Southern Jaguars 12, Cal State Northridge 9

Jaguars rebound for 12-9 triumph

COMPTON, Calif. — Silenced and humbled in its season opener, the Southern baseball team responded well Saturday. The Jaguars rallied twice, and they won. On the second day of the Major League Baseball Urban Invitational, Southern scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning against Cal State Northridge, and reliever Brian Foster held off the Matadors in the top of the ninth for a 12-9 victory. “We played much better today,” SU coach Roger Cador said. “We needed something from the bottom of our lineup and we got it. We needed something from Doc (Foster), and we got it from him too.”

The Jaguars’ win came less than 24 hours after UCLA roughed them up 16-2 in the season opener Friday night in Los Angeles. In that game, the Bruins scored nine runs in the first inning, and SU never recovered. On Saturday, Cal State Northridge jumped on starter Jarrett Maloy for four runs in the top of the first. The Jaguars rallied and took a 7-5 lead into the top of the seventh, when Northridge scored three times off SU reliever Joshua Rochelle.

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UMES Hawks Don't Disappoint on Homecoming

Coach Frankie Allen: 'It was a game that we felt we had to win.'

PRINCESS ANNE, MD -- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team looked to finish off the tail end of a homecoming doubleheader on a winning note Saturday. With the help of big runs in the first and second halves, UMES eased to a 66-52 victory over Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Coppin State. It was the Hawks' first homecoming win in eight years. "It's a great feeling," UMES coach Frankie Allen said. "So much is put into your homecoming, and we had a big crowd, and it was a game that we felt we had to win."

The beginning of the game saw both teams struggle on the offensive end, with the score being 3-3 after the first five minutes. The offensive woes continued for both teams, for it was close to the 10-minute mark before either team reached double digits when UMES guard Josh Bright hit two free throws to break a 9-9 tie. After Bright's free throws, the Hawks (9-18, 7-6 MEAC) went on to outscore Coppin State by a 17-12 margin to end the half, capped by a Hillary Haley 3-pointer in the closing seconds. The Eagles (7-18, 2-10) were sluggish following the break, and were outscored 14-2 by the Hawks in the first five minutes of the half.

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Spiders Rattle Florida A&M, 23-1, In 2010 Season Baseball Opener

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Richmond baseball team exploded for 10 runs in the second inning and senior Matt Zielinski was dominant in the season-opener as the Spiders rolled past Florida A&M, 23-1, Friday in the first game of the North Florida Classic. Zielinski fanned five and scattered just five hits over six innings to pick up the Spiders third-straight season-opening win under head coach Mark McQueen. The senior lefty allowed just one walk and a run in the winning effort.

"We threw strikes, only walked one and didn't commit an error," said McQueen. "I liked that we did the little things well and that's a credit to our guys. Even though we've practice outside only once with all the snow, we've worked hard and came ready to play today." Sophomore C Chris Cowell launched a three-run homer in the Spiders 10-run second inning and set a career-high with six RBI to lead an offensive attack that struck for 21 runs on 11 hits and benefited from 16 walks by Rattler pitching.

"The big second inning really gave us a chance to relax and allowed our guys to get in a zone," said McQueen. "We had good at-bats and I liked the approach." Junior DH Billy Barber had two hits, a solo homer, three RBI and scored four times, while sophomore LF Phil Ruzbarsky had two hits and scored a career-high three runs. After Barber led off the second inning with a single, Brown followed with a towering shot to left and Cowell later tomahawked a three-run homer over the left-center field wall. Richmond feasted on five walks in the frame and ended the day of FAMU starter Miguel Parga quickly.

North Florida Classic Schedule / Results
Friday, Feb. 19
Richmond 23, Florida A&M 1
Boxscore

Ohio State 4, North Florida 2
Boxscore

Saturday, Feb. 20
Richmond 16, North Florida 11
Boxscore

Ohio State 16, Florida A&M 1
Boxscore

Sunday, Feb. 21
Richmond vs. Ohio State
11:00 a.m.

Florida A&M vs. North Florida
3:00 p.m.

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No. 23 UCLA Baseball Defeats Southern, 16-2, in Season Opener

LOS ANGELES - Right-hander Gerrit Cole allowed two runs and one hit in 6.0 innings to lead the No. 23 UCLA baseball team past Southern, 16-2, in the season opener for both teams in an MLB Urban Invitational contest on Friday evening at UCLA's Steele Field at Jackie Robinson Stadium.Cole (1-0) recorded nine strikeouts and no walks as the Bruins' starter.

UCLA (1-0) received at least one hit from each of its nine starters in the lineup. Designated hitter Blair Dunlap led the way with a 3-for-4 effort, including one homer, two RBI and two runs. Dunlap led off the bottom of the first by connecting on the first pitch from Southern left-hander Chase Richard for a solo homer to left. Right fielder Brett Krill finished 3-for-5 with one run, and shortstop Niko Gallego went 2-for-4 with a career-high four RBI. Catcher Steve Rodriguez belted one three-run homer in a 1-for-3 effort, collecting a career-high four RBI and two runs.

Richard (0-1) absorbed the loss for Southern, surrendering 13 runs (seven earned) and 12 hits in 4.0 innings. UCLA led 9-0 after the first inning by taking advantage of seven hits and one fielding error. Dunlap's solo blast in the first inning put the Bruins on the board. With one out and the bases loaded, Espy reached on a sacrifice fly to center that was dropped, sending home Rahmatulla.

