BRCC slips past San Jacinto, 5-4
State college baseball
HOUSTON — The Baton Rouge Community College baseball team, coming off a disappointing sweep at the hands of conference rival Meridian last weekend, opened a two-game series against San Jacinto with a 5-4 victory on Saturday.
Kody Smith entered with BRCC trailing 4-0 in the fifth and pitched 4.1 innings of scoreless relief. Jesse Buratt clubbed a three-run homer in the sixth, pulling the Bears within 4-3 and moving BRCC into position for a late rally.
The Bears (26-29) conclude the series with San Jacinto (29-18) at noon Sunday.
BRCC will then take a break before opening action in the Region 23 tournament Friday at Meridian.
TULANE 3, SOUTHERN MISS 2: In New Orleans, after trailing all game, Tulane loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth inning and Jeremy Schaffer delivered a two-run single to right field to give the Green Wave its first Conference USA home series victory.
“When you win a game in walk off fashion that’s a momentum booster for your program,” Tulane coach Rick Jones said as Tulane (31-16, 9-8) beat USM (25-21, 9-9) for the second day in a row.
In the sixth, Ashley Graeter scored the first run of the game with a base hit to right field. Isaac Rodriguez then singled to center field to score the second run of the inning for a 2-0 Soutehrn Miss lead.
Tulane finally broke through when Nick Schneeberger singled and came around to score on a Blake Crohan double to left-center with one out in the seventh.
Kyle McKenzie (4-2) held the Golden Eagles off the scoreboard the rest of the way, pitching 3.2 innings and surrendering three hits and two walks. He struck out four.
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 5, SOUTHEASTERN 3: In Hammond, Southeastern Louisiana scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game, but Stephen F. Austin won with Jarid Scarafiotti’s two-run homer in the 10th for a Southland Conference win.
SFA (19-27, 12-14) broke a 1-1 with an eighth-inning run as Freddy Villalobos pulled a double just inside the third-base line to score Rory Meyers from second.
The Lumberjacks added another run in the ninth on four consecutive singles.
Southeastern (32-16, 16-10) forced extra innings when Michael Rutland drew a walk as a pinch-hitter and moved to second on Alex Marse scored on a throwing error by SFA catcher Jarid Scarafiotti and Jonathan Pace drove home a run with his sacrifice fly to center.
NICHOLLS STATE 10, UTSA 2: In San Antonio, Nicholls evened its series with Texas-San Antonio and kept alive hope for the postseason.
Nicholls (23-23, 10-16 SLC) had 14 hits Saturday. The highlight was a Michael LeGrange homer, but Nicholls State had six doubles and a triple as well.
Jeremy Hill led the way, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs.