LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech swept No. 3 Indiana 10-5 and 6-2 in a Saturday afternoon doubleheader at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park in front of 3,387 fans -- the fifth largest attendance at Rip Griffin Park since the stadium was renovated in 2012.
The Red Raiders knocked off the Hoosiers with a combined 16 runs scored on 22 base hits while the Tech pitching staff received a pair of five-inning starts from its starters and had a bullpen effort allow just one run and one walk in eight innings of work from four pitchers.
Saturday marked the first time in more than 13 years that Texas Tech has swept a doubleheader against a nationally ranked opponent. Texas Tech moved to 2-1 on opening weekend while Indiana fell to 1-2.
Tech sophomore right-handed pitcher Matt Withrow (1-0) earned the win in the first game of the doubleheader going five innings with five strikeouts allowing just one earned run on three hits.
Tech was led at the plate in the opener by junior second baseman Bryant Burleson (3-for-4, RBI), junior shortstop Tim Proudfoot (2-for-4, RBI) and freshman designated hitter Anthony Lyons, who went 3-for-4 with a run scored and RBI in his first career start.
Indiana starting pitcher Kyle Hart (0-1) suffered the loss going three innings allowing five runs on tow hits with five walks and a strikeout.
The Red Raiders were just getting started on the day while scoring six runs on nine hits with four extra-base hits in the second game of the doubleheader.
Junior left-handed pitcher Chris Sadberry (1-0) made his career debut going five innings with four strikeouts without allowing a walk and giving up two runs on five hits.
Proudfoot led all players in the second game Saturday going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
The Tech bullpen -- junior right-handed pitcher Corey Taylor and junior left-handed pitcher Cameron Smith -- combined pitched four shutout innings with three strikeouts and one walk.
Burleson, who extended his hit streak to 16 games after game one on Saturday saw his streak come to an end in the second game going 0-for-4.
Washington State 9, No. 1 Cal State Fullerton 7, 11 innings
FULLERTON, Calif. -- Jason Monda’s two-run single in the top of the 11th inning provided Washington State a 9-7 victory against No. 1 Cal State Fullerton on Saturday at Goodwin Field.
The rally started with a one-out single by Collin Slaybaugh. Nick Tanielu followed with a single, one of his career-high four hits, and freshman Cameron Frost walked to load the bases. Willie Kuhl, the fourth Cal State Fullerton (1-1) pitcher, relieved Koby Gauna (0-1).
After Kuhl recorded the second out on a fielder’s choice off the bat of P.J. Jones, Monda drove a ball through the left side for the game-winning hit for the Cougars (1-1).
Freshman Ian Hamilton (1-0) set the Titans down in order in the 11th to finishing off a three-shutout inning performance that earned him the victory.
Washington State starter Tanner Chleborad went five innings and gave up three runs, one earned, before turning the game over to the bullpen.
No. 2 Virginia 12, VMI 0
WILMINGTON, N.C. -- Led by six shutout innings from starting pitcher Nathan Kirby, second-ranked Virginia blanked VMI 12-0 on a windy Saturday afternoon in the Hughes Bros. Challenge. The game was played in consistent high winds of 25 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph.
Kirby (1-0) worked a career-long six innings, allowing just four hits and a walk while striking out seven, also a career high, as just two balls left the infield against him. Freshman Alec Bettinger allowed a hit and two walks in 1.2 innings in his first college outing, while Kevin Doherty pitched the final 1.1 innings to finish off the shutout.
Virginia's bats came alive with a dozen hits, with five players recording two hits apiece. In addition to a pair of hits, Brandon Downes drove in three runs, while Mike Papi scored three runs and reached base four times.
VMI (0-2) did not help its case in committing six errors. Seven of Virginia's runs were unearned.
No. 3 Oregon State 15, Nebraska 7
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Kavin Keyes and Michael Conforto both had three runs batted as third-ranked Oregon State broke out offensively with a 15-7 win against Nebraska Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
Eight of Oregon State’s nine offensive starters recorded at least one hit, as the Beavers collected 13 overall. Keyes led the charge with a 3-for-5 effort, driving in the three runs with singles in the third and fourth innings and a double in the sixth.
Conforto, meanwhile, posted a 2-for-3 effort, driving home a run in the third and two in the Beavers’ seven-run eighth inning.
Conforto and Keyes were backed by Dylan Davis, who drove in two runs on a double in the fourth that hit the top of the fence in left. Gabe Clark and Logan Ice also had two RBI in the win. Clark singled home runs twice and Ice walked with the bases loaded twice.
A four-run OSU (2-0 overall) fourth was enough to get the Beavers ahead early, with Clark, Ice and Conforto all driving in runs as OSU sent 10 batters to the plate. OSU scored three more in the fourth to take the big advantage and give starter Jace Fry plenty of cushion.
Already up 8-2, the Beavers sent 12 to the plate in the eighth and scored seven runs on just two hits. OSU walked five times during the inning.
Fry turned the offensive outburst into his first win of the season and his first since 2012. The lefty worked seven solid innings, scattering nine hits and two runs while striking out five.
Nebraska (1-1) starter Aaron Bummer lasted just three innings, allowing six hits and four runs to take the loss.
