105 pitches, it’s because he doesn’t strike out many guys, he pitches to contact. Normally we catch the ball a lot better than we did today.”

“I didn’t keep them off the bases as good as I could have with the 11 hits,” Duncan added. “You’re able to make the big pitches when you need to and minimize the damage as best you can. That’s what I tried to do and I thought I did a pretty good job of that.”

Duncan bulldogged his way through 105 pitches to preserve the Kansas bullpen and give the Jayhawks a shot at completing the comeback, closing the game with three scoreless innings. However, the righty didn’t get much help from his offense.

The potent bats that showed up against the Wildcats in game one, seemed almost dormant against the Cardinals with three missed opportunities with bases loaded after getting the leadoff man on to start each frame. Price credits Louisville (47-15) starter Anthony Kidston (8-0) with being able to pitch when it matters the most.

“He (Kidston) made some good pitches,” Price said. “When he had to he made some good pitches. We thought we hit two balls hard that were caught. The ball yesterday was a home run that (Tucker) Tharp hit today. The ball didn’t play like that today.”

The Jayhawks tallied six hits on the day, but gained most of their baserunners by being patient at the plate and drawing the walk. Junior shortstop Justin Protacio, sophomore second baseman Colby Wright and sophomore first baseman Jacob Boylan each had two walks, while Protacio and Wright each had a hit on the day.

Despite getting runners on, Kansas couldn’t find a way to score and stranded 11 runners on base throughout the course of the game, including bases loaded to end the contest.

Louisville right fielder Corey Ray led all hitters with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, legging out two routine singles into doubles and showing off that Cardinal speed.

“We saw him play in high school and he is a phenomenal talent,” Price said. “He swung at a breaking ball out of the zone a couple times early in the game and then he was on time with the fastball. He put two really good swings on the ball. He is a really good athlete.”

Kansas looks to bounce back in NCAA Regional action Sunday, as the Jayhawks take on Kentucky in an elimination bout at 11 a.m.

— KU Sports Information —

Huskers stave off elimination as they rally past Binghamton

Posted on May 31, 2014

Stillwater, Okla. – Trailing by one run and two outs away from the end of the 2014 season, Nebraska’s offense rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth inning on its way to a 8-6 win over the Binghamton Bearcats in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. The No. 19 Huskers are now 41-20 on the year, and will continue NCAA Tournament play tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. against the loser of tonight’s game between Cal State Fullerton and Oklahoma State.

The Huskers have now won 16 games this season when they have been behind or tied after the sixth inning, as the Bearcats took a 6-5 lead after plating three runs in the bottom of the sixth. The win also marked the 11th time this year the Huskers have won after taking the lead in their final at-bat of the game.

Nebraska’s first five hitters combined to go 12-for-23 with seven RBIs and six runs scored, including three-hit performances from both Ryan Boldt and Blake Headley. Nebraska walked just one time on the day, but also didn’t strikeout in 38 at-bats.

After the Bearcats took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth, the Huskers produced just one base runner over the next 2.1 innings. Following Austin Darby’s fly out to start the top of the ninth, freshman Ben Miller worked NU’s first walk of the game and was replaced on the base paths by Ty Kildow. Jake Placzek came through with a bloop single and on the play Kildow took two bases to put the tying run 90 feet from home with one out for the top of NU’s lineup coming to the plate. Binghamton turned the ball over to hard-throwing reliever Mike Bunal, but Boldt continued to swing a hot stick and picked up his fifth hit of the tournament, a game-tying RBI single. Nebraska then dialed up a safety squeeze that Steven Reveles executed perfectly, allowing Placzek to score the go-ahead run. The Huskers weren’t done though, as Michael Pritchard delivered a RBI single to center field that scored Boldt to put the Huskers ahead 8-6. Pat Kelly followed with his second hit of the game and Blake Headley reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases, but Bunal was able to put an end to the damage with a 6-3 groundout off the bat of Tanner Lubach.

Zach Hirsch climbed the mound for the Huskers in the ninth to face the top of Binghamton’s lineup after retiring the Bearcats in order in both the seventh and eighth innings. Hirsch retired the first two Bearcat batters he faced before Daniel Nevares gave Binghamton hope with a two-out single. Shaun McGraw stepped to the plate as the game-tying run and got ahead in the count 3-0 before Hirsch fired a strike and then got McGraw to bounce into an game-ending 5-3 putout.