After an RBI-single by freshman Cody Keefer and a two-out bases-loaded hit-by-pitch from Rodriguez, Dunlap reached on an RBI-bunt single and Gallego blooped a three-run double to center field. Rahmatulla's second hit of the inning scored Gallego for the Bruins' ninth run. Espy's solo homer in the bottom of the second extended UCLA's cushion to 10-0. Southern scored two runs in the top of the third. With one out, left fielder James Armstrong lined a run-scoring triple down the right-field line, scoring right fielder Michael Lindsey. A sacrifice fly to center by first baseman Frazier Hall plated Armstrong from third.

Box Score (PDF)

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Cal State Northridge rolls to win over Bethune-Cookman

COMPTON, Calif. -- Cal State Northridge kicked off the third annual Urban Invitational presented by the U.S. Army in a big way, beating Bethune-Cookman, 18-4, on Friday at the Urban Youth Academy. The three-day tournament, which also includes UCLA and Southern University and helps spotlight Historically Black Colleges and Universities by giving them national exposure, began Friday with a game billed as a pitchers' duel between the club's aces on the first day of the college baseball season.

It appeared that way for Bethune-Cookman left-hander Ali Simpson, as his club led, 4-0, after three innings with a pair of two-runs homers by Peter O'Brien and Matt Wright against Northridge right-hander Ryan Juarez. But Northridge overcame that early 4-0 deficit by breaking out in the sixth inning with nine runs and added five more in the seventh inning to put the game out of reach. All told, 12 different players had a hit for the Matadors as they club pounded out 20 hits.

"It was a little dicey there at the beginning because we made some mental mistakes," Northridge coach Steve Rousey said. "So early on, we weren't playing well, but I don't know if the guys loosened up or what, but it turned around."

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Hall Returns to Savannah State Tigers Football Staff

Alan Hall will return to the Savannah State University football coaching staff as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, interim athletics director Marilynn Suggs announced. Hall’s first day at SSU will be March 1, 2010. “We are excited about Coach Hall rejoining our football staff,” said Suggs. “He did a great job as offensive coordinator for us in 2008 and we are confident that he will pick up where he left off.”

While at Savannah State in 2008, Hall served as offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach and helped the Tigers win five games, the most since 1999. The year before Hall arrived, SSU averaged 8.4 points per game and 189 yards per game. In 2008, Savannah State averaged 314 yards per game and 19.2 points a game. “I am happy to be back at Savannah State. I really enjoyed my time here,” Hall said. “When I was at SSU, I grew very close with many of the players. I thank the administration for the opportunity to work with the team again.” Hall served as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Winston-Salem State during the 2009 season. The Tampa, Florida native has worked on the college level since 1998.

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'Raggedy' MVSU puts on own Ritz with Notre Dame

'Raggedy' MVSU puts on own ritz

ITTA BENA, MS — Yes, those were the Notre Dame Fighting Irish out there on the modest baseball diamond of Mississippi Valley State on Friday - Notre Dame with all the trimmings: Brilliant, old gold batting helmets, navy blue jerseys, with gold numbers and lettering and bright green shamrocks on the sleeves. This was Notre Dame, in Itta Bena, playing on a field that Valley coach Doug Shanks and his coaches worked on through Thursday night making sure it would be playable. This is Magnolia Field, where the one-man grounds crew dresses in green and white striped pants, courtesy of a nearby penal farm where he is housed and fed. "Hardest worker you ever saw, but we have to have him back by 4," Shanks says.

This was Notre Dame, the gold standard of college athletics, winning 12-4 over Mississippi Valley State, which Shanks quite frankly will admit, has "the worst Division I baseball facilities in America." The crowd was standing room only Friday. Of course, at Magnolia Field, there is essentially standing room only. The official nickname for MVSU's athletic teams is Delta Devils. The baseball players call themselves the Ragamuffins. No explanation necessary.

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Coach Doug Shanks at the Valley.

Irish Upend Mississippi Valley State, 8-3

GREENVILLE, MS - Notre Dame senior RHP Billy Boockford (Glen Elyn, Ill.) picked up his first career victory and senior 1B Casey Martin (Chesterton, Ind.) added two hits, including a solo home run for the second consecutive day, to lead the Irish past Mississippi Valley State, 8-3, in college baseball action from Legion Field Saturday afternoon. An energetic crowd of 1,875 watched Notre Dame improve to 2-0 on the season. Boockford, who entered today's contest with just one previous pitching appearance, tossed 1.2 scoreless and hitless innings of relief. The right-handed hurler walked a batter and recorded a strikeout.

Junior Todd Miller (Franklin, Tenn.) picked up the save. Miller, who tied for the team-lead in saves last season with five, worked 2.0 scoreless innings of relief. He surrendered three hits and one walk, but also struck out one. Martin and junior Cameron McConnell (Bannockburn, Ill.) were the only two Irish players with more than one hit, but seven of the nine starters registered a base hit. It marked the second consecutive day with seven of the nine starting players recorded a hit.

Notre Dame grabbed an early 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and second inning. Senior 2B Ryne Intlekofer (Moorpark, Calif.) opened the game with a double and came around to score on senior OF David Mills' (Battle Creek, Mich.) RBI single. Junior 3B Greg Sherry (Mendham, N.J.) added an RBI single in the second to score McConnell, who reached with a one-out single.

After the Delta Devils cut the Irish lead in half, 2-1, Notre Dame pushed the lead to 4-1 with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning. Junior David Casey (Whitefish Bay, Wisc.) drew a two-out walk and raced home on junior Mick Doyle's (LaGrange Park, Ill.) RBI double. Doyle would eventually score on a Mississippi Valley State error to make it 4-1.

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