No. 4 Mississippi State 6, Western Carolina 1
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State picked up its first win of the college baseball season with a 6-1 victory against Western Carolina Saturday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.
Trevor Fitts picked up the squad’s first quality start of the season as Fitts, a junior right-hander, allowed seven hits and one run, with a career-high 11 strikeouts and two walks. Jacob Lindgren, Preston Brown and Jonathan Holder followed. Holder faced four batters and struck out two for his first save of the season.
MSU (1-1) scored three runs in both the fourth and eighth innings.
In the fourth inning, Brett Pirtle started things with a leadoff single. After a strikeout, Cody Brown gave the Maroon and White its first lead of the season with an RBI-triple. After a pair of walks, Jake Vickerson collected his first RBIs with MSU with a two-run single.
After Western Carolina (1-1) closed within 3-1 thanks in part to two wild pitches in the fifth inning, MSU blew the contest open with three runs off five WCU relievers in the eighth inning.
Zack Randolph started things with a one-out single. A hit batsman and Alex Detz’s second hit loaded the bases. Wes Rea followed with a two-run single and C.T. Bradford drew a bases-loaded walk.
The extra offense was more than enough for Holder, who got the final out of the eighth inning before setting the side down in order in the ninth inning.
MSU finished with nine hits, including multi-hit games by Detz and Pirtle. Detz has now reached base safely in 25 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Cody Jones had two of Western Carolina’s seven hits.
No. 5 Florida State 4, Niagara 1
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Fifth-ranked Florida State (2-0) secured its 33rd consecutive series victory on opening weekend with a 4-1 victory against Niagara (0-2) Saturday afternoon on Mike Martin Field inside Dick Howser Stadium.
The Seminoles received another outstanding performance from their starting pitcher as this time Brandon Leibrandt (1-0) blanked the Purple Eagles in six strong innings allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out five.
In fact, the announced attendance of 5,511 inside Dick Howser Stadium on Saturday was treated to a pitcher's duel as Leibrandt and Niagara starter Drew Fittry exchanged zeroes through the first five innings.
Fittry (0-1) stymied the Seminole bats in game two holding Florida State to just one hit in 5.1 innings of work. This coming just one day after the Seminole bats exploded for 15 hits. Brett Knief's RBI single in the sixth erased Fittry's no-hit bid while chasing the senior right hander from the game.
Justin Gonzalez, who led off the sixth with a hit-by-pitch, one of three on the afternoon to tie a single-game school record, scored from second on Knief's single to center. John Nogowski would drive in Knief for the second run of the inning on a two-out double to left center to give Florida State a 2-0 lead.
The Seminoles extended their lead to 3-0 in the seventh without registering a hit. Florida State took advantage of a walk and three hit-by-pitches in the inning with the lone run coming off a DJ Stewart sac-fly to center scoring Danny De La Calle.
No. 6 LSU 7, New Orleans 4
METAIRIE, La. -- Junior left-hander Kyle Bouman worked five strong innings in his LSU debut and designated hitter Sean McMullen highlighted a three-run second inning with a two-RBI single as the sixth-ranked Tigers defeated New Orleans 7-4 before 7,071 fans at Zephyr Field.
Bouman (1-0) gave up a run on three hits in the first inning Saturday, but settled in and retired the final 13 batters he faced. He recorded no walks and one strikeout in his five-inning outing.
The Privateers took a 1-0 lead against Bouman in the bottom of the first, but the Tigers responded with three runs in the second. Second baseman Conner Hale lined an RBI single and McMullen drilled a two-run single to highlight the rally.
LSU added a run in the fourth on a run-scoring single by centerfielder Andrew Stevenson, and the Tigers extended the lead to 6-1 in the fourth when shortstop Alex Bregman slapped an RBI single and leftfielder Mark Laird scored on a passed ball.
Back-to-back doubles by Bregman and rightfielder Jared Foster in the sixth gave LSU a 7-1 advantage.
LSU recorded 13 hits in Saturday’s game after collecting only seven in a 2-0 win against UNO on Friday night.
No. 9 UCLA 12, Portland 0
LOS ANGELES -- UCLA rebounded from its opening-night loss to Portland with a 12-1 win against the Pilots on Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Junior Grant Watson was terrific on the mound for the Bruins, earning the win with seven strong innings. Watson scattered three hits in his seven innings of work, striking out eight while walking just one. His one run allowed was unearned. Kody Watts suffered the loss for Portland, giving up three earned runs in five innings pitched.
At the plate, junior Chris Keck led the way for the Bruins, going 4-for-5 with a double, a triple, three runs scored and a RBI. Sophomore Trent Chatterton followed that up with a 2-for-5 performance that included three RBI while sophomore Christoph Bono also went 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI.
No. 10 Vanderbilt 6, Long Beach State 0
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- No. 10 Vanderbilt improved to 2-0 on the season behind strong pitching from Jared Miller and Carson Fulmer, who combined to toss a shutout in Vanderbilt's 6-0 win on Saturday at Blair Field.
Miller dominated in six scoreless innings allowing only a base hit while striking out four on 68 pitches. The big lefty earned the win in his first start of the season. Fulmer tossed the final three innings to preserve the shutout.
The Dores took the lead with a five-run third inning with six hits and never looked back. Bryan Reynolds, John Norwood and Zander Wiel all had two hits in the win.