Hirsch earned the win and improved to 5-2 on the year after tossing a season-high 3.1 innings. It was his longest outing since March 23 of last season when he also threw 3.1 innings of relief at Illinois.

The Huskers had to rally after jumping out to a 4-0 lead through two innings. Nebraska’s offense scored three runs on four hits in the top of the first and the Huskers tagged on a run in the top of the second to push their lead to 4-0.

After not getting a runner past first base through the first three innings, the Bearcats broke through in the fourth with three runs on four hits. Binghamton’s first three batters each produced a hit, including a double by Nevares. NU starter Austin Christensen’s day came to an end after he gave up a sacrifice fly to Reed Gamache that cut NU’s lead to 4-2. Bob Greco came on and walked the first batter he faced, but got some help from his defense for the second out of the inning. John Howell tried to lay down a squeeze bunt, but Headley got to the ball quickly from first base and was able to toss the ball to Lubach at home to cut down McGraw. In a position to get out of the inning still up two runs, Greco instead gave up a double to Darian Herncane that escaped a diving catch from Boldt in right-center field. With the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, Greco got a fly ball to end the Bearcats’ three-run frame.

The Huskers got one run back in the top of the fifth, starting with Boldt’s second triple of the weekend. The freshman centerfielder scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Pritchard that put the Huskers ahead by two, 5-3.

Binghamton put together its second three-run inning of the game in the bottom of the six to take a 6-5 lead, with all three runs unearned. Freshman reliever Jake Hohensee walked Gamache and then gave up a single to Brendan Skidmore. Howell then laid down a bunt and Hohensee had Gamache at third base, but instead threw the ball into foul territory that cut NU’s lead to one. No. 9 hitter Eddie Posavec tied the game with a ground out and then Hohensee’s day came to an end after leadoff hitter Zach Blanden walked to put runners on the corners. Hirsch took the mound and gave up a RBI single to Bill Bereszniewicz, his third of the day, putting the Bearcats ahead, 6-5.

After Binghamton starter Greg Ostner had retired eight straight Huskers, Headley broke the streak with a two-out double in the eighth. With the tying run in scoring position, Ostner kept the Bearcats on top by inducing an inning-ending fly ball off the bat of Lubach. Ostner got the first out of the ninth before giving up a walk and a hit. On the day he went 8.1 innings and allowed seven runs on 11 hits and one walk.

Nebraska’s 41 wins are the most by a Husker team since 2008 when NU also won 41 games. Nebraska last won more than 41 games in 2006, when the Huskers posted a 42-17 record.

— NU Sports Information —

St. Joe’s win streak reaches five with 2-1 victory over Joplin

Posted on May 30, 2014

The St. Joseph Mustangs won their fifth straight game to open the 2014 season as they defeated Joplin Saturday inside Phil Welch Stadium, 2-1.

It’s the first league game of the year for St. Joe’s summer college baseball team as they improve to 5-0.

Zac Johnson drove in Joe Koerper with a single in the first inning to give the Mustangs the lead, but the Outlaws tied it in the third.

St. Joe regained the lead in the fourth inning as Ryan Abernathy had a two-out RBI single that drove in Brady Anderson.

Kyle Gehrs earn the win as he went six innings, allowing just three hits and one unearned run. He struck out four batters and walked one.
Brett Ash came on the ninth and struck out two batters with a runner in
scoring position to earn his third save of the season.

The Mustangs are back at home Saturday as they host Nevada in a MINK League game at Phil Welch Stadium. The first pitch is at 7:00 p.m. and it’ll be broadcast on 680 KFEQ and here on StJosephPost.com.

Cain and Gordon homer as Kansas City wins 2nd straight at Toronto

Posted on May 30, 2014May 30, 2014

TORONTO (AP) — When Jason Vargas snuffed out a Toronto rally in the first inning, it gave the Kansas City Royals an early lift, one they carried all the way to a second straight win over the Blue Jays.

Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain homered, Vargas won for the first time in three starts and the Royals beat the Blue Jays 6-1 on Friday night.

Vargas (5-2) allowed one run and seven hits in six innings, walked three and struck out seven. He is 2-0 with a 1.60 ERA in six road starts this season.

Vargas allowed a leadoff triple to Jose Reyes in the first, but Reyes had to hold at third on Melky Cabrera’s fly ball to right. Jose Bautista followed with a walk, but Vargas got out of it by getting Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie to fly out.

“I feel something like that hopefully sets the tone for the game and fires us up,” Vargas said. “We were able to get a run the next inning and keep it moving from there.”

Vargas kept on turning the Blue Jays away whenever they put men on base. Toronto finished 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 14 runners.

“Vargas keeps you off balance,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “If you’re sitting on a pitch, you don’t get it. We had some shots but he was better.”

Cain went 3 for 4 and matched a career high with four RBIs, and Gordon reached base three times as the Royals handed Toronto its second consecutive loss following a season-best nine-game winning streak.

“This is more of the offense that we envisioned coming out of spring training,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We’re not going to be a club that’s going to lead the league in home runs but we’ve got home run power that we haven’t used.”

The home runs were the 23rd and 24th of the season for the Royals, whose total is the lowest in the majors.

Aaron Crow worked the seventh and Kevin Herrera pitched the final two innings, striking out Dioner Navarro for the final out and stranding runners at first and second.

Cain got the Royals on the board with an RBI single off left-hander J.A. Happ in the second, and Gordon followed Butler’s leadoff single by homering on a 3-2 pitch in the fourth.

Bautista replied with a two-out homer in the fifth, but the Royals restored their three-run lead in the sixth. Gordon drew a one-out walk and was almost caught stealing but ended up at second after first baseman Encarnacion dropped Happ’s pickoff throw. The mistake proved costly when Cain drove in Gordon with a two-out single.

Kansas City chased Happ and capped the scoring in the eighth on Cain’s two-out homer.

Happ (4-2) lost for the first time in four starts, allowing a season-worst six runs in 7 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six.

“They put some good swings on me,” Happ said. “They were aggressive and they definitely made me pay for my mistakes.”

For the second straight game, Bautista threw out a runner at first from right field. After getting Billy Butler on Thursday, Bautista slid to corral Infante’s shallow fly and gunned a throw to first in the seventh after Infante didn’t initially run out of the box.

“I don’t know if you’ll see a better play in baseball today than that play right there,” Yost said. “Omar hit the ball and lost it, he thought it was foul. For Bautista to come, smother the ball, one, and then still see that he had a play at first base, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a play like that. Tremendous play.”

— Associated Press —

Wainwright gets knocked around in Cards 9-4 loss to San Francisco

Posted on May 30, 2014May 30, 2014

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Madison Bumgarner struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings and Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer off Adam Wainwright as the surging San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 on Friday night.

Bumgarner (7-3) allowed three hits and matched a season high for strikeouts set in his previous start against Minnesota. He walked one.

San Francisco has won eight of nine and owns the best record in the majors at 36-19.

Pence had two hits and scored twice. Pablo Sandoval extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single and a double, but his run of nine straight games with an RBI was snapped.

Hector Sanchez and Gregor Blanco each had a two-run single for the Giants, who scored seven runs with two outs. San Francisco has scored 117 runs with two outs, tops in the big leagues.

Angel Pagan had two hits and scored twice for the Giants.

Jon Jay hit a three-run double off San Francisco reliever David Huff in the eighth. Allen Craig added an RBI double against Juan Gutierrez.

Wainwright (8-3) entered with a 20-inning scoreless streak and a major league-leading 1.67 ERA. He was trying to become the first nine-game winner in the National League, but lasted just 4 1/3 innings and allowed seven earned runs on eight hits. His ERA jumped to 2.32.

The Giants wasted no time ending Wainwright’s shutout streak. Pagan led off the game with a double down the left field line. He moved to third on Pence’s flyball to right and scored on Michael Morse’s two-out single.

San Francisco then broke the game open by scoring four times off Wainwright in the second inning after the first two batters were retired.

Brandon Hicks kept the inning going by coaxing a walk. Hicks went to third on Bumgarner’s single to left and scored when Pagan followed with a single to center. Pence then hit a 447-foot shot into the third deck in left field to make it 5-0.

Wainwright was pulled after allowing a single to Sandoval and a double by Morse with one out in the fifth. Sandoval and Morse both ended up scoring on Blanco’s two-out single off reliever Seth Maness.

— Associated Press —

Kansas upsets No. 22 Kentucky in NCAA Louisville Regional

Posted on May 30, 2014May 30, 2014

Louisville, Ky. – Three hours and 22 minutes of weather delays didn’t faze the Jayhawks as the Kansas baseball team beat Kentucky at its own game, 10-6, using its big-time offense to silence the Wildcats Friday evening at Jim Patterson Stadium in game one of the NCAA Louisville Regional.

Kansas (35-24) faced a 20 minute lightning delay prior to first pitch, an hour suspension of play with two outs in the first inning and then a two hour and two minute postponement in the bottom of the fifth to tack on an extra three hours and 22 minutes against Kentucky (35-24) in an already three hour and 14 minute contest.

“That was one of the most unusual games I’ve ever been involved in,” Kansas head coach Ritch Price said. “I don’t know if I’ve seen two delays as long as those two were, and I was really proud of the toughness our team showed and the competitiveness they showed to be able to fight through those delays and execute offensively.”

Offensive execution was the name of the game. Kansas pounded out 13 hits against a team that relies more on its offense than pitching to win games, but ended up being beat at their own game. Senior centerfielder Tucker Tharp boasted a 3-for-5 performance at the dish with three RBIs and a run scored, while junior shortstop Justin Protacio finished the day with two walks, an RBI and three runs scored.

“You look at that line score; he (Tharp) had three hits and three RBIs today,” Price said. “He was a big-time player. You can make the statement at the end of the game, ‘he was the best player on the field today.'”

Tharp may have been the best player on the field, but the KU squad was matched up against a team who boasts the National Player of the Year in that of pitcher/designated hitter A.J. Reed, who was no match for the Kansas pitching staff Friday night.

The Jayhawk pitchers held Reed hitless (0-for-2) in both RBI situations, however, they managed to walk the southpaw two times. Kansas senior righty Jordan Piche’ sat Reed down swinging with a runner on in the third, before junior right-hander Drew Morovick (10-4) induced the fly-ball out in the seventh with a runner on to tame the Wildcat.

“I wasn’t going to throw anything he had a chance of elevating,” Morovick said. “I trusted Gravey (Kansas pitching coach Ryan Graves) and his pitch calling. I knew I could just go out there and attack the guy.”

Attack is just what Morovick did when he entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning after a two-hour rain delay halted KU starter Piche’. The hurler tossed three and one-third innings of relief for the win, allowing just two walks and a hit in the 50-pitch effort.

“Morovick came out of the bullpen and put up the three zeroes to give us a chance to get the lead back,” Price said. “It’s a great win for the University of Kansas.”

The win started right from the beginning when Kansas put up back-to-back three-spots in the first and second innings, with a little help from two Kentucky errors.

The Wildcats got the momentum back with a three-spot of their own, before adding a run in the third and two runs in the fourth. However, the Jayhawks stole back the thunder in the sixth inning after a huge double play that ended with an absolute hose from junior left fielder Michael Suiter to senior catcher Ka’iana Eldredge to get the runner out at the dish.

“I wasn’t expecting him to go, I was expecting a bluff,” Morovick said. “When he took off I started heading back to the mound and I saw he wasn’t breaking so I stood there and I had a perfect view of it. It was a beautiful throw by Suiter and a great block of the plate by Ka’iana. That sprung us in the game and that was a huge momentum swing right there.”

That double play lit a fire under Kansas and the squad rallied to score two runs in the seventh and two more runs in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach. Price called to his closer, freshman Stephen Villines, to come in and close out the last five outs for the Jayhawks, which he did, giving up one hit while recording a strikeout.

KU is back in action Saturday, May 31, and will play the winner of No. 1 Louisville and No. 4 Kent State at 4 p.m.

— KU Sports Information —

Nebraska falls to Cal State Fullerton in NCAA opener

Posted on May 30, 2014May 30, 2014

Stillwater, Okla. – Playing in a NCAA Regional for the first time since 2008, the Nebraska baseball team (40-20) dropped a 5-1 decision to the Cal State Fullerton Titans (33-22) on Friday afternoon at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

The game was a pitcher’s duel for most of the day, with four of the game’s six runs coming in the eighth inning. With the game tied 1-1 and the bases empty with two outs in the top of the eighth, the Titans loaded the bases and their No. 3 hitter J.D. Davis smashed a grand slam well over the left-field fence to put the Titans on top 5-1.

Both starters went 6.1 innings and put together strong outings, but neither factored into the decision. NU’s Chance Sinclair allowed just one unearned run on two hits, a walk and four strikeouts, while CSF’s Thomas Eshelman gave up one run on seven hits and a walk, while striking out five.

After being tabbed as a third-team All-American on Thursday morning, Sinclair showed why he deserved the national honor. The junior took a no hitter into the seventh, when Davis broke it up with a line-drive single to left field. Sinclair retired the first 14 batters he faced before he issued a two-out walk in the fifth. On the day, Sinclair retired the Titans in order five times.

Nebraska entered the day 31-1 on the year when outhitting their opponent, with the only loss coming in the second game of the season against Oregon State. NU’s record dropped to 31-2 after outhitting the Titans, 9-5. Eight of Nebraska’s starters notched a hit on the afternoon, including a pair of hits by freshman Ryan Bolt.

Nebraska was in position to scores the game’s first run in the bottom of the third when Austin Christensen led off with a single and Steven Reveles laid down a sacrifice bunt that put Christensen in scoring position for the top of NU’s lineup with one out. Eshelman didn’t let Christensen advance any farther though, as the sophomore righty got Boldt and Austin Darby each to pop out to end the third.

Sinclair was perfect through 4.2 innings, as he retired the first 14 Titan batters he faced. The Titans got their first base runner of the game when Tanner Pinkston worked a four-pitch walk. Sinclair went right back to work and got Austin Diemer to pop out for the final out of the CSF fifth.

Boldt nearly untied the scoreless game with one swing to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but the fly ball hit the wall in right-center field and the freshman had to settle for a leadoff triple, his fifth of the season. Two pitches later Darby delivered a RBI groundout to second base that put the Huskers ahead 1-0. With one down, Michael Pritchard and Pat Kelly notched consecutive line-drive singles, but Eshelman kept the damage to one run with a strikeout and a fly out.

The Titans evened the game, 1-1, in the top of the seventh on an unearned run. Keegan Dale led off the frame with a ground ball to Christensen at first, but Christensen bobbled the ball and Dale reached on the error that would prove costly. Davis then broke up Sinclair’s no hitter with a single to left that put Dale in scoring position. Sinclair got a pop out for the first out of the inning, but David Olemdo-Barrera came through with a RBI single up the middle that tied the game 1-1. With the go-ahead run at second base with one out, Nebraska went to senior Zach Hirsch. The lefty calmed the waters and kept the game tied 1-1, as he got pinch-hitter Greg Velazquez to bounce into a 5-3 inning-ending double play.

Nebraska was in business in the bottom of the seventh after Reveles executed a hit-and-run and put runners on the corners with one down. Boldt then worked a four-pitch walk that loaded the bases for NU’s 2-3-4 hitters. CSF reliever Koby Gauna was able to escape the jam by getting Darby to pop up and Pritchard to fly out.

The Titans then loaded the bases in the top of the eight with two outs and Nebraska’s pitching staff was unable to what CSF’s bullpen. After Hirsch gave up a full-count walk to Dale that loaded the bases, NU brought in Josh Roeder to face Davis, a right-handed batter. The CSF right fielder blew the game open for the Titans when he blasted a 1-1 offering from Roeder for a grand slam to left field.

The Huskers got one hit over their final two at-bats, and were unable to put together a late rally like they have done so many times this year.

The Huskers fall to the loser’s bracket and will play tomorrow at 12:05 p.m.

— NU Sports Information —

Missouri football’s season opener against SDSU to be televised on ESPNU

Posted on May 30, 2014May 30, 2014

Mizzou Football’s 2014 season-opener and start of its home schedule at Faurot Field will be televised nationally by ESPNU, with head coach Gary Pinkel and the Tigers facing South Dakota State at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30.

Mizzou twice played on ESPNU during its impressive 2013 season, defeating Toledo (Sept. 7), 38-23, and winning at Kentucky (Nov. 9), 48-17. Both wins came during the Tigers’ second 12-win season in school history and second for Pinkel (2007).

The Tigers’ matchup vs. the Jackrabbits is the first in program history.

Mizzou’s full 2014 schedule can be found here, with season ticket requests currently being taken online here through the Mizzou Ticket Office. The ticket office can reached by phone at 1-800-CAT-PAWS or 573-884-PAWS (in Mid-Missouri).

Non-conference single game tickets will go on sale online July 24 (6 p.m.) for Tiger Scholarship Fund members and on July 25 (6 p.m.) for the general public. Accessible ticket requests can be made the next business day by phone (8 a.m.-5 p.m.). Reserved ticket prices are set at $49 for the SDSU game.

— MU Sports Information